The nobles were surprised that the Great Sage, who rarely showed his face even at official events, had come to meet them in person.

Tarshan stood in front of Erina, who was at the very front, and addressed the nobles.

“As the interior of the tower is spacious, we will divide you into teams to be guided by the sages. If there are those who wish to move together, please gather now.”

Tarshan urged them to move immediately, saying only what was necessary without further explanation.

Before the nobles could be flustered, the sages who had been preparing to guide them moved quickly.

Erina, knowing that Tarshan had deliberately moved the sages to have time for a private conversation, quietly watched the nobles bustling about.

Soon, nobles with friendly relations began to gather together.

“If there are places in the tower you wish to see, you may request them directly from the guiding sage. However, if the sage in charge refuses for research reasons, viewing may be difficult. Please understand this point.”

The nobles had no major complaints, as it was already exceptional for the usually closed-off tower to offer such guided tours.

As teams were formed, the sages moved towards their assigned groups.

Erina saw Rose, Connie, and Sereni forming a team at the end of the group.

Being at the very end, no sage had approached them yet.

Then, a thin, middle-aged sage approached the three.

Erina carefully observed that sage while pretending to look around.

Connie had said that a sage sponsored by the Small Kingdom Alliance would approach Rose to deliver poison.

That sage must have been very pleased that Tarshan had given him such a troublesome task.

It solved many of the worries he might have had about how to approach them.

Thanks to this, Erina could also observe him closely.

Erina silently smiled at Tarshan’s foresight.

Though Tarshan, standing beside her, wore a puzzled expression, not knowing why Erina was smiling.

The nobles began to move with excited faces under the sages’ guidance.

Exclamations of wonder erupted from the nobles moving here and there.

They were more amazed by the lift operating without mana stones than by the gates.

“My goodness, to think there’s something that moves in an instant without mana stones!”

“As expected of the tower said to have the most remnants of the Magic Era.”

As the nobles moved one by one, the bustling first floor became quiet.

Erina quietly spoke to Tarshan while watching Rose and the sage who were about to move.

“Tarshan, who is that sage?”

When Erina inquired about the sage who was just about to board the lift with a nod, Tarshan answered immediately, though puzzled.

“His name is Jarham, one who has just passed the sage’s test. I believe he receives sponsorship from the Trumto Kingdom.”

“Keep an eye on him, Tarshan. He seems deeply entangled with the Small Kingdom Alliance and the descendant of fairies.”

Tarshan’s bright brown eyes darkened.

While Erina conversed with Tarshan, the first floor was enveloped in silence as all the nobles had moved, taking the lifts.

“So that’s why Jarham willingly accepted this task.”

Tarshan had pondered how to scatter the accompanying nobles when Erina quietly requested a private conversation before coming to the tower.

He had looked for sages willing to volunteer as guides, as there were quite a few researchers remaining in the tower, but had difficulty finding those who liked official occasions.

However, only Jarham had willingly volunteered.

Tarshan hadn’t sought out many people, so he was going to proceed with just Jarham, but Jarham stepped back, saying it would be burdensome to guide many nobles alone.

In the end, after much deliberation, Tarshan spoke to Erina, and she said she would provide the funds to move them.

Thus, with Erina’s support and the promise of compensation, they were able to mobilize the sages.

“I hear Jarham is proficient in herbal studies. Did you know, Tarshan?”

“Yes, I’ve heard. They say he was a renowned herbalist in the Trumto Kingdom.”

“Rose, the fairy descendant, directly requested from the Small Kingdom Alliance, I’m told.”

“Requested what?”

“A lethal poison that can take a life in an instant.”

Tarshan looked at Erina with great surprise.

“Surely not…”

“Yes. I hear the Small Kingdom Alliance is also preparing to cause discord in the Empire to seize an opportunity.”

Tarshan’s face crumpled in dismay.

Erina continued with a bitter smile.

“Rose will never stop until she achieves her goal. She pursued it relentlessly before the regression, using any means necessary.”

“Erina, are you alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? It’s just that…”

Erina was simply saddened by everything.

She was saddened by those who would have to be sacrificed by being involved in this affair, by everything moving like interlocking gears that could not escape.

“Many things are different from before. Even with memories from before the regression, I can’t get a sense of how they will move.”

