Return of the Tower Conqueror

  Settling Accounts (II)

Cain stared at a smiling old man sipping tea jovially. He even hummed a catchy melody, often pausing to sniff the tea's fragrance before resuming his queer activities. And queer they were -- Cain had been sitting here for five minutes, and the old man had laughed out loud at least thrice, slapped his knees at least five times, and he'd stopped counting how many times to old man looked at him deeply for a moment before nodding.

If he hadn't known any better, rather than Lord Accquatar, leader of the City of Mirrors, he'd suspect the old man to be a body snatcher or such. Sighing inwardly, Cain decided to just go with the flow, grabbing the cup of tea and drinking it. It was sweet and lukewarm, but it sent chills through him as soon as he drank it. The cooling sensation was strange but rather relaxing.

Looking around, he sighed yet again-- this time in admiration. The two were perched on top of the tallest terrace of the city, overlooking the entire lake 'below'. It was a breathtaking sight and to get to witness it every single day... was truly a blessing. The surrounding mountains that framed the entire lake breathed with life, each just different enough to be an unique existence rather than just a part of something much larger than themselves.

"I'm envious," Cain mumbled, taking a sip.

"Of the sight?" the Lord finally spoke, causing Cain to look at him. "No, of that maid that served us the tea."

"Ah, yes, yes," the old man nodded, stroking his beard, not realizing Cain was being sarcastic. "She's a beautiful little thing... but I'm afraid she's already taken."

"To be young and to be in love, eh?" Cain chuckled, taking a sip.

"Indeed. Conqueror Cain," Cain had expected many things, but he hadn't expected this-- for the old man to slam his head against the table in an unfiltered act of prostration. "You have my deepest gratitude!"

"Just like that, ha ha ha," is this really that angry dude that swore vengeance on the entire Earth when they first defeated him?! Cain pondered but kept it to himself. "I had been preparing for a long time, you know-- ah, no you don't," Yes I do, actually... "Technically speaking, I'm supposed to be the final boss of this floor! Eh? Eh? Could you have guessed it? Ha ha ha,"

"No waaaaay!!" Cain played along.

"Yes, yes, ha ha ha. I was a bit nervous, to be honest. I didn't lack confidence to defeat any of you chumps-- no offense-- but this dumb place didn't set a limit on how many people were allowed to fight me at the same time, ha ha ha. So, because you've likely saved me many headaches, thank you! Ah, not to mention that you curbed that dumb Prince's ambitions. And poked a hole in the sky for his entire home. I won't even ask."

"..." Cain was far more shocked by how... unrelentingly chatty the Lord was. He was like a stereotypical housewife from the 50's and 60's, yapping and gossiping like her life depended on it.

"You said you liked the view of this place, right?"

"Huh?"

"Why don't you move in, then?"

"... no, seriously. HUUH?!"

"It's plenty big," the old man continued to sip tea calmly. "Not just you, bring whoever you'd like. After all, this place will become a hub of activity for a long while, if you hadn't realized."

"..."

"Ah, I'll also exempt you from taxes," by now, Cain was in a haze. This was definitely a dream, in his mind at least. "And give you whatever benefits in the city that you want. You wanna own a restaurant? Sure! Armory? Go dig it! You wanna own a brothel? I'll hand-pluck some women for you!"

The Lord continued to yap and laugh, all the way until bidding farewell to Cain who felt someone had sucked the soul out of him. By the end, he was essentially given an all-access pass to the City-- he was allowed to pick any, inhabited or not, building and claim it as his own. He was allowed to bring anyone to the topmost floor of the city and live there. He was given access to all the dimensional pockets for training exercises that were usually some of the most expensive expenditures anyone could ever commit to, regardless of how far into the future it would go since the expenses actually scaled.

He was the City Lord in all but name, it seemed. He was happy, for sure, but also felt strange. His memories of how Accquatar behaved in people's descriptions of him versus what he had just witnessed were just... too incompatible. It happened as soon as he landed on the city's bottom floor-- a huge notification flashed in front of him. It wasn't just him, it was everyone-- not to mention another one above the city, for seemingly entire universe to behold.

Second Crucible had been cleared by a group of Brave Conquerors!

Their names shall be etched in the Halls of Myths for all generations to behold!

As per calculations, this is the 4th fastest clear of the Second Crucible in recorded histories!

Because of this, ALL Conquerors will be awarded a permanent 5% bonus to their XP and a temporary 40% one that will last for 6 months will be exclusive to this Pillar.

