休憩室 of the Imperial Magic Tower.
“Do you know what kind of person the new inspector is?”
A member of the magic tower staff asked Agnes. It felt less like addressing a visitor and more like talking to an old friend.
Well, they had known each other since Agnes was at the magic tower, so it wasn’t strange. Thanks to that, the atmosphere in the lounge was relaxed as the staff continued talking while popping a small dessert into their mouth.
“It’s crazy! He’s from a common background, has no family at all. Apparently, he doesn’t even have any experience. Surprisingly, that’s all there is to say.”
“….”
How does someone like that become an inspector?
That was the only thought that crossed Agnes’s mind.
An inspector’s role is to check whether the magic tower is moving toward the right goals and to supervise whether the members are thoroughly following the principles and magical ideologies in their duties.
However, to effectively supervise and lead the tower’s members, significant support is essential. It’s virtually a leader’s position.
Clank clank
Agnes, as usual, twisted a cube with one hand.
As she continued her deliberation in silence, the staff member sitting opposite her chuckled knowingly.
“Come on, you really don’t want to be the new inspector’s secretary, right? Let’s pretend we never had this conversation and hurry back to the imperial family.”
Just as the staff member was about to retrieve the documents on the desk—
“…No.”
Agnes lightly grasped the paper with telekinesis.
“I can’t go back to the imperial family anyway. It can’t be helped.”
Agnes, who had already submitted her resignation and come here, had no real choice. Currently, the only area lacking manpower at the imperial magic tower was the secretary position—what else could she do? She had to do it.
Creek
While continuing the conversation, a male staff member entered the lounge. He seemed quite surprised upon noticing Agnes.
“Oh, what? Isn’t that Agnes?”
After glancing at the cube, he was convinced it was indeed Agnes.
“Wow, what brings the imperial administrator here?”
“I’m no longer the imperial administrator.”
“…Don’t tell me you quit that and came here?”
His eyes went wide.
“You made a mistake. You’ve come to a sinking ship.”
Then, the female staff member next to him immediately glared at him.
“Hey, why are you saying stuff like that right after arriving?”
“Why? Agnes deserves to know the truth.”
But despite their tense exchange, Agnes casually swept her black bob haircut behind her ear. The female staff member’s eyes widened.
“Don’t you want to know about it, Agnes? This story?”
“Significantly low performance, factional disputes… It’s just the same old story, isn’t it? These issues have existed since I worked at the tower. Hearing them again doesn’t surprise me much.”
“Oh come on, it’s more than just that now!”
The male staff member sighed deeply.
“For some reason, the 2nd Princess returned to the capital. She’ll be visiting the imperial magic tower within the week.”
A moment of silence passed after those words.
“…The 2nd Princess is coming, you say?”
“Yeah. What do you think, Agnes?”
“Hmm….”
In fact, Agnes had never personally met the 2nd Princess, but she had heard enough stories about her to know them by heart.
Even your breath should be cautious.
Whenever the topic of the 2nd Princess came up, that phrase seemed to follow her. This was because she placed great importance on bloodlines and statuses, as well as elegance and decorum.
…The remarks of those who had offended her were all too obvious.
The male staff member sighed again.
“There’s no way someone who’s neglected the tower for years would suddenly develop affection for it, and the prevailing opinion is that she aims for a sale.”
That was a reasonable deduction.
The imperial magic tower belonged to 2nd Princess Hedera.
However, in reality, Hedera had no interest in the tower.
To be more precise, she lost interest when the magic tower failed to reach the level of ‘human magic that could touch a dragon.’ After that, a long period of neglect began.
The female staff member shivered.
“Um… Do you think the 2nd Princess will like a new inspector who’s a commoner with no experience? I really don’t think that would be the case…”
“….”
Eventually, both staff members turned their gazes toward Agnes.
“Agnes. Just go somewhere else. To be honest, if you didn’t know the person, I would have tried to coax you into working here, but I’m saying this because it’s you. Why on earth did you come to a place like this?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Unless the new inspector is a godsend who can solve everything, there’s no way this is the right place. It’s nothing near a dream job, you know?”
In simple terms, it meant there was no future here.
Clank clank
Agnes turned the cube, reflecting on her memories.
