‘…In the end, I couldn’t refuse.’
I’m alone in the reception room, chewing on some sunweed.
When it comes to the chill, I’m more familiar with it than anyone. Yet, for a moment, I felt as if the world was freezing around me—how does that even make sense?
Fortunately, so far, Solana has proven herself to be an angel of the Empire, showing a kind demeanor. But once an angel decides to change their mind, they often turn into the cruelest of demons.
…I don’t want to see an angel transform into a demon.
[Letter of Appointment]
[I hereby appoint Ezekiel Hound as the Inspector of the Magic Tower.]
Well, it seems I’ve become the Inspector of the Magic Tower.
An ordinary Magic Tower is already magnificent, but being the Inspector of the Imperial Magic Tower?
Huff—
I exhaled a cloud of sunweed smoke, beginning to reflect on how my days have changed just days ago.
My daily routine was quite simple.
Drink, paint, and waste time buried in nature…. But now, I’ve changed completely. I must dress impeccably and show up to work.
“It’s a shame mind reading isn’t my specialty.”
I still hadn’t fully grasped Solana’s intentions.
She sent me to solve a problem at the Imperial Magic Tower, yet she added that I didn’t have to do anything myself.
Does she really believe everything will be resolved just by my presence?
Well, it’s not something to think about right now.
Regardless, I’ve been forced into the role of Inspector, and I’ve promised to trust her. Solana would have asked for trust only with good intentions in mind.
Now there’s just one thing weighing on my mind.
“…So who wrote the reply? It was Solana, right?”
It’s evident she read the letter, but the atmosphere was off, so I couldn’t confirm whether she actually wrote back. A thought suddenly struck me.
‘If it wasn’t a reply from Solana…’
Chills ran down my spine.
What if I accept Solana’s kindness yet end up marrying another princess? I can’t even begin to guess what would happen. I wouldn’t be able to make excuses about “a drunken mistake.”
…Is this what it feels like when playing with fire leads to everything being burned?
Whatever assumptions I made, they were all the worst-case scenarios. For the first time in a long while, I felt fear.
‘I suppose I need to meet with the Emperor directly.’
I might not be too fond of the Emperor, but if I could use his power, perhaps I could forcefully nullify everything.
“The Emperor has forbidden this”—ha, that’s quite a story.
Bang—
Just then, the reception room door swung open once more.
A familiar face appeared. It was Agnes, with her black bob and expressionless face.
Tick—Tick—
She entered, manipulating a cube with one hand, just like usual.
It felt like I was watching a skilled musician. Her long, slender fingers were quite elegant.
Lost in my thoughts, I quietly chewed on my sunweed and met her gaze. We remained that way for a while.
“…”
“…”
Tick—Tick—
Tick…
…
Suddenly, Agnes hid the cube behind her back.
Perhaps she was worried I’d freeze it again. I hadn’t been paying attention, lost in my thoughts, but her actions sparked an odd desire to freeze the cube.
Snap. I lightly flicked my finger.
Immediately, Agnes, feeling the chill of ice in her palm, squeezed her eyes shut. Her shoulders trembled slightly.
“…Please don’t do this.”
“How many times did I say in the carriage to keep it quiet?”
Surprisingly, Agnes let out a long sigh without much resistance. It felt like she had strangely developed manners after spending time in the Palace of Penance. She wasn’t as sharp as the first time we met.
“So, why are you making an expression as if you’ve lost everything?”
“If it was just about losing, I’d be smiling. I’m in debt now.”
“Isn’t it hard to understand? You’ve rather advanced, haven’t you?”
Agnes looked at me as if she’d seen something strange.
“You were at a level of idleness that seemed impossible to recover from, yet here you are at the Imperial Palace. And you weren’t even dragged in as a criminal. You seem to have been treated like a guest.”
“You can also be honest about your feelings? I never knew that.”
“That was your honesty to begin with.”
Agnes raised the frozen cube but I stubbornly refused to melt it. I was quite sick of the noise.
“Anyway, I didn’t expect you to have an acquaintance with the 3rd Princess.”
“Solana? We’ve known each other for a while.”
“…Is it okay to casually mention her name?”
“I’m fine with it. You probably aren’t.”
