After verifying the unusual longing reflected in her gaze, Grisha wore a knowing smile.
This outcome was entirely anticipated.
Grisha had previously journeyed through the autonomous regions alongside Lennok, gaining an intimate understanding of his skills during their collaborative efforts.
For Lapis, this marked her inaugural encounter with Lennok’s modus operandi.
During their extensive time traversing the Western Resistance Front, they had encountered a myriad of talents. Among them were individuals with keen intellect and those possessing the strength to fend for themselves.
However, no one had ever demonstrated such a remarkable ability to manipulate and control situations before Lapis’ eyes.
The prospect of continuing to fight alongside such an individual, entrusting him with strategy and judgment in forthcoming battles, was undeniably reassuring.
He possessed the capability to single-handedly sway the tide of battle.
Regardless of how the future battlefield scenarios might unfold, individuals with such remarkable abilities could never be in excess.
“A gift to repay him for his efforts is needed.”
Lapis also recognized that retaining him solely on the basis of a tenuous connection was untenable.
To secure Lennok’s voluntary cooperation, it wasn’t just the influence of the Organization of Eyes of Blue that would matter; what they could offer him would play a pivotal role.
She was even prepared to accept some form of sacrifice in the process, a sentiment markedly different from her previous stance.
***
“… Data collection complete. Confirmation of the loss of Dominic Cabaro’s consciousness. Halting the project.”
“Phew…”
In the bone-chilling cold that threatened to freeze them, a soft exhale turned into frost and dispersed.
Sinister laughter emanated from beside them.
“Who would’ve thought that the alchemy of the First World had such a fatal flaw? You really fell for it, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Even though there were clear signs of regaining consciousness at the end, some form of interference caused the attempt to be entirely thwarted. It’s difficult to speculate on the specific circumstances without directly observing the battlefield, but there is evidently a flaw in the process of transferring consciousness.”
“Halt the research on alchemy and redistribute all personnel and assets related to this project. Prepare.”
The frigid voice reverberated, met with silence.
Other agents had already relayed the orders to the far reaches of the continent.
Amidst a growling sound akin to a beast’s, someone spoke with a foreboding aura.
“Hey, Pierrot. You’re ending this mess after stealing my precious time? Did you think I flew this far to watch your child’s play fail?”
“Oh, scary, scary… How about you temper that temper if you want to live longer?”
The derisive voice responded with casual disdain.
“The important thing is, the evidence that we are not the only ones holding onto this secret.”
“… What are you blabbering about?”
It came as no surprise that this brute of a mind failed to grasp the conversation; it was consistent with expectations.
However, providing a plausible explanation to this disloyal monster, devoid of any semblance of loyalty, was a simple task.
“A wizard dispatched from the Blaiver Magic Tower succeeded in killing the homunculus on the spot. Impossible unless they knew the secret of alchemy from the start.”
“So you’re basically saying you lost because you’re incompetent.”
“No, to put it differently… What I mean is that they know what we know.”
Pierrot chuckled.
“Doesn’t that mean we have what they want?”
“Let’s test the waters and see their reactions,” responded the voice with a chill.
Pierrot concurred.
“Aren’t you curious? How arrogant do those idiots at the tower have to be to blatantly do this… If it’s as I suspect, their noses should be high in the sky by now. Let’s take this opportunity to check.”
A figure rose from their seat, accompanied by the sound of a sharp blade being drawn.
“Let’s find out how hot the flames of Blaiver Tower really are.”
“Finally, you’re saying something I like.”
The beast emitted a contented growl.
“So, are we starting immediately? I’m ready whenever.”
“No, let’s give it two days. First, we have to ask other members of the organization if they’re interested in participating. Especially your senior, shouldn’t we discuss it with him?”
“Damn it… that old man has no interest in us to begin with. I don’t want to see that reptilian face any longer than I have to.”
Despite the beast’s grumbling, everyone concurred.
Monstrosities surpassing even the war beasts showed little interest in the organization’s affairs.
Gatherings like this, with the four of them, were actually a rare occurrence within Pandemonium.
The boss appeared to have no intentions of intervening in the organization beyond this point… but the one with the cold voice had different ideas.
If there’s something to be done, it should be done.
Accept any necessary procedures without hesitation.
The Drug Lord, who couldn’t conceal his excessive cruelty after gaining knowledge of alchemy, had been dragged into this due to his inherent business acumen and substantial wealth.
However, he crumbled pitifully in the area where he felt most vulnerable.
One could draw closer to the world’s secrets and contribute to the organization, but a single stumble could be irreversible.
The cold voice understood this all too well.
Because it closely mirrored the hardships he had encountered on his ascent.
“We will at least inform those we can reach. If we get no response, we start among ourselves.”
He rose slowly to finalize the plan.
“Our goal is to topple the tower within six months and uncover their hidden secrets.”
***
News of the turmoil in the Paragini Republic had spread throughout the continent.
This was likely due to the sudden disappearance of the Drug Lord, who had been manipulating the Republic.
Three days had passed since the collision of the two islands had dramatically altered the geography of the floating island community.
Lennok, who had remained until the very last moment of the collision, had successfully escaped by utilizing Enakphil’s five fingers to traverse the realms.
He wouldn’t have initiated the plan if he hadn’t intended for it to culminate this way.
Confronting the Drug Lord had been a choice because avoiding conflict would serve no purpose during the remaining period of the boundary.
Lennok needed two more days to recuperate in the lighthouse, but it was a minor setback.
