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However, none of them reached Ezekiel. Each strike froze without fail, naturally creating countless ice sculptures in the air.

“Let’s end this. I’m getting tired of going easy on you.”

Ezekiel’s terse statement.

Ssssss─!

And ice mana surged around Ezekiel.

Even those who were unfamiliar with magic could vaguely sense its grandeur. It was already a higher level than Rekon’s.

Shwack!

A large ice arrow tore through the air.

Thud─!

“Ugh, ahk!”

At the same time, the arrow pierced Rekon’s shoulder without losing any momentum, carrying him all the way to the distant wall, and pinning him there. A crack formed in the wall near Rekon’s body with a thud.

Ezekiel tilted his head, lost in thought.

‘A guy who didn’t know magic at all, in just three days…’

Even for a dragon-people, Rekon was merely a novice who had just started dabbling in magic. Yet to achieve such power in only 3 days, if experienced practitioners were to trade their souls, they would gain strength incomparably greater than this.

‘The Imperial Magic Tower has a long way to go. We need to provide training that will raise the level of mages to a very high level.’

To achieve the conditions set by the Emperor, it would not be enough for the Imperial Magic Tower to merely stand out among humans. They need to reach further and higher. As they might one day face dragon-people, a more systematic education would be necessary from now on.

Ezekiel was already thinking like an Inspector.

‘Time is short. As fast as possible.’

Moreover, Ezekiel’s lifespan wasn’t long.

…There was only one way. It had to be done quickly, even faster.

Ezekiel gestured with his chin towards the ice sculptures remaining in the air. They were Rekon’s frozen strikes.

“I’ve preserved them as intact as possible. Take them and use them as magical study materials. They should be of great help.”

Not just an ordinary victory, but a profitable one.

For Ezekiel, a profitable victory meant this – something that could contribute to the magical studies of the human realm.

“…………….”

Silence still permeated the surroundings.

A human, an Inspector of the Imperial Magic Tower, had faced off against a dragon-people.

While Ezekiel had predicted his victory from the start, those around him hadn’t. Their wide-eyed faces were filled with undisguisable astonishment.

Ezekiel now gestured towards Rekon with his chin, “Someone should probably tend to him. It’s unsightly to see a noble dragon-people dangling so conspicuously in the humble human realm.”

Only then did one of the dragon-people step forward to handle the situation. Rekon was still hanging from the wall.

Those who had been watching the situation finally opened their mouths.

“What… What on earth just happened?”

“A human against a dragon-people…? Without a scratch?”

“Indeed, the princess’s judgment is truly remarkable!”

“He even thought to preserve the dragon-people’s magic. A true educator. How incredible…!”

An extremely boisterous commotion ensued.

Of course, the Second Princess Hedera was equally surprised.

“………….”

Having witnessed Ezekiel’s abilities since childhood, it wasn’t difficult for her to predict his victory. From the start, she wasn’t showing courtesy to Gromon’s group due to her own lack of strength. She was confident she could win in a confrontation.

However.

‘There’s only one chance at the ascension ceremony. I must be absolutely prepared.’

Because there are no second chances for the ascension ceremony, and if any issues arise, Hedera would be the one most troubled. Moreover, Gromon was known as a somewhat renowned elder among the dragon-people. Until the ascension ceremony was over, it would be best to maintain good relations.

And so, Ezekiel’s victory was a foregone conclusion from the start.

However, what truly surprised her was…

His attitude as an Inspector.

‘This is eating away at his lifespan. There was no reason for him to get involved, but he’s giving it his all.’

A man who prioritized his duty over his own life.

In truth, he could have avoided criticism by simply explaining that it was Solana, not Hedera, who appointed him, and then glossing over the rest. But Ezekiel willingly stepped forward.

Perhaps, it was for Hedera’s sake.

His disregard for his own life for Hedera’s benefit was unsettling. A complex emotion, tinged with gratitude, welled up within her.

Just then, Ezekiel pressed his hand to his forehead as if dizzy. 

Unable to ignore it any longer, Hedera quickly approached and spoke, “You didn’t need to involve yourself. You don’t look well; you should be taking care of your own health.”

Perhaps it was because her words of gratitude sounded awkward, but her concern took precedence, and harsh words inadvertently spilled out of her mouth.

Ezekiel glanced at Hedera, rolling his eyes.

“My health, you say?”

“Yes, your health.”

“It’s like pouring water on a bottomless pot. No matter how much you pour, my constitution is such that I can’t fill up my health. There’s nothing I can do. I have no choice but to do one more meaningful thing.”

One more good deed.

Those words struck a chord in Hedera’s heart.

‘Doing things for my happiness.’

Until the day he breathed his last, he would disregard his own health and do whatever he could for Hedera’s happiness. That’s how it sounded to her.

And so, finally.

Hedera made a big decision.

‘I still haven’t heard what circumstances led you to leave me, or what happened during your absence, but…’

It was likely due to his terminal condition.

If Ezekiel were to die, she’d lose any chance of hearing his story, and she couldn’t bear to watch his efforts for her go to waste…

“About that promise I made to give you the relic from the first floor.”

Hedera took a deep breath before continuing.

“Let’s forget about it. Instead, I’ll give you Sun Elixir.”

“…Sun Elixir?”

“You know what the Sun Elixir is, don’t you? It’s an elixir that can transform any being into a supreme constitution. Only the Emperor and the First Princess have ever come into contact with it.”

Ezekiel hadn’t asked because he didn’t know what it was.

“You’d give that to me?”

What Ezekiel had originally been promised to receive was the artifact on the first floor of the vault. But hadn’t the level of reward skyrocketed to an unprecedented degree compared to before?

Even the relics from the third floor, the highest level of the Imperial Treasury, couldn’t compare to Sun Elixir. In fact, nothing in existence could be compared to Sun Elixir.

