Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 303

Episode 303 Backstep (2)

The Volcanic Island's Tower of Magic and the Larian Tower had very close ties to the Midloth Dominion.

The conflicts between the surrounding countries and the sub-races that are becoming more and more dangerous by the day.

A deal between the two sides, promising various stakes in the territory and cooperation in exchange for independence for the suffering Midloth Dominion.

First, the two towers established branches.

Beneath the lofty spire, he received a considerable sum of money each year for the purpose of protecting the city.

If there was anything needed for magical research, he was actively helped, and the same was true for the business that would become the Magic Tower's financial source.

Even without going through the Adventurer's Guild, he was able to obtain the corpse of an Ainz race without any separate cost or procedure.

Expanding their influence went smoothly.

There was an occasional dissonance between the two towers, but it was nothing more than noise.

Instead of waging a bloody war over vested interests, they were able to establish themselves in the autonomous territory and take root deeply.

Then one day, a threatening competitor named Bohemian Tower suddenly reached out to him… … but honestly, it was fine for now.

Several major events took place while they were distracted by the Western Continent.

He gathered together those who were hostile to the Bohemian Tower, secretly supported them, and uprooted and cut off the roots of uninvited guests.

In fact, victory was virtually assured.

But it failed.

“I never thought that Ezra, Molly, and the branch manager and other leaders who were sent to check the Bohemian Tower would all be wiped out overnight. The Dominion Lord is missing, but… it would be reasonable to assume he’s dead.”

“Yes. And the Dominion Lord is young and has no children yet. His parents died early and he has no relatives. The position of Lord has been ruined. It is very unfortunate that the family that has been trading with him until now has dried up.”

“In a word, I guess I got hit hard. This can’t be a coincidence.”

The peak of the mountains of the Midloth Dominion.

The two magicians who had taken their places there conversed while looking down on the city. Their voices were calm, despite the gravity of the situation.

I admit that it has had its impact.

Looking at the entirety of the tower, it wasn't something to make a fuss about, and the two people above were beings who were allowed to understand the tower's perspective.

Meanwhile, two investigators appeared.

They were dispatched from the Magic Tower of Volcanic Island and the Magic Tower of Larian respectively.

“I brought the body as you said.”

The investigator opened the space bag.

He placed the frozen pieces of meat neatly on the floor and stepped back.

They were the corpses of wizards who had died with their bodies cut off.

“Hmm, I was struck by a very sharp and quick sword strike. It seems like I couldn’t even properly resist.”

“There were traces of the 5th-tier magic, <Red Fang> and <Earth Claw>, at the scene, but nothing else could be found.

“That’s right. What do you think, Tilen?”

“Isn’t it obvious, Melconi? Of course it was a surprise attack. If there was time to calculate the magic, the entire space would have blown away. And if it’s a 5th-tier magic, then Ezra and Molly were the only ones who realized it too late and tried to resist… A swordsman who can cause such a massacre in such a short period of time.”

I thought about it, but nothing really came to mind.

“What happened to Kendras?”

“I tried contacting you, but there was no response.”

“He’s dead. Well, it’s a set procedure when the autonomous territory is kidnapped.”

“If you just say so, I will search Wellstown right away.”

“There’s no need. It’ll just make a mess.”

It is clear that the culprit is Bohemian Tower.

There was no evidence or anything, but the circumstantial evidence was conclusive.

Because if it weren't for them, there would be no group that would have devastated the Dominion and singled out Kendras and his men for destruction.

Direct contact with the Bohemian Tower should be avoided.

Because if you're not careful, the damage could be severe.

That's why I hired Kendras, and I've been working to keep my connection with them from being revealed.

If there is no response to emergency contact, then death.

In that case, there was no reason to go out and reveal myself.

“I thought you wouldn’t have time to worry about the Eastern Continent, but you really came out aggressively.”

“Bohemian Tower Lord, Baloch, is known for his wizard supremacy, but he sent an inspector… Did he hire him from outside?”

“That may be the case. Judging from the fact that he left no traces, this is not an ordinary case. Investigator, was there anything else unusual?”

“……There are two more things.”

The investigator continued.

Melconi and Tilen, who had been listening, smacked their lips.

