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The seeds of this unrest had been sown a week ago, with the wager that had taken place in Ruiple. But now, the simmering discontent had reached a boiling point, and the mages were no longer able to contain their frustration.

And so began the silent clamor from all corners; an incalculable number of telepathic messages began to erupt.

— Are we really sticking to the original agreement?

— Why not? Maybe we won? Is that why he’s so confident?

— That’s impossible! I think the princess was trying to be fair to the tower, so why is this happening?

— That’s exactly what I’m saying!

Amidst the commotion, someone offered a plausible conjecture—

— Could it be a matter of his pride?

This suggestion wasn’t entirely baseless. After all, hadn’t Ezekiel consistently displayed an attitude brimming with confidence since his appearance at the Magic Tower?

— No, surely not just for the sake of pride…!

— We’re doomed.

— How did it come to this so soon after the cancellation of the sale?

“— The stakes of the wager were raised too high from the start. A performance competition against the Imperial Princess’s guard knight!

While no one could know for sure what was going on in Ezekiel’s mind, for the mages of the Magic Tower, this news was nothing short of devastating, especially now that defeat seemed all but certain.

Ezekiel had spent half a day in Ruiple, while Valken had stayed for a week… It was obvious which one of them would have a higher achievement record, even without checking.

Even when fortune smiled upon them and the Imperial Princess showed mercy…

…He outright rejected it? Just like that?

It was enough to drive one to madness.

Of course, they couldn’t send a telepathic message directly to Ezekiel, so the mages’ messages turned towards someone else.

— Agnes!

— Hey, Agnes!

— Lady Agnes!

Naturally, they turned to Agnes, Ezekiel’s direct secretary.

— Agnes, can’t you talk some sense into him?

— Isn’t this going too far, even for him?

— There’s a limit to how much one should stand on pride!

— Given the circumstances, at least tell us the results.

— Say something, anything!”

“……………”

Agnes quietly closed her eyes; her head felt like it was about to explode. So many telepathic messages were pouring in that she wondered if her ears might fall off.

— Agnes! Do something about this!

— Our Inspector has lost his mind!

She could understand their feelings. Had she remained at the Magic Tower, had she not witnessed events firsthand in Ruiple, she too would have shared their concerns. Most of Ezekiel’s accomplishments were indeed hard to believe without seeing them in person.

“……………..”

After a long moment, Agnes opened her eyes.

— You think he’s not in his right mind?

— Agnes, do you see it differently?

— No. He’s certainly not in his right mind.

The telepathic messages that had been pouring in on Agnes stopped abruptly. They were all taken aback by her response, unable to comprehend her meaning.

— However.

In that moment of silence, Agnes completed her telepathic message.

— The Inspector of this Magic Tower is by no means incompetent.

And with that, there were no more telepathic messages coming back.

But then.

Realizing she might have praised him too much; feeling slightly embarrassed about it.

—…For the record, I don’t particularly like the Inspector.

Agnes hastily added.

~~••~~••~~

For a week, Second Imperial Princess Hedera had been consumed by countless worries.

Ever since she learned about Ezekiel’s health condition, she hadn’t been able to shake off the nagging sense of unease. And it was even worse because she had been the one who suggested the wager. She was plagued by guilt, wondering if she had done the wrong thing.

— The Inspector has returned, Your Highness.

As if to confirm her fears, Ezekiel, who had left for Ruiple, returned after only half a day. Could his health have deteriorated so quickly?

A half-day return was tantamount to leaving work early.

Hedera was inwardly certain of Valken’s victory. There was no need to even consider it. The performance difference between someone who stayed in Ruiple for a day versus a week was obvious.

…She didn’t want Ezekiel to suffer any disadvantages; to prevent Ezekiel from facing the worst-case scenario, Hedera had spent sleepless nights wracking her brain.

She pondered, deliberated, and contemplated endlessly.

Fortunately, the agony of squeezing her thoughts didn’t last long. An brilliant idea dawned on her, like a light bulb illuminating in her mind.

‘A draw.’

Yes, let’s make it a draw.

