The Tower Master ignored the stinging sensation at the back of his head. Darhan Bridend’s anger had no effect on him whatsoever.

Instead, the Tower Master placed his hand near his heart and smiled gently as he drove in the wedge.

“As a testament to the strong alliance between the Empire and the Magic Tower, I will guard the northeastern border for you.”

In that moment, Darhan’s composure cracked.

He needed to stop the Tower Master’s mouth immediately, but the Emperor reacted faster.

“Oh ho. If the Tower Master does that, my worries will be greatly eased. However… it doesn’t seem profitable.”

The Emperor, who had seemed about to eagerly offer land right away, pursed his lips and paused the conversation for a moment.

It was because the conditions proposed by the Tower Master were overly favorable to the Empire. Usually, it was reasonable to assume that there was a hidden trap in such flows.

It was fitting for the Emperor, whom Darhan considered cunning.

“This doesn’t seem like the Tower Master I know, who was always precise in calculations.”

“Ah, as expected of Your Majesty.”

The Tower Master smiled, smoothly receiving the Emperor’s suspicion.

“Actually, there’s a ‘secret’ on that mountain.”

“……!”

“Oh, a secret?”

At the Emperor’s sharp observation, Darhan’s expression, which had been relaxed for a moment, suddenly hardened.

The Tower Master slightly covered his mouth with his hand and leaned towards the Emperor. While doing so, he didn’t forget to glance at Darhan and whispered softly.

‘……A soundproofing spell!’

Despite the close distance, Darhan couldn’t hear the Tower Master’s voice.

The Tower Master continued to whisper while watching Darhan fail to control his expression in real-time.

The Emperor, uninterested in Darhan’s anxiety, kept nodding his head.

“−Ha, is that really true?! −Hmm, hmm, such…!”

Darhan, who could only intently watch the Emperor’s expressions instead of the inaudible conversation, was burning up inside.

He couldn’t rashly open his mouth, hoping it wasn’t what he feared.

‘It’s just one out of countless mountains in the northeast.’

There was no need to leave room for suspicion by reacting sensitively.

Just as Darhan was trying to regain his composure, the Tower Master’s voice was heard.

“−That’s why I need that mountain. After all, the honorary nobility is a title directly bestowed by Your Majesty.”

“Hmm, I understand the Tower Master’s intention. I’m pleased that you think of me this way.”

As soon as the soundproofing spell was lifted, the Emperor readily agreed and shook hands with the Tower Master.

“Your Majesty−.”

Darhan could no longer just stand by and watch.

Gathering all possible justifications, Darhan calmly opened his mouth.

“It would be right to decide on ceding imperial territory through the noble council, especially right after the end of a war.”

“I’ve already−with the Tower Master.”

“It’s alright, please continue listening, Your Majesty.”

As the one who had summoned Darhan, the Tower Master generously granted him the right to speak.

It seemed like generosity towards a subordinate, causing Darhan’s eyes to harden.

However, showing it clumsily was not befitting the dignity of a noble.

“I’ll speak frankly, Your Majesty.”

As always, Darhan began coolly and arrogantly while maintaining proper etiquette.

“Before being an honorary noble of the Newton Empire, the Tower Master is the master of the Magic Tower. If we give imperial territory to someone who owns a large country like the Magic Tower, the influence of the Magic Tower on the Empire will surely become a topic of discussion.”

“Hmm.”

“Aha, influence.”

The Tower Master chuckled, covering his mouth as if amused.

Darhan’s gaze cooled. The Tower Master was openly looking down on him to an extent that couldn’t be ignored.

So he naturally realized. The Tower Master had seen through the Marquis’s petty scheme.

Darhan desperately pulled at his facial muscles that were about to contort.

“…There is no separate territorial ownership in the mountainous areas bordering the country. I’m concerned that unsavory rumors might arise.”

He finished his act by lowering his gaze.

He desperately wanted to argue how they could trust this foreigner with the Empire’s borders, but it only lingered on the tip of his tongue.

‘But my intention as the leader of the noble faction has been conveyed.’

It was a kind of warning that the aftermath of a decision made without going through the noble council would all fall on the Emperor himself.

Unlike the Tower Master who was unfamiliar with social circles, the Emperor would have understood the noble way of speaking well. Sure enough, the Emperor remained silent.

“What if someone like Gwendhill appears again?”

He subtly pointed out that giving power to the strong would only repeat the results.

“So this is why the Tower Master called for the Marquis.”

