BAM!
A thunderbolt-like news struck Ezekiel.
DUN DUN DUN!
Arcne was discovered with her upper body pierced.
Within the Holy Temple and infirmary of the Imperial Palace…
“….”
Ezekiel’s heart was heavy as he waited for the results. The infirmary was by no means all-powerful. He couldn’t guarantee Arcne’s safety at all.
Moreover, Arcne was currently a demon.
It was basically a healing place using Holy Power, but that could act as poison for Arcne. His heart couldn’t help but become more anxious every second.
BANG!
That’s when Solana, the 3rd Princess of the Empire who was in charge of Arcne’s treatment, revealed herself.
Ezekiel jumped up from where he was sitting. His expression asked a question, but Solana shook her head.
“…She was hit really hard.”
He had to face the truth without even a white lie. Ezekiel bit his lip.
“Her upper body is completely pierced. All her organs are damaged, and the mana is all tangled up, about to explode. Thankfully, her heart is okay, but….”
Solana’s expression as she continued speaking was grim.
“…It’s a cruel method that makes one gasp. It seems they purposely left only the heart behind. To let her die slowly and painfully.”
Soon, a blood-soaked note was handed to Ezekiel.
“This is a note that was by the Goddess’s bedside.”
He immediately examined its contents.
[Based on the agreement with the Emperor, I will take the Goddess’s life; her death will serve as a long-lasting example. There is no happiness for the traitor of the Demon Realm.]
“This is….”
“Yes. It’s from the Demon Lord.”
The symbol of the Demon Lord was engraved at the bottom of the note, a clear handwritten letter without a doubt.
‘An agreement with the Emperor?’
Ezekiel felt a sudden sense of disorientation.
He had felt uneasy since hearing that the Emperor entered negotiations with the Demon Lord, but could such a dreadful thing really happen?
“SIGH…”
He let out a long breath, trying to gather his thoughts. It was not easy, even after trying several times.
Right, asking the Emperor could wait. Saving Arcne was urgent, so he hurriedly asked.
“Is there really no way to save her?”
“Well, it’s not completely hopeless. The most important part of a demon’s body, her heart, is relatively intact, and there are many strange beings in the world.”
Solana shook her head afterward.
“But that’s just theoretical. I think it’s better to let her go as she is.”
“…She must be saved.”
Ezekiel spat with determination. Solana’s golden eyes gazed at him silently.
“Um, teacher. I’m a bit curious.”
Solana asked carefully.
“If the letter from the Demon Lord is true, it seems the Emperor made a reasonable decision. I treated her as per your request, but… why do you insist on saving her?”
Her face was filled with doubt.
This wasn’t an expression of distrust or suspicion toward Ezekiel but rather concern. Was he not perhaps affected by the mana?
“SIGH…”
Ezekiel let out a soft sigh.
Well, it was natural for Solana to feel that way.
To a human’s eyes, Arcne was just a demon. A danger that had killed countless humans and threatened the peace of the continent. That level of recognition was normal.
The Emperor had willingly given the authority to punish the traitor to prevent war between the Demon Realm and the continent.
To handle the demons, gain peace for the continent, one would surely think the Emperor made a fine judgment.
Ezekiel didn’t completely disagree with the Emperor’s decision. He simply disliked the act of carelessly abandoning Arcne twice.
“Teacher, I wish you would answer me. I’m more worried about you than about the demon. Why do you keep acting as if you’re protecting the demon…?”
“…Arcne is the 0th Princess of the Empire.”
Ezekiel interrupted Solana and said.
“She was a princess abandoned long ago for the sake of an agreement between the Demon Realm and the continent. It’s only natural I want to save her.”
Ezekiel then explained everything in detail.
“…!”
Shock spread across Solana’s face.
What happened in the past was irreversible. Therefore, Ezekiel set a goal to cultivate Arcne gradually from now on.
But that plan had crumbled before his eyes once more.
For the same reason, due to the Emperor’s agreement with the Demon Lord.
