Chapter 144. This Magnanimous One Will Forgive You
At this very moment, the knights of Lorutel could not think at all.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The crushing pressure of mana constricted their entire bodies. Breaths came short, muscles across their bodies tightened rigidly, and both hands gripping their swords trembled violently.
‘What is this…?’
‘Is such a thing even possible?’
Overwhelmed by the terrifying presence, the Lorutel knights felt dizzy.
They simply could not comprehend.
The Master of the Tower, was that what he called himself?
They had never heard of him.
But who in the world was he, to emit such a presence?
It wasn’t magic. Nor was he releasing mana. It was as if… yes. As if he were commanding mana itself!
The Lorutel knights shuddered before the majesty displayed by the Master of the Tower.
But only for a moment.
Bang—!
“Not bad… quite an intimidating aura.”
The First Sword, Hamellan, released his own energy, scattering the oppressive flow of mana. Dense ether spread outward, seizing control of the surrounding space.
Amidst it, Hamellan’s aged eyes fixed upon the Master of the Tower.
“But surely you didn’t think this alone would be enough to shake Lorutel?”
With subtle pressure in his tone, Hamellan sought to intimidate the Tower’s master. Yet, strangely, the latter let out a quiet chuckle.
“Now I see.”
“…See what?”
“I had been wondering for some time.”
“…?”
Hamellan narrowed his eyes.
Though he had briefly dominated the hall, the Master of the Tower should have been in a desperate situation. And yet, the man looked around with calm composure.
Did he perhaps have something to rely on? Hamellan entertained the thought briefly before shaking his head.
‘His body should already be at its limit, and yet why…?’
Just as Hamellan’s thoughts reached that point, the voice of the Tower’s master pierced his ear.
“Enough with the pointless act. Did the Family Head send you?”
“…Hmph.”
“To check the loyalty of the Third Sword? Or to test the Tower’s mage? Or perhaps both?”
“……”
“I see, so I’m right.”
“Heh.”
Hamellan let out a small laugh.
“So you were probing me?”
“You could say that.”
From the beginning, Hamellan’s arrival had been suspicious. He had raised his aura merely to mark himself as the Family Head’s representative guest, yet for the First Sword himself to appear so swiftly?
There were also peculiar nuances in how Hamellan treated Zeke.
— “Hooh, so you follow such orders without an ounce of flexibility.”
A statement with hidden barbs.
— “That man is no intruder.”
— “Then what is he?”
— “……”
— “If you don’t answer, then this one cannot know. Is that acceptable?”
Despite Zeke’s diplomatic tone, unnecessary friction was created.
And that wasn’t all.
“If you truly believed me to be an intruder, you’d have cut Zeke’s hand and taken my head long ago. Yet, you didn’t.”
“I meant it when I said I’d destroy the Core.”
“Was Lorutel’s response to intruders ever this lenient? I doubt it. You must have something you wished to hear from me.”
What? ‘You spared my neck because I protected the Young Lord’s Sword’? A laughable excuse.
The First Sword of Lorutel, hailed as the greatest knight of the Eastern Continent, was not someone to show such mercy.
Hamellan finally burst into laughter.
“Puh, puhaha.”
His laughter echoed throughout the chamber. The strange turn of events left the Lorutel knights visibly confused.
Even Captain Ekst, who had moments ago burned with hostility, now spoke with a more subdued tone.
“…Sir Hamellan? What exactly is going on here?”
“Ah, my apologies. I suppose you’re all quite bewildered. But wait a little longer. The conversation isn’t over yet.”
Leaving Ekst behind, Hamellan turned his gaze back to the Tower’s master.
And then, he candidly admitted the truth.
“Yes, you’re correct. The Family Head sent me. The Tower, the Sword Garden… he ordered me to verify the unknown rat who approached the Young Master.”
“So, did you confirm it well enough?”
“Yes. To abandon your comrades and enter Lorutel alone, quite impressive. Ah, don’t misunderstand. I merely followed Zeke out of personal curiosity.”
The Family Head had given Hamellan a single instruction.
If Zeke brought in any “rats,” Hamellan was to test them himself. And if those rats proved worthless… He could dispose of them at his discretion, as long as they still breathed.
“But things turned out quite differently. I thought you were just another fly buzzing around the Young Master… yet you showed real spine. To think, hahahaha! You’d go this far and cause such a scene.”
The Tower’s master’s behavior had far exceeded Hamellan’s predictions.
Who could have foreseen it!
That he would cause such an uproar right in the heart of Lorutel itself.
This was madness, something not even a lunatic would dare attempt.
“I’ll admit it. You have the right to stand before the Family Head. However—”
The moment that laughter vanished from Hamellan’s face, killing intent flashed in his eyes.
“However, you’ve been far too arrogant. How dare you say, ‘Bring out the Family Head’? Do you even know where you stand?”
“…”
A razor-sharp aura burst from Hamellan, directed straight at the Tower’s master.
“Kh, kughh!”
“…Ugh.”
The killing intent was so fierce that even the surrounding Lorutel knights staggered and groaned!
“If your intent was to announce the Tower’s presence, then you’ve succeeded. But you’ve gone too far.”
“If you wish to see this through to the end, I won’t hold back.”
“Are you sure about that? Your breath trembles. You seem exhausted.”
“……”
The Tower’s master gave no reply.
