Chapter 144

Chapter 144. This Magnanimous Me Will Forgive You

At that instant, the knights serving Lortel found themselves paralyzed, their thoughts grinding to a complete halt.

Kugugugu—

A crushing weight of Mana descended, constricting every inch of their frames.

As their respiration turned ragged and their muscles locked in agony, the hands clutching their blades shook with uncontrollable intensity.

‘What on earth is this…?’

‘Could such a thing even be possible?’

Overwhelmed by that suffocating presence, the Lortel knights felt a wave of dizziness wash over them.

It defied all logic.

The Master of the Tower, he claimed?

They had never heard of such a figure.

And yet—who exactly was he to command an aura of this magnitude?

This was not simply sorcery. It was not a mere venting of magical capacity. It felt like… yes.

As if he were exerting absolute dominion over Mana itself!

Terrified by the raw power the Master of the Tower projected, the Lortel knights trembled.

However, the sensation lasted only a heartbeat.

Bang—!

“You possess… quite a fierce aura.”

The First Sword, Hamelan, unleashed his own signature presence, shattering the oppressive weight of Mana. Dense Aether flooded the chamber, claiming the territory.

Within that domain, Hamelan’s experienced gaze locked onto the Master of the Tower.

“But surely you didn’t believe this display would be enough to affect Lortel, did you?”

Speaking in a low, heavy tone, Hamelan bore down on the Master of the Tower. Yet, inexplicably, a faint, amused smile tugged at the man’s lips.

“Now I understand.”

“…Understand what?”

“I had been pondering it earlier, as something seemed amiss.”

“…?”

Hamelan’s eyes narrowed into slits.

Even though he had briefly stifled everyone present, this remained a perilous moment for the Master of the Tower.

Yet, the man himself looked around with unnatural calm.

Did he have some hidden ace? Hamelan briefly weighed the possibility before dismissing it.

“His physical state must be nearing its collapse—so why does he remain so composed?”

As that thought crossed Hamelan’s mind, the words of the Master of the Tower reached his ears.

“Drop the act; it’s not working. Did your House Head order this?”

“…Hmph.”

“To verify the loyalty of the Third Sword? Or to gauge the capabilities of the Mage Tower’s representative? Or perhaps both?”

“……”

“It seems I am correct.”

“Hah.”

Hamelan chuckled softly.

“Were you testing me?”

“You could phrase it that way.”

Hamelan’s behavior had been suspicious from the start.

I had amplified my aura to assert my status as a guest of the House Head, but for the First Sword to materialize so instantly?

Furthermore, Hamelan’s attitude toward Zeke contained several tell-tale signs.

Oh? You’re awfully inflexible about obeying this kind of order.

It carried a stinging undertone.

That man is not an intruder.

Then?

…….

If you don’t answer, then I have no way of knowing. Is that alright?

Despite Sir Zeke’s guarded posture, he had deliberately incited unnecessary friction.

And there was more.

“Had you truly perceived me as an intruder, you would have severed Sir Zeke’s hand and claimed my head long ago. Yet, you refrained.”

“I was quite serious when I threatened to shatter your core.”

“Was Lortel always so charitable toward trespassers? I doubt it. You clearly required information from me.”

What—he wouldn’t claim my head “as compensation for the young lord’s hand”? It was beyond absurd.

The knights of Lortel, hailed as the finest on the eastern continent—and their First Sword among them—could not possibly be that soft.

A moment later, Hamelan finally erupted into laughter.

“Puh— pwahahaha.”

The sound of his mirth echoed through the hall.

Witnessing the situation take such a bizarre turn, the Lortel knights could not conceal their bewilderment.

Even Captain Ekst, who had been seething with malice seconds ago, asked with a noticeably tempered presence,

“…Sir Hamelan? May I ask what is happening here?”

“Ah, forgive me. I realize this must be confusing. But bear with me a little longer. The narrative isn’t finished yet.”

Dismissing Ekst, Hamelan fixed his attention on the Master of the Tower.

Then, he readily acknowledged the truth.

