Chapter 109: Each One’s Preparation (1)
Kynemon felt a sense of confusion at Carisia’s sudden summons.
He had never once slacked off in the tasks assigned to him. In fact, he hadn’t even had time to attempt such a thing.
It had been less than three days since he’d been dragged to Etna City. Even if he had failed to do his job properly during those days, anyone would have considered it an adjustment period.
‘Was my requested payment too high? …No.’
Thinking about his compensation, Kynemon shook his head.
Orthes had promised him the position of the master of Amimone Tower. His original demand had been simple destruction. Orthes’ proposal, however, was far more sophisticated and intelligent than mere retaliation.
The fact that Orthes had made such a bold proposal indicated just how powerful Hydra Corporation was. If it wasn’t something Hydra could pull off, Orthes wouldn’t have suggested it in the first place.
With lingering doubts, Kynemon made his way to the president’s office.
Inside, Carisia sat alone. The absence of Lampades made the solitary meeting all the more oppressive for Kynemon.
“Have a seat.”
Carisia gestured. The elegance in her movements exuded the confidence of someone in absolute power, reigning from the shadows.
“I apologize for disturbing you when you’re so busy.”
“…Why have you called for me?”
A mysterious smile played on Carisia’s lips. Kynemon couldn’t help but think that smile resembled Orthes.
‘Lampades said this woman is a lot like Orthes…’
Now he understood what was meant by that.
“There’s something I’m curious about.”
“Are you talking about Amimone Tower? I’ve already delivered all my findings to the Head of the Divine Investigation Office, and as for the relic holdings of the other towers, I’m still in the middle of investigating.”
“Oh, no. This isn’t about official matters. I’m talking about your ‘friend.’”
“Orthes?”
You should know him better than I do. Kynemon wisely refrained from speaking the thought that had flashed through his mind.
‘…There’s a rumor that Orthes can read minds sometimes, but surely the president doesn’t possess such powers.’
If the president could handle everything on her own, subordinates would be pointless. Orthes must have some irreplaceable value that led her to keep him in her service.
“Yes. I’m talking about Orthes, the Head of the Divine Investigation Office.”
Kynemon waited anxiously for what would come next.
“What did you do during your time as a troubleshooter?”
“…?”
The unexpected question only deepened Kynemon’s confusion.
***
I was busy making calls. Here I was, working hard so I could live a life of idleness, yet I was starting to realize just how exhausting life could be, even without much physical activity.
“Yes, Chief Auditor. I assure you the line is secure…”
Lately, most of my calls had been with Salmosia. I had to lay the groundwork in advance, making the net tighter around Amimone Tower.
“Demus, it’s me. Are you making the necessary preparations?”
My second contact was Demus, the negotiator for the Divine Cult. I had called him around the time Lampades brought Kynemon to us.
‘The surveillance from the Ten Magic Towers has become more intense due to their connection with Argyrion. How do we get through this crisis?’
I had also added that we only needed a little more time, and once we extracted the power of the relics and received the temple’s blessing, we’d have the strength to stand against the Ten Magic Towers. I saw this as half bluff.
Their power would certainly increase, but not enough to overwhelm the entirety of the Ten Magic Towers.
If adding a few more relics to a temple could have defeated the Ten Towers, why had the Divine Cult lost during the Mage King’s era when they had at least thirteen temples?
That’s why I didn’t bother questioning or casting doubt on such empty boasts. Criticizing them would only risk creating animosity.
Instead of harsh words, I offered them a way to break through the current situation.
Truthfully, it was a way to break through ‘in my favor.’
And this method was the key to toppling Amimone Tower.
***
Demus gazed at Erichthonia, the high priestess of Glaucus, who stood before him. Since the acquisition of the Grand Temple of Pluton, the Divine Cult had undergone a massive transformation.
The most significant change was the rise of ‘factions.’
In the past, the Divine Cult had been united purely for survival, with no room for factional disputes.
