Chapter 82
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Truth (1)
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Zekiel felt an incredibly strange mix of emotions.
"To think there are people on the continent who remember me."
He was a being who had gone through countless missions yet left no record anywhere. And yet, there were people who remembered him, even if only in this way.
Of course, they knew him not as Zekiel but in the abstract form of the "Frost Phantom." Still, it didn't feel bad that someone was honoring him.
However, there was one thing he was curious about.
"I've never left any particular doctrine behind, have I?"
What on earth was the doctrine they followed?
"Did you hear the doctrine you follow directly from the Frost Phantom himself?"
"We didn't meet face-to-face, but we felt it so vividly it was almost like hearing it directly."
Seina smirked after her statement.
"Heh heh heh. Does that sound a bit odd when I say it like this?"
"It's hard to understand."
"First off, you know what they say about ice mages, right?"
"No freezing sorcerer is unaware of it."
Seina nodded in satisfaction.
"Actually, the Blue Tower has preserved an entire cliff face torn straight from the Demon Realm."
"...A cliff face?"
"Yes. Not just any cliff face. It bears the traces of the Frost Phantom's freezing techniques in battle, perfectly preserved. It was so vivid."
Seina clasped her hands together and rolled her eyes upward into the empty space above, just like a girl smitten with her first crush.
"You can feel it just by looking at the ice. The precision, the sense of justice, and that faint undercurrent of kindness...! All of it has become the guiding principle of the Blue Tower today."
Eventually, she even clenched her fists tightly.
"Someday, I want to meet him! I want to convey my feelings to him and hear his praise for my freezing techniques!"
Her face flushed red, like a girl in love.
His feelings grew even stranger.
If he had lived a normal life, if he hadn't gotten entangled in imperial affairs, would Zekiel have ended up as a mage in the Blue Tower with several disciples?
...He shook off the thought soon enough. The past couldn't be changed.
"By the way."
Seina's expression turned deadly serious.
"Inspector of the Yellow Tower, you're quite similar to the Frost Phantom."
Seina had indeed noticed the similarities.
It was only natural in a way. She was a woman deeply versed in freezing magic, enough to hold an elder position. At the same time, her goodwill toward Zekiel made sense.
Having found someone resembling the Frost Phantom, she must have wanted to talk to him and shower him with favors.
"In what way?"
"It's like the ice feels so free? Unbound by anything. It almost whispers: I want to be free. I want to be free...."
It felt oddly like his inner thoughts had been exposed, making his mood even stranger. Zekiel changed the subject for no particular reason.
"Tomorrow's the announcement, and half the day is already gone. We should wrap up dinner here."
"Ah, yes, let's do that. But wait a moment...."
Seina rummaged in her bosom.
"I have something that might help the Yellow Tower's Inspector."
The old mage beside her widened his eyes in shock.
"Elder Seina, surely not that...?"
"Yes. I think it should be given."
"We can't. To pressure the Black Tower, we need to keep it as our trump card...!"
But before the old mage could finish, Seina handed Zekiel a paper envelope.
"This proves the Black Tower violated regulations by conducting corpse research. Punishing the Magic Tower falls under the Yellow Tower's purview, so it should help."
Teder and Anes's eyes also widened in surprise.
"This is...!"
"They tampered with corpses? That'll definitely help! This alone is enough grounds for punishment!"
Zekiel nodded as well.
What Seina was handing over was invaluable evidence, something hard to believe she was giving away so easily.
"Thank you."
As Zekiel reached out his hand.
"But there's a condition."
Seina's sudden declaration.
Zekiel merely tilted his head slightly, but Teder and Anes looked quite troubled.
Showing such precious evidence and then mentioning a condition—what could she possibly demand?
However.
Surprisingly.
"I want you to be my master."
Seina's request was utterly unexpected.
"...Master?"
"Yes, my master. Your ice has that free-flowing technique I lack. Even occasionally would be fine; I just want chances to learn from you."
Her blue eyes held only pure scholarly zeal and goodwill, nothing malicious. She felt like a steadfast woman who was firm but never harsh.
Zekiel nodded.
"Sure, as much as you want."
Thus, his first meeting with the Blue Tower ended on a warm note.
Night.
After firmly rejecting the Blue Tower's offer to accompany them to the end, Zekiel's group headed toward the altar.
"Ah, Lady Anes. Are we going the right way?"
"Yes."
"This is so creepy!"
Teder shivered as he spoke. Indeed, the surroundings were filled only with trees whose branches hung down eerily.
Anes, however, remained unfazed.
"Feeling the creepiness is proof we're on the right path. They said it's an altar long abandoned."
"Oh, right...!"
Yet Anes's expression seemed oddly bright.
Expressionless as ever, but a slightly brighter version of expressionless.
Zekiel asked, sucking on his stick candy.
"Anes, you seem pretty upbeat."
"Yes. I'm a bit excited."
"You like these gloomy woods?"
"...Don't joke. It's not the atmosphere changing my mood; it's the progress. Today's gains were tremendous."
Anes continued calmly.
"We've confirmed we can acquire techniques through the Blue Tower, obtained elixirs, and secured evidence of the Black Tower's true nature.... It couldn't be more perfect."
