In the basement of the Tower, Cyril stood in place, marveling over the complexities of human behavior.
Leo must have told Elvira what happened, so how does she protect someone who hurt her kin?
Was Elvira Arken just such a professional person she wouldn’t let personal feelings, no matter how significant, interfere in her work?
“As if!
She is as human as the rest of them!”
“The Arkens probably want an alliance with the Thornes.
Some political trickery as usual.”
Perhaps.
Cyril gently patted the wings of the red butterfly on his shoulder.
Morpho’s wings folded as she slowly calmed down.
Cedric waddled towards Elvira, his face curious but cautious.
“Miss Elvira, the mages here seemed to respect you.
Despite being from a different department, they still listen to you…
That’s impressive, I think.”
Rhamn had another burst of laughter at that moment.
Elvira, who luckily couldn’t hear it, replied without turning her head.
“Different departments carry different weight.
In fact, this place is infamously known as a banishment floor for poor-performing mages.”
She turned towards Cyril, her head raised a little higher than usual.
“Their meekness just shows even they themselves don’t believe in their department.
No one would bat an eye if you decided to switch now.”
Cyril shook his head, replying without any hesitation.
“I will not.”
While he had his doubts before, upon seeing demons with his own eyes, they vanished completely.
“I see you made up your mind.
That’s good too.” Elvira slowly nodded, a smidge of disappointment shining through in her eyes.
The group stood, watching as the mage from before talked with his colleagues on the other end of the room.
With his hearing, Cyril picked up on them just fine.
“Why don’t you go?”
“I can’t.
I am ill.
Can’t risk infecting important guests.”
“…Uh huh.
And you?”
“I have a severe phobia of butterflies.”
“…”
“The mages here are such cowards.
What can a small butterfly even do to these demons?” Myra shook her head with a helpless expression.
Rose at the side didn’t reply.
They didn’t care too much about what happened.
The whole time, Rose was even writing in her notebook about all she saw.
Only Cedric peeked at Cyril from time to time, a complex look in his eyes.
“Yeah, your mother, or grandmother, I am not sure yet, clearly cares more about a stranger than about you, loser!” Rhamn pointed a finger in his face, her grin up to her ears.
At least she was having a good time while they waited.
“Can you ask Cedric who Elvira is to him?
It’s only proper to be accurate when mocking.”
No.
While the mages were discussing who would be the sacrificial la- a guide, one other person approached Cyril’s group.
“Hello, everyone!” said a cheerfully polite, yet strangely coarse, voice.
The group turned around, finding a peculiar-looking man.
He wore the same white coat other mages did, yet it was disheveled and barely covered his body.
Beneath the coat he wore another outfit, a black suit of some kind.
He had dark, messy hair that covered his eyes.
Whatever was visible from his face revealed he had deathly pale skin and deep sunken cheeks.
“Let this humble me act as the guide for the esteemed selves here!” the pale man said, taking a deep bow.
Surprisingly enough, his posture was proper.
Elvira’s frown eased a level as she nodded.
“At least you know etiquette.”
The man only smiled.
He motioned towards the cells nearby and walked toward them.
The group followed after him.
At the sight, the mages in the distance breathed a sigh of relief.
“Who was that?”
“I’ve seen him a few times, the quiet guy near block B.
Didn’t know he had it in him.”
“…We owe him one.”
…
Cyril joined the pale man in front of a glass wall looking into a cell.
They stood there, observing the captive demons for a moment.
He had seen images of them plenty of times during his month at Ailanthus.
But in real life they gave off a different impression.
How pathetic.
They looked similar to humans yet behaved more like beasts.
Something about that contrast just evoked a sense of disgust in him.
Cyril glanced at the students around him.
On Rose’s face there was nothing but scientific curiosity.
She unhurriedly scribbled something down in her notebook, observing the demons like a kid would watch a play in a theater.
Myra’s face, however, held nothing but hostility.