Solana seemed deeply shaken, her lips trembling.
“This can’t be true. She was completely a demon; I couldn’t recognize her at all. To be cast away from the continent twice? This is….”
“…I have to meet the Emperor immediately.”
Ezekiel declared. It seemed he needed to confront the Emperor about something right away.
But Solana quietly shook her head.
“The Emperor will be absent from the Audience Chamber for a while. He’s said to be very busy. Even if you go to the Audience Chamber, you won’t be able to meet him….”
As Solana continued talking, she quietly clasped her hands together.
“How could this happen…? It’s so pitiful. To be born as a princess and be cast away twice….”
But she couldn’t finish her thought.
In a situation where nothing could be done, just talking would only make things more miserable. There was no way out.
“…She must be saved.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Unlike before, Solana nodded.
“I can’t say the Emperor’s judgment is entirely wrong, but I also think the happiness of the 0th Princess must be guaranteed. I’ll do my best.”
But the problem was the method.
How exactly, would they save Arcne?
Just then, in a moment of silence.
“Oh, speaking of which.”
Solana once again pulled something from her bosom. It was a blood-soaked piece of paper, but this one was in the shape of a map.
“This is a paper that the Goddess had in her possession besides the letter left by the Demon Lord. I don’t know what it means… Do you perhaps know anything about it?”
“….”
As he looked at the map, he fell silent.
There was no doubt about it. It was the location of the remnants of Han-shin’s faction.
“…This is information gathered for me.”
Ezekiel explained in a voice extremely low.
What this map was, how wonderfully Arcne had helped him…. All of it.
As the story continued, there was no way Solana could hide the sadness on her face.
“The 0th Princess’s background, her tragic life, her assistance to you…. I can now just guess the reason you’ve been trying so hard to save her. I want to find a way right away….”
It was at that moment that Solana muttered.
“Uh?”
Suddenly, her eyes widened.
“Teacher, your next objective was to punish the Purple Magic Tower, right?”
“Exactly.”
“It might be there.”
The Princess continued in an urgent tone.
“The Purple Magic Tower is specialized for battle. While brute strength is important in battle, that alone isn’t enough. Information is incredibly important.”
“And?”
“I heard that the Magic Tower has creatures that forcibly heal demon-born captives to extract information. I’m sure of it.”
“….”
Ezekiel’s expression slightly blanked.
A glimmer of hope began to sprout within him.
“The Purple Magic Tower tortures demons to a level beyond imagination. Even when they’re almost corpses and refuse to spit out useful information, they forcibly heal them and continue the torture. That’s the kind of Magic Tower it is.”
Solana calmly continued.
“If it has such an extraordinarily effective creature, it will definitely work on the Goddess.”
“Indeed….”
“There are countless things I’d like to ask the Emperor, but if we want to save the Goddess, we have no choice but to take this route. At the same time, we steal the creature.”
Ezekiel quietly nodded.
After Arcne died, blaming the Emperor would not bring back the dead.
They had to do everything they could do right now without holding back, and fortunately, the opportunity had presented itself. The answer lay within the Purple Magic Tower.
“Thank you, Solana.”
Ezekiel suddenly hugged Solana tightly.
“W-w-w-wait, teacher…?”
Shaking like a broken doll, he left Solana behind.
Ezekiel made a decision.
And suddenly thought.
A clash with the Emperor could not be avoided forever.
The next day, at the Imperial Magic Tower.
A large notice was prominently posted. A public notice directly written by Inspector Ezekiel.
It had been a long time since such a massive public notice was displayed, so the mages of the Imperial Tower gathered.
“It’s finally starting in earnest….”
“Only one person going out? That’s amazing.”
“The number of people doesn’t really matter. Don’t you know the Inspector’s abilities? I’m rather looking forward to what comes next.”
The content written in the notice was truly simple.
But at the same time, it was shocking.
[Due to the punishment of the Magic Tower, we declare the executor.]
Executor: 1 person.
Inspector, Ezekiel.
