The scene of Brogar slammed against the wall brought silence.
Greeeak…
It seemed he aimed right at the middle of his forehead, and it must have hit perfectly.
Brogar’s eyes were completely rolled back, showing only the whites. The shock to his head must have been tremendous.
The warriors following him were overrunning with dismay.
“…”
In the settled silence, Ezekiel withdrew his gaze from Brogar who was stuck in the wall and parted his lips.
He was holding a dazzling ice spear.
“Now, who will die to serve as a teaching aid?”
“What, what just happened?”
“The mighty Brogar fell in one hit…!”
The followers hesitated, each stammering a response.
There was a common point. They were all horrified by the unexpected level of Ezekiel’s power. Some even claimed his chill was greater than the ice of the Northern Region.
Since they were all too familiar with chills, they couldn’t help but feel Ezekiel’s ice was definitely high-grade.
Ezekiel exchanged glances with 1st Princess Ether.
Ether signaled him not to intervene.
“Come closer.”
Thud.
As Ezekiel took a step forward, Brogar’s followers took a step back instead. The rumors that they wouldn’t lose courage in front of death proved quite wrong.
The rumors weren’t entirely wrong, though.
Northern warriors were indeed courageous, and some truly commendable. However, these trembling fools before Ezekiel were nothing but worthless trash.
“Lead the way! Step to the front!”
“You do it!”
“It reminds me of an Ice Ghost…!”
“The chill is stronger than the North. How on earth…!”
Ezekiel scanned the warriors supporting Ether. They all had faces that showed they feared nothing.
They were clearly different from the panicked followers.
“I need to clean them up.”
He had already heard the circumstances from the messenger, and these guys were bound to become a source of trouble if left alive.
Schwaaaaak—!
Ezekiel unleashed his Ice Magic Technique without hesitation.
In the realm of the 1st Princess, snow was pouring down. It was an excellent opportunity for Ezekiel to go wild like a fish in water.
Graaahk!
“P-Please! Spare my life!”
“1st Princess! Are you really going to abandon us like this?!”
“Brogar! You boasted that your plans would succeed! You said you had a way from the Demon Realm!”
But the last guy’s shout made everyone freeze in place. Ezekiel was no exception.
How dare he mention the Demon Realm.
Did a Northern warrior just collude with the Demon Realm?
“Repeat what you just said. Is there evidence that Brogar colluded with the Demon Realm? If you want to live, be honest.”
As he froze the man’s limbs, he pushed an ice spear tip beneath his throat.
The guy shouted in desperation.
“Y-Yes! Brogar got power from the Demon Realm, saying he couldn’t lose. All of his followers heard this!”
“And you still stood by and did nothing? That’s a big crime.”
Not reporting Brogar, who borrowed power from the Demon Realm, and siding with him? He absolutely couldn’t be spared.
“Just spare my life…!”
But the follower’s plea didn’t finish. Ezekiel’s ice blade beheaded him right then and there.
Not even blood could splash due to freezing.
Kwaang—!
“…!”
Something like a cannonball crashed forcefully into Ezekiel’s side.
Pakang—!
The power was tremendous. Ezekiel’s hastily conjured ice barrier shattered into pieces.
What had come flying was none other than Brogar.
“Brogar, did you sacrifice your soul?”
“To think you’d block that? Inspector, you live up to your name!”
“Did you sacrifice your soul to the Demon as a means for such pathetic power? Truly, your strength and soul both look pitiful.”
Ezekiel responded calmly while observing the state he was in.
He ought to have fainted, yet here he stood, stubbornly burning with mana. A familiar sight, he’d sold his soul to the Demon Realm for power.
It was what they called Mana.
“Demon? Wrong. The goddess who claimed my soul was human… a transcendent maiden, I was told. She only gathers souls for one man!”
“If you’re going to spout nonsense, then just…”
Just die.
Right when Ezekiel was going to utter that, he paused.
He couldn’t help it; the guy’s story sounded a bit unique.
‘Could this be something I could negotiate with the Emperor?’
He came to handle the 1st Princess’s matters yet found a guy who had colluded with the Demon Realm and was spilling rare information.
‘A high-ranking official born of a human in the Demon Realm?’
The so-called goddess, a human-born official. It sounded like premium information. If he took it to the Audience Chamber, the Emperor might offer a substantial payment.
Ezekiel soon wore a satisfied smile.
“Well then, I should say thank you.”