He had invested a significant amount of time in the autonomous region and had gained valuable insights.
Setting aside the newspaper he had been perusing, he rose from his seat.
As he exited the room, the busy Watchers passing through the corridor all greeted Lennok in unison.
“Mr. Evan, you’re awake!”
“Breakfast is prepared; please come to the dining room.”
“I’ll take you there.”
“No, he might want to wash up first. Don’t be so hasty.”
Lennok sighed at the sight of the Watchers swiftly approaching, jostling each other.
Just as he was about to decline the approaching Watchers and turn away, a young man holding a staff stepped forward and took a determined stance.
“Sir. Evan still needs to rest, so everyone should step back. I will assist the wizard.”
“Tsk, it’s Amon…”
“Enough. If that guy sticks around, he’ll bother us all day long.”
“…”
Evidently, even among the bystanders, his reputation left much to be desired.
The young man swiftly dispersed the other Watchers and turned toward Lennok, offering a respectful bow.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. I will guide you to the dining room.”
“Do we really need to go this far?”
The young man named Amon.
Clearly deeply impressed by the events of the day, he had been shadowing Lennok and acting as his guide.
Despite Lennok’s brusque reply, Amon didn’t flinch.
“I plan to assist you personally as your escort until the day you leave the autonomous region. Since Lapis has directly requested this, please don’t worry too much.”
With these words, he promptly descended to the ground level.
Lennok let out a soft sigh and followed him.
As they ascended to the lighthouse’s surface, they were greeted by the warm sunlight.
In a spacious hall with a dining area, other Watchers were already busy with their meals.
Lennok randomly chose a table and seated himself.
Amon immediately positioned himself behind Lennok like a vigilant sentinel, scanning the surroundings with watchful eyes.
“…”
Why go through all this trouble of being an escort in a lighthouse filled only with Watchers? He was an exceedingly bothersome individual.
Too irritated to say anything, Lennok simply turned his gaze toward the exterior of the lighthouse.
The radiant sunlight streamed in through the massive glass window on the front side of the towering structure.
Considering what he had experienced in the autonomous region, this seemingly tranquil scene felt deceptively peaceful.
Since the incident involving the drug lord Dominic Cabaro had concluded, things had surprisingly gone smoothly.
The presence of the giant’s corpse trapped amidst the island’s wreckage and the existence of the alien species that had wreaked havoc in the autonomous region were more compelling evidence than anything else that the drug lord had extended his influence here.
Considering the achievements of the Eyes of Blue in resolving the crisis, it was nearly impossible for the autonomous region’s government to disregard the words of the Watchers.
Ultimately, while the autonomous government worked to assess the situation, the Eyes of Blue had taken direct action to rescue the autonomous region’s residents by touring the floating island settlements.
Lapis had successfully secured full support for disregarding all the incidents that had occurred during this time and for the subsequent cleanup through negotiations with the government.
Given the extensive financial transactions within the Autonomous Region government, the returns that would attract the attention of Eyes of Blue were also substantial.
Furthermore, the restoration work on the two fractured floating islands was in progress, with military personnel and external sorcerers offering assistance. Additionally, extensive research was planned for the physical body of the Homunculus due to its perplexing anatomical structure.
Within the Philenom Autonomous Region, not only has Eyes of Blue significantly elevated its status, but the Watchers have also been granted unrestricted access to research sites. These gains can be deemed substantial.
Government officials, too, had witnessed the colossal being that emerged after swallowing the third floating island, understanding the magnitude of their achievements.
Despite the substantial financial loss incurred by sacrificing the two floating islands entirely, everyone considered it fortunate to repel an attack from a major player like the Drug Lord with such limited damage.
“The most important point is that this is the first time we’ve minimized our losses to this extent in a battle against Pandemonium.”
“…”
Amon calmly articulated this while sitting across from Lennok, who had begun his meal.
“While fighting one-on-one battles with Pandemonium, victories always came with countless deaths and losses. Even when facing a formidable enemy like the Drug Lord, and even after allowing him the first move with his unknown magic, we’ve never been able to handle it this smoothly.”
“We were just lucky,” Lennok responded cursely.
“You joke well. No one would consider that moment to be a coincidence. The same goes for everyone who has heard the news about the chaos in the Paragini Republic on the other side of the continent.”
Amon laughed it off, assuming modesty, but Lennok’s sentiments were indeed sincere.
The fact that they could directly confront the Drug Lord this time was only made possible because he had utilized Homunculus as a covert weapon and transferred the ritual thousands of kilometers away.
Had Lennok been entirely ignorant of alchemy during that process, the outcome of the battle would have been radically different.
It was precisely because Lennok retained knowledge and mastery of even exceedingly obscure spells, such as the summoning spell, that he was able to neatly conclude this matter.
Of course, the debris of the islands, floating and scattered beneath the lighthouse, didn’t appear particularly neat…
Lennok speculated that the Drug Lord might have sought the aid of Pandemonium to acquire knowledge of alchemy, considering the circumstances.
However, given that the Drug Lord himself remained oblivious to the vulnerability of consciousness materialization to external interference, perhaps Pandemonium was solely treating him as an experimental subject for alchemy.
If that were the case, within Pandemonium, there might exist a faction keen on directly experimenting with spells and relics that had vanished during WORLD 1.0 and 2.0.
If the focus of this faction could be shifted from Lennok or Eyes of Blue to the Blaiver Magic Tower…
Then this endeavor would undoubtedly have been worthwhile.
