Luel. A name I've heard in the Floating Fortress. I don't know why she called herself the Saint of Light, but if that's true, being a saint seems to be a side job. The work environment is good too....
No, wait. I've been in the Floating Fortress for a long time too, so let me think a little more.
The White Tower is a magic tower that handles light magic. What it deals with are the Lumen Magic Circle and the Light Seal Magic Circle. It manages the artificial sun of the Floating Fortress, and produces and sells magical tools that emit light like screens. The upper levels observe celestial bodies while the lower levels gather sunlight and engrave magic circles.
What they explore is also light. They explore the principles of light, analyze its characteristics, process and control it to utilize it.
If one reaches truth after researching and exploring light like that, they would naturally fall into faith. It can't be helped.
Because the First Saint who foresees all futures—she was born in the sanctuary of the Church of Radiance.
It's probably related to the Demon God of Light.
[Are you nervous? Or are you being cautious? A moderate amount of tension is good, but don't overdo it. I'm different from other saints. I'm rational, intelligent, and overflowing with curiosity! I'll keep watching you. Keep trying!]
And the voice disappeared in an instant.
Light magic. And with extremely delicate control, she shot light into my ear. She must have struck the air inside my eardrum at a steady rhythm to imitate sound.
If it came to it, she could take my life too. She wouldn't do that, and I have Tir's Demon God so I wouldn't die anyway.
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Why did I hear the voice at this particular timing? Perhaps she's testing me too. She might want to see how the results of the thread I'm pulling turn out.
Then I should show her. What I need to do hasn't changed at all.
"Come now. What we need to do is the same. Let's all find a way to climb the tower."
I clapped my hands and urged the people on. However, the magicians who were tense from the fight that just happened didn't move easily.
But Dokjine and Kuram withdrew their killing intent and spoke.
"If you won't attack us. We'll act the same. Lankart wants that too."
"Uweh..."
Both Kuram and Dokjine are powerful and dangerous. But Lankart Spendrae is much more dangerous than them. Evil curled its tail before stronger evil and showed an attitude of submission.
Right now, Kuram and Dokjine are safe. But this is only for the moment.
Archbishop Elton grabbed me and demanded.
"Are you in your right mind? You're going to let such ominous and dangerous people into the group?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"Didn't you see just now? How evil and dangerous auras those two harbor!"
"They were dangerous and aggressive. If it weren't for the paladins, many would have died or been injured. The saint's protection is certain."
I made the sign of the cross and muttered. It's not wrong to say the saint protects us. The Saint of Light is watching us.
"There was a crisis, but in the end everything turned out well. No one died, and they've decided to join us. Now we just need to climb up."
"Couldn't you smell the stench of blood from their bodies? Couldn't you see the sin weighing on their shoulders? Vengeance is enacted in the name of the Celestial God. Will you not punish such wicked ones but walk alongside them?"
Archbishop Elton desperately tried to persuade me.
I am the leader of this group now.
Archbishop Elton and his paladin order are the most powerful military force, but armed with faith, they are rigid and inflexible. Not knowing how to climb the tower, their say is weak and they can't decide where to head.
There are many people reading the room. Because of that, a justification is needed. Only when I—who is well-versed in theology, knowledgeable in magic, and travels with Shei and Lankart as companions—allow it can they move.
That is this order. Indeed, the sight of this arrogant and powerful paladin order waiting for a single command from me....
It's not very entertaining.
I said.
"If you really want to do that, I won't stop you."
"...You won't stop me?"
"Saint Réné didn't walk the path everyone forced either. He headed to a place no one had gone. Countless disciples followed in his footsteps and a path was formed; there wasn't a path in the world from the beginning. If you say you'll walk that path, how can I stop you?"
Whether they fight each other or kill each other, it's not my business. At those words, Archbishop Elton's expression became subtle.
'As expected... This man isn't a good person either. All magicians are like that, but this man is cold. Both theology and faith are nothing more than knowledge to be used for this man.'
