The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board

The Crown of Order.

Seol couldn’t hide his excitement after hearing that name.

‘That was here?’

Even Seol knew about it as it was quite a famous item.

In the distant past, a massive ruin was discovered near the central region of Pandea.

Countless factions fought to acquire the treasures from within the ruin, and the Crown of Order was one such treasure that symbolized the events.

Though its powers are still unknown to many, most were still able to discern that it was far from ordinary.

However, as it was an item from the distant past, even Seol had only heard of it through rumors.

‘If this goes well…’

Though Seol had been dragged into Alcatron because of his promise to Frannan, luck had found its way after all his effort.

‘But… how did the Libra Magic Tower acquire the Crown of Order?’

Ridwen and Cartesin began to vehemently reject Bornuil's proposal, to the point that they were even unintentionally spitting.

“The Crown of Order is not only the symbol of Libra, but it is also a treasure we acquired by using everything we had! How could we just hand this over to some…”

"Since when was the Crown of Order the symbol of Libra? Not only is it essentially stolen goods, but we only acquired it by chance, no? Ohohoho..."

- They stole it?

- So a stolen item was the symbol of Libra…

- Judging by their reaction, Bornuil’s telling the truth…

Ridwen sat back down before continuing.

"Even so, that doesn't change anything. The Crown of Order is now in the Libra Tower, and it will remain with us."

After hearing that, Frannan butted in.

"But it's just an item," said Frannan. "If no one's going to use it, it's just shiny junk that takes up space."

"Frannan! An expensive item plays its role even if it's just in its spot!"

“I disagree.”

“Hmph!”

Bornuil interjected to warm up the cold mood.

"If this old man can say a couple of words..." started Bornuil. "Whether we wanted to or not, this expedition has drawn a lot of attention from a variety of people. And though we can prevent the spread of information about the events in Alcatron, we can't prevent them from praising the person who saved them."

"Just as you can't hold onto the wind with your hand, we can't prevent people from praising or gossiping about others,” agreed Frannan.

Bornuil nodded before continuing.

"He saved everyone. When we consider how multiple factions are showing interest in us and who we'd announce as the next Libra… if we reward the person who achieved so much during the expedition poorly, how would that reflect on us?"

“Ahem…”

“Please, consider it.”

Ridwen and Cartesin scowled and thought to themselves.

“Then, let me ask you this, Frannan,” said one of the Aspect Magicians. “Is he truly worth that much?”

“Worth… that much?”

"I am asking you if entrusting someone unaffiliated with any faction, whose identity we don't know, with the treasure of Libra is that valuable."

“If you’re asking that, then…”

Grab…

Frannan handed over a scroll as if he had been expecting this.

“What is this?”

Seol glanced at its contents for a second and was shocked.

“Did you do a background check on me?” asked Seol.

“It wasn’t just you. It was everyone in the expedition party,” answered Frannan. “It’s something I had to do as the person in charge of the party.”

Cartesin was astonished after reading the scroll.

“I-Is this… all true?”

"You're shocked, huh? Do you think there has ever been an individual... no, a faction who has achieved so much in such a short time?"

Seol's achievements were remarkable for something accomplished by only one individual.

He defeated the Rock Molar Tribe in the Pointy Mountains, stopped Yognatun’s Sulfur Skull Tribe from invading, cleared the Labyrinth of Penance, and even killed the Black Knight who attacked Illia.

Even if you excluded all of the other unknown achievements Seol had done, Seol's accomplishments were quite notable.

“......”

"He's lived his life like that. And no one can deny that he used his strength to help us. The Crown of Order? He already has multiple items as valuable as that."

“Hm…”

"He probably isn't even interested in the Crown of Order. But the reason we're trying to give it to him is to foster a friendly relationship for the future. After all, he accomplished something no one else in the expedition party could do all on his own. And considering the pace of his growth, we have yet to fathom how valuable he could be to us in the future."

There was only one thing wrong in Frannan’s statements.

His assumption that Seol wasn’t interested in the Crown of Order.

- His eyes seem desperate, though LOOOOL

- You’re wrong… Frannan… your disciple wants the item…

"There's still one really important thing left, isn't there?" laughed Bornuil.

