Chapter 624 - Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

Not so long ago, there existed a country whose sole boast was its clear skies. This land, with nothing but clear skies to claim, became a destination for those seeking dazzling stars against the dark night sky. Those who were captivated by the transparent skies erected towers on the cold, barren ground to engrave the beauty and movements of the stars. They crafted telescopes, charted celestial maps, wrote books, and gradually filled the desolate land with knowledge. This cold, arid, and desolate land became a nation of sages, sparkling with knowledge. Brilliant knowledge became the pride of the city, a symbol of civilization. And as always, savages craved the fruits of others’ cultivated civilizations. They invaded to steal the wisdom of sages and the inscriptions on the towers. The sages, who sometimes surrendered and sometimes negotiated, quickly realized that conversation was not always the best solution. Ultimately, they resolved to transform the knowledge they possessed into power, coming together to devise a plan. This is what became known as magic. The rite of converting knowledge into power. And so, there was one who defended this land with the power of magic against a great and savage empire. The Keeper of the Tower. The Omnipotent Sage. The Raven on the Shoulder. Despite possessing many nicknames, it was not enough, for even magicians referred to him, likening him to the King of Beasts. The King of Magic. The Demon King. His hair was swept back, revealing thick eyebrows and distinct features. His slightly opened shirt collar exposed his firm muscles. Dressed in a light shirt and leather pants, with well-trained bare hands, he did not appear to be a fearsome magician but rather a handsome sailor from a large lake. Is that the Demon King? He doesn’t look as terrifying or powerful as his name implies. Rather, he seems somewhat familiar. Is he truly the strongest of this era? What an opportunity. Even the strongest is still human. I cautiously began to read his thoughts… What? It’s distant? "But this world is too fragile to hold your dreams! What could be more sad and futile than restraining oneself and abandoning dreams when one has the potential? Providing a foundation for the young is the task of the old. I shall create space for you!" The Demon King declared vigorously, twisting his hand into a fist. Bubbles foamed everywhere. At the center of the floating city was a dazzling artificial sun. It brightened in the morning and dimmed in the evening, governing the day and night of this floating world. It was daytime now, and the artificial sun's light poured down brilliantly. In the space surrounding the battlefield, bubbles rose, distorting and scattering the light as they expanded. The Black Tower Master, the Green Tower Lord, the Blue Tower Lord, standing between them, and Shei. Even Lankart and I, nearby, were all engulfed in the spatial bubbles. Without taking a single step, the distance between us exponentially increased. Is this a unique type of magical dominion that governs space? While certain principles or unique magic might allow for spatial interference, to dominate space itself? "Behold! This is my pocket dimension. Even if you break, burn, tear, freeze, or demolish, it's all just within the pocket! Clash with all your might without worry!" The Demon King, appearing thrilled, spread his arms wide, urging us into battle… Yet his very presence had quelled the conflict. "A poor showing for Master to see. I apologize." "Eek! M-Master…! I was simply caught up in this!" The Green Tower Lord closed her umbrella and withdrew her unidirectional barrier. The vanishing point of the Black Tower Master crumbled in the air. It’s hard to fight when someone is keenly watching. Especially when that person is much stronger and mature, observing the conflict with an amused smile. The vanishing points, the unidirectional barrier: they become insignificant and shameful compared to the power of the Demon King. The two tower lords stopped their shameful display and reeled in their strength. The Blue Tower Lord, who had intervened to quell the situation, did the same. "Sigh…" The Blue Tower Lord withdrew her power very cautiously. Her crystallized air was her unique magic, a contained storm too powerful even for herself. If she didn’t carefully restrain it, the unleashed crystallized air could sweep through the surroundings. It was as she deeply inhaled, steadily