Episode 125
“I accept your proposal.”
After a long silence, Dale nodded. As a wizard, the essence of his philosophy was laid bare. The ‘Black Prince’ of Saxon revealed his world without hesitation.
Facing a field where blue and black roses scattered, a dark fortress loomed over the pale and shadowy winter night.
There was no concrete information to trust her completely. It was simply a matter of colors. In Titania’s world, there was no ‘color of the Empire and the Imperial Family.’ Even if she cleverly used the Imperial Family for her gain, it didn’t necessarily mean she was aligned with the Emperor’s faction.
In the world of wizards, the significance of color was profound, as evident in the world Dale was presenting.
Most importantly, revealing one’s world didn’t equate to revealing one’s identity. This was true even for Titania, who stood before Dale.
“With this, the information we provide is now equal.”
Dale looked up at Titania, the lord of the solitary fortress.
“Indeed… it suits the name of the ‘Black Prince’ perfectly.”
Titania whispered softly, gazing into the cold expanse of solitude.
“I finally understand why she holds such a special place for the ‘Black Prince’ of Saxon.”
“She?”
“The clever young daughter of the Crystal Queen. Or should I say, the wise fairy ‘Sepia’?”
Dale swallowed hard. It wasn’t difficult to grasp the meaning. For a moment, a storm of cold and darkness swept through the pale winter night. But once the turmoil subsided, the calm of a wizard took its place.
“Do you know anything else about Lady Sepia?”
“And how much do you know about her, Prince Dale?”
Titania countered. Dale paused, taking a breath. Snow Elf, exile, elder of the Blue Tower.
“Come to think of it, we were discussing the war.”
Titania shifted the topic.
“Since you’ve shown such trust in me, I must reveal the truth as well.”
Titania continued.
“Please, withdraw from this war.”
“May I ask why?”
“This war isn’t driven by the selfish desires of the York family. We are prepared to bleed for our ‘cause.’”
“Surely not…”
It was exactly that.
“Yes, the territorial war against the Lancaster family was the will of the organization I belong to.”
“The Blue Tower?”
The Blue Tower, known for its emphasis on non-violence and harmony, yet maintaining an eerie silence amidst the Empire’s tyranny and the Red Tower’s pressure.
“The ‘Sorceress Council’ of the Blue Tower has already made its decision. We have no desire to harm you, Prince Dale, who carries the legacy of the Blue.”
“Regrettably, I do not carry the legacy of the Blue.”
In a world of non-violence and harmony, Dale’s talent for destruction was the antithesis of the Blue Tower.
“To me, you seem like one of the most promising heirs of the Blue Tower.”
Titania spoke unexpectedly.
“Do you still see the Blue as a fairy-tale color of non-violence and harmony?”
Dale, who had delved deeply into the wisdom of the Blue, understood the question. And the answer that followed.
“Intrigue and deceit.”
”…”
“That is the true nature of our ‘Blue Tower,’ the source of our wisdom.”
Just as the York family, with their white and blue roses, were masters of intrigue and deceit, Dale was no different. In this regard, the ‘wisdom’ of Dale and the Blue Tower was surprisingly similar.
“Has the Blue Tower broken its silence?”
“Of course not. We are always silent.”
Titania smiled enigmatically. Behind her, petals of blue roses began to scatter wildly.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you, Prince Dale, are no longer an ‘outsider’ to our Blue Tower.”
Titania said.
“The foolish fairy, Sepia, has fulfilled her mission with her own wisdom. Even if she is unaware of her role.”
The foolish fairy, Sepia. Her mission. Dale’s expression wavered as he pieced together the fragments in his mind.
Behind Dale, a storm of cold and darkness raged, threatening to engulf her world.
“What have you done to Lady Sepia?”
Dale asked, unable to hide his hostility.
“We did nothing. Just gave a small ‘suggestion.’”
“Tell me what it was.”
“Oh, it’s nothing worth hiding.”
By now, countless death knights emerged along the icy horizon.
“Open your heart to the heir of the Black and respond to that heart.”
”…!”
Upon hearing those words, Dale had no hesitation.
The world that should exist for 100% trust had transformed into a weapon to eliminate the enemy.
At the boundary where the two worlds met, the death knights charged in unison. Dale, too, brandished his sword and fired bullets, his shadowy cloak billowing. The barrage of cold and darkness surged toward Titania.
Simultaneously, the black and blue rose petals that made up her world began to scatter. The rose stems rose like tendrils, ensnaring the death knights and piercing them with sharp thorns.
Dale didn’t hesitate.
He charged into ‘Titania’s world,’ his shadowy cloak swirling, as black and blue roses and thorny stems blocked his path. But there was no hesitation. The blade of his shadowy cloak slashed through, and the rose petals fell like autumn leaves.
The distance closed. The pitch-black magic sword ‘Kia’ was now aimed at Titania’s throat.
“Did you not foresee that your wisdom would lead to this outcome?”
“Of course. I was merely responding to your trust, Prince.”
