After wrapping up his meeting with the level 2 wizards of the lightning magic tower to chat about the grand paladin, he headed back to his practice room.
Once there, he slipped back into his usual routine, pushing aside thoughts of the grand paladin for the time being. Even though he brushed it off, updates still trickled in on his badge. But hey, having that level 2 badge from the magic tower was pretty sweet.
It wasn't just any badge; it doubled as a tablet and a digital newspaper. Sure, the tablet feature was exclusive to us level 2 wizards, but it came in handy for reaching out to others inside or outside the tower whenever we needed to connect.
But, the real gem was the newspaper function. That's where all the tower updates and other events popped up on our badges. So, here's the deal: every department under each level 2 wizard had this special device to share news with the tower's central network. The level 2 wizards had the power to pick and choose what news got shared, but once it hit the network, every other level 2 wizard was in the loop.
Take, for instance, the time when there was damage to a critical node of the tower's magic formation. That intel came straight from Sir Cedric's department. And let's not forget about the special intel-gathering crew led by Lady Evangeline, who kept us in the loop about important news from outside the tower.
But not all the news shared was groundbreaking. The intel department had a knack for dishing out juicy gossip like, 'Hey, did you hear? The second prince got caught cheating on his wife!' or 'What's up with the Northern prince? He hasn't taken a new wife since his first one passed away. Is it a case of impotence or just unshakable loyalty?'
"Honestly, these gossip tidbits aren't half bad," Zack thought with a chuckle. Fannie especially got a kick out of it. He'd often pass his badge over to her to catch up on the latest scandals.
But, duty called, and he needed to get back to training. Time to hit the grindstone!
***
The lightning magic tower wasted no time in responding. Just a week later, they'd temporarily dispersed all the black markets under their jurisdiction to other spots. That put a halt to the grand paladin's shenanigans. It seemed like he still remembered he was flying solo without the Holy Empire backing him up. So, he didn't want to ruffle the feathers of all the magic towers and called it quits for the time being.
But, just a week after the last incident, the grand paladin struck once more. This time, he launched an assault and kidnapped the current imperial family of the Fulminar Empire, making the same demand as before: handing over Zack, the newest level 2 wizard from the lightning magic tower.
Zack was mid-bite into his breakfast when the news hit him. "Heh, figures," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "No way that grand paladin's gonna call it quits, especially when fate keeps egging him on," he thought, frustration creeping into his mind.
This time, Zack felt a tad more uneasy. Not because he was fretting over the Fulminar Empire's fate, but because he didn't want the lightning magic tower's operations to take a hit. See, Zack saw the tower as his ticket to gaining the knowledge and power he needed to reach his goals.
If the grand paladin kept up his rampage, there was a real risk the pope might exploit the chaos and redeploy those withdrawn soldiers back to the Fulminar Empire. The situation could spiral into something even worse than when the saintess was alive.
It was ironic, really. Before, the grand paladin was relatively tame, just sticking to his mandate of dealing with the western guardian. He didn't go around terrorizing or hunting wizards in his assigned area, which actually improved public security compared to when rogue wizards were running wild.
On the other hand, despite the saintess being more aggressive, the damage she caused was comparable to what the grand paladin was pulling off solo now. So, if the pope decided to send in troops to aid the grand paladin, the Fulminar Empire might find itself in an even worse pickle than before the saintess kicked the bucket.
So, Zack decided he was gonna step in this time. How, you ask? He was gonna give that grand paladin a good old-fashioned beatdown. And hey, he'd only send in his clone, not his main body, so he'd be safe and sound.
As expected, there was another summons from Lady Evangeline for a meeting. Zack made his way back to the meeting room, noticing that the other three level wizards were absent. "Looks like they're all still out of the tower," he mused to himself.
As soon as he took his seat, magic sparked, and holograms of the other three wizards appeared in their chairs. And let me tell you, their expressions weren't exactly sunshine and rainbows.
"Hey, everyone. It's been a while since we've had back-to-back meetings like this. What are your thoughts on the current situation?" Lady Evangeline greeted everyone before diving right into business.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"We could potentially consider replacing the current imperial family with a new one," Sir Archibald proposed.
Zack kinda nodded along with Sir Archibald's idea. But then again, the current imperial fam was like the lightning magic tower's golden goose, super loyal and knew how to run the empire like a well-oiled machine. Switching 'em out would just be a royal pain, waiting for the newbies to get their act together.
"Indeed, but we must acknowledge that if we remove the current imperial family, we might not have the authority to dictate the next family to assume control of the Empire. Our role would be more of a 'support' to the new family, with hopes that they'll ascend to imperial status," Lady Evangeline remarked, scanning the wizards seated around the table. She took a moment to collect herself before continuing, "Yet even then, there's no guarantee the new family will remain loyal to our directives."