releasing her magic. "Trying to withdraw power? Allow me to assist." Numerous spatial distortions appeared around her. The Demon King's 'pocket' surrounded the crystallized air, and released from the Blue Tower Lord's control, the crystallized air escaped. As it returned to its original form, it unleashed a mighty storm. It was power so immense that it couldn't be used carelessly…. Yet even this was nothing compared to the Demon King’s power. The storm that had been rampaging about space finally stopped, within the Demon King's pocket. For the Blue Tower Lord, whose might posed a threat to the floating city, every effort seemed as trivial as a storm in a teacup to the Demon King. The conflict ended with a sense of anticlimax. The Blue Tower Lord gave a gentle smile and bowed to the Demon King. “Thank you for intervening, Master. Thanks to you, the excited ones have calmed down.” She couldn’t stop the Green and Black Tower Lords herself. Magic is difficult to interfere with once cast by another. So, the Blue Tower Lord intentionally used her unique magic to draw the Demon King's attention. Knowing that he could resolve the situation without a problem. Realizing this, the Demon King struck his forehead with a hearty laugh. "Oh my! To think I was used!" "The Green and Black Tower Lords wouldn’t have withdrawn their power otherwise, Master." "Indeed. My beloved disciples cherish and adhere to my teachings so faithfully!" With a proud laugh, the Demon King looked at the Green and Black Tower Lords, radiating both unshakable affection and trust. The exact nature of his thoughts wasn’t clear, as my mind-reading couldn’t reach him. "L-l-love? Such an embarrassing thing to say." "Ooh…." Judging by the reaction of the Green and Black Tower Lords, perhaps it wasn’t entirely one-sided. Is he calling them his disciples? It seems their connection goes deeper than that. The Demon King, casting a reliable smile towards his astute disciples, shifted his gaze from them. With a touch of cold curiosity on his face, he questioned the Blue Tower Lord. "But, Blue Tower Lord, I have a question. Why must we withdraw our strength?" Unlike the gentle and warm smile he showed his disciples, a cold and rational inquiry flowed from him. "My floating fortress is a paradise and utopia for the chosen ones. Naturally, within this fortress, they must be omnipotent and free. They should not be bound by the common sense of the foolish." A truly elitist consciousness befitting the King of Magic and the King of Magicians. There was no need to search further to understand the pervasive elitism within the floating city. "Was there any need to summon me for the sake of saving the fools? Blue Tower Lord, my attention and affection are directed towards you, not towards the fools who might reside in your shadow." "...It was necessary." "You have a differing opinion. Can you persuade me?" When the Demon King spoke of "persuasion," it entailed clashing one's knowledge and opinions against his own. The Blue Tower Lord pondered. 'There's no way that's possible.... Master.' No matter how bold and arrogant she was, the Blue Tower Lord was insignificant compared to the Demon King. Her own unique magic, dangerous enough not to be fully unleashed, was nothing more than a prick within the Demon King’s pocket, a mere tempest in a teacup. 'Once known, I can't pretend not to know. The disparity between the Master and me is greater than the gap between me and the fools…. His gaze towards me is akin to mine towards the fools….' Rebuttal or debate seemed meaningless. Under the unspoken pressure, the Blue Tower Lord clasped her arms and bowed her head. Seeing her so forlorn, I approached and gently placed my coat over the shoulders of the still-frozen Blue Tower Lord. ‘Is it warm…?’ The Blue Tower Lord, unaware of my approach, looked up at the sensation on her shoulders. "Fool? What are you doing here?" "What? Ah, you looked cold." Indeed, she did appear cold, with ice crystals clinging like scales. Seeing my awkward stance, the Blue Tower Lord laughed softly. "Thank you, fool. I was cold." "I thought you might be. So even magicians feel the cold." I responded lightly, while subtly observing the situation. Did I approach because she seemed cold? That's part of it. Of course, there was more—also to shift the atmosphere. I can’t just stand by while someone who supported me is being rebuked. "Hold on. It was those two tower lords who failed to act properly. Right-Handed King." Lankart did the