Chapter 88
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Execution (5)
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The entire conference hall was shrouded in silence.
"…."
Even the young elder of the Azure Tower, Seina, maintained her silence.
'Teddy's subordinates had an unusually large number of souls.'
Moreover, they had even unleashed combined attacks, so even Seina couldn't have guaranteed an easy win—it must have been a battle requiring her to stake her life at the very least.
Yet the Imperial Tower's inspector had seized victory far too easily. As if swatting away flies.
Frankly, it didn't feel real.
It couldn't be. Losing touch with reality at a moment when so many mages' lives hung in the balance was dangerous.
But what had unfolded before Seina's eyes felt just that unreal. She convinced herself of it time and again inwardly. He was truly a man worthy of her as a master.
"Frost Spirit…."
Seina muttered it unwittingly, then quickly clamped her lips shut upon realizing the hush around her.
Zekiel was the one who embodied the essence of the Frost Spirit more perfectly than any ice sorcerer she had ever witnessed.
Meanwhile, the Red Tower Lord's thoughts weren't far off.
'…Indeed.'
An incomprehensible event had transpired, but life sometimes demanded swift acceptance of the inexplicable—and this was precisely such a moment.
That was no ordinary inspector.
He was more like a judge.
Even before debating realms of magic, he exuded utter familiarity with such proceedings. Proof of countless prior experiences in punishing others.
'That's not the handiwork of someone who's passed judgment once or twice.'
The Red Tower Lord quietly widened his eyes.
'The Imperial Tower's been honing its blade in secret for ten years.'
Realizing such hidden depths behind their seemingly pathetic facade sent genuine chills down his spine. With that, the Red Tower Lord swiftly reached a decision.
"Everyone, withdraw from your seats."
"Hmm?"
"What do you mean, withdraw?"
The other Magic Tower representatives' eyes went wide. Shock was plastered plainly across their faces.
"That's right. Let's withdraw."
"To the spectator seats?"
"We've prepared this exchange for a good ten years…!"
The representatives moving to the spectator seats wasn't mere withdrawal.
It signaled yielding the center to the Imperial Tower, allowing them to focus solely on judgment. A clean acknowledgment of the Imperial Tower holding the highest status.
Purple and Green's bewilderment was only natural.
They hadn't crossed lines like the Black Tower, but all had vied fiercely for the top position.
And among them, the most passionate Red Tower was the first to suggest stepping back—how could they not be stunned?
The Red Tower Lord, by contrast, remained composed.
"How many years we've spent preparing is beside the point. What matters is whether we can remain in the world of magic. And as for the Imperial Tower's current inspector…."
The Red Tower Lord fell silent, unable to continue.
…How exactly was one supposed to describe the inspector?
No fitting word came to mind. They'd never encountered an inspector quite like him before.
"In any case, it's best to entrust the situation to the Imperial Tower and observe from a distance. Any tower that meddles unnecessarily will surely face repercussions."
Rare words, and utterly bewildering.
Yet the other representatives knew full well the Red Tower Lord's statement wasn't empty bluster.
Each was a magic expert qualified for their role. They couldn't have witnessed what just transpired without gauging the inspector's prowess.
'Just a single attack.'
Precisely one strike, delivered without permitting even a single counter amid the enemies' combined assault.
It spoke volumes of the enormous gulf in skill between them.
All were equally confounded.
But on one undeniable fact, there was no disagreement.
"…A rare sort of mage."
"The Imperial Tower's been sharpening its sword in the shadows."
Even the ever-calm Green Tower Lord finally spoke.
"Very well. Let's withdraw."
"…."
She always kept her eyes closed, and it was well-known she never went back on a decision once made. At her words, the others held their silence.
"Even friendly competition requires us to stay within the world of magic to take part. And who holds the upper hand right now is plain as day."
Teddy Divine's death wouldn't immediately conclude the exchange.
In other words, they'd still have to face that inspector afterward.
Reaching a conclusion wasn't difficult.
The representatives retreated to the spectator seats, clearing the center entirely. They'd resolved to go with the Imperial Tower's flow.
Zekiel watched them silently.
Did their reed-like shifts in attitude irk him?
Not in the least.
Since they naturally gravitated toward the winning side, it suited Zekiel just fine.
This position of superiority he'd claimed—he was confident it would never be taken from him.
The reason he'd started with the scrolls was simple.
The reason he'd waited patiently for Teddy to summon his masterpieces and issue commands one by one was simple too.
