Chapter 16: The Inspector (5)

✦ Chapter 16 – The Inspector (5) ✦…That man is the Inspector who’s about to be inaugurated? Nox and Widro had the same thought simultaneously.

Crack! Crack!

But there was no time to be lost in thought.

The sphere surrounded by cold air rotated madly, filled with an ominous aura, seemingly about to explode at any moment. It was truly a terrifying sight.

The confused crowd began to shout wildly.

“That… Shouldn’t we stop it?”

“It looks dangerous!”

If a sphere containing such a massive amount of mana were to explode, it would tear everything around it to shreds. Widro and Nox immediately prepared to face the crisis in their own ways.

In fact, if this was a crisis, it was also an opportunity for them.

With people in chaos now, if they became the heroes who defended against it, they could both demonstrate their power and gain fame.

Crack! Rumble!

However, another problem existed.

The sphere’s energy was far more enormous than imagined.

Rumble!

A brief thought flashed through Nox and Widro’s minds.

Perhaps even they might not be able to defend against it.

The moment they thought this, a grand explosion occurred.

Whoosh!

“Ugh…!”

“Guh!”

Everyone in the area covered their eyes with both arms. Even though hastily cast defensive spells flew out haphazardly, they couldn’t do anything about the brilliant light scattering in all directions.

So everyone remained frozen with their eyes tightly shut for 1 second.

5 seconds.

10 seconds.

Pitter! Patter!

The sound of something light tapping on the barrier was heard.

No, “tapping” might be too strong a word. It was more like something settling on top of a curtain.

Though they worried about a possible massive aftershock…

That was all. Even after 30 seconds, nothing more happened.

“…………”

They had anticipated the worst, but nothing worthy of being called ‘the worst’ had occurred. Nox, Widro, and the nearby mages slowly opened their eyes and surveyed their surroundings, feeling a sense of dissonance.

‘…Frost? Hail?’

What had settled on the protective barriers was merely frost or hail.

An attack spell?

No, everything was intact.

Not only was nothing destroyed, but it was also hard to even consider this magic as an attack. The ice was so weak and fragile that it was melting in real-time as they observed.

“…………”

The surrounding area was already quiet.

People who had been running away in all directions had stopped to look around, and those who had fallen to the ground were getting up.

There were no injuries whatsoever; a peace devoid of even screams.

A world unchanged except for being slightly colder. What was the purpose of the explosion that had just occurred? No one here could understand the reason yet.

Nox and Widro looked at each other simultaneously.

‘I didn’t stop it, but surely he didn’t either?’

But as soon as their eyes met, they knew. It definitely wasn’t the other who had stopped it. At that moment, they could clearly read the elements in each other’s expressions.

Surprise, bewilderment, awe…

Well, it wasn’t just them. The entire surroundings were the same.

“What on earth happened?”

“Nothing happened?”

“Was it just an illusion?”

“…A prank to scare people?”

Unable to understand the intent of the magic at all, everyone’s gaze turned to the caster. As they waited for him to say something…

“Up…!”

Someone shouted with all their might.

“Up there! Look up!”

At the urgent voice, everyone’s heads turned upward.

“………..!”

And everyone in the area was shocked.

For a moment, they had imagined a terrible scene, but what actually unfolded in the sky was the exact opposite—a spectacle. Fragments of light split into hexagons as they passed through crystal-like ice formations, spreading out in seven brilliant colors.

Beautiful.

They couldn’t help but be transfixed, their gazes stolen.

“Wow…”

People’s mouths slowly opened.

This street, once a place where magic beggars pleaded, where factions of the Imperial Magic Tower fought fiercely, where everyone was too busy coming and going to find happiness or leisure…

Now, it has become an art gallery where everyone could indulge in leisure.

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Magic is the power to make miracles real.

Yet it was not far removed from reality, but rather touched it closely. It took ordinary, trivial things and season them to make them special, inevitably captivating everyone.

Was this moment special for everyone?

It was hard to say.

But one thing was certain — everyone was undoubtedly captivated.

Countless rainbows fell slowly like parachutes, and people’s gazes followed them. It created a pleasant illusion of the sky lowering.

Swish—

As if showing off its parade of seven colors, the light swirled around the caster’s body before vanishing with a poof.

“………….”

A world now without any traces left.

Everyone’s gaze naturally turned to Ezekiel.

“My goodness.”

“…I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Sound finally returned to the world.