“These are traces of what happened after the incident. And based on the reports I’ve received so far, it’s clear that it was the work of that guy called ‘Asher.’”

“The question is why it happened.”

Asher, the king of the underworld, stuck between the Bohemian Tower and the two towers.

I considered several scenarios, but I couldn't understand its existence or actions.

Why have you come to the Midloth Dominion at this time?

And why did you use your back alley power to go after the autonomous territory?

“The Bohemian Tower’s lair… it doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make sense that they stormed the castle after the incident.”

“What more can you learn by thinking about it? If you question it, you will naturally find out.”

Ruler of Loafra.

Although they were well aware of their notoriety, they were not the type of people to be intimidated by such things.

The elder of the Magic Tower on Volcanic Island.

One of Andranov's, Melkoni Blaud.

The Council of the Larian Tower.

Thielenhaugen, in charge of blue among the five colors.

It is one of the powers of the Magic Tower of the 6th tier or higher.

Their mission is to covertly collect evidence if the Bohemian Tower is deeply involved and return to the Tower without harm.

If not, depending on the situation, it was to eliminate all those involved.

If you want, it wouldn't be difficult to turn the Midloth Dominion into a wasteland.

“But what is the one thing that remains special?”

“That, that…….”

As I opened my mouth hesitantly, Melconi and Tilen, who had been listening, blinked.

“……What? If you want to know what I want, come to me directly?”

“…….”

“Oh, really. This is the first time in my life that I’ve seen something like this. Instead of bowing down, you straightened your back. What kind of nerve do you have?”

“It’s one of two things. Either they’re underestimating the Magic Tower, or they have a reason to treat it that way.”

The two people laughed in disbelief.

Still, I didn't feel any discomfort. I was more curious.

What on earth do you have that makes you dare call the investigators of the two towers?

“Do whatever he wants.”

Tilen gave permission.

“We will be watching from here.”

The sapphire decorating the necklace shone.

* * *

A shabby dominion mansion.

The two investigators walked along the corridors with the frightened guide. The sight of the dilapidated buildings here and there was truly pitiful and unpleasant.

The two people who entered immediately faced the owner of the mansion.

“……!”

And I felt a little embarrassed.

A splendid platinum robe and accessories.

No matter how you look at it, it is not ordinary.

The two of them had better equipment than others because they worked at the magic tower, and although they had a keen eye for detail, they could not estimate its value.

Especially that robe.

There was one more thing that was annoying.

'You don't feel the realm…?'

Even though I tried to gauge the mood, I couldn't feel anything. This meant that the detection had completely failed.

That means one of three things.

The opponent either hasn't awakened their magical power, or has blocked it with some kind of magic item, or is at a similar level to you.

Judging by the appearance, it couldn't be the first.

If you first hear the rumors, it's clear that he's a wizard.

'Then is it a similar realm or a magic item?'

I didn't consider the higher realms.

There was no way a young man with not a single wrinkle on his face would dare do that. The fact that he was a fifth-tier magician was surprising enough.

It was a judgment based on common sense.

“If you want to know what I want, come and see for yourself……. That green-eyed young thing really gave me an impudent invitation.”

“Hmm, at that age, being the ruler of the underworld, it’s only natural that he would become arrogant.”

Two investigators sat down on prepared chairs.

It was natural, as if there was no need for Verden's permission.

“Okay, then let’s start by taking out what we have.”

An extremely arrogant attitude.

It had been a long time since Verden had encountered someone whose speech was reminiscent of the elite consciousness and wizard superiority characteristic of the Magic Tower.

I don't mind because I'm used to it.

Verden looked at the investigator and said.

“If you want, let me do that.”

“……!!”

The investigator's judgment was distorted by the disrespectful and rude tone.

Before I could even vent my anger, the door opened and two people dressed in rags, Massey and Devonie, were dragged in. They had been treated, but the scars of their injuries were evident.

One of the investigators, who had been staring closely at the face, responded, wondering what was going on.

"……jester?"

“Huh? Suddenly a clown?”

“The Clown of Aldamia. Don’t you remember? I heard that during the time when they were being wiped out as international criminals, the leader Aldamia and several of his associates escaped through the encirclement…….”

Why on earth would I be here?

Suddenly, I remembered the massive fire that broke out in the slums of the autonomous region.

