40 – Plan
It happened in the blink of an eye.
The eagle carrying Hwangja and Elaine shot up into the sky, as if hunting the sun.
The sky was so high that the imperial cities appeared small, but it wasn’t too cold.
Somewhere, a warm breeze gently wrapped around us.
Perhaps due to fully awakened divine power, Elaine could clearly see the green mana flowing from Hwangja.
She could also discern the unmistakable forms of ethereal spirits.
The warm wind surrounding her body emanated from one of them.
Hoo-wa-ah-
The gentle southern wind at the end of spring flowed like a powerful river.
The eagle, carried by the strong current, no longer flapped its wings.
Only the elegant feathers at the tips of its outstretched wings trembled with joy.
“I feel so good…!”
Elaine grasped the prince’s side with one hand and extended the other to the side.
It was to touch the clouds.
The spirit, understanding her intention, only gathered the wind at her fingertips.
“…It looked fluffy on the surface.”
But when she actually touched it, it melted away like ice, colder than she had thought.
It was a fantastic experience she had never had before in her life.
Oh, of course, the giant eagle that spoke human language was equally fascinating.
In fact, when the Elf Prince told the prince to bring down the tower alone, she was only filled with unease.
When it came to the strength of the magician, she knew very well, not only the maidservants of the count but also the cunning children in the back alleys.
Especially if it was the scorching tower.
Whether it was a demon or a person, it was a place famous for cruelly burning and killing anyone who was an enemy.
And he told the prince to go alone.
Moreover, to bring down the tower and bring back the tower’s jewel, it was no different from telling him to take his own life.
She insisted on following him no matter what, and that was why.
If she had the power given by the goddess, she believed that she could protect the prince no matter how difficult it was for him.
Although she was very scared to imagine facing the magicians, she was the one who had stopped the meteorite alone last night.
She had confidence that she could protect the prince better than anyone else.
The plan was already set.
Until he ascended, she had promised to be on the eagle with the prince.
But once he entered the tower, she planned to secretly follow him and help him.
“Hey, son of Wibrea. Is your name Eos?”
The eagle seemed to have a great interest in Hwangja and spoke to him quite often.
“….”
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But Hwangja seemed to have no intention of engaging in conversation.
“Haah- My name is Aquilada. Wibrea gave me that name, but to be honest, I didn’t really like it.”
The eagle, who let out a small sigh, seemed to have no regard for the silence of that guy and started to say whatever he wanted.
“Oh, yeah. But Wibrea insisted on using this name, so I pretended to be unable to resist.”
As if flying was not important at all, the expression of the eagle, who was frequently turning his head, had changed completely.
It was a face that reminded one of a mischievous child telling an interesting lie.
“hehehehe. Did you feel it too? Wibrea, I mean. She really liked me. Until she married that stupid human, whether it was Velcri or Creamsphen, she always rode only me without fail. No matter how much she begged me to touch my soft feathers and said how soft my hair looked.”
The words that popped out between the yellow beak, like a daffodil, were filled with deep longing with each word.
To anyone who saw it, it was a tone that strongly felt like the eagle unilaterally liked Wibrea.
Then suddenly, the eagle’s eyes turned towards Elaine.
As expected, she felt breathless for a moment, wondering if she was not an ordinary beast.
“Hey, clueless woman. What’s your name? I think it was Elaine… something….”
But the moment Elaine heard the eagle’s words, fear vanished and a considerable sense of discomfort surged.
Just like before, and even now, it was already the second time.
To think that Hwangja, who was listening, would call her a clueless woman….
She almost unknowingly almost blurted out the vulgar curse of the fishmonger uncle who often visited the viscount’s house.
Elaine tightly closed her eyes and lowered her head.
I felt bad, but I had to endure it. I was trying to keep myself in check.
Somehow, it seemed like I would be seeing that vehicle a lot in the future, so it seemed best to maintain a good relationship with it.
For that reason, I forced a smile and willingly gave my name.
“My name is Elaine.”
“Elaine, huh? That name really suits your stupid expression.”
“….”
