Tower of Karma
Vol. 1 - Ch. 13 - A Moonlit Soirée (1): Encounter with Heaven

William was walking in the city of Arcus. He had a lot of plans for the night, but he was bored at the moment. Carl had been peeking into William's room from the garden, wanting to play with him, so he had escaped in a hurry. He was tired of entertaining Carl until his day off.

"So, give me some training."

"...I had a match yesterday and I'm tired, you know."

 William was in front of Kyle's house. By the way, William, who stood out with his white hair, was equipped with a wig and a hat. He didn't wear a mask because it would stand out more.

"Wait a minute. I'll get ready now."

 In the end, Kyle was the one who was sweet to William.

"Ahhh!"

"Mmph?!"

 William was surrounded by a funeral procession of corpses. Kyle saw it and understood. William had understood himself, the monster inside him. He had learned the way to draw out his own limits.

"How about that, Kyle! I've mastered it too!"

 The corpses laughed. Clink, clink, clink. Pleasantly, unpleasantly—

"That's right. This makes it even easier to see, doesn't it?"

William's skin bristled, and the laughter from the corpses disappeared.

"We can clearly see the limiting values of each other's current situation, right? Well, that's what it is."

 A strange shape emerged from Kyle's whole body. A giant, too huge a warrior. William couldn't imagine how much he had polished himself to create such a warrior, how many battlefields he had gone through to mature such a monster.

"...Please go easy on me."

"I've been going easy on you all along, you know? You skinny kid."

 Even if he was annoyed by the difference in power, he had to understand it. The distance between Kyle and himself as warriors.

"Then raaaaah!"

"Slow, light, and weak."

 William had been unbeaten in the battlefield lately, but he had no chance of winning against Kyle. He was blown away with a humming song.

"Ouch, ease up a little."

"I'm easing up a lot, you know, even with this."

 William was sweaty, while Kyle didn't sweat a drop. The difference was obvious, and it was annoying how far his best friend was as a warrior.

"The arena is full of monsters, huh."

"Nah, you're doing pretty good now too. I told you before, I'm strong."

 Kyle's words had a hint of fatigue.

"Did you become the champion?"

"No comment. Well, even if I did, it wouldn't matter. I have money but no use for it, and the person I want to share the glory with ignores me."

 Kyle dropped his shoulders. William, who had a rough idea, patted Kyle's shoulder. And remembering how he was beaten up, he felt a little mischievous.

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen Favela lately."

"Who? No one's talking about Favela, are they?"

 Kyle was flustered, obviously. William had a hard time holding back his laughter. He might have let out a little.

"It's past the busy season, right? The summer festival is over, and if it's like every year, you should be resting, right? Having a blast with the stuff you stole."

 Kyle nodded silently at William's words.

"I thought you were free, so I invited you to dinner yesterday."

"...Yesterday? Did you become the champion yesterday, too?"

"...No comment."

 William wanted to have a drink with Kyle's obvious behavior as a side dish, but he had something on his mind, and he couldn't get drunk from now on because of his plans for the night.

"He said we should play together when this job is over. He emphasized the three of us."

 Kyle held his head. Ignoring that, William thought.

Play together, the three of us? That's strange, he should understand the situation.

 He understood that Favela was obsessed with being together with the three of them. Aside from Kyle's feelings, what was strange was that Favela, of all people, should understand that the situation wouldn't allow that. No matter how much he disguised himself, if he was with them in public, there was a possibility that he would be exposed by some chance. Even meeting in a place where there was no popularity was a gray zone and unsuitable for the situation.

 Why would he want to play in such a situation, and why would he bother to tell Kyle that?

Well, there's no point in thinking about it.

 He didn't have enough information to think about it. It would only go round and round.

And, I have to go soon.

 He looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was leaning quite westward. He had to prepare for the night's plans, and he couldn't afford to be late.

"Well, I'm going to go."

"Hmm, do you have any plans or something?"

 Kyle, who was completely intent on having a drink at home, looked at William.

"Well, yeah. I'm invited to a pretty important party. I'm not the one who was invited, though."

"I see. I don't really get it, but good luck."

 Kyle was good at this kind of thing. He didn't ask too much, and he didn't try to intrude. He was the type who separated public and private matters.

"I'll be strong enough to beat you up by the time I see you next."

"Then I won't see you for ten years."

 The two laughed. Whether it was William or Kyle, the only people they could show this smile to were the three of them, including one more person. This bond was prioritized over anything else. For now—

A carriage carrying Carl and William rattled and shook. Carl and William sat facing each other. Carl, who faced him, looked a little sulky.

"Where did you go during the day? I wanted to play with you until nightfall."

"...Did you finish your assignment?"

"...The party sounds fun, huh? Hehe."

The conversation stopped. This was the best way to silence Carl. Give him some kind of assignment, and keep him quiet until he solves it. Carl, who was serious, tried hard to solve it, but if he gave him an assignment that took a long time to solve with his little knowledge, it was a miracle. The magic words to silence the talkative Carl were ready. It could be a problem if he did it too much, though.

