LTTH C71

Chapter 71

James ranted endlessly about how cruel and heartless the Tower Master was, while the Tower Master brushed him off with visible annoyance. Watching the two argue, Hansol gave up on intervening. They said even a dog wouldn’t step between fighting spouses; he doubted his involvement would help.

But unlike Hansol, Kassie did not hold back.

“Stop the lovers’ quarrel. At this rate, finishing the task won’t take long.”

“Lovers…?”

“What nonsense.”

Good lord.

At Kassie’s utterly unfiltered statement, both men’s faces froze instantly. As if forgetting they’d been arguing moments before, they stared at each other in stunned silence.

“I’m with this mage…?”

James was the first to speak, but he still looked utterly shell-shocked. It seemed he would need time before regaining his grip on reality.

“If we install just one per country, we’ll finish quickly. Travel isn’t a problem—we have that mage, and I can teleport as well.”

Having tossed a bomb between James and the Tower Master, Kassie calmly listed the necessary plans as if nothing had happened.

Two high-level mages—Kassie and the Tower Master. Traveling across countries would be nothing but a trivial task for them. Hansol himself had experienced both of their teleportation spells; it was more than feasible.

“…It really won’t take that long then. Though I do worry about your stamina, Hansol.”

“I’m fine.”

Startled when the Tower Master’s gaze suddenly cut toward him, Hansol nodded quickly.

Even if he was a healer with weak physical strength, all he needed to do was teleport and place Purification Zones. It wasn’t physically demanding compared to purifying each infected individual one by one. Hansol’s real concern was something else entirely—“Will those countries even welcome me?”

Some countries will definitely refuse.

America had been eager to purify their dark zones, but there were others who used dark zones almost like containment facilities. Such nations might not want their infected citizens returned to society at all.

Some might prefer that they simply die within those darkened worlds—harsh, isolated landscapes where survival was nearly impossible.

“Hansol, must you really go? America will be fine—James can accompany you. But the other countries… I truly cannot recommend it.”

The Tower Master’s eyes softened with earnest concern.

Indeed, Hansol had originally had no ties with the dark zones at all. Korea didn’t have one, and Hansol—barely level 1 at the time—was incapable of affecting one anyway. If he hadn’t discovered that Purification worked on them, he never would have been involved.

“Not every country with a dark zone has requested help, but most of them need your power. And they all know you’re the Messiah—the one who purified America’s dark zone and its infected. Just as we feared.”

Hansol had expected that from the moment he stepped foot in America. No matter how much the country or James tried to keep things secret, something like this couldn’t remain hidden for long.

“When you travel, many will try to keep you there—by any means necessary. Some may even resort to extreme measures. Of course, I, this mage, and even James will protect you. But… we cannot guarantee there won’t be dangers beyond what we can handle.”

The Tower Master’s words, once steady, grew heavy. This was no longer about traveling to place magic circles—it sounded more like marching onto a battlefield with one’s life on the line.

“You don’t have to save all of them. They have survived this long on their own, and even without you, they would continue living the same way.”

Cold and ruthless as it sounded, the Tower Master’s words were sincere sympathy—an expression of concern for Hansol. But Hansol was not the type to abandon those he could help.

“You already know my answer.”

“…Exactly. And that’s the problem. Truly.”

The Tower Master stared at Hansol for a long moment, reluctant, before finally lowering his eyes with a quiet sigh—a sign of resignation.

“Then I’ll draft the optimal travel route.”

“I’ll review it with you.”

Before anyone could blink, the two mages had already put their heads together, discussing logistics. They weren’t arguing for once—an improvement from their first encounter. But Hansol couldn’t be sure; at any moment they might turn and snarl at each other again.

“Darling, do I really look like a couple with that mage?”

“…What?”

He was still stuck on that?

James, moving like a zombie afflicted with some strange virus, drifted forward. Startled, Hansol stepped back. Apparently, the idea of being paired with the Tower Master had been deeply traumatizing.

“Sh*t. A foul-tempered man like that is definitely not my type…”

His voice echoed loudly—too loudly—reaching the ears of the two mages before Hansol could clamp a hand over his mouth.

The Tower Master’s gaze, earnest just moments before, chilled to an icy frost. He rolled up his sleeves as if ready to hurl fire at James right that instant.

James. Please—some awareness.

This was the middle of the Magic Tower. And James had already lost to the Tower Master once. If they fought again, the Tower Master would win—Hansol had no doubt.

“Why does everyone think I look like a couple with that mage? I like you, darling. So what went wrong? Huh?”

“W-wait. James. Calm down first.”

Hansol tried to soothe him, patting his shoulder. But James only grabbed Hansol with both hands, shaking him with his enormous strength.

“James… I’m getting… dizzy…”

Hansol gripped James’s arm, trying to steady himself, but the iron-solid limb did not budge. Damn it.

How long he was shaken, he didn’t know. Suddenly, the air turned cold.

James froze mid-movement. Then—

A deluge of water drenched him from head to toe.

“James…?”

His once-impressive appearance had transformed into that of a soaked retriever—hair drooping, water dripping everywhere. Naturally, Hansol’s gaze shifted toward the Tower Master.

“Enough. Hansol is uncomfortable.”

Hansol appreciated the intervention. He really did. But wasn’t this too much? James would catch a cold at this rate—

“Hunter bodies don’t get sick from a little water. Especially not him. Tanks have far superior stamina compared to other classes.”

“Achoo!”

…He just sneezed.

Hunters did have stronger immunity, but standing soaking wet in cold weather could still be dangerous. Hunters weren’t immune to illness.

“Even hunters are human… James, are you alright?”

“Y-yeah… I’m cold, but I’ll live.”

If Hansol had a spare jacket, he would’ve given it. But all he had was the robe the Tower Master had given him earlier. All he could do was gently shake the water from James’s hair.

“…Such theatrics.”

The Tower Master clicked his tongue. A gust of wind swirled around them—and suddenly, James dried completely, as though he had baked under sunlight for hours. Hansol, too, lost all moisture from his hands and clothes.

“See that, darling? His personality is terrible. Gives the cold and then the cure.”

Rejuvenated, James whispered into Hansol’s ear. And honestly… he wasn’t wrong. The Tower Master was unfailingly kind to Hansol—but consistently harsh toward James. Perhaps their first meeting really had gone wrong.

“I can hear you. If you don’t want another bath, keep quiet.”

“…He really is awful.”

Hansol half-expected another flood of water, but the Tower Master simply glared at James and looked away—more disgusted than angry, as though avoiding something filthy rather than dangerous.

Even so, the brief truce that followed felt like a small miracle.