“Haha, that’s right.”

The Emperor and the Tower Master exchanged laughs as if Darhan’s attempt to sow discord was as clear as day.

The Tower Master narrowed his eyes lazily.

“Recently, an anonymous letter was secretly delivered to our Magic Tower.”

“…An anonymous letter, you say?”

“Well, it contained a report about a group abusing imperial law.”

“……!”

Darhan bit his lip, realizing his verbal mistake.

But unfortunately, the Tower Master returned his words to him exactly as they were.

“It said there were nobles who were cleverly exploiting the fact that there was no owner in the mountainous areas bordering the country to raise private armies.”

“…Can the Tower Master take responsibility for that statement?”

Darhan coldly threatened.

Of course, it didn’t work on the Tower Master. The Tower Master lightly raised his hand and shrugged.

“Without being a god, it’s impossible to know which of the many nobles in the Empire harbors evil intentions, isn’t it? Unless I, a mere human, wield my power as the Tower Master to dig into the minds of Newton’s nobles, that is.”

“……”

“Ah, come to think of it, isn’t it similar to what Marquis Bridend was concerned about? Mentioning Grand Duke Gwendhill was in a similar context too. Yes. One shouldn’t trust people easily.”

Darhan’s brow furrowed at the Emperor’s persistent use of ‘Grand Duke’ for Gwendhill. The Tower Master was once again empowering the Emperor, making all of Darhan’s previous pressure on the Emperor using Gwendhill’s existence seem futile.

It felt like they were back to square one.

“Your Majesty. All of this is merely the Tower Master’s conjecture.”

“That’s not something the Marquis who mentioned unsavory rumors should say.”

“…Tower Master!”

As the Tower Master kept picking at his words, Darhan finally stood up.

At that moment, the Tower Master snapped his fingers. A document appeared in mid-air right in front of Darhan’s nose.

“It’s just one ‘mountain’, Marquis.”

“……!”

Darhan gasped as he confirmed the contents of the document.

The Tower Master smiled pleasantly while observing the Marquis who had frozen with his eyes wide open.

“There’s a ‘secret’ that people with many stories have gathered to make a nest and hide on that mountain, but that’s not a flaw, is it?”

Darhan’s lower jaw trembled.

The document reporting the omission of a hidden village created by people with many stories was now right in front of Darhan’s eyes.

It contained detailed information about the ‘hidden village’ that Darhan had ordered and diverted long ago.

“What I want is for those people with many stories to properly, officially, formally belong to the Empire in that village.”

“This is absurd, Your Majesty!”

He had to stop this. Darhan reflexively grabbed the document and shouted.

It was land where an immeasurable amount of mana resources was hidden. He couldn’t tolerate someone like the Tower Master coveting what would be his solid possession in the future.

Darhan Bridend always got what he wanted by any means necessary, and he never let anyone touch what was his. Darhan’s reddish-brown eyes flashed, ignited by greed.

“The Tower Master is a foreigner. How does he know about the existence of those hiding within the Empire, listen to their stories, and care for them!”

“Am I in a position where I have to recite such private matters to the Marquis?”

The Tower Master was still smiling. Only his mouth was smiling.

There was a killing intent in his eyes. Darhan’s mouth closed helplessly, unable to respond like a normal human.

From the beginning, he had fallen for the Tower Master’s scheme to provoke him.

“That can’t be.”

The Emperor, who had been enjoying watching the confrontation between the Tower Master and Darhan, put down his wine glass and calmed the atmosphere instead.

“It’s clearly stated in the alliance contract between the Newton Empire and the Magic Tower. That we would give whatever is desired, regardless of imperial law. Marquis Bridend is just here as a representative of the nobility, exemplifying the objections that would have been raised if this were a noble council meeting. Isn’t that right, Marquis?”

“…I apologize for my rudeness.”

Darhan barely managed to suppress the glare he almost directed at the Emperor. From the moment he was summoned to this place, everything had gone according to the Tower Master’s intentions, and the Emperor had been a thorough bystander.

“Moreover, after the Tower Master publicly declared to take charge of the border we couldn’t have defended without the Magic Tower’s support, Marquis Bridend is not like those thoughtless individuals who lack such consideration.”

“Yes. That’s why I called him as a witness to this meeting.”

“……”

Darhan forcibly suppressed the anger that was welling up inside him.

Shame, humiliation, and rage. The high and noble dignity as an aristocrat was being trampled mercilessly.

