“Hey there─!”
BAM-BAM!
The loud shout made Ezekiel and his party stop.
The source of the sound was two mages draped in blue robes, boldly displaying the snowflake embroidery on their chests, as if they had no intention of hiding their Blue Tower affiliation.
There was one old man and one woman.
The old man opened his mouth first.
“I sensed your energy and thought you were a group of mages. May I ask about your party’s identity?”
─I’ll just represent and handle this.
Since the three couldn’t keep revealing different identities, Agnes stepped forward.
“As you can see, we’re just a normal couple. And this is my adopted daughter.”
But just then.
“Hmm… Aren’t you the 2nd Princess’s personal secretary?”
The young woman from the Blue Tower recognized Tether.
Given that someone involved with the Magic Tower had at least one chance to step into the Imperial Family, it made sense that she remembered the face of Tether, the 2nd Princess’s representative.
“Secretary? Now that you mention it! So you’re the secretary for the 2nd Princess!”
“Ah, Secretary, what do you mean by adopted?”
“Um…”
Tether was sweating bullets and cleared her throat.
“More importantly, what are you Blue Tower folks doing here…?”
“As you know, the official presentation starts tomorrow, right? We always arrive just before the announcement, but this time we couldn’t resist the Imperial Tower Inspector’s provocation, so we came a bit early.”
Tether glanced at Ezekiel.
─Did you provoke them too?
─I just told them not to be late. How is that provoking?
The woman from the Blue Tower spoke up.
“It’s a provocation, but we’re also here to check on the Black Tower’s schemes. Something feels off.”
It was an important statement indicating that not all Magic Towers were allied with the Black Tower. This was quite welcome news for the Imperial Tower party.
“So, who are the two beside you, Secretary?”
“Well…”
As Tether stammered, a telepathic message passed between them.
─They are mages from the Blue Tower, and they don’t seem to have hostile intentions towards us. Should we reveal our identities?
─Let’s do that.
With permission granted, Tether nodded.
“Alright, I’ll explain…”
.
.
.
.
.
.
After moving to a quiet area, the conversation continued.
“Here’s what happened.”
Tether’s explanation was simple.
It began with the Black Tower not welcoming the Imperial Tower’s visit, demanding that the demonic sword be placed on the altar, and that they had dumped thugs in the area.
“…How could they do that against the Imperial Tower?!”
The reaction was immediate. The two mages from the Blue Tower blinked in disbelief.
Agnes quietly expressed her gratitude.
“I appreciate your understanding.”
“No, by the way, apologies for the delay. Now that I know you’re the Imperial Tower’s inspectors, we need to pay our respects.”
Only then did Ezekiel’s party and the Blue Tower party casually greet each other. During the exchange, the old man burst into laughter.
“Haha, we should be the ones receiving respect.”
Taking a step back, he positioned the young woman forward. Surprisingly, she seemed to hold a higher status.
“I am Seina, the elder of the Blue Magic Tower.”
She spoke of her elder status with pride.
Her neatly braided white hair rested upon her shoulders. With striking blue eyes, she bore a resemblance to Ezekiel.
Ezekiel quietly transmitted a message.
─Is she a famous mage?
─She’s an elder and is called the future of the Blue Tower. Her abilities are outstanding.
─I’ve heard of her too. They say she’s been continuously elevating the Blue Tower’s reputation lately.
Agnes quickly followed suit in her respect.
“I’m Agnes, from the Imperial Magic Tower.”
At that, the Blue Tower’s old mage reacted immediately.
“So, you’re the inspector that came? I didn’t expect such a beautiful lady! I can’t believe you wrote such a provoking invitation! Hahaha!”
“Thank you for the compliment, but…”
Agnes’s gaze subtly shifted to Ezekiel.
“…the inspector is this way.”
“Huh?”
The old man blinked.
Only then did his eyes turn to Ezekiel.
“So… this person is the inspector of the Imperial Tower?”
“Yes.”
“….”
The image of him chewing a lollipop, looking like a guest yet strangely like a slacker, made it hard for anyone to believe he’d be an inspector.
The elixir played a significant role in this.
Ezekiel’s abilities had dramatically improved, and his skill to conceal his chilling aura had also developed immensely.
Ezekiel thought quietly within.
‘Even the Blue Tower couldn’t easily sense my chill.’
He was getting stronger.
He was confident.
His level was rising at the fastest pace in his life. The future held great promise.
“Haha… I unintentionally committed a faux pas.”
“Wait a moment.”
It was then that the Blue Tower’s Seina interjected.
She was gazing intently at Ezekiel’s blue eyes.
“Inspector of the Imperial Tower, I see now you’re concealing a lot of chill. You were the one who froze the dining hall, right?”
“Correct.”
“Did you come from the Academy?”
“I’ve never visited as a student.”
He had only come a few times due to missions, so that was all.
“…So, you didn’t undergo a standard educational process.”
Seina’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Mostly self-taught.”
“May I ask about your background?”
“I have none. I’m just a commoner.”
“Commoner!”
Seina seemed quite surprised by the word ‘commoner’, exchanging glances with the old man.
“Have you ever encountered Ice Magic at the Blue Tower? Or learned from someone affiliated with the Blue Tower?”
“Not at all.”
“That’s very strange. If you had completed a normal course to attain this level of Ice Magic, the Blue Tower would definitely know about you.”
The old mage beside her stroked his beard.
“Indeed, it’s puzzling. There’s no institution in the Empire that researches ice elements as deeply as the Blue Tower. For you to achieve this much while being a stranger to the Blue Tower…?”
“The position of inspector is also somewhat concerning.”
The atmosphere grew tense.
Ezekiel’s party exchanged telepathic messages.
─As a fellow ice practitioner, their reaction isn’t great.
