[V11C35] A Greedy Old Man’s Laugh
Translated by Jodas 11: Envoy of the AbyssUnable to stop Tia from flying out into the open, Hütter hid in the bushes and grabbed Sevil and Wren by their collars. ‘Don’t you dare jump out there too,’ he tried to convey.
Hütter knew he was past his prime; if Sevil and Wren resisted, he wouldn’t be able to stop them, but thankfully they were willing to behave for now.
He had a feeling those two were interested in learning Fiene’s objective — or at least figuring out what was going on in her head.
(Sorry to break this to you Otto, but… I don’t think you’re ever getting through to her.)
Even if the smartest person in the world came fully prepared for a debate with the strongest rhetoric, there were some people out there who just could not be convinced to change their minds. This was one of them.
That girl might have said words of sympathy, but there was no emotion behind it. Appealing to her emotions wouldn’t work either.
(Her concept of values and common sense is just absurd. She’s been cut off from the world and meticulously raised to think differently from everyone else.)
To use an extreme example, it meant there would be no overlap at all between her concept of ‘fun’ and what Hütter considered ‘fun.’
Everyone had their own set of values. To a third-rate con man like him, figuring out someone’s values and using them to ingratiate yourself with them was an essential trick of the trade. Yet something told him that those tricks wouldn’t work on that girl.
(But what does she have to do with Tia?)
Fiene, who appeared to lack fundamental human emotions, showed a clear fixation when it came to Tia. All of a sudden, she showed genuine affection. She showed emotions.
Meanwhile, Tia glared at Fiene, her eyes filled with anger and hostility. He could imagine plenty of reasons why that would be the case — The Wedge Tower was taken from her. Her friends were hurt — but he had a feeling that the root cause lied somewhere else.
(…That vibe that Tia’s giving off… is that hatred? That’s odd. I’ve never really seen Tia express that kind of hatred before…)
The girl known as Tia may have seemed carefree and unbothered by anything, but Hütter had noticed that she generally drew a hard line between herself and others.
No matter how insufferable someone might be, so long as they were on the other side of that line, Tia didn’t feel particularly strong emotions towards them. She would just look at them like they were an entirely different species.
For Tia to show such over hatred towards anyone, Fiene must have crossed that line.
(Oh, right. I almost forgot… There was that ‘friend incident’ between Tia and Julius!)
Back when the Apprentice Mages had first arrived at the Wedge Tower, Julius approached Tia looking to build his faction and offered to be her friend. Tia did not take well to this at all.
Hütter wasn’t there when it happened, but he’d heard tell of how Tia had uncharacteristically lost her temper.
Back then, Tia had said “I don’t want friends.”
(I don’t have a clue what happened with her… But there’s got to be some connection here. But if so, then that would mean Tia…)
“Tia, be my messenger. God’s messenger. And be the songstress that sings the blessings of the Abyss.”
Fiene’s sweet voice beckoned for Tia to join her.
Tia fell silent. Frighteningly silent, as hatred dripped from her every pore. Nary a chirp, nor a piyo-piyo, nor even a pevuvu to be heard.
Ever since he met up with her a few minutes ago, Hütter had noticed that Tia wasn’t making her usual noises anymore.
The same Tia who always radiated joy now spat with cold derision.
“I don’t care about your approval. I won’t sing for you any more. My songs are for me alone.”
“Oh Tia, I’m so glad you’re here to talk to me.”
Fiene maintained an innocent — or rather, flippant — attitude.
Deeply offended, creases formed between Tia’s brows. Hütter knew that face. It was the same face the girls at the bar made when a customer got the wrong idea and kept making unwanted advances.
Tia growled furiously.
“You disgust me.”
“Hey, Tia. What’s with those artificial wings you’ve got? Your hair color too… Who changed you? Was it this Mr. Hütter?”
Even Hütter couldn’t believe what he was hearing. What a strange accusation.
(Why the hell are you bringing up my name!?)
At that moment, the white-haired King of Monsters turned to face the bush where Hütter and the others were hiding.
His spine froze solid in an instant. Everything from the soles of his feet to the top of his head was overcome by an overwhelming sense of dread. Hütter was not alone in this. Wren, and even the hardy Sevil desperately tried to keep their breathing in check as the blood drained from their faces.
The King of Monsters whispered under its breath.
“I sensed a brief presence over there.”
“So that’s where he is. This ‘Mr. Hütter’ of yours.”
