The unfolded scenery resembled a snowy country.
The residence had exploded, leaving only the foundation, and the entire estate was covered in white snow. Those enjoying the festival seemed to have no understanding of the situation yet.
It was understandable. The change had happened in the blink of an eye.
“…What the heck happened?”
“Looks like there was a huge fight inside the residence.”
Muttering that, he felt a huge sense of unease and soon realized where it came from.
Monsters and fiends.
“Hey, wait! Where are the monsters and fiends?”
It was bizarre that monsters and fiends had come in droves and yet there was still time to chatter lazily.
Everyone quickly surveyed their surroundings, tracing the whereabouts of the monsters and fiends.
“…!”
And soon everyone was astonished.
The monsters and fiends were just frozen.
The mana was still writhing, but they were trapped within the ice and couldn’t break free. The murmurs of the people spread like wildfire.
“…To trap mana like this? I’ve never seen such ice in my life. I haven’t even heard of it!”
“It’s not just the monsters. To have higher-ranking fiends so easily… What level of prowess are we dealing with?”
“Who could possibly pull this off?”
Only Belka and Agnes among the people present remained silent. This ice definitely belonged to Ezekiel.
Of course, they were flustered as well.
While everyone was marveling at the situation.
“Everyone, pay attention.”
A man suddenly appeared atop the estate’s wall. The inspector of the Magic Tower, Ezekiel, certainly grabbed their attention.
In his hand, he held a cube of ice.
Inside the transparent ice box was Tirbi’s head, her sclera glowing a deep purple. It was undeniable evidence of a fiend.
“This guy is the cause of the Ruiple Erosion Phenomenon, and I’ve just eliminated him. Not difficult, right?”
People simply blinked in shock.
Tirbi.
The name of the woman who was once revered as a messenger of the Sun God in the Ruiple region.
She, who held the people’s trust tightly, was now brazenly displayed with her head severed, appearing as a fiend.
“…”
The shock was so profound that no one could utter a word; everyone just stood frozen like ice statues.
“This can’t be… Not you, Tirbi?!”
“That’s impossible. The Sun God’s messenger….”
Some began to slump to the ground.
It seemed that despair weighed heavier than anger. After all, they had trusted Tirbi so deeply.
At that moment, Ezekiel spoke.
“Well, I get that you’re all shocked.”
He pulled out a single blade of grass from his pocket.
“That’s one thing, but you all have something to do right now.”
The long grass resembled a willow leaf, but no one here could mistake its identify; Ruiple was the primary producer of this grass.
“…Sunweed?”
Someone muttered.
Ezekiel nodded.
That’s right. It was sunweed.
“Gather all of it. Every last bit.”
The situation in Ruiple was being swiftly resolved.
“The inspector of the Magic Tower really accomplished something big.”
“If he hadn’t visited, what would have happened…?”
“He’d have lived his life deceived. Just thinking about it is terrifying.”
Moreover, the shock from Tirbi was already morphing into great fame for Ezekiel.
Of course, Ezekiel was just smoking sunweed. Since the true evil had been eliminated, it was only right for the festival to continue.
Sunweed stacked up like a mountain, and he leaned against it.
Hoo─
He exhaled deeply.
Was it because he had smoked a large amount after a long time? His mind felt a bit hazy. The shimmering haze in his vision felt nice.
It was then that Agnes approached.
“Inspector, when did you know?”
“From the very beginning.”
“I had no idea at all.”
“It’s because you’re still dull.”
“…Dull? Me?”
Ezekiel intentionally used aggressive words. This outing needed to have a teaching effect on Agnes, and such words would’ve worked well on her.
‘Agnes was a bright student who never missed first place.’
He had already looked through the data on her, his personal assistant.
She was exceptional. She had entered the academy from a young age and had always held onto first place among her peers. So it made sense she could work for the imperial family.
She was worth cultivating. Just as Ezekiel thought this.
“I won’t deny it. Compared to the inspector’s prowess, I am still dull.”
Agnes continued.
“I can vaguely guess why you didn’t hint at it. It would have been easier to perform without informing me.”
