Chapter 58
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Sun Water (10)
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Inside the Holy Temple located within the Imperial Palace, an unprecedented silence reigned.
This was an extraordinary sight, considering the place was usually teeming with visitors. It was a spot where foot traffic never ceased.
The princesses themselves had personally restricted access.
"What in the world is going on? They've blocked entry?"
"The 1st Princess and 3rd Princess are inside, no less."
"I heard a rumor that the 1st Princess was carrying a man in her arms..."
"Keep it down! You could lose your head for that."
Since the emperor had conducted the match in secret, naturally no one knew the full details. But people always found entertainment in speculating about the unknown.
Everyone began eagerly voicing their opinions.
Yet amid the chatter, one topic stood out above the rest.
It concerned a single man.
"They say the man she was carrying is the Inspector of the Imperial Magic Tower. And it sounded pretty certain."
"How could that be? No one's as ruthless as the 1st Princess. For her to hold someone like that?!"
"More than that, the Inspector's connections and skills are astonishing. Didn't he just help the 2nd Princess decipher ancient Dragon Words?"
He had subdued the spirit in the treasure vault, triumphed in a duel against a dragonkin, and even assisted in decoding ancient Dragon Words.
Each feat alone was shocking, but three of them? Astonishing.
A man already at the center of attention had now been spotted in the 1st Princess's arms. The ripples this caused within the palace were bound to be massive.
Now, there was no denying it.
It was an unstoppable tide.
Zekiel Hound. He was becoming famous.
The innermost sickroom within the temple.
"..."
The woman habitually brought a thick cigar to her lips but snapped it in half upon realizing she was in a sickroom.
She resembled a wolf of the snowfields.
The empire's 1st Princess, Ether.
Silver hair cascaded over her shoulders. Her drenched appearance was as if she'd been caught in a downpour, and her golden eyes brimmed with uncharacteristic worry.
Gazing down at the man lying on the bed, Ether's heart was a tangled mess beyond words.
"...I take full responsibility."
If only she'd identified the opponent properly. If only she'd managed her scouts better. Things wouldn't have spiraled into this disaster.
Of course, it wasn't entirely her fault, but she couldn't help the self-recrimination born of regret.
Still, if the Sun God truly existed, it seemed He hadn't completely forsaken her.
Zekiel was still breathing.
The man who had been her mentor, the one who for so long had motivated her, the one whose influence shaped most of her current habits...
It was heartbreaking to see such a man confined to a sickbed.
"..."
But there was one other thing nagging at Ether.
'His energy.'
Yes, the energy permeating Zekiel's body troubled her.
It hadn't been like this the last time she'd seen him as a child. Now, his body was gripped by intense chill, its balance profoundly off. Perilously so, throughout his entire frame.
The moment Ether reached out to touch his forehead.
"Don't touch him."
A sharp voice came from behind. The 1st Princess's hand froze in midair.
"He squeezed out every last drop of strength, leaving no mana in his body. And in that state, an arrow pierced him."
"..."
"It's already a catastrophic injury, but that's not the end. The wound is absorbing an overwhelming chill at an alarming rate."
In that instant, a woman so radiant it seemed the stark white sickroom was bathed in yellow appeared.
The 3rd Princess, Solana.
One might imagine sunset or a sunflower taking human form. Yet Solana's face held not a trace of her usual brightness.
"What do you think happens when the 1st Princess's vibrating energy touches a body as fragile as glass? It shatters. Are you doing this on purpose? Mistaking this for the ongoing match?"
Her face bore no smile.
It was a rare seriousness.
Ether quietly withdrew her hand.
"We've saved his life, calling it a miracle... I can't even say if that's appropriate."
"..."
"I'm endlessly relieved my teacher survived, endlessly grateful. But he's enduring unimaginable agony precisely because he did."
Ether quietly snapped another cigar in her hand.
Solana made no effort to hide her resentment toward Ether, who was well aware of it. Normally, she would have called her out on it.
