No One Was Saving Face

"Good that you understand. Go explain it clearly," said a warm voice with a smile.

He seemed to have no emotional reaction whatsoever to the matter of Black Skull, as though this were merely a conversation between friends.

Yet to the Black Skull Tower Master, those words carried an unquestionable decision.

"I..." The black mist above Black Skull's head stalled, and his tone turned conflicted.

He was an old-established Tower Master. Though he was not particularly strong among Tower Masters, he was still somewhat well-known and had his pride to maintain.

And now, because a newly promoted Tower Master who had never even shown his face disliked a single remark, he had to go apologize in person? Wouldn't that mean losing all face?

Inside the Spirit Sacrifice Tower's meeting room, the gray orb of light formed by the floating Spirit Sacrifice President seemed to see Black Skull Tower Master's hesitation.

As though watching a child throw a tantrum, he chuckled. "Face or substance—which do you want?"

"As Tower Guardians, the least valuable thing we have is personal dignity. Which one of us didn't start out begging and crying, then burning, killing, and looting, before finally climbing step by step over mountains of corpses and seas of blood to become Tower Masters?"

"A Tower Master is only barely presentable. Don't think too highly of yourself."

"If you choose not to go, people will see right through you. You may think you've preserved your dignity, but others will only mock you for being foolish. At the very least, that Paper Person Scholar will surely clap with delight."

"Remember, face is something we only pick up when we need it."

After the gray orb finished speaking, it fell silent, waiting as Black Skull pondered in place.

After a long while, the Black Skull