The space grew silent. The atmosphere was already settled.
Ezekiel tilted the wine bottle gently and filled his cup. It was a neat process without a single splash.
Swish─
He downed a glass coolly and pulled out a new Sunweed to light. It hadn’t even been a few minutes since he entered here, yet no one showed him any disrespect anymore.
“First up, about the factional disputes.”
Widro and Nox both swallowed dry at the same time.
Ezekiel’s words meant a lot. Just a few statements could drastically change their treatment.
But soon after, what Ezekiel said was simply unexpected.
“Go ahead and do whatever.”
“…?”
Nox and Widro’s eyes narrowed simultaneously.
“I have no intention of interfering. Instead, from now on, let’s compete based solely on performance. No childish antics between grown-ups.”
“…”
Both factions mumbled in silence.
Just a few hours earlier, they had been worrying over which factions would gain the inspector’s favor.
But now, the opposite was happening; both factions were completely in the palm of the inspector. They had been completely caught.
“And next, the second.”
Ezekiel exhaled and released smoke.
“I’ll be directly involved in all research and training inside the Magic Tower. No exceptions, so keep that in mind.”
“…!”
Everyone looked at Ezekiel with surprised eyes.
The leader of the Practical Faction, Nox, wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, adjusted his glasses, and cautiously spoke up.
“Who decided that?”
“Me. As the inspector of the Imperial Magic Tower, I did.”
“What about the opinions or backlash from the mages inside the tower? You understand their character quite well, right?”
He quickly continued.
“Magical research is a highly detailed task, and getting too involved makes it hard for me to showcase my prowess. Plus, if I get involved in every little thing, I’ll easily become a source of resentment…”
“I don’t care about resentment. I only care about performance.”
“Oh, there’s a misunderstanding. Inspector, just because we conduct research without your involvement doesn’t mean we neglect our performance.”
In response, Ezekiel simply placed a stack of documents in front of him with a thud and gestured towards Nox. A sign to check it out himself.
“…”
Nox couldn’t help but stiffen when he saw what the stack contained. It recorded the Imperial Magic Tower’s dire performance in detail.
“If this is the kind of performance you’re putting out while trying, then the problem is even more serious. Isn’t this supposed to be a place where only geniuses gather?”
Nox could only keep his mouth shut.
The performance of the Imperial Magic Tower, which hadn’t been announced yet, was indeed pathetic. At the same time, Ezekiel was not someone Nox could easily oppose.
Feeling like his throat was dry, he could only chug the wine in disguise.
“Moreover, we have to announce this performance this year. Therefore, the third.”
Ezekiel continued.
“Among the six towers, the Imperial Magic Tower will take first place.”
“…”
A moment of silence passed. It was too absurd a claim.
However, Ezekiel, the source of the calm, showed no signs of discomfort. No, rather, he seemed to express confidence as if it was an obvious statement.
“Inspector, I take it you’re only expressing an ambition here?”
Widro broke the silence first, speaking in a drastically more polite tone than before.
“I think having big ambitions is good. But actually taking first place is an entirely different story—”
“Don’t misunderstand.”
Ezekiel interrupted as if what he was saying was preposterous.
“The Imperial Magic Tower will take first place. Otherwise, it’ll be dissolved.”
Shocked looks spread across all the staff.
“Why do you all look like that? Is it surprising that the Imperial Magic Tower achieves higher performance than the other towers? Isn’t it expected?”
“No, um…”
Everyone had a lot to say but couldn’t quite voice it out.
Yet, everyone except Ezekiel thought that the goal was exceedingly ridiculous.
Claiming that the Imperial Magic Tower would take first place in a performance evaluation after ten years meant catching up to a decade’s worth of absence in just one year. There was no way such a thing was possible.
“Now, finally, one last thing. The most important one.”
…He hasn’t even stated the most important part yet?
What he had already said was staggering. Yet, there was something even more shocking left?
Everyone stared, wide-eyed and tense. Nox and a few others, feeling thirsty, guzzled their drinks in the meantime.
“The principles left by Hedera in the Imperial Magic Tower? We’re discarding them all.”
“…Hah.”
A slightly tipsy Nox bursted into laughter.
“Hedera, the old magic sage. How long ago was that? If it’s his outdated theory, we’ve already discarded it for a long time. Just because our performance is low doesn’t mean you can dismiss this, right?”
But as soon as he said that, the surrounding fell into an oddly quiet state.
Nox quickly looked around.
“…”
His heart sank with a troubling realization.
Hedera.
Ezekiel had indeed mentioned those three letters. Those who had fully understood that were already standing stiff.
“…!”
Nox could hardly withstand the shock and sharply removed his glasses.
“D-Did you just say… you’re excluding the principles left by the Tower Master, the 2nd Princess, Hedera? That she has left those principles in the tower and will be discarded as of today?”
That question sparked commotion.
“Is this really okay…?”
“The Tower Master has a position higher than the inspector in this place. But you’re saying you will discard the principles set by the Tower Master…?”
Amidst the clamor, someone cautiously raised their hand.
Ezekiel gestured for them to speak. However, the one who raised their hand mumbled incoherently.
“Exactly one week from now. One week from now…”
“What about one week from now? Can you speak clearly?”