She flatly stared at the ghouls, yet her eyes held an intense spark, as if wanting to climb right in and get rid of them herself.
That was an appropriate reaction for any aspiring Knight.
That’s how Cyril believed he would react as well.
However, he couldn’t help but feel perplexed at their sight.
“Just look at their hideous bodies…” Rhamn muttered with disgust.
“Why do they have these pointless horns?
Why is their walk so awkward?
Can they even stand still without falling over?
What evolutionary rejects!”
He certainly wasn’t as opinionated as her.
“Sorry, I am interested in biology recently, and their forms are just so inefficient.
You know, it’s the same feeling when, during lessons, you see a magic circle so bad you honestly have to start doubting the sentience of the human casting it.”
You talk as if someone created them like this.
“Who knows?
If that is the case, just know that someone must be a moron.”
I see.
The red butterfly twitched her antennae, as if cheering someone up.
“Thank you, Morpho.”
Suddenly, the pale man turned around, drawing the group’s attention to himself.
“What do you think of them?
Rather pitiful beings, right?” he said.
“Pitiful?
Demons?” Myra immediately replied with a frown.
“What are you talking about?”
She crossed her arms, staring at the pale man as if he were a weirdo.
“That’s what I think.” The man lightly shook his head, a smile on his face.
“Their only purpose is destruction.
They are but tools of war.
Their minds have no capacity to experience joy or sorrow.
Sometimes, the thought makes me want to weep for them.”
Myra rolled her eyes, whispering under her breath, “Who cares?”
Elvira took a step forward, glaring at the man.
“Pay attention to your words.
Some people would have you jailed for such drivel.”
The pale man helplessly raised his hands.
“It is their freedom to try and do so.”
Elvira’s frown deepened.
She was about to open her mouth when a light from her coat distracted her.
She took out a glowing medal and put it up to her ear, listening.
Cyril managed to hear nervous laughter before Elvira yanked the medal back.
“What did that idiot do…” she whispered to herself.
She quickly regained her composure and turned to face the confused students.
“Forgive me, I have some urgent matters to attend to on my floor.
I’ll solve them and be back shortly.
Go on with the lesson in the meantime.”
Elvira then gave the pale man a harsh glare.
“Conduct yourself.
If I hear anything about you acting improperly or your lesson lacking, I would personally ensure you find your life turned into a living hell.”
The man kept a polite, silent smile.
Elvira stepped forward towards Cyril, giving him a nod.
“Ask for another guide if you find this one insufferable.”
She smiled, bowing slightly towards him.
“Still, if I fail to show up for whatever reason, it was good to meet you, Cyril.
Please relay my greetings to Nostro when you see him.
I see that he has raised his son well.”
Cyril met her encouraging gaze with a flat face.
“And how were you able to see that?
We’ve known each other for a few hours at best.
Are you psychic or something?”
Not for the first time, and surely not for the last time, Cyril was glad people couldn’t see Rhamn.
Leaving a brief goodbye, Elvira walked towards the exit, clearly in a hurry.
Cedric took a few steps as if about to give chase.
However, he gave up shortly after.
Giving a weak sigh, he remained quiet at the back of the group.
“She was…
friendlier than I imagined her,” Myra mumbled, staring at Elvira’s departing back.
“It seems that way.” Cyril shook his head with helplessness.
In that moment, Rose went closer to the pale man, her notebook at the ready.
“You mentioned the ghouls are mindless.
But if that’s the case, how are they not tearing each other apart?
I’ve read there was an experiment where two ghouls were locked together without food for a month.
But instead of eating each other, they starved to death.
How is that possible?”
She asked a question, but it felt more like an attack.
Rose intently stared at the pale man, as if she were testing him.
“Haha, how?” The man gave a chuckle, not perturbed at all.
“The answer is simple.”
“Even if ghouls have no mind, they are still connected to the greater whole.
That connection is what drives them forward and allows them to attack only the enemy.”
“Connection…” Rose quickly scribbled down in her notebook, her eyes sparkling.
