Outside the Underground Maze.
“What the hell, that Purple Magic Tower…!”
One of the mages from the Imperial Tower shouted, filled with rage—his voice dripping with sincerity.
The expressions of the surrounding mages were just as grim.
“Thanks to the sacrifice of the Inspector, we were all able to escape the maze safely. How can we ever repay this….”
“If that damn Purple Magic Tower hadn’t betrayed us in the first place, wouldn’t the Inspector have escaped safely as well? The root cause of all this is the Purple Magic Tower!”
“We came to help the Purple Magic Tower, yet instead, they repay us with vengeance. The morals have fallen to the ground….”
Muttering with grave expressions, they all directed their resentment at the Purple Magic Tower. It was only natural. The Magic Tower had shamelessly committed betrayal.
Seina, an elder from the Blue Tower, muttered seriously.
“The number of people that the magic circle can teleport has always been small. In other words, the Magic Tower must have been planning to betray the other mages from the start.”
“Those damned bastards….”
While returning to the Imperial Magic Tower, everyone’s steps were slow—not because they were tired, but because they were filled with anger.
At this moment, the desires of the mages from the Imperial and Blue Towers were similar. They hoped the Purple Magic Tower would be punished. And they needed to rescue the Inspector.
Seina, who had descended to the second floor, saw clearly.
The traces of the Purple Magic Tower carelessly using the magic circle to leave without responsibility were apparent. They had abandoned the mages who had come to help them out of goodwill.
Perhaps out of pride, they chose to obliterate all evidence rather than receive help from another tower.
‘Selfish to the bone.’
Seina chewed her lip as she thought.
The Purple Magic Tower was a tower specialized for battle. They were a group that wouldn’t shy away from a dirty dogfight. Perhaps that’s why their methods were truly hideous.
To achieve what they wanted, they would resort to any means necessary—suddenly, they didn’t seem much different from bandits.
However, there was something far more important at hand.
‘…My Master.’
It was urgent to save the Inspector of the Imperial Tower, Ezekiel.
Just then, a mage from the Imperial Tower asked.
“Elder Seina, the Purple Magic Tower must think we’ve been annihilated. If they find out we’re alive, who knows what kind of trouble they might cause? What should we do?”
“We need to move stealthily while finding a way to rescue the Inspector. Perhaps we should seek help from another tower.”
“But which tower should we ask for help? They brought it to the Demon Realm. We’ll need a significant force to rescue the Inspector through combat.”
The voice of the Imperial Tower mage was filled with bitterness, and those listening intently to Seina felt the same way.
It was at that moment.
“I have a thought surface.”
Anes, Ezekiel’s devoted secretary who had remained silent, spoke up. Her arm was bandaged.
“I’ll try asking for help.”
Her tone was more serious than ever.
Seina, the elder from the Blue Tower, immediately became interested.
“Ask for help… Is there a suitable place?”
Seina continued in a worried tone.
“Sending aid to the Demon Realm means our main forces will be away for a long time. The Purple Magic Tower will make political moves, and whether other towers will accept it is….”
“That’s not it. I won’t be asking other towers for help.”
“…Not asking other towers for help?”
Anes quietly nodded.
Anes also had a strong desire to save Ezekiel and had therefore thought very carefully.
Due to the high difficulty of the mission, the towers would be reluctant to get involved. So, she needed to think of someone from among those with significant power who would be willing to accept.
There was someone.
Not from a tower, but from the Imperial Family.
Anes slowly parted her lips.
“I’ll contact the 1st Princess and the Imperial Family.”
Inside the Demon Realm, in an enigmatic area.
“Oh? This can’t be….”
The Goddess muttered in a dazed voice.
“What you understood is correct. I don’t have much time left. I’d rather accept death than grant your wishes.”
Ezekiel murmured calmly.
First, he wanted to express as strongly as possible that he wouldn’t do what the Goddess wanted. That way, he would still hold something in this situation.
“This body wasn’t meant to be like this. There’s no way I self-harmed, so who on earth has pushed me so hard?”
A finger with paint touched Ezekiel’s lips.
“Miss Ice Ghost, this is something you must answer. The Emperor… Was it his doing?”
His expression grew serious, and his tone was very earnest.
Did the Emperor have a purpose in exhausting Ezekiel’s healthy constitution? Ezekiel briefly worried that being discovered as terminally ill would turn into a disadvantage.
However.
“Why do you ask that?”
“…Isn’t it obvious?”
He realized from the ensuing response that it was anything but obvious.
“I’m thinking of clearing away everything that can’t help Miss Ice Ghost. I’ll simply make them pay the inevitable price.”
The words the Goddess uttered were infinitely unexpected.
Did Ezekiel resent the Emperor for pushing him to have a terminal illness? In other words, wasn’t it similar to saying she would stand by Ezekiel and assist him?
It didn’t seem like she was contemplating how to use him. Instead, she appeared to consider how to support him.
