Chapter 97: Delegation from the Lutein Kingdom (3)

How could someone overpower Maximus so easily?

the Tower Master wondered. He quickly reached a conclusion.

Ketal must have the strength to be among the highest ranks of Transcendents.

Even among those at the Transcendent level, there was a vast gap in power. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone at Ketal’s level could defeat Maximus so effortlessly. Yet, the Tower Master still wondered whether Ketal’s strength could be on par with the Hero level.

The Tower Master also believed that Maximus was at a disadvantage to Ketal. Maximus relied purely on physical force, but Ketal was strong enough to defeat the Demon of Oppression.

Though Elene worried that Ketal might be at a disadvantage, it turned out the opposite was true. Ketal wasn’t quite at Hero level, based on what he’d shown so far, yet it was hard to say if he’d revealed his true powers.

What if I had fought him directly?

the Tower Master mused. He had lost once before when Ketal destroyed his puppet under his control. Still, that puppet was far weaker than his true form—slow as a slug, wielding only a speck of mana in comparison.

I wouldn’t lose,

he told himself. Not being able to wield the power of Myst was a very critical weakness for Ketal. Adamant’s basic illusions had left Ketal unable to locate the real one, and the Tower Master—if he truly wished—could keep his own true form out of Ketal’s reach.

Still, he wondered if that could guarantee victory.

I really can’t say.

Ketal’s physical prowess itself was like the Myst. He had bitten through an Aura-infused attack and endured Adamant’s magic head-on. Although Adamant’s spells were not on the Tower Master’s level, it was still hard to imagine Ketal being injured at all.

This is interesting,

the Tower Master thought. Not being able to picture his own victory made him even more curious about the barbarian’s limits.

“Anyway...,” Ketal said, turning his gaze to the Tower Master, who was still lost in thought.

Sorry about earlier. I confused you with Patrick and was rude.”

“So, Patrick was just an ordinary human, but you confused him with someone like me—nothing but bones and no flesh? That must mean we look quite similar,” the Tower Master replied.

“He really was the spitting image,” Ketal said. Patrick’s every movement had matched perfectly, yet he was a different person altogether. Had this been a normal world, Ketal would’ve sworn Patrick was the same being all along.

There truly are all sorts of things in this world,

Ketal thought.

Though Ketal had been preoccupied with other matters, he now realized he stood before the Tower Master—a genuine mage at the pinnacle of his art. It was his first chance to speak at length with someone so accomplished in magic. Struggling to contain his excitement, Ketal asked, “May I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“I want to learn magic. Is there any special requirement for it?”

“Magic, huh?” The Tower Master eyed Ketal curiously.

Why would a barbarian that strong bother with magic?

Then, the Tower Master recalled Ketal’s tendency to do whatever interested him.

“If you can grasp the essence of Myst, anyone can learn magic. How far you go depends on your innate talent and dedication,” the Tower Master explained.

Some people spent their entire lives only managing simple detection spells, while others learned to teleport in a matter of months. Learning the basics of magic wasn’t considered hard.

Then, the Tower Master quietly asked, “So, you’re that intrigued by magic? Once you gain the ability to sense Myst, are you planning to use mana instead of Aura?”

“Isn’t it possible to do both?” Ketal asked.

“Both?” The Tower Master sounded surprised. “It’s not impossible, but—”

“It can be done?” Ketal asked him, brightening.

Shaking his head, the Tower Master replied, “It’s a poor choice. Mana and Aura are so different that trying to develop both can lead to conflicts. At best, you’d be mediocre in each.”

“So there’s no such thing as a magic swordsman around here, I guess.”

“Magic swordsman? What’s that?”

The Tower Master seemed unfamiliar with the term, so Ketal explained the general concept: a swordsman who simultaneously wielded magic and the sword. Such a figure often appeared in stories back on Earth, sometimes hailed as a versatile fighter with no weaknesses, other times dismissed as a half-baked talent with no real strengths.

The Tower Master let out a short laugh. “Even devoting yourself to one path is difficult enough—imagining someone who masters both is a stretch.”

“I had a feeling,” Ketal said, smiling as he tucked away the new information.

“Instead of dabbling in both and never excelling, you might as well focus on magic,” the Tower Master remarked.

Ketal shook his head. “I’d love to, but unfortunately I can’t sense Myst at all.”

“You can’t sense it?” the Tower Master asked.

“Sadly, no.”

The Tower Master pondered that for a moment.

A body that can’t sense Myst... Could that be unique to the White Snowfield? Some kind of natural barrier?