‘To humiliate me, the leader of the noble faction, in front of that foreigner.’

Darhan’s lower eyelids trembled.

Just as the sound of grinding teeth was about to escape, Darhan stood up from his seat.

Instead of storming out in indignation, Darhan calmly bowed his head with the cold face of a nobleman as usual.

“I understand Your Majesty’s will. Then I shall retire and convey instructions to proceed with the land grant procedure for the Tower Master.”

“We haven’t even drafted the documents yet.”

“Isn’t it a mountain the Tower Master desires so much that he visited the Imperial Palace at this late hour? Since it seems you want quick progress without ceremonial procedures, I have much to do.”

The Emperor observed Darhan carefully with a smile.

Since it was a land grant made as an exception by the Emperor’s authority regardless of imperial law, there was indeed much for Darhan, the leader of the noble faction, to do.

However, the change in Darhan’s attitude was suspicious, considering he had been losing his composure and crumbling just moments ago.

“Hmm~ That’s right. You must have a lot to handle. I understand.”

The Tower Master nodded with a broad smile. His eyes were still not smiling.

Darhan quietly withdrew without much reaction to the Tower Master’s sarcasm.

Thud. As the audience chamber door closed, the Emperor picked up his wine glass and moistened his throat.

“It seems there are other ‘secrets’ on that mountain the Tower Master wants, besides Marquis Bridend’s private army.”

As the Emperor rubbed his face, the fatigue from a full day of official duties showed.

The Tower Master, with a curved line on his lips, gestured in the air and created the land grant documents.

The imperial seal on the office desk also appeared in front of the Emperor.

“I thought you had guessed. If you want to be certain, I’ll tell you.”

The Tower Master calmly pulled out the village registration permit application along with the land grant document.

“You engaged in such a sharp exchange of words with the Marquis in front of me, do I really need certainty?”

The Emperor chuckled as he checked the documents on the table.

Just looking at Darhan Bridend’s attitude, he could roughly figure it out.

‘He must have gathered supplies necessary for rebellion. Now that he’s succeeded in removing the Grand Duke, what couldn’t he do?’

An emperor always has to anticipate and prepare for contingencies. Despite having the most powerful authority, he always lived on edge, worried about losing that power.

With the long war ending in a great victory, all that remained was stability within the Empire.

‘Stability, huh.’

It would be a civil war.

The Emperor swallowed a bitter smile and readily stamped the imperial seal on the documents.

Having received the desired imperial approval, the Tower Master rose from his seat without lingering.

“I trust you’ll keep the promise you made to me earlier.”

There was a secret promise the Tower Master had made when he cast the soundproofing spell.

Satisfied with the conditions proposed by the Tower Master, the Emperor had not only offended Darhan, the leader of the noble faction, but openly sided with the Tower Master.

The Emperor chose the side that benefited him through a simple weighing of options. His personal grudge against Darhan was a separate matter.

“Yes. I’ll personally look into Grand Duke Gwendhill’s fate.”

“Please proceed as quickly as possible. Soon, there will be a flood of petitions calling for the official announcement of the Grand Duke’s death.”

Since Darhan had just left grinding his teeth, pressure against the House of Gwendhill would soon intensify within the Empire. They would have to acknowledge the Grand Duke’s death without a body and hold the long-delayed funeral so that the imperial citizens would no longer question the Grand Duke’s obituary.

The Emperor’s situation was not favorable enough to insist on the baseless conviction that he was missing rather than executed.

“I’ll do my best, Your Majesty.”

The Tower Master bowed gracefully to the Emperor.

Then he lightly snapped his fingers. The destination was the Magic Tower.

“I’ve done this much, so you should work hard too, Bireta.”

The Tower Master handed over all of Darhan’s obvious scheming to Bireta.

Near midnight, after the Tower Master had left the Imperial Palace.

Uninvited guests were swarming like ants towards Ashu’s village, centered on a mountain with an owner.

“They’ve come.”

As the sound of rustling trees grew louder, Bireta silently drew her sword in the pitch-dark village without a single light.

It was time for the Crofl Mercenary Corps to take over the venting of anger, as the Tower Master had properly scratched Darhan Bridend’s insides according to plan.

“Be careful not to wake the villagers.”

The night would be long, but the dawn would pass quietly.

The Crofl Mercenary Corps disappeared into the darkness all at once.

At this time, the Crofl Mercenary Corps didn’t know.

What was holding their attention was merely bait; the real uninvited guests were beginning to reveal themselves inside the village.