The strict family, graduating early from the academy due to her outstanding skills… Ultimately, the place where she spent the most time in her life was right here at the imperial magic tower.
At the same time, it was the only place she had truly formed an emotional attachment to.
Was that why it felt strangely disappointing?
Deep down, she hoped the imperial magic tower wouldn’t fail.
“…”
But then she shook her head and signed the documents.
Personal feelings. Among them, especially expectations and hopes, she was well aware that they didn’t suit her.
“…It doesn’t matter. I’ll just work for a while and leave.”
An omnipotent inspector.
An inspector who would resolve all of the tower’s issues in one go.
An inspector who would persuade the 2nd Princess of the world.
…There couldn’t possibly be such an inspector.
Dining Hall of the Imperial Magic Tower.
Currently, the place was filled with people, facing one another, leaving a seat for Ezekiel in the higher place. The structure of the space itself wasn’t the issue; the factions had naturally formed into two.
“Wow, to think I’d see Widro here.”
Nox, the leader of the Practical Faction, adjusted his glasses with his middle and ring fingers. The corners of his mouth also curled up.
“You were confidently declaring that you reserved the center of the sunset, so what brings you to the dining hall? Given your age, did you confuse the location?”
“Worry about your own face. The way you hurriedly pulled out that scroll in the street was just like a lizard desperately trying to shake off its tail, and many witnessed that scene.”
The standoff between the two sides was tense and could snap at any moment.
Neither side was willing to avert their gaze or back down from the confrontation.
Though they were individuals who even loathed sharing the same space, today there existed a reason compelling enough to gather here, overriding all their plans.
And that reason was singular:
The seven-colored ice of Ezekiel. They were enchanted by it.
‘Something they’ve never seen and, frankly, it was remarkable.’
Both Nox and Widro shared the same sentiment.
The feats that Ezekiel demonstrated on the streets were so splendid. It was an immense source of inspiration that those who had spent a long time at the imperial magic tower couldn’t help but feel intense curiosity.
Yet, at some point, Widro smiled.
“By the way, Nox, didn’t you notice something?”
“What do you mean?”
Widro’s smile deepened.
“I’m talking about the inspector. He used magic himself without using a scroll. It’s obvious he has no interest in mere pieces of paper. You might as well fold up your schemes.”
Most of the members of the Theoretical Faction wore expressions similar to Widro’s.
The new inspector would clearly be suited for the Theoretical Faction. Perhaps believing that strongly, they all seemed quite relaxed.
‘…Such foolish old men.’
However, Nox also raised the corners of his mouth calmly.
It was absurd for the inspector to use pure magic. Hadn’t he shown interest solely because of that?
‘No matter how excellent pure magic may be, once you try a few spells on a scroll, you’ll inevitably be captivated by its convenience. The more skilled you are, the easier it is to favor the Practical Faction.’
Scrolls can be likened to sponges.
Sponge that absorbs magic with all its might and then releases it when squeezed. Nox was confident that he possessed the technical skill to perfectly absorb any magic.
He recalled the seven-colored ice from memory.
What if he could harness that and store it in a scroll…?
The unimaginable benefits were beyond measure.
‘What an enormous opportunity. Truly an enormous opportunity!’
Crash
That was precisely when Ezekiel appeared.
His hair was so high he had to be looked up at.
Beneath his white hair was a dignified visage, yet his expression was relaxed, as if he were munching on blades of grass.
Nobility and rebellion.
The two elements that can never coexist harmoniously somehow brought together a miraculous balance in him. Perhaps he was such a unique character that any modifier would seem unnecessary.
Rumble
Whoever holds power in the magic tower, the inspector’s position itself is the highest. Everyone in the space promptly rose and bowed.
Many people, a thunderous sound, a clearly burdensome glare; all attention was drawn solely to Ezekiel.
For a rookie inspector, this might feel a bit awkward, but…
“Surprisingly, you can manage the greetings properly.”
He was incredibly composed.
As if it was only natural that countless formalities surrounded him, as if his blood naturally carried nobility, he dismissed what the ordinary person would find burdensome with ease.
On the other hand, Widro wore an expression of confusion.
“…What did that mean just now?”
“I’m here to examine the performance of the last ten years. Naturally, I couldn’t help but think that you must not be capable of doing anything at all.”
