[Vol. 8] Chapter 311: The World Inside the Tower
“To be able to ask this question shows that you only know part of the truth. Her Highness Carinvega’s wisdom is something even I deeply admire. She is the smartest person I have ever met. Since she set things up this way, it means she has already seen through the truth behind it all. The reason she didn’t tell you the full details is clearly to protect you.”
“Maybe the two of you think you are very strong, already among the best of your generation, even across the whole world. But in reality, with your current level of skills, you wouldn’t even have the slightest power to resist when facing truly terrifying beings. If you were pulled into that storm, it would only lead you to death.”
“We have no grudges between us. Naturally, I would never do something like that.”
Rosie frowned slightly and replied without giving a clear answer.
“Mr. [Sword of Purity], may I ask, what exactly do you mean by ‘truly terrifying beings’? Does this mean you didn’t come here on your own will, but were sent by someone else or under the command of some other power?”
“Heh... It seems you didn’t listen to a single word I said. Such a curious little girl... Compared to Her Highness, you are still far too young...”
Shaking his head helplessly, [Sword of Purity] stopped speaking further. He simply placed his hand gently on the hilt of his sword, his eyes becoming sharp and focused.
“Although I dislike it, I still have my reasons. Since you wish to stop me, then let’s speak with strength instead. As long as you defeat me, the answers you seek will naturally become clear.”
“Let’s finish this quickly. The skies above this Imperial Capital... will soon change.”
……………………………………
The moment they stepped onto the eighth floor of the tower, the scene before their eyes completely transformed.
“This is...?”
“An illusion?”
Everyone looked at each other in shock, staring at the surroundings that were completely different from the inside of the tower. For a moment, no one could speak.
Green mountains, clear valleys, flowing streams. The once dark and narrow space inside the tower had suddenly expanded into a vast, vibrant world. Eagles soared across the sky, fish leapt across the surface of the water, and beside the rivers and mountains, intelligent beings had even built small villages.
Standing on a hillside and gazing down, they could see rows of simple wooden houses along the creek. Even Violet, usually calm and composed, couldn’t help feeling a trace of surprise. But soon, she regained her composure and muttered.
“What an impressive trick...”
“Master, is this a divine realm?”
To her dragon’s curious guess, the priestess only shook her head.
“No. As we can see, this is a world. Not a complete one, but a world that truly exists. It seems someone has copied a certain fox’s idea... Or perhaps this was the only way to reach the final outcome. Different paths, same destination.”
Murmuring to herself, Violet turned to look back. The large doorway of the eighth floor, the one they had passed through earlier, had already disappeared without a trace. Soon after, she raised her head, as if sensing something, and noticed one of the strongest signs that this world was incomplete.
There was no sun in the sky.
To be more precise, the sky here was very strange. There were no sun, moon, or stars. Yet it still gave off natural light, as if the sky itself had become one enormous glowing surface. Everywhere was covered in a pale white brightness, and not a single cloud could be seen.
The feeling was... as if they were standing directly under some vast, magnificent existence, but were unable to see its true form.
“...”
For some reason, Xiao Guang also raised her head toward the sky with a faintly strange expression. She silently nodded once, and then said nothing more.
Since entering the tower, the dragon girl had been acting very different. She became quiet, almost invisible, always walking at the edge of the group. She didn’t help in battle, didn’t share opinions, and always looked distracted.
Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
But as if she hadn’t noticed her own dragon’s strange behavior, Violet simply turned her eyes toward Nitila and the others, smiling gently.
“It seems we accidentally stepped into quite an incredible place. What do you all plan to do now?”
The princess took back her gaze after also looking around. Her eyes showed surprise, awe, and a heavy seriousness. It was as if an ant trying to move a mountain had suddenly realized its own weakness. A doubt rose in her heart, could they really solve a problem inside a tower that contained such a grand and mysterious world?
“No matter what… let’s first try to talk to the living beings here and collect some information. This world feels strange everywhere we look. There must be a big problem. If the Austre Empire truly can create a small world inside a tower, then how could the Holy Empire or the Sea Alliance ever hope to match it?”
“You’re very calm~ Well, that’s fine too. Let’s go then.”
Without wasting time, they went down the hillside and followed the stream forward. Before long, they arrived close to the buildings at the foot of the mountain.
It was a small village, not very large. Perhaps a little over one hundred households. Before they even entered, they saw several women by the stream washing clothes. Some looked like young girls around sixteen or seventeen, others like middle-aged women in their forties or fifties.
They wore simple rough linen clothes, with no makeup, looking just like ordinary countryside villagers. But…
With her overwhelming spiritual sense, Violet could clearly feel the hidden magic inside their bodies. It seemed sealed away by some force and could not be released, but it was without doubt really there.
And more than that, the races of these women were surprisingly mixed. Far too mixed for people living in the same small village. Among just the five or six of them, there were humans, half-bloods, and even one who was obviously a demon born from a monster taking human shape.
Strange. Extremely strange.
While the priestess secretly observed, the village women also noticed the newcomers. But instead of showing fear or caution toward these strangers, they stopped their work and greeted Violet and the others with curiosity.
“Oh my, this is the first time guests from outside the village have come here. Hello~”
Not knowing their true identity, Nitila dared not act careless. She simply nodded politely and replied with a cautious greeting.
“Hello, we… got lost in the mountains, and somehow ended up here. May I ask, what is this place?”
The village women exchanged confused looks. Then the youngest one, who seemed to be the demon girl, spoke first.
“What a strange question. This is the Village. There is only one Village. Didn’t the Great Will tell you?”
“?”
Everyone froze at such a strange answer. Alex was just about to frown and speak when the princess quickly held him back. Keeping her expression calm, she put on a natural smile and nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, yes, of course, this is the Village. Sorry, we asked something strange. May I ask, young lady, what is your name?”
“Oh, I am [11279].”
“...?”