But not today.
Precisely because she had no time for it.
Zekiel's condition left no room for anything else. She could only groan softly and stare at the bed.
Instead, the 1st Princess asked differently.
"...Can you treat him?"
"We'll use every elixir promised as the match's reward, but there's something you need to know."
Solana let out a deep sigh.
"I've periodically monitored my teacher's health all this time. But I've never actually treated him."
"What?"
"To be precise, I've never succeeded in treating him. Not even with my holy power. Maintaining the status quo was the absolute best outcome. And yet... and yet..."
Solana bit her lower lip hard.
"...with this level of critical injury now."
The chances were slim.
"Without Sun Water, it'll be impossible."
With that, Solana pulled her priestess hood over her head. She'd judged her expression impossible to control.
No one in the empire knew Solana could wear such a tormented look. Even Ether found it unfamiliar.
A long moment later, the 1st Princess spoke.
"I'll discuss the Sun Water with His Imperial Majesty. This incident isn't free of his responsibility either."
"That's obvious!"
Solana shouted, then recoiled in shock at her own sharpness.
She apologized first.
"...I'm sorry. I got worked up. This isn't solely the 1st Princess's fault."
Solana's sun-like eyes slowly turned to Zekiel's face on the bed.
"Ah, why are there so many things I resent these days?"
Solana muttered coldly.
Ether felt a quiet surprise. The once perpetually bright and carefree girl now harbored such emotions.
"In any case, 1st Princess, your energy is too intense. Your mere presence here is a threat. Please wait outside for a bit. I'll call you later."
The strength she'd cultivated to protect Zekiel now kept her from approaching him.
With complicated feelings, Ether rose from her seat.
"..."
Then, she sensed something odd.
'My energy shouldn't be harmful.'
Ether wasn't just sensitive to energy; she excelled at controlling it. In other words, she'd been carefully modulating it to avoid harming Zekiel from the start.
Ether glanced once more at the 3rd Princess.
"..."
It wasn't the face of a cleric.
Not the compassion of a saintess, but unmistakably that of a woman deeply enamored with Zekiel.
Was she trying to monopolize him, perhaps?
"...Hey, this is purely for treatment, right?"
"Of course. I'm a cleric."
Ether stared piercingly, but Solana had already regained her serene composure.
Feeling oddly uneasy, Ether headed for the exit.
Suspicious or not, she couldn't press further. Solana was currently the best suited to treat him.
Whoosh─
Only after leaving the temple did Ether light her cigar.
Would the treatment go well? What should she say to him afterward? She had no idea.
Then, at that moment.
"What the hell is going on?!"
A voice thick with shock and alarm. Ether turned to see Hedera arriving in haste.
"The Inspector! What happened to the Inspector?"
"Hm."
"Tell me!"
Ether fell silent for a moment.
It was hard to explain.
"Forget it. I'll see for myself."
As Hedera tried to brush past Ether.
"2nd Princess Hedera!"
One of the attendants urgently called out to her.
Hedera scowled fiercely.
"Talk later. Right now..."
"The Imperial Magic Tower!"
At those words, Hedera's steps halted abruptly.
"A messenger from the Black Magic Tower has visited the White Tower. They're looking for the Inspector. What should we do?"
"...What?"
"Exactly two days from now—two days—the exchange meeting. If the Inspector doesn't appear, they'll proceed without the Imperial Magic Tower...!"
"Exchange meeting? Oh right, of all times, the exchange meeting...!"
Hedera's pupils shook violently.
The Imperial Magic Tower.
The tower Zekiel had painstakingly built for Hedera, and now, right before the exchange meeting, disaster struck. It was the worst possible news for the 2nd Princess.
What had Zekiel done wrong? Nothing.
Was there any fault on Zekiel's part? None.
The one thing Zekiel had hoped for—the prosperity of the Imperial Magic Tower—was now in jeopardy.
"No..."
Hedera staggered, dizziness overtaking her.
The situation was turning critically urgent.