'First, I had to make them aware of the situation.'
Strength required learning for the masses to accept it. That was the rationale.
Zekiel reflected on his previous life.
Every assassination mission had ended in instant kills without exception, yet surprisingly, his notoriety never spread far.
It wasn't solely due to hiding his identity.
─He must've let his guard down.
─Fell for some dirty trick.
─Still buying into that nonsense….
People don't believe what they haven't seen themselves.
Even if they see it, they won't believe if it defies understanding.
Acceptance takes time.
Having thrashed about to conceal his identity all that time, Zekiel understood well how to reveal himself instead—just the opposite approach.
Very slowly, with meticulous care, he had to pass judgment.
So that everyone could properly verify Zekiel's feats, dismiss no tales as rumors, and all acknowledge the Imperial Tower's authority standing tall.
Shhh—!
Zekiel recalled his ice spear.
Only Teddy remained.
Thud— thud—
He closed the distance toward the Black Tower Lord, Teddy Divine.
"I gave you a full ten years."
He said quietly.
"But is this all you've prepared?"
"Ah~ well, what can you do? The worthless previous Black Tower Lord royally botched everything."
Come to think of it, that was right.
Teddy Divine hadn't been the original Black Tower Lord.
"…Where is the original Black Tower Lord?"
It was a fairly important matter for Zekiel.
The deal with the Emperor required investigating each Magic Tower's secret techniques down to the last detail. He needed the former one.
"Why ask me? That traitor who irresponsibly abandoned the Black Tower's will and ran off—do I have to keep tabs on trash like her every move?"
Teddy grinned through his cold sweat.
He seemed poised to sling more mockery.
Puk—!
Suddenly, a long ice spike pierced straight through Teddy's body. Right near his plump thigh.
"…!"
Teddy's eyes bulged wide in an instant.
The spike didn't stop there.
Puuuuk—!
Thorns branched out from it like a tree, and more thorns sprouted from those. Like a wedge.
"Guh, kaaaaah!"
Teddy collapsed, unable to withstand the agony.
"Guh, guhk! Guuuuuh—!"
"It was obvious, so I didn't bother warning you—but don't get cheeky with your answers. My patience is thin."
"Gruk…!"
Pain impossible to endure while staying sane.
Teddy raised his trembling head to stare at him.
Zekiel—his brazen confidence was utterly baffling.
'Why, just why?'
Strength aside, hadn't he been warned the spire itself was no different from a time bomb? How could he stand so boldly?
"Imperial… Tower… Inspector, youuu…!"
Teddy spoke through his chattering jaw, racked with torment.
"You… think it's fine if all these mages here die? Even if it goes boom!?"
Zekiel offered no reply.
"Ha…. Haha…. Hahaha!"
Teddy soon burst into laughter. Had his brain fried? He no longer felt the pain.
"Hahaha—! Hahahahaha—!
Teddy thrust out his index finger straight.
"You…! They'll all die because of you. No one else—you! It'll all blow up because you stuck your nose in!"
At the same time, he summoned every ounce of his power.
Teddy unleashed a pitch-black aura.
Peng—!
But.
1 second.
10 seconds.
30 seconds….
No explosion—nothing happened at all.
"Uh, huh?"
Peng—!
Teddy burst his aura once more, but the spire remained utterly silent. Bewilderment flooded the Black Tower Lord's face, which had just been twisted in mad laughter.
"Why, why is this happening. Why isn't it…."
Peng—! Peng—! Peng—!
Aura after aura detonated.
Finally, a crack spiderwebbed across the wall.
Crackle—!
A corpse tumbled out from between the shattered fragments.
"Why no explosion…. Why…?"
Teddy crawled forward in desperation. He clawed at the corpse, scraping and tossing aside chunks, eyes bloodshot in his frenzy to uncover why it wasn't detonating.
"Mana core, mana core…."
The instant he dug out the mana core from the corpse.
Teddy felt it then.
The chilling sensation in his palm, and the mana core frozen solid without a trace of excess.
"Frozen….…? The mana core is frozen…?"
Teddy's face twisted in sheer horror.
His head turned slowly.
"Im, im, impossible…."
Slowly, ever so slowly.
Until it faced Zekiel.
"All of them…? Every single mana core in all these corpses…?"
Zekiel offered no explanation.
He simply hurled the ice spear in answer.
Clang—!
It landed before the kneeling Teddy, blade first.
"Teddy Divine, take your own life."