How should I interpret the Demon King's declaration?
Judging by the results alone, the Demon King set the stage. He presented clear rewards and created a goal. Countless people flocked, coveting that sweet fruit, but we couldn't really blame the Demon King for that.
He isn't trying to hinder us. However, I could feel his intention to clean up some troublesome matters at the same time.
I, who had suddenly become a troublesome matter, spoke up.
"You present a grand task, and offer the chance to encounter the Demon God to whoever passes it. Demon King, it really seems like you're testing us."
Lord Johannes, who came after hearing the news that Babel had descended, agreed with my words.
"The Master is cheering us on. He always tests his disciples and passes down magic befitting their evaluation."
"Then our job has become incredibly easy!"
The Temple of the Demon God is a group of mages who cannot be evaluated by normal standards. There are Tower Masters, elders with more experience than the Tower Masters, mages who climbed the Gate of Ascension last time, and now there's the King of Humanity and a regressor.
And we have to compete with those mediocre masses? There might be some scary bastards mixed in occasionally, but the regular members of the Temple of the Demon God are stronger than that. If it's the Temple of the Demon God All-Stars, Babel is a guaranteed win.
"We just need to go up together and bring back the Demon God!"
There is a sure-win strategy for this trial. A strategy of crushing all competitors with overwhelming force.
I shouted triumphantly, but Lord Johannes objected.
"Nonsense. How can we, mages of the Floating Fortress, participate in the Gate of Ascension?"
Huh? What is he talking about?
"The Gate of Ascension is the single opportunity given to the lowly masses of the lower world. Even among the lowly masses of the lower world, whose origins are humble and whose studies are lacking, a brilliant rough diamond sometimes hides. With what dignity would we enter a trial meant to sift out a single rough diamond from the mud?"
"Huh? Is this the time to be talking about dignity? The Demon God is up there!"
"That is also in doubt. What lies up there is the teaching the Master has prepared, not the Demon God. Trusting only the Master's words and marching toward the Babel Tower with full force is a foolish act that only the lowly masses of the lower world would commit."
Lord Johannes's words sounded reasonable at first glance. Since it could be a trap, we need to keep some leeway—a strategy that cautious tacticians would like.
However.
"What? Then who's going up? Me?"
"So it has come to that. But if it's the King of Humanity who knows everything about humans, passing the tower's trials will be easy."
You should use strong people for tasks that require strength. You're sending me, a brain-type, to the frontlines?
"What about you all?"
"It's difficult for those with widely known faces like me or the Red Tower Master to enter. Dignity aside, we could face checks from other Tower Masters. Moreover, no one knows that I am part of the Temple of the Demon God. But if I aim for the Demon God alongside you and climb the Gate of Ascension, we'll be caught up in all sorts of rumors."
Lankart, who was listening to Lord Johannes, asked with pure doubt.
"You're not that famous, are you? Nobody knows your identity simply because they aren't interested in you."
"...It's better to be unknown than to be infamous."
Clearing his throat and composing himself, Lord Johannes began issuing orders that no one had asked for.
"If the Red Tower Master, the disciples of the Red Tower, and I, including the Blue Tower, move, the opposing towers will move as well. We'd rather coordinate from inside the Floating Fortress. So you guys climb Babel."
"Hmm...."
Just me, Lankart, and Shey? We don't really fit together. Especially since Lankart and Shey are the type that don't synergize well.
But in terms of combat power, it's more than enough. As long as there's no Tower Master level, who can beat Shey and Lankart? It's rather better for them to join forces and step aside. It was hard to outright refuse Lord Johannes's proposal.
"And this is something Hwaran Fahrenheit also agreed to."
'...This is a lie, though. If I only send you up, she'll understand. Because we need to watch out for the Green Tower Master and the Black Tower Master.'
This spy bastard. So keeping us in check was your goal too. Hmm, how should I take down this spy...
Wait? Do I necessarily have to take him down?
From my standpoint, it's better to step back, and from the spy's standpoint, that's better too. Don't our interests align?
Alright. Let's just accept it for now.
"Fair enough. For a secret society, your whereabouts are too well known. If you move, it'll be obvious right away."
"A few disciples, including me, haven't been revealed. But if I climb the tower with you, I'll be caught immediately."
"Got it."