People murmured such things while touching their own faces. For some reason, they felt like they might have been unconsciously mimicking the man’s relaxed smile.

It wasn’t terrorism, but art.

And that art clearly contained something incredible.

Most of the people strutting through this bustling area weren’t ordinary folk, but mages. There were realms visible only to those who knew; as people who had learned and attempted magic themselves, they couldn’t help but be even more amazed.

No, they were astounded.

…An incredible feat.

The difficulty was undoubtedly high, and they couldn’t even begin to fathom how the detailed elements were designed. It was at such an impressive level that it could be a lifelong goal.

“…That’s all.”

The caster, Ezekiel, murmured.

Only then did people return to reality.

The light had disappeared, and all traces of ice had completely evaporated. Except for the lingering impression left on people, it was as if nothing had ever happened here.

…Yes, like a midsummer day’s dream.

Only after realizing it was over did people start exhaling here and there.

They wanted to praise the caster. Or perhaps ask to see it just once more. Somehow, the beggar boy’s can was already overflowing with silver coins.

“Um, excuse me…!”

Just as someone finally mustered the courage to speak—

Ezekiel shook his head. He merely smiled faintly, as if knowing what words were about to come his way.

“Sorry, I’m busy with my inauguration ceremony soon.”

Leaving behind just those words, the man vanished without even allowing people a chance to stop him.

“………….!”

Meanwhile, Nox and Widro flinched, startled by the mention of the inauguration ceremony.

More urgently than ever, they rummaged through their pockets and simultaneously pulled out something. It was the reply from Ezekiel — they checked the contents as if entranced.

[ Imperial Magic Tower Cafeteria ]

It was just a single line.

…But somehow, it felt like they absolutely had to go.

~~••~~••~~

The Holy Temple.

In a space filled with darkness, light seeped through the single glass window. What it revealed, like a spotlight, was a woman offering a devout prayer.

The Angel of the Empire, the Saintess, Solana.

“It’s been a while.”

She suddenly spoke words that weren’t a prayer. But she was still kneeling in a praying posture.

“What brings you here? I thought you disliked the human realm, finding it trivial.”

The Saintess’ characteristically gentle voice filled the empty space. Then, a presence submerged in darkness revealed its outline.

“Second Imperial Princess, Hedera.”

Click— Click—

The woman who emerged walking was lethal. She was as brilliant as a jewel, yet simultaneously exuded immense danger.

“Solana. You’ve done something exceedingly impertinent.”

Hedera spoke directly, without any greeting; her voice lacked even a shred of respect, as if looking down on someone far beneath her.

Solana finally stood up and faced her counterpart.

“You’re still as beautiful as ever, Second Princess.”

Red eyes gleaming beneath black hair.

Evidence of mixed blood dragon lineage.

Despite Hedera being shrouded in darkness, those eyes alone shone brightly. At times, they even elongated vertically like a reptile’s. It was mystical in itself.

“Don’t change the subject. I hear you appointed an Inspector to my magic tower.”

“Is that why you came down? You’ve neglected the Imperial Magic Tower for nearly 10 years. Why the sudden interest?”

The Imperial Magic Tower was unequivocally a building, and buildings naturally have owners. That owner was the Second Princess Hedera.

“…You’ve become quite impertinent while I was away. Need I remind you of your place?”

Hedera brought her hand to her mouth.

Currently, her mouth was covered by a mask so thick it resembled a gas mask. The moment she removed it, every word Hedera uttered would become dragon speech.

Fortunately, Solana smiled faintly, “It’s just a greeting. A greeting. We haven’t met in a long time, right?”

Hedera lowered her hand and clicked her tongue.

“So, what business do you have in the Imperial capital?”

“I just received an urgent message.”

“An urgent message?”

“A letter… But you don’t need to know that much. Don’t be impertinent.”

Hedera glared at Solana.

“So, why did you appoint an Inspector to my tower as you pleased? Why do I have to hear such news the moment I arrive in the capital?”

“I appointed someone trustworthy. Don’t worry about it.”

“………….”

Hedera’s pupils elongated vertically.

“I’ll be the judge of that. Who is it?”

“I told you, it’s someone trustworthy.”

“I asked who it is? I won’t ask a third time.”

Sigh.

Solana let out a deep sigh and said a name.

“…………..”

Immediately after, Hedera’s pupils rapidly returned to their original shape, like egg yolk spreading.

However, her eyes had grown twice their usual size.

“…What?”