He simply gazed at Hamellan with his colorless eyes.
Was this the moment he made his decision?
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The surrounding mana began to churn violently. Unlike before, this was no mere display, it sharpened and grew keener, like drawn blades.
Then…
“…Everyone, ready your formation.”
Ekst, having sensed the shift, called the knights to position.
Just then, a hollow laugh filled the chamber.
“Puh, puhaha!”
With that laugh…
Pop!
Hamellan’s pressure vanished entirely. The killing intent that had filled the air disappeared without a trace.
“…?”
The Lorutel knights tilted their heads, baffled by Hamellan’s sudden change.
Soon, he spoke.
“My apologies. My little joke went too far. I didn’t think you’d refuse to yield even this much. You all can stand down now.”
Shaking his head lightly, Hamellan turned away.
Then he added, “Captain, you handle the aftermath. I’ll explain in detail later.”
“…Yes, sir.”
“And you, Master of the Tower, follow me.”
Saying so, Hamellan began to stride away.
Yet, beneath his seemingly good-natured demeanor, his eyes were colder than ever.
‘The Young Master has drawn in someone truly dangerous.’
Clearly, this man was different from the usual riffraff. Yet, what lay beneath that surface was still hidden.
‘Cunning yet honest, shrewd yet pure.’
At the very least, he decided, this one was worth observing further.
As he walked on…
“What’s wrong? Not coming?”
Hamellan turned and urged the Tower’s master, who still stood motionless.
The silent Tower’s master finally spoke.
“Then, are you saying you acknowledge me as Lorutel’s guest?”
“…I am.”
“In that case, as a guest, I apologize for causing a disturbance in Lorutel. I’ve committed a grave discourtesy.”
“Oh?”
Hamellan raised his brows at the man’s manly apology.
Indeed, from the Tower’s master’s perspective, he had barely escaped death under Lorutel’s oppressive might. And yet, in such a situation, how many could offer an apology so calmly?
‘Impressive. A broad-minded man.’
“Very well. I accept your apolo—”
Hamellan began to nod approvingly.
Or at least, he tried to.
“But then, wouldn’t you say Lorutel isn’t entirely blameless either?”
“…?”
“I’m not necessarily demanding an apology. It was a mutual misunderstanding, after all. Still, in such an unfortunate situation, if one has a generous heart, wouldn’t it be proper to apologize as well? Like I did.”
Hamellan stared blankly at him.
“…My apologies. I, as Lorutel’s First Sword, formally beg your pardon for our discourtesy.”
“This magnanimous one shall forgive you.”
“…”
With that response, spoken as if granting a favor, Hamellan’s hand twitched toward his sword hilt.
But only for a moment.
Through superhuman restraint, he suppressed the impulse and led the Tower’s master forward.
“…Now, follow me.”
* * *
Before bringing the Tower’s master to the Family Head, Hamellan ordered his bloodstained clothes to be changed.
“Get changed. You can’t meet the Family Head looking like that.”
With those words, Hamellan left the room.
Aster silently changed into the clean garments the servants had brought.
And for a brief while, he was alone.
“Fuuuuu—”
Perhaps because the tension had finally eased, fatigue washed over him.
‘Seriously… I nearly died.’
He had tried to keep his composure, but his body was already at its limit. Even though the battle had ended some time ago, his breathing hadn’t steadied. His fingertips trembled, and even a single step left him winded.
But only for a moment.
“Finished changing?”
“…”
At Hamellan’s voice, Aster straightened his posture.
Though he wanted nothing more than to collapse and close his eyes, this was still the heart of Lorutel. Even if the First Sword had acknowledged him as a guest, nothing was certain until the very end.
‘Now the real beginning starts.’
By now, he had surely etched the Tower’s presence firmly into the Family Head’s mind. But the Family Head would also understand the purpose behind this display.
‘All I’ve done is earn the bare minimum of qualification.’
Whether Lorutel would become a place of life or a place of death was still undecided. He had only just barely managed to balance the scales.
“Then, let’s go.”
“…”
Suppressing the urge to cough up blood from his internal injuries, Aster nodded. He then followed behind the First Sword.
“This is the place. I’ve already sent word ahead, so you can go right in.”
The First Sword stopped before a massive iron door.
With a pale face, Aster looked up at it.
‘Beyond this…’
The master of Lorutel awaited.
The head of a mighty noble house, rivaling even the Dekulan family, stood just beyond this door.
Standing before the iron gate, Aster could think of nothing else.
How should he present himself as the Master of the Tower? What should he reveal, to convince Lorutel’s master of the necessity of the Tower and the Sword Garden?
All those tangled thoughts evaporated, replaced by a single one.
‘The Paheren of this life… is not as overwhelming as he was in the past one.’
Then what of Lorutel’s master?
A flicker of anticipation rose within him.
He steadied his breath.
Creeeeak!
The iron doors opened, and he stepped inside.
As he entered the grand hall…A deep, weighty voice reached his ears.
“So, you are the Master of the Tower?”
Aster’s eyes took in Lorutel’s master.
His impression was this:
‘Certainly…’
‘…not inferior to the Paheren of this life.’
However…The impression Lorutel’s master formed was cold and merciless.
“How disappointing.”
Thud!
The heavy door closed behind him, and a stone of dread sank into Aster’s chest.
“I had high expectations, since you earned the First Sword’s approval… but you fall far short of that.”
