Episode 59

The reception room of the Imperial Tower.

It had been a long time since the room had received guests. A small girl hugged a teddy bear while seated. In front of her were tea and various snacks.

“Hmmmm~”

A delicate hum.

Despite her appearance, any skilled magician knew she was not what she seemed. She was a magician known as the secretary of the Black Tower Master.

Teddy. That was the name of the Black Tower Master’s secretary.

“Hmmm~ Hmm~”

Since her visit to the Imperial Tower, Teddy had been humming and eating snacks, occasionally scrutinizing the reception room.

“Excuse me~ Pretty unnie~ When will the Auditor come?”

Teddy asked Anes while shaking the teddy bear’s arm.

Anes quietly blinked. Although she used the term “unnie,” Teddy was actually older.

‘Of all people, why her?’

Anes maintained a blank expression, but she felt quite troubled. Among the magicians known for their rigidity, Teddy was notorious as a mischief-maker.

“As I informed you, the Imperial Tower’s Auditor is on leave today. It’s not possible to meet him today.”

“Oh~ I see~”

Teddy nodded with sparkling eyes.

“Taking leave on the exact day I visit… How could this happen? Huh? What do you think?”

She then started conversing with the teddy bear she was holding.

“He took leave because he didn’t want to face me? Oh no, that’s a bad thought! The Auditor must have been particularly tired today and wanted to rest!”

“….”

Teddy openly mocked the Imperial Tower’s Auditor.

The situation itself warranted it. The Imperial Tower’s Auditor coincidentally took leave on the day the Black Tower’s envoy visited, leaving room for interpretation that he deliberately avoided it.

The problem was her insolent attitude.

Anes also knew Teddy was being rude, but she couldn’t reprimand her outright. She just instinctively felt that times had changed a lot.

‘Is this the current perception of the Imperial Tower?’

Other towers were treating the Imperial Tower disrespectfully?

Normally, such a thing would never be possible.

However, Anes knew well why Teddy could act so brazenly and confidently.

How had the Imperial Tower spent the last ten years?

Whenever the topic of achievements came up, they often changed the subject, and they consistently avoided participating in exchange meetings for ten years.

Was that all?

They couldn’t even provide a proper explanation for the many questions directed at the Imperial Tower. Other towers couldn’t help but know the current state of the Imperial Tower.

‘…The Imperial Tower feels like it’s on the execution block.’

Anes was convinced by Teddy’s attitude this time.

‘The Black Tower is very confident.’

It seemed the other towers had sharpened their blades properly.

The Imperial Tower, which had pretended to be strong without building any substance for ten years, was now clearly being targeted to be broken this time.

“It would be better to arrange a meeting for another day.”

“Okay~ Okay~”

“The concern that the Imperial Tower will not attend the exchange meeting is also unfounded. Recently, the Imperial Tower has been doing very well…”

Teddy didn’t seem to be paying much attention.

Perhaps the news of Jaekiel’s achievements in assisting the 2nd Princess at the Imperial Palace hadn’t reached the other towers yet. Anes brushed her hair back for no reason.

“You must have heard that we’ve achieved results in the Luiple region recently. Don’t worry.”

“Oh~ You really like the word ‘recent’.”

Teddy looked at Anes with innocent eyes.

As their eyes met, she suddenly smiled broadly.

“Oh? Wait a minute~ Saying things have been good recently means they weren’t good before! Things were very serious, but thanks to the current Auditor, you’re finally starting to catch a break!”

Anes felt a chill on her shoulder for a moment and realized she had made a slip of the tongue.

Teddy stood up as if she were delighted.

The girl, as if dancing with the teddy bear, grabbed its hands and slowly spun around as she continued speaking.

“How amazing must the current Auditor be? He must be incredibly amazing, not just normally amazing!”

“….”

“The Imperial Tower… A gap of ten years. Ten whole years. Is he really someone who can fill that gap all at once?”

Anes briefly pondered how to respond but soon made a decision. Having lived a life according to manuals, she didn’t get flustered easily.

“I don’t know what you mean. However.”

There was a hint of firmness in Anes’s voice.

“I understand very well that the Black Tower’s rudeness has gone too far. You must know that this institution was established under the will of the 2nd Princess.”