“Oh my, it pains my heart. I’m sorry. If we had met a little faster, could we have prevented Miss Ice Ghost’s body from suffering like this…?”
With a voice soaked in regret, she placed her palm on Ezekiel’s heart. Once again inspecting the man’s constitution from start to finish.
At that moment, the Goddess was startled once again.
“The warmth beside the heart, what is this?”
She seemed to have discovered the trace of the Sun Elixir. Her eyes widened in shock as they sparkled like sunset light.
“No way. No way…. The trace of the Sun Elixir?”
At first, it was merely a surprised voice, but later it gradually filled with ecstasy. The Goddess gazed at Ezekiel from a distance where she could feel his breath.
“Miss Ice Ghost, can it be this beautiful…?”
They were so close that one could feel each breath. Just tilting the angle slightly could bring their lips together.
The Goddess held Ezekiel’s face gently with both hands.
“Despite being terminally ill, you haven’t despaired, rather you’ve struggled for immortality. Realizing your sincere wish…? What a beautiful thing this is!”
From the heavily made-up face, various emotions were clearly visible up close.
If madness and desire were to take the form of a living being, this must be the feeling. It had surpassed simple affection. Ezekiel felt her obsession and desire directed towards him.
“Yes, every time I find a trace of your longing, I can’t help but feel delighted. Oh… My body is starting to tingle again….”
The Goddess released a sticky breath.
“Indeed, Miss Ice Ghost is destined for me. With your longing, bring it to reality. If I mix my mana and your chill into a mess, it might be possible.”
“I won’t respond to your nonsense from now on.”
Ezekiel cut the conversation short.
He felt that if they exchanged too many words and glances, he would lose his own sanity. The Goddess’s behavior was certainly not normal.
Soon, she began to mutter repeatedly.
“But Miss Ice Ghost doesn’t have much time. We must hurry. We must hurry… Yes, we need to hurry….”
What was she in a hurry about?
Ezekiel was curious but did not ask. He only pondered for a long time on how he might escape.
How many days had passed since then?
The Goddess, who seemed like she would stay by his side all day, surprisingly did not. She appeared to be busy with her own matters.
—Miss Ice Ghost doesn’t have much time. We must hurry. We must hurry….
Every time she showed up, that would be her mantra, and she always seemed to be in a rush.
Ezekiel remained tied up.
Grumble….
When it was time to eat, spiders would swarm in and place a tray filled with food in front of Ezekiel, moving around like spider silk to feed him.
‘What on earth does she mean by being in a hurry?’
That was Ezekiel’s primary concern.
After the Goddess had confirmed Ezekiel’s condition, her madness only deepened, and what she was planning remained a mystery.
However, he discovered one thing.
‘She really likes my longing.’
For some unknown reason, it seemed that the Goddess was incredibly fond of Ezekiel’s earnest heart and actions. What circumstances were in play here?
Then one day.
“Alright, today is finally the day. Let’s go outside now.”
The Goddess, dressed more flamboyantly than when they first met, said to Ezekiel while linking arms with him. She had tightly bound his wrist with her mana’s spider silk.
Screech—
Finally, they stepped out of what had felt like a storage space and into the outside world. The unfamiliar sensation of being linked with the upper echelons of the Demon Realm felt strange.
A vast landscape unfolded.
The sun and moon were both in the sky, the moon being red and the sun having a violet hue. A somewhat familiar sight.
…It was the Demon Realm.
‘This is an incredibly developed area within the Demon Realm.’
Ezekiel saw a well-developed city, reminiscent of the Empire’s capital. Though it was filled with jagged, ominous structures, they were also tall and intricately crafted.
It wasn’t just the buildings. The demon race was no different.
“Goddess-sama, it is an honor to meet you.”
“Oh, Goddess-sama…! Is today the day!”
“What about the man beside you…?”
The streets were filled with demons who gazed at the Goddess with tears of emotion every time they met her. It seemed that simply her presence was a miracle in the Demon Realm.
‘The once desolate Demon Realm has developed this much?’
In Ezekiel’s memory, the Demon Realm had been a barren wasteland, but now it was bustling with a massive population and development.
“You must change your clothes first. Isn’t it exciting?”
With the gentleness of treating the world’s most delicate flower, the Goddess strode forward with her linked arms.
Finally, they arrived at a building.
From its appearance, it looked like a temple, and while the surrounding buildings were massive, they couldn’t compare to this temple. It was truly majestic.
“Welcome.”
As soon as they entered a certain space within the temple, the demon attendants dressed in servant attire lined up, bowing in respect.
And then, Ezekiel realized.
This building, it was not a temple.
Swish—
As a demon snapped their fingers, dresses began to pop out from all directions. Each was a ceremonial attire.
Yes, the kind of ceremonial attire worn at weddings.
“Groom of the Goddess, please choose your ceremonial robe.”
Ezekiel was left utterly speechless.
This building was most likely a wedding hall.
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