The