Good luck, everyone!

There wasn't much of a fanfare at first since it was already known that the 2nd floor had actually been cleared despite there being no announcements. One of the reasons for it was that the portal to the 3rd floor had already been found, but another one was that the fact that everyone could now easily enter the City without any requirements.

However, as soon as everyone reached the 'bonuses' they would receive, cheers burst out as groups upon groups of people rushed out of the city. They immediately realized that the next 6 months would be crucial for separating themselves from the masses.

Even if the 2nd floor was cleared, and even if most people believe it had been done so by the same group that cleared the first, this was their chance to catch up. After all, they must be exhausted by now, with many dead.

As for the exhausted group, that really was true-- as by the time Cain returned, everyone was sleeping soundly, snoring peacefully. It was a beautiful sight, one even more breathtaking than the world from the terrace. Cain walked outside and saw the only people who were awake-- two Princesses and a Prince. The three were sitting on simple stools, donning simple clothes that made them seem like peasants, but had tranquil expressions on their faces.

"Congratulations," Sera said. "4th fastest speed, eh? Nothing to scoff at."

"Must have been a miscalculation," Cain said, sitting down with them and taking out some beer, handing each of them a can after opening it.

"Ah, yes, since the Crucible is well-renowned for miscalculating things." Sera scoffed.

"... what will happen now?" Anna asked attentively. She understood that Cain and others would be leaving this place for a while... and that they couldn't follow.

"You'll live here," Cain said. "Well, not here. I just came from visiting the City's Lord, and he basically gave me a free reign on real estate. So take a hike later and just pick whatever you want. You can even go to the top and live like royalty again if you'd like. Though I probably won't visit you guys for years, others will still likely come once in a while. Some more so than others." he winked at Sera who groaned lowly and looked away.

"I just ask that you take care of Lek and Taima," Cain added. "The latter is an amazing blacksmith that still has his best creations ahead of him. I'll leave you a fortune of items to sell and turn into raw materials for him. Same with Lek-- he's extremely talented, but really awkward. Help him get out of his shell a bit. What do you guys wanna do, anyway?"

"... I'll find a nice house with a small garden," Izirdul said. "And attend to it. I'll buy books and read them and I'll have tea with my sisters whenever possible, to try and remedy years of neglect. I've no intention of living like royalty any longer. I've already renounced all of my titles."

"Same," Anna nodded. "I'll try and get into the research institute here," she added. "And strive to understand the world and develop things that might even help you in the future. The help you've given us... I know it won't be repaid in our lifetimes, but that doesn't mean I won't try."

"I've already said how you can repay me," Cain chuckled, taking a sip of beer. "All the extras are just some fluff. Honestly, I'm just happy you have dreams to pursue. What about you?" Cain asked Sera.

"... I... I don't know," Sera mumbled lowly, looking away in shame.

"Hm? Wait, I wasn't asking what you want to do. Of course you don't know," Cain laughed gently. "You're sixteen. You're not supposed to know. Just let these two spoil you from heron and enjoy your life. I meant will you help me?"

"..." Sera groaned, realizing she had been played... again. In the end, she remained silent, eventually nodding gently.

"What about you?" Anna asked suddenly. "Aren't you afraid you'll fall behind if you stay out for too long?"

"... I have another daughter," Cain said. "She's just turned ten and I've barely been in her life for a year now. I've been too one-note with the Towers, thinking that fate would escape me if I let my foot off the gas. But... as you have realized... some things in life trump all others. And to me, my family stands at the very top. Emma. Lana. Senna. Heck, even them other bastards, Danny, J', Ricky...

"It might some of the leftover thinking that's got me gripped," Cain added with a bitter chuckle. "We have a saying back home: life's too short so stay focused on what matters. In reality, there are countless lifetimes ahead of me that I can spend with my family. But... if I use that as an excuse once..."

"You'll use it twice," Izirdul finished the thought.

"And thrice," Cain continued. "And so, I'll be with them, watch my kids grow up into their own people and stand proudly behind them, shouting it to the entire world. And then, once they've found their paths, I'll return. It doesn't matter how many years it takes," for a moment, atmosphere around Cain changed, and the trio noticed it, stiffening. For just that brief flash, he was no longer a goofy lover of dad jokes... but an existence above. Something larger than life itself. "I'll always stand at the top, immovable. That will never change."

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