Episode 127

Inside the Imperial Palace, in the Audience Room.

Click, click.

After Jaekiel left, the Emperor chewed on an apple in silence for a long while. It was impossible to fathom his thoughts.

Swish!

At that moment, someone emerged from the air like a mirage. It was Ilaref, the Emperor’s loyal aide, who acted as his limbs.

Though he was a man, his hair was long enough to reach his waist, and he wore a monocle on one side, resembling a butler.

Currently, his face was filled with shock.

“Your Majesty. Just now, Jaekiel definitely…”

He paused for a moment, unable to shake off his shock.

“Didn’t he just mention the name Sarman? How could the name of the Sun God come from his lips…?”

Sarman.

Coincidentally, it matched the name of the Sun God, revered by the empire. It was also the god that the Third Princess, Solana, and the faithful praised highly.

The Emperor bit into another apple.

“It was indeed surprising. I never imagined that the Sun Water Spirit would take residence within him.”

“Your Majesty, what happens when it settles?”

Ilaref inadvertently asked.

“Limbs” refer literally to hands and feet.

Adding one’s personal opinion was not to be permitted. Asking the Emperor questions recklessly was also considered extremely rude…

It was such an unusual and surprising matter that he couldn’t help but forget those facts for a moment.

But the Emperor didn’t seem to take issue with it.

“The spirit regularly desires Sun Water, so it will become easier to absorb it moving forward. As he absorbs more, his constitution will become closer to that of a superhuman.”

“Superhuman, you say…?”

Ilaref adjusted his monocle.

“Then someday, perhaps like the First Princess…?”

“No.”

The Emperor firmly interrupted Ilaref’s words.

“It should be said that he is distinctly different from the First Princess.”

“Well, the First Princess is of an exceptionally high caliber…”

Ilaref quickly nodded his head.

No matter how high Jaekiel flew or crawled, he could never be equal to the First Princess, who had consumed Sun Water since childhood. That was the only understanding he could come to.

A little while later.

The Emperor’s next words were something quite unexpected.

“Ilaref, you should have some understanding of the First Princess’s body. What do you know?”

“I know that her prayer is unbelievably vast. Anyone dealing with divine power or magic would need to emulate the First Princess in their training.”

“That’s a correct realization, but it’s not what we should focus on.”

The Emperor’s collar slightly shifted. He seemed to shake his head lightly.

“Ilaref, does the First Princess have a spirit in her body?”

“If it’s the Sun Water Spirit… ah?”

Now that he thought about it, that was true.

While it was true that the First Princess’s prayer was infinitely vast and that she possessed a vessel that burned near her heart, no spirit resided within her.

“…There is no spirit. Your Majesty, what difference does it make?”

“It means that the Sun Water Spirit sees the First Princess’s body as a guesthouse. However, it has started to live within Jaekiel’s body as if it were its home.”

The Emperor drank from the apple wine in the holy grail.

“It could mean that he possesses talent greater than that of the First Princess.”

“……”

It was a tremendous statement, and silence hung in the air for a while.

“Such… no, that can’t be…”

It was a long time before Ilaref broke the silence.

“Your Majesty, then why didn’t you tell Jaekiel? It would have been obvious that he would be very pleased.”

The Emperor knew that as soon as he examined Jaekiel’s body with his intangible energy, but he chose not to inform him.

He merely brushed it off to discuss later.

That part was what Ilaref was curious about.

“Of course, it must never be revealed.”

The Emperor answered with utmost seriousness.

This was someone who had asked for Sun Water, nearly dying as soon as he realized his own value.

But what if he realized that he possessed talents and qualities greater than those of the First Princess?

“…No. Sun Water would truly run out.”

The Emperor’s robe flared slightly.

Just the thought of it made him shudder.

In the territory of the Purple Tower.

Jaekiel quickly arrived here.

As expected of a strategic point, the road leading to the tower was well maintained, so it didn’t take much time.

Though he set out alone, he felt no anxiety. His physical condition was truly better than ever.

‘Is it because the commercial district is developed? The buildings are splendid.’

Unlike the somewhat gloomy territory of the Black Tower, the area around the Purple Tower exuded an air of wealth.

Countless shops lined the streets, and the tall, ornate buildings were indeed impressive.

He visited various shops and asked around, but…

“We don’t know.”

“Please ask somewhere else.”

The responses he received were filled with fear, as if they were trying to chase him away. Even proving that he came from the Imperial Tower did not help.

After a while, he found a merchant willing to explain the situation.

“Right now, an enormous number of demons have disguised themselves and infiltrated the area of the tower. No one can tell who is human and who is a demon, and everyone is scared.”

It was said that demons had infiltrated the entire area of the tower to the point that it was overwhelming. He needed to rescue his comrades, but gathering information was proving difficult.

‘If I cannot find the enemy…’

He had no choice but to do the opposite.

He had to reveal himself, making the enemy come to him.

Jaekiel stood at the entrance of the tallest and widest shop in the tower—a gigantic building known as a trading post.

Step, step.

