The commotion Black Rose caused was truly enormous. Especially when Rute, having satisfactorily disposed of the traitor in his heart, walked out covered in blood, only to discover in astonishment that the Undead watching him and Felis, whom he had left behind to draw attention and lure Russell away, had vanished without a trace.
Rute's expression was quite something, and his roar was earth-shaking. "Oliva! Didn't I tell you to have Felis wait for us here?"
Oliva explained gently, "I did tell him that, but whether he was willing to listen was beyond my control, Teacher.
Felis isn't someone I can order around."
If Felis were still the apprentice he used to be, then even if he did not belong to Rute's faction, Oliva would have had no problem arranging tasks for him.
Even when Felis had only just become a Mage, if Oliva told him to do something, he would have had to comply.
But Felis was now openly a Fifth-Circle Mage, and he had attained that rank entirely through his own efforts.
At least on the surface, no one had taught him.
Though he had inherited the Soul Tower's legacy because he was a Soul Mage, that legacy could not be considered exclusive to Rute's faction.
The Tower Spirit they had created was, in essence, what truly harmed the Soul Tower.
The original Soul Tower would never have involved itself in the scheming and factional struggles between humans.
Moreover, although Felis had received the Magic Book from Rute, it had originated from a certain Hilbert's goodwill... If Rute had not chosen to ignore Felis because of his special identity when Hilbert had sent Felis over, then Felis, who had only been a 1st-Circle Mage at the time, might have happily accepted the attention Rute offered him.
Yet everything