LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 66
“Karena, open a wormhole and trap us inside.”
Sena’s voice echoed from somewhere.
The hazy sound felt like a dream, or perhaps mere imagination.
“Open a wormhole, Karena. Trap us inside it.”
The ‘piece of God’s’ whispers made me feel as if being sucked into another world.
“Open the wormhole now.”
Then the only word my mind could recall was ‘wormhole’.
Focusing on the word ‘wormhole’, I summoned all my power.
Kugugugung.
Light emanated from my hands as the ground began to tremble.
My chamber split in two as the building crumbled, and an immense wormhole emerged through the gap.
Incomparably vaster than any previous wormhole, its sheer enormity was staggering.
Moreover, unlike before when light and darkness intermingled within, this wormhole I created pulsated with blinding, intense light alone, radiating its overwhelming presence.
“Now is the time, Rena. Right now!”
Regaining my senses, I severed the black smokes ensnaring my arms.
Landing squarely on the floor, I immediately charged straight at Colin with all my momentum.
“Throw me, Rena.”
Reaching back, I grabbed the smoke form Sena had reverted to and flung her into the wormhole before shoving Colin inside as well with my forward rush.
As the two were sucked into the wormhole’s vortex, it vanished, and I collapsed unconscious.
* * *
“It seems the wormhole wasn’t properly eliminated after all.”
“Is there anyone here even capable of such a feat?”
“I heard that a merchant from Felosite was severely injured.”
Utterly useless, the lot of them.
Watching the palace magicians bickering over who was right or wrong, the Emperor’s head pounded intensely.
Yet no matter how he racked his brain, there seemed nothing he could do himself.
‘Well, if some Felosite commoner dies in the imperial palace, it’s no great issue…’
Then the council attendant guarding the entrance announced in a booming voice:
“Th… The Master of the Magic Tower Tenziyon requests an audience with His Majesty the Emperor!”
In that instant, the noisy chatter in the council chamber fell into momentary silence.
“The Tower Master? Surely not the real Tower Master?”
“He has never once shown his face in the imperial palace his entire life?”
The palace magicians murmured with a mix of curiosity and skepticism, awaiting the figure’s appearance.
Upon hearing the Tower Master’s name, the Emperor let out a hollow laugh.
‘It seems I am quite the fortunate Emperor. Just when troubles arise, someone always shows up to resolve the issues.’
Shortly after, the Emperor’s stern voice echoed through the council chamber:
“Bring the Tower Master inside!”
The doors swung open wide as a young Tower Master exuding an aura of grandeur revealed himself.
“Tower Master Tenziyon greets His Majesty the Emperor, the glory of Castien.”
Kneeling before the Emperor, Tenziyon drew a magic circle and bowed his head respectfully.
None could deny Tenziyon was the true Tower Master.
For that golden magic circle was of the highest caliber, impossible to create without being the Archmage no matter one’s knowledge.
The Emperor fired his Ability flames towards the magic circle.
Responding to theTower Master’s magic circle with one’s Ability was imperial protocol etiquette.
“So what brings you to see me today?”
“The wormhole incident from yesterday, Your Majesty.”
The magicians gasped in awe, marveling at the Tower Master.
“How could he detect it from living so remotely?”
“Well, is he not the Tower Master for good reason?”
The Emperor thought himself fortunate once more.
‘Becoming Emperor itself was sheer luck. And this too is the Emperor’s fortune.’
Whenever inexplicable incidents occurred, an opportune savior always appeared to resolve it, each time someone different.
Yet simultaneously, he couldn’t fathom why the Tower Master, who hadn’t even sent word during previous crises, now visited the palace over a wormhole incident with only one casualty.
Though the Emperor had always prioritized resolutions over processes, with the continent’s strongest Archmage present, caution was advisable.
“I’ve heard the Tower Master avoids worldly affairs. So why the involvement this time?”
“It is due to… a friend to whom I owe a great debt. Lord Roati, who was injured in this wormhole incident.”
Since his daughter-in-law had taken charge, the Emperor remained oblivious to wedding matters.
In fact, the name ‘Roati’ itself was new to the Emperor, learned through the Tower Master.
“How could the Tower Master possibly owe a debt to some company owner with no talents save moneymaking? Hahaha. Isn’t it usually the other way around?”
“I shall simply say it involved monetary affairs.”
Despite the Emperor’s rude query, the Tower Master smiled unfazed.
“I will resolve this incident myself.”
* * *
How much time had passed?
When I opened my eyes, sunlight poured like a waterfall onto the bed where I lay.
“Are you awake now?”
The first figure I saw was Lucian standing by the window with folded arms.
Next were Hailey holding my hand, Gabriel, Jonathan, and Alexi.
“Where… is this place?”
At my question, everyone seemed flustered, fidgeting restlessly.
“Jonathan, quickly examine her head.”
“She couldn’t have lost her memories, could she?”
“Like that time, could memory fragments have slipped into the gap in space-time?”
The sudden noise felt like a cacophony, making my head throb intensely.
“Aaagghh!”
“Rena!”
Clutching my throbbing head, I took a deep breath and said:
“I haven’t lost my memories, so please, someone explain what happened.”
As if cautious about speaking, my friends exchanged glances.
“Where am I right now?”
“The Roati Manor.”
Lucian casually answered my first question.
“Then why is Alexi here?”
“I followed my husband, Your Highness. My husband is in charge of investigating the wormhole incident.”
Alexi’s husband… that would be Marquis Lloyd, in other words Archmage Tenziyon.
“The Tower Master himself?”
Alexi nodded, her eyes brimming with tears.
“We’ve decided to resolve this incident according to Your Highness’s wishes, no matter what. So please, tell us what you desire.”
Fortunately, it was Hailey and Gabriel who discovered me lying unconscious after Sena and Colin disappeared.
The two had re-affixed my disguise mask before the imperial knights arrived, they said.
“And this…”
What Gabriel handed me was the hairpin I had worn during the incident.
“Don’t lose it again.”
The very emerald hairpin Gabriel had gifted me.
“Thank you, brother.”
I had left it behind in my chamber when departing for Felosite.
“The Crown Princess threw an absolute fit.”
Hailey recounted with an incredulous look how, after the Emperor declared postponing the wedding due to the incident, Beatrice went to him crying and raging until securing permission to proceed as scheduled.
“Saying no one even died! That woman is becoming stranger by the day.”
Though a different case from the deteriorating, demonic Liam, Beatrice too was indeed growing increasingly bizarre.
Formerly adept at concealing her true nature to sway others’ hearts, she had recently resorted to constantly raging, sulking, and mistreating people haughtily.
“What about the ‘piece of God’? And Colin?”
“Couldn’t locate either of them. Strangely, not even their presence could be detected.”
“That’s a relief.”
My sigh of relief seemed to baffle Lucian.
“What’s with that attitude? Why is it a relief they couldn’t be found?”