Chapter 363

Glenn froze, a look of confusion plastered across his face. Beggars? Where were there any beggars here?

It took him a moment to realize that Amelia had just referred to them as beggars.

“Beggars? What nonsense are you spouting?”

“I mean exactly what I said. You’ve taken money from the Duke’s household, from Count Desmond, and yet you still haven’t dealt with the Scarlet Tower. Now you’re here, asking me for more? What exactly have you accomplished so far?”

“W-what...”

“If all you’ve done is beg for money without achieving anything, doesn’t that make you beggars? Or do I look like some saint from the temple, here to serve your every whim?”

“You... you...!”

Amelia’s cutting words left Glenn fumbling for a response.

He couldn’t deny the truth: they had received significant funding from both the Duke’s household and Count Desmond.

Still, Glenn felt wronged. That money had all gone toward the effort to starve out the Scarlet Tower. If they succeeded, the cost would have been justified. And even if they failed, who was Amelia to talk down to him like this?

“Your words go too far! Your duty is to support us on behalf of Count Desmond! I will not tolerate any further disrespect!”

Amelia curled her lips into a sardonic smile.

“And what will you do if you don’t tolerate it?”

“I’ll report this matter directly to the Tower Master! The Duke’s household will not stand idly by!”

“You won’t be going anywhere.”

“How dare you—!”

Realizing Amelia’s intentions, Glenn hastily began gathering mana. But before he could react further, someone appeared behind him.

Thwack!

“Gah!”

Glenn looked down, aghast, at the serrated blade piercing through his abdomen.

The one who had stabbed him was none other than Caleb, the leader of the Wildcat Smuggling Ring.

“You... how dare you... betray me...”

Blood trickled from Glenn’s lips as his hands trembled. He couldn’t fathom why Amelia would do this. His mind was consumed with the simple, damning thought: she had betrayed him.

Slash!

Without hesitation, Caleb withdrew his sword and, in a single swift motion, decapitated Glenn.

Glenn’s lifeless head rolled across the floor, his eyes wide open in shock.

Amelia gazed down at the severed head, her expression cold as ice.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Arrogant fool.”

She turned away without a second glance and spoke again.

“Conrad.”

The leader of the Actium Trading Company, Conrad, stepped forward and bowed.

“Yes, my lady.”

“Take Caleb and lead the disguised caravan. Wipe out the Crimson Tower. Make sure it’s done before Delmuth returns from his engagement.”

“And who should take the blame?”

“Fenris.”

“Understood.”

Conrad grasped Amelia’s plan immediately. The Crimson Tower was the Duke’s hidden blade. If it were destroyed now, the Duke’s household wouldn’t be able to act openly without raising suspicions.

This was an ideal opportunity for Amelia, who sought to weaken the Duke’s influence.

Moreover, Delmuth, enraged by the destruction of his tower, would undoubtedly turn his fury toward Ghislain.

A sly smile spread across Amelia’s face.

“No matter how powerful Delmuth is as a 7th-Circle mage, he can’t handle Fenris alone.”

He would either lose his life in a blind rage or flee after losing his foundation. Either outcome would work in Amelia’s favor.

This was also a perfect chance to rid herself of the “beggars” who constantly clung to her, demanding money under the Duke’s banner.

As Amelia laid out her plans, Vulcan, a bandit leader who had been silently listening, suddenly erupted with enthusiasm.

“Me! I want to go too! You know I’m the best at killing people!”

He bounced on his heels, clearly excited by the prospect of action. However, Amelia shook her head.

“You’re too conspicuous. Not this time.”

The Crimson Tower was located within a major city. Letting someone as brash as Vulcan loose there would risk exposing the operation.

Vulcan slumped in disappointment, but Amelia reassured him with a grin.

“I have another task for you instead.”

“Oh! What is it?”

“The Crimson Tower... has been destroyed.”

“I killed Delmuth, and we took care of the rest. Of course, the tower would fall.”

“That’s not it... The tower was attacked, and all remaining disciples were slaughtered. They’ve been reduced to ashes.”

Ghislain blinked in surprise. It was natural for the Crimson Tower to collapse after Delmuth’s death, but its utter annihilation was unexpected. The tower had been one of the strongest in the North, with many skilled disciples remaining. To think they’d all been wiped out...

“Who attacked them?”

Gillian hesitated before answering, “There are rumors... that it was us. Bodies dressed in our uniforms, complete with identification, were found among the dead.”

