Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: A Guest More Precious Than Holy Relics Has Arrived! (3)
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By now, the soldiers' lower bodies were already frozen solid.
The chill crept up slowly from below, the freezing energy locking their toes and climbing all the way to their chins.
"Kkyaaahhh!"
A bizarre, piercing scream echoed sharply through the air.
"Stop! Stooop! Stoooop!"
Pop—!
In an instant, the space rippled like a heat haze, and a petite mage dropped from thin air.
Her hair was tied in twin braids that dangled down, paired with round glasses. She looked just like what a rabbit might become if reborn as a human.
The female mage's name was Teder.
Zekiel fixed his gaze on the sudden arrival.
'Surprisingly, for all the flash, she's got real substance.'
There was a saying about empty carts making the most noise.
Like a small dog barking desperately, flashy types were usually all bark and no bite. But this woman was a rare exception.
Her actions were comical and over-the-top, yet she actually had the skills to back it up.
Exceptional talent. She had to be a high-ranking expert.
The petite mage shouted at Zekiel.
"I—I'll explain everything!"
But perhaps because she'd thrown herself in so recklessly, even Teder's body couldn't withstand the chill and began to freeze.
"Ugh, it's cold! Please do something about this frost first! I'm on your side! Definitely not an enemy!"
The Imperial soldiers gawked at her with wide eyes. She waved her hands frantically.
"...But that doesn't mean I've betrayed the Imperial Palace either! I'm Teder! Still firmly on the palace's side!"
This time, Zekiel stared silently at Teder.
Teder's face crumpled into a pout as she cried out.
"A-All right, I'll explain everything! I will, so...!"
.
.
.
.
.
.
"...Yes. That's how it happened."
Teder's explanation was simple and clear.
She was the 2nd Princess's secretary, and Zekiel was undoubtedly the princess's designated VIP, so they needed to stop fighting.
"Come on, everyone! Apologize to the Inspector right away!"
Teder pulled something from her bosom.
A gold coin emblazoned with a pitch-black dragon—the token proving she was carrying out a mission on 2nd Princess Hedera's orders.
"...."
Only then did the soldiers bow their heads one by one.
"Inspector, we're sorry."
"Our rudeness went too far."
Teder confirmed their apologies, then turned back to Zekiel with a warm smile.
"Ahem, truly sorry for the trouble."
Teder gave a polite nod.
It was a light gesture, but it carried deep courtesy, the refined manner of someone who had long served a noble figure.
"Allow me to greet you properly once more. I am Teder, secretary to the 2nd Princess."
"Zekiel, Inspector of the Imperial Magic Tower."
His reply was curt, but it carried immense pressure.
Teder definitely felt it. The casual frost that had frozen the soldiers, everything about him screamed he was no ordinary man.
Of course, there were plenty of other surprises too.
'An Inspector at such a young age...?'
They said the Inspector position required both major achievements in academia and considerable seniority. Yet here was this young man at the top of the Magic Tower.
'Either his talent is insane, or his connections are...'
...Or maybe both?
Teder was certain.
If she'd arrived just a little later, it would've been a disaster.
Her attitude naturally grew even more deferential.
"Keeping a VIP waiting is rude in itself, isn't it? I'll guide you right away!"
"Before that."
Zekiel cut her off bluntly.
"The soldiers here seemed completely in the dark. Couldn't you have informed them sooner?"
"...."
Cold sweat trickled down Teder's spine.
This man's sharp senses weren't limited to magic. He was zeroing in on the core reason this mess had happened.
What to do?
Should she just tell the truth?
No, she couldn't.
It would definitely cause big trouble!
"Y-You could certainly think that!"
Teder forced herself to stay calm.
"I only received the order a short while ago. Right after the 2nd Princess's command, I moved without delay and arrived just now..."
"I see."
Surprisingly, Zekiel nodded easily, and Teder breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Was that enough?
Her conscience stung at the lie, but surely this much was fine. Yeah, this much...
But then.
Teder quickly realized she was wrong.
"So, the 2nd Princess is nearby, then."
"...."
She swallowed dryly without thinking.
'Where is the 2nd Princess right now?'
The guess that the 2nd Princess was nearby was spot on. She was currently prowling near the Imperial Palace with the dragonkin.
What if the 2nd Princess ran into Zekiel?
What if she mentioned the task she'd entrusted to Teder?
...No. That absolutely couldn't happen.
"...Ahahaha! Of course it wasn't a direct order in person. She just left a short letter for me to confirm!"
Lying was bad, but...
Why did one lie keep spawning more...?
Zekiel nodded, and Teder finally relaxed a bit. First things first—saving her own skin.
Teder took a deep breath and pressed on quickly.
"Then let's move along now. The holy relics prepared for you, the Inspector, are waiting. You should see them soon!"
Urging him on under the guise of excitement.
