In a dark space, violet candles lined the walls.
The head of a goat hung on the wall, creating a rather sinister atmosphere. Black-robed mages strutted about, as if this place was the secret residence of some crime syndicate.
This was the Black Magic Tower, the northernmost of the Empire’s six magic towers and the essence of black magic.
“Tower Master~”
Someone approached with a playful voice.
She had the appearance of a little demon. With horns on her head and hugging a teddy bear, she was a small-framed girl.
On the other hand, the woman called the Tower Master looked more like a witch. She wore a low-brimmed pointed hat and a black dress, reacting not at all.
She was simply stirring a bubbling cauldron using telekinesis.
“Tower Master~ Are you listening?”
The Black Tower Master was still intently examining a book suspended in midair with telekinesis. Strange ingredients were continuously poured into the boiling cauldron.
“Tower Master! The Ruiple area has been purified!”
Only then did the witch-like woman’s movements suddenly stop.
The Black Tower Master slightly lifted her hat and looked at the small girl. In the dark and sinister place, her dark green eyes shone like torches.
“You said the Ruiple area has been purified?”
“Yep~ No doubt about it. I checked personally.”
“Who did?”
“At the Imperial Magic Tower. Oh, and they took the Demonic Sword with them!”
“…The Imperial Magic Tower?”
The Black Tower Master sharply closed the book she was examining in the air. Meanwhile, the girl tightly hugged her teddy bear and peeked into the boiling cauldron.
“I told you~ Am I lying? By the way, are you making that thing again? The flowing ice waterfall?”
The Black Tower Master quietly nodded.
The flowing ice waterfall.
An extremely difficult ice magic technique, a spectacle of ice cascading like a waterfall. The Black Tower Master desired that decoration.
But come on, making something extremely difficult isn’t easy.
…As expected, the recipe was unknown.
“Seriously, you just can’t let go of indoor decorations, can you? Tower Master, is it that important? Do you really want it that badly?”
“It is important.”
“It can’t be! We specialize in black magic. Besides, we can’t submit to the Blue Tower! Just give up already~ It’s no big deal if we don’t have such decorations~”
At that, the Black Tower Master’s hair slightly swayed as if she heard something she absolutely could not compromise on.
The girl hurriedly corrected herself.
“Oh no, my bad. It is important. Very important.”
Only then did the Black Tower Master click her tongue. As if to say ‘I’ll let that slide.’
“So, Tower Master, what will we do? That was the Demonic Sword we had our eyes on! They snatched it away right before our eyes!”
The girl’s statement was true.
The Black Magic Tower prioritized the exploration of black magic. Therefore, they had intentionally neglected Ruiple until now.
Let the Demonic Sword grow, and then they could capture it for research later—this was exactly the kind of thinking one would expect from those who prioritized research above all else. That was what the Black Magic Tower was.
But someone had brazenly snatched that Demonic Sword away.
Of all places, it was the Imperial Magic Tower.
“Hm.”
“Of all places, who would have thought the Imperial Magic Tower would pull that off? They must be hiding some incredible performance, right?”
“That’s not possible. Their internal circumstances must be dire.”
The Black Tower Master had confidence in her own words and thoughts.
“So, what are we supposed to do?”
“First, we focus on the exchange meeting. Forget the rest.”
“The exchange meeting! This time the exchange meeting is super important! It’s being held at the Black Magic Tower! Finally, it’s our turn!”
The exchange meeting is hosted alternately by the six magic towers, and this time it was the Black Magic Tower’s turn. In other words, for them, it was a chance to leap forward.
Having the exchange meeting at their own tower was an immense advantage, beyond what one could imagine.
“Tower Master, I have a question. The Imperial Magic Tower, will they be allowed to arrive safely?”
“Most likely. If we threaten them, they might not participate again. They’ve missed over ten times already. We have to charm them into coming.”
“Huh? No, no! Tower Master, what are you talking about?”
The girl shook her head as if that were impossible.
“The Imperial Magic Tower is massive this time! They’ve sent a definite response saying they will participate. And not just that, they explicitly stated other towers should not arrive late!”
“…That’s not like the Imperial Magic Tower. What’s going on?”
“Tower Master! So, will we allow them to arrive safely?”
“Why do you keep asking that?”
“I want to play a prank~ Huh? I want to play a prank!”
“Hm.”
“They took the Demonic Sword! That was supposed to be our toy from the Black Magic Tower! I want to play!”
“Do as you like. Just handle it.”
The Tower Master now seemed exasperated. That girl would do it anyway, even if warned not to. It was better to let her be.
“Oh, really? But Tower Master! Tower Maasteeer~!”
“Enough with the name-calling. Am I your friend?”
Veins bulged on the Tower Master’s forehead.
“…If it’s not important, I’ll kill you.”
“It is important! Very important!”
The girl giggled and pointed with a finger.
“That!”
Her fingertip pointed to the boiling cauldron.
“Is it okay to leave it like that? Huh?”
Ah.
Right. She was supposed to stir it continuously.
“…Not okay.”
The next moment.
Boom─!
The cauldron exploded, sending frogs flying in all directions.
At the Imperial Magic Tower, Grand Auditorium.