“Hm?”

“There is not much time left until the exchange meeting. Isn’t it enough to satisfy your curiosity, then? The rudeness shown due to lack of patience, the Imperial Tower will not forget this.”

“What’s this…? Why are you suddenly so scary…? Wah…”

Teddy hugged the teddy bear, making a pitiful expression as if a kitten were pleading with its face.

Of course, she soon smiled again.

“Okay, okay. It’s a joke! A joke!”

Teddy started eating the snacks again.

“About the Auditor~ Where did he go on his leave? The exchange meeting will be very tiring for him, so he should have taken a good rest today!”

“He went to Dominon Gorge.”

“Dominon Gorge? Hm…? What, to commit suicide…?”

Teddy stopped mid-sentence and slapped her own mouth.

“…Watch your words. This is a warning.”

“Hm, hm~ I’m sorry~ People who are exiled or want to commit suicide, those kinds of people visit Dominon Gorge, right? I just wondered! If the Auditor went there unable to bear the great pressure…”

Teddy’s hand grabbed at empty air on the plate. She had already eaten all the snacks that were piled high.

“But you know~ Imperial Tower Auditor’s Secretary~”

“Yes.”

“For this exchange meeting, the Imperial Tower is confident, right?”

“Confident?”

“Yes. You said you wouldn’t forget my rudeness?”

Teddy smiled like an innocent girl.

“We, the other five towers, have very good memories too? The Imperial Tower kept delaying announcements, avoiding exchange meetings… We remember everything!”

“….”

“This time, you’ll show us something that explains everything, right?”

A challenge disguised as an innocent question. At the same time, it was a declaration of war against the Imperial Tower.

Clack. Clack.

Anes quietly turned a cube as she thought.

‘…What on earth did they prepare?’

It was true that the Imperial Tower hadn’t built up any substance in the past ten years, but Teddy’s brazen attitude meant that the Black Tower had something to rely on.

Confidence to surpass the Imperial Tower by far in the exchange meeting, confidence not to lag behind any tower… They acted like this because they had such confidence.

In contrast, the Imperial Tower’s only hope was Jaekiel.

Of course, Jaekiel’s actions so far had been extraordinary and impressive. He had already brought about a new mindset and caused a stir among the Imperial Tower members.

But could a ten-year gap be filled all at once?

…The other towers had been preparing for ten years to grasp the situation. Could Jaekiel really overturn that all at once?

“Hm, hm, hm~”

Teddy stood in front of Anes. Close enough that their toes touched, she quietly looked up.

“You have eyes full of worry? Imperial Tower Auditor’s Secretary~ You’re not confident enough to guarantee it, are you?”

Anes soon realized what she had to do.

“…Not at all.”

The poor situation of the Imperial Tower was no reason to bow to other towers. If she bowed now, it would mean the entire Imperial Tower was bowing.

It was better to break than to bend.

“…I don’t feel the need to answer with words. The Imperial Tower will speak only through results.”

Anes continued, her gaze sharp as a blade.

“Teddy of the Black Tower, I will remember you.”

“Eek~ Scary~”

Teddy quickly ran towards the door.

Pretending to be scared, but with a smile on her lips.

“The exchange meeting is exactly two days away! Don’t be late! If you take leave that day, too, we’ll consider it as running away!”

“…Leave. There is a limit to being polite.”

After Teddy left…

“Hah.”

Anes let out a deep sigh quietly.

She couldn’t hold back against Teddy’s provocation and ended up committing to it.

“…Auditor Jaekiel.”

Jaekiel.

─I’m not in my right mind to begin with.

Yes, that’s what Auditor Jaekiel used to say.

Now, Auditor Jaekiel was truly the only hope.

Anes quietly took out a notebook and wrote a line.

[ Sometimes I think I’m not in my right mind either. ]

The Imperial Palace, the Audience Room of the Emperor.

The huge door opened without a sound.

A woman.

A woman stood at the open doorway, still in the shadows.

Swish…

As the Audience Room brightened, her identity was revealed.

The 1st Princess of the Empire, Ether.

The Princess faced the Emperor on the throne directly.

“…Emperor, it’s me.”

The gaze of a wolf starved for days in snowy plains.

The aura rising from her was terrifying beyond words.