Agnes narrowed her eyes slightly, and then I asked.
“So, what’s the deal? Your task is finished, isn’t it?”
“One remains. The Emperor has summoned you.”
“….”
That news was quite refreshing for me. I’d been wondering how to get a one-on-one meeting with the Emperor.
Agnes tilted her head slightly, puzzled.
“…You seem rather strange.”
“Why is that?”
“After meeting with the Princess, your expression was poor, but now you look happy about meeting the Emperor. Isn’t that the opposite?”
“I’ve always been strange. Let’s leave right now.”
Always, already, right now. It had always been this way.
Afterward, I followed Agnes as she guided me.
No, to be precise, I was ahead of Agnes. I had all the internal layouts of the Imperial Palace memorized by now.
Sure enough, whispers followed me.
“To the Emperor’s quarters…. Who could it be?”
“I heard the Emperor summoned him personally.”
“…How enviable. I’ve been working for 20 years and never even got to see him.”
My mind was filled with thoughts of the Emperor.
Why did he stamp the royal seal on the letter of appointment issued by Solana? That monstrous man? The one who doesn’t know what “conversation” means?
There seemed to be a peculiar connection between the Emperor and the princesses, and I intended to uncover it carefully from now on.
A little while later, Agnes stopped at the end of a corridor.
“I can’t go any further. This is as far as I go.”
“Now that I think about it, you’re a newcomer. Fine, I got it.”
“Well then.”
I could sense a strange excitement from Agnes as she turned to leave. Even the expressionless woman seemed to light up with joy before her shift ended.
Once I entered the Emperor’s quarters, I was met by attendants whose faces were completely veiled. Here, no part of the body or face is allowed to be shown outside.
“The changing room is to the left. Will you please change into this?”
“Sure thing.”
I quickly changed clothes.
In reality, it was more of a large tablecloth than clothing, so calling it clothing was a bit strange. It was likely intended to prevent visitors from secretly carrying anything.
After walking a bit longer,
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Four Seasons Garden.”
It’s a famous spot known for capturing the characteristics of each season. It wasn’t until I passed through spring, summer, autumn, and winter in order that I reached a massive door.
Beyond this door lies the Grand Hall, where the Emperor resides.
“Stop there.”
Two enormous men blocked my way on either side of the door. Their colossal sizes made them look like living pillars.
The one on the left pointed to my lips.
“Spit it out.”
You want me to spit out the sunweed? Naturally, I didn’t.
“…Not going to spit it out?”
As the man on the left tried to get aggressive, the one on the right quickly held him back. They seemed to whisper to each other before nodding in unison.
Finally, both of them bowed to me.
“I apologize. We shall open the door for you immediately.”
The massive door opened without a sound.
“…”
The first feeling I encountered upon entering was awe.
However, this feeling stemmed not from the size or structure of the interior, but from the grand presence contained within.
On the throne at the far end sat a being.
Its body was transparent, giving the illusion that clothes were draped over the air. Yet, despite lacking any physical form, the atmosphere around that being was filled with overwhelming presence.
That was the Emperor of the Empire, the formless Verd.
I bowed respectfully.
“I humbly greet Your Majesty the Emperor.”
There was no response.
The clothes draped in the air shifted slightly. The nearby chalice clinked, likely because the Emperor held it and waved it leisurely.
After that, silence.
It would have been nice for anything to be said, but only silence lingered, and I patiently awaited the Emperor’s words, feeling as if nearly a day had passed.
And just as a day nearly turned into two,
“Ezekiel Hound.”
At last, he called my name.
Thud—
At that moment, every surface of the space crumbled like puzzle pieces. What now lay beneath was something that could be described as an abyss, an incomprehensible darkness with no known depth.
Yet, I was not falling. An icy surface had formed beneath my feet, firmly supporting me.
“You’re tenacious. You don’t die easily, do you?”
“Still, I’m going to die soon. I have a terminal illness, after all.”
“Hmm….”
The Emperor then revealed a meaningful smile.
“I only intended to teach my daughters some magic, but it seems you’ve boldly proposed instead. What on earth were you thinking?”
I wanted to say, “It was a drunken mistake.”
…But those words were too difficult to utter.
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