Before Hans had a chance to say anything, Kael spoke first:
"Wait, if you want to ask who she is, how we met, whether the feelings are mutual, and other such nonsense questions, then don’t."
Only then did the protagonist come back to his senses.
But at the same time, he heard those words.
"Eh... Why? Aren’t we friends?"
Those words were like thunder in his ears.
"We are indeed friends, as for the reason..."
"The first is that it’s very troublesome."
"The second is because she’s so amazing, to the point that I don’t know what words to use to describe her gorgeousness."
His sapphire eyes did not stop on Hans.
But somewhere far away.
"So when can I meet her? Will she climb the Tower with us?"
"Um... she will, but it will probably be a while."
"Because she said she wanted to finish her studies first."
Hans blinked a few times.
The protagonist’s surprise was evident in every gesture.
"Hey Kael... I didn’t expect you to like children... That’s... not good, really."
He was completely speechless.
"How old do you think she is?"
"...Um, maybe around 15?"
Why didn’t Kael realize that the protagonist was this funny from the start?
They continued to chat with each other for the next while.
Then, after most of the topics were over, it was time for Hans to talk about the main topic:
"So, do you have any plans for the next floor, Kael?"
When he mentioned this, his eyes became sharper, and more serious.
Completely different from his cheerful and carefree demeanor just now.
Recognizing this change, Kael had to act the same:
The protagonist interrupted:
"Kael, this time, I hope you can tell me what you know. Don’t be like the last time, always hiding it from me, and only telling me at the end. Can you trust me for once, please?"
Kael hesitated for a long time.
Indeed, just like what Hans said, that was how he usually treated the protagonist.
But now, perhaps that treatment needed to be changed.
After all, he now possessed an incredibly powerful Ability - [Sword Saint].
Which meant that his valuation had increased by at least 100 times.
Finally, Kael took a deep breath.
And opened his mouth:
"The 22nd and 30th floors are the same map. To put it simply, these 8 floors will take place in the same world."
For him, this was completely new information.
In his previous life, he only started climbing the Tower from the 35th floor.
Moreover, Hans had no interest in learning about the previous floors.
Kael raised a hand, signaling him to stop being so surprised.
"Now, I’ll briefly explain the contents."
The most important part.
This was the part that even Kael didn’t dare ignore.
Because this time, he was forced to take a risk.
"I don’t know much information from the 22nd to the 30th floors."
It wasn’t that he didn’t have any information about those floors, on the contrary, he had a lot.
However, Kael had chosen a choice that would make most of the information he had useless.
All because that choice was the best.
"I only know that there are many wars going on in that world, and our mission is to choose one side, and end the war."
They continued to discuss the 22nd to 30th floors.
However, no matter how hard he tried, the amount of information Hans could squeeze out of him was negligible.
Most of it was unnecessary information.
When there was no more hope, they returned to the 1st floor together.
The city of the beginning.
The place where it all began.
To be honest, Kael should have been continuing to cuddle with Evelyn before the 22nd floor opened.
Because he had to meet someone important today.
Kael entered the familiar cafe.
Like every other time, the owner greeted him immediately.
But his face changed a little when he realized it was him.
Kael smiled awkwardly.
After all, he had caused him quite a bit of trouble.
It was fortunate that the owner had not yet blacklisted him.
"What are we doing here, Kael?"
Hans asked, but he ignored him.
Kael glanced at all the customers inside the cafe.
Then he stopped at a woman sitting in the corner, wearing a black cloak, with black hair tied in a ponytail, and a mask of the same color.
She gave off the aura of a mysterious person.
And of an existence that could not be ignored.
Kael curled his lips.
Guildmaster of the Shadow Viper guild.
That was the distinguished guest he had mentioned.
Having identified his target, Kael immediately grabbed the protagonist’s wrist, then pulled him towards her like a dog.
"Hello, thank you very much for coming."
Kael gave an industrial smile, then sat down across from the woman.
Kaede stopped what she was doing.
Her deep black eyes swept over the two of them.
Exuding a dignity that no one could ignore.
"...Nothing. I’m just free. But depending on the content of this conversation, I might be busy again."
He retracted his smile.
"Then let me get straight to the point."
Kael’s eyes flashed with a sharp light.
"Take me as your disciple. And perhaps Hans too, if he wants to."
That was a very Kaelian answer.
The protagonist, sitting beside him, couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.
All the beings in the Tower knew that becoming Kaede’s disciple was one of the greatest blessings.
And now, he could say that so casually?
This world was crazy!
Indeed, that was Kaede’s answer.
"I gave you both a chance before, but unfortunately, you both rejected it."
"There’s no reason for me to give you another chance."
"But what if I have a way?"
Kael was still the same.
Even if the opponent was the second strongest in the Tower, he still did not flinch.