After drafting the contract, I immediately headed to the Underground Maze.
However, I wasn’t just passing through everything.
The area around the Magic Tower was a crucial point with multiple pathways, and the commercial district was quite developed.
It was only natural that the land was very large. While not as gigantic as a department store, all the buildings were traps, so to speak.
I couldn’t just leave it alone. If I did, the unaware human mages would be caught and eaten by the hidden high-ranking Fiends.
“This time, let’s go to that building.”
“Yes, Master.”
It didn’t take long to obliterate each building. Just one blast of ice, packed with Ezekiel’s chill, ended the situation.
“Conclusion.”
Zzzzzzk—!
The building froze entirely.
The Fiends inside couldn’t even resist, their eyes darting around helplessly as Ezekiel coldly smashed their heads.
Bang—!
I had gathered the information from Laila at the Magic Tower, so there was no need to ask anything.
‘…There are so many of them.’
Ezekiel thought to himself as he purified another building. Too many Fiends. They seemed to be planning a serious ambush.
One natural question arose in his mind.
‘Did they really obsess over me this much?’
When Ezekiel was making a name for himself with Ice Ghosts, the upper echelon of the Demon Realm either avoided him or found him very annoying.
It meant they didn’t want to deal with him.
But…
‘Why does that goddess have such an obsession with me?’
The goddess was different. She was interested in him more than anyone else, obsessively.
What kind of grudge could she possibly have that made her this fixated? As of now, there was no way to know.
Thinking this, he swept away another building.
Zzzzzzk—!
A building froze and the Fiends shattered all at once.
“…!”
Every time this happened, the women’s eyes widened.
It was always the same. Laila and Seina didn’t even have time to assist as the situation was cleanly resolved.
“I declare that the Imperial Tower has purified this area.”
Ezekiel deliberately mumbled as he etched the Imperial Magic Tower’s sigil into the frozen building.
He acted conspicuously on purpose, but even without doing so, he was bound to attract tremendous attention.
From the perspective of the humans quietly suffering in the area of the Magic Tower, there was no greater savior than Ezekiel.
“The Imperial Tower’s inspector was just as amazing at the exchange meeting… It wasn’t just empty rumors! Incredible!”
“The people beside you are also important guests of the Magic Tower and Blue Tower, right? Just being next to the inspector makes them mere decorations.”
“Watch your words! He might get angry if he hears you!”
With such a vast area, it was no wonder there were many citizens. They crowded around like clouds, keenly observing who was making the moves.
Ezekiel was becoming more famous by the minute.
…
Finally, they arrived at the entrance of the Underground Maze.
Having cleared out almost every building along the way, only the descent into the underground remained. It was time to initiate the rescue operation in earnest.
As they took a moment to rest, Seina broke the silence.
“It’s not like we’ve met after such a long time…”
Her expression mixed astonishment and weariness. She had been greatly surprised every time Ezekiel showcased his prowess on the way to the entrance of the Underground Maze.
The last time they met was during the exchange meeting.
Of course, he was strong then too, but now he felt even more formidable. Calling him simply strong didn’t even begin to describe it.
“It feels warm unlike before, but at the same time, the chill has intensified. What kind of constitution is this…? You’ve become much stronger than last time.”
“Indeed. It seems so.”
Ezekiel didn’t deny it.
Seina silently admired him several times. She knew better than anyone how difficult it was to elevate one’s chill and frost techniques.
‘Like an Ice Deity.’
Although Seina had seen countless mages handling ice techniques at the Blue Tower, she had never seen anyone achieve such progress as Ezekiel in such a short time.
Unexpectedly, she didn’t feel any jealousy.
Jealousy only arises when levels are somewhat similar. Instead, Ezekiel’s seemingly insurmountable prowess felt truly admirable.
Thus, she could sincerely congratulate him.
Seina smiled brightly, her hair cascading elegantly over one shoulder.
“I’m really glad to hear my Master has made achievements. As a disciple, it fills my heart with joy.”
Though it would have been relatable to ask him to share some of his knowledge, Seina didn’t do that at all. She merely celebrated her Master’s success.
“It’s a pity we can’t celebrate leisurely like at a festival due to the urgency of the situation. I’ll work hard in training too so that I can understand whatever you share with me right away.”
“Good, a commendable mindset.”
Ezekiel calmly praised her.
Her brightness was quite refreshing to him.
But then.
“Hey, we need to get into the Underground Maze soon…”
A woman clad in a purple robe cautiously spoke. It was Laila, a high-ranking mage of the Purple Magic Tower.
Immediately, Seina’s gaze sharpened.
