Chapter 240: Prank (2)

Where did it all go wrong?

The Grand Master’s reputation, now a hollow shell unrecognized even by the Transcendence Academy students?

Or the deep-seated distrust for Louis that had eroded all semblance of credibility?

Louis’s expression soured as he met Shiba’s gaze, which openly screamed, “Louis as Lord of the Tower? How could someone like him ever qualify?”

Thud-

A strange sound echoed as sparks flew from Shiba’s forehead.

“Lower your insolent gaze immediately, or I’ll have you strung upside down in the Bell Tower.”

“W-Why do you say that after hitting me first?!”

Thwack!

“Cough!”

Shiba, who had been protesting, clutched his forehead and collapsed again.

Kendrick scurried over to his side, patting his back and saying, “I know that pain all too well!”

Louis’s eyes narrowed as he watched their antics.

That little bastard… how is he getting more shameless by the day?

Louis didn’t even consider the possibility that Shiba’s condition was his fault.

Shiba rose from his seat with a slight sniffle.

Louis could tell he still didn’t believe in the Grand Master’s existence, but Louis couldn’t care less. After all, time would take care of that problem on its own.

It’ll be fun to see the look on his face when the time comes.

Louis chuckled inwardly as he sipped his tea.

“Um… well… I should be going now…” Sierra, sensing the tension, mumbled awkwardly and quickly left the Research Room, her face stiff with discomfort.

Even after her departure, the Pest Extermination Research Society remained bustling.

The room was already cramped with members, but the addition of the three Grand Masters made it feel even more claustrophobic.

As the society’s nominal president but lowest in the hierarchy, Shiba found himself huddled in a corner of the Research Room, a silent observer.

Instead, he perked up his ears, listening intently to the conversation unfolding between Louis and the three outsiders.

Erica, the red-haired woman, spoke first.

“By the way, Lord of the Tower, why is this Research Society called ‘Pest Extermination’?”

“Why else? To catch bugs.”

“Bugs?”

“The pests that eat away at the Tower of Wishes.”

“Oh? So this is some kind of secret investigation agency?”

“More or less.”

Shiba’s eyes widened as he listened.

So that’s why the Research Society was named ‘Pest Extermination’?!

When Louis had chosen the name for the Research Society, Shiba had thought it was just something he’d come up with haphazardly, but it turned out there was a reason behind it!

Wait, why am I listening to this so intently?

The conversation between the three men claiming to be Grand Masters and Louis was strangely captivating.

Shiba’s ears perked up again, listening more closely.

This time, the old dwarf spoke up.

“But… are we even allowed to be here?”

“The darkest place is always under the lamp. Who would think you’d be at the Transcendence Academy when everyone believes you’re dead?”

“That’s true, but… someone might recognize us…”

“Who?”

Louis scoffed.

“That girl who just left, or that crouched-up eavesdropper over there…”

Shiba flinched slightly at the pointed accusation.

Louis grinned, seeing this.

“If they didn’t believe you even when you shouted ‘I’m a Grand Master!’ right in their faces, who’s going to believe some random fool who claims there’s a Grand Master lurking here?”

“Ahem…”

Though Douglas knew the words were painfully true, they stung so deeply he cleared his throat to conceal his embarrassment.

Ah, how times have changed. Back then, just stepping outside would draw crowds eager to mob me.

His prolonged seclusion, meant to escape the relentless attention, had instead left him completely forgotten.

Seeing Douglas’s discomfort, Floria spoke up.

“So, what are your plans now?”

“Well, now that I’ve cast my bait, I need to observe how the fish react…”

The problem was that Douglas had no current method to monitor the waters where the fish were gathering.

Louis turned to the three of them and asked, “Any ideas?”

“Don’t you have anyone reliable?” Louis asked. “Someone who would never betray us and could report on the tower’s internal situation with absolute loyalty.”

The three Grand Masters fell into deep thought at his question.