“Indeed, your assessment is accurate. The House Head sent me. A Mage Tower, a Sword Garden… He instructed me to investigate the unknown rats who had dared to approach the young master.”

“And has your investigation reached a satisfactory conclusion?”

“It has. It was truly a spectacle—infiltrating Lortel single-handedly, leaving your allies behind. Ah, do not misunderstand. My pursuit of Sir Zeke was purely out of my own curiosity.”

The House Head had given Hamelan a single, clear directive.

If Zeke brought those rats in, you are to intervene and test their mettle. And should they prove to be nothing but worthless vermin…

As long as they still drew breath, you may dispose of them as you see fit.

“But you were unpredictable in many ways. I assumed you were just another petty pest trying to latch onto the young master… yet you possessed real backbone. Who would have imagined—puhuh!—that you would ignite a fire like this.”

The actions of the Master of the Tower were an upheaval that defied Hamelan’s expectations.

Who could have possibly foreseen it?

That he would trigger such chaos in the very heart of Lortel.

It was madness that no rational mind would entertain. No—even for a madman, it was a crime no one would dare commit.

“I will grant you this. You have earned the right to an audience with the House Head. However—”

At that juncture, killing intent crept into Hamelan’s smiling visage.

“You have been far too arrogant. ‘Bring the House Head here’? Do you have any idea where you stand, speaking in such a manner?”

“……”

Hamelan projected a sharp, blade-like killing intent toward the Master of the Tower.

“K—keugh!”

“…Ugh.”

It was so overwhelming that even the veteran Lortel knights groaned, staggering under the pressure!

“If your objective was to announce the Tower’s presence, you have certainly succeeded. But you have overstepped.”

“If you insist on seeing this through to the end, I will not back down.”

“Are you certain you can handle it? Your breathing is erratic. You look as though you are struggling to remain standing.”

“……”

The Master of the Tower offered no reply.

He simply held Hamelan’s gaze with his colorless, steady eyes.

Had the Master of the Tower arrived at his final decision?

Kugugugu—

The Mana in their vicinity rippled violently.

It was not a flow meant to intimidate as before. The Mana grew jagged, honed to a razor’s edge.

And then—

“…Everyone, assume your combat stances.”

Interpreting the shift, Ekst began maneuvering the Lortel knights into formation.

It was then that a burst of deflated laughter rang through the area.

“Puh— pwahaha!”

With that outburst, Hamelan’s aura vanished with a sharp snap. The killing intent that had been bearing down on the Master of the Tower evaporated completely.

“…?”

The Lortel knights tilted their heads, confused by Hamelan’s abrupt change in demeanor.

Soon, Hamelan spoke.

“My apologies. My jest went a bit too far. I did not expect you to refuse to yield even under such pressure. Everyone, retract your auras as well.”

Hamelan shook his head slowly and turned his back on them.

As he walked away, he commanded,

“Captain, see that order is restored. I will provide a full explanation later.”

“…Yes, sir.”

“And you, Master of the Tower—follow me.”

With that, Hamelan marched forward.

Yet, despite his cheerful posture, his eyes remained colder than ice.

‘This… the young master has invited a truly dangerous individual into our home.’

Clearly, he was not of the same caliber as those typical, desperate vermin…

yet it was impossible to fathom what lay beneath that calm surface.

Still.

‘Cunning, yet honest. Shrewd, yet authentic.’

At the very least, he was worth keeping an eye on.

As Hamelan moved—

“What are you waiting for? Are you not coming?”

Hamelan urged the Master of the Tower, who remained standing in place, lost in thought.

It was then that the silent Master of the Tower finally spoke.

“Does this mean you now accept me as a guest of Lortel?”

“…Yes, that is the implication.”

“In that case, as a guest, I offer my apologies for causing such a disturbance in Lortel. I have committed a grave discourtesy.”

“Ho.”

Hamelan was struck by the straightforward apology, which befitted a true man.

It wasn’t that the Master of the Tower was in the wrong—by his own standards, he had barely survived Lortel’s tyranny.