The paladin order is a powerful military force, but here they are outsiders. No matter what they say, they can't blend in. They already belong to an organization and don't follow the rules of the Floating Fortress.
The paladin order generally follows my instructions, but they haven't let go of their wariness toward me. So they always took the lead and went up to the next floor first. They verbally said it was to prepare for danger, but they must have been afraid I would leave them behind.
'Magicians are more honest than anyone. That's why they're more untrustworthy than anyone. Someday I have to shake these people off and go up to the 10th floor to place Saint Réné's holy relic. Before it falls into their hands. But for that, I need to reach the 10th floor first...'
"...I understand. For now, following Saint Réné's spirit, I'll only watch over them so they don't commit sins, but I won't lay a hand on them."
The paladin order followed the scripture's words to be honest with themselves well. As soon as Archbishop Elton finished speaking, they gripped their swords with great tension.
Oh my. With that, would any mercenary or magician let their guard down? Don't reveal your inner thoughts so much. Anyone watching would think only they're harboring ulterior motives.
'Paladin order? That works out perfectly~. If I make the two fight and kill them, it'll be clean! Kuram and Dokjine are troublesome when they're together, so if I just incapacitate one of them, I can kill the remaining one!'
'It's an unwritten rule to overlook minor incidents at the Gate of Ascension, but a mercenary from outside killed a chosen one trying to climb the Gate... Yeah. As the Blue Tower Master, I can't forgive that. Personally, I don't want to forgive it either.'
So many thoughts are crossing like this.
The White Tower Master said it, right? That she'd be watching.
This is my answer.
In the scenario you've set up, I'll climb up bringing as many people as possible.
"E-excuse me. Hughes."
Not everyone was tense from the fight just now. When there are about 60 people, those in the back often can't even see what happened in front. Avangarde, who had belatedly crossed to the 7th floor, found the problem of the 7th floor as usual.
"Yes? What is it, Senior Avangarde?"
"Here... I tested gravity magic like before, and I felt a gravity anomaly."
Right. Someone has to solve the problems. Whether a fight breaks out over there or not, this side has its own business.
Avangarde had somehow set up a temporary workshop with crystals. Dozens of sparkling crystals were swaying like metronomes. While they should all sway at the same rhythm, the metronomes placed higher were uncomfortably slow.
Gravity anomaly according to height. Found it right away.
"Ooh. As expected of Senior Avangarde. You work fast."
"Hehe. That's because it's exactly the same as what we've done so far.... But isn't it strange...?"
"About what? The gravity anomaly?"
"Yeah. The rule of Babel is spatial distortion, but the easiest way to find spatial distortion is to find gravity anomalies."
"That's because gravity serves as the standard for the direction of space."
"That's true but... Something doesn't sit right."
Avangarde groaned as if an inspiration was about to come but not quite. I read Avangarde's thoughts with telepathy, but it was too vague for me to grasp either.
Locks exist to be opened, and problems wait for someone to solve them. If you've only found the problem, solving it is easy. A lock being there means there's a door there.
This problem too was about finding the spatial distortion. After carefully examining the direction of gravity and correcting the distortion, the space returned to normal. From the split gap in space, a staircase heading upward appeared.
"If climbing up is this easy, there's no need to threaten anyone."
Kuram also moved his steps with satisfaction. The mercenary group led by Dokjine also climbed the stairs joyfully. It was an action that ignored the implicitly established order, but no one blamed them.
There was no one on the 8th floor. Until we found the problem on the 8th floor and finished our rest, no new participants appeared. Everyone naturally realized. The fact that the only people left in this Tower of Babel were us.
There's no need to worry about outsiders. There's no need to worry that someone other than us might climb up first.
Now all our strength can be used entirely to guard against internal enemies.
Leaving only that one fact, the crowd of nearly seventy now waited in uncomfortable silence until someone solved the problem. And when the passage to the 9th floor opened, they moved toward the stairs, each firming their own resolve.
I solved the problem. You parasitic bugs.