“Someone reliable…”

“Hmm…”

Truthfully, they would have confidently recommended someone in the past. But now, they hesitated to declare anyone truly trustworthy.

Seeing their hesitation, Louis clicked his tongue in exasperation.

“Tsk, these shut-ins… You’ve been cooped up in your towers all your lives, yet you can’t even properly oversee your own affairs.”

“S-Shut-ins? How dare you!” one protested. “We’ve poured our hearts into revitalizing the Tower of Wishes!”

“Exactly! Look at how our tower has expanded! All that glory is thanks to our tireless efforts!”

“We’ve been working hard in our own way…”

Louis frowned at the trio’s excuses.

“You’d think you started from scratch? I laid all the foundations before I left. If you couldn’t even manage this, you should go die. Don’t you think?”

”…”

The Grand Masters fell silent, unable to defend themselves.

It was true they had worked diligently over the years.

But the alliance with the Watt of Radiant Glory, the Mind Conversion Material, the Tower’s initial funding—without Louis’s meticulous groundwork before his departure, the Tower of Wishes simply wouldn’t exist today.

All the Grand Masters had done was tidy up the path Louis had carved.

Knowing this, even the Grand Masters were left speechless.

Louis clicked his tongue as he observed their tight-lipped silence. “Tsk, so are there any trustworthy bastards left in the Tower?”

”…I’m not sure.”

“Damn it. These idiots are just as useless now as they were 250 years ago.”

Louis’s rebuke made the three Grand Masters slump dejectedly.

Looking at their despondent faces, who would ever believe they were the revered Grand Masters?

Louis sighed softly. “There’s no choice. I didn’t want to stoop to this…”

“Do you have some kind of solution?”

“Solution? Of course.”

Under their expectant gazes, Louis grinned wickedly.

“Let’s play a little ghost game.”

Harold burst into tears the moment he returned home after hearing of his master’s passing.

“Master…”

Douglas was the one who had taken Harold in from the streets as a child, providing him with food, shelter, and education.

To Harold, Douglas was not only a master but a father—his only family.

No matter how prepared he thought he was, his master’s death was still devastating.

The grief he had suppressed to avoid showing weakness to the other Masters erupted the moment he was alone at home.

“Hic… Master… Couldn’t you have stayed just a little longer?”

Overwhelmed by the sorrow of never seeing his revered master again, and the regret of not having treated him better while he was still alive, Harold wept uncontrollably.

Normally abstinent, Harold drank heavily, tears streaming down his face.

The combination of alcohol and grief overwhelmed him, and he fell into a deep, unconscious slumber.

How much time passed after that?

“Harold…”

The voice echoing in his ear roused him from sleep.

What…?

A dense, misty fog enveloped his bedroom.

“Harold.”

The voice calling him seemed to originate from within the fog itself.

And it was a voice intimately familiar to him.

Harold jolted upright and shouted into the swirling mist.

“Master…? Is that you, Master?!”

Before his shout could fade, a figure materialized from the fog—an aged dwarf.

“Ah…”

Harold’s eyes welled up with tears as he recalled the image of his master he held in his memory.

Is it truly… truly gone forever?!

He believed that the current situation was a visitation from his deceased master’s soul, reaching out to him through a dream.

Sobbing bitterly, Harold prostrated himself at Douglas’s feet.

“Hwaaah… Master! How… how could you leave us so meaninglessly!”

The intensity of Harold’s grief made the sight almost unbearable to witness, causing the hearts of onlookers to ache with sympathy.

Douglas opened his mouth, addressing the distraught figure.

“How bitter… how utterly bitter…”

“M-Master?”

“Harold, Harold. It’s so utterly bitter.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“That bastard… he killed us.”

“Huh?”

“That bastard… he killed us! He did it!”

Douglas’s snow-white face was etched with a searing resentment.

Harold instantly understood.

This was why his Master’s spirit had come to him—to impart something vital.

“Master… what happened?”