“…”
“Yet you still manage greetings quite well. That’s unexpected.”
Mentioning performance right from the start caused everyone’s expression to stiffen. Widro even bit his lips in response.
Huff
The inspector coolly emitted a breath filled with smoke.
“Anyway, I am the inspector of the imperial magic tower. Ezekiel.”
Immediately, everyone gathered there began to doubt their own sense of smell.
“…?”
It smelled pungent, yet distinctly different from ordinary tobacco. A sharp warmth pricked their nostrils if taken in all at once.
The clues pointed to only one thing.
‘…Sunweed? Inside the imperial magic tower?’
Expressions began to grow confused, but Ezekiel remained indifferent, simply continuing with his words.
“Unpleasant space doesn’t do any good stretched out for long. I’ve already made a few decisions before coming here. I’ll just inform you of those.”
“Wait a second.”
It was Widro, interrupting Ezekiel’s words.
“An unpleasant space? Isn’t this an extraordinary place?”
The old man glanced around at the well-prepared food.
“It was arranged well because a distinguished guest visited the tower. This is an excellent place. Indeed.”
Nox pushed up his glasses, casting a keen eye towards Widro.
Uncertain about his sudden behavior, but Widro thoroughly ignored the look filled with meaning.
“Before starting the formal announcements, wouldn’t a drink be acceptable? I’d like to have a toast with the wonderful inspector.”
Widro was smiling, but no one took that smile to be sincere. It seemed that his pride had been significantly wounded by the unsolicited reference to performance. Indeed, his pride was stronger than one could have imagined.
Already unable to contain himself, Nox exhaled a deep sigh.
Meanwhile, Ezekiel continued chewing on the sunweed effortlessly.
“Well, alright. Are you going to drink the rest?”
And at the moment he picked up the bottle and tilted it, the liquid surged out just as it was about to spill out of the opening.
Widro, using his fingertips, imbued magic into the glass. He meticulously wrapped a transparent layer around the outer surface.
As soon as the liquid touched this, the outcome was immediately predictable: It would surely explode like a fountain, splattering everywhere. There couldn’t be anything better than embarrassing someone at an official gathering like this.
“Hahaha—!”
Widro burst out laughing heartily.
“Looks like our inspector isn’t used to rare places, huh? What a mess if he spills the drink everywhere! His outfit will be ruined!”
But then, an overwhelming sense of discomfort washed over him like a wave.
The gazes aimed at him were peculiar. He discerned the situation only after glancing at the floor. None of the liquid splattered everywhere.
But the glass was also empty. Why?
At that moment, the lost gaze found its way back to the bottle’s opening.
“…!”
Widro was stunned, frozen.
As if a spell of ice had been cast on it, every droplet of splashed liquor hung suspended in midair, ignoring gravity.
It was as if a fountain had preserved a moment in eternity.
The old man’s gaze slowly shifted to Ezekiel.
His lake-blue eyes pierced through Widro.
“Seems you’re familiar with rare occasions, huh?”
Plop.
One droplet melted and landed on the bottom of the glass.
“Good. I was hoping you would show by example.”
Moreover.
Ezekiel’s words were far from over.
“Mind the drink. Not a single drop should spill.”
His tone was as sharp as a blade.
The old man contemplated.
The ability to suspend ice in midair while defying gravity, it was masterful in precision but equally powerful. He wasn’t sure he could drop it even with magic that Widro himself imbued.
Thoughts eluded him.
…This is not an opponent to argue pride with. That was all.
Plop.
This time the droplet melting was from the distant right side.
Before he could process that, he instinctively darted out his hand to catch it.
Plop. Plop. Plop.
It continued like that behind him.
The camaraderie they were having while pouring drinks had already vanished.
The old man was now putting all of his effort into catching the droplets falling randomly.
Plop. Plop. Plop.
The speed of descent quickened gradually.
Plop! Plop! Plop! Plop!
“…!”
The range of falling droplets was spreading wider and wider.
Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop.
The moment beads of sweat started to form on Widro’s forehead.
Ezekiel calmly surveyed the surroundings.
“Now, whose turn was it next?”
“…”
Everyone seemed to have rehearsed beforehand as they straightened their postures simultaneously.
In this place where everyone’s interest was a tangled web, now an absolute order began to take shape.
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