At last, I had reached the entrance of the Imperial Treasury.
Originally, I was supposed to visit with Hedera, but here I was, arriving alone.
‘Seems things were pretty serious.’
Hedera was fundamentally a Lingual Mage. It was almost impossible for her to tell a lie. Her absence meant that something urgent was up.
The Imperial Report, a treasury filled with countless Sacred Artifacts.
It seemed like it would be inside the Imperial Palace, but it was actually located in a nearby mountain. The sheer amount of Mana contained in each artifact required special handling for the whole place.
“…It’s been a while.”
I muttered as I chewed on some Sunweed.
Of course, saying it had been a while was only half true.
─I know your abilities are exceptional.
─Surely, you could accomplish this without a Sacred Artifact, right?
─That means I trust you that much.
─Yes. But please, just for my team.
‘Speaking of which, I’ve never visited inside.’
The scenery at the entrance felt familiar, yet I had never stepped foot inside the Imperial Report.
The weight of the treasury was that heavy. Even during my time as the head of a Secret Organization, access was prohibited here; it was a place containing truly remarkable things.
As I climbed further, I noticed soldiers.
There were quite a lot of them. A testament to the importance of this place.
As I approached closer, two soldiers stepped forward.
“State your profession, name, and purpose.”
“….”
I was momentarily taken aback.
‘…Hedera, just how urgent were things?’
I couldn’t believe she’d set up such a malicious prank, nor that she didn’t have the time to send word to the underlings.
I was genuinely curious about what the situation was.
Anyway, I had no choice but to respond to the soldier’s query.
“I am Ezekiel, Inspector of the Imperial Magic Tower.”
“An inspector…!”
“How could an inspector be here?”
The expressions of the guards relaxed considerably.
The paltry performance of the Imperial Magic Tower hadn’t been announced yet, so the title of Inspector still held high status among people.
I gestured towards the entrance beyond.
“I’m here to visit the Imperial Report.”
“Visit?”
“Yeah, I made an agreement with the 2nd Princess.”
“Hmm….”
Perhaps the implication of entering the treasury shocked them, or maybe the mention of the 2nd Princess was the real surprise. Maybe it was both, as the soldiers began exchanging glances.
This was indeed a heavily guarded place.
After a while, one soldier asked me sharply.
“…What you’re chewing… is that Sunweed?”
“Right. Sunweed.”
At my concise answer, the soldiers’ eyes widened in surprise.
“…Are you planning to prove your story just by words?”
I pulled out a golden pin instead of answering.
It was the golden pin worn when accepting a yellow-grade request at the Magic Tower – enough to prove my identity.
However, the soldiers’ reactions were lukewarm.
“Anyone departing from the Magic Tower could wear this, right? It doesn’t indicate you are an inspector…”
“You look too young on the outside. Considering the average age of inspectors, it doesn’t add up at all.”
“Why do you even possess Sunweed?”
Their suspicious gazes sharpened, and they began firing off words. Their doubts were quickly turning into certainty.
At that moment.
“Everyone, step back.”
Someone who had pushed the soldiers back appeared. A large figure, it must be the Captain of the Guard.
He glared at me with fierce eyes.
Old memories resurfaced.
─I-I-I-Izekiel, you have arrived!
─Ah, I-I’m always so sorry to see you…!
─It’s not a Sacred Artifact, but please accept this!
─Please accept it! It’s a token of goodwill!
Even when Sacred Artifacts were stolen from the treasury, he was the one who’d come to help out, making sure to bring me something since the Emperor wouldn’t take them out.
…Times have changed. A lot has changed.
I couldn’t help but click my tongue in disbelief.
The Captain of the Guard spoke.
“Recently, the movements of the Demon Realm have been strange, and the value of Sacred Artifacts has skyrocketed absurdly. As a result, there are many who seek them. Don’t take it personally.”
“It’s about feelings.”
“The Imperial Report will forever remain here, and it won’t be moved. Perhaps you should return when you’ve gathered proof of your identity?”
“No.”
I tilted my head slightly.
“It’s not about feelings.”
It was about time.
My minute doesn’t equal another’s minute.
The life I’ve been given is short, so I detest wasting time.
“…Time is the problem.”