"Who's the host?"

William felt a little sorry for him and brought up a topic. Then Carl's face brightened up in an instant.

"Well, I guess it's General Valdias. There are a lot of military people, because there are a lot of awards and promotions. But there are also some amazing nobles, and it makes me nervous."

The immovable Valdias. The best knight and warrior that Arcadia boasted. His name is known throughout the countries, and he's one of William's goals. Of course, he doesn't intend to be satisfied with that level.

The problem is the quality of the nobles. It's one thing if they're military officers, but even civil officials have decent houses. It doesn't seem like they're just gathering their relatives. There's something going on, but I don't have enough knowledge of this world to guess what it is.

Either way, this would make Carl's promotion to captain of a hundred men a sure thing. It was confirmed when Carl was invited. He had achieved such a feat, and it was probably a rare feat for a ten-man squad.

But neither Carl nor I have the power to handle this kind of crowd. The star of today is someone else, and we're just garnishes.

Even if they were garnishes, becoming a captain of a hundred men would greatly expand their tactical options. As someone who had felt the limit of a ten-man squad, it was a moment he had been looking forward to.

"Just calm down and don't make any mistakes."

"...You've been nagging a lot lately, William."

The carriage carried the two of them. To the back of the noble district, to the private residence of Valdias, a great noble and a national hero.

It was a splendid and gorgeous mansion. Valdias himself seemed to dislike the flashy decorations, but his position wouldn't let him do as he pleased. It was not easy to have such a luxurious and dazzling interior.

"It's amazing that they can accommodate so many people in such a spacious hall."

"Yeah, it's hard to build a house like this on this land. You can't buy land even if you have money, and there are eyes around you."

The noble district was a peculiar place. In the lower world, you could do anything if you had money. But in this place, you needed something called status. Conversely, if you have status, you have to live in a mansion like this whether you like it or not. It was a space where status was more important than money. That's why Lord Taylor was having trouble.

"—Who's that masked guy?"

"Look, it's the Taylor family's—"

"Oh, that upstart—"

What leaked from the surroundings was a strange look at the two who lacked status. Carl was supposed to be a noble, but he was too much. William was less than a splinter.

"Are you keeping the mask on?"

"Yeah, I'm here as your shadow, Carl. And as the "White Mask", I can't take off the mask, can I?"

The name "White Mask" spread with William's fame. It was gradually spreading, but only in countries around Arcadia. This time, he was invited as a soldier, so it would be polite to wear a mask.

Of course, if he said his true intentions, the mask would stand out more, so he thought it would be useful in this place where he stood out.

"Carl, you seem to be doing well."

Carl shuddered. He didn't look very happy. He looked scared, even. William decided to watch for now. In other words, he left him alone.

"You're the invincible Carl of the ten-man squad, right? That's awesome."

A woman who came to Carl's side grabbed his shoulder and hugged him.

"That skinny Carl is cheeky."

"N-no, compared to Hilda, I'm nothing."

The woman who was called Hilda played with Carl, who was reluctant, with a grin. The light in her eyes was that of affection.

"Compared to Hilda? When did I become comparable to you? You're getting carried away, aren't you, Carl~?"

The woman who was called Hilda looked up and stared at William.

"Or are you floating because you've found a good sword? Huh?"

There was no warmth in her eyes at all. It was the opposite of what she had shown to Carl. Rather, killing intent spilled out. What overflowed from her body was wind. It hit William's whole body like a storm. With obvious hostility—

Is she also... stepping in?

 William also sized up his opponent. The aura-like thing that overflowed from her body was her personality. She was probably a good person, since he couldn't feel anything ugly unlike himself. But the hostility towards William was not ordinary.

"Haha. You can see it too. I'm Hilda von Gardener. Dame Hilda. Nice mask, handsome."

 Dame. Which meant she was a woman who had received the title of knight. In Arcadia, the knight rank isn't hereditary. It's a title that only those who have performed well on the battlefield can obtain. That's why nobles desire it. It's a sure proof that they've performed well on the battlefield.

"Thank you for your compliment, Dame Hilda. I'm William Livius. Nice to meet you."

 Well, he understood that she wasn't ordinary even without such a title. And—

"I'm looking forward to fighting alongside you on the battlefield."

 William was also extraordinary. He lightly carried the remnants of the corpses. Hilda's eyebrows twitched.

"Oh, you're even more mismatched with Carl."

 She threw Carl away and came closer to William. Their eyes were intertwined. Carl was just tossed around.

"I don't care what happens to this weakling, his brother, and that shady old man, but if anything happens to Rutgard, I'll kill you then, okay?"

 She said that and left the place briskly. What was left were the two who were dumbfounded.

"...Do you know Lady Rutgard?"

"Um, a friend, I guess? Rutgard doesn't have many friends, but she's the only one I still hang out with. But Hilda's busy too, and her family background is also a factor, so we don't meet very often."

 Hilda's family background. He felt a little uneasy, but William decided that there was no need to pry. In other words, Hilda was the daughter of a count or a marquis, and she was mismatched with the Taylor family.