“Exactly one week from now, Princess Hedera will personally visit this tower. Is this really okay…?”
It was not a challenge or a rebuttal, but a genuine question. It was laden with concern about whether he could truly handle the aftermath of stirring up such trouble.
“Indeed. We’re thoroughly discarding Hedera’s tower principles.”
Of course, Ezekiel remained calm.
“One week is plenty of time, isn’t it?”
“…Ah.”
Nox held his head and staggered, murmuring.
“That’s not sane. That’s just not sane…”
“I’ve never been sane.”
Always, already, now.
Ezekiel had always been this way.
Several hours later.
I was seated in my office, reflecting on various matters.
First, there were four main things I planned to enforce in the tower.
First, faction dissolution.
Second, overseeing all training and research.
Third, take first place in the performance presentation.
The first three were outlined like this.
“To achieve the conditions set by the Emperor, I have no choice. I can only employ every method and do my best.”
Living by relying on the gold coins that Solana brought me like a parachute. That way of living had been all but shattered the moment the Emperor laid down the five conditions.
Just looking at a few of the princesses was enough.
The richest person in the continent. The fourth princess, Chain.
No matter how much gold coins Solana brought, they could never catch up to the wealth of the fourth princess. A massive growth in the tower’s capital was absolutely necessary.
A monster. The first princess, Ether.
To surpass her, who already gave off a sense of the Emperor’s glory in strength and fame, I could only count on the advantage of a well-grown tower.
…Now, I really must do my best to enhance the tower.
“The three are like this for now. The last one is…”
Fourth, repeal the principles set by the 2nd Princess, Hedera.
The principles she left in the tower were as follows.
[The Imperial Magic Tower values the self-realization of mages. At every moment, it protects the honor and dignity of the Imperial Family, prioritizing the freedom to explore magic above all. Unleash your intentions freely.]
Though wrapped in good words, it essentially meant the following.
—Do what you want as long as it doesn’t cause trouble.
It was simply suggesting that mages should develop themselves without any ambition, without any goals, as long as they wouldn’t cause social disturbances. A complete neglect and abandonment.
“It means the expectations from the tower have disappeared entirely.”
Thus, it was a principle that had to be eliminated. And fortunately, there was still a week left until Hedera arrived.
A sudden memory rushed back.
—I believe human magic is also quite splendid!
—Someday, could humans surpass the dragon tribe?
—Then everyone will be recognized and live in harmony, right?
When she was little, Hedera would often say such things, but what on earth had happened to her? It felt like both the harshness of reality and the wear and tear of time had crept in simultaneously.
Knock, knock—
Then someone knocked and entered the office.
“Nice to meet you for the first time. I’m the direct secretary of the inspector.”
The deep bow was impressive, but not as striking as the familiar voice and black bob cut. The direct secretary had a familiar guise that didn’t change even upon closer glance.
It was definitely Agnes.
“…”
When I didn’t greet her even after a while, Agnes cautiously raised her head while still bent.
“…!”
And right after, her eyes widened as she stiffened like she had been struck by lightning.
She hurriedly turned her head sideways. Like an ostrich with its head buried in the ground during a crisis. Something like that.
I walked up to Agnes without hesitation.
“You said we wouldn’t meet again. But we keep running into each other quite often.”
“…We’re meeting for the first time.”
As I tilted my head to meet her eyes, she jerked her head to the other side. The curtain-like bob cut slapped my cheek for good measure.
“Agnes, your memory isn’t very good, huh? So you decided to be a secretary?”
“Who is Agnes?”
“You.”
“My name is not Agnes.”
Swish─ Swish─
Every time I leaned in to make eye contact, Agnes quickly turned to the other side. I ended up chuckling, lifting her hair with my palm.
Beneath her curtain-like black hair, there was a very reddened face.
Agnes stepped back swiftly, her expression deadpan as she glared.
“Why in the world are you the inspector?”
“Why are you the direct secretary?”
Agnes chewed on her lips.
“Please resign immediately.”
“Why should I? If someone is leaving, it should be you.”
“…”
Agnes remained expressionless, but her eyes blinked rapidly. It was clear she was uncomfortable with the situation.
Eventually, she said.
“…This tower no longer has a future.”
“Did you come to report? Why not just do so?”
“The last one was a report. I disclosed something that the concerned party was unaware of, did I not?”
Saying that, Agnes skillfully organized the documentation. Indeed, the scene of her using telekinesis was quite elegant.
“Here’s a simple draft of a schedule. Please pick one that you like, and proceed accordingly. Then I’ll take my leave.”
As Agnes turned quickly to walk away, it happened.
Bam─!
The suddenly opened door slammed right into Agnes’s face.
Time seemed to freeze as I left Agnes in shock while several employees appeared with pale expressions.
One female employee urgently surveyed her surroundings.
“W-Wait? Agnes? Are you okay? More importantly, Inspector!”
I pulled out a Sunweed and took a bite.
“I’m listening.”
“Princess Hedera, the 2nd Princess, says she’s coming over!”
I paused mid-bite.
“Tonight? I already knew that.”
“No! She changed the schedule!”
The female employee shook her head urgently.
“She’s coming tonight! Right tonight!”
“…Tonight?”
I stopped chewing the Sunweed.
Tonight.
…This I didn’t see coming.
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