Episode 18. The Tower of Light and Rebellion (3)
Tower of Light and Rebellion.
The tower stood out in the vast plain of Mirberg. To reach the center where the tower was, one had to pass through three layers of walls, one after the other.
Rubin stood at the first gate.
“Miguel Bantes, of the Bantes family of leather merchants… is that you?”
Rubin nodded instead of answering. Then, the tower guide lifted his white robe slightly and met Rubin’s gaze.
“Oh, you said you had aphasia? Well, then, I guess I’ll take your answer as it is.”
Thud thud.
The guide turned around and started to walk ahead. The inspection was over as if it had been ordered by the imperial command. Rubin passed through the remaining checkpoints without being checked.
Finally, the entrance to the tower.
When I looked up, I saw two huge towers, the Tower of Light and the Tower of Rebellion, standing as if supporting the sky.
“Please come in.”
The guide said, pointing to a passageway located between two towers.
A large, dark hallway.
As soon as I stepped foot in there, the dark interior was instantly filled with light.
‘Mana?’
Rubin felt something filling up inside the tower. It was then that Haneke, inside his inner world, stepped out.
-Ugh, mana is vibrating everywhere.
‘Does Haneke know how to respond to Mana?’
-If the mana is this abundant, wouldn’t you be able to feel it even if you’re not a magician? But it’s certain… I feel like I’ve become more sensitive to mana than before I died.
Sensing mana was the exclusive privilege of wizards. It was something that unmanned people using aura or ordinary people could not sense.
The same goes for the assassination clan based on darkness.
but.
‘That applies to me too.’
Oddly enough, both the dead Haneke and the returned Rubin were more sensitive to mana than in their previous lives.
Even every time I moved, I felt like I was entangled with the mana that filled the tower. It was like walking through water. My whole body felt awkward and heavy.
‘It’s getting harder and harder to walk. I didn’t know there was this much mana here.’
-They are all used to guard the tower.
‘Is there magic installed?’
-Yes. There may be hundreds, or maybe even thousands of spells installed.
‘There are thousands of spells here?’
It was a story that Rubin had never heard before, which made him even more interested. Haneke continued, his face seemingly lost in reminiscence.
-Before I died, as a general, I observed the repair of the magic built into this tower.
Thud thud.
Although I was conversing intently with Haneke, the only sounds in the long corridor were the footsteps of the guide and Rubin.
Rubin gathered his scattered thoughts and focused on Haneke’s words.
– Wide-range defensive magic to prepare for external attacks, and even security magic to repel any incoming enemies. The magicians of the Imperial Magic Brigade came and personally maintained it. So it must be full of mana, right?
Mana that filled the ‘Tower of Light and Rebellion’.
If it weren’t for Haneke, I wouldn’t have known this in such detail.
Even though I read many books while going through the family library after returning, it was not written that the Tower of Light and Rebellion was teeming with mana and had numerous magics built into it.
But right now, none of that mattered. The anxiety that was immediately overwhelming Rubin was the fact that he had to climb to the top of the tower in this condition.
‘I have to walk up all these stairs. It’s impossible in my current condition.’
Climbing the stairs that wrap around the tower. That was the typical viewing. If it had been Rubin in his previous life, there wouldn’t have been a problem. His body wouldn’t have been able to sense the mana itself.
But now it was different.
‘The mana sensitivity is too high.’
Basically, the power of darkness rejects both aura and mana. That is why aura and mana cannot settle in a ring containing darkness.
But now, the overflowing mana was seeping into his body and constantly clashing with the darkness. That was the reason his body was getting weaker and weaker. His whole body was becoming dull as if he was infected with poison.
‘I wonder if I can hold out.’
-Are you okay? Are you going to collapse soon?
I couldn’t fall down. I had to climb to the top of this tower and show Haneke something.
That is the true purpose of this journey. If you fall here, you will forever miss the chance to inherit the Brion swordsmanship.
“Are you okay?”
The guide, who had stopped walking, looked back at Rubin. Rubin nodded with a bitter smile.
“Miguel has aphasia and is not feeling well. We were told to be as considerate as possible. He doesn’t have to climb the stairs like everyone else, so please bear with it for a little longer.”
It was such a welcome sound that it almost seemed like a hallucination. Soon, Rubin was able to confirm what the guide meant.
When they reached the end of the passage between the two towers, a square plate suddenly rose from the ground.
Looking closely, I saw that the board was surrounded by a transparent mana wall. It looked like a glass cage.
‘It’s magic. Does that mean it’s okay to ride this?’
Dooooooow.
The board soars into the air as soon as two people step on it. The stability is incomparable to that of flying on a Grandbird.
As we passed each floor, the lights inside the floor became brighter. Then, as the board moved away, the floor became dark again.
As he moved up the tower, the mana that had been suppressing Rubin gradually became more diluted. This was because the higher the tower, the lower the concentration of mana.
“after…….”
Before I knew it, my body was back to the point where I could move naturally.
“Do not be afraid. It is a special case that we are able to move like this. There was a message from the imperial family to help Miguel take another step towards the glory of the empire.”
Dooooooow.
The plate, which had been rising at a constant speed, stopped with a thud.
“Let’s go out.”
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We arrived at the top of the tower in an instant.
The guide stepped out onto the platform first, and Rubin followed suit. As the two stepped onto the floor, light began to seep into the dark space. Soon, a large corridor appeared before their eyes.
-Oh, how long has it been?
Haneke’s admiration. Rubin looked around the huge corridor. The corridor was structured so that it could be viewed in either direction from the center.
“Welcome to the Tower of Light and Rebellion Exhibition Hall. This is where the light and shadow of the Empire are recorded. It is a place where all of the Empire’s history is contained.”