Titania smiled, unfazed, as if she had known this would happen all along.
“Was Lady Sepia nothing more than a puppet of the Blue from the start?”
“Unless she formally joins the ‘Sorceress Council,’ even as an elder of the tower, she is no exception.”
The Sorceress Council. That was the ‘intrigue and deceit’ of the Blue Tower that Titania spoke of.
And for those not part of that organization, the Blue Tower was merely a symbol of ‘non-violence and harmony,’ and they operated as puppets of the council.
From her words, Dale could easily understand the structure of the Blue Tower.
“But please, don’t be too disappointed.”
Titania continued.
“When Lady Sepia was exiled from the ‘Land of Crystal’ and fell to the mortal world, it was the Blue Tower’s decision to take her in and offer a helping hand.”
“A decision made after assessing her value as a puppet, no doubt.”
“Do you know what awaits elves exiled from elven society?”
“The Hashishin…”
A secret organization of dark elves from the desert, tasked with purging the ‘exiles’ of the mortal world.
“The Blue Tower also made the decision to guarantee Lady Sepia’s safety by dealing with the mountain crone. At the very least, she owes us her life.”
Sepia’s debt. Dale had nothing to say. It meant the Blue Tower held her life in their hands.
“What is your true intention in telling me this?”
“We wanted to convey that our Blue Tower is not an enemy of you or the Black Tower. We merely wish to prevent Prince Mikhail from becoming the ‘heir of the Lancaster family.’”
“Weren’t the witches of York the ones who ensnared Prince Richard, the rightful heir, from the start?”
“Oh, did the Duke of Lancaster say that?”
Titania chuckled as if it were truly amusing.
“Even if we pursue wisdom, it is not the exclusive domain of our Blue Tower.”
”…”
“There was never an engagement between my daughter Margaret and the eldest son of the Lancaster family, Richard.”
“What do you mean?”
“Richard Lancaster, already brainwashed by the dark arts of the Red Tower, is a cripple who can’t even think properly. He came to our territory alone, believing he was engaged to York’s Margaret.”
Titania continued.
“Therefore, if our York family doesn’t assert the legitimacy of the heir against the Lancaster family, we will be accused of brainwashing the eldest son of the Lancaster family and face annihilation.”
”…”
“That’s why the ‘Sorceress Council’ of the Blue Tower accepted my will to protect the York family.”
“Are you saying the Duke of Lancaster planned this from the beginning?”
“No, I’m afraid even the Duke of Lancaster is just a puppet on this stage.”
“Then who on earth…”
Dale stopped mid-sentence, as if struck by a hammer, overwhelmed by the realization.
“Mikhail Lancaster.”
The Apostle of Fire and Light.
A man who, despite being the second son, had the prowess to become the heir of the Lancaster family. And he hadn’t secured that position through noble means.
”…”
Unconsciously, the ground beneath Dale’s feet began to crumble.
Titania of the York family insisted that this was all part of Mikhail’s scheme to ascend to the position of Duke of Lancaster as a second son. She even revealed the true nature of the Blue Tower behind her as a token of trust.
At the same time, Mikhail Lancaster extended his hand to Dale, asserting his own justification.
Who should he trust, and who should he doubt? The hidden machinations were finally coming to light.
Dale couldn’t help but recall the avatar Mikhail had shown at the Saxon fortress and the ‘peace’ he so firmly believed in.
— “Have you forgotten how much blood the hero from another world has spilled here?”
— “Peace always comes with sacrifice. Is there any peace in this world that can be achieved without bloodshed?”
“Was I just a pawn in Mikhail’s game from the start?”
After a moment of silence, Dale looked up at Titania.
“You said you wanted to earn my trust?”
“Indeed, I did.”
“Then tell me everything about the ‘Silence’ of the Blue Tower. Your goals, your organization, the missions you carry out in silence across the continent—leave nothing out. If anything is lacking…”
Dale spoke, knowing that his decision on whom to trust would come after.
“I swear I will devote my ‘wisdom’ entirely to the Lancaster family.”
“I expected nothing less.”
Fortunately, this was a world of mages where ‘hearts’ could be laid bare. It wasn’t a place where petty lies could smooth things over. The black-blue roses symbolizing Titania’s mind wouldn’t allow it.
“As I said, you won’t sway me with convenient lies.”
Moreover, Dale’s knowledge as a ‘hero’ was far from shallow. Even if he didn’t know the entire history of this world, he had enough information to discern the truth in Titania’s words.
The secrets and truths of the Empire that he knew as its hunting dog.
“I never thought I could deceive the ‘Black Prince’ with mere lies.”
Finally, the truth of the Empire that Dale had long awaited emerged from Titania’s lips.
The five-colored towers: black, white, red, blue, and green.
And apart from these, the shadow tower built by the high-ranking demons of the north…
Dale’s unforgettable enemy, the dragon known as the Empire, and the imperial color at the heart of that dragon.
The Tower of Gold.