She had no choice. From Teder's perspective, getting Zekiel away as fast as possible was the best option. Dragging this out raised the risk of the princess showing up late...
But that was when.
"...Lady Teder! Lady Teder!"
A group came rushing toward them. Their common trait: desperately calling for Teder.
Teder recognized them instantly.
"...Treasury guardians?"
They were the protectors of the Imperial Treasury's interior. Teder's eyes went wide as she shouted.
"What's this? How dare you abandon your posts!"
"That's not the issue right now...!"
But the guardians' faces were extremely urgent.
"Inside the treasury, the spirit stones have started rampaging! Especially the fire spirit stone! It's bad!"
"This is a real disaster. If any holy relics get damaged...! We need to fix it fast!"
"Wh...?"
The treasury held not just holy relics but all sorts of precious items without discrimination. Among them, spirit stones were extraordinary objects containing elemental spirits.
For them to rampage? This was a first in her life.
And amid all that.
A thought flashed through Teder's whitening mind.
—Check the treasury interior countless times.
—The holy relics must be presented in perfect condition.
...Huh?
If this went wrong too, it'd be on her?
"...Gasp!"
Teder jumped in place.
Among the 2nd Princess's orders was one to thoroughly inspect the treasury for the soon-to-arrive Inspector.
This was bad. Really bad.
"No... No! Why now, of all times?"
But Teder felt somewhat wronged about this part.
'It was perfectly fine until last night!'
Teder slept a lot, but she always handled her duties with utmost care. She'd checked the treasury right before bed, so why now!
Why of all times!
"What in the world have you guardians been doing!"
In her frustration, Teder yelled.
Of course, she only got incredulous reactions in return.
"We're guardians, literally. We don't know the principles or effects of holy relics or spirit stones! Isn't that entirely your responsibility, Lady Teder?"
One guardian started listing points methodically.
"Why are you still lingering here anyway? By my understanding, you should've already escorted the VIP inside by now."
"Hm?"
Teder's eyes snapped open.
"The 2nd Princess told us you'd bring the VIP by morning, so we should prepare for handover carefully."
"Hm...?"
Princess, you gave them detailed orders too?
Hm.
But saying that would...
"Don't tell me you overslept again?"
"Overslept...?"
"We've already checked the log. Sure enough, the time was shifted. Playing hooky again!"
"...."
"We're done here! Handle it yourself, Lady Teder!"
Before long, everyone was staring at Teder.
"...."
Teder chewed her lip for a moment, then.
"Wait, wait!"
She cautiously raised one hand.
"I get it. I know you're all upset, but..."
She glanced around before continuing.
"What's the best move right now? Calm down first, and let's figure out how to soothe the rampaging spirits—"
At the entrance to the Imperial Treasury.
Chaos had already erupted here.
"What do we do now?"
"If the princess finds out, we're done for!"
The guardians and guards mixed in, blurting out in panic. All were gripped by fear and confusion.
"First, how do we handle the spirit stones' rampage? Any ideas? Oh right, the fire spirit's going wild! We could request help from the Crimson Magic Tower...!"
"Hey, you fool!"
One guardian bellowed.
"This isn't something to brag about to the world—that there's a problem in the Imperial Treasury! We can't let word get out!"
"But it's unprecedented. We don't know how to deal with it, so handling it ourselves is impossible...!"
"If it's impossible, then it's impossible! And it's not just the fire spirit anyway. It's the most violent, that's all."
As the commotion dragged on endlessly, Teder could only watch nervously. Everything was tangled from start to finish; she had no idea where to begin.
And amid all that.
"Everyone, quiet."
One word, and all mouths shut.
Zekiel had finally spoken.
"...."
"Sorry. We overstepped..."
They coughed awkwardly and averted their eyes.
Urgent as it was, causing a scene in front of a VIP was outright rude.
Everyone expected remarks worrying about the relics' condition or chiding their lack of manners...
They waited silently for the reprimand.
But a moment later.
Zekiel asked something unexpected.
"Guardians, you said the spirits are rampaging."
"Yes? Oh, yes. Thrashing wildly..."
"Does that include the ice spirit?"
"Ice spirit? The ice spirit..."
The guardian's eyes widened soon after.
"Huh? No. The ice spirit's dead silent."
He answered as best he could, but no one understood why the Inspector was asking about something so random.
Meanwhile, Zekiel was pondering something else.
The sudden spirit rampage. He had a hunch.
A memory from long ago surfaced.
Far in the past, when he'd encountered the elemental spirits.
—H-Human! We get it, so back off first!
—Cold! Too cold to bear!
—Is this guy really human?
—This chill is worse than the ice spirit Glacia...!
The reactions each spirit had shown, trembling in fear.
Ice spirit fine, fire spirit raging.
It was clear.
"...."
...This rampage, no matter how he thought about it, was his doing.