Elaine finally realized why the prince hadn’t said a word to the eagle yet.
They flew for a while longer.
Below, the capital of Mersen spread out before them.
Despite its considerable height, the imperial capital still appeared vast and the grand palace seemed small in comparison.
The Marquis must be somewhere around there….
Then, Elaine belatedly realized.
Because she was so impatient, she had left home without saying a word to her mother.
There was a chance that the Marquis had been turned upside down trying to find her, but right now, the most important thing was to protect the prince.
Then, the eagle began to gradually descend.
“There it is.”
In the distance, a towering, blazing pagoda appeared small.
Perhaps because the distance was so far, the cylindrical tower looked like a mop handle.
“People say things look beautiful from a distance….”
As it got closer, the pagoda, which became more and more visible, exuded quite an attractive appearance.
Flames periodically erupted from the red brick exterior, shimmering like a faintly glowing lava.
Truly, it seemed to be a scorching tower in every sense of the word.
Hoo-waak!
As the eagle spread its wings, it began to approach at an incredible speed.
“Hey, Eos. Start getting ready.”
And only when Elaine came closer could she finally feel it.
The face of the tower seemed much wider than the Marquis’s estate.
It was truly an impressive width.
The height, too, far exceeded the category of a typical tower.
On the rooftop that pierced through the clouds, white clouds were spread out like a carpet, and on top of that stood a giant warship.
Of course, upon seeing it, Elaine could only gape in astonishment.
“A ship is clearly meant to float on water….”
Unless that massive warship had been assembled on the rooftop from the start, it would be an impossible sight.
But Elaine couldn’t help but wonder why the renowned magicians, who were known for their intelligence, would bother with such unnecessary actions.
Hwaak! Hwaak! Hwaak!
Before she knew it, the eagle had landed on the ship and was vigorously flapping its wings in place.
Of course, it was hovering at a considerable height to avoid detection.
“We’ve arrived, Eos. Come back safely.”
By now, the voice sounded familiar, as if they had been friends for a long time.
Elaine couldn’t help but wonder how it was possible to have such a friendly voice without even having a proper conversation, but now was the moment when she had to send off the prince.
But because of an indistinct feeling of unease, I somehow didn’t want to let go of the prince.
Without realizing such thoughts, Eos tried to release her hand.
“Elaine, I have to go down now, so let go.”
“Your Highness…”
“Yeah, what?”
“Please be careful.”
Although Elaine was convinced that something bad would happen, she didn’t know exactly what it was.
That’s why she chose her words carefully.
“Well then, I’ll be back.”
As soon as Elaine let go of his hand, the prince jumped down.
Watching the prince rapidly shrinking below, Elaine made a silent promise.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I will definitely protect you this time too.”
***
Like an apple falling from a tree, I fell endlessly.
Experiencing the law of gravity was not as bad as I thought.
Of course, I had no doubt that I wouldn’t die, so there was no room for doubt in enjoying it.
As I continued to accelerate and fall,
Suddenly, the wind from the mast enveloped my body from a distance of about 2 meters.
Thud-
I safely landed on the deck of a ship resembling a galleon from the Age of Exploration, flying in the sky.
Fortunately, there was no one around.
Then, in an instant, I felt that strange sensation again.
“……!”
The mana around me rushed towards me, and in an instant, my mana was filled to the brim.
It was like when I wrapped myself in warm wind to prevent a decrease in body temperature.
The mana that flowed into Wint was now restored.
I thought it was just my mood at the time, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
There was one thing I realized.
I bowed my head and looked at the armor I received from Aplatos.
Honestly, it was quite amazing how it changed and fit perfectly as soon as I put it on.
“Don’t worry. What I gave you is a treasure of the Raven Guard. When you wear it, you’ll soon realize it’s worth at least a tower.”
Although he assured me like that.
It just looked like a stiff leather armor that seemed a little neat, and I didn’t think it had any special abilities beyond that.
“……”
But now that I’ve actually confirmed its abilities, I can’t help but admit that Aplatos was not wrong.
To absorb the mana around me….
It was truly an extraordinary armor.
But is this really all?
