Boom!
The first floor of the underground maze was swept away!
It was thanks to Inspector Ezekiel’s reputation, but especially around Agnes, the status of the Imperial Magic Tower rose significantly.
Duh!
It was only natural.
Not content to merely assist other mages from different towers in the maze, they spearheaded the attack, taking on all the hits themselves. How could anyone not be moved by such bravery?
Sure, it’s impressive when someone like Ezekiel can solve problems in one go with his overwhelming power, but isn’t it also great to help solely out of sheer will, even if you’re not that remarkable?
“Wow! They’re risking their lives to help…!”
“I’ve seen the Imperial Magic Tower in a new light. I thought it was just a place that bullied other towers, but that’s not true at all!”
“The vibe has completely changed since the exchange meeting.”
Whisper, whisper
Such murmurings often reached Ezekiel’s ears.
As a result, many praised Agnes and the Imperial Magic Tower. It was a very good thing.
At that moment, Seina from the Blue Tower approached Ezekiel.
“If we’re talking about humans on the continent, we have to consider the Demon Realm as the main enemy. Do you even know how many fiends you dispatched, Inspector? It’s going to have a huge impact.”
Her voice was filled with glee.
“I saw the actions outside the maze clearly, and so did all those mages inside. If this ends well… it’ll have an even bigger fallout than at the exchange meeting.”
“Thanks.”
Ezekiel was grateful to Seina, who always looked out for him, but he only replied briefly. His emotions were too complicated right now.
The condition of the Imperial Tower mages was not good.
His personal secretary, Agnes, had a broken left arm. It was pitiful to see her unable to move her arm, all bandaged up.
Agnes, with her high level of magic, was in that condition. How badly must the other mages be hurt? Not a single supporter from the Imperial Tower had come through unscathed.
“…I’m sorry for that incident.”
Agnes looked despondent. She seemed particularly worried about her situation with the 1st Princess.
Hmm…
“There’s a growing need for good healing and meaningful conversation.”
As Ezekiel was lost in thought, Seina asked.
“Teacher, is there something on your mind?”
“…I feel like we need some sort of reward for what just happened.”
Ezekiel honestly spilled what was on his mind.
Because Seina always helped him without holding anything back, he could feel she had a good character, so he was able to share this.
“Are you talking about a reward?”
“It’s not for me.”
Ezekiel shook his head.
“It’s the mages of the Imperial Tower who need a reward. They gathered the courage to help others; there should be something more than just being healed.”
Even though the mages knew Ezekiel wasn’t part of the dispatched group, they still rushed to support him. That took a lot of guts.
“Oh, the rewards for dealing with fiends don’t have to come just from the Imperial Family, right? It might be possible!”
Seina moved a bit closer to Ezekiel.
“The Purple Tower specializes in combat, right? They have lots of magic for urgent healing. If we could receive some of that, wouldn’t it be great?”
“Emergency healing magic…”
Ezekiel had heard a bit about it before.
While powers like healing belong to the Saintess and priests, there are indeed some magical effects that come close.
“The Imperial Tower will obviously get caught up in more of these huge issues moving forward. If we can obtain that emergency magic, we could heal these injuries and significantly reduce the damage next time. Right, Teacher?”
Seina was now deeply contemplating Ezekiel’s issues as though they were her own.
“It seems that once you save the Purple Tower completely, they won’t have any choice but to reward you. They’ll have to give you something to maintain their own face, regardless of what other towers might think!”
Seina placed her finger on her chin.
“Hmm… Of course, there is a more important point to consider.”
“Important point? What is it?”
“They said the elders of the Purple Tower are on the second floor of the underground maze. We need to save them in time, before it’s too late… That’s very crucial!”
Seina’s wisdom made perfect sense.
Ezekiel examined the maze map.
The maze was composed of many layers, and the elders of the Purple Tower were located on the second floor underground.
The layout was infinitely more complex than the first floor.
“The geography is incredibly complicated; those mages who aren’t familiar with it were bound to suffer.”
Ezekiel murmured quietly.