“These are the arsonists?”

“I caught it myself.”

One of the investigators snickered.

“I did something, and you brought along the person who caused the incident. But this isn’t enough. If you’ve rushed to the scene, you should know. Those scumbags weren’t the ones who killed the leaders of the Magic Tower branch. In that sense, let me ask you something. Why did you head to the castle when the incident occurred?”

“I had an appointment with the Dominion Lord that day. But even though a great fire broke out, there was no response from the citadel.”

“So you went looking for it? That’s not enough. Including the fact that you had the back alley gang investigate the territory before the incident.”

I am not satisfied.

The investigator raised his magic power.

“So, please cooperate obediently.”

“The clowns are the ones who started this. Interrogating those two should be enough.”

“You dare to interfere with the event at the Magic Tower? A mere leader of the underworld? Whatever it is, everyone, including you, is a subject of investigation.”

It was a slogan.

The Tower of Gethsemane values force rather than persuasion.

Because that was the most rational and efficient. The investigators dispatched from the Tower knew full well that coercion was more effective than persuasion.

Above all, the branch manager and the magician dispatched separately from the magic tower were murdered.

If we let this slide like this, we'll lose face.

The name of the Tower had to be lived up to, and that had to be done through thorough investigation and retaliation. That was the nature of not only the Tower, but also the ruling class.

But Verden was also a ruler.

“I am under investigation. As far as I know, the Magic Tower does not have the right to interrogate foreign nobles at will.”

“What are you…….”

Verden took out the certificate and medal.

<Telekinesis> was used to place it in front of the two people, and the clearly stamped certificate and the sharp shield-shaped mark were reflected in the investigator's eyes.

* * *

The sharp shield is the symbol of the Kingdom of Estyria.

The two investigators pretended to be calm and rolled their eyes to confirm the authenticity of the medals and certificates.

The conclusion was that it was genuine.

In other words, the one in front is the ruler of Roafra, but is also an honorary count of the Kingdom of Estiria.

In the Kingdom of Estyria, an honorary count is not just a simple count.

It is practically the highest title that can be given to an outsider.

The presence or absence of a territory is not that important. The fact that he is someone the Estyrian royal family cares about is important to him.

‘Wow, why is the royal family… …?’

Loapra is the shady place and the shadow of the kingdom.

It is self-evident that he has some kind of relationship with the Estyrian royal family, but it is only in secret.

If it was revealed that he was in league with the underworld, it would have negative diplomatic repercussions. There was no reason to give him a title while enduring that.

'No, the author is not Grond.'

A usurper who took Grond's place.

That means… … .

'Could it be that this Asher took Loafra from Grond under the orders of the Royal House of Estyria?'

Yes, it is very likely.

Otherwise, there would be no way to give him an official title.

The investigator carefully placed the certificate and medal.

Only after Verden had taken it back did they slowly open their mouths.

“……What brings the Count to the Midloth Dominion?”

His speech became gentler.

And I felt a sense of caution.

“Do I have an obligation to report to the Tower?”

“The autonomous territory leader has been kidnapped and the leadership has been annihilated. This is a very serious matter. It is not something that can be overlooked simply by exercising your right to remain silent!”

“So I just stood by and watched?”

Verden rested his chin on his hand.

“I put out the conflagration, caught the culprit who started the fire, and handed him over to you without killing him. What else do I need to do here?”

"therefore……."

“You have no right to arrest or interrogate me.”

If it were a normal tower, it would have been suppressed by force.

However, Verden was a nobleman of the Kingdom of Estyria in name and reality. He even captured the Jester of Aldamia and handed him over.

The detailed background can be found out through the interrogation process.

Of course, there are some parts that I don't understand.

After the incident, where did he go after leaving the city, why did he investigate the Dominion, etc. Even so, there was no way to find out by force.

The nobles were nobles.

“If you wish to protest, then do so formally to the Royal House of Estyria.”

It wasn't just something I said to the silk investigators.

It was a wedge aimed at one end of two towers overlooking the mansion from the mountains outside the city.

Verden is speaking.

Just turn it off quietly.

Or come down and attack me.

Of course, the choice was already decided.

The more people there are, the more thoughts there are, and the more there is to lose, the more hesitating there is.

This was especially true for the lower-ranking towers.