◈ Episode 387. Flowers and Weeds (2)
Senior of Fire Magic, Bensch William.
“Haa.”
Bensch let out a sigh from the sky deep enough to make the earth cave in.
It had been a chance to show off the power of his secret magic.
Foolishly, he had acted rashly in front of Chief Lee. ‘Why are you doing this to me, Chief Lee……!’ Come to think of it, Bensch had been entrusted with an important duty.
The role of dealing with the monsters pouring out of the collapsed rifts!
However, Bensch had already guessed.
That although hundreds of rifts had formed, not a single one would collapse.
“Bangrit, couldn’t you somehow leave just one for me……?”
It was trust in his colleagues, or perhaps in the Magic Tower.
Above all, these were creatures that had never dared to set foot beyond the Magic Tower’s fence.
Could they possibly stand against the senior mages of the Magic Tower with only that level of strength?
Bensch smacked his lips, just in case.
“……
Still, you never know, do you?”
How had the Arcana Continent changed?
Since he had never set foot on the Arcana Continent himself, he could not know in detail. However, they were monsters that had maintained their forces even on the Arcana Continent after it had been trampled into ruins by the Demon World. ‘They must be rather strong in their own way.’ Swish.
Bensch anxiously rolled the magic tool around in his palm as he observed the state of the rifts. Let’s see. As he calmly watched them, perhaps there was no reason to be completely disappointed. ‘Why, even Senior Kiko, for example…….’ Senior of Enchantment, Kiko Armin.
She was a mage who spent every day in Garnet Hall, devoting herself solely to research on enchantment. Though her accomplishments in enchantment could not be ignored, she was certainly not skilled in actual combat like this.
Whoosh.
Suddenly, Bensch’s gaze turned toward the city center.
He concentrated mana in the rims of his ears.
He listened closely to the conversations reaching him.
“What the hell is going on?”
“Why did rifts suddenly form? And the senior mages of the Magic Tower entered those rifts to clear them? All of a sudden? Why?”
“Anyway, isn’t this fortunate for us? Damn it, the recommended level starts at a minimum of 400! With the rankers having entered the Arcana Continent, the players who can clear this in reality are……!”
The adventurers were staring at the rifts with anxious expressions.
Behind them, weapons for use against great beasts were lined up.
Bensch snorted.
“It’s no use pretending otherwise now.”
Was it called America?
The hostility this country had shown toward the Magic Tower had been sufficiently confirmed.
If it had been the Magic Tower of the past.
It would not have been strange for the entire land to be blown away.
Bensch muttered.
“They ought to be thanking Chief Lee, and even that wouldn’t be enough.”
What?
It was suspicious because he was a demon king?
There was a limit to how much they could twist Chief Lee’s grand plan and great will.
Bensch smacked his lips.
“They certainly need to be taught their place, don’t you think?”
With the secret magic of the fire magic family, House William.
“Ahem, though I suppose this, too, is thanks to Chief Lee in a way.”
Application to leave the Tower, rejected.
Request to enter the Arcana Continent, rejected.
Request to borrow a magic tool for a decisive battle, also rejected…….
Bensch had had more than enough time left over for research.
Thanks to that, Bensch had come to perfectly understand the manifestation formula of the secret magic. He had even become capable of manifesting the secret magic said to have been successfully manifested only by the first head of the family.
“So please, somehow, just one rift……!”
If only to discipline those foolish people.
However, there was no way Bensch’s wish would come true.
One by one, the rifts began to close.
The senior mages of the Magic Tower emerged from within the rifts.
Bensch’s brow twisted in frustration.
“At this rate, I’ll really be left with nothing but sucking my fingers……!”
“What is the problem, Senior Bensch?”
“Yes? Senior Matisse? Ah, no! Problem, you say!”
Senior of Black Magic, Matisse Dean Karl.
Matisse was a mage whose skills made it unsurprising for him to be called chief.