As the Second Imperial Princess, Hedera had some degree of freedom in accessing the first floor of the Imperial Treasury. She could create a draw by offering rewards to both sides.

Once this thought occurred to her, her worries vanished completely.

How could they not?

With no loser and two winners, both parties would reap only benefits without any losses. No matter how one looked at it, there seemed to be no reason for rejection.

With this approach, Hedera was certain her plan would proceed without fail. There would absolutely be no margin for error. At least, that’s what she had firmly believed.

However, when Ezekiel entered the grand hall moments ago, Hedera experienced an unfamiliar sensation. She couldn’t help it.

He wasn’t defeated; his gaze was simply indifferent. Or perhaps, he was completely apathetic to everything. He seemed uninterested in anything, chewing on sunweed as if they were nothing more than a pastime.

It was the first time in a long while that she felt a sense of unease.

Could he be tired of everything, apathetic towards everything, and have lost all motivation? She was worried.

His disregard for his own health, even for Hedera’s happiness, struck her with a complex mix of emotions. Out of guilt, she quickly offered him an opportunity.

— Your Highness, that is absolutely unacceptable.

Valken’s reaction was as expected, but that didn’t matter. As Hedera’s guard knight, he could be persuaded and pacified with some effort.

However.

The truly surprising event unfolded right before Hedera’s eyes. As if to make a point.

“I would prefer it if we adhered to our original agreement.”

A thud, as if something heavy had dropped.

Why would he answer like that? Hedera prided herself on her intelligence, and the opportunity she had just provided was a meticulously calculated move.

But among all the possibilities she had considered, Ezekiel openly rejecting this proposal was not one of them. Of course not. Wasn’t Ezekiel’s health in critical condition?

While it might not be a cure-all, the first floor of the Imperial Treasury contained a wealth of items that could potentially help him. Did he not need them? Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity to ask?

Could he be playing hard to get, saying things he didn’t mean? Hedera’s eyes filled with questions. But she soon realized that wasn’t the case.

What showed on Ezekiel’s face was pure sincerity. Regardless of Hedera’s thoughts, he simply continued chewing his sunweed, waiting for the announcement.

“……………”

Should she turn the opportunity into an order? It was an option she had to abandon. Even to her, it seemed unreasonable.

There was nothing left for Hedera to do.

“…I understand.”

All that remained was to hear the results of their performance.

Her only concern now was how to console Ezekiel if he became disheartened by this defeat.

“Yes. Then we shall announce first.”

Valken observed proper etiquette.

“We subjugated 104 low-level monsters.”

The number was lower than expected, and everyone was puzzled.

“In Ruiple, the circumstances were as follows—”

After listening to Valken’s detailed explanation, it was clear that things were as they had expected.

Ruiple, which was so different from what they had imagined, had resulted in this number after a week of being left behind.

“…………..”

Hedera grew anxious.

It was already predicted and obvious that Valken would have the upper hand. Even though she had known it all along, Hedera couldn’t shake off her unease.

Was Ezekiel going to step down from his position as Inspector?

Or would he disappear again?

She was consumed by such thoughts. Ezekiel seemed determined, as if he had made up his mind about something. Somehow, she feared hearing what that decision might be.

“Now it’s our turn.”

Finally, Ezekiel spoke.

Thump, Hedera’s heart trembled.

…How should she react when his defeat became certain? Should she show disappointment and lose interest as usual?

But how could she do that, knowing his circumstances? Should she comfort him, saying it’s alright? But was that appropriate for someone in her position who needed to be impartial?

Thump, thump, thump…

Her heart pounded harder amidst her continued deliberation.

However, the standoff didn’t last long. Ezekiel nodded at Agnes, and the secretary produced something.

“…………..”

Silence fell over the grand hall.

Unable to identify the object yet, everyone simply stared at what Agnes held up.

“…………….”

And moments later.

When everyone had visually confirmed its identity.

“Performance report: elimination of one high-level fiend.”

Ezekiel’s report was remarkably simple.

“At the same time, the Ruiple region has been purified.”

Hedera’s assumptions had been wrong from the start.