Episode 128

Three days had passed.

The territory of the Purple Tower spanned a vast area.

It was only natural. The region was a vital hub with well-developed trade and open routes.

Rumors began spreading quickly across the vast land.

People’s mouths barely took a break.

“They say the trading post is the safest place.”

“I heard it too. They wiped out all the demons.”

“The Auditor from the Imperial Tower came in person—what a relief!”

News that humans were actively countering the demons who had been overtaking the Purple Tower’s territory spread, and most people welcomed it with joy.

Even Jaekiel heard the rumors clearly.

However.

“Aren’t the demons targeting an imaginary figure called the ‘Snow Ghost’? And yet, he claimed to be that person?”

“Why provoke them like that? It’s not even his land. In the end, it just endangers the Purple Tower’s territory.”

“It’s too unilateral. It’s excessive.”

People’s opinions were as diverse as their numbers.

The Imperial Tower began resolving the situation in the Purple Tower’s territory, but some of the Purple Tower’s magicians clearly resented this.

It couldn’t be helped—that’s human nature.

‘Let’s not bother with trivial matters.’

Of course, Jaekiel didn’t mind the negativity. The Purple Tower was struggling, so it was understandable that positive thoughts might be hard to come by.

Having lived his whole life with exceptional talent, Jaekiel was more than familiar with envy.

He had turned the trading post into a stronghold.

The building was large enough, and its interior could sustain living needs, making it an excellent stronghold. Having made such a bold provocation, the demons would surely come on their own.

Yes, the provocation had indeed worked.

“How dare a human impersonate the Snow Ghost…?!”

“We’ll see if your lies are true!”

Crunch, crack!

Demons who charged were frozen and shattered instantly. Holding his ground in the trading post, Jaekiel killed every demon that came and extracted information from them.

“Sir Auditor, may we stay here too?”

“Please, we beg you. We have nowhere else to go…!”

Naturally, humans began flocking as well. The rumors that there was no safer place spread quickly.

At some point, as the trading post was being fortified…

“Are you the Auditor of the Imperial Tower?”

“We’ve come to speak with you. Is it true that you’ve cleared the demons here? We were too busy to attend the exchange event.”

Both were women, magicians from the Purple Tower.

They wore finely woven purple robes, clearly marking them as magicians of the Purple Tower.

‘Their attitude isn’t exactly proper.’

Some were welcoming of Jaekiel’s actions, but it seemed like these two were more likely to be jealous. Their cautious gaze suggested as much.

Jaekiel slowly chewed on a piece of Sun Grass and responded.

“The auditor of the Imperial Tower, Jaekiel.”

“Ah, now that I think about it, we didn’t introduce ourselves earlier.”

Normally, it would be proper for the other party to introduce themselves before Jaekiel, the auditor, but it was quite rude of them.

“I am Laila, a high-ranking magician of the Purple Tower. This here is my assistant. You don’t need to mind her.”

A high-ranking magician is one below the elder rank. In other words, her rank was far below that of the auditor.

‘Information comes first.’

Still, Jaekiel did not blame their rudeness. Given that magicians from the Imperial Tower, including Anes, were hostages, information was too valuable to let slip away.

“I’ve met a high-ranking magician from the Purple Tower? How delightful.”

“That reaction…”

Laila, the high-ranking magician from the Purple Tower, blinked, slightly relaxing her guard. She hadn’t expected the Auditor of the Imperial Tower to show such courtesy.

Laila and her assistant exchanged a brief glance.

It seemed they exchanged a covert message between themselves, but then, Laila asked in a more polite tone.

“The situation in the Purple Tower’s territory is very bad. Would you be willing to grant us a favor?”

“A favor?”

Jaekiel intentionally feigned ignorance and asked again.

‘I’d like to hear some information.’

The underground caves beneath the Purple Tower were like a labyrinth—a real headache. Often referred to as a ‘maze,’ the area was considered highly dangerous.

To ask for a favor from Jaekiel, they would have to explain everything in detail. That was what he was counting on—he would gain valuable information.

Perhaps, he would even learn the precise location.

“…And just like that, they surrounded us in the blink of an eye. Using the terrain of the underground maze at dawn, they flooded in—what a cowardly tactic.”

“Countless magicians are still trapped underground. They may be dead, or if they’re alive, they could be tortured.”

“As for the reward, we’ll give you something truly generous. There’s the Golden Lightning, referred to as the secret technique of the Purple Tower, and we can even show it to you!”

Laila and her assistant requested help while simultaneously promising an enormous reward, like the opportunity to witness their secret technique.

It wasn’t just any reward; they were offering something as monumental as witnessing their secret technique. The situation must have been dire.

‘The reward isn’t important right now.’