There could be disagreements, but once a decision was made, it was followed with absolute obedience, and the entire cult would devote itself to supporting the outcome.
If this hadn’t been the case, they would have long ago been crushed by the power of the Ten Magic Towers.
But now, they had a new source of power. The relics and the temple presented the cult with a different future.
It was no longer necessary for everyone to obey a single will. Even divided, they could still survive or even achieve something greater.
This potential for division became most apparent in response to the Pope’s plan.
There had always been those who opposed the Pope’s plans, but they had set aside their objections when his plan narrowly passed a vote at the gathering.
Even when the Pope’s plan seemed like the only means of survival, a significant number of votes were cast in opposition. The radical and unfamiliar future the Pope envisioned was too unsettling for many.
But now, the situation had changed.
A new means of survival that didn’t rely on the Pope had appeared. The cult had succeeded in finding the remnants of ancient Mythical Era power.
Of course, this alone would not have been enough to form a faction opposing the Pope.
What united the once-scattered opposition—whose only common trait had been vague dissatisfaction—into a cohesive faction was the Grand Temple of Pluton.
More specifically, it was the priestess of Pluton who controlled it.
After the temple came into the cult’s possession, the Pluton sect had no choice but to step out from the shadows and into the spotlight. The priestess of Pluton, as the rightful and legitimate heir to the temple, gained authority second only to the Pope.
At some point, word quietly spread that the priestess had been opposing the Pope’s plan all along but had cooperated only out of necessity. The source of this rumor was impossible to trace.
Thus, the Divine Cult split into two factions.
Those who supported the Pope, and those who stood with the priestess. The future that Priestess Kore of Pluton had feared—the future of division—had arrived.
‘…’
However, not everyone had made a quick decision on which side to join, like Hyacinth with the Pope’s faction or Proditor with the priestess’s.
Demus was one of the undecided, those still hesitating to choose a side.
“So, Erichthonia, what’s your assessment of Orthes’ response?”
Erichthonia was someone who had immediately decided to support the priestess upon her emergence. She agreed with most of Kore’s views, but she had withheld judgment on one matter—Orthes.
She had used Demus to ask Orthes a question in order to test him.
“When I asked how we could hide our presence, he didn’t say to hide. It wasn’t the answer I expected.”
“Isn’t that plan too clever to dismiss?”
When asked how to avoid the attention of the Ten Magic Towers, Orthes had given a completely unexpected response.
“Don’t hide.”
“You’ve been labeled as an excuse to justify Argyrion’s campaign. Panoptes and the Ten’s elders may believe that excuse.”
“Therefore, your traces shouldn’t be found. But if they are, magical society will be thrown into even greater chaos.”
With the Ten Towers tightening their surveillance under the pretext of relic enforcement, Orthes advised them to use this pretext against them.
By actively leaving false traces, they could make the world believe that Argyrion and the Divine Cult were acting together, thus diverting attention away from the cult as the Ten focused on pursuing Argyrion.
‘If he were truly a threat to us, as the priestess claimed, he wouldn’t have provided such an effective strategy…’
The priestess remained silent about why she viewed Orthes as a danger.
Thus, they had asked him this question to test his loyalty. If Orthes truly intended to betray the Divine Cult, he would have used this moment, when the cult was still growing, to offer a trap-laden response.
Once the cult had fully mastered the power of the temple, they would hold strength comparable to the Ten Magic Towers of old.
However, Orthes’ response, while risky, contained no traps.
Erichthonia nodded in acknowledgment, recognizing the brilliance of Orthes’ strategy.
“Yes, it’s not bad. But I wonder if it’s feasible. For the plan to work, the chaos would need to reach at least a legitimate magic tower.”
“He’s already prepared for that.”
“Prepared?”
Demus muttered the name of the tower Orthes had identified as the most suitable place to leave traces.
“Amimone Tower.”
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