The guide pointed to the left and right of the corridor and said.
“The Tower of Light and the Tower of Rebellion are built in a connected form. The one on the left is called the ‘Tower of Light’, and the one on the right is called the ‘Tower of Rebellion’. The first place we will look at is the Tower of Light. Let’s start our tour from here.”
The corridors of the Tower of Light were wide and large. And the walls of those corridors were filled with huge paintings.
Pictures that record the 700 years of history of the empire and the heroes of history.
“There were countless heroes in the empire. Follow me slowly and I will explain them one by one. Now, the first picture. This is the first emperor’s… … .”
Rubin followed his guide and admired the interesting paintings.
On the other hand, Haneke looked at each painting with enthusiasm, as if trying to remember everything he saw.
There was anticipation in his emotions, and it was clear what it meant.
‘Do you think there’s a picture of the General on the Tower of Light here?’
To Rubin’s question, Haneke answered carefully.
-Well, honestly, I don’t know. But even if there isn’t, I understand. I’m a soldier and he’s the emperor. I don’t think he’ll look at me the same way. But I tried my best to be loyal. I’m sure he knows that.
‘But I killed you anyway.’
-There must have been a reason why he had to kill me. I don’t know why, but… I respect his decision.
‘Are you serious?’
-Of course. The Emperor is everything to the Empire. And I have dedicated my life to that Emperor and the Empire. Telmah is a man who knows how to treat his subjects with loyalty. I can guarantee that.
An honest answer. The general’s firm belief was felt. This time, Haneke asked.
-Rubin, you are a regressor, so you know the answer, don’t you? Whether my name is written in the Tower of Light.
Of course I know. That’s why I asked for a tour of the Tower of Light and Rebellion as a prize for winning the award to show it to Haneke.
But Rubin delayed his answer.
“The person I’m going to introduce this time is… … .”
The guide’s explanation, which had been going on in chronological order following the history of the empire, was now coming to an end.
It was the deepest point of the Tower of Light, and right next to it was a passage leading to the Tower of Rebellion.
The moment I looked at the last picture illuminated by the light, I felt a wave shaking Rubin’s body. It was Haneke’s reaction to facing his own death.
“The person lying neatly here in the middle of the bedroom is none other than the former General Haneke Brion.”
In the painting, Haneke Brion was lying alone on a large bed, wearing a pure white robe.
The fight with the Siren was not recorded. Nor were the scars all over his body resulting from it.
On the chest of the general was written in small letters the cause of his death, along with his favorite sword.
-suicide.
That was the end.
-Is it really set up as a suicide? I expected that.
Surprisingly, Haneke was calm. Since it was the mission of the assassin, it was natural that the cause of death would not be revealed as it was.
The Emperor creates heroes for the Empire and determines traitors through the Assassin Sword.
The deaths of heroes are usually depicted as ‘deaths of soldiers’ or ‘deaths in the line of duty’, emphasizing their nobility. On the other hand, the deaths of traitors are usually instructive.
Beheaded by the heroes of the empire.
Just before he was about to start a rebellion, he was reported to have been executed by his loyalists.
It was all like that.
“Haneke’s brilliant achievements were among the most outstanding in the history of the empire. He was the most outstanding man in the history of the Brion family, which produced many soldiers. His dazzling loyalty to the glory of the empire is beyond doubt.”
Then the guide lightly touched Rubin’s shoulder and pointed in another direction. It was the passage leading to the ‘Tower of Rebellion’.
The guide walked ahead and continued explaining about Haneke.
“As you can see, General Haneke Brion ended his life by suicide. It is a regrettable ending considering that he was praised as a hero for most of his life, but he still deserves to be listed in the Tower of Light.”
It was a disappointing ending, but it deserved to be listed on the Tower of Light.
It was a difficult expression to understand. Up until just now, hadn’t he clearly been saying that he was one of the most distinguished figures in the history of the empire?
Haneke also did not hide his doubts.
-What do you mean? It’s worthy of being listed?
At that moment, the guide walking ahead stopped walking.
“General Haneke was a man who never lost his loyalty to His Majesty until the very end. Now, look at this.”
A huge corridor opened up before my eyes. It was obscured by dark shadows and was difficult to see.
“Oh, I guess I should explain first.”
The guide continued with a friendly smile.
“From here on out, it’s the Tower of Rebellion. The pictures I’m going to show you from now on are records of the end of the traitors.”
As the guide lightly clapped his hands, light poured into the entire corridor. There were as many paintings as there were towers of light.
The guide and Rubin stood before the first painting. Unlike the Tower of Light, which was chronological, the paintings were listed starting with the most recently executed traitor.
“The first traitor. The most recent to die. Before I explain, I want you to see how miserable his end was. This is the picture.”
The frame depicts a crowded market scene. There are two wild dogs running around in the middle of the market.
One of them had a severed human head stuck in its mouth. It had been bitten for so long that it was covered in dirt and the cut neck was tattered.
“The portraits of traitors are drawn much more delicately than those of heroes. They are meant as a warning to remember the faces of those who rebel against the Empire. This painting is no different. The traitor’s face is depicted very delicately. Now, look at the painting again.”
The face was so small that I couldn’t see it well.
Rubin took a step closer. Then his eyes began to see a face so delicately detailed that he could even distinguish the spittle dripping from the dog’s mouth.
“The owner of the head that those dogs are biting is… … .”
The guide’s eyebrows furrowed. It was as if he didn’t even want to mention that dirty name.
“I am Felkion Brion. I am the grandson of Haneke Brion, the hero of the empire you just saw.”