Given that context, how many could so readily offer such a sincere apology?

‘He is quite bold. A man of great capacity.’

“Very well. I accept that apology—”

Hamelan nodded, acknowledging the breadth of the Master of the Tower’s character.

No—he attempted to nod.

“However, I do not believe Lortel was entirely in the right either.”

“…?”

“I am not demanding an apology. The situation was simply awkward for both parties. Nevertheless, even in an awkward situation, if one is truly broad-minded, should one not be the first to apologize? Much like myself.”

Hamelan stared at the Master of the Tower, utterly dumbfounded.

“…My apologies. I will provide a formal one. As the First Sword of Lortel, I ask for your forgiveness for my rudeness.”

“This magnanimous me will forgive you.”

“……”

At that reply, delivered as if he were bestowing a favor, Hamelan tightened his grip on his sword hilt.

But it was only for a second.

With superhuman restraint, he suppressed the impulse to strike and instead gestured for the Master of the Tower to follow.

“…Now, come with me.”

Before escorting the Master of the Tower to the House Head, Hamelan gestured toward his blood-stained attire.

“Change your clothes. You cannot present yourself to the House Head in that condition.”

With that order, Hamelan exited the chamber.

Aster complied, swapping into the garments provided by the servants without a single complaint.

Then, he was left in a brief moment of solitude.

“Hoooooo—”

Perhaps because the tension had finally ebbed—

His body felt leaden and drained.

‘Good grief… I nearly died back there.’

I had tried my best not to reveal it, but my body was at its absolute breaking point.

Even though the skirmish had ceased some time ago, my breathing remained labored. My fingers were still trembling, and even a single step left me gasping for air.

But the reprieve was short-lived.

“Are you finished changing?”

“……”

Responding to Hamelan’s voice, Aster straightened his posture.

He desperately wanted to collapse and close his eyes, but he remained in the very heart of Lortel.

Regardless of the First Sword acknowledging him as a guest, until the meeting concluded, he could take nothing for granted.

‘Now, the true test begins.’

This had been sufficient to firmly establish the presence of the Master of the Tower in the mind of the House Head.

But the House Head would certainly be sharp enough to discern the underlying intent of this incident.

‘I have only secured the baseline qualifications.’

Whether Lortel would become a site of his demise or a new foundation for his future remained undecided. He had only managed to nudge the scale—previously tipped toward death—back toward a fragile balance.

“Let us depart.”

“……”

Swallowing the metallic taste of blood rising in his throat from internal injuries, Aster nodded. He then followed the First Sword down the corridor.

“We have arrived. I sent word ahead, so you may enter.”

The First Sword stopped before a massive iron portal.

With a pallid expression, Aster gazed up at the door of the grand hall.

‘Beyond this threshold…’

Lortel’s master resided there.

In other words, the leader of a massive, prestigious House, a power rivaling Deculan, was waiting just inside.

Standing before the steel door, Aster’s mind was a blank slate.

How should he present himself as the Master of the Tower? What facet of himself should he reveal to make Lortel’s master understand the strategic necessity of the Mage Tower and the Sword Garden?

Countless deliberations evaporated, leaving behind only one lingering thought.

‘The Paharen of this life… was not as overwhelming as the one I faced in the past.’

Then what manner of man would Lortel’s master be?

A sense of anticipation he could not name took root.

He steadied his breathing.

Kkiiiik—

He pushed the heavy steel door open and stepped inside.

And the moment he entered the grand hall—

A deep, commanding voice struck his ears.

“So, you are the Master of the Tower?”

Aster fixed his eyes on Lortel’s master.

His initial impression was this:

‘By no means…’

…is he beneath the Paharen of this life.

But.

The presence Lortel’s master projected was cold and ruthless.

“Disappointing.”

Thud!

As the door slammed shut behind him, a heavy stone of dread dropped into Aster’s heart.

“I heard you had earned the First Sword’s recognition, so I allowed myself some expectations… but this falls short of even my lowest bar, does it not?”