Ezekiel had spent yet another sleepless night.
He stood blankly in the infirmary.
Through the transparent glass, he could see Arcne lying down, and every time he caught sight of her pierced upper body, his heart sank.
Seeing someone who endured all sacrifices solely for oneself lying in such a tragic state…
It was truly more painful than he could have imagined.
By his side was Solana.
“Strangely enough, every time you’re near, it seems like the Goddess’s body tries to heal itself on its own. It’s still… clinging to you.”
It didn’t seem like a lie.
Arcne’s veins and mana intertwined like spider silk, desperately struggling to recover her upper body.
Of course, her condition was too severe to show any real progress.
Ezekiel felt a sense of responsibility for this situation, and rightly so. After all, he had intended to save her twice and failed both times.
Solana muttered softly.
“The reason I came to believe in the Sun God isn’t anything special. There was a man I wanted to cheer on with all my might, and I fervently prayed for him, and before I knew it… I had become a Saintess.”
“…Thanks.”
Ezekiel murmured quietly, for he knew the man she had prayed for was himself.
Solana didn’t deny it either. The one she earnestly wished blessings upon was indeed Ezekiel.
“Thinking about it, I guess it’s because I had the composure to pray that it was possible. When you weren’t by my side, I thankfully had the luxury and opportunity to pray.”
She calmly continued.
“…The 0th Princess must have drawn you continuously, but I suppose she didn’t have the luxury to pray either. The situation was too barren to rely on anything else.”
“….”
“I find it so heartbreaking. I can’t believe such a cruel fate exists. How could it possibly happen…?”
Ezekiel nodded quietly.
That, too, was a scenario he had imagined many times.
If only Arcne had stayed on the continent and grown up normally, she would have become his student and trained like the other princesses, right?
Acting normally, feeling joy in the ordinary, becoming a beautiful princess that anyone would admire, living a life happier than anyone else.
Crack! Without realizing it, he clenched his fist.
Meanwhile, Solana was worried about Ezekiel.
“Teacher, but you need to sleep. If your condition worsens, I’ll have so much to worry about. For my sake…”
She found it difficult to refuse such kindness.
There were things he had to do, and not much to say.
“…I’ll be back.”
Ezekiel moved on, unwilling to be held back.
He had to get stronger.
So he wouldn’t lose anything precious. Not even the Emperor or the Demon Lord could take what belonged to Ezekiel.
…He had to become much, much stronger.
The Imperial Magic Tower was currently in quite a commotion.
“A solo expedition… that’s impressive. Isn’t that the same as saying you’ll single-handedly smash the Purple Magic Tower?”
“This expedition is just reconnaissance. It’s merely observing while dealing with Fiends.”
“Still, it means the punishment work has officially begun, and that alone is immensely gratifying.”
Agnes quietly watched the scene.
The mages of the Imperial Tower were all excited.
It was only natural.
Remembering the betrayal suffered under the Purple Magic Tower in the underground maze still made their teeth chatter, and with the Inspector’s expedition, the punishment work was finally starting.
They all prayed with one heart for the magical tower’s downfall.
“By the way, I haven’t seen him lately.”
Agnes felt joy when Ezekiel regained consciousness. She thought with the return of his usual life, she would be able to see him more often.
But that was not the case. Recently, Ezekiel hadn’t shown himself at all.
Other mages found it strange too.
“By the way, where is the Inspector these days?”
“I think he’s spending more time in the Imperial Family than the Imperial Tower. His status and fame have risen too high. He’s become known for his competence.”
“By the way, it seems the Purple Magic Tower is prepping hard too. I heard they’ve summoned elite mages?”
Agnes perked up at that conversation, immediately jumping in.
“…You said elite mages from the Magic Tower?”
“They mean the twin siblings with hair like Golden Lightning. I heard their skill at cutting off an enemy’s breath is unmatched, even surpassing the elders of the Magic Tower.”
Agnes was well aware of their reputation.
“I’ve heard that they should be treated more like assassins than mages. Apparently, they’ll use any means necessary to cut off their opponent’s breath.”
“Those despicable ones who would betray and raise deadly weapons can’t be anything less than monstrous. Speaking of which, I’m a bit worried about the Inspector.”
Agnes’s brow slowly furrowed.
‘The elite of the Magic Tower…’
Especially the brother was famous enough that she had heard of him.
He supposedly took pleasure in smashing signs across the continent, forcing those he challenged to fight them, regardless of their refusal.
‘The sister wouldn’t be easy either.’
Unlike her brother, who had a gentle disposition, she had also heard that the sister possessed greater raw power.
This was information from the time Agnes worked in the Imperial Family.
‘I have to see the Inspector at least once.’
That thought came naturally.
Ever since learning about Ezekiel’s past, Agnes, more than anyone, wished for his happiness.
However, she had a feeling that this expedition would not be easy at all. She decided she had to meet him and share whatever information she could.
A week later.
The day of the joint expedition with the Magic Tower.
In the Imperial Palace, at the Extreme Training Ground.
Agnes stood blankly at the entrance of the training ground since dawn. She had resolved to meet Ezekiel, but it had been an entire week, and she still hadn’t seen him.
It wasn’t just Agnes.
Seina, the elder of the Blue Tower, had declared she would contribute to this expedition and was also waiting, standing as idly as Agnes.
And the reason was simple.
Ezekiel had not made an appearance at all.
Boom—! Boom—!
A tremendous sound echoed from within the training ground.
It contradicted the announcement claiming the soundproofing was excellent. The noise was so loud that it felt like it could burst the eardrums of Seina and Agnes waiting outside.
And it wasn’t just that.
Hisssssss—
Occasionally, an energy seeped out from the training ground. It felt like a chill, yet it simultaneously carried warmth.
When Agnes and Seina reached out to touch it, it dispersed immediately.
Boom—! Boom—!
The continuous deafening sound made the two women exchange telepathic messages.
—Inspector’s secretary, you mentioned you worked in the Imperial Family, right? I heard the Extreme Training Ground had excellent soundproofing.
—The soundproofing device is functioning well. It’s just that the techniques the Inspector is using hold immense power.
—I had a hunch, but to think it would be like this…
Seina, the elder of the Blue Tower, couldn’t hide her surprise.
—The Extreme Training Ground supposedly absorbs mana several times over. To produce that level of power after nearly a week there…?
—I think he’s preparing thoroughly for this expedition. I’ve been here all week, and each day the sound has grown slightly louder. It means he’s gaining insights day by day.
—All week…? I had expected it, but it seems like the secretary likes the Inspector a bit.
—W-What are you suddenly saying…?
However, the two women’s banter didn’t last long, for the doors to the training ground swung open.
Swoosh—
The door opened, releasing an immense energy like a breath. Among it, Ezekiel stepped into view.
“Inspector!”
“Teacher!”
Seina and Agnes called out for Ezekiel simultaneously.
“…Were you waiting for me?”
As Ezekiel recognized the women, he muttered, and they nodded like sparrows.
“You’re training up to the last moment? Inspector, today is the day of departure; is that okay?”
“No problem. We must set off right away.”
Meanwhile, Seina asked something else.
“…The energy feels off. Just how much progress did you make during the week?”
“Not much.”
Ezekiel replied curtly.
However, the look in Ezekiel’s eyes felt different from usual. His resolve to tie this matter up securely was palpable.
“…”
Then the two women fell silent.
The training ground’s interior gradually came into view.
Three gray dragons were entangled in an ice formation, suggesting an unfathomable force at play.
“…”
Agnes realized that there was no need to share the information she had brought.
This expedition didn’t seem dangerous at all.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.