Serin got off the carriage and then extended his hand to Princess Leia, helping her step down as well. Just ahead of them, the Count was already standing in front of the Spire with a solemn expression on his face.

  Serin tilted his head back, drawing in a deep breath.

  From afar, it had not appeared to be such a large building, but now that he stood beneath its towering shadow, Serin realised that it was far larger and more intricate than he had imagined.

  The tower climbed in careful layers, each section narrowing as it rose, until it thinned into a sharp crown against the blue sky. Delicate arches and carved patterns lined its face, and the vertical windows drew the eye upward without pause.

  Sculptures of winged and other strange creatures—unknown to Serin—adorned the dark walls, artfully and intricately carved into the stone itself. Under the mild glow of twilight, the eyes of these creatures seemed to shine faintly like those of the living, making onlookers feel momentarily disoriented.

  Count Hainar pressed a firm hand onto Serin’s shoulder, snapping him out of his daze. Startled, Serin followed along with Leia as they walked forward.

  At the entrance, sculptures resembling gorgons loomed on either side—wide open eyes, long sharp fangs, and claws frozen mid-lunge as if about to tear him apart. Serin couldn’t help but gulp silently.

  Just as he recovered from the shock of seeing such lifelike sculptures, he froze again—but quickly composed himself, not wanting to appear like a country bumpkin startled at every step.

  However, his gaze still swept toward the lamps hung along the entrance walls as he stepped inside with the others. For a moment, he nearly jumped in shock, mistaking the glowing lamps—devoid of any flame—for electric bulbs before remembering that he was in Eidryth, not Earth.

  ‘So this is the Magi Order,’ he thought in contemplation as he entered the Spire for the very first time.

  Serin didn’t know what he had been expecting, but what he saw inside was certainly surprising, to say the least.

  The interior was far taller than he had anticipated.

  The ceiling arched high above in ribbed stone vaults that seemed too expensive for one another like the inside of a shell. Narrow windows ran along the walls, allowing thin shafts of pale light to stretch down in long, slanted beams. Dust drifted lazily through them.

  The inside was much more expansive than he had expected. It was also surprisingly simplistic—and… noisy. Numerous young men and women wearing the signature robes of the Magi Order clamoured about with thick books in their hands. Some stood alone, while others gathered in small groups.

  Seeing the new arrivals at the door, many shot glances toward Serin. Or rather, their gazes drifted toward Princess Leia beside him, who simply smiled back at everyone in greeting.

  At first glance, Serin noticed that the young men and women were coming in and out of various doors within the circular hall, while others ascended the twirling staircases along the edges, accessing chambers on the upper floors. Overall, it was quite lively inside.

  Strangely, Serin was reminded of his university days on Earth, even though he had rarely attended due to his packed schedule of chess tournaments. This wasn’t the first impression he had expected—but he didn’t dislike it.

  Before he could observe more, a voice echoed softly from ahead.

  “Count Hainar, Prince Serin… My master is waiting for you.” A young man with fiery, piercing eyes greeted them right at the entrance, a polite smile resting on his face.

  “Epher Hancey—the disciple of Master Vincent,” Princess Leia said, waving lightly at the young man before introducing him.

  Epher looked at Princess Leia and his smile widened. “Good that you came too, Leia.”

  Serin carefully observed Epher. The young man had a striking appearance, and from the reactions of the others wearing Magi robes, it was clear that Epher was greatly respected.

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  “The personal disciple of a Magi Master… no wonder,” Serin mused inwardly as he exchanged brief greetings along with the Count.

  “Please, follow me…” Epher bowed slightly and gestured ahead.

  Serin, Count Hainar, and Princess Leia followed him toward the stairs. Unexpectedly, Epher stopped in front of a strange vertical shaft embedded into the stone wall—situated directly between where the two stairways diverged left and right before twirling upward along the floors.

  Serin was bewildered. The shaft between the stairways was only about eight feet wide. He craned his neck upward, seeing it stretch all the way to the top.

  Looking down in wonder, he saw that there was a platform at the bottom of the shaft, covered in complicated runes and symbols etched across its surface and along the surrounding walls.

  Serin’s breath stalled. His eyes widened. He stepped back and looked at the shaft up and down, yelling inwardly in his mind:

  “Holy shit… that’s an elevator…”

  Just then, Epher casually stepped inside and stood upon the platform, beckoning the others in. Princess Leia followed without hesitation, as if this were merely part of her daily routine.