The Tower Master leaned in, eager for any clue about the White Snowfield. Then, Ketal seemed to remember something. “Come to think of it, there’s something else I wanted to ask you. Do you know what this is?”

Ketal fished a translucent gray cube from his pouch and handed it over.

The Tower Master’s eyes glowed with an unsteady flame at the sight. “Where did you get this?”

“In a Dungeon,” Ketal answered calmly.

But the Tower Master knew it was a lie—this was an artifact he recognized. After toppling Kartos, the Tower Master had reclaimed most of his relics, yet never found this cube. Kartos had to have held onto it even after turning into a lich, only for Ketal to seize it somewhere along the way.

So that barbarian really defeated Kartos in his lich form,

the Tower Master mused, stifling a wry smile. “This is an ancient artifact once held by the Empire, ages ago.”

“Really? So, you know what this is? What does it do?” Ketal asked him.

“It’s simple enough: it can store mana independently.”

“Isn’t that typical of most artifacts?”

“Yes, but with most artifacts, the mana is locked into one form. It can’t be used for anything else.”

For example, the pouch Ketal carried contained mana that was only for creating extra space. It was impossible to use it for any other function. However, this cube was special.

“You can actually cast magic with the mana stored inside it,” the Tower Master explained.

“What...?” Ketal’s eyes grew wide.

The Tower Master confirmed it. “Yes. Even someone who can’t directly sense mana—like you—could still use spells by tapping into this cube’s mana.”

“Are... you serious?”

“I have no reason to lie.”

“That’s incredible!” Ketal quivered with excitement. He already had a way to cast the great magic he’d long coveted. It was a stroke of luck he hadn’t expected.

“How do I use it?” Ketal asked, barely holding back his enthusiasm.

The Tower Master shook his head. “It’s not that simple. You need to learn the basics of handling artifacts, plus how to charge it with mana. It’s empty right now, so you can’t do anything with it.”

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

“I see...”

“If you come to the Mage Tower later, I’ll teach you how. For now, you’re stuck until you learn to fill it with mana.” He returned the cube to Ketal. Though a part of him wanted to keep it, he couldn’t just snatch it away from this overpowering barbarian.

Ketal grinned and tucked the artifact away. “Thank you. I’ll definitely pay you a visit.”

Ketal now had a very good reason to head to the Mage Tower.

The Tower Master spoke again. “So, you’re this interested in magic. If there’s more you’d like to know, I can tell you what I can.”

“Really? You’d do that?”

“We have some time to spare. And if someone truly wants to learn, it’s fitting to teach them.”

“Thank you,” Ketal replied, beaming. He hadn’t expected such kindness from the Tower Master.

I guess not every powerful individual has a bad personality,

Ketal thought.

Maybe that was just my own prejudice.

Of course, the Tower Master wasn’t really so kind. His apprentices—and people like Kain or Barbosa—often criticized his temperament. However, in front of a barbarian from the White Snowfield—a being distinct from humankind yet friendly to them—he felt compelled to show hospitality.

Never thought I’d see myself doing this,

the Tower Master grumbled inwardly. Still, he outwardly kept his tone as cordial as possible and began explaining.

***

Time passed, and Ketal found himself in high spirits. He spent meaningful hours with the Tower Master, learning about the general workings of magic and various basic spells.

A day later, delegations from the Lutein Kingdom arrived at the palace. In preparation for any worst-case scenario, almost everyone except for minimal attendants was granted leave under the guise of a vacation.

Though confused, they were nevertheless happy about the unexpected time off. Those who remained were protected behind the barrier the Tower Master had set up.

At last, the doors to the audience hall opened. A young man stepped inside and, upon spotting Ketal, flinched for a moment before remembering his duty and bowing low.

“Robros Gemang, a delegation of the Lutein Kingdom, greets King Barbosa Denian.”

“Raise your head,” Barbosa replied. “You look displeased.”

“How could I not be?” Robros said with a slight scowl, as he straightened his posture. “You rejected every single request for the princess’s return, then out of the blue allowed our delegation to visit. The Lutein Kingdom is utterly baffled.”

“My apologies,” Barbosa said. “But she truly does not want to go back. I can’t force her to leave when she’s unwilling.”

“Princess...” Robros turned to Elene. “His Majesty is looking for you. The Queen is in tears.”

“It’s good to see you, Robros,” Elene said softly, her expression remaining calm.

Robros exhaled a weary sigh. “Please stop running away and return to your home. The King and Queen have promised they will grant whatever you wish.”

