Free Web NovelChapter 278: Chapter 266: Visitors from the High Tower
’That High Tower, the one that housed the Magic Core... it must be one of the Demon Wells Estelle mentioned, built to supply pure Magic Power to the Magic City Jiles.’
Roland recalled the collapse of the High Tower, how it had exposed a bottomless Abyss at its base, endlessly leaking Magic Elements. He was now certain of it.
’And the other Demon Well...’
His mind flashed back to the area he had passed on his way to the Blacksmith Guild, where he’d felt faint fluctuations of Magic Elements. Roland’s brow furrowed slightly.
’Could it be... right here in the center of this Royal Capital?’
The moment the thought formed, corroborating evidence surfaced in his memory.
He had witnessed it himself when the Magic City Jiles first reawakened.
The towering walls that once completely encircled the Land of Mist had suddenly crumbled on the side facing the River Domain Kings’ Capitals, conveniently creating a massive breach—a pathway.
And that was the very path they had taken to return from the Land of Mist to the Royal Capital.
’In other words... the area encompassed by the Magic City Jiles might not be limited to the Land of Mist, but... the entire River Domain?’
The thought was like a bucket of ice water dumped over his head, instantly washing away all his drowsiness and leaving him wide awake.
’If that’s true... then it means the River Domain is no longer safe...’
The Magical Guide Structures he’d encountered, and that mysterious Witch Demon of unfathomable power...
As these images flashed through his mind, Roland’s breath quickened.
Their previous victory over the Witch Demon and the quelling of the Magic City’s revival had been the result of several factors working in concert.
First, the Magic City’s reawakening hadn’t thrown the entire River Domain into chaos. The ruling class, at least, remained intact, allowing them to act decisively and purge the Land of Mist.
Second, he had managed to sever the Witch Demon’s connection to the Magic Core during a lull in its fierce battle with the other Extraordinary Professionals, which was what ultimately led to its defeat.
However...
The immense flow of Magic Power unleashed by the reawakening of the Magic City Jiles must have already drawn the attention of numerous powers.
Among them, there were undoubtedly beings whose power rivaled, or even surpassed, that of the mysterious Witch Demon.
A city brimming with ancient Magic Crystals was a dream treasure for any Caster.
If they ever realized that a key Demon Well, capable of rebooting the Magic City Jiles, was hidden in the heart of a Royal Capital in the River Domain...
Roland took a deep breath, imagining the chaos that would erupt.
Great treasures attract greedy eyes.
It had taken the combined strength of the entire River Domain just to eliminate a single Witch Demon.
Admittedly, that was partly because the Witch Demon had been drawing from the Magic City’s core, giving it a near-infinite supply of Magic Power.
But if the existence of the Demon Well in the Royal Capital were exposed, the River Domain would have to face far more than a single Caster.
’In any case... whether Graham believes me or not, I have to tell him my theory tomorrow.’
After a moment of thought, Roland made his decision.
’As for what comes after...’
Unlike his experience in the Golden Valley Kingdom, Roland had been treated with immense courtesy in the River Domain.
Financially, he had the generous support of the Merchant, Colin.
To improve his strength, he had smoothly entered the Knight Academy and obtained the invaluable Knight’s Breathing Technique at almost no cost.
His entry into the Blacksmith Guild was another example. While his friendship with Hawke and the Dwarf, Griffin, played a part, the assistance of Derek, the head of the merchant faction, had been just as indispensable.
Debts of gratitude must be repaid.
Roland knew he couldn’t have stepped into the Extraordinary Domain so quickly without the help he’d received in the River Domain.
Therefore, he couldn’t simply turn his back and leave now that the kingdom was facing a crisis.
It went against his personal principles.
But to ask him to live and die with this Kingdom...
Roland shook his head slightly. He took a deep breath, trying to relax his tense mind, and with a maelstrom of thoughts, he drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Roland awoke right on time.
With his theory from the previous night on his mind, he didn’t want to waste any time.
After hastily washing up, he didn’t even stop for breakfast before heading straight for the Knight Academy.
After a brief greeting to the guards at the gate, Roland made his way to Dean Graham’s door with practiced ease.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
After a few crisp knocks, Graham’s deep voice sounded from within.
"Who is it?"
"Dean Graham, it’s me, Roland."
"Mmm... come in."
Receiving permission, Roland pushed the door open and entered.
Only then did he realize that besides Graham, there were two unfamiliar figures sitting in the room.
The two men were not dressed in the typical fashion of the River Domain.
They wore simple, grayish-brown robes. The fabric appeared to be a coarse, durable linen or wool, devoid of any emblems or decorations—plain to the point of being primitive.
One man was gaunt and withered, like a dried-out oak branch.
A pair of amber eyes, which seemed to hold the weight of ages, were set deep in their sockets. His gaze was calm but unnervingly profound.
His hands, with their prominent knuckles, were folded in his lap. His skin was like old parchment, covered in a web of fine wrinkles.
The other was a bit sturdier, with a square face and an unkempt stubble on his chin. His dark brown hair, streaked with gray, was tied back haphazardly.
He sat more casually, one hand resting on a plain Walking Stick beside him that looked like a simple dead branch plucked from the woods.
Yet, the moment Roland’s gaze fell upon them, his keen Perception instantly picked up on something intangibly different.
Beneath those plain, almost crude robes, he sensed not the surging vitality or Fighting Spirit of a Knight, but Magic Elements as vast and contained as a deep-sea current.
This power was not being deliberately emitted, yet like magma flowing within a dormant volcano, it possessed a pure, ancient, and immensely oppressive quality, lying dormant and steady within their bodies.
The mere perception of its presence caused Roland’s Spiritual Force Field to ripple instinctively, like an invisible pebble dropped into a placid pond.
’Casters!’
Despite this realization, Roland’s expression remained unchanged.
In the next instant, he withdrew his probing gaze, lowered his eyes, and stepped forward to stand quietly before Graham.
Roland’s arrival seemed to have dispelled a rather unpleasant atmosphere.
Graham stood up, placed his hands on the wooden table, and began to speak.
"Mr. Erwin, I have other matters to attend to, so..."
Hearing the clear dismissal in his tone, the gaunt old man, Erwin, rose slowly and gave a slight bow.
"My apologies for taking up so much of your time, Dean Graham."
"However, I urge you to carefully consider our earlier proposal, and to relay it to Mr. Derek. After all..."
A sharp glint flashed in Erwin’s murky eyes, and the corners of his mouth tugged upward into a meaningful smile.
"That kind of thing is not something you can control..."
"I understand, Mr. Erwin."
Graham took a deep breath, then gestured toward the door.
"Please."
After a slight bow, Erwin said no more.
He simply gave his companion, who was still seated, a gentle pat, and led the man to turn and leave with him.
Only after the door closed and the sound of footsteps faded into the distance did Roland frown and ask.
"Dean Graham, they were..."
"Wizards."
Graham sank back into his chair, his voice tinged with exhaustion.
"According to them, they’re from the legendary High Tower, ha..."
The Dean of the Knight Academy chuckled and shook his head in resignation.
"As for whether it’s true or not, who knows."