Having already closed several rifts, he had come to stand beside Bensch.
“Everyone, you’ve worked hard!”
“What work?”
“It’s been a while since I got to circulate my mana a bit.”
Following that, the senior mages gathered, led by Bangrit. Bensch did not abandon hope until the very end. Even Kiko, whom he had pinned his hopes on, emerged from the rift unharmed, but…….
“Where is Senior Bellier……?”
Bellier Yusia of Healing Magic.
She had yet to appear.
Healing Magic was a school that boasted an enormous amount of research even among the schools. The fact that most Healing Magic mages were not proficient in magic other than healing magic was proof of that.
Moreover, Senior Bellier was. ‘She was probably still deep in research right up until leaving the Tower, wasn’t she?’ Dragons who were said to have mistakenly swallowed the fruit of the World Tree.
He had heard that she had devoted herself to research in order to find a method to purify them.
Bensch carefully opened his mouth.
“Shouldn’t we go support her somehow?”
Because he was in front of Matisse.
Bensch tried hard not to reveal his true feelings.
But as if making his acting meaningless.
“I apologize. I was a little late because I was venting my research stress.”
“……
Hah.”
Even Bellier.
Appeared from the rift with meaningful words.
Bangrit patted the dejected Bensch on the shoulder.
“Our dear Senior Bensch has worked hard as well.”
“W-worked hard, my foot……!”
I was going to use my secret magic to teach those arrogant people their place! Yet the opportunity itself had not been given to him. As if he had even seen through Bensch’s inner thoughts, Matisse opened his mouth in a low voice.
“Do you still feel the need, after seeing their expressions, Bensch?”
“……?”
Only then did Bensch witness the expressions of the adventurers and those lined up with them. Matisse was right. Everyone was already reacting as if they had realized the overwhelming gap. Their conversation reached him.
“All those rifts, in only a few dozen minutes……!”
“Is this the full strength of the Magic Tower?”
“AAU just made an official announcement! They said Lee Hoyeol didn’t create the rifts, but that the Magic Tower had merely been suppressing rifts that were originally going to form! And they thought of pouring bombardment onto a Magic Tower like that?!”
As expected, there had been no need for him to step forward.
“Ahem.”
Bensch, feeling awkward, swallowed a dry cough.
Instead of showing a dissatisfied expression, he straightened his posture.
Yes, right now, under gazes looking up to the Magic Tower.
He had to show a posture worthy of them.
And what could serve as a reference for such a posture was, of course…….
Slide.
“Ahem.”
Bensch subtly slipped both arms out of the jacket he was wearing and draped it over his shoulders.
Bangrit let out a laugh without realizing it. ‘No matter what, that only suits him because he’s Chief Lee.’ Whether he knew that Bangrit had laughed at him or not.
Bensch asked discreetly.
“By the way, where are the Tower Master and the Chief? If they entered a rift, they should have closed it and returned long ago. Yet somehow, I don’t see them…….”
Matisse gave the answer to that.
“The two of them have stepped forward to bring this situation to an end.”*
As expected, uneasy thoughts never miss the mark.
“I will not ask for forgiveness, General Manager of Yusra.”
Eastern Branch Director of the United States, Eugene McCain.
I faced Eugene, but [Natural Enemy Relationship] did not activate.
As expected, this incident.
Must have arisen from pure human malice. ‘It wouldn’t be strange if they were plucked in the flower garden, would it?’ Now that I knew Granfell wasn’t simply singing praises of humanity without reason.
I could not help but sincerely worry about America’s safety.
Because you’ve done something utterly outrageous, haven’t you?
“The Magic Tower will mete out punishment according to procedure.”
Just how bad was it for Marcelo to be wearing such a stern expression?
However, in this moment, I was the same as always.
Without revealing unnecessary emotion, I spoke.
“Guide me.”
“……
By guide, you mean?”
“To the root cause of this incident.”