“What?”
“Your life isn’t useful, but the information was pretty good.”
Immediately, Ezekiel raised his chill.
Ssss—!
Six ice spears rapidly formed above his shoulder, creating a multi-directional arc before colliding into Brogar’s body.
Ka-ka-ka-kaang—!
Even though it rushed in quickly, the Mana was considerable. A jet-black barrier successfully blocked the ice spears.
‘That goddess must really be something.’
Though he didn’t know her exact identity, the goddess who granted Brogar power looked to be no run-of-the-mill official.
He could tell by the thick Mana radiating from him. To grant even this level of power meant she had to be someone formidable.
However.
Even a mere part of the power received by Brogar was easy pickings.
Ezekiel still had a considerable advantage.
‘Show me.’
As he covered his retinas in chill, his vision turned blue and clearly revealed the weak points among Brogar’s hastily wrapped Mana.
He created an ice wedge and precisely targeted that spot.
Phwoooosh—!
It was narrow in area, but it pierced through without fail.
The target was between the brows.
“H-How…!”
The Mana immediately scattered like worthless dust.
Normally, he would have killed him instantly, but perhaps due to the soul sacrifice, Brogar didn’t die; his eyes widened instead.
Having dedicated his soul to some relatively prestigious goddess in the Demon Realm, it would be hard for him to accept defeat.
Ezekiel could feel every bit of resentment Brogar had. His expression said it all.
Full of questions, Brogar spoke up.
“Why, w-why… is someone like you, Inspector…”
“Shut up.”
Scrape—
And that was when Ezekiel’s hand sliced through his neck.
From the severed neck of Brogar, something like a black aura has ominously risen, whispering to Ezekiel.
—I’m coming for my man soon, okay?
—You must wait patiently!
“…?”
Feeling the eerie vibe, Ezekiel looked back at his enemy, but Brogar’s breath had completely ceased.
Looking around, the voice seemed to be heard only by Ezekiel. It was clear when he saw the bewildered faces of everyone else, wondering why Ezekiel had paused.
‘…My man?’
No, for now, he shook his head.
There was no time to dwell on other thoughts while Brogar’s followers were still alive and well.
“You can’t escape.”
Ezekiel said that as he summoned ice.
Now, the annihilation of the scourge plaguing the Northern Region was just around the corner.
In the realm of the 1st Princess, a grand drinking party was underway.
While it was sad for the death of former companions, it was wonderful news that the future of the North looked bright. Plus, they had gained Ezekiel as an ally.
“Drink up! Drink!”
“What an incredible nobleman we have with us!”
“Truly, 1st Princess has remarkable insight! A true warrior!”
The sounds of clinking cups, raucous chatter, and banging dishes filled the air. The atmosphere was vibrant and bright. It was a joyful day for them.
Perhaps due to Ezekiel’s prowess being ice-based.
“Inspector! Show us your ice just once!”
“Ice can be this beautiful? It’s dazzling!”
“Oooh! Ice! Ice!”
“Banish the Inspector title! What shall we call you… our 1st Princess’s man, who is also our commander!”
Ezekiel was immensely popular.
A strong force, colder ice than the North, someone who had the heart of the 1st Princess… he was the embodiment of every desirable trait for the warriors of the North.
But Ezekiel wasn’t entirely enjoying it.
‘I’ve handled the 1st Princess matters as promised to the Emperor.’
Now, he just had to neutralize the Sun Elixir and deal with five checks. It felt like climbing one mountain only to face two more.
“…”
He continued chugging drinks for a while.
What should he do?
No, it wasn’t about what he should do.
To acquire the Sun Elixir, he needed to sleep with the 1st Princess. He had no choice but to do it to survive, regardless of later consequences.
Clink, clink, clink—
Thus one drink.
Two drinks.
After that, he couldn’t even count how many he had downed.
When Ezekiel’s face had fully turned red, the 1st Princess, who had come closer, draped her arm over his shoulder.
She leaned down, pressing against his chest as she whispered sweetly.
“Teacher, we need to go and acquire the Sun Elixir, right?”
If it were any other time, he would have bolted from the spot immediately.
But.
Was it due to the desire to live, the drunkenness, or some suppressed urge as a man?
“…Okay. I understand.”
Finally, the man calmly nodded.
The composed answer surprised even the 1st Princess.
But Ezekiel sensed it.
It was no longer something he could evade.
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