[The royal palace learned of the Tower’s existence and replaced the Second Princess’s personal guard with a squad of Paladins before sending them to Grayheart Castle.]
[And indeed, you no longer need to worry about an unknown marriage alliance.]
[Even that terrifying Tower is far away from you.]
[Horrifying rumors kept popping up one after another, but they were just rumors.]
[The nobles and servants inside Grayheart Castle all felt that even if the sky fell, Mo En would hold it up.]
[Yet bad news still came one after another, until a noble’s child was killed by the Tower. Only then did a wave of relocation frenzy sweep through the nobles of Grayheart Castle.]
[Even the apothecary owner who had helped you sell medicine earlier packed up his stall and prepared to leave.]
[The apothecary owner sent someone to bring you a full five thousand gold coins as compensation for your prescription.]
[That many gold coins filled three small wooden boxes.]
[This windfall already left you quite satisfied.]
“That shopkeeper is truly honest.”
[And as Mo En’s child, you could only leave with his permission.]
[You couldn’t exactly volunteer to go, either. In previous simulations, you were forced to leave.]
[But this time, as Mo En’s child, you planned to stand with him against that Tower.]
[“Standing together” might be the phrase, but you hadn’t seen Mo En at any family banquets for a long time.]
[Every time you asked to see him, his personal guards said Mo En was too busy to meet you.]
‘Looks like Mo En thinks I’m not capable of handling these matters.’
[Just as you were thinking that, a whispered comment from one of the guards reached your ears.]
“Hmph. The so-called future Sword Saint, and the first thing he does in a situation like this is beg Mo En to let him escape the territory!”
“They say a tiger father doesn’t beget a dog son, but who would’ve thought it would come to this.”
[You recognized at a glance that these guards were all defeated opponents of yours, and a chill ran through your heart.]
[In an instant, a noble longsword embedded itself in the wall behind the two of them.]
[The patterns on the blade matched those on the wall, both symbols of the glory of Grayheart Castle’s house.]
“What do you think you’re doing? Are you trying to rebel?”
[Their faces flushed red as they placed their hands on their sword hilts.]
“Oh? I’d like to see if two wastes who once lost to a child dare to draw their swords on me.”
[Your words immediately provoked them.]
[But they also knew—you were Mo En’s most beloved son.]
[Moreover, your strength far surpassed theirs.]
[Most importantly, you were a noble of Grayheart Castle’s main line. No matter how they spun it, they were still outsiders.]
“Young Master Dali’ang, I apologize for what I said just now. However… Lord Moen has been overworked lately. If you have any requests, you’ll have to wait until he has time.”
“That’s right. Until the Tower’s menace is resolved, Grayheart Castle will know no peace.”
“It seems I didn’t make myself clear. Regarding the Tower, I need to report some information to Mo En.”
“If you think I’ll beg my father to let me leave Grayheart Castle like everyone else, then you’ve thought wrong.”
[Upon hearing your words, the two exchanged glances.]
“I understand your feelings. You really are thinking of Mo En, and I can forgive you for that. But if you keep obstructing my meeting with Mo En because of your own assumptions, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
[You reached out your right hand toward the sword in the wall, and a bolt of lightning sent the noble blade flying back into your grasp.]
“Telekinesis! He really did learn magic!”
[Because you usually buried yourself in magic, you rarely showed yourself.]
[Many people didn’t actually know you had truly learned magic—even Mo En included.]
[Most people thought you were only using magic study as a pretext, actually coveting Mei Wei Si’s beauty.]
“What’s all this noise?! Don’t you know I’m resting?!”
[Mo En’s voice suddenly rang out, like a lion’s roar.]
[A terrifying pressure swept over the three of you, forcing the two guards to their knees instantly.]
[You, on the other hand, barely managed to stay standing.]
‘Just how strong is this Mo En?’
[This was your first time facing the real Mo En head-on. The fact that he could exert such fear with mere pressure made you start guessing his level.]
‘Level fifty? Level eighty?’
[Mo En walked out of his room with a dark face and spotted you.]
“Dali’ang? What are you doing here?”
[When he saw it was you, his brow relaxed. Then he thought of something, and his previously cheerful expression turned grim again.]
“Since you’re here, come on in, Dali’ang.”
[The room was pitch black, devoid of any human warmth.]
[Mo En’s dark circles were heavy too. He probably hadn’t slept in a long time.]
“Dali’ang, tell me. What do you want?”
[Mo En forced a somewhat calm expression.]
“Father, I want to know everything you know about the Tower.”
“Oh?!”
[Mo En had already prepared a speech in his head, ready to refuse your request to leave the territory, but he never expected you to bring up the Tower.]
“I don’t understand. Why do you need to know that? You rarely go out; you’ve just been studying magic… Ah, right, how is your magic coming along? I’ve never asked.”
[From the fact that Mo En arranged for you to marry the Second Princess, you had already been treated as a sacrificial pawn. His current words were merely out of curiosity.]
[After all, magic isn’t something just anyone can learn.]
[He didn’t know that you had a ring that provided a massive amount of magic, nor did he know how much that ring had accelerated your learning.]
“Father, I’m asking about the Tower because I truly believe there’s a way to deal with it.”
[Mo En’s expression stiffened, and his gaze toward you shifted.]
“Then tell me, what makes you so confident?”
[You took a moment to gather your thoughts, then proposed a hypothesis based on the magical knowledge you had learned—one you and Mei Wei Si had come up with together.]
“You’re saying this Tower isn’t a product of this world? Then how can we make it disappear?”
“The people of this territory have already suffered enough under it. If this continues… my plan…”
[Mo En immediately realized he had let something slip, so he quickly studied your expression.]
“Sigh… I let it slip after all. Not sleeping for so many days has affected my state of mind.”
[He reached out his warm, large hand and patted your back a few times.]
“Son, don’t think of yourself as a sacrificial pawn.”
“When we played chess when you were little, I taught you: all sacrificial pawns are ultimately gathered together for an encircling kill.”
[The intent behind those words was obvious.]
[You instantly understood what this man truly wanted—it wasn’t a peaceful Grayheart Castle.]
[His goal was likely the entire Kingdom of Edgar.]
[But this Tower had thrown all his plans into chaos.]
“If, as you say, you can solve the Tower’s problem, then I won’t make you marry the Second Princess.”
“In that case, I’ll tell you everything I know, my dear Dali’ang.”