Zack gave another nod. See, officially speaking, the lightning magic tower currently didn't boast any level 3 wizards, while the empire had three heavy hitters at level 2. That was almost the same number of level 2 wizards that the tower had. So, why would the empire feel compelled to kowtow to the lightning tower's demands? Plus, if they ditched the current fam, the newcomers might figure, 'Well, lightning tower ditched them, so they could ditch us too,' and boom, there goes any loyalty.
"But what's our move here? Even if we wanted to rescue the current imperial family, we're up against a level 3 powerhouse, and we'd have to face him alone. The other towers won't lift a finger unless there's something in it for them. And let's face it, getting rid of the current imperial family suits their agenda just fine, so they're not gonna back us up,” Sir Cedric grumbled.
"True that," Zack mused inwardly. It made sense, really. The other magic towers could easily team up to prop up a new imperial family or just cozy up to the freshly appointed one. Either way, it'd be curtains for the lightning tower's monopoly over the Fulminar Empire. So, it was no wonder they were sitting this one out. Heck, the lightning tower should probably be thanking their lucky stars if the other towers weren't lending a hand to the grand paladin.
Then, the three level 2 wizards hashed out various strategies, but none of them seemed feasible. After all, they were up against a level 3 powerhouse—a force to be reckoned with. Back in the day, someone of that caliber would've been deemed a god, and in today's world, they practically embodied an empire's might, capable of laying waste to it single-handedly.
Sure, if all the magic towers pooled their resources, they might stand a chance of taking down the grand paladin, even if it meant sacrificing many level 2 wizards in the process. But tackling him with just one tower? That was a suicide mission.
The level 2 wizards know that fact, the grim expressions on the wizards' faces spoke volumes. They were desperate, itching to ask Zack for help but too chicken to come out and say it. Zack caught their side glances, and he couldn't help but smirk. "Alright, I think I've heard enough," he thought. "Looks like the tower's got nothin' up its sleeve to deal with this grand paladin."
Zack had already made up his mind to lend a hand, even before the meeting. But he figured he'd stick around a bit longer, just to see if lightning tower had any hidden aces to play.
"Fellow wizards, no need to fret. Someone will step up to deal with the grand paladin. You can count on it," Zack said, flashing a smile laced with meaning.
The other wizards' faces lit up at Zack's words. They figured he was about to take charge this time. Each of them placed their right hand over their left chest, a gesture of respect among fellow wizards, and gave a little nod in Zack's direction. "We appreciate the help from whoever's gonna lend a hand," they chimed in unison.
They refrained from the full-on salute reserved for level 3 wizards—kneeling and bowing their heads—since Zack hadn't officially owned up to being one. They figured he was still trying to keep his identity under wraps. No need to tip their hand and offend a higher-up. But they still wanted to show their gratitude, so they settled for the regular ol' wizard salute.
Zack returned the gesture with a wink. "No need for formalities, guys. After all, it's not me who's going to lend a hand," he teased, lightening the mood.
Lady Evangeline nodded understandingly. "We'll be eagerly awaiting the good news," she said, a smile tugging at her lips. Sir Cedric and Sir Archibald shared in her sentiment, their expressions reflecting their understanding.
‘These guys are onto me!’ Zack thought with a chuckle. It was clear they knew he was the mysterious level 3 wizard. But hey, he wasn't about to take on the burden of running the whole tower, so it was all good that they had this unspoken agreement not to spill the beans. ‘Technically, I haven't hit level 3 yet, but who's counting?’ he shrugged to himself. ‘I'm stronger than any level 3 wizard anyway, so who cares?’
With the meeting wrapped up, Zack made his way to Fannie's practice room. It was almost lunchtime, so he didn't have to wait long before she emerged. In the tower, Fannie stuck to Zack's schedule of three square meals a day unless she had a pressing matter like enlightenment that she couldn't put off. This routine ensured they could catch up more frequently.
As expected, Zack didn't have to twiddle his thumbs for long before Fannie emerged from the practice room. Together, they strolled to the kitchen floor's kitchen. In order to streamline their day, they prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner all simultaneously during breakfast. That way, they only needed to reheat the food before settling down to eat.
After finishing their meal, Zack turned to Fannie with a serious expression. "Fannie, I need your help with something," he began, laying out the situation with the grand paladin. "So, I've decided to intervene this time."
Fannie's face clouded with concern, but before she could voice her objections, Zack reassured her, "Don't worry, I'll send my clone."
"In that case, I don't have anything to say," Fannie replied, her expression brightening.
"But because of that, I need your help to guard my physical body while I dive deep into my clone. I can't afford to be distracted when facing the grand paladin," Zack emphasized.
Upon hearing this, Fannie's eyes gleamed with determination, and she straightened her posture. "Leave it to me, teacher! I won't let anything get near your body!"
Zack chuckled warmly, reaching over to ruffle Fannie's hair. "I trust you completely. My body is in good hands with you around.”