Chapter 119: Amidst the Storm (6)
Gorgov’s admiration was genuine.
According to the guide’s explanation, the so-called Argyrion forces that had invaded Algoth were nothing more than Blasphemia’s disguised agents.
In other words, they were lackeys of the Ten Towers.
The conflict between the servile Tower Master of the Amimone Tower—one of the most obsequious to the Ten Towers—and Blasphemia, who acted as the Towers’ enforcers, was deeply ironic.
What a ridiculous and yet sweet victory this was!
Even though he had been forewarned, Gorgov had been taken aback by the fully evolved silver soldiers, seemingly mutated from Silver Thread Hosts. But Orthes’ explanation—that it was the handiwork of the Silver Iron Tower—made perfect sense.
Despite their loathing for the Ten Towers, there was no denying their power. If the Towers had intervened directly, such feats were not beyond them.
“Look, our guide! It is your accomplishment!”
Twelve awakened mages now stood at Gorgov’s side. These twelve were the exact number of mages Danao had deemed necessary to maintain the defense of Amimone Tower.
The Tower was now fully under Argyrion’s control.
“But guide, what if Blasphemia reveals their true identity?”
“Haha, at this point, if they claim such a thing, it will be dismissed as a lie.”
“Danao may not be noble as a mage, but he possesses a sharp political instinct. What if he realizes the truth?”
“It is precisely that political instinct that will compel him to eliminate Blasphemia.”
Orthes whispered to Gorgov.
If Blasphemia survived, could Danao truly expect them to submit a favorable report on him? While it was possible, it wasn’t likely.
Danao, obsessed with the Tower’s survival, would reason that Blasphemia remaining alive would only pose a future threat to him. Killing Blasphemia’s agents and blaming it on Argyrion would result in no real loss to him.
Danao’s cold calculation would inevitably lead him to kill Blasphemia’s operative.
“Logical.”
A wicked smile crept across Gorgov’s lips. How laughable it was that logic would lead him to slay his own allies.
How could Danao be so incompetent, failing to see that the real enemy was already among them?
Danao’s inability to discern the truth was, in itself, proof of his incompetence. Gorgov saw himself as the rightful successor to the position of Tower Master.
He would hand Amimone Tower over to Argyrion and rise to the rank of Tower Master, becoming a prominent figure within Argyrion.
Gorgov’s ambition was as clear as day to Orthes.
“First, we need to assess the situation. Try listening in on Danao’s communications through the mana core.”
“Ah, yes. If we attempt to hack the core, a warning will be sent to Danao immediately. We need to do it at the height of battle. Just give me a moment.”
Gorgov began to adjust the mana core. The core also served as the primary communications relay for the entire area. Unless one had an independent channel like Argyrion or Blasphemia, all communications had to pass through it.
「Master! The Silver Thread mutants are acting strangely!」
「They’re converging and combining!」
「Their resistance to acid is increasing—」
「Form squads of at least three and counter them! I’ll pursue the fleeing commander!」
“Haha. Did you hear that? How absurd, to see our enemies fighting each other so fiercely.”
Orthes stroked his chin. This wasn’t good. If Argyrion’s mage managed to escape and report to the main forces, a larger, more organized group would descend upon them next.
“Hm, Gorgov, no…”
Gorgov turned, sensing the change in Orthes’ tone. What did he mean, “no”?
“Gorgov, Tower Master.”
A thrill surged through Gorgov’s spine. To hear himself addressed as Tower Master—it was exhilarating.
“Hm, hm. Is there some unexpected development, guide?”
“I hadn’t anticipated that Blasphemia would abandon their pride so easily. If that mage escapes and calls for reinforcements, Argyrion’s next move will be a full-scale invasion.”
“Of course. And Danao will undoubtedly welcome them with open arms.”
“If that happens, even if we successfully hack the mana core and take control of the tower, we’ll face a much tougher battle. It’s questionable whether we can hold out until Argyrion’s main force arrives. The Tower Master will need to act.”
“And how should he act?”
“Assist Danao under the pretense of stopping the escapee from calling for reinforcements.”
“Wouldn’t that be to our disadvantage?”
