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Chapter 151: The Game of Kings (5)
Two days had passed since the official alliance with the Violet Magic Tower.
Now, on the fourth night—
Crackle, crackle.
More than thirty mages had gathered around a bonfire in the center of the White Tower’s base.
Aside from the minimum number of patrols, every mage from both the White and Violet Towers was present.
“Is this really okay?”
Veronica pointed at the bonfire with her chin.
Even though they were in the mountains and partially concealed by trees, the winter trees were sparse and frail, meaning their location would be easily visible at night.
“It’s fine. I’ve surrounded the fire with magic to block the light from escaping.”
“…The entire area?”
Veronica flinched, but then sighed as she realized who she was talking to.
“Oh, right. If it’s you, you’d have taken care of it. So, what’s this about? A sudden meeting at this hour, and…”
She trailed off as she glanced at the Violet Tower mages.
It was natural to wonder what was important enough to warrant such an unusual gathering.
Oscar’s answer was short and to the point.
“It’s too quiet.”
“What do you mean?”
“The city. It’s too quiet.”
Sitting on a cut tree stump with his arms crossed, he nodded toward the direction of the city.
“The Red, Yellow, and Blue Towers—those guys establishing a base in the city was expected. Their pride wouldn’t let them give up that spot.”
The problem was what happened next.
Oscar had been certain that if bloodshed broke out in this competition, it would start in the city.
After all, three of the four Great Magic Towers were gathered in one place, each eager to tear the others apart.
“Well… if you think about it, that’s not too strange, is it?”
Veronica tilted her head, unconvinced.
“If it were just two, sure. But there are three Towers in that city. If any of them make a move, they’ll only end up helping the other two. So isn’t it natural that they’re watching their backs and staying put?”
“Logically, yes. That’s why I took our mages to patrol the city yesterday and today.”
Understanding their position was essential for navigating this competition.
“To get straight to the point, I think they’ve allied. No, I’m certain of it.”
“…!”
Not only Veronica but also the Violet Tower mages tensed up.
“The Yellow, Red, and Blue Towers… you’re saying they formed an alliance?”
“That’s impossible.”
“What makes you think that?”
Oscar remained unshaken by the barrage of questions and instead asked calmly,
“Veronica, if you were in one of those Towers in the city, who would you be most wary of?”
“Obviously, the other two Towers in the same city. They’re strong, and they’re close by.”
“Exactly. But surprisingly, they aren’t watching each other at all. Even when gathering supplies or completing daily tasks, they just ignore each other and move on.”
That would be impossible unless they were allied.
“Actually, there’s something even stranger.”
Oscar looked at Iris of the Violet Tower and asked,
“Be honest—can you trust us 100%?”
“…That’s…”
“You can’t, right? That’s only natural. The same goes for us.”
Ironically, in battle, the greatest threat isn’t a clear enemy but an ally.
The most dangerous blade doesn’t come from the front—it comes from behind.
“But those guys trust each other completely. They don’t even bother checking each other’s movements or activities.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“If they had only just formed an alliance inside the competition, they wouldn’t trust each other that much.”
There was only one possible explanation.
“Their high-ranking officials must have made a deal before the competition even started.”
Their interests had aligned, and there had likely been exchanges of benefits.
That meant the Level 4 mages had no choice but to follow their Tower’s decision.
Gulp.
The sound of people swallowing their anxiety filled the air.
“If that’s true…”
Iris clenched her fists tightly on her lap.
“Then smaller Towers like ours were assigned our ranks before the competition even started.”
The Violet and Green Towers were among the weakest.
No one had expected them to achieve meaningful results in this event.
“…But at the very least, the opportunities should be fair.”
Wasn’t it too unfair to be handed a losing outcome just for being weak?
Iris bit her lip, her body trembling with frustration.
Oscar, watching her, suddenly spoke.
“Frustrating, isn’t it?”
“Are you seriously asking that right now…?”
“Then let’s pay them back.”
Iris flinched at the chilling, almost refreshing tone of his voice.
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. They made an alliance, and so did we. There’s nothing stopping us.”
“But…”
The other side had three of the Great Magic Towers.
The White Tower was among them, but it was still known as the weakest of the four.
And the Violet Tower’s combat power… was almost embarrassing to mention.
“What are you planning? And—just so you know, our Tower isn’t very strong in battle.”
“That’s fine.”
Oscar replied as he thud!
set down a large wooden box on the ground.
“We just need to do what we’re good at. You guys gathered plenty of herbs, didn’t you?”
“…Wait, don’t tell me that’s all—”
“Potions.”
Inside the box were over a hundred potion bottles.
As everyone’s attention focused on the box, Oscar continued.
“Starting now, we’ll use these potions to expand our alliance.”
“Expand our alliance?”
“Yeah. At sunrise, we’ll approach the Black Tower and make them an offer.”