With a hand immersed in the Font of the Abyss, Fiene appeared to do… something. Instantly, the black masses that emerged from the Abyss writhed with their weird hand-leg-tentacle things, heading straight for the bush.
Up overhead, that Harpy was still singing. As if in tune with her song, the newborn Monsters changed shape. Some assumed a human-like silhouette, some like four-legged beasts, and others like giant bug larvae. Assuming each one had the power of a Greater Monster, the odds of battle were tipped overwhelmingly in the Monsters’ favor.
Otto swung at the nearest Monster. Otto’s sword, however, only sank into the Monster’s body like a viscous liquid.
Tia dove to deliver a flying kick to one of the Monsters’ heads. The Monster didn’t even budge. Instead, it grabbed Tia’s leg and slammed her into the ground.
A vein popped on Sevil’s forehead and her hand shot to her curved sword.
(Don’t do anything stupid, Sevil. If she jumps out there she won’t have a hope of winning… But I’m not strong enough to stop her!)
Hütter’s eyes darted around, searching for something, anything, that might work.
His eyes landed on a small silhouette perched atop the Third Spire’s roof.
It was an elegant old lady with her fingers clasped together as if in prayer. In those hands, she held something he couldn’t identify.
“Is that… Spiremaster Abel?”
Hütter’s muttering prompted Sevil and Wren to look up as well. Right as they did, Abel began to fall from that high, high roof.
Otto was beset by a feeling of hopelessness unlike anything he’d ever felt before.
His long-lost daughter stood right before his eyes, he could speak to her, but Otto’s words could not reach her heart.
It was clear by now that Fiene was no ally to the human race. There was no question that Fiene would be killed. Killed by his fellow mages of the Wedge Tower.
He had to find some way to talk sense into her, but he couldn’t think of anything. Otto’s mouth hung half-open in silence when he saw something moving. It was the form of Spiremaster Abel, plummeting from the top of the Third Spire: Water Bubble. In her hands, she held an accessory that was decorated with three red gems — A magical device known as a Spiral Flame, intended to be used for assassinations. It is designed to explode with a whirling maelstrom of highly-concentrated flames, shredding everything in the vicinity. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say it was the most lethal instrument out of all modern magical devices.
It would ordinarily be used by planting it in a wall or in the ground, but Abel held it in her own hands as she careened towards Fiene.
Abel fully intended to trade her life if it meant killing the King of Monsters and the Daughter of God. Otto knew at once what she was trying to do, but all he could do was scream.
“FIENE!!”
The Spiral Flame in Abel’s hands began to glow red. Blood poured from the palm of her hand, and she smiled.
“It’s time I fulfill my duty as a Spiremaster.”
Abel’s remark filled him with rage and despair. ‘What do you mean, your duty!? You’re just using my daughter however you want, just like everyone else!’
Otto’s hand reached out, but it would not reach Fiene or Abel. The red glow reached a blinding peak… and then…
“BWAHAHAHAHA!”
A distinctive old man’s laugh echoed across the campus.
Powerful winds blew in, arresting Abel’s fall and making her float in midair. Abel’s eyes went wide in disbelief; someone had used flight magic to stop her. That someone being Director Schacht of the General Affairs Office.
“Lady Abel!”
“Schacht… Why did you…?”
Abel’s words were cut off by the Spiral Flame in her hands coming apart with a ‘POP!’ Yet no flames emerged. It fell apart, nothing more.
“DAH HA HA HA! How unfortunate, Miss Abel! Little did you know the one you took was a fake I had made long ago!”
The uproarious laughter came from Old Man Kappel, Director of the Management Office. Beside him, the Wedge Tower’s premier mages stood shoulder to shoulder.
Abel, landing in Schacht’s arms, shook from head to toe.
“Do you have even the slightest idea… What do you think you’re doing, Director Kappel!?”
“Huh!? The Spiral Flame is an incredibly valuable magical device, you know! It would be such a waste to use it when you could make way more money by selling it overseas!”
Spiremaster Alto shoved Old Man Kappel to the side as he blabbed about things everyone would rather not hear, and stood in front of the group.
Then, with her booming voice, she declared:
“Everyone here is in agreement! We won’t let you kill Fiene, the contractor to ‘Chariclea, the Wedge Tower’!”
Post-Script
Old Man Kappel also made the replica Artifacts used in Volume 11 Chapter 17.
“You’re trying to swap those for the real things, aren’t you?”
Spiremaster Alto found out about them and confiscated them. Afterwards, they fell under the purview of the monstrously talented equipment manager: Anneliese Röhm.