Chapter 86: A Sword Between His Teeth (3)

After completing his presentation, Louis and Dexter returned to their pavilion. As soon as Louis disembarked from the Transcender, members of the Wish Tower gathered around him.

“Well done!”

“…Great job.”

“It was an excellent speech.”

“I was truly impressed.”

Although they couldn’t attend the presentation, they had been able to follow along with Louis’s talk. Having spent years at the Wish Tower, Victor, Douglas, Floria, and Erica were well aware of how poorly understood artifacts were among the public. They felt both relieved and grateful that Louis stepped up to answer questions on Dexter’s behalf.

While Louis was surrounded by his four disciples, Dexter ran his hand over the Transcender contemplatively.

A whirlwind of emotions swirled within Dexter’s eyes.

Louis approached him. “Do you regret anything?”

”…What do you mean?”

“Like wasting your life or creating the Transcender for nothing… Do you have any regrets like that?”

“Why would I?” Dexter chuckled, looking somewhat relieved. “I don’t regret it.”

“But why are you acting this way?”

“I’m just venting my frustration.”

”…?”

“Although I didn’t receive the recognition I desired, I gave my all over these years and achieved…somewhat satisfactory results.”

“Satisfactory results? You couldn’t even answer that damn old man’s question; it was clear how flustered you were!”

“W-who said I couldn’t?! It’s because you suddenly interrupted when I was about to respond!”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

“You little rascal!” Dexter initially appeared upset but then burst out laughing. His wrinkled eyes sparkled with deep amusement.

“Inseok, didn’t you see it too? Those stubborn old men from the tower were astonished by the Transcender’s abilities.”

“That’s true.”

“Why do you think they tried to undermine him? It’s because they fear that one day he might challenge their positions. Isn’t that why you intervened as well?”

“…Yes, you’re right.”

“Exactly! That shows even those old fools acknowledge his prowess. They concede that being a Transcender is just as exceptional as mastering holy magic or martial arts!”

Louis nodded at Dexter’s words.

“Indeed… that could be one interpretation.”

“Yes, I’m satisfied with that for now. But…” Dexter’s eyes lit up again with renewed fervor. “Even though we had to listen to their nonsense today, there will come a time when I’ll put them in their place.”

Dexter glanced at his other disciples around Louis.

“And if my generation doesn’t complete this task…we have you, don’t we? As Louis mentioned, our research—no, our collective knowledge—will be passed down until that day inevitably arrives.”

Perhaps inspired by Dexter’s passionate gaze, all four disciples nodded vigorously.

“You’re right!”

“If Lord of the Tower can’t accomplish it, then we shall continue your work!”

“How hard can it be?!”

“Please trust us.”

The creation of this Transcender once again reaffirmed Dexter’s faith in his disciples’ abilities.

These guys…

He felt content and satisfied, believing he could entrust them with any research without worry. As this heartwarming moment continued between Dexter and his four disciples…

A voice abruptly shattered the pleasant atmosphere.

“I get it! I understand, so let’s discuss that later.” It was Louis’s gruff tone.

All eyes turned toward him. He looked up at Dexter and opened his mouth.

“Mr. Haldeman.”

His lips curled mischievously upward, causing Dexter to flinch instinctively.

Dexter felt uneasy as Louis spoke with a serious tone.

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“You haven’t forgotten your promise to me, have you?”

Louis’s eyes twinkled mischievously, but Dexter was bewildered.

“A promise…?”

“Yes, our promise.”

“What promise are you talking about?”

“You said that once this presentation is over, you’d give me the position of Lord of the Tower. Have you already forgotten?”

“I-I haven’t!” Flustered by Louis’s accusation, Dexter glanced around furtively.

His pledge to make Louis chairman had been between them only; he hadn’t mentioned it to any other disciples beforehand. He anticipated their opposition, but…

“Oh! Is our rookie going to be the new Lord of the Tower?”

“Ooh?”

“Well… I suppose you’re right. If not you, then who else could lead us?”

“I fully support this decision, former Lord of the Tower.”

Instead of opposition, they welcomed Louis with open arms. In fact, they were treating Dexter as if he was already the previous chairman.

Dexter felt utterly defeated and reluctantly turned to Louis. “Why are we suddenly discussing this…?”

“You asked for it.”

“What do you mean?”

“…Did you hear Mr. Haldeman just now?”

“So, what… Wait, are you saying—?”

“What do you think? You know exactly what I’m asking.”

Dexter’s jaw dropped at the audacity. Bewildered, he stammered, “…Right now?”

“Yes, immediately.”

“Wh-why so sudden?”

“I urgently need something.”

It wasn’t as if Louis was asking to borrow some pocket money from a neighborhood friend; he demanded the chairmanship like someone trying to snatch beans off a lightning rod. Dexter’s jaw dropped at his audacity.

Louis clasped his hands together and leaned forward, though his tone betrayed no humility whatsoever. “C’mon, hurry up! I’ve done everything you asked. Give it here!”

