"Him?”

“The Black Swordsman! He’s currently passing through the main gate of the Magic Tower and heading to the dining hall!”

“......!”

Odelit and Morifis hurried to the banquet hall where the inauguration ceremony was held.

Thanks to Odelit's merciless pace, even the Archmage's weak leg muscles were able to keep up with the times.

The attendant guarding the door was trying to do his job.

“Princess Odelit Marcelion and Lady Morifis Marcelion enter...... gasp.”

“Shut up and seal the entrance!”

“Yes, yes?”

“Come on! Don’t let anyone come in during this time!”

“Yes, old......!”

The knights hurriedly moved, holding on to both sides of the huge door.

Odelit, with her back to the closing door, straightened her back with dignity as if she had never run in a hurry.

“Please hurry and sit down in that chair, Big Gonzo.”

“Okay, wait a minute... heh heh... this is... hard, heh heh....”

“There’s no time. Hurry up...!”

Odelit, who almost kicked her ancestor's butt without realizing it, was shocked. Fortunately, her immorality did not bother anyone.

Because an overwhelming °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° presence was engulfing the inauguration ceremony venue.

“Hey, an unidentified wizard has entered......!”

Dduk dduk!

The locks and other items placed by Odelit's command were easily broken and the door split open.

"omg."

“Huh.”

All the attendees lined up inside the banquet hall took a deep breath. At that moment, the banquet hall’s entrance door felt like a transcendent passageway connected to another space.

A powerful energy surged through the slowly opening gap, suffocating the humans without fail.

A restrained murmur broke through the still air. A man appeared through the door. The moment they saw him, the attendees had to experience another kind of suffocation.

'oh my god.'

'Is this a human?'

'How could that be... ... .'

She was a terribly beautiful sorceress. Her decadent face and body seemed capable of seducing anyone, and just looking at her had a corner that stimulated the abyss of humanity.

He had an appearance that even angels would want to mingle with. If he didn't have an awe-inspiring aura, some of the attendees might have rushed to him.

He too, like Morifis, was adorned in authoritative colors.

The black robe, which was more like a cloak than a robe, matched his sleek and well-groomed body, adding to the sense of intimidation.

Of course, the best example is the long black hair that looks like it was made from the night of the new moon and the dark aura that surrounds him.

The attendees instinctively noticed.

'That guy, that guy is the new owner of the tower... '

'This is a huge feat. At least 8 circles, no, maybe... ... .'

Everyone was greatly shocked, but not as much as Odelit and the Madou Council.

'What happened? Why are you alive?!'

'A wizard without even a proper escort escaped assassination?'

'That can't be true!'

'And back then, it wasn't like this!'

They should realize now that they were lenient when they summoned the gates of Manmajeon, but their minds were unable to function clearly because they were denying reality.

A handsome man leisurely walked through the silent astonishment and sat down on a chair.

“I have no one to introduce me, so I have to do it myself.”

A majestic voice shook the silence.

“My name is Reed. I am a wizard who has reached the level of the 9th circle and I will be the new master of the Magic Tower. From now on, I intend to rule the Ragnape Republic of Magic as I please, so I would like you to behave obediently.”

It was an unprecedentedly arrogant inauguration speech, but the overbearing aura more than justified the arrogance.

“Then, as the Lord of the Tower, I will immediately announce two things. First, from today, I will designate the state religion of the Ragnape Republic of Magic. It is the Word Religion that believes in the ‘words that build the world.’”

It was nothing short of a declaration of war. The attendees were so shocked that they hiccuped and trembled, but they showed their opposition, albeit passively.

“What, what?”

“No, that’s a bit.......”

Reed easily sorted out the situation.

“Do you have any objections, Magic Council?”

A shadow slowly rose behind the chair. The elders of the Magic Council, who had noticed the sign of the Manmajeon, quickly answered.

“Oh, no!”

“There isn’t any!”

The murmur of the attendees died down. Public opinion has been further subdued by involving an authoritative group, so it can be said that it is useful for the old guard.

Reid threw the carrot, smiling broadly on purpose.

“I don’t intend to force religion on people just because I designated it as the state religion. I don’t believe in it either.”

Public opinion has become more lenient.

“New, new white wizard control policy?”

“If only I were a white magician......?”

“I wonder if the Magic Council also agreed because they had something in mind.”

“It’s not forced, so I think it’s okay.......”