“…Widro, it really doesn’t feel good.”
Nox, the head of the Theoretical Faction, said while adjusting his glasses.
Recently, the atmosphere at the Imperial Magic Tower was charged with tension like a string about to snap. The reason, of course, was the performance competition that took place in Ruiple.
“Stop with the unnecessary talk; words have power.”
But even Widro, who said that, felt the same anxiety.
The performance competition in Ruiple had a week-long timeline.
However, Inspector Ezekiel returned to the tower on the day of the competition. Due to the competition rules, results remained a secret until the presentation, leaving everyone curious and anxious.
“Is there a chance he might have won and returned in just one day…?”
At Widro’s words, Nox sighed heavily.
“Widro, does that even make sense?”
“I’m just saying it because I’m frustrated. Until we hear the results from the parties involved, there’s no way to know, and the mages here are burning with anxiety.”
“I’m worried. Truly worried. If we lose the competition, the Princess might change her mind again…”
Widro and Nox’s gazes turned toward the three silent knights standing across from them. They had just returned from the capital. In other words, it meant they had been gathering performance metrics up until today.
However, Inspector Ezekiel hadn’t revealed himself to the outside even once since his return on the first day. Not once.
…From time to time, only the smell of sunweed wafted out from the office.
“Inspector, why aren’t you coming out? Was the result that shocking? How different could it have been…?”
“I don’t know. The more I talk about it, the more troubled I feel.”
It wasn’t just the Princess who had urged for this; the stakes were high, and the sheer magnitude of the wager turned into a huge topic of speculation among the mages.
Then, at some point.
Thud─!
The gigantic door swung open, and the sound of footsteps echoed.
Clack─ clack─
The distinctive sound of high-heeled shoes.
A noble echo only the Princess could possess.
The seated mages all stood up abruptly and held their breaths, even regulating their breathing to show respect.
The 2nd Princess passed by everyone and stood at the front of the Grand Auditorium.
Thud─ thud─
And there was a man who arrived late, after Hedera.
With snow-white hair that fell to his shoulders and blue eyes starkly set against his pale skin, it was Ezekiel, still chewing on sunweed.
The escort knight Valken reacted immediately.
“…Inspector, could you walk a bit faster?”
But Ezekiel remained unfazed. He simply exchanged glances with a composed attitude.
“Anyone would think I was late.”
That wasn’t entirely untrue. After all, he had arrived later than Hedera, but he wasn’t technically late.
Once everyone had gathered, the presentation began.
“The agreed period has arrived. I’d like to hear the report.”
A single word from the 2nd Princess, Hedera.
No mage was unaware that her feelings hinged on the existence of the Imperial Magic Tower, so everyone simply bowed their heads, holding their breaths.
“Hmm.”
The Princess hesitated for a moment.
Now that I think about it, the 2nd Princess looked several times more fatigued than usual. She looked worn out.
The thoughts of the mages scrutinizing her appearance were exactly the same.
─Did we lose?
─Has the Princess already heard the result?
─We definitely lost!
But Hedera also didn’t know the result.
“Hmm.”
And a moment later, what the 2nd Princess said was quite unexpected for the mages.
“Before hearing the results, I’d like to give both sides a chance.”
“…A chance?”
“A chance, you say?”
As the mages whispered to each other, glancing around.
“Now that the exchange meeting is imminent, I can’t shake the thought that the competition was conducted rather hastily. So I’d like to offer a chance just before confirming the results.”
“….”
“The nature of the opportunity is simple. Since all of you were sent to Ruiple with good intentions, I thought it’d be better to conclude by awarding both sides.”
“…!”
Eyes widened all around among the mages.
Not just them, but even the eyes of the three knights were wide with shock.
“However, since it involves providing rewards to both sides, from now on, there must be no conflicts. How does that sound?”
“….”
It was a shocking and surprising statement.
Wasn’t she the 2nd Princess who had been the most eager in promoting this competition?
Now she was offering to reward both sides; what on earth had happened, and what change of heart came over her was beyond anyone’s guess.
…Why is she hesitating to hear the results, though?
“….”
Just then, as the mages stood there dumbfounded.
“Your Highness, that absolutely cannot happen.”
The voice that rose up belonged to none other than Valken.
“Regardless, this is a real contest; everyone has the right to know the outcome. And moreover…”
“Enough. Just decide.”
Hedera cut off Valken’s words urgently.
Everyone felt a strange awkwardness. Today’s 2nd Princess didn’t seem herself; she appeared very impatient. She even stole glances at Ezekiel at regular intervals.
In any case, through Valken’s reaction, everyone was convinced.
…Indeed, the knights must have won.
When you think about it, these terms were incredible.
Everyone’s gaze hurriedly turned to Ezekiel.
If he just accepted, it would be a draw. He could even get into the Imperial report. There was truly no reason to refuse.
“….”
However.
The Imperial Magic Tower’s inspector was.
“Hmm.”
Completely indifferent. So much that it surprised everyone.
“This competition was hardly stressful at all.”
Huff
He exhaled a long breath.
“I’d like you to uphold the existing agreements.”
That one statement stunned everyone.
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