Chapter 169: The Scheme of World Division (2)
Orthes’ visit was abrupt. To Lampades, it was an unexpected ambush. After all, wasn’t Lampades and his magic tower repurposed as an insurance policy for a one-in-a-million contingency?
Because of this, Lampades’ attitude was cautious. He could already guess, to some extent, what Orthes might bring up.
“Wasn’t it originally the plan to leave us as insurance for an unforeseen crisis?”
“Oh. Are you already guessing my intentions before I’ve even said a word?”
“It’s obvious. I can’t imagine any reason for you to visit at this moment other than a war with the Ten Towers. Is it a lack of manpower?”
Orthes shook his head. A flicker of doubt rose within Lampades. If it wasn’t due to a lack of manpower, then why had Orthes come to drag Lampades’ magic tower into the war?
The simplest explanation would be that Orthes was lying. However, Lampades knew Orthes to be above such shallow deceit. Orthes’ deception was always far more sophisticated.
“Quite the opposite. It’s too much power that’s the problem.”
Orthes slowly laid out his plan. He intended to launch a succession war while the main forces of the Ten Towers were tied up on the extra-dimensional navigation route to Argyrion’s headquarters outside the dimensional barrier.
“Rough estimates indicate that the outcome might not be in our favor. If things go as they are now, there’s a possibility that factions beyond our control could win the succession war.”
“So, you need a figurehead? Ha, unbelievable. What, you want to get your hands on several of the Commandments in full?”
“Let’s not call them a figurehead. Let’s call them a ‘capable collaborator.’ Doesn’t that sound better?”
“You’re not even bothering to hide it anymore.”
“I’ve always done honest business with my acquaintances, with no need for concealment.”
Lampades reviewed Orthes’ plan. The timing was ideal for a succession war. Seven of the tower masters were absent, and even the remaining ones were forced to allocate the Commandments’ resources toward maintaining the interdimensional lighthouse.
However, there was still a problem.
Lampades and Kynemon had often disagreed on many points, but there was one thing they both agreed upon:
Orthes was an apocalypticist. And not just any apocalypticist—an unprecedentedly radical one.
In that sense, Orthes’ current proposal raised many suspicions. Above all, the fact that his plan didn’t involve obliterating magical society entirely was highly suspicious.
Lampades did not hide these suspicions and spoke them plainly. From past experience, he knew it was better to ask Orthes directly rather than giving him the chance to distort his answers through evasive wording.
“If it were up to me, I’d prefer to blow the entire Commandments to bits.”
Orthes admitted this with a nonchalant attitude, making it abundantly clear that the current plan wasn’t his ideal form.
“But, as I’ve mentioned before… Something beyond the Ten Towers.”
Lampades nodded. Something beyond the Ten Towers. It was hard even to imagine such a thing, but Orthes spoke so earnestly that he had no choice but to believe him.
Orthes explained that this entity was the one behind Argyrion. Someone who had likely guided Argyrion, once a mere pawn of Orthes, to rebel against him and grow into an independent force.
Such a figure would indeed be a sufficient threat for even Orthes to fear. It implied that this being not only understood Orthes’ power but had also turned it back against him.
At the very least, it meant that in terms of strategizing and uncovering truths, this being had surpassed the Ten Towers.
“That is precisely why we need other mages. This enemy is on a scale that Hydra Corporation alone cannot contend with. Well… though our boss has come up with some creative ways to utilize the Commandments.”
Creative ways to utilize the Commandments. Something about that phrase felt ominous.
Lampades inquired about what he stood to gain by joining Orthes’ plan, as well as what role he was expected to play.
“For starters, you’ll gain access to the Commandments. At least for a few days, you’ll be free to use their boundless power to explore the extra-dimension.”
Orthes added a pointed clarification: rather than saying you can explore it, it would be more accurate to say you must explore it.
“You’ll have to subtly alter the interdimensional lighthouse spells and use your extra-dimensional radar to interfere with the Ten Towers’ return as much as possible. Completely preventing their return would be ideal, but the Ten Towers surely have their own contingency plans. Delaying their return until we can fully control the situation will suffice.”