“Does the Tower also believe in the hivemind theory?
Or is that only your opinion?”
The pale man’s smile twitched.
“Hivemind?
Now, I don’t think that’s the case at all.”
He wagged his finger at Rose’s face, his voice becoming louder.
“Do you have to put things into familiar terms?
Do you not have any imagination?
You should use your head more and avoid labeling things you do not even remotely understand.”
Rose froze, her eyes widening.
“Sorry, I was just curious,” she said, biting her lip.
The pale man immediately smiled.
He brought a palm up to his chest and bowed.
“And forgive me for raising my voice as well.
I can get passionate about the topic.
I am sure you can understand.”
“Yeah,” Rose lightly smiled.
“I get it.
Sometimes people think I am bullying them when I’m just being earnest.”
“No, sometimes you are just bullying…” Myra whispered a complaint.
Though she was ignored.
“To smooth things over, let me fulfill my responsibility!” the pale man exclaimed.
“Come with me.
It would be my honor to explore this place with you.”
He turned around and walked away.
His stride was measured, and his back was straight.
Rose eagerly followed after, notebook at the ready.
Cyril and Myra followed a step behind.
Cedric even further behind, silent.
“Tsk.
Such a weirdo.
We should change our guide, right?” Myra said, glancing at Cyril.
“…He seems fine to me.”
“Really?”
Truthfully, Cyril had a rather good impression of this unknown man.
I have a good feeling about him.
He is not afraid of nobility, nor does he mince his words.
He would be a good guide.
“Hmm.”
…
The pale man led them down into one of the corridors before arriving in front of a heavy iron door.
“Here will do,” he whispered to himself as he pulled on the handle.
With a screech, the door swung open, revealing an in-use laboratory.
It had its own cell, with three ghouls blindly stumbling inside.
A small group of mages stood in front of the glass by a strange metal panel.
They looked at the newly arrived group in surprise.
“…Excuse me, this room is currently occupied for testing,” one of them said with a frown.
The pale man immediately bowed, on his face a wide smile.
“Forgive me for rudely barging in, my good men!
But I’ve come to tell you that this chamber shall have its purpose in enlightening the young ones.
The higher power must’ve failed to inform you.
Pray, leave now and enjoy your well-deserved rest in peace.”
The mages looked at each other, communicating something with their eyes, before glancing at the group of students.
The mages quickly stopped what they were doing.
“Good luck in your lesson.”
Without any hesitation, they walked out of the room, whispering to each other as they passed by.
“Sweet.
I just thought I needed a rest…”
“I knew today would be my lucky day.”
Before long, their group was the only one in this laboratory, not counting the ghouls staying behind glass.
“There we have it!” The man widened his arms in celebration.
The students stared at him in silence for a moment.
Cedric glanced at the heavy metal door, then asked a question with a raised brow.
“Were we really supposed to be here?
It almost seemed like we went here at random…”
The pale man chuckled.
“Haha, you are right to be suspicious.
My words carried falsehood,” he said with a smile.
“I just needed them to vacate this chamber.”
“…”
Cyril flatly gazed at the unashamed pale man.
His smile seemed to become wider.
“Isn’t- Isn’t that bad for them?” Cedric pointed at the door with a stiff face.
“Don’t worry, young mage.” The pale man shook his head.
“I will make sure no one minds their small respite.”
Cedric’s face remained stiff, doubt in his eyes.
“Don’t make such a fuss about it, Cedric,” Rose said as she walked deeper into the laboratory.
She scanned everything in her path, excitedly writing down in her notebook.
“Focus on learning.
This doesn’t concern you.
We wasted enough time anyway.”
“Indeed!
The young lady speaks the truth!” the man exclaimed.
“The five of us should start our learning journey at long last.”
He approached the glass wall.
There was a panel in front of it, covered in various symbols.
He scanned it in thought.
Myra stood with her arms crossed, glaring at the pale man.
“There are only four of us.