“There is. This child here…”

Frannan glanced at Seol before finishing his words.

“is my one and only disciple.”

* * *

The expedition party had to stay at the Libra Tower for quite a while. While the rewards were indeed a part of it, there was another reason entirely.

Neal, the Steel Lion, tapped Mael’s shoulders.

"Do you not have to return to the Artifact Association, Mael?"

"I can always make my report after I see how the rest of the expedition is handled."

“Excuses… Be honest, you just want to stay here a bit longer, don’t you?”

"Hahaha... I don't know if you should be the one saying that, Neal. Did you not already receive your rewards? I doubt you have any reason to stay now, especially since you need new members to maintain the Steel Lion Mercenaries' name."

“I’ve already sent a few of my men back to take care of that. I, the leader, can take my merry time..”

Chameli quietly poked their sides.

Poke…

“Urgh…”

“Ch-Chameli…”

She then gave a big smile.

"Are we really going to waste a good day with such pointless chatter? We're all here to witness something truly rare, aren't we?"

“U-urgh… I was just…”

"Chameli, when you put it like that, it makes us sound like a bunch of slackers without anything to do, doesn't it?"

“Were you two not? And what’s so bad about not having anything to do?”

“......”

"We've lost a lot of people. If we want to ease their sorrow, we need just as much joy. Since today is the day they announce the new Libra, I want all of you to be happy too!"

"Then I won't hesitate to enjoy it as well."

"It truly is a rare sight, though, to think we'd be able to witness the announcement of a new Tower Master."

“Are the other tower masters here too?”

"Due to the distance... I've heard they're most likely sending magicians bearing their emblems instead. Oh, I see one over there!"

Magicians with epaulets of various designs entered the tower in rows.

“Oh! Scorpio… Scorpio came.”

“Really? Is that them?”

A short, stubborn-looking magician gathered the attention of many around them.

“Hmph… Bornuil always acted as if he had all the luxury in the world but he ended up being the first to go. I was right, wasn’t I?” said Scorpio to the magician behind them.

“Aries! It’s Aries!”

“Sir Santio!”

The curly-haired magician named Santio adjusted his glasses before responding.

“That’s strange. When I last saw Bornuil, I got the impression that he would be alive for a while…”

“A magician shouldn’t believe in superstitions! When are you going to stop believing in them?”

“What am I supposed to do when I was born with this? Regardless… hm?”

“Hey… Santio?”

"Hm... you give me a unique impression. Are you the type who often leaps into danger, just a second from death?"

“...What?”

Santio was currently looking and talking to Seol.

‘...What is going on?’

Seol took a step back as Santio asked him a strange question, raising his guard.

“I see countless deaths surrounding you. I doubt you will be able to live an ordinary life.”

Just then, a Libra magician arrived to guide Santio.

“Urm… Excuse me, Sir Santio… the appointment ceremony will start soon…”

“Oh! I apologize. Let us depart immediately.”

Santio took a few steps back, locking eyes with Seol, before entering the ceremony room.

Though his eccentric behavior seemed ridiculous, it was also worrisome.

After that, more tower masters and high-ranking magicians, each bearing the tower master's emblem, entered the room in succession.

Mael clenched his fist.

“So this is… Zodiac…”

“The mana emanating from them… is incredible…”

"They are considered the pinnacle of intelligence in human society, after all. I never thought I'd see this incredible sight with my own eyes so soon, though."

“Let’s go to our seats.”

Ur moved within Seol’s Shadow Space.

- Not bad… for thieves…

The ceremony was held in the banquet room closest to the highest floor.

Surprisingly, the moment they entered the banquet room, the scenery around them changed, making it appear as if they were outside.

A vast plain stretched beneath the sky, with clouds drifting lazily above. A cool breeze blew past every once in a while, tousling people's hair.

And as everyone took their seats, the appointment ceremony began.

Ridwen and Cartesin stepped onto the platform.

"On behalf of Libra, we would like to thank every magician who has made the journey here.”

"As you have made time for us despite your busy schedules, we will also reciprocate by answering questions before the ceremony."

It was an unusual order.

They likely did so because there were high-ranking magicians here only present to satisfy their curiosity about the Alcatron expedition.

A magician with a cold expression was the first to ask a question.