“Not at all. You’ll help Danao block the escape route, but leave the actual combat to him.”
This would focus all of Danao’s mana and energy on the battle. And when Danao finally defeated the Blasphemia operative…
“That will be our opportunity.”
Gorgov swallowed hard. No matter how much they exhausted him, Danao was still a Tower Master.
Could he really face Danao in a one-on-one fight?
Even with the perfect ambush, could he successfully strike down a Tower Master still in combat mode? Gorgov’s anxiety grew.
Sensing his unease, Orthes proposed an alternative plan.
“There’s another way. Once the battle is over, bring Danao and the others back inside the tower to rest. After fighting alongside you, Danao will trust you. He’ll let his guard down while recovering his mana.”
“An ambush inside the tower…”
Once Danao was dealt with, gaining control of the mana core would be much easier. Gorgov nodded heavily in agreement.
“I, along with two others, will assist Master Danao. The rest will stay with our guide and safely manage Amimone Tower!”
The Argyrion infiltrators shouted in unison, “Truth and righteousness!” as Gorgov strode confidently from the tower chamber.
「Master! We’re coming to assist! Just hold on a moment longer!」
「Gorgov! What are you saying?」
「If that mage escapes and brings reinforcements, Amimone Tower will be in even greater danger! I’ve left plenty of others behind, so don’t worry!」
Through the mana core, Danao and Gorgov’s conversation echoed.
‘Temporary alliance—successful.’
An alliance between Argyrion’s infiltrators and the loyalists of the Ten Towers.
Orthes nodded in satisfaction.
Though there had been some misunderstanding—where the infiltrators mistook Argyrion for Blasphemia, and the Tower Master considered the infiltrators loyalists—it was indeed a case of “like attracts like.”
“Now, I’ll search for the authorization codes for the mana core. I’ll sweep the tower in the meantime. Alert me if there are any unexpected developments in the communication.”
***
It was a dangerous balancing act, but I breathed a sigh of relief.
My narrow eyes may be a nuisance at times, but without them, surviving in this world would have been far more difficult.
Leaving behind the infiltrators gathered around the mana core in the Tower Master’s chamber, I slowly opened my eyes just enough.
“The ancient artifact must be hidden somewhere—”
I had already checked the Tower Master’s chamber earlier when I entered with Gorgov. There was nothing of note besides the mana core. Not even any other significant relics or treasures. Danao certainly didn’t seem like the frugal type, so his real wealth must be hidden elsewhere.
“With the artifact inspection decree, it would’ve been difficult to hide anything outside the tower. It must be somewhere inside.”
If it wasn’t in the highest point of the tower, then it was likely hidden in the lowest place—the basement.
There was no officially recognized basement in Amimone Tower, though.
I descended to the first floor and carefully examined the ground.
“As I thought.”
People are all the same in their habits.
I slowly lowered my head toward the floor.
***
“Truth and righteousness!”
“Truth and righteousness? You speak of truth, but you hold none! The righteousness I pursue is far higher than your wretched purposes!”
Sprigo wanted to grab his head in frustration as he listened to Gorgov’s ranting. Was the man brainwashed?
The way he was talking, he *was* aligned with Argyrion, wasn’t he?
Danao, on the other hand, thought to himself:
‘I thought he was just a sneaky snake, but to think he had such courage and conviction to fight!’
When I return to the tower, I’ll have to reward him. Though I’ll still have to reprimand him for leaving the tower in the hands of that suspicious Blasphemia agent.
***
Orthes cast a detached glance around the area. All of Danao’s accumulated wealth—everything that the previous masters of Amimone Tower had collected over the years—was here.
But he had no interest in glittering jewels or crowns. Slowly, he moved deeper into the hidden vault.
Deeper wasn’t the right word. Orthes stopped at a relatively obscure corner, where some of the lower-priority treasures were stored.
He picked up a dusty artifact from that corner. Beneath the dust, a faint golden glow could be seen, but beyond being made of gold, there was nothing remarkable about it.
It had no ornate carvings or jewel inlays—just a simple set of scales.
However, this was Aegio’s Scale, an artifact of a god.
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