Can’t he count?” she whispered to herself.
“Now that’s a rude assumption, girl!” The man turned around, shaking his head.
He motioned towards Cyril, specifically at the butterfly on his shoulder.
“Are you so blinded by prejudice you fail to see such a beautiful lady?”
Morpho bashfully fluttered her wings in response, hiding her compound eyes.
Myra gazed at her before meeting Cyril’s blue eyes.
“Right!” she said, immediately looking away.
“I just forgot.”
She stayed silent, a dark cloud seemingly hanging above her.
“Hah!
This mage isn’t too bad~”
You are not immediately suspicious of someone?
That’s surprising.
“I am not unreasonable.
Someone who respects Morpho is alright in my book.”
…
Rose soon finished her rounds and approached the panel as well, standing by the man’s side.
“This must be a control panel for lab testing!
What will we do?” she asked, her eyes shining.
“…Indeed.
That’s a…
good question,” the pale man slowly said.
He stood over the panel, head fixated on it.
His hair hid his eyes, but still Cyril got the impression they nervously wandered around.
“…?”
“Will we start with an autopsy?” Rose said.
“Will we use these three ghouls?
Oh!
Is there a way to introduce sleeping gas into the cell through the panel?
Or is there a spell to hold them in place for a conscious procedure?”
“I always wondered how the demons’ pain tolerance was.”
“She sure is into this.”
Yeah.
The man kept his silence, hands frozen in the air over the panel.
“Excuse me?” Rose tilted her head, confused.
“…Do you know how to use this control panel?”
The pale man finally moved, stepping away.
“I must admit I do not.”
“Eh?”
“I beg of you, forgive me my embarrassment.” He wistfully sighed, avoiding the students’ gazes.
He stood straight, holding his hands behind his back.
Soon, the pale man regained his polite smile.
“I failed once again, but please give me one last chance at redemption.
I will make it up to you, I swear.”
“…What do you have in mind then?” Rose hesitantly asked, her gaze clearly disappointed.
“Something I’ve been yearning to do for many moons already.
I shall be compelled to abandon my position because of it, yet I believe it is worth it for the young ones.”
He bowed at them, his face just as polite as ever.
Still, Cyril got a peculiar impression that he looked like a disgraced uncle trying to escape the family gathering.
Huh?
“Please, enjoy yourselves.”
The pale man raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
The next moment, his body disappeared.
Right under their eyes, his form just vanished into thin air.
“…?”
Everyone stared at the empty spot where he had been, silent.
“Be careful!” Myra’s yell drew their attention.
When Cyril turned around, he only saw her figure blur in front of him, rushing towards the cell with the ghouls.
The next moment, three whistling sounds went through the air, followed by the dull thud of metal.
He saw the cell.
Inside lay three demon bodies with their throats cut.
Myra stood over them, her face bloodied.
How did she go inside…?
Then he noticed it.
The glass wall separating them was gone, without a single trace of it existing in the first place.
“Aaah!” Rose screamed, taking a step back.
Taking a moment to recover, she stared at the bloodied Myra in shock.
“What- what just happened?
Are you alright?” she asked.
Myra slowly nodded.
“I am fine.
As to what happened… I am not sure.”
Her gaze grew increasingly darker as she scanned the lifeless bodies at her feet.
At this moment, they heard yelling beyond the laboratory’s walls as well as beastly gnarling.
There was a commotion outside as well.
“I think… the Tower might be under attack.”
“…!”
Rose and Cedric kept quiet, both of them shocked into silence.
Cyril, while an ominous feeling gnawed at him, felt distracted by a seemingly innocuous detail.
Really?
He was actually a terrorist?
He almost felt betrayed.
He had a rather good first impression of the man, like he just met a long-lost relative.
“Oh, don’t pay attention to that!
More importantly, you mustn’t let Myra hog all the action!
She got to kill three ghouls already!
You can’t lose!”
…That’s what you think is important right now?
Bad timing but have to take a pause.
See you in a week