Chapter 211: A Bit (1)

Louis’s story left those unaware of the situation wide-eyed.

“The Lord of the Tower?”

“Your teacher?”

“The Lord of the Tower of Wishes?!”

Lavina and the Flame siblings were well-acquainted with the rumors surrounding the Tower of Wishes. These whispers had followed them throughout their journey across the Winter Continent and their entire voyage with Shiba. The rumors about the Tower of Wishes were impossible to escape, whether one was moving or at rest.

The Tower of Wishes was the premier tower that produced Transcendents - revolutionary inventions that had overturned the power dynamics of all four continents. It was said to be the originator of Transcendent technology, with no other tower capable of matching its capabilities. Additionally, it was considered the wealthiest tower in the world.

Every rumor they’d heard about the Tower of Wishes was extraordinary in its own right. Yet now they learned that the owner of this very tower was Louis himself.

Now the travel party understood Louis’s behavior in Syron a little better. They understood why he kept looking around so much. They understood what emotion was in his eyes.

He’s been here before!

Moreover, having experienced Louis before, none of them thought his words were false.

If it’s the teacher… it’s possible.

Well, if it’s that monster…

None of them knew exactly how old Louis was. They only guessed it was an incredibly large number.

Thus, Kendrick, Tania, and Lavina nodded their heads in a delicate balance between surprise and acceptance.

Meanwhile, Louis continued speaking to the guards who remained motionless.

“What are you doing? Go tell them inside. The Lord of the Tower has returned.”

”…”

The two guards stared blankly at each other in response to Louis’s story. Then they snorted and sighed softly.

“Haa… I thought this month would be quiet.”

“This time it’s a fresh-faced kid. Last month it was a sixty-year-old geezer.”

The guards, who had been muttering among themselves, turned to scold Louis.

“You’re young, yet you’ve learned all the wrong things.”

“Hey, don’t count on luck from useless things. Live properly.”

”…?”

A question mark floated above Louis’s head at the guards’ lecture.

”…Huh?”

“Tsk. Do you think you’re the only one like this?”

”…What do you mean?”

“That the Lord of the Tower of Wishes position is vacant is common knowledge in Syron… no, in the whole world.”

“So I’m saying I’m that Lord of the Tower!”

“If you don’t know the Grand Masters are waiting for the Tower Lord, you’re no true Syron.”

“No, that’s exactly why I am the Tower Lord!”

“That’s precisely why fools like you always appear.”

The guards’ eyes sharpened as they spoke.

“Con artists who prey on the vacant position, claiming to be descendants of the Tower Lord who abandoned his post long ago.”

It’s understandable why they’d be tempted. If they’re lucky enough not to get caught, they could become the owner of the world’s greatest Holy Tower. Even if discovered, they could make off with a fortune and live lavishly for years.

Louis finally comprehended the guards’ frosty tone.

So… they’re actually seeing me as a con artist right now?

It seemed many had flocked to claim the vacant Tower Lord position during his absence.

Louis nodded.

Well… That makes sense.

He could understand completely. As the guards said, if they weren’t caught, this could be a chance to turn their lives around.

But he was different.

With a slight smile, Louis pulled out a palm-sized proof token from his pocket dimension.

It was the token symbolizing the Lord of the Tower, given to him by Dexter on the day he left the Labyrinth.

Louis confidently pushed the token forward.

“Look carefully. This is the token symbolizing the Lord of the Tower of Wishes.”

The guards who took the token from Louis quickly sneered.

They brought over a fairly large box from one side.

Crunch.

“What? This thing?”

The moment Louis saw inside the box, his confident smile vanished.

Inside the rectangular box.

Inside the box lay a haphazard collection of name tags in various shapes and sizes.

From crude, makeshift designs to intricately crafted pieces, each bore a common feature: the emblem of the Tower of Wishes.

Louis, flustered, muttered, “Wh-what is that?”

“What do you think?” the guard replied. “Fakes brought by imposter Lord of the Tower successors like you.”

The guard moved to toss Louis’s tag into the pile of counterfeit badges.

Louis snatched it back in shock. “Hey! What do you think this is?”

“Hmm… Not bad. You put some effort into this.”

Louis stared in disbelief as the guards treated his genuine Lord of the Tower proof as a forgery.

How many con artists are there in this world…?

Louis had suddenly become a lying shepherd boy. Refusing to give up, he pulled out the Dragon-Slaying Sword this time.

“Look! This is the very sword passed down by the previous Lord of the Tower, Old Man Dexter…”

Before he could finish, a guard pointed with his chin at one side. Louis’s group turned their heads.

There stood a box crammed with dozens—no, nearly two hundred—rusty swords.

”…Those weren’t supposed to be firewood?”

They’d thought the long brown objects were logs, but…

As Louis stood speechless, the guards snickered.

“Don’t you have anything else prepared?”

“Show us more! Something that can prove you’re the Tower Lord’s successor. Kluk.”

“No, I’m not the successor… I’m the Lord of the Tower.”

“Haha, what fresh nonsense is this?”

“You have to spout nonsense to get people to listen! The last Tower Lord left over 250 years ago. That means you must be at least 250 years old now, right?!”

”…Actually, I’m a bit older than that.”

“Hey, this guy’s serious!”

“Heh-heh-heh.”

Many had come claiming to be the Tower Lord’s successor, but none had ever claimed to be the Lord of the Tower himself. And this particular claimant was a mere child.

The guards who had been bored with their free watch duty now snickered at this absurdity.

Louis’s forehead throbbed with anger at their reaction. “You fools… Hey, go fetch Victor or Douglas! Is Erica or Floria around?”