“What do you mean hurry when you’re the one in the position of asking for help? Just a moment ago, you stood around like you were glued to the spot when it was time to fight.”
“…Wasn’t there anything I could do at that point? The inspector resolved the situation immediately.”
“In other words, you were just saying your skills are far behind the inspector’s? Then just stay still. You’re lacking in ability and only receiving help.”
“Elder, why are you being so aggressive with your statements…?”
Laila’s pride seemed wounded, and a hint of anger flashed across her face, but Seina unfurled a scroll without care.
“What’s wrong? Shall we renegotiate the terms of compensation? Since we’re just about to enter the maze, it’s perfect timing.”
“…”
“Laila? If you have any grievances, just speak up.”
Eventually, Laila hung her head in resignation.
“I-I’m sorry. Please, help me…”
“Hmph.”
Seina scoffed.
“Apologize to the inspector. People only seem to know how to hate the Imperial Tower but never show gratitude.”
Every time Laila and her assistant tried to raise their heads stiffly, Seina decisively crushed that expectation.
Unconsciously, Ezekiel patted Seina’s head. It was purely out of pride.
“…!”
Seina’s eyes widened.
“Ah, without a thought. I did it because I’m proud of you.”
Ezekiel immediately withdrew his hand.
Patting the head of a senior, even if they were an inspector, was not exactly proper etiquette.
However…
Ironically, Seina’s reaction was strange.
She touched her own head.
“You’re proud…? Then is this a compliment?”
Murmuring, she suddenly smiled brightly.
“I’m glad. Master’s hands are so chilled that it feels really nice to me, as an ice magician.”
The gaze that seemed to desire more was somewhat burdensome.
“Let’s get going.”
Ezekiel naturally changed the subject. They actually needed to move as quickly as possible, and they had rested enough.
The group quickly entered the maze.
The maze was, as described, a maze.
It was a dangerously complex area that could not be expressed in words, filled with mind-boggling paths and dizzying traps; a place where danger awaited at any moment a little relaxation was allowed.
Swishhh—!
Ezekiel’s party navigated cautiously but quickly, aiming to rescue the hostages.
Swishhh—!
Ezekiel formed an ice path and sped through it with his mana. The speed was extraordinarily fast.
“Hey, is this the right path?”
“Elder, would I lie to you?”
Seina and Laila exchanged brief words, but Ezekiel could feel through his sensitivity to energy that they were nearing their destination.
‘The auras of Fiends and Mages are all mixed up.’
At the end of the passage, a fierce battle seemed to be raging on. The smell of burning and traces of human blood tickled at his nose.
So, Ezekiel immediately unleashed an ice spear.
Chiiaaaaaak—!
He shot it toward the dense Fiend presence, piercing through their brows with a thud, and finally arrived.
Swishhh—!
At the end of the passage was a cavern of unknown width, as expected, teeming with people.
Fiends, Mages… chaos ensued.
The Fiends and Mages’ eyes widened in astonishment at the ice path spread by Ezekiel. They immediately began to shout.
“…Ice?”
“What kind of human is that?!”
“Is he a Mage?”
Everyone was shockingly surprised.
Ezekiel quickly surveyed the situation.
The Fiends had formed a circular encirclement attacking the group of Mages, who were barely holding their ground with their backs against the walls.
Despite the grim situation, Ezekiel felt relief.
“…Agnes.”
It was because his dedicated secretary was still alive.
Of course, she didn’t look unscathed. Her once neat bob haircut was now covered in dirt, and her limbs had several cuts.
‘Working this hard for the Imperial Magic Tower.’
It was evident at a glance.
Agnes and the Mages from the Imperial Magic Tower looked extremely worn out, while the mages in purple robes appeared relatively unharmed.
The implication was clear.
Agnes and the Imperial Tower mages had been defending the Magic Tower mages.
At that moment, Agnes finally spotted Ezekiel.
“Ah…?”
At first, she had chewed her lip thinking more Fiends had arrived, but then her eyes widened as she looked back at Ezekiel.
“Inspector…?”
The expression she wore, struggling with everything she had, vanished in an instant. Just like when she heard his ridiculous jokes, she stared at Ezekiel with her eyes blinking in disbelief.
“How did you get here…?”
“You’re mumbling without proper manners from afar.”
Ezekiel cut Agnes off. It seemed even speaking was challenging for her, so it was out of consideration for her.
“Just stay put and wait.”
At the same time, he snapped his fingers.
“I’ll deal with this directly.”
They could have a chat later.
First, he needed to sweep everything away.
Chiiaaaaaaaaaak—!
It didn’t take long. Just a few seconds later, the icy hell began to swallow the Fiends whole.
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