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“Excuse me, madam proprietor of the Shinsoo!”
Even from below, it was evident that she stood on the rooftop. She possessed an air of power, as if she were the embodiment of Shinsoo.
The black smoke that enveloped her suddenly dissipated, revealing her figure.
The white dress and crimson cape that Nabel had dressed her in remained unchanged. Nabel released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding upon seeing her in that state.
She was unharmed. For now, she was unharmed.
At that moment, Lorna climbed back onto the Shinsoo Belle.
“It seems like she’s about to jump!”
Nesha didn’t need to shout it like that; Nabel instinctively rushed forward.
“Your Highness!”
And Lorna soared through the sky.
Her presence atop the Belle seemed unreal. The Belle descended as though there were stairs in the empty air, making its way downward.
Thus, Lorna approached in an instant.
“Lady!”
Nabel took a few more steps forward. Lorna’s face came into view, even in Nabel’s eyes. There were traces of dirt on it, but she was unharmed.
And she, too, was looking only at Nabel. As if she could read her master’s thoughts, Belle gently placed Lorna before Nabel.
[Thunk]
Walking on thin air was easy.
But walking on thin air amidst a storm was challenging. And on the 9th floor, where even seasoned sorcerers who had visited the Sorcerer’s Tower knew of the powerful magical winds, it was exceptionally difficult.
The sorcerers’ gazes fixed upon the owner of the untroubled Shinsoo, who had descended there with ease.
“Nabel.”
Lorna tightly embraced Nabel. Her hands, which had grown cold with tension, clung to Nabel’s collar.
Nabel yearned to hold her tight, to find solace in her arms. Relief filled his mind.
Desire was concealed within clenched fists.
And so, he gently embraced the startled Lorna.
“Now, everything’s fine.”
His heart raced too fast. Nabel reassured the pale-faced Lorna repeatedly.
That’s when it happened.
[Creeeak]
The fire in the tower had not yet been extinguished.
“Oh dear!”
“Goodness gracious!”
Before the sorcerers could even celebrate the birth of the Shinsoo’s owner, screams filled the air. Flames had reached the tower’s pillars, even on the 9th floor.
The tower leaned, emitting an ominous sound. The direction in which it leaned bore the marks of a significant explosion, as if something had been devoured.
“There…”
“It’s collapsing toward the palace!”
Startled sorcerers unleashed their magic, even though their powers hadn’t fully recovered. Of course, such magic alone couldn’t bear the weight of a tower like that.
Beneath the collapsing tower, numerous white magic circles appeared and shattered. The magic could not withstand the tower’s weight.
“…Goodness gracious.”
Lorna’s face turned pale as she looked up at the tower. The sight of the building just below her eyes came into view.
Although it was a place she had never visited before, it was well-known that the palace was always bustling with people.
Unimaginable human casualties were inevitable.
“…Sir Knight.”
Nabel whispered, embracing her. He spoke in a low voice, turning to look at her.
“Evacuate all the knights of the Order, regardless of their ranks! Ignore the palace’s defense network!”
Until the order was given, the knights had been prepared to stand their ground until the tower collapsed, sacrificing their lives.
Upon hearing Nabel’s urgent voice, Nisha belatedly turned to look at the building, her face paling.
The desire to kiss his cheek seemed to diminish.
“Hehehe!”
He immediately seized any words within reach, climbing up alongside her.
With great speed, he raced towards the interior.
***
Within the imperial fortress of Seoje, there were two orders of knights stationed in the Knightly Quarter.
One was the Zeroth Order, directly serving and advising Emperor NabelIber, while the other was the First Order, responsible for the overall protection of the fortress.
These two orders did not usually interact. The knights of the First Order, accustomed to the battlefield’s atmosphere, disdained the Zeroth Order, which was known for its undignified behaviour.
[Whiirrr]
However, today, both orders stood united, gazing up at the tower.
Unbelievably, the tower seemed to be leaning toward the Knightly Quarter.
“It truly appears to be toppling in our direction!” whispered the white-faced Commander Thead of the First Order.
The tilting tower posed a threat to the buildings of the Knightly Quarter and the fortress itself. The Lorna’s Palace might escape unscathed, but the other prominent structures would not.
“Hold your ground! No orders have been issued yet!” Thead declared.
Nearby, the attendants and courtiers of the surrounding palace had already taken cover, but the knights could not move. After all, it was their duty to hold their positions in times of emergency.
“Yes!” The knights of the First Order replied, their faces mirroring Thead’s distress, rooted in place.
They would adhere to discipline even in a crisis.
That was the principle of the First Order.
And it was precisely what the Zeroth Order detested.
“As the tower crumbles, what good is holding our positions?”
“Have you lost your mind?”
The knights of the Zeroth Order sought to pull the First Order away.
Nevertheless, the First Order remained steadfast.
“His Majesty’s command has not yet—”
“Make way!”
At that moment, Nisha came running from afar, the insignia of the Zeroth Order dangling from his shoulder.
“His Majesty has given his command! Make way! Abandon the Knightly Quarter if you don’t want to perish beneath its ruins!”
Fortunately, he had arrived in time. Nisha quickly gestured toward the escape route. Over their heads, several white magical runes flashed and shattered.
It was the desperate attempt of the wizards to prevent the tower from collapsing.
“We must evacuate the fortress!”
Only then did the knights begin to leave their positions. Bit by bit, the tower leaned over their heads.
As Nisha observed the tilting tower, he clenched his teeth.
Something didn’t feel right.
Even though the Wizard’s Tower was relatively free to access in the outer fortress, it was undeniably a structure within the imperial palace of Seoje.
And they had installed exploding magic inside that structure?
It was nothing short of a declaration of war against the empire, apart from defying the Lord of the Divine Beings.
“…”
Judging by the expressions of the departing knights, it seemed they shared the same thought as Nisha.