Hedera cleared her throat a couple of times.

“…..I’ll propose it to the Emperor first. Maybe I can get even a single drop. Just one drop is incredible. Beyond imagination.”

“Young Lady, are you serious about this?”

Ezekiel reacted without thinking.

Sun Elixir was that unbelievable.

More than half of the continent’s population didn’t believe in the existence of the Sun Elixir. It was something so precious that even during his days of serving the imperial family, he couldn’t dare to dream of it.

‘I’m meeting the Emperor soon anyway.’

He had said to see Ezekiel once a month.

If he could absorb even a single drop, his body would noticeably improve. Of course, he regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth.

Unusually surprised, he inadvertently used the form of address from his days as her tutor long ago.

“…………..”

Silence fell between them.

“Oh… did you just call me ‘young lady’?”

Hedera’s expression momentarily turned blank; her cheeks flushed slightly, and she mumbled foolishly, but it was truly fortunate that she was wearing a mask.

She hurriedly glanced around, but thankfully, no one had overheard their conversation. This was also fortunate.

“……………”

Hedera pulled her mask up, nearly covering her eyes. On top of that, she cleared her throat, “I’m rewarding you for your dedication as an Inspector. Don’t misunderstand… Anyway…”

As they were about to resume their awkward conversation, one of the dragon-persons approached them. It was Gromon.

“I always thought your excuses about stepping aside while citing the potential of humans were just that – excuses. But it seems you’ve been nurturing such a talented mage behind the scenes.”

“I didn’t nurture him.”

“Modesty too? As expected of the Second Princess.”

Gromon turned to look at Ezekiel.

“You said you’re an Inspector from the Imperial Magic Tower?”

Ezekiel hesitated for a moment.

Should he speak casually? Or politely?

…Though he wasn’t accustomed to speaking formally, he felt he should endure it. Many eyes were watching, after all.

“That’s right.”

“Thank you for showing me such an uncommon spectacle. Your affinity for elementals, your mastery of ice… They were all of an astonishing level. They will also serve as great motivation for Rekon.”

However, his words didn’t end with mere praise.

“But remember this. Rekon, who had no knowledge of magic at all, reached that level in just three days. If someone as skilled as you were to make a soul trade, a true masterpiece would be born.”

“Another soul trade talk? Please stop.”

Hedera, having lost her patience, finally stepped in.

“Gromon, even my patience has its limits.”

“I admit that I made a crude suggestion. But with such an unpolished gem sparkling before my eyes… I couldn’t help myself.”

“I’ll take that to mean you’ve witnessed the potential of humans? Now, please refrain from talking about soul trades.”

However.

Gromon shook his head firmly.

“Princess, that’s not it,” the dragon-person calmly continued, “I’ll write the recommendation letter as promised, having confirmed human potential. However, that doesn’t mean you, Princess, have reason to refuse a soul trade.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Don’t you need the bonus points from the ancient dragon language? You just witnessed Rekon with your own eyes. If you were to make a trade, imagine what heights you could reach.”

Gromon snapped his fingers, and a stone tablet appeared in the air. Ezekiel examined it as well.

‘Ancient dragon language, huh.’

Ancient dragon language, true to its name, was a way of communication from ‘ancient times’, so it was not even considered a language in the true sense. It was more like hieroglyphs that left traces of mana.

It was from a time before written characters existed, and in the end, they communicated with each other by leaving mana remnants on walls. In modern terms, it would be like the traces left by an ice needle or saw-toothed wind… Of course, the power of ancient magic was overwhelming.

Could this even be called magic?

It felt more like traces left by divine judgment.

“At the last Ascension Ceremony, there was a very promising dragon-person. Chromu, you must have heard the name. But in the end, didn’t they fail?”

“……..”

“It was because they couldn’t master this ancient dragon language. The Ascension Ceremony is that fierce. Near-perfection cannot defeat perfection.”

Among countless competitors, only one could pass the Ascension Ceremony and become a dragon.

Yet, there was only one reason why they challenged it.

Despite all the hardships, the moment one becomes a dragon, one becomes a transcendent being looking down upon the entire continent. And that is what Hedera yearned for.

Gromon set the stone tablet on the ground.

“I’ll leave the tablet here. Think it over. You have exactly one day from now.”

As Gromon was about to leave,

“Wait.”

Ezekiel stopped him; he thought to himself.

It was true that Hedera must solve the ancient dragon language puzzle to pass the Ascension Ceremony.

However, at the same time.

She must not dabble in dark magic.

The moment Gromon turned to face him,

Ezekiel made his decision inwardly.

“The Princess couldn’t decipher this tablet? That sounds absurd. Perhaps she was just being modest about her abilities.”

Hedera’s eyes widened in surprise.

Ezekiel’s words were, of course, a lie.

This was different from the Princess downplaying her combat skills out of courtesy to the dragon-person, despite her high level of ability.

This tablet was truly something Hedera hadn’t yet deciphered.

Gromon’s eyebrow twitched.

“…Are you saying she’s already deciphered it but pretended not to? To avoid embarrassing me? Is that what you’re claiming, Inspector?”

“That’s correct.”

Hedera questioned his intentions with her eyes, but Ezekiel casually avoided her gaze.

Could it be?

Had he already seen something in the tablet?

Something that even Hedera hadn’t yet noticed. Already.

“Then can you show me right now? I’ll only believe it if I see the Princess decipher the tablet.”

Ezekiel didn’t respond to Gromon’s words.

Instead, he simply put a sunweed in his mouth.

“Of course.”

At the same time,

Hedera read something in the man’s eyes.

Those blue eyes she had seen years ago.

…They were undoubtedly the eyes of her former Master.