All the lead had to do was drive in the wedge.

“Then I will assume you all understand and announce it nationwide immediately.”

“Yes, yep!”

He pointed out the public information officer and gave an order. The magicians immediately followed the order and ran out, impressed by his attitude and experience that were not expected of a newly inaugurated magic tower lord.

“I will introduce the religious leaders later, so please understand that....... Then, the second one. With the approval of the earlier agenda, the Magic Council will be dissolved.”

“What, what?”

“Disbandment! Last time, you said it was a suspension of function!”

“That’s not the same thing!”

The attitude of the cooperative Magic Council changed. The elders of the 6th and 7th circles burst out in anger with their own spirit, but they were no threat to Reed.

On the contrary, it only provided a good excuse.

“Oh, come to think of it, there were three things to announce.”

The once indifferent red eyes turned cold.

“It seems you weren’t very pleased with the outcome of the showdown between me and Morifis.”

“Wh, what are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you send an assassin to kill me?”

His gaze swept across the air and settled on one person.

“Isn’t that so? Odelit Marcelion.”

The person being pointed out held his breath, but he reacted quite plausibly.

“What are you talking about! This is an outrageous accusation without any evidence.”

“Hmm, really?”

“I am the commander of the First Magic Army and Odelit of the Marcellion Duke House. Can you bear to insult me ​​like this?!”

“Yes, you are a princess.”

“If you know.......”

“But I’m the owner of the magic tower?”

He smiled with the corners of his mouth widened, giving a slightly playful reply. Even in the midst of this, he, who was breathtakingly charming, soon became serious.

“Besides, I am both a victim and a witness.”

“Your statement is not objective.”

“Well then. I guess I’ll have to present circumstantial evidence.”

“Circumstantial evidence?”

“Isn’t the fact that you prepared Morifis Marcellion because you thought I wouldn’t come proof?”

Only then did attention turn to Morifis, who had been oppressed by Reed's presence.

The black attire at the inauguration certainly raised suspicions of impure intentions. The murmurs around him attacked Odelit.

'So I went into hiding for three days... ...!'

There was some logic to the excuse, but public opinion was tilted against it.

It completely silenced Odelit, and even gave legitimacy to the Matapju's command, which already had absolute authority.

“Take him. Let’s reveal the crime slowly. Maybe a week will do.”

“W-Who’s a week! What kind of a surprise is that......!”

“Ah, it’s annoying, so let’s decide on the punishment in advance. If the guilt is confirmed, the Marcellion family will be demoted to a baronial family, their townhouse in the capital will be confiscated, and 2/3 of their land will be returned to the Republic. The Magic Council will be dissolved to hold their accomplices accountable.”

"this person......!"

“What are you doing? I have to drag you quickly.”

The soldiers moved, succumbing to the overwhelming force. The blonde ponytailed beauty was dragged out with her eyes wide open, as if she had fainted while standing.

“Ah, no! Why are you taking me away......!”

It was natural, as they were both members of the Marcellion family and the biggest beneficiary of this conspiracy was Morifes. Reed also tacitly approved.

“Because you don’t like it.”

As both men of power were dragged out, Marcellion was already branded a traitor.

Because of this flow, the participants' eyes naturally gathered together.

"ah......."

There was still one Marcelion left at the inauguration ceremony.

The person receiving the sharp gaze was the blonde girl, Hilde Marcelion.

✠

Hilde had been unable to hide her embarrassment ever since the black-haired man appeared.

'The person I met at the abandoned church back then!'

The pink-haired woman who had offered to be his partner was nowhere to be seen, and he entered alone, exuding a suffocating sense of intimidation.

The explanation of his identity was already complete as he sat down in the most prestigious chair prepared at the banquet hall. He was said to be a very high-ranking person, and it was the Lord of Matap.

The atmosphere was completely different from when he had met Hilde before.

At that time, it felt decadent and blasphemous, but not inhuman, but now it fully displays the status of a transcendent being.

Is that all? There is a hint of contempt in the gaze looking down at the attendees at the inauguration ceremony.

The indifferent gaze he had given Hilde three days ago was so cold that it felt like an extremely polite favor. Even if others didn't know, Hilde could clearly feel it.

He may be a transcendent being who is hostile to the Republic of Magic, or perhaps even to humanity.

Why was that being crouching so quietly before? As if someone was holding the reins right next to it.