“I’m not going back,” Elene stated. “Take Parman if you like, but Aron and I are staying.”

“Why not? What complaints do you have?” Robros demanded.

“Haven’t you heard from Adamant or the Blue-Green Order?” Elene asked him.

“You mean this nonsense about us not being human?” Robros’s face twisted. He let out a heavy sigh, then turned to Barbosa. “Surely you have some sense of reason. You can’t possibly believe Her Highness’s delusions.”

Barbosa answered calmly, “I do have reason, which is exactly why I didn’t send her back with you.”

“You—you can’t be serious,” Robros sputtered. “You believe in these absurd notions that we aren’t humans?”

A dry chuckle sounded from the opposite side of the room.

“It’s not just her who believes that,” the Tower Master said in his skeletal form.

Robros’s eyes went wide. “Tower Master! Why are you...?”

“The story was too fascinating, so I couldn’t resist showing up.”

“You, too, Tower Master? Do you actually think we’re not human? How could you trust the princess’s fantasies?” Robros pressed.

“Trust me, I wish it were false. But sadly, I can’t say that with certainty,” the Tower Master replied.

“Ridiculous! We’re human! King Barbosa, you can confirm a person’s humanity, can you not?” Robros cried. “Then check me. Prove I’m human!”

“Hmm...” Barbosa looked troubled. Indeed, his ability had indicated Robros was human—at least outwardly. He had planned to talk with the Lutein envoys and see if the truth emerged naturally. Unfortunately, they themselves seemed to believe wholeheartedly that they were human, leaving no room for discussion with the hidden entity called Nano.

Barbosa cast a glance at the Tower Master, who only laughed.

“You already know it’s not so simple. We agreed that exposing their true nature would be a gamble, remember? I can’t force them to reveal themselves,” the Tower Master said.

Barbosa sighed. “I thought if you confronted them, we’d see their identity slip, but it doesn’t look that easy.”

“Indeed. Even I can’t force them to reveal what they really are... but I do know one person who might manage it,” the Tower Master said. His empty eye sockets turned toward Ketal, who looked surprised.

“You think I can do it?” Ketal asked him.

“Elene told me you once saw those creatures’ emotions surface, correct?”

“Well, yes, but it wasn’t conclusive. Does that matter?”

“Matter enough,” the Tower Master replied.

“Okay,” ketal strode up to Robros. The envoy recoiled with obvious terror in his eyes.

To draw out the hidden consciousness—Nano—Ketal figured he needed to replicate the moment it had shown itself.

“You’re unfamiliar with the fear of death,” Ketal remarked. “Because you don’t die.”

No matter the situation, Nano never revealed themselves. Still, Ketal remembered one moment when these creatures had shown real emotion—when he smashed part of Adamant’s robe and destroyed some of the Nano. They had confronted mortality for the first time and reacted.

“In an extreme crisis, anyone drops their mask and reveals their true nature,” Ketal continued.

“What are you talking about?” Robros stammered.

“I mean,” Ketal said, raising his killing intent, “I will kill you.”

“Ack—!”

A wave of crushing pressure swept over the audience hall. Barbosa and Elene went pale, their bodies trembling. Aron’s legs buckled, and he sank to the floor.

“Stay calm,” the Tower Master said, waving his hand. The worst of the pressure eased.

“Th-thank you,” Barbosa said.

“So he can exert physical force just through bloodlust alone, without using any Myst,” the Tower Master mused, watching Ketal’s unrestrained aura.

All of Ketal’s killing intent was focused on Robros; only a slight overflow spilled onto the others. Yet, even that faint trace was enough to weigh on them like a crushing force. Despite witnessing it firsthand, the Tower Master could hardly believe such intimidation was possible.

“

Ugh....

” Robros’s face turned chalk-white, his breath hitching. His body began warping and twitching under the mounting stress.

“

Ah... aaargh!

” he screamed. At last, his human form collapsed in a way that was physically literal. The shape of a man fell to the floor, then slowly shifted into something else.

Barbosa’s eyes shot open. Elene’s face contorted in horror, and even the Tower Master let out a hollow laugh.

“Well now,” Ketal said, grinning, “so that’s your true appearance. You’ve got an interesting shape.”

“Human...,” came a voice.

It was Robros’s voice, but no one could reasonably call this being

Robros

anymore. The figure of a pitch-black silhouette—humanoid yet utterly foreign—stood where the envoy had been.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Its tone rumbled through the room, leaving no doubt that whatever it was, it wasn’t human.