As Lampades listened to Orthes’ explanation, he realized something peculiar. Orthes was already operating under the assumption that he would be fighting someone after securing all the Commandments.
It seemed Orthes viewed the struggle with this someone as far more challenging than the fight against the Ten Towers themselves. His calm assumption that Lampades would secure the Yellow Thunder Commandment contrasted starkly with his extreme caution when discussing the post-succession war situation.
“…It’s strange. Do you genuinely believe the Commandments will be so easily obtained? Even with most of the tower masters across the stars, the remaining forces are still powerful enough to be called the strongest in magical society.”
“We don’t underestimate the Ten Towers. That would be madness. But…”
Orthes furrowed his brow. In a rare moment, Lampades realized Orthes was expressing doubt—uncertainty toward the unknown.
“Our boss is convinced that the success or failure of this succession war will hinge on the outcome of the first battle.”
It was a deviation from the flow of their conversation. Nevertheless, Lampades nodded. The statement was, in principle, correct. Traditionally, succession wars were framed as battles between one of the Ten Towers and an alliance of magic towers led by a single champion.
Since each of the Ten Towers represented a particular attribute, the challenging magic towers were typically of the same type. Unlike the challengers, the Ten Towers rarely formed alliances with one another.
However, Orthes’ scheme sought to dismantle this traditional structure entirely.
At first glance, it appeared that separate magic tower alliances were challenging individual Ten Towers. However, in reality, all of these alliances were secretly controlled by Hydra Corporation, converging into one massive force.
If this fact were discovered, the Ten Towers would undoubtedly abandon tradition. The conflict would escalate into a full-scale battle between the entire Ten Towers and Hydra Corporation’s unified front, nullifying the advantage of a surprise succession war.
This was why Orthes and Carisia placed so much importance on the first battle. Lampades could only assume that Hydra Corporation possessed a decisive weapon capable of challenging even the Commandments.
If the first succession war ended in Hydra Corporation’s favor, they could deploy this weapon to other battlefields, tipping the balance of power and seizing the remaining Commandments.
With the absence of the top-tier forces capable of fully utilizing the Commandments, such a scenario wasn’t impossible.
However, for this ambush to succeed, the Ten Towers could not learn the full scope of Hydra Corporation’s plans in advance.
Thus:
“Hydra Corporation plans to challenge the White Light Magic Tower in the succession war. The current leader of the Ten Towers is undoubtedly the master of the White Tower. By eliminating him, we’ll paralyze the Ten Towers’ information-sharing network and overthrow them.”
“…You’re planning to start the first succession war against the strongest magic tower?”
“It’s the only way to paralyze the Ten Towers. Our boss believes this battle must be concluded within an hour for the plan to succeed.”
Defeating the White Light Tower within an hour of declaring the succession war. It was an outrageous statement.
Yet, if successful, it was undoubtedly a strategy that could plunge the Ten Towers into chaos.
“Do you really think it’s possible? What, you and your boss storm the White Light Tower yourselves?”
“Haha. Don’t joke. How could the two of us possibly annihilate mages empowered by the Commandments?”
“If not that, then it’s an impossible proposition. Even using the weapon you deployed in Algoth City wouldn’t make conquering the White Light Tower feasible.”
Orthes agreed. He also admitted that he didn’t yet understand what method Carisia had in mind to ensure victory within an hour. The idea of using a Commandment bomb briefly crossed his mind—but no, that was meant to counter the Mage King.
Still, Orthes faithfully conveyed Carisia’s words:
“She said there is a way. Hydra Corporation has been meticulously preparing for that one thing all along.”
From Orthes’ words, Lampades discerned two conflicting emotions: curiosity about the method, and confidence that if it was Carisia, she would undoubtedly have it ready.
If this was a plan Orthes was willing to bet everything on, the odds of success weren’t low.
“Even transporting the forces alone would be impossible within an hour. Do you mean one hour from the moment the battle begins?”
“Give me your answer by the day the Ten Towers deploy their forces. We need to finalize the locations for emitting disruptive signals with your extra-dimensional radar.”