He couldn't deny it.
Among them, the Blue Tower's contributions were by far the greatest. He should repay them somehow later.
"Right. Now we just deal with the demon sword, and we're done."
"Process the demon sword quickly! The moment tomorrow's announcement starts, we'll crush those guys! Let's hurry!"
Teder bounced around excitedly.
Yes, all that remained today was the matter of the demon sword.
"Ah, there it is. The altar."
They had arrived at the altar's location.
In the midst of the dense forest was an incongruous space like a park with a grassy meadow. The altar resembled a bed for human sacrifice.
"Everyone, remember the plan I mentioned?"
Zekiel spoke as he took the demon sword from the wooden box.
To others, even grasping it would lead to being consumed by terror, but he handled it like a mere fork.
Teder and Anes nodded simultaneously.
"Yes. I'll stay put! Got it!"
"I remember. I'll record everything from now on using the cube's mana recording function."
Anes's cube could capture very short scenes in video format via its mana recording feature.
Zekiel planned to use that from now on.
"The Black Tower didn't demand purification from us for purely good reasons. The moment we place the demon sword on the altar, something will happen for sure."
Snap. Zekiel flicked his fingers, and an ice barrier enveloped Teder and Anes—everyone except Anes.
"Capture even a brief moment of it on video. It'll be evidence that the Black Tower tried to slander the Yellow Tower. I wanted to do it myself, but...."
"...I have to do it. This cube only works with my mana."
Anes nodded as if it were no big deal.
"I'll signal after recording enough. Save me then."
"If the signal's too faint, I'll pull you out right away."
"Yes. Then let's begin."
Zekiel placed the demon sword atop the altar.
Sssssssss─
Black energy began rising like mist.
Grrrrr....
Save me, save me, save me....
Woooooo....
Suddenly, voices of countless spirits mingled.
Anes fiddled with the cube in intense focus.
And right then.
Kuoooooo─!
The demon sword erupted black smoke like a volcano. The surroundings were instantly shrouded in darkness, and Anes felt an indescribable chill.
Terror.
The entire mist was terror.
Terror had materialized as gas, enveloping everything.
─Why are you the only one alive? Why are you the only one alive? Why are you the only one alive? Why are you the only one alive? Why are you the only one alive? Why are you the only one alive? Why are you the only one alive?
─They said they'd let me go if I cut off my finger.... Snip─! They said they'd let me go if I cut off my finger.... Snip─!
─Please don't hit me, gasp! Please don't hit me, gasp! Please don't hit me, gasp!
"...!"
The most terrifying moments from someone's life began unfolding before Anes in every form. Some spirits even lunged at her.
─You die too and join us you have to die too
Black Tower, what were they thinking doing this?
That thought filled Anes's mind.
Releasing all the demon sword's terror was purification?
It was purification only for the "demon sword" itself. The sword might be cleansed, but everything nearby would bear the terror instead.
And any lifeform bearing all that terror...
"Will definitely die. Definitely."
In other words, the Black Tower had intended to kill them from the start.
Anes calmly began recording and responded.
─Save me save me save me save me to save you I have to kill you
One spirit grabbed Anes's throat, but.
Whoosh─!
She repelled it instantly with powerful telekinesis.
Anes moved as swiftly as possible, dodging all the spirits' attacks while capturing every scene.
Then, at one point.
─Please spare my life! Please just spare my life!
─I have a daughter at home.
─Moooooom!
Just as her mind felt like it would burst with terror.
Anes spotted one man.
"Everyone, is everyone alright? Answer me...."
A man kneeling on one knee, bleeding profusely, yet asking about others' well-being.
Anes doubted her eyes for a moment.
In the midst of the terror mist stood Zekiel.
But Anes knew. That wasn't the real Zekiel. Merely a form conjured by the demon sword.
Anes couldn't help but be flustered.
Zekiel was fundamentally immune to the demon sword.
He had no fears to exploit, so did he actually have one? A trauma buried deep in his mind?
Illusion, or something that actually happened?
Surprisingly, distinguishing was simple.
Anes grabbed the shoulder of the Zekiel figure.
"...Inspector?"
It didn't feel solid. No reaction came.
...Meaning it was real. Something that had actually happened.
Not a spirit woven arbitrarily by the demon sword.
A genuine memory from Zekiel's head.
"Are you okay? Your breathing.... Your breathing...."
The Zekiel figure looked extremely urgent. He looked like he could collapse any second, yet he worried more about someone fallen on the ground.
Anes suddenly recalled information about the demon sword.
It didn't count only sudden shocks or life-threatening moments as terror. If something desperately desired was crushed, that too was terror.
Zekiel's terror of frustration.
It seemed to involve someone's safety.
Anes approached cautiously.
To check on the person Zekiel was worried about.
"...!"
And she was utterly shocked.
"Gasp...!"
Her expressionless facade shattered as she covered her mouth, then collapsed in place, unable to withstand the impact.
"Get a grip, get...!"
The one Zekiel worried so desperately about.
The identity of that person.
"Your Highness the Princess...!"
It was none other than the empire's princesses.
Anes gasped, hand over her mouth.
The cube's mana recording was still active.