Whoosh!
With my response, I released the Chill in the shape of an Energy Wave. A cold aura swept around in a circular motion.
It wasn’t strong, but you could feel its might.
Shock spread across the soldiers’ faces.
“…Deep Mana!”
“Could he really be an inspector?”
While the regular soldiers quickly backed down.
“Dare─!”
However, the Captain of the Guard shouted.
“How dare you unleash your Mana in this sacred place, the Imperial Treasury? How could you…”
I chuckled out of sheer disbelief.
“…You sound just like the old guards.”
I thought to myself. While humans possess endless potential, they’re also surprisingly predictable.
Every time I showed my abilities, it was always like this.
It was never easy to gain trust right away.
Fear, vigilance, doubt. It always started this way.
Before long, the other guards were on high alert as well.
“Not only are you casually possessing Sunweed and munching on it, but now you seem to be hallucinating.”
“Impersonating an inspector and selling out the 2nd Princess? That’s a grave crime!”
The situation had escalated.
While it was critically important to protect the Imperial Treasury, it was ironic that the key figures of the Imperial Family could never always be with the treasury.
That paradox was what caused this incident.
But then, at that moment.
“If this guy truly is the Inspector of the Imperial Magic Tower, wouldn’t that be an even bigger problem? The Princess would have appointed him, so I guess the Princess’ judgment has deteriorated as well.”
Said one soldier.
I paused chewing Sunweed.
That remark wasn’t just an insult aimed at me.
It was also an insult to Solana, who appointed me.
“…You know insulting a princess is a serious crime.”
My tone had grown chilly.
“Prepare for punishment.”
Not just my tone.
The surroundings began to envelop in chill.
“Ahh…. I’m so sleepy.”
2nd Princess Hedera’s secretary, Tether, was always sleepy.
It was impossible for the 2nd Princess to attend to every stack of work, so most of the minor tasks fell onto Tether. Naturally, it was exhausting.
Tether stretched while recalling past events.
─Dragons visited the Imperial Family.
─They have to attend the Ascension Ceremony, so I must participate.
“Dragons visiting… How surprising.”
The fact that a dragon from the Celestial Realm came to the Imperial Family reinforced how close the Ascension Ceremony was.
Hedera hurriedly moved to greet the dragons but didn’t forget to give Tether a few orders and warnings.
─The Inspector of the Imperial Magic Tower will be visiting.
─Greet him with the utmost respect.
─Additionally….
There were numerous things to be said, but the conclusion was simple.
To treat the Inspector of the Imperial Magic Tower with the highest honor possible and to offer him a Sacred Artifact.
“How intriguing. How intriguing! I’ll get to see something amazing in my lifetime!”
Having been Hedera’s secretary for quite a while, it was rare for the 2nd Princess to issue a command like that. In fact, it was the first time.
It felt akin to hearing that the sun had risen at night.
“Just who could he be?”
…Did he save the continent in a past life?
Or perhaps, did he play a significant role during the war against the Demon Realm?
Or maybe, he was the Princess’s hidden lover?
It wouldn’t make sense otherwise.
“Really now.”
Tether couldn’t help but let out a snort. It was absurd enough that even he found it amusing.
But there was nothing quite like absurdity to keep one awake. Intentionally indulging in these wild fantasies, Tether staggered towards the report.
“Speaking of which….”
In a rare turn of events, the 2nd Princess had indeed issued multiple warnings.
─If you hear the Inspector is displeased.
─Tether, you’ll take responsibility.
─I’ll warn you one last time, Tether, be sure to heed my caution.
She had been far more serious than usual. At the time, Tether had been sweating bullets, just bowing his head.
…Couldn’t he be late, just this once? Would that be alright?
Just as Tether was thinking that, he saw the entrance of the Imperial Treasury.
“Huh?”
And what he saw was honestly shocking.
“O-Oh? Oh my!”
A giant man with white hair cascading down to his shoulders, and in front of him, the soldiers were half-frozen in place, trembling.
“….”
The chilling aura was palpable just from the sight.
Tether briefly froze in place.
“Kiyaa…”
Then, he turned back toward the entrance.
“Kiyaaahhhhh!”
Before long, his slow pace transformed into a full-blown sprint.
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