Considering Aplatos’ confident voice, reasonable doubts began to arise that maybe it could even absorb magic.
And if that were true, it might be possible to confidently face the Tower Master and win.
I carefully examined the ship, calming my slightly restless heart.
Just like the massive warship secretly operated in the Tower of Flames, it was well-maintained.
It looked as clean and crisp as a newly made bundle, with magic circles that clearly showed the view of the ground even during high-altitude flight, multiple masts lined up vertically, and sails attached to the sides.
This ship, powered by the force of fire and flying through the sky, was exclusively owned by the Tower of Flames on the continent.
It was a fact that having this would be a great advantage for my future endeavors, without needing any confirmation.
Of course, it was obvious that enslaving the Tower Master would be much better than just having a ship.
The Tower of Flames far surpassed other towers when it came to destruction.
So, if I could control this ship with the Tower Master at my feet, along with numerous other magicians.
Furthermore, if I could fill it with talented individuals like Duke Felios and other exceptional magicians.
It would be a significant help in protecting the Empire from countless threats that lay ahead.
Of course, there was a strong obstacle that was not easy to overcome.
The inflexible and upright nature of the stubborn elves was the identity of the obstacle I had to overcome.
Most elves were followers of the principle of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”
As Gartagon said, if I were to capture the Tower Master and bring her to Revenegard.
Regardless of her usefulness, there were those who would be satisfied only if the Tower Master was killed.
The elves were such a race.
So, for me, it was a situation where I couldn’t help but seek a way to capture the tower and somehow save the Tower Master.
Each and every magician in the tower was no different from a new weapon for me.
If I were to use the tower to its full potential in the future, minimizing casualties in the tower was necessary.
So, what was most important to me right now was to create a strong customer impression in the hearts of the elves through a highly effective demonstration without destroying my precious weapons.
Luckily, I already knew one way to steal the Matapju.
“……”
However, the biggest problem was, of course, destroying the Matap.
For the elves to be convinced, we had to achieve visible results, such as the destruction of the tower.
But the Tower of Fiery Eruption was like an aircraft carrier, so to speak.
Although it couldn’t move, it had countless magic books related to fire magic, along with various rare materials and a training ground where one could train in fire magic most efficiently.
In other words, it had almost everything that fire-wielding wizards needed.
Starting from a huge amount of royal support funds, there were also commissions from people from all walks of life that flowed in like a river just before reaching the sea, and they were at a level that could not be ignored.
So.
For someone like me who had to get anything that could be helpful, destroying the tower seemed like a huge loss, clearly.
“Haah….”
I couldn’t think of a proper solution to that.
But still, for now, I had to move first.
In an instant, a black cloak wrapped around my body, and a hood covered my head.
In my outstretched hand, the handle of the Rapier, the national treasure of Rivengard, appeared.
Snap.
Everything was what Lark had spat out.
The scabbard, being a sensible fellow, had already been discarded.
“Wh-who’s there!”
It wasn’t difficult to find the entrance leading downwards.
It was because someone wearing a red robe had come up and spotted me.
Without a doubt, they were a magician.
I urgently shouted to alert the intruder, but not even a small breath could escape their mouth.
It was because the dense water barrier created by Aqua had completely enveloped them, just like a slime swallowing a demon.
All I had to do was quickly run up to them and knock them out before they could use magic.
Thud!
Right as I reached them, the water surrounding the magician fell down in a rush.
Thump!
As the falling water droplets bounced off, a knife handle pierced through the magician’s head.
Thud-
Unable to withstand the shock and pain, they fainted on the spot.
Soon, when Aqua’s water wrapped around my body, my whole body became transparent in an instant.
Thinking that I should start from the top floor, I took a step down to the lower level.
Thump!
Before my moving foot could even touch the ground, sudden heartbeats that didn’t belong to me began to echo from all directions.
Thump! Thump!
Dozens, or maybe hundreds, of restless beings.
The one I felt most strongly was a wooden, dried-out ship.
And from inside the tower, various sounds of heartbeat could be heard, big and small, one after another.
As if life had been breathed into something that was already dead.