“I will carefully watch those related to the Small Kingdom Alliance, selecting trustworthy individuals.”

“Thank you, Tarshan.”

Tarshan, worried about Erina who was thanking him, exchanged greetings and engaged in small talk.

[This is the timeline separator]

Rose moved together with Sereni, who had been introduced by Connie as the contact person in the Tula Kingdom.

As Jarham and the three boarded the opaque cylindrical lift, he manipulated a button on one side.

Intrigued by the unusual sight, Rose quietly asked him.

“Where are we going?”

“My research room is on the 6th floor. It’s prepared there.”

“Your name was Jarham, wasn’t it?”

“I’m grateful that you remember the name of this unworthy one.”

In the lift, Jarham was bowing deeply towards Rose with extreme courtesy, while Connie and Sereni stood behind Rose as if guarding her.

Rose thoroughly enjoyed this moment revolving around her.

The lift arrived at the 6th floor in an instant, and as soon as they disembarked, a wooden door that looked like it belonged in a commoner’s residential area was visible.

“This way, if you please.”

Jarham confirmed that the three had exited the lift, then opened the door and entered his research room.

It was not a particularly pleasant sight, with numerous papers and unidentifiable herbs strewn about.

Rose frowned deeply at the unexpectedly dirty and cramped appearance of the research room.

“My apologies. As I have not been a sage for long, I lack proper research results and am still on a lower floor.”

Jarham showed a servile demeanor to Rose, wringing his hands.

The Meltias Tower had a total of 117 floors, with the Great Sage residing on the topmost 117th floor.

Below that, sages staying from the 101st to 116th floors were given the qualification of elders and tasked with scoring the sage’s test.

Most of those with renowned research achievements in any country or famous in their respective fields were situated here.

The lower floors were occupied by those who had just become sages or those lacking in knowledge.

Jarham, who had just become a sage, was assigned to a place where someone who had committed a grave mistake and been expelled from the Meltias Tower had stayed.

Though it galled him to be assigned to such a place, it was only a matter of time before he could rise quickly if he showed research results with sponsorship.

The Trumto Kingdom had made a covert proposal to such a Jarham.

They commissioned him to create a lethal poison that would instantly cut off breath, promising ample sponsorship until his death.

Jarham had gladly accepted, as he had originally been driven out of his village for selling poisons to assassination guilds.

Lethal poison was as good as Jarham’s specialty.

Rose, seeing his eyes full of greed, raised one corner of her mouth wickedly and said,

“If this task succeeds with your poison, couldn’t I give you any floor you desire?”

As Rose smiled seductively, stirring Jarham’s greed, he revealed his yellowed teeth in a bright smile.

Jarham hurriedly moved to bring the box prepared by the Trumto Kingdom.

He slowly opened the plain box with no patterns drawn on it before Rose.

Unlike the rough appearance of the box, inside was lined with luxurious velvet.

On the deep pink velvet lay four tiny glass vials the size of a pinky finger.

“Four?”

“The lethal poison you requested, which cuts off breath in an instant, should have no antidote. However, an antidote can be made for this poison I’ve created. Even renowned herbalists should be able to create an antidote for it.”

“What? Are you trying to play word games with me?”

Although Jarham explained in a roundabout way, the four vials of poison in the box ultimately meant that it wasn’t a perfect lethal poison.

“Not at all. It’s just that I couldn’t obtain one herb to complete the poison, so I prepared four. The period you commissioned was too short to begin with…”

Though he explained while bowing obsequiously, it amounted to Jarham saying he couldn’t complete it.

“A wasted trip. I’ll have to find someone else.”

“My lady! You must hear me out to the end!”

Jarham had misunderstood that Rose viewed him favorably, but Rose was inherently impatient.

What stopped Rose’s steps as she turned to leave was a familiar family name in Jarham’s explanation.

“I couldn’t obtain the final herb! It’s an herb that can only be harvested from the Anzle Count’s family, but it’s only sold during certain periods, so I absolutely couldn’t get it!”

At the mention of the Anzle Count’s family, Rose removed her hand that was about to push the door and turned back again.

“The Anzle Count’s family?”

The Anzle Count’s family, known for having a prominent merchant group in the Empire, was familiar to Rose because it was none other than Belodi’s family, who had also been at the auction.