Chapter 168: The Scheme of World Division (Part 1)
There was a little-known fact about Panoptes.
The organization, often seen as a singular institution, was actually composed of three distinct branches:
Argos: The largest branch, functioning as a public security force tasked with maintaining general law and order.
Blasphemia: A secretive faction specializing in the suppression of “superstition followers” — a term broadly applied to anti-magic heretics and fringe cults.
Eidolons (εἴδωλον): The most obscure of them all, focused solely on monitoring and managing activities related to the Extra-Dimension.
The sheer size of Argos meant that, naturally, its influence and power were the greatest within Panoptes. That was the case… until Orthes got involved.
Through a series of meticulously orchestrated events — including the Amimone Tower Incident — Orthes undermined Argos’s reputation while bolstering the prestige of Blasphemia.
One of his most effective weapons? A list of suspected Argyrion collaborators hidden within Argos. The list had been crafted with care, with the help of Salmosia. It was just authentic-looking enough to force Argos to burn its political capital defending itself against accusations.
In contrast, Blasphemia, with its covert nature and elite personnel, became the most trusted investigative force in Panoptes.
The real winner of that power shift wasn’t Blasphemia. It was Orthes.
With Niobe rising as the de facto leader under the banner of Salmosia, and Orthes’s trusted agent Niobe consolidating power, Blasphemia fell into Orthes’s hands.
Argos had lost its influence, and Blasphemia now served Orthes’s will.
But there was one part of Panoptes where Orthes’s influence had not yet reached:
Eidolons (εἴδωλον).
Unlike Blasphemia, which was originally a covert subdivision of Panoptes, Eidolons were so secretive that they didn’t even engage in internal power struggles. Their only mission was to observe the Extra-Dimensional Realm and prevent its influence from spilling into this world.
Unlike Blasphemia, Eidolons did not concern themselves with politics. They didn’t move, didn’t talk, didn’t care.
That is… until today.
Today, the Eidolons were stirred from their long silence.
The reason? A summons from the Ten Towers.
The subject of the summons was direct and simple:
“How much power will we need for the campaign?”
The “campaign” referred to was, of course, the planned invasion of Argyrion’s stronghold in the Extra-Dimensional Realm.
The Eidolons’ response was equally simple:
“We will need everything.”
They explained that the threat was too great to risk anything less than full mobilization. The possible presence of a “fragment of the Mage King” or a comparable existence was enough to justify complete mobilization.
To ensure the safe return of forces from the Extra-Dimension, a special “beacon” would need to be built — a magical signal to guide them home. To accomplish this, high-level mages with the ability to manipulate dimensional interference magic were essential.
This type of magic was one of the most difficult to master. Naturally, the only mages of sufficient skill to handle it were the Tower Masters of the Ten Towers.
A fierce debate erupted.
The Tower Masters were reluctant to leave their towers. After all, if a master leaves, the odds of being challenged in the Succession Wars increase significantly.
In the end, three towers were excluded from the campaign:
Yellow Thunder Tower
Its Tower Master had been grievously injured during a clash with a superstition cult. His injuries had only worsened after a failed assassination attempt. He now relied on the Commandment of Yellow Thunder to survive. Mobilizing him was impossible.
Nokmok Tower
There was no specific reason for this one. Other towers volunteered to cover its duties, and with no immediate need for Nokmok, it was quietly left behind.
White Light Tower
This one was special. The White Light Tower was given a unique role in the campaign. Its Tower Master was tasked with creating a “dimensional beacon” that would guide the expedition back to their world. This was a role only White Light could fulfill, given its mastery of all-encompassing light magic.
Thus, the final decision was made.
7 out of 10 Tower Masters would depart for the Extra-Dimensional campaign.
The Ten Towers believed they had accounted for everything. To prevent Succession Wars from erupting in the absence of their masters, they left behind their most powerful subordinates — the Elders. These Elders, while not as strong as Tower Masters, could still unleash Grand Magic using the infinite mana of the Commandments.
On paper, it was a perfect defense plan.
But that “perfect defense” was only valid if the opponent played by the rules.
***
At Hydra Corporation
“Only three Tower Masters will remain behind,” I explained.
Kine had delivered the information to me, and I’d cross-checked it with Niobe. It was genuine.
I informed Carisia of the situation, and she nodded, her eyes sharp with anticipation.
We would soon convene a meeting. Participants would include:
Hydra’s board members
Kaicle
Geryones
Hector
Even Crenemon and Lampades might participate via magic projection.
I wasn’t ready to loop Lampades into the full scope of the plan just yet. I intended to reveal it to him only during a strategic briefing before the campaign began.
“Seven out of ten Tower Masters will leave,” I concluded. “While they’re gone, we’ll incite mass uprisings, and by the time the expedition returns, the rulers of the seven towers will have been replaced.”
Carisia glanced at me.
“And the three Towers staying behind?”
“Nokmok and Yellow Thunder don’t matter,” I replied. “But White Light… it’s the biggest problem of all.”
Carisia frowned.
“The White Light Tower.”
“…Yes.”
It was a problem.
Even the original Mage King had delayed confronting White Light until the very end.
This fact spoke volumes.
The White Light Tower was the strongest of the Ten Towers.
“Still,” I added, “White Light’s hands are tied. Most of its Elders are going on the campaign. The Tower Master is being forced to maintain the beacon spell to guide the others back. While that beacon is active, their power is limited.”
A rare smile appeared on Carisia’s face.
I could sense it. The intense emotion behind her gaze.
Her origin. Her source of suffering. The White Light Tower.
Carisia had fled the White Light Tower. It had forged her into the person she was today.
Her long journey with me — from our days as fugitives in the desert to our foundation of Hydra Corp — had been one long effort to destroy the White Light.
Her eyes were not filled with fear.
She didn’t fear the coming battle.
She longed for it.
“Orthes,” she said quietly. “Is this really the best we can do?”
“It’s everything we can do,” I replied honestly. “Now, all that’s left is to wait for the heavens to decide.”
Carisia tilted her head slightly, then shook it with a faint smile.
“No, Orthes,” she said. “The heavens belong to them.”
The White Light Tower was a tower of “heavenly illumination.” It was a tower that ruled over sight, clarity, and guidance.
“They’ve held control of the heavens for too long,” Carisia whispered. Her voice was low, but her declaration was absolute.
“It’s time to break the sky.”
Her eyes glowed with resolve.
And for just a moment, I thought back to our company’s name.
Hydra.
A monster whose venom was so potent that even immortals begged for death.
For years, Carisia had poisoned the magical world. Slowly, steadily, spreading her venom through every corner of the Ten Towers.
Now it was time to coat the arrowhead with that venom.
It was time to shoot it straight through the heart of the Ten Towers.
“Then, boss,” I said, my grin matching hers.
“Let’s begin.”