  Serin couldn’t hide his surprise this time as he stepped onto the platform, looking around with shining eyes full of curiosity.

  The platform was quite spacious; even with four people inside, there was still some room left.

  At the side, Serin noticed a lever protruding from the wall. Unsurprisingly, it too was covered in tiny, microscopic runes forming intricate patterns across its surface. It wasn’t difficult to guess what the lever was for.

  Sure enough, Epher grasped the lever and muttered something under his breath. The runes along the platform began to glow, lighting up the walls of the shaft all the way upward. The air around them grew slightly warmer.

  The platform trembled faintly. Serin felt the vibrations beneath his feet, and a slight, discomforting heaviness washed over him. The platform jerked abruptly, then stabilized just as quickly before beginning its ascent.

  “First time on the Floating Platform?” Princess Leia chuckled. “It takes a little getting used to. Don’t worry.”

  Serin nodded, watching the platform ‘float’ upward. It truly was an elevator. He watched as the figures on the ground floor became smaller and smaller. Some were still sneakily watching the ascending platform, while others paid no attention at all.

  As they rose, Serin briefly wondered if it would grow dark. Fortunately, his concern was resolved almost immediately as he noticed the flameless magical lamps placed in small cavities along the shaft’s walls, their glow streaking past continuously as the platform ascended higher and higher.

  Eventually, the platform reached its destination and came to a smooth halt at the highest floor—right inside the office of Magi Master Vincent, who sat calmly at his desk as if he had been waiting all along.

  A smile appeared on the Master’s face as he stood up and walked forward, arms slightly extended in welcome.

  The runes on the platform dimmed, and the barrier covering the doorway-sized opening dissolved. Epher stepped out first, followed by the others.

  ---

  —Imperial Capital Eidros—

  Sieg Nacht of the Secret Bureau navigated the corridors of the Imperial Palace, his monocle resting over his right eye as always. He greeted everyone along the way with a smile—though the smiles he received in return were stiff. Some even avoided him entirely, as if he were a plague god, unwilling to meet his gaze for fear of catching his attention.

  As usual, he made his way toward the Luna Garden, where the Emperor was already waiting. Sieg wore a bitter smile—it wasn’t his fault that the Emperor preferred receiving reports in his favourite garden, was it?

  The air grew noticeably fresher and more fragrant as he entered. Flora and fauna of almost heavenly beauty surrounded him. No matter how many times he walked these winding green paths, he never grew bored. There was always something new to notice.

  On this particular day, however, Sieg had no mind to admire the scenery. Though he maintained a polite smile, his heart felt heavy.

  In the distance, the Emperor was casually feeding the swans by the pond, making Sieg freeze momentarily before continuing forward.

  He waited patiently at the Emperor’s side, watching as the man peacefully fed fish to the pure white swans with a gentle smile. A comfortable yet deliberate silence lingered between them. Only after the bucket of fish was emptied did the Emperor sigh in satisfaction and turn his attention to Sieg.

  Sieg Nacht produced an envelope sealed with the crest of the Daylight Owl and handed it over. The Emperor broke the seal and began reading the report—compiled from various intelligence gathered by the Secret Bureau, specially prepared at Sieg’s discretion.

  After nearly half an hour, the Emperor looked at Sieg seriously and asked, “Tell me—what is the Divine Order up to so suddenly?”

  “Difficult to say. The last time all the churches on the continent were contacted by Sancta Verum simultaneously was when they were hunting someone.” Sieg sighed softly and averted his gaze. “This is our limit so far. Unfortunately.”

  The Emperor narrowed his eyes, fists clenching slightly. “Find out at any cost.” After a pause, he asked, “And what about the other matter?”

  Sieg scoffed faintly, gazing into the distance. “Those fellows truly take me for a fool—thinking they can infiltrate my Bureau and hide intelligence from me. How foolish.” He turned back toward the Emperor. “I have sent a letter to Waham. That should handle it.”

  “Good. Soon… we will tighten the net. Find out what is happening with the Divine Order. We don’t want any variables at this time.”

  Sieg nodded and took his leave. As he walked away from the Luna Garden, he couldn’t help but mutter to himself, his brows twitching restlessly.

  “Aaye… I have a bad feeling about this…”