The guards’ eyes turned fierce at Louis’s shout.

“You bastard! Do you know where you are? How dare you call the Grand Master’s name so casually!”

“Since you asked… Do it properly and get lost! Pah!”

These were the four Masters who had once supported the Tower of Wishes in the past. Over time, their title had changed to Grand Master.

Grand Master.

They were the great Creators who had established both the Tower of Wishes and Syron.

To Transcendent workers, they were legends beyond reach.

Since most people living in Syron were Transcendent workers, their reverence for the four Grand Masters reached the sky.

After all, it was thanks to the Tower of Wishes that they could eat and live.

Even the Lord of Syron spoke of the Grand Masters with caution, so in this place, they were practically worshipped as gods.

That’s why it was only natural for the guards to glare so fiercely at Louis.

“Get lost, beggar!”

“Where did this wretch come from?”

”…I’m telling you, I’m real!”

“Hey! Do you need to break a limb before you’ll get it through your head?”

The guards reached for their sword hilts at their waists.

Watching this absurd scene unfold, Louis felt a strange sense of amusement welling up in his chest.

No, these idiots are really…

I’m just trying to go home!

And they’re blocking me?

Of course, I might have come a bit late, but I’m really right!

…Should I completely overturn this?

Louis nodded vigorously.

Yes, let’s overturn it.

If I completely overturn this, at least one guy who knows me will probably come out.

Just as he made up his mind and was about to move,

“What’s going on that’s making such a commotion?”

A deep voice came from inside the Tower of Wishes.

Soon, a middle-aged man with a square face appeared, opening the door.

Seeing his buzzed hairstyle, the guards slightly bowed their heads.

“Ah, Master William.”

“It’s nothing. Just, you know, a monthly event.”

As the guards spoke, William’s gaze turned toward Louis.

His eyes were cold.

“Tsk, another scammer?”

“Haha, that’s right. We’ll handle it ourselves, so you needn’t worry.”

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“Are you leaving work now? You must be busy.”

“It’s my turn to teach at the academy this term. I’m preparing lecture materials.”

“Oh, that’s hard work.”

“Then please take care.”

“Good work.”

William left quickly after receiving the guards’ greetings. His gaze swept over Louis, filled with contempt and disdain.

The guards’ voices followed:

“You’re still here, you wretch! Get lost!”

“Shut up and scram. Hui, hui.”

The guards showed no courtesy toward William.

The guard’s dismissive wave of his hand like shooing away a fly grated on Louis’s nerves.

These bastards…

Crunch.

Fine, let’s have some fun today.

Louis clenched his fists and took a step forward.

Shhhk!

Two arms slipped under his armpits.

“Ahaha, our friend here’s feeling a bit… unwell.”

“Right. His mind’s a bit… overworked.”

Khan and Kani, having secured Louis’s arms, grinned at the guard.

Louis roared, “Hey! Let me go! I’ll teach those guards a lesson—”

As Louis thrashed his legs, the twins whispered in unison, “Calm down, Louis.”

“Nothing’s gonna change even if we wreck this place.”

“Why not? As long as one of those bastards is alive, they’ll keep coming out.”

“Since we’ve come here after so long, do we really have to do this? Besides, I checked and there’s nobody inside.”

Khan’s words made Louis’s eyes widen.

“Huh? Nobody?”

“Yeah. I can’t sense any energy from Douglas, Victor, Erica, or Floria… none of the four.”

“That’s right. I checked too.”

”…”

While Louis was arguing with the guard, the Twins had apparently been using their perception to scan the interior of the Labyrinth. Louis fell silent at their whispered words.

Seeing Louis’s sudden docility as cute, Kani chuckled and whispered again.

“And what will you say when you hit them? I’m the Lord of the Tower. Should I say I hit them because no one recognized me? Doesn’t that sound a bit…?”

“You’re right. And think about this. What you’re trying to break… it’s your property.”

Louis’s shoulders twitched at the words “your property”.

Hmm… Is that so?

If Louis threw a tantrum, quite a lot would get broken.

Taking advantage of Louis’s momentary calm, Khan and Kani waved at the guards.

“Ahaha, good work!”

“Have a good day!”

After greeting the guards, Khan and Kani dragged Louis away.

Coming to his senses, Louis shouted:

“Wait, just a moment…”

“Quiet! Follow me. Think of it as a strategic retreat.”

“Before we retreat, just one hit… Just one hit!”

“No. If you hit it, the whole thing will collapse.”

“I’ll be gentle!”

Louis was dragged away by both arms, and the rest of the travel party followed quietly beside him.

Watching this scene, Fin chuckled. Normally, it was the twins causing trouble and Louis stopping them. But now the situation was reversed.

Even if they bicker, they’re still friends…

This was why Fin liked the twins. Whenever the twins caused trouble, Louis would clean up after them. But when Louis tried to cause trouble, the twins would stop him.

It was only because Louis listened to the Twins that things were tolerable.

Well, they cause more trouble together than when they try to stop each other.

In such situations, there was truly no solution.

When Louis went berserk and the Twins joined in, it became a genuine natural disaster.

At those times, one could only pray for someone to regain their senses quickly.

Still, thanks to the Twins stepping in today, the Tower of Wishes remained intact.

The guards watched Louis’s travel party disappearing into the distance.

“What a bunch of beggars.”

“Tsk tsk.”

They clicked their tongues at Louis’s outburst, completely unaware that moments earlier, his name had been added to the Reapers’ list only to be erased.

So on that day…

After many years, the Lord of the Tower returned to his tower…

“Really, I’ll be gentle! Just one hit!”

“No, Louis.”

He turned back without even stepping across the threshold of the tower.