“What do you need it for so badly…?” Dexter asked, bewildered.

Louis smiled slyly before answering. “Didn’t Mr. Haldeman say he’d be satisfied with this much?”

“…I believe he did.”

“But…” Louis’s smile twisted into something sinister. “This isn’t enough for me.”

“What do you mean…?”

“But Mr. Haldeman, you, and the Wish Tower have worked tirelessly for this moment, only to be dismissed due to some trivial excuse… That doesn’t sit well with me.”

“So what are you going to do about it…?”

“What else? I’ll simply observe closely from up close just how grand their plans must be to treat the Transcender as merely another artifact. And if they fall short of my expectations…”

“…”

“I will crush them. We must topple everything.” Louis radiated a murderous aura.

The twins, who had been playing on one side of the pavilion, rushed over to him.

“Louis, what does ‘crush’ mean?”

“And what’s ‘topple’?”

“…The kids know nothing about this.” Dexter looked dazed as he tried to pry off Louis’s twin brother clinging to him.

Suddenly, Dexter burst out laughing. “Bwa-ha-ha-ha!”

He chuckled heartily while smiling at Louis’s furious expression.

That Louis…

Dexter mentally repeated what Louis had said earlier: our Wish Tower. He couldn’t help but grin and then reached inside his pocket. His arm disappeared up to the elbow within it before emerging with a round sphere that he tossed to Louis.

“Catch.”

“What?”

Louis’s eyes widened as he took hold of the sphere. It was transparent and about the size of a walnut, but it wasn’t any ordinary orb.

A pocket dimension?

Inside the clear sphere, Louis could see items stored within a pocket dimension.

“Mr. Haldeman… Is this?”

“Didn’t you ask for it?”

”…”

“Take it with you. This has been passed down from generation to generation among the chairmen.”

Louis understood what Dexter meant by ‘passed down.’ The sphere symbolized the chairman of the Wish Tower.

He stared at the small orb in his hand. Inside its clear surface, there was the image of a tiny sword.

A rusty sword about the size of a fingernail was depicted on it. It represented the Dragon-Slaying Sword that Louis had been seeking for so long.

There was a brief intermission between presentations to allow time for setting up the next tower’s display. Despite the lengthy preparations required, no one dared leave their seat, as missing even a single presentation would be considered a great loss. Everyone patiently endured the dull wait, including the chairmen seated at the front row.

However, amidst all those present, there was one conspicuous empty seat: Dexter’s spot from the Wish Tower, who had participated directly in the previous presentation.

As the allotted preparation time neared its end and just before the next tower began their presentation…

The Wish Tower group entered the auditorium. Although their announcement had been shocking, it was now old news, and everyone’s attention shifted to the next tower scheduled to speak.

That is, until something else caught their eye.

Stomp, stomp.

As the members of the Wish Tower made their way toward their assigned seats, Louis broke away from his colleagues.

“Yippee!” He leaped onto a chair and straddled it with his short legs dangling.

“…?!”

“Huh…?”

All eyes were on Louis as he bounced excitedly. The reason for this sudden focus was simple: He had taken a seat reserved for VIPs, specifically designated for the chairman of each tower. To make matters worse, it happened to be right next to Blake, whom they’d just argued with moments ago.

The tower representative and organizers were flustered as they stared at Louis, unsure of what to do next. The first one to regain his composure was Chairman Blake.

“Young man, that seat isn’t for you. Please go back where you belong.”

“This is my assigned seat.”

“Oh come on! Do as you’re told and take your proper place! That chair is reserved for the head of each Tower!”

“But this is my proper place.”

“…?” Blake cocked his head, puzzled. Everyone else shared the same reaction.

Louis then declared, “I am the chairman of the Wish Tower.”

“…?!” Blake’s eyes widened, mirroring the shock of the other tower masters seated nearby. However, their expressions quickly turned sour.

Blake appeared particularly enraged, and he finally exploded at Louis. “You impudent brat! How dare you joke around here?! Countless mages have been preparing for this day over several years! And you think it’s all a game?!”

His voice reverberated throughout the auditorium, grabbing everyone’s attention.

As the situation escalated, one of the event organizers rushed toward them.

“C-calm down, please.” The organizer tried to pacify Blake first.

However, Blake remained incensed.

The organizer then turned to Louis. “Y-you should return to your seat immediately. As Lord Blake said, this is no place for childish pranks—”

Louis cut him off firmly. “Who said this is a joke?” His voice was calm, but his eyes were serious as he glared at Blake. “As I’ve already mentioned, I am the Lord of the Wish Tower. I’m fully qualified to be here and didn’t take my seat on a whim.”

The host fumbled for words upon seeing Louis’s unwavering resolve.

Watching from afar, Ron was impressed by what he saw unfolding.

Wow… Is that the courage of youth?

Each word Louis spoke resonated with sincerity, strangely overwhelming his opponent. The auditorium fell silent, bearing witness to this exchange.