“The Black Tower… They are strong in combat.”
Indeed, even compared to the Great Magic Towers, the Black Tower was no pushover.
But as Iris imagined them, her expression darkened.
“Would they even accept our offer?”
Ironically, because of their strength, they had little reason to accept an alliance.
They had nothing to lose.
“They won’t accept it.”
Oscar replied coolly.
Even in his own judgment, there was no reason for the Black Tower to form an alliance in the current situation.
Most importantly, it was well-known that they despised the White Tower.
“But one hand alone can’t fend off ten.”
Three out of the four great magic towers, all stronger than the Black Tower, had joined forces?
At some point, even the Black Tower would have to swallow their pride and take their side.
* * *
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“An alliance? Stop spouting nonsense and get lost.”
It seemed that moment had yet to come.
As expected, they were promptly shown the door.
In fact, Oscar felt grateful they were simply told to leave, considering the sharp mana emanating from all directions.
“Well, it can’t be helped. At least take this.”
Shrugging, Oscar handed them a small box.
Black Tower’s leader, Blark Heim, frowned at the sight.
“What is that?”
“A potion.”
“...A potion?”
Blark instinctively glanced toward the mountains.
Now, he understood why the White Tower had set up a base there.
‘It’s winter, so there shouldn’t have been many useful herbs…’
Yet, they had already started producing potions?
Were all twenty of them just gathering herbs nonstop?
Blark, now holding the box, sent Oscar a skeptical glare.
“There’s no way you’d give something like this as a mere gesture of goodwill. Did you poison it?”
“...Kids these days are so suspicious.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Waving his hand dismissively, Oscar smirked.
“Well, if you’re so uneasy, you don’t have to use it. But I made it myself. I guarantee its effectiveness.”
Even after Oscar turned and left, the Black Tower’s mages remained on high alert.
“Coming here alone—he’s got guts. Or maybe he’s just arrogant.”
“Maybe we should’ve just killed him since he won’t come back twice.”
“...No.”
Shaking his head, Blark glanced at his comrades with a hint of regret.
As Oscar left, several faint traces of magic had disappeared along with him.
‘Was I the only one who noticed? He wasn’t alone.’
One belonged to the White Tower’s saint.
And there were at least two others of similar caliber.
Had they attacked Oscar, his allies would have retaliated instantly.
‘I don’t think we would have lost, but…’
They would have suffered some damage.
And that was a critical risk for the Black Tower, which aimed for a top-four position.
‘And then there’s the potion…’
Blark stared at the potion Oscar had left behind.
They had all been given the same amount of time, yet the White Tower had already developed a unique weapon of their own.
That was an undeniable loss for the Black Tower.
‘But we’ll never form an alliance with you.’
Blark quietly came to that conclusion.
Just a few hours later, a massive blaze erupted in the southern forest.
* * *
Whoosh.
Thick, black smoke billowed into the sky.
The atmosphere in the Black Tower’s camp was grim, as if they were at a funeral.
After a long silence, Blark finally spoke.
“What about Barbara?”
“She’s still recovering. If not for the potion you gave us, she would’ve been eliminated by now.”
“...”
That potion hadn’t come from him—it had come from the White Tower.
Letting out a faint sigh, Blark continued.
“I hope she recovers quickly. But a loss is still a loss. Did you secure the scene?”
“Yeah, thankfully.”
A Black Tower mage activated a recording taken by his mechanical golem.
A holographic projection appeared before them, showing tiny figures moving in the distance.
The entire forest was ablaze, and the culprits were clearly the Red Tower mages who specialized in fire magic.
They were moving together in a group.
“...!”
No, the footage wasn’t over yet.
Alongside the red-robed mages were ones in yellow and blue.
“What the hell?”
“Why are they traveling together?”
“Wait… don’t tell me… are they in an alliance?”
A tricolor alliance—Yellow Tower, Red Tower, and Blue Tower.
Just the thought of it made Blark’s head spin.
“That footage can only mean one thing. Even if it’s temporary.”
There was no way they’d be allies forever.
But at least until they eliminated all the other towers, their bond would hold strong.
Just the fact that they had already wiped out the weakest Green Tower proved as much.
“Blark, shouldn’t we seek out an alliance too?”
“...An alliance.”
Blark pressed his lips together, deep in thought.
Oscar Crucian’s words from earlier that morning lingered in his mind.
‘Did that guy already know they had allied?’
If he did, why hadn’t he mentioned it?
That would have made convincing him much easier.
But Blark quickly realized the answer.
“That bastard.”
He didn’t need to persuade them or coax them into joining.
In the end, they were the ones who would be desperate.
And to prove it, Oscar had left behind a highly effective potion.
“Sigh.”
With a deep breath, Blark let go of his pride and spoke.
“Gather a team. We’re paying the White Tower a visit.”
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