Her reaction was peculiar.
Her pure inquiry held hardly any anger or disappointment, and having stuffed the cube into her pocket, she continued speaking.
“Your name is going to become very famous around here. Perhaps even outside Ruiple.”
“And?”
“I don’t understand why you brought me along. If you just needed bodies, wouldn’t it have been more efficient for me to stay at the Magic Tower and work?”
Always expressionless. Always emotionless.
What she was asking now was merely about ‘efficiency.’
But if things continued this way, Agnes would forever remain a bright student. Ezekiel planned to guide her so that she could reach the level of a genius.
Like back in the distant past, when he taught his precious disciples.
“Agnes, you need inefficiency.”
Feeling the helplessness, anxiety, and perhaps the inferiority complex from being close to someone greater than herself… These were things she absolutely needed, even if somewhat painful.
Agnes blinked rapidly twice.
“Are you playing word games again?”
“I said what you need. I’ll be going now.”
As if to say, ‘don’t disturb me while I savor the sunweed,’ Ezekiel waved his hand dismissively.
“…”
Agnes blinked steadily and then stared at the inspector with a vacant expression.
[ Occasionally makes completely incomprehensible statements. ]
[ When high on sunweed, seems to babble nonsense. ]
She added two lines to her notebook.
“Ha… This should be enough. Pathetic inspector.”
The guard knight of the 2nd Princess, Valken, looked contentedly at the row of monster corpses lined up on the ground.
“I’ll make you realize that chasing immediate pleasure only kicks away long-term happiness.”
If he had been blinded by something right in front of him and rushed, Valken would have also been scrambling to find a way to take down Ezekiel immediately. Perhaps something like a spar.
He could have taken him down quickly, but it was clearly not a wise choice. He needed a way to reveal as much of his weaknesses as possible while gradually tightening the noose around his neck.
That’s how the wager had begun.
At the same time, this place was Ruiple.
A peace that had come unexpectedly.
Contrary to expectations, monster sightings were rare. To win the wager, he had to move quickly.
‘Given the circumstances, thirty monsters would be decent.’
Valken quietly nodded. The light shining through his helmet sparked like fluorescent light.
“The inspector is probably still drinking.”
“He’ll only regret it when he’s forcibly dismissed.”
The three knights entered the estate with smiles.
The scene unfolded exactly as expected.
The festival continued; the inspector of the Magic Tower consuming drinks and sunweed… Excluding the modest layer of snow that was spread throughout the estate, it was exactly as anticipated.
Valken raised his chin and shouted.
“Inspector! Did you have any income today?”
No answer came back.
It was understandable. It was obvious he had likely spent the entire day having fun; even if he felt guilty, pretending he hadn’t heard would be the best option.
Thus, Valken’s gaze turned to Ezekiel’s entourage.
“Well, you guys seem to know enough to be embarrassed for the inspector; why don’t you answer for him? Did he have any income today?”
But…
Something felt off.
‘Why are their reactions like that?’
By now, they should be blushing deeply with humiliation, but the two female mages in Ezekiel’s entourage were completely unfazed.
No, they didn’t even seem to care about Valken.
“Oh, Senior Sunweed…! Hello…!”
“Please do keep it decent. Aren’t you ashamed?”
“Agnes, you’re shy too…? How embarrassing…”
“Of course that’s not what I mean.”
“Anyway, that means we aren’t that close…? C’mon, greet him. It’s the inspector’s order after all…”
“Please stop devaluing yourself.”
An attitude that was far beyond nonchalance to the point of indifference. They were having an incomprehensible conversation.
“How much did they drink to be this reckless….”
Just as Valken was about to scold them.
Snap─!
Someone snapped their fingers as if to draw attention.
It was the inspector of the Magic Tower, Ezekiel.
Still facing away from them, he raised one hand.
Holding something, slowly.
Very slowly.
“…”
Moments later, the mouths of the three knights snapped shut.
“…!”
After a while, their mouths gaped wide open.
What Ezekiel was holding.
Without a doubt, it was the head of a high-ranking fiend.
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