“Harold…”

“Who was it? Who murdered you, Master?”

“Harold… be careful…”

“Tell me, Master! I… I will avenge you! I swear it! Who harmed you?”

Tears streamed down Harold’s face.

His expression was utterly sincere, devoid of any doubt in Douglas’s words.

My Master’s death wasn’t caused by monsters after all!

Harold vowed solemnly:

“I swear on my honor that I will uncover the truth behind my Master’s death. Once I catch that bastard responsible, I’ll tear him into a thousand pieces and scatter his remains at my Master’s grave! Only then will I be able to console his spirit!”

Harold’s impassioned declaration rang through the air.

And then, in that very moment:

“Okay, cut! That’s a wrap for today.”

The sudden shout cut through the tension, and the fog began to dissipate. Simultaneously, light flooded Harold’s chamber, and several figures plummeted from the ceiling.

”…?!”

Harold was stunned by the unexpected turn of events.

“W-what’s going on?!”

His eyes widened as he took in the identities of the intruders.

”…Lady Erica? Lady Floria?”

The figures who had fallen from the ceiling were none other than Erica and Floria.

Even if it’s them… I guess that’s understandable…

Rumor has it they died alongside Douglas. If that’s true, they might all appear in my dream together.

But…

The real problem was the completely unexpected person standing beside the three of them.

“Oh, so you haven’t wasted your years, huh? That emotional acting was quite impressive, Douglas.”

“Hehe, it’s just the wisdom of experience, wouldn’t you agree?”

The man patted his Master’s shoulder. Harold couldn’t possibly fail to recognize him. He was a student at the Transcendence Academy, one Harold had been keeping a close eye on.

Harold uttered his name in a dazed voice.

”…Louis…?”

As Harold stood there with a bewildered expression, Douglas cautiously glanced at Louis and asked, “So… what do you think?”

Louis smiled in response. “It’s definitely not him. If that’s acting, he’s not a Transcendent Master—he’s a Master of Acting.”

“Right? Hahaha.”

Harold was utterly baffled by the situation.

A Transcendence Academy student appearing in his dream and speaking disrespectfully to his Master?

And his Master accepting it with such composure?

Seeing Harold’s dazed state, Douglas approached with a kind smile and patted his disciple’s shoulder.

“Hehe, I always believed you were different, Harold! I knew you wouldn’t disappoint!”

“M-Master?”

Harold felt a heavy sensation on his shoulder. By now, he couldn’t tell if he was dreaming or awake.

Douglas spoke with a grave expression. “Do you remember what I repeatedly told you?”

“What exactly… are you referring to?”

“That one day, the Tower Lord would return. When that day came, I told you not to be deceived by their appearance and to offer them everything without doubt.”

“Ah! I remember now.”

Douglas had repeated this countless times to Harold when he was younger.

Harold nodded, and Douglas smiled, pointing to Louis. “Now, greet him properly. This is the true Lord of our Tower of Wishes.”

“Huh? …Louis?”

“Ahem! Louis? He is the Tower Lord!”

”…?”

Harold’s gaze shifted to Erica and Floria, both nodding as if Douglas’s words had confirmed a truth. Then his eyes fell on Louis.

That guy… the Tower Lord?

With that thought, Harold, still hovering between dream and reality, gave a slow nod.

“Ah… it’s a dream.”

He muttered the words before turning back to his bed and pulling the covers over himself.

“What kind of crazy dream is this…”

And then he quietly closed his eyes again, as if nothing had happened.

Startled by his disciple’s behavior, Douglas rolled his eyes nervously, glancing at Louis to gauge his reaction.

And there he saw it: a vein bulging at the Tower Lord’s temple.

These guys…

Whether it was Shiba or Harold, why did they all react the same way?

Gritting his teeth, Louis declared, “I’m giving you three seconds. Wake that bastard up!”

“Yes, sir!”

Douglas’s movements were swift as lightning.