As soon as he set foot in the Imperial Palace, someone welcomed him.
“Inspector of the Imperial Tower! You’ve come!”
It was Tether, the personal secretary of the 2nd Princess, Hedera.
Her small face was beaming with joy as she approached him with an incredibly bright tone.
“What brings you to the palace at this early hour?”
“Your name was Tether, right?”
“It’s an honor that you remember! I didn’t have the chance to thank you properly back then!”
“Looks like you managed to avoid punishment.”
Ezekiel looked down at Tether quietly.
With her braided hair and round glasses, she looked as if a rabbit had transformed into a human—she seemed quite alright. In fact, she appeared better than when he last saw her.
Tether bowed slightly to greet him.
“I told the truth about my crimes, and fortunately, it only led to a salary cut. They say they will be reinforcing the secretary personnel again. It’s all thanks to you, Inspector!”
“Really? That’s good to hear.”
“And you even moved the Elemental Stone to the second floor, didn’t you? Thanks to that, the first floor of the treasury has become very spacious! As I mentioned before, I will do anything for you!”
“…Well.”
While it was true that Ezekiel’s actions benefited the palace and Tether, he felt uneasy because the original cause of the elemental rampage was himself.
How much good could Tether actually offer? That was merely a secondary concern.
‘I don’t want to feel uncomfortable over immediate benefits.’
Some might criticize him for being indulgent, but there was another reason for his unease.
‘Sun Elixir.’
He was about to discuss the Sun Elixir with the Emperor.
It was unlike anything else in the treasury. The existence of the Sun Elixir itself was a legend, said to possess a power so immense that it couldn’t even be explained.
Other rewards simply didn’t catch his eye.
At that moment, the door to the Emperor’s Audience Chamber swung open.
Ezekiel felt a sense of familiarity from the figure stepping out, while Tether’s eyes nearly popped out.
“Your Highness 2nd Princess…!”
“Lower your voice.”
Hedera, with her finger raised above her mask, directed her gaze toward Ezekiel. She appeared quite fatigued.
“Inspector, you’re here to see His Majesty the Emperor, right?”
“That’s right.”
“…Alright. Be sure to tell me what you receive. If it’s something trivial, I’ll have questions.”
With that, Hedera staggered away, her steps unsteady.
Agnes had once mentioned rumors about the 2nd Princess spending a week in the Audience Chamber. Watching Hedera retreat as though she were about to collapse made it seem like those rumors weren’t untrue.
At that time, as Hedera vanished from sight, Tether, who had been blinking blankly, finally spoke up.
“It’s truly amazing to see it in person. It has been confirmed! There were rumors that the 2nd Princess becomes quite docile whenever she meets the Inspector…!”
“…The 2nd Princess?”
Upon asking with curiosity, Tether nodded.
“I was contemplating what to do for you today, and talking about the 2nd Princess would be a minor reward! It’s something that shouldn’t be leaked under any circumstance, but since it’s related to you, Inspector…”
If she were merely trying to divulge something private about the 2nd Princess, he would’ve stopped her, but since it was related to him, his interest was naturally piqued.
“The 2nd Princess was truly a fearsome person. Just looking at her punishment records is enough to say so. She holds extremely strict standards not just for herself but for everyone around her.”
“Hmm.”
Was it because of the long past interactions with his mentor? This was truly an unfamiliar topic for Ezekiel.
Hedera still seemed somewhat immature and childlike at times. Perhaps she couldn’t help it yet.
“But it’s different in front of you, Inspector. I don’t know if it’s alright for me to say this… but she seems particularly affectionate and gentle.”
“Well, it must be because I’m capable.”
“How many capable individuals are there in the continent?”
Tether immediately retorted.
“It seems you have something remarkable about you, Inspector. I’ve even thought that perhaps you’re the spouse of the 2nd Princess…!”
Ezekiel quietly patted Tether’s head.
“You’re more perceptive than I thought.”
“Such a big deal of a thought, huh? Funny story… Hmm? What?”
Leaving the dazed Tether behind, he entered the Audience Chamber.
Great Hall, Emperor’s Audience Chamber.
“Ezekiel Hound, you’ve grown stronger.”
That was the first thing the Emperor exclaimed.
In a form invisible to the naked eye, as if a robe floated in the air, it was the second time this month he was meeting him, a sight rare to behold in one’s life.
However, the abrupt remark felt quite unfamiliar.
“It shouldn’t be that different.”
“Not at all. You’ve definitely gained quite a bit of strength.”