Ghislain tilted his head, considering the implications, then asked, “Amelia?”

Few in the North had the audacity to pull off such a bold operation. Amelia was the most likely suspect.

“No, it wasn’t her. The Grand Administrator has heightened security. We’ve been framed, but we still don’t know who’s behind it.”

“Hmm...”

Ghislain crossed his arms, deep in thought. After a moment, he nodded to himself, piecing together the situation.

‘Amelia...’

If it were her, it made perfect sense. She had the capability and the motive.

‘She’s weakening the Duke’s forces first, knowing the Royalist faction is at a disadvantage.’

Had Ghislain not intervened and killed Delmuth, the situation would have been far messier.

If the Scarlet Tower had fallen first, the remaining Crimson Tower mages would have undoubtedly targeted Fenris. A battlefield led by a 7th-Circle mage commanding dozens of disciples would have been a nightmare.

Though victory would have been possible, Fenris would have suffered devastating losses. Amelia had intended to neutralize both the Duke’s hidden strength and Fenris’s forces in one stroke.

‘She never misses an opportunity.’

Ghislain clicked his tongue in mild admiration. Though he had set the board, Amelia had exploited every opening to perfection. Her tenacity was commendable.

Still, Ghislain wasn’t overly concerned. He had planned to destroy the Crimson Tower anyway, and Amelia had simply saved him the trouble of cleaning up the remnants.

For her, it was a partial victory. For him, a convenient turn of events.

“It doesn’t matter. No need to explain or make excuses. I killed Delmuth. Let them rant all they want,” Ghislain said calmly.

Whoever finished off the Crimson Tower was irrelevant. With Delmuth dead, the blame would naturally fall on him.

The Duke’s household wouldn’t dare act openly. No one could prove their connection to the Crimson Tower.

For now, all they could do was grit their teeth in frustration.

“Prepare to leave. We need to return to the estate and start preparing,” Ghislain ordered.

As soon as he finished speaking, the door burst open, and Hubert entered, flanked by the elders.

“My lord! You’re awake! The strongest in the North! The Swordmaster himself!”

Hubert’s exaggerated flattery spilled forth as he rushed to Ghislain, his eyes gleaming with sycophantic delight.

Though initially shocked by the events, Hubert had quickly grasped the implications and was now ecstatic. The collapse of the Crimson Tower meant that the Scarlet Tower was once again the most powerful in the North.

Ghislain had done all the work, but Hubert couldn’t care less. What mattered was the newfound prestige of his tower—and the wealth and luxury it would bring.

“So, the Crimson Tower has been completely annihilated, hasn’t it? Oh, my lord, you should have told me! I would’ve gladly lent a hand,” Hubert said, his false sincerity practically dripping.

Ghislain, however, had no intention of letting him off the hook this time.

“You wanted to know why, didn’t you?” Ghislain said, his voice sharp.

“Well, yes... The result is wonderful, but it was all so sudden...”

“The Crimson Tower was raised by the Duke’s household. Their mission was to eliminate the Scarlet Tower. That’s why I destroyed them.”

Hubert and the elders froze, their faces draining of color.

“The Duke’s household... was targeting us?” Hubert stammered, his voice trembling.

Ghislain explained the Duke’s intentions and their plans to spark a civil war, methodically eliminating potential obstacles.

Hubert’s face paled further. “Th-then the Duke’s household is clearing the field of anything that could stand in their way before the war begins?”

“Exactly. Wiping out the Scarlet Tower was just one piece of their plan. You’ve probably heard of other mage towers disappearing recently.”

Hubert nodded reluctantly. Several towers had indeed vanished under suspicious circumstances, though he had never connected the dots until now.

If Ghislain was telling the truth, then the Duke had been planning this for years. The very thought made Hubert shudder.

Ghislain’s tone turned stern. “Now you must choose: stay where you are and let the Duke’s household destroy you, or fight alongside me.”

Hubert and the elders swallowed nervously. They didn’t want to fight.

Desperation drove Hubert to suggest, “W-what if we align ourselves with the Duke’s household?”

Ghislain’s smile was cold and unyielding.

“Then I’ll kill you first. We’re closer, after all. Or should I do it now? Gillian.”

“Yes, my lord.” Gillian unsheathed his axe and bowed.

Hubert and the elders stood frozen, their mouths agape.

This was the same man who had once hiked rune stone prices arbitrarily. Now he was openly threatening to kill them.