The Woman of the Tower

“Then it’s settled. We’ll cooperate and take down that Monster, Alexia, immediately!” I declared.

“Wait a moment,” Lucille countered. “That woman possesses a formidable Power—those breasts of hers are a force to be reckoned with. We are no match for her alone. We should call for backup.”

Lucille sounded plausible enough, but I knew the truth: despite our posturing, we were both merely dancing in the palm of Alexia’s hand.

Alexia offered us a serene smile. “That sounds lovely. I would be delighted to accompany you.”

“You are not invited!” Lucille barked. She turned her sharp gaze toward me. “Well, Cutting Board? You’re a Thief, aren't you? Surely you’re skilled in Enemy Detection?”

I bristled. “Do I look like the sort of person who would stoop to such labor?”

I was a noble daughter, through and through. I didn't possess a shred of the nimbleness one would expect from a rogue.

“You have such a flat Cutting Board of a chest, and yet you can’t move?” Lucille scoffed. “What is that board even for, then!”

“Who do you think chose to have a body like this?!” I snapped. Our alliance was already beginning to fray at the seams.

“My, my, you mustn't fight like that, you know?” Alexia interjected.

“Whose fault do you think this is?!” I screamed.

“Miranda-san?” Alexia asked, tilting her head.

“Umu, quite so,” Lucille added, nodding.

I felt a vein throb in my temple. “Why are you siding with the enemy? You’re supposed to be my ally!” I shouted so hard I became short of breath. I forced myself to calm down. “Anyway, why do we even need Enemy Detection? The Enemy—that breast-ghost—is standing right in front of us.”

“To gather more allies,” the Demon Lord replied. “There is someone living in a rather peculiar place nearby. Even I am no match for her. I want her to lend us her hand.”

I felt a chill. For an opponent to be described that way by the Demon Lord herself was unsettling.

In this territory, there was no one who could violate that person’s Sanctuary. It was a clear sign that she belonged to no faction. In Alf Town, where the residents rallied around Yuri, people on Alexia’s side were actually in the minority, but this was different.

“Fine,” I sighed. “I shall cooperate.”

“Then let us go at once.”

“W-Wait a minute! It’s already night!”

“Which makes it the perfect time. Let’s go!”

Before I could protest further, Lucille grabbed me and began dragging me away. I looked back to see Alexia waving us off with that same insufferable smile.

◇ ◇ ◇

Even in the dead of night, Alf Town maintained a steady glow thanks to the illumination of various Magic Tools. However, the streets were mostly deserted, the usual bustle replaced by an eerie silence.

“Isn’t it a nuisance to visit someone at this hour?” I asked.

“No problem,” Lucille said. “If anything, this is the only time she’s actually awake.”

“A nocturnal type, then?”

The image of an Assassin moving through the Dark night flashed through my mind. It made sense; if they were that sort of professional, meeting during these hours was expected. If Yuri had such talent in his pocket, forming a connection with them would be a pragmatic move for my future.

However, the destination we reached was something I hadn't anticipated in the slightest.

“We’re here,” Lucille announced.

“Wh-What on earth is this?”

We stood before a... tower? If it could even be called that. It was a grotesque, distorted stack of masonry that looked like it would crumble if a stiff breeze hit the walls. Each floor looked like it had been sliced and stacked in a precarious, miraculous balance.

“The master of this place was particular about the shape,” Lucille explained. “She forced them to build it exactly like this.”

“What a strange person,” I muttered.

“Strange, yes, but her power is the real deal.”

I squinted at the structure. “To think it can support a tower like this... it must be magic.”

“Presumably so.”

My curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to see if the structure was truly held together by spells or if it was just a stiff gust away from disaster. I leaned in to give it a firm push.

“P-P-Please don’t push it!!”

I jumped. A panicked, high-pitched voice seemed to drift down from the upper levels. I scanned the area, but there was no one in sight.

“Must have been my imagination,” I whispered. I turned back to the wall and prepared to push again.

“I’m saying no! Stop! Don’t push!!”

The voice was unmistakable this time.

“That is the master of this tower,” Lucille said. “The Great Sage Melty.”

“The Great Sage...?”

I paused. The voice sounded remarkably like a young girl’s. I see. So that’s how it is.

If she were a Great Sage, she would naturally want to hide her identity while living in a Frontier Region like this. Using a fake, youthful voice to elicit sympathy was a classic tactic.

But why is a Great Sage in Yuri’s territory? Then again, before Yuri arrived, this place was poorly managed and isolated. It’s the perfect spot to hide if you don't want to be found.

The logic clicked into place. The voice was a feint.

“You can’t fool me with that,” I said with a smirk. I reached out and tapped the tower—just a light, mocking nudge to punctuate my thought.

In the next instant, a deafening groan echoed through the night. The miraculous balance vanished, and the entire tower collapsed with a thunderous roar.

“Eh...?”

“Ky-aaaaahhh!”

A scream erupted from within the wreckage. I stood there, stunned. I hadn't expected the thing to be that fragile.

“You certainly don’t do things by halves,” Lucille remarked, staring at the rubble. “Our ally is now buried alive.”

“Y-Yes, quite. We must rescue her immediately.”

I needed to get her out so she could testify that I barely touched the thing. I couldn't have a Great Sage thinking I’d demolished her home on purpose.

Despite the total destruction, the master of the tower was easy to find. True to her title as a Great Sage, she was completely unharmed by the collapse. However, her choice of clothing—a single, overly casual shirt—gave off a distinctly provocative aura.

It reeked of the Enemy. It reeked of Alexia.

“I-I’m saved... No, I’m not saved at all!” the girl wailed, her shoulders slumping as she stared at the pile of stone. “My house... not again...”