The structure seemed to have been designed solely to trap and demoralize visitors. There was no assurance that the Purple Tower’s mages on the second floor were safe.
But still…
Let’s do it. Absolutely!
Ezekiel’s resolve hadn’t changed.
If the elders were to fall, it would be a huge loss to the continent’s power, and he wanted the Imperial Tower mages to get all sorts of compensations for their welfare.
“The elders must’ve managed to protect their lives.”
“I can only hope so,”
Ezekiel immediately stood up. Assuming they were alive, he would set out to rescue them right away.
Gathering a chill, he activated his legs, fueled by the maximum output of mana.
Flash!
In an instant, Ezekiel’s body shot out like an ice spear.
“Hey? Teacher! I’m coming too!”
Seina hurriedly followed behind him.
Second floor of the underground maze, the deepest part.
However, the interior was surprisingly bright for being underground. Countless magics were clashing.
Bang! Ka-boom!
Incredibly concentrated mana clashed with magic, causing the floor and walls to continuously crumble under the impact.
Elders of the Purple Tower and the fiends from the Demon Realm had been engaged in a fierce battle for days now.
“Crazy bastards, they’re ridiculously strong.”
One of the elder mages from the Purple Tower was in shock. Currently, the elders were desperately guarding a massive magic circle.
The reason was simple.
That magic circle was their only way to survive.
“When will this magic circle be repaired?!”
One of the elders shouted desperately.
Even though they were elders, their bodies were soaked in blood. The fiends were far more formidable than expected.
“Hang on!”
“Just a little longer!”
The elders encouraged each other without hesitation.
“The moment the dimensional shift magic circle is repaired, everyone from the Purple Tower can be safe. Plus, we have to hold this place so that no damage spreads to the upper floors!”
Amidst it all, there was an elder shouting those words.
He wore a purple robe and a matching pointy hat, with a white beard that almost brushed his belly.
The leader of the Purple Tower elders, Gendiz.
“When I meet the mages from our tower again, I must have no shame! Give it your all, everyone!”
“Right! Let’s hold on just a bit longer!”
The other elders supported Gendiz’s words.
The only means of escaping this place alive was repairing that dimensional shift magic circle. They had to be desperate.
But the gap between reality and ideals was wide.
Bang! Boom!
The magic and the fiends targeting the magic circle and the elders grew increasingly oppressive, and the situation kept getting more dire. The elders had to grit their teeth and endure.
“We can’t maintain our formation any longer…!”
A voice close to defeat emerged from one side.
In truth, they all had the same thought; they just hadn’t said it out loud. They had reached their limits.
“The moment this magic circle falls apart, it’s complete annihilation. Think not as individuals, but as a whole! Value the group over your own lives!”
Eldest Gendiz’s attitude was resolute.
The fiends continued shouting.
“The goddess… the goddess has descended…”
“The Ice Ghost is here…”
“Oh, the moment has finally come…!”
Ice Ghost, the goddess.
These were the two things the fiends kept mentioning. It was hard for the elders of the Purple Tower to understand.
“Ice Ghost, goddess… The same words for a week now. What are these wicked beings thinking…?”
Gendiz shook his arm.
The elders of the Purple Tower were combat veterans. Yet, the fiends attacking them were unexpectedly intelligent and strong.
They had completely grasped the structure of the underground maze, and even their individual combat abilities surpassed those of the elders.
They had come prepared for a serious fight.
“My throat, it’s so dry…”
“I’m starving, losing strength…”
Concerns about the prolonged battle quickly emerged.
The fiends could carry on with just magic, but humans couldn’t maintain energy without water and food.
They were gradually losing strength. The battle lines were crumbling.
“We can’t hold on any longer!”
“I’m sorry. We did our best, but…!”
Just when even Gendiz, too, was thinking about giving up.
Swish!
From somewhere, they began to hear the sound of something extending. If they weren’t mishearing, it definitely sounded like something was freezing and extending.
“Ice…?”
“This way! Something is coming this way!”
“Is it a fiend?”
“I can sense mana. It seems like a mage…!”
Swish!
The icy sound drew closer and closer.
Both fiends and elders focused all their senses on it.
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