"Was the Alcatron expedition a failure? I heard many people lost their lives."

The young magician spoke bluntly and boldly to an Aspect Magician.

However, Ridwen didn’t mind it at all. After all, the true individual asking that question was the Tower Master of Capricorn, who lent his emblem to the young magician to speak.

"Though we managed to fulfill our objective, because many people died, we can't claim it was a success or failure. However, when we consider how dangerous Alcatron was, the fact that so many people could return could be seen as a small success."

“Hmph… do the other expedition party members also think that?”

The people began to murmur.

"I am the leader of the Steel Lion Mercenaries who participated in this expedition. We believe that the expedition could be considered a success."

“The Artifact Association…”

“The Black Pilgrims…”

As everyone agreed, Capricorn's tower master fell silent.

Next was Scorpio.

"So, I heard Alcatron collapsed... but what was inside?"

“Well…”

Libra’s magicians minimized the details in their response.

They informed Scorpio about the ancient evil lurking in Alcatron and how the expedition party all worked together to defeat it.

“Hm… Something’s rubbing me the wrong way, though…”

A few more questions followed, but Ridwen and Cartesin managed to answer them satisfactorily.

"We will continue addressing questions later as well, so... let us now proceed with the most significant event of today: the appointment of the next Libra."

Hmmm…

Frannnan entered through the banquet hall’s doors, donning the Tower Master’s uniform.

The eyepatch he wore added a touch of wildness to his appearance.

Step… Step…

“So he really did lose his eye…”

"You never really could deny his skills."

“I feel like the mood around him has changed.”

Frannan stepped through the murmuring people and stood on the platform.

Ridwen then spoke in a serious tone.

"When news of Bornuil, the Libra's disappearance reached us, the magicians of Libra were thrown into a panic. However, heroes are always born from crises. Frannan, Aspect Magician of Libra, you have led an expedition party to successfully uncover Bornuil's fate, as well as defeat a great evil hidden within Alcatron's chasms.”

It could have been quite embarrassing to receive such praise.

However, no one laughed.

"We came to the realization that we needed a new Libra to maintain our balance. And that..." said Ridwen.

“is you, Frannan.”

Cartesian and Ridwen each brought out a medal.

“We beseech you to maintain our balance. Will you accept?”

Frannan maintained the same cold expression.

However, for official settings like this, he had to recite the magician’s oath.

“With knowledge as my blade and wisdom as my handle, I declare my omnipotence alongside my incompetence. In pursuit of truth, I embrace the contradictions within my ideas.”

“......”

“I… am a magician.”

A twisted smile formed on Frannan’s lips.

“I may be lacking, but I will do my best.”

Scorpio quickly stood up from their seat.

“Scorpio recognizes the new Libra!” shouted Scorpio.

Hum…

A scorpio emblem filled up the sky.

“Pisces recognizes the new Libra as well!”

“Virgo…”

More and more insignias filled the sky.

In the end, the sky was filled with eleven different insignias.

Frannan felt the weight of the Libra epaulet adorning his uniform.

Frannan, the new Libra, stepped forward to speak on the platform.

"Ah, ah... Is this boring ceremony finally over now? From now on, I'm the new Libra, right?"

Everyone was shocked at Frannan's disrespectful tone, especially given his formality just moments ago.

“There might be people on the same level as me in Zodiac, but no one’s above me, right?”

“...Wh-what?”

"Ah, the only exception might be if the Grand Duke of Frost comes back from the grave."

While most of the magicians grimaced at Frannan’s attitude, there were also many who enjoyed it, especially among a few Tower Masters, including Scorpio.

“Bwahahahaha! How fun! You and I will get along well!”

"Bornuil was on the more boring side, but this new Libra is quite eccentric."

As Ridwen was at a loss for what to do, the other tower masters waved their hands.

"It looks like he has more to say. Go ahead."

"There's no one who can stop you anymore. I was just getting bored, so this came at the perfect time."

Frannan's single eye bore a serious expression.

"Then... the first thing that I want to say is..." began Frannan. "I hate you magicians, you fucking bastards."

Frannan looked directly at an old woman relying on a device to help her move, as well as the female magician assisting her.

While the old magician didn’t show much of a reaction, the young magician held a dark mood around her.