From the moment the Demon King lowered the tower, Babel was already open. Mages who had been waiting for the Gate of Ascension from the start are gathering after hearing the rumors. Because they are watching each other, no one has climbed Babel yet, but...
"Oh, King of All Magic! I shall accept this trial. I will climb the Tower of Babel, attain Rene's teachings, and become a proud mage of the Floating Fortress!"
Not anymore! Mages trying to depart even a moment earlier have already stepped forward!
It feels a bit like being dragged along, but there's no choice. I pretended to be in a hurry and said.
"Lankart. Shey. Is there anything else we need to prepare?"
"I am always ready."
Lankart answered immediately, but Shey narrowed her eyes as if something was bothering her.
'Casual speech all of a sudden? What's gotten into him?'
I just called you together with Lankart, why! Why are you glaring at me just because I spoke a bit shortly? We've been together for a while, you can let this slide!
'...But I like it because it feels like we got a bit closer when you spoke casually. Hehe.'
Shey tilted her head and said.
"I'm fine too."
I seriously can't grasp her emotional wavelength. Humans can be fickle, but this is just to the point of a different human taking over.
Sigh. Anyway, the Demon God comes first right now. Let's go.
"Alright. We'll head out first. Lord Johannes, leave a message for the Red Tower Master. If there's a resonance crystal, we should be able to reach him..."
"Babel is a tower isolated from external space. Resonance crystals won't work. Leave a message at Rene's attic."
"That only works if the building has a fireplace."
"Babel is a building too. There should be a fireplace or two inside. Originally, there's no other method anyway."
"Well, that's true."
Whatever trials await in Babel, it's as clear as day that those who enter first will have the advantage. I immediately stepped forward.
Above my head, the Floating Fortress cast a massive shadow. The giant tower descending from it spread its roots toward the earth. There were no less than eight entrances. The destination is likely one, but there are many paths to reach it. Inside, countless trials will be held using spatial magic.
"Let's go quickly and bring back the Demon God."
I took a step forward together with Shey and Lankart. Inside Babel. Passing by a few mages who were still hesitating to challenge it, we entered Babel majestically.
Surprisingly, it was a tower built by stacking bricks one by one. As if telling us to enter here, there was a small door on top of three steps. From the outside, it looked like we had to bow our heads slightly to enter, but once we climbed the steps, the ceiling was so high that we had to look up.
"Spatial distortion. We haven't even entered the tower yet, but the depth of space is already different."
Lankart evaluated simply. I pulled out a card and threw it. The card, which flew round and round, stuck into the gap between the bricks with a perfect trajectory. There was no difference from when I threw it from the ground.
However, the card was stuck in a completely unexpected place. The flying trajectory hadn't changed, but the landing spot was different. Despite going through the same process, the result was different. It was a bizarre phenomenon that couldn't be explained.
"I'm a little scared."
Since I make a living reading minds, these bizarre devices where mind-reading doesn't work are my nemesis. I usually avoided trials where people weren't involved as much as possible.
But I couldn't back down like this.
'As expected, everyone's departing. There's no time to leisurely chat. Go up, King of Humanity. I don't know if you'll obtain the Demon God or not, but since it's come to this, I might as well pray you never find it until the end.'
Lord Johannes, the Blue Tower spy who infiltrated the Temple of the Demon God. Pushing my back, he firmed his resolve as he watched my back.
'Hwaran Fahrenheit must never get her hands on the Demon God. That witch, who couldn't handle her own talent and burned her territory, will burn the entire Magic Federation!'
Lord Johannes. He was a member of the Temple of the Demon God when the Blue Tower Master was the captain, and even after she left, he was a 10th-floor mage who still protected the Temple of the Demon God.
Even after the Blue Tower Master left the Temple of the Demon God, he posed as a fervent Demon God seeker, but in reality, he was a spy who still frequently communicated with the Blue Tower Master and handed over information about the Temple of the Demon God to her.
Lord Johannes is a spy. His true purpose was to infiltrate the Temple of the Demon God and hinder Hwaran Fahrenheit.
But there was something much more important than the simple fact that he was a spy.
Why he was hindering us, why he was trying to hide the Demon God, and who sent him.
'Elisha. I leave the rest to you. Trap Rene's magic within the crystal!'