In truth, if one thought about it in complicated terms, there would be no end to it.
The President of the United States was involved in this incident.
It was not something that could be easily argued politically, and according to Lee Hoyeol’s common sense, it was too complicated and not something I wanted to be entangled in. However, as I said, to the current me.
To Granfell, there was a justification that meant he must not back down. ‘That damned love for his family……!’ I’m letting myself be swayed because I know the circumstances of the Claudi family, seriously.
Eugene immediately picked up his smartphone and contacted somewhere.
“……
I regret to say that contact is still lost.”
According to Eugene.
It seemed he had not expected America to launch a preemptive attack on the Magic Tower either.
Eugene continued bitterly.
“Perhaps I was mistaken. Since I am an AAU branch director who did not come from a developer background, I thought my perspective would be closer to the White House than to AAU…….”
After the Cataclysm.
Even though years had passed.
Even though they had gone through multiple crises.
It seemed that what did not change still did not change.
It was obvious, but now was not the time to fault that difference in perspective.
I opened my mouth.
“Recall the coordinates.”
As expected, it seemed I was fated to meet the President of the United States face-to-face.
Thinking about it again, you’ve really become bold, Lee Hoyeol.
To think you intended to face the President of the United States after the President of the Republic of Korea. ‘Still, I have to meet him.’ If I were to compare it, Eugene was nothing more than a chess piece.
The plan had been established by those above.
Eugene had merely participated in that plan. ‘If there is a possibility that a demon is involved with the higher-ups.’ Whether it was the president, the vice president, or whoever.
There were far too many things about the current situation that could not be explained by human malice alone. Above all, even if I could say I understood them baring their fangs at me. ‘They made an enemy of the Magic Tower?’ Considering the influence the Magic Tower held after the Cataclysm…….
Making an enemy of the Magic Tower was practically no different from committing suicide on the international stage. Why, just imagine if American players could not use the Magic Tower’s portals. ‘They might end up seeking asylum in the Yusra Kingdom like Hisagi.’ At last, I drew up my mana.
“Sir.”
Marcelo looked at me with eyes mixed half with expectation and half with doubt. When I asked for coordinates, Marcelo must have thought I would manifest a portal.
“……
I cannot know the exact location. In a situation like this, the president must have evacuated not to the White House, but surely to a secure location.”
However, the coordinates I spoke of were not that.
“Recall it. The face of the root cause.” Thanks to the mana whose “rank” had risen.
It was fair to say that all of my magic manifestations had advanced by a level.
Far more than when I had formed a circle.
It meant I could replace concrete coordinates with imagining a specific target.
Marcelo, astonished, trailed off.
“Just how many high-level spells are interlocked in this……!”
Of course, what made that possible was Granfell’s monstrous talent. But I had neither time nor thought to praise myself. I immediately manifested the spell.
Gooooooo.
“……!”
Unfortunately, however, I could not open the portal.
Needless to say, it was not due to a lack of ability.
There had not been the slightest error or mistake in my spell manifestation.
Then, Eugene McCain.
Had he failed to recall the coordinates, the face of the target?
No, that was not it either.
Bzzzz.
A vibrating sound.
Eugene’s smartphone.
And my smartphone.
Soon, I realized.
The reason the spell manifestation had failed was simple.
Yes, it was because the coordinates did not exist.
In this world, no longer.
“W-what……?”
Eugene’s face filled with shock. [Breaking News: President of the United States of America found dead.] ...
“General Manager…….”
I received the suicide note handed to me by Joshua, the Western Branch Director of the United States. On that paper, it was written in blood. A single word repeated, densely packed without even spacing. ──────RaymonSean.
RaymonSean.
RaymonSean.
RaymonSean.
RaymonSean.
RaymonSean.
RaymonSean.
RaymonSean.
RaymonSean.
RaymonSean.
RaymonSean…….──────The root cause was Raymon Sean.
No.
Granfell corrected it.
“A demon, then.”