“What do you mean by that?”

"It's exactly as I said. Magicians all do this because they enjoy feeling superior to others, don't they? I was the same. I... was exactly the same."

Frannan's eye grew distant, as if he was recalling a dark past.

"I thought I could do anything. That's why I didn't so much as give a glance to the people who were behind me. Because I... was better than all of them."

“Haha… everyone goes through that.”

“There were a lot of stuffy, old-fashioned magicians who tried to correct me.”

Veil, the magician who took him in.

- Because you are a magician. People think magicians are incredible, but... in truth, we’re all just conceited idiots.

Yurin, whose mind had reverted to that of a child's.

- I guarantee you, no one, except for the first ever magician, learned magic on their own from the start. Humans may be weak, but we are a race that accumulates knowledge. That is how we’ve continued to advance magic further.

"They all did whatever they pleased... They even tried to correct one of the fundamental things about me."

“Magicians don’t know when to keep their nose out, after all.”

“Hahaha! That’s right, Libra! So, are you still like that?”

Frannan answered coldly.

“No.”

“......”

“In the end, I lost.”

He sighed deeply.

"I realized my limits through this expedition. A foul magician is always left on their own, after all."

“......”

"However, the heavens blessed even a person like me with people whom I could trust."

Frannan first looked at Seol before looking at the other expedition party members.

"The reason the expedition was a success wasn't because of my pitiful magic. It pains me to admit this, but it was because of my comrades."

“How obvious, Frannan.”

“And?”

Frannan then continued.

"So, because I am an adult who took so long to learn and say something so obvious... I plan to finally convey my feelings, sincerely."

Frannan addressed Yurin, who had mentally reverted to a child, and Ebony, her disciple, standing beside her.

“Ebony.”

“...Yes.”

“Before Yurin saved you, she gave me a request.”

“What kind of…”

Ebony had stayed by Yurin’s side since that day, considering herself a sinner and seeing it as a way to atone for her sins. But... Yurin had left words for her before the accident?

Frannan closed his eyes.

- Frannan, if something happens, and I fail…

- No! I’m not going to do that!

- Stop making such a fuss. Well… I leave it to you.

Yurin’s final request to Frannan.

- Could you tell her that it’s fine? Tell my cute little disciple that… I’m okay.

“It’s fine, Ebony.”

“...What?”

“Yurin said that it was okay.”

“......”

"She told me to tell you that if something went wrong."

“Urg……”

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to tell you this. It took far too long for me to say it with a sincere heart."

“Urg-Ahhhhh…”

Finally, after all this time, Ebony felt a weight lift from her heart.

She hadn't laughed in years, fearing that Yurin might have despised her for the accident.

With a teary-eyed smile, she looked at Frannan, the new Libra.

Sensing that Frannan was done, Ridwen and Cartesin moved on to the next matter.

"Lastly... we will be awarding the individual who has contributed the most to the expedition. Please step forward!"

Step… Step…

Seol and Frannan, the new Libra, locked eyes.

[A Charming Individual activates. You receive additional favorability.]

[You have acquired ‘Frannan, the Crooked Libra’ as a helper.]

[‘Frannan, the Crooked Libra’ is a Transcendent rank.]

[Helpers have a chance of appearing in all Adventures.]

[They will help you differently based on their favorability toward you.]

[Your influence in Faction: Libra Magic Tower increases.]

[Your influence in Faction: Zodiac increases.]

[You now have a friendly relationship with Faction: Libra Magic Tower.]

[You are now able to both give and receive assistance from Faction: Libra Magic Tower.]

[Faction: Libra Magic Tower is deeply interested in your actions.]

Frannan, the Libra, spoke to the other Aspect Magician.

“Bring it.”

Frannan held a chest and offered it to Seol, who opened it.

Creaaak…

A radiant light shone forth as the crown revealed itself.

[You have acquired Peerless: Crown of Order.]

[You have acquired an item that didn’t exist in the world previously.]

……

And with this new item, Seol’s next step was readied.

[You have obtained 5 Peerless-quality items.]

[You have received information on Hidden Adventure 'Glory to be Gained'.]

[Once the conditions have been met, a Sudden Adventure will activate.]

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