Chapter 153: Hydra Corporation Assembly (3)
Kaicle expressed doubts about Orthes’ true identity, but even Carisia had no further answers to provide. A few months ago, she had speculated on candidates like the Pope or a demigod as possibilities for Orthes’ identity.
However.
“You mentioned that the envoy from Argyrion and the mental parasite called Orthes a demigod, didn’t you?”
If that was the case, it was unlikely to be true.
It was purely instinct—a decision made without any concrete evidence—but Carisia trusted her intuition. At the very least, Argyrion’s judgment about Orthes couldn’t be entirely accurate.
“If not a demigod, but something beyond… there’s only one possible candidate left.”
A god.
Even in this era where the cults of the old gods had waned, the title of “god” still carried immense weight. No—
It was precisely because the names of the gods held such weight that the Ten Towers had worked so diligently to suppress the cults.
The mental parasite hunt led by the Divine Cult at Orthes’ request was shocking. The irrational efficiency of their Holy Incantations made it seem as if they were achieving results without any detailed process.
Carisia recalled Kaicle’s theory that the Mage King could be equated to a god of magic. Could the Ten Towers have not arrived at the same conclusion?
If they had reached that conclusion, then their obsession with establishing a department in Panoptes to hunt down the cults made sense. If the Mage King, walking the earth, could obliterate all cults, then similarly, another god descending to the mortal world might be capable of wiping out magical society itself.
“Huh?”
Orthes’ actions, in the end, were strikingly similar. While Orthes hadn’t waged open war against the cults like the Mage King, he had been systematically dismantling the order and the structure of magical society maintained by the Ten Towers.
Carisia pondered this deeply before shaking her head.
No matter Orthes’ true identity, it was enough that he was beside her now. She had accepted this simple fact long ago.
She called for Orthes with a light heart. It was time to finalize what they would say at the general assembly.
***
“Boss, I have great news. We’ve recruited someone who will be a tremendous help in the Plan of World Division.”
Carisia didn’t hesitate.
“Ah, is this Niobe, the Blasphemia agent? Recruiting an insider from the Ten Towers would indeed be excellent news.”
“Hm? No.”
“Then someone from Argos or Eidolons?”
“Haha, Boss. Even I have my limits. Recruiting someone with no connection to those departments would be tough.”
“If not a Ten Towers insider, then who?”
“Oh. Remember I mentioned I had three friends back in my fixer days? It’s the last one of them.”
Carisia still didn’t flinch. Instead, she merely worried about Orthes’ friendships.
The “friends” Orthes spoke of had unique abilities of their own, but whether they genuinely considered him a friend or viewed him as some high-dimensional being nicknamed “friend” was uncertain.
Carefully choosing her words, Carisia avoided probing Orthes’ one-sided camaraderie. There was no need to reveal such a truth unnecessarily.
“You said it’s a friend from your fixer days. Are they still a fixer?”
“Oh. Strictly speaking, we met even before I became a fixer. Back then, being a fixer was more like a side hustle for that old man.”
“Old man?”
“Yeah, he’s quite old. Our relationship is also the longest. Anyway, his main job… hmm, how should I put it…”
“Tax evasion—no, a professional tax-dodging consultant?”
Carisia froze.
***
Sensing the headache to come, Carisia decided to postpone the topic of this “friend” until after the general assembly.
“I’ve already informed those who, by position, had to know the truth. Now, we just need to decide how to present this to the other directors.”
“I’ll craft a convincing lie about seizing the White Light Tower through a succession war as our cover story.”
Orthes nodded. Carisia summoning him this way was her way of entrusting him with the assembly’s announcement. The directors needed to play their roles in the fight against the Ten Towers.
Not just the directors—Geryon, whom Carisia had captured, would also be indispensable in the initial succession battle for the White Light Tower.
“If we announce our intention to destroy the Ten Commandments, it will likely provoke rejection from those entrenched in magical society’s systems. But if we frame it as taking control of the Commandments, the question shifts to ‘Can they do it?’ And with your abilities, Boss, you can answer with ‘Yes, we can.’”
Orthes assured their readiness, and Carisia nodded.
The day of the assembly arrived as scheduled.
***
“First.”
Orthes scanned the room. It was similar yet different from the day Hydra Corporation was first established. One of the eight directors was missing, replaced by Geryon and Kaicle.
In their first meeting, the conference room had been nearly empty, as Orthes and Carisia had just purged the former occupants.
In contrast, today’s conference room was resplendent, thanks to Bertrand’s assistance in refurbishing every piece of equipment.
Savoring the moment, Orthes began his opening address.
“Thank you all for gathering here. It is an honor to share the fruition of Hydra Corporation’s Artificial Commandments project with everyone.”
The directors remained silent. It was a monumental announcement, but they knew Orthes wouldn’t have called them merely for ceremonial congratulations.
“President Carisia’s vision for our company was to become the eleventh great tower. Now, with the completion of the Artificial Commandments, this vision is within reach…”
Orthes’ smile deepened. The directors sensed that the real discussion was about to begin.
“But.”
“President Carisia has judged that settling for this would be premature.”
Neuro raised a hand. Orthes glanced at Carisia, who granted permission with a nod.
“Are you referring to the Artificial Commandments’ perfection or Hydra Corporation’s ultimate goal?”
“The latter. The President has been greatly disappointed with the current conduct of the Ten Towers.”
The word “disappointment” rippled through the directors, implying something bold.
“During the Argyrion uprising, the Ten Towers were repeatedly called to prove their worth. But in reality, what did we witness? From the Elysion terror attack to the Algoth City Black Magic Tower’s annihilation, the Ten Towers have failed to justify their existence.”
“Justify their existence”—a provocative choice of words. The Ten Towers were not just enforcers but also judicial bodies and military powerhouses of magical society.
In the Argyrion incident, the Ten Towers had consistently failed. The complete annihilation of a Black Magic Tower’s mana core alone was an unprecedented failure for the entire institution.
“Thus, the President has decided. The pinnacle of magical society no longer befits the Ten Towers.”
Orthes naturally stepped behind Carisia, who took over.
“The Ten Towers have stagnated for far too long, abiding by the Mage King’s will to crown the greatest mage as their leader.”
Carisia’s golden eyes gleamed. Of those present, only Kaicle, who knew their true intentions, chuckled at Orthes’ careful wordplay.
“Now, Hydra Corporation will claim the pinnacle.”
Orthes and Carisia intended not just to usurp the Ten Towers but to dismantle their system entirely. Yet, if their plan succeeded, Hydra Corporation would inevitably ascend as the new pinnacle.
After Carisia’s declaration, Orthes addressed the room once more, scanning the directors.
“We now possess detailed intelligence on the Ten Towers and Argyrion’s situation. With this knowledge, we will rally the magical society to topple the Ten Towers. However.”
Pausing briefly, a faint blue glow seemed to flicker beneath Orthes’ eyelids.
“Hearing what comes next will be akin to crossing an irreversible boundary. I offer you one last chance—to leave this room, or─”
Thud.
The sound was too loud for a single person collapsing.
It was Taros.
Meconion, sitting beside him, struck his back, asking what he was doing, but Taros remained kneeling.
Slowly, the dragonkin’s mouth opened.
“…There was… a reconciliation proposal from Argyrion.”
“What?”
An entirely unexpected confession. Orthes maintained his composure.