As he entered, making a loud noise with his footsteps, many people immediately took notice of him.

It was because he was giving off the air of having come from the Imperial Tower.

“You don’t look like a magician from the Purple Tower.”

“Isn’t that the emblem of the Imperial Tower?”

“Boasting to be the auditor? It’s hard to believe. You look too young for such a position.”

“Wait, didn’t they say that the auditor of the Imperial Tower is young?”

A buzz of conversation arose, but Jaekiel ignored them and continued on.

‘The citizens of the Purple Tower won’t do.’

If they were disguised as citizens, they likely wouldn’t be high-ranking demons. He needed to attract the attention of more notable humans and demons.

Thus, he continued to ascend to the upper floors.

Finally, he reached the last floor.

Bang!

He deliberately slammed the door open. Unlike the lower floors where items were sold, this space was filled with loud lights and music.

It was a place where high-ranking guests often mingled.

Just being able to visit the trading post meant one possessed considerable wealth, and being able to play on the top floor signified that one was among the elite.

It was a social gathering place where those with abilities and wealth would gather to have fun, creating connections in the process, and this was located on the top floor of the trading post.

Bang!

Jaekiel unleashed ice, disabling some of the magical devices in the social hall. The music abruptly stopped, and as a result, he garnered significant attention.

“How dare you silence the music in a place where only high-ranking guests are gathered? What kind of confidence do you have?”

“Isn’t that the emblem of the Imperial Tower?”

“Does the Imperial Tower mean anything? Why are you committing such a misdeed against people who are simply enjoying themselves?”

There were many displeased reactions.

As he glanced around, there were indeed many who could be called elite.

There were wealthy-looking individuals and magicians adorned in the luxurious attire characteristic of the Purple Tower…

There were nearly 30 people present, and their faces were flushed, likely from drinking.

“You look good! Come this way!”

“If you wanted to hang out with us, you should have just said so!”

The female magicians waved cheerfully.

Though their actions appeared lighthearted, they were still draped in the elegant purple robes typical of high-ranking magicians of the tower.

Most of the 30 were like that.

The atmosphere was filled with alcohol and music, as young men and women casually placed their hands on each other’s waists, making plans for a hot night. It was quite debauched.

However.

Jaekiel instead began to draw forth coldness, spitting out the Sun Grass he had been chewing on.

“…The demon bastards are shamelessly imitating humans.”

With a tremendous chill and a short remark.

This caused an immediate silence to fall over the room.

‘They said the Purple Tower suffered a tremendous defeat.’

If they were combat-capable magicians, they would have all jumped into the fray. They couldn’t be wasting their time here, having fun.

In other words, they were all high-ranking demons.

“The stench of magic stings my nose. You filthy bastards.”

Jaekiel spoke.

Was it because his constitution had improved?

His ability to sense encounters with coldness had become even more acute. And indeed, everyone in the space that was touched by that coldness was truly a demon.

“You know your own appearance is ugly. So, you imitate humans every time, don’t you?”

At that, a woman across from him sneered slyly.

It was the same woman who had pretended to be very innocent and invited him to join her earlier. She was indeed a demon.

“To send the Auditor directly from the Imperial Tower, you must be quite desperate! But how can you not know that this trading post is a trap? Truly foolish!”

“A trap.”

Jaekiel quietly closed and then opened his eyes.

Not just this trading post; every building in the tower must be a trap, meant to either kill or capture visiting human magicians.

“Is this the biggest trap you’ve set?”

“You could say that. How pleased the Goddess will be! If you manage to capture the Auditor from the Imperial Tower, it’s obvious that you’ll be highly rewarded!”

The biggest trap.

He felt no particular thoughts about it.

It just seemed that everything was going according to plan.

Fsss.

A chill began to rise near Jaekiel, its tangible blue energy visible to the eye.

“Subdue the human before he can cast a spell!”

“First, just pull his fingers off and make him faint!”

In an instant, the demons revealed their true colors and rushed at him. They intended not to give Jaekiel a moment to cast his spell.

“Freeze.”

Crack!

It was the sound of freezing and then shattering. The demons that had turned into ice statues were destroyed in an instant.

Jaekiel felt it.

‘…My level has risen beyond comprehension.’

His body felt incredibly healthy, and his manipulation of cold energy had become even more refined. Looking at the floor, he saw writhing magic trapped in the ice.

“The magic—it’s frozen solid!”

“How is that possible? Magic corrupts and taints the elemental powers…”

“That guy! Could he be the Snow Ghost?”

Bang!

The urchin-shaped ice exploded, shooting spikes in all directions, instantly piercing the foreheads of about half of the demons, killing them.

It wasn’t just that it had that much power.

Jaekiel had intentionally only killed half.

He calmly opened his mouth.

“Let the survivors flee, and make sure to tell them.”

He had never intended to hide his identity.

He combined the Emperor’s words with what the demons had said in his mind. They had attacked the Purple Tower led by a creature called the Goddess in the Demon Realm.

“I, the Snow Ghost, have trodden the territory of the Tower.”

…He was about to meet the Goddess soon.