Of course, Jaekiel wasn’t particularly interested in the reward. He only wished for the Imperial Tower magicians to be safe.

Perhaps Jaekiel’s silence made her awkward. Laila squinted slightly and cleared her throat before adding.

“…I’ve been through a lot underground, but had I been able to move freely in the territory, I would’ve taken action myself. I would’ve cleared this trading post as well.”

“Yes. That’s right. Our Laila is an exceptional magician. It’s just the situation is bad…”

Jaekiel observed their mentality carefully.

He soon realized.

This was a common type of person—one who desired great honor despite lacking the abilities to back it up. They were obsessed with their pride.

They lacked the strength to do it alone, so they had to ask for help. But they didn’t want to beg. In the process, they wanted to maintain their pride…

‘If it weren’t for the Imperial Tower’s hostages, I’d break their heads.’

Jaekiel thought this to himself while chewing on the Sun Grass.

“Alright, I know you think you’re great. I’ll cooperate, so speak freely about what you know.”

Jaekiel knew his priorities. He didn’t bother to address their pitifulness and focused on extracting information first.

Perhaps it was because of the praise, but soon, he was able to hear a lot.

“Since you’re cooperating, I’ll explain the layout of the maze in detail. We were in this location, the barrier is here, and the route of the assault is…”

Laila began manipulating her mana like paint, describing the internal structure of the maze and the current status of the magicians.

Jaekiel memorized every detail without missing a single point.

‘This is very useful information.’

The map that Laila provided was incredibly detailed. He could leave the trading post and head straight into the underground maze without hesitation.

Just as the conversation was coming to an end.

Perhaps feeling embarrassed for spilling all the information and making numerous requests in her excitement, Laila suddenly became more composed.

“Hmm… You know that I’m a valuable asset, right? Thinking about it, the Imperial Tower’s hostages are also involved, and the information I’ve shared is crucial…”

“That’s right. We were so disoriented earlier that we promised too many rewards, but we can’t give you everything.”

“If things end up going well, we can renegotiate then. Auditor, that’s alright, right?”

Having seen Jaekiel’s abilities, they must have been confident in their success, as they suddenly changed their tone.

Jaekiel knew that saving the Imperial Tower’s magicians was the priority, so he decided to ignore such trivial human behavior.

He stood up, ready to head toward the underground maze.

“…This sounds like the typical speech of a fraudster. And yet, they’re receiving the help of the Imperial Tower’s Auditor.”

Suddenly, a cold, clear voice rang out like ice.

Clack!

A woman appeared, merging with the mist along with the chill.

“…Seina?”

It was Seina, the elder from the Blue Tower, with her braided hair cascading over her shoulders. She was a master of ice magic.

As Jaekiel recognized her, Seina’s sharp nose and the curve of her eyes formed a perfect line. Her eyes glowed with a blue tint.

“The Blue Tower came to support the Purple Tower as well, and I felt a very high level of coldness emanating from the trading post. I recognized it as my master’s work and rushed here.”

“Master…?”

Laila asked with a bewildered look, but Seina didn’t pay her any mind and continued speaking.

“You’ve made the trading post, the largest building, your stronghold, and have taken in the unfortunate souls, haven’t you? Stories about you, my master, are spreading like wildfire. As for those spouting nonsense out of jealousy… I’ve dealt with them.”

Seina, as if showing how she dealt with them, sharply pulled her ice whip, the sound echoing.

Jaekiel nodded.

“Thanks. We’ll catch up later. For now, we need to head straight to the underground maze.”

“Let’s go together. I’ll assist you, Master.”

With Seina, the elder from the Blue Tower, Jaekiel had a strong and reliable ally.

Jaekiel couldn’t help but feel grateful. She didn’t ask for anything in return and just offered to help.

“Oh, and…”

Seina shot a fierce glare at Laila and her assistant.

“You were trying to push the reward negotiations off until later, but I’ve seen people like you, who change their words later, once or twice.”

“Elder Seina of the Blue Tower, we were just—”

“Enough excuses. Let’s write up a contract right now. Don’t you know how exceptional the ice magician of the Imperial Tower is? Do you think you can settle this for a low price?”

Jaekiel didn’t even have a chance to stop her. Seina pulled out a scroll from her pocket with a terrifying force.

“Write everything down without missing anything. What promises did you make earlier? If anything is left out, you’ll have to answer to me, the elder of the Blue Tower.”

“Y-yes…”

Laila, looking nervous, began writing down all the rewards they had mentioned earlier, including the secret technique.

A moment later, Seina flashed a bright smile at Jaekiel.

“Master, did I do well?”

With a warm smile from the woman of cold energy.

And so, their journey toward the underground maze began.