same. He wasn't calculating the atmosphere like me; he was simply displeased with the situation. "The process of bringing Hughie was justified. It was the Green Tower Lord who ran rampant, demanding everyone be caught. If you're going to take issue with acting on their own, you should have minded your own disciples first." It was uncertain whether his words were formal or informal. Despite his audacious stance in front of the Demon King, sparks flew from the Green Tower Lord's eyes, though the Demon King didn’t mind. "Lankart. The dragon that leapt over the gate. Is this the fool you brought along?" "Fool? Hughie is different. Right-handed folks berating left-handed ones, calling them uneducated or stupid. They're just left-handed, that's all." "Hmm. The left-handed or right-handed you speak of must relate to your unique magic, the World of the Right-Handed." Surprisingly, the Demon King seemed to regard Lankart with significant respect. Perhaps because Lankart wasn’t his disciple? Or because he was the dragon that leapt over the gate? If I could read his thoughts, this would be clearer… Yet, his mind remains distant. My mind-reading can reach quite far if I concentrate, but he's even beyond that range? The Demon King, whose thoughts were unknowable, soon softened his demeanor. "One who constructs a tower alone without inheriting the wisdom of the sages, who reaches the floating fortress, indeed deserves due acknowledgement. Very well. I won’t press further." "Master! Lankart brought a black sorcerer!" The Green Tower Lord exclaimed, but the Demon King shook his head. “I’ll not pursue it, Eliot Pascal. Let it go this time for the sake of this master.” "...Ugh!" It was a command from a respected master. The Green Tower Lord swallowed her words without further argument. 'It's no exaggeration. Though Master shields Lankart, Lankart reveres that mysterious fool over Master!' Perhaps if given the chance to privately converse with the Demon King, she might ardently argue her case. Not that it would make much difference. With the situation momentarily resolved, Shei, who had managed to compose herself, approached. "Hold on. Demon King!" The Demon King didn’t seem to hear Shei’s voice, instead turning to Eliot Pascal and Rüne Francesca with instructions. "Eliot Pascal, Rüne Francesca. If you wish to counter the Blue Tower Lord and Lankart, confront it all within this space I’ve formed! If it’s only with half-hearted resolve that you’ve withdrawn your power, I can only regard it as such." "Demon King. I have something to say! It concerns the crisis of this floating fortress! The King of Sin might resurrect. If so, 'that' above this fortress will no longer be yours!" Now, with nothing to hold back, Shei shouted the most shocking knowledge she carried prior to regression. But the Demon King showed no response to Shei. Whether he heard her voice and ignored it, or truly couldn’t hear it at all, was unknown. I couldn’t read his mind either since it's still distant. And the space changed. The area that had inflated like a bubble returned to its original state. The only difference from moments ago was that the two tower lords and the Demon King had somehow vanished. It seemed the Demon King subtly sided with us in his judgment. Specifically, with the Blue Tower Lord and Lankart, but in any case. “Whew. That’s a relief.” “Thanks to you. You’ve got a sense about you.” “Even a pet dog knows to distinguish between allies and enemies. Knowing this much is just common sense.” “The coat, I mean. It was surprisingly warm for something casually thrown on. Was it magic?” Oh, did they notice? My small act of kindness. "Even with basic magic, you can warm clothes a bit. It depends on usage, even for black magic, right?" "I can't agree with that, but I think you’d have gained more from learning white magic. Or perhaps I could teach you?" “Come to think of it, maybe the reason I never learned white magic is because I didn’t have a fabulous teacher to teach me.” "Heheh. That would be quite rewarding." Thanks to the help of the Blue Tower Lord, I managed to achieve the goal of reuniting with Shei. With the Demon King deciding to overlook us, we're safe for the time being. Now, I need to ask Shei what she meant by what she said earlier. When I turned to look at Shei, she was staring at me and the Blue Tower Lord with an exceptionally displeased expression. "...When did you two get so close?" That's odd. Is it because I lent my coat? Suddenly, it feels quite chilly.