─It’s actually understandable.
Agnes replied calmly.
─Other than the Imperial Tower, each Magic Tower specializes in one element. They’re very sensitive about issues like leaks or someone having learned secretly.
─I think the position of inspector is also a factor.
Tether cautiously interjected.
─As you know, the elders and tower masters are responsible for the Magic Towers’ power. The inspectors… um… how should I put it…
─Do we really need to sugarcoat it? Most just fill their terms while collecting paychecks. Their connections are impressive, but their abilities are often lacking.
─Yes, that’s correct. But with you being a commoner, an unqualified Academy student, and an inspector… and yet your Ice Magic is outstanding, how confusing it must be for them.
It was easy to understand the situation.
When considered item by item, the Blue Tower’s attitude felt rather gentle. It would be typical for them to be outright dismissive, as had happened during their first encounter at the Imperial Tower.
Meanwhile, Seina from the Blue Tower continued speaking.
“Under the will of the Ice Ghost, the deeply rooted theories of the Blue Tower should not have leaked. Let’s trust the inspector’s claim of self-study for now.”
─Ice Ghost?
─Someone held in reverence at the Blue Tower. They say they had a tremendous influence on their Ice Magic. As a being with no physical form, their exact identity is unknown.
‘Demons also referred to me as Ice Ghost.’
How ironic.
“However.”
At that moment, Seina’s tone became serious.
“A mage not from the Blue Tower roaming around with such dangerous levels of Ice Magic…? As an elder of the Blue Tower, I can’t help but be concerned.”
“Concerned?”
“Yes. Ice, when misused, can become a disaster, no matter how beautiful it may seem.”
“We’re busy, just give us the conclusion.”
“Let’s duel using only our Ice Techniques. The loser will unconditionally comply with the winner’s request.”
The expression on Seina from the Blue Tower was very firm.
─Is she usually like this?
─She’s quite prideful when it comes to the Blue Tower and Ice Techniques. She’s famous for it.
─It seems she’s trying to dampen the Imperial Tower’s momentum ahead of tomorrow’s announcement.
“I’m struggling to think of a fair request.”
“I’ll grant you a wish you can invoke at any time. If that doesn’t entice you… well, I know what ice mages typically enjoy.”
Agnes pulled something from her robe.
It was a flask filled with a blue liquid, emanating a chilling aura that had icicles forming at the bottom.
“It’s Frost Soup.”
“What? Frost Soup?!”
Tether blinked.
─That’s an incredibly rare item! The Frost Soup mentioned in the Imperial Report was on the 2nd floor!
The subsequent explanation was straightforward. It greatly helped in containing chill, and it was indeed a great item.
However.
Ezekiel still had other questions.
“Hey, if I lose, what will you ask of me?”
“Visit the Blue Tower twice a week.”
The answer he got was quite unexpected.
“I want you to undergo three hours of mental training. We’ll also learn about the mindset of ice mages.”
“What…?”
Ezekiel couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at the unexpected response.
Seina tilted her head slightly.
“…What part of my words did you find funny?”
“It’s nothing big, just unexpected.”
“Did you think I would request your life or wealth? Not at all. I just want all ice mages to shape beautiful ice with a pure heart.”
Seina didn’t seem like a bad person.
‘She’s completely underestimating me.’
She didn’t seem intent on slandering Ezekiel but rather thought of him as a talented, yet unfortunate, stray puppy. This was a first for him.
‘Well, it might be true that I had an unfortunate upbringing.’
Ezekiel thought self-derisively while sucking on a lollipop.
“When you’re ready, let’s start.”
“Are you saying you’ll let me go first? Alright then.”
SWISH ─!
As the duel began, Seina’s ice lashed out like multiple whips. She swung the extremely rigid ice with a softness akin to silk.
Ezekiel had no intention of counterattacking.
He focused solely on defense.
SWISH! SLAP!
BOOM─!
As the ice whip struck the ground, rocks flew in all directions. Seina delivered relentless attacks, while Ezekiel concentrated purely on his defense.
“There hasn’t been any progress. Shall we wrap this up?”
Seina smiled, a confidence radiating from her expression.
Just then, Agnes and Tether were filled with concern.
─Take notes.
─Element is ice, vertical strokes 4, horizontal strokes 3.
Suddenly, Ezekiel’s telepathic voice echoed in their ears.
─Remove all outputs from the tying circuits.
─Adjust the ice in real-time, keeping the intervals as short as possible.
It felt similar to an incantation being inscribed on the scroll.
Why now?
However.
Agnes soon realized its identity.
‘No way….’
Yes, that ‘no way’ turned out to be right.
When asked how he could possibly borrow vision techniques from another Magic Tower, Ezekiel had replied briefly.
─It’ll be like taking candy from a baby. That’s how you do it.
A chill ran down Agnes’s spine.
What she had thought was impossible had begun to unravel before her eyes, as Ezekiel was already deftly unraveling the Blue Tower’s magic one by one.
All while his opponent remained completely unaware, casually.
BOOM─!
A gigantic ice formation, thick as a rope, plunged into the ground like a stake. Dust flew up, obscuring vision completely.
“…Huh?”
But soon after, as the dust settled, Seina felt something light in her hands and was left flabbergasted. The ice rope she had swung with all her might had shattered.
“The Blue Tower, huh.”
Once the dust cleared,
Ezekiel shrugged off his shoulders.
“This can’t possibly be the end, right?”
With that question, he wore a mischievous smile.
Unraveling the vision techniques.
Punishing the Black Tower’s misdeeds.
Achieving a higher realm.
All the tasks began to interlock like cogs. The second hand that was Ezekiel began to move forward again.
The progress of the Imperial Tower party, which had seemed endlessly slow,
Now began to stretch out with newfound wings.
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