Taken aback by the unusual response, Ezekiel pondered for a moment.
‘We’ve only talked briefly about the completion of missions before.’
If one were to name the most mysterious being on the continent, it would undoubtedly be the Emperor. Because both his exterior and interior were unreadable, one could never tell what he truly thought or felt.
A small chalice floated in the air, gently swaying. It seemed the Emperor was slowly moving it with his hand.
“You can’t measure someone’s strength merely by their magical aura; you must consider who they have around them and whose hearts they’ve won… It all must be included.”
“Well, who is around me, anyway?”
“You’ve captured more of the 2nd Princess’s heart.”
A sound of nails tapping against the armrest echoed.
“The brat who didn’t even celebrate my birthday has now suggested preparing the Sun Elixir for you. Watching her do that for an entire week, one can’t help but be amazed.”
“Hmm.”
“The 3rd Princess has become more cheerful. She can’t deny your talents and potentials either. How long has it been since that letter caused a ruckus? And yet here you stand at this level.”
The Emperor continued.
“Anyway, I have a proposal. There’s a capable individual in the Imperial Family who has been in quite a predicament due to a lack of a worthy opponent. I think you might be a good fit.”
“…”
Without mentioning the Sun Elixir, the topic shifted.
Ezekiel thought quietly.
In the end, was that acknowledgment just talk again?
He couldn’t read the Emperor’s mind at all.
If the Emperor truly recognized his talents and potentials, wouldn’t he allow the Sun Elixir as Hedera suggested? Or at the very least, a healing elixir.
Several hypotheses crossed his mind.
Either he still didn’t like Ezekiel, or perhaps he wished to see Ezekiel grow while being cornered by a terminal illness more than anyone else.
It was a problem he couldn’t definitively conclude.
Ezekiel silently shook his head.
“I refuse.”
“Refuse? You should decide after hearing the reward.”
Thud─!
A very large box fell at Ezekiel’s feet. As it hit the ground with a bounce, the lid popped open, revealing it to be filled entirely with elixirs.
“The Sun Elixir will be ready next month. Could you possibly ask for something that doesn’t exist for a week? Instead, I gathered various elixirs altogether.”
Ezekiel, having poor constitution, was quite interested in elixirs. He could tell their quality at a glance.
…Each and every one of them was top-notch.
He could distinctly feel that it was the result of Hedera’s hard work over the past week. In the distant past, the Emperor had never promised such a compensation.
“This elixir gives its user the vigor of youth. With this amount… at least by the time we discuss the Sun Elixir again, you should still be alive.”
“I’ll accept your offer.”
These were not ordinary elixirs.
Though they may not have the same efficacy as the Sun Elixir, they were elixirs that should be stored on the 3rd floor of the Imperial Treasury, so Ezekiel had no real reason to refuse.
Yes, just securing this much was already beyond his expectations.
“Ezekiel, my words are not finished yet.”
The chalice floating in the air swayed gently.
“That capable individual is also yearning for these elixirs. The method of combat hasn’t been determined yet, but the winner will be rewarded with all of them. What do you think?”
“Anyone is fine.”
As long as such elixirs were at stake, it didn’t matter who it was.
He was confident he could put his all into it, even against the Emperor.
The next day, at the entrance of the Imperial Palace.
“Uh… Amazing!”
One of the soldiers couldn’t contain his surprise and shouted.
And rightly so. The procession of carriages entering the palace seemed endless, filled with the corpses of monsters.
“What a fuss over something trivial…”
A woman at the back of the procession muttered.
With a snow-white impression reminiscent of an endlessly stretched snowy field and a glamorous black fur trim covering her shoulders, the number of embellishments on her uniform showcased her achievements.
The 3rd Princess, Solana, welcomed the woman in the carriage.
“Welcome back!”
“I don’t have time for pleasantries.”
The wolf-like woman coldly interrupted Solana’s words.
Who dares, who on earth…
Who could possibly respond to the 3rd Princess’s words with such indifference?
The answer echoed in the calls of the perfectly lined-up soldiers. Soon, an enormous sound boomed.
──The 1st Princess of the Empire has returned!
Goddess of War.
Or perhaps, the Queen of All Cures.
The 1st Princess, Ether.
The woman with all those names held a thick cigarette in her mouth.
“How dare someone covet my elixirs?”
Fwoosh─
A thick cloud of smoke billowed in front of the 3rd Princess’s face.
“Who is it? Bring them to me immediately.”
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