She seems to have a lot of acquaintances and is sociable... I don't think she gets along with Rutgard.

 Hilda, who had left them, was greeting various people. Most of them knew Hilda, or were in some kind of relationship with her. Their closeness was transparent.

"Hilda's a senior captain of a hundred men. She's the best young achiever. Look, the people Hilda is talking to now are the captains of a hundred men of the same generation. They're all from the same school...I failed, though, ehehe."

 The people who were talking to Hilda were definitely different from the others. They were noble, but they also had a smell of the battlefield. Some of them had a considerable atmosphere.

"Don't be so pessimistic. You'll catch up with them today, won't you?"

"Huh? Catch up, what do you mean—"

 As Carl was about to ask back, the place became silent. On the second floor of the hall, where it protruded, the host of today, Valdias, appeared. He had a presence that matched this splendid and gorgeous mansion. This is a noble, and this is a general. Everyone swallowed their saliva.

I see, as expected of the immovable Valdias. He's something else.

 William would have been knocked out by his presence before, but strangely enough, he was calm now. The mask and the knowledge of Stracles, these two were big.

"Today, I thank you for gathering in this shabby place. I have prepared some food and drink, but before that, I would like to hold a transmission ceremony. If you have no objection, please stand up."

 Everyone stood up, including those who were sitting. Well, there weren't many people sitting.

"Today, I was supposed to be the host and conduct the ceremony, but the situation suddenly changed. For the transmission ceremony only, I'll be leaving it to him. Ladies and gentlemen, please give him a round of applause."

 The applause was sparse, as if they were confused. Some of them were already clapping with all their might. Especially the ones who were out of place in this place—

Why? What's coming?

 William's confusion, the answer.

"I'll leave this ceremony in the hands of Prince Erhardt von Arcadia."

"Hahaha, you're still bad at introducing something like this, Valdias."

 What appeared was a monster wrapped in a golden aura.

"Huh?"

 For a moment, William's consciousness flew. He couldn't recognize the face well because his eyes were burned by the gold. Such power. Everything he had was different.

"I-it's the second prince. I-I've never seen him before."

 Carl's legs were trembling. It was like the gods of heaven had suddenly appeared, no wonder.

"Today, I'm honored to be invited, Immovable Valdias, Your Excellency."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't bully an old man. Then I'll leave it to you, Your Highness."

Erhardt stood in the place where Valdias had stood. Just by doing that, the place seemed like the center of the world, so overwhelming was Erhardt's presence.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I think some of you are seeing me for the first time. I've just been introduced, I am Erhardt von Arcadia. I would be honored if you would get to know me."

It was hard to react to being humbled by the prince. Everyone was wondering how to react and stiffened. Erhardt smiled wryly as if he was bored.

"I'm sorry. It's just that, being in the delicate position of the second prince, I can't act too arrogant to you all. I can't be king, since I have a brother."

A shocking statement. It was a big deal for the second prince to touch on the throne, no matter what he said, even in a place like this. The initial shock was too strong from his appearance, and everyone's senses were numb.

"Your Highness, don't play too much."

Valdias cautioned him. Erhardt accepted it with a mischievous smile.

"Then, I would like to proceed with the transmission ceremony as soon as possible. First of all, you've all worked hard for Arcadia. The battle in Laconia, the victory there; we've been winning one after another since then. It's all thanks to you. Tonight, I tried to prepare as many promotions, awards, and special rewards as possible to satisfy you. I don't want to spoil the dinner later."

Some people laughed as they got used to the prince's mood.

"Then let's start the transmission ceremony. First of all—"

Promotions and awards were announced from the higher positions in the army.

In the meantime, William was frowning under his mask.

In terms of power and knowledge, I'm superior, but there's still such a difference. Born to be, people who are in heaven. ......This way, my heart will waver.

Everything is the same when you die. That's what William thought. If you're both heading for death, it doesn't matter if you're of high or low status. It doesn't matter if you're a noble or a slave. That's what he thought.

But is that really true? Is death equal? Where is the reason for death to be equal when they are so different by birth? Even if they die, they might go to different places, or maybe that monster doesn't die at all. I don't know anything. I don't know anything anymore.

Erhardt von Arcadia

He's the second prince. Then what about the first prince? How far away is the king in the first place?

Suddenly, Erhardt and William's eyes met. It was such a moment that it wasn't clear if they had really met, but it was enough for William to understand. The distance between them. He thought his pace was fast. He thought this speed had been enough. But—

Not enough. Not even in the slightest. At this pace, how am I supposed to catch up?!

He was disgusted by his own weakness. He needed to go faster, higher, and climb up.

Huh, is that the rumored White Mask?

Erhardt also recognized William's deformity. He was too small for Erhardt. He would fly away if he blew, that was the level he was at. But that small existence was struggling. Erhardt could see him desperately reaching for the sky.

That was unbearably ridiculous, and unbearably—

How nice.

He was intrigued.

William and Erhardt. Heaven and earth have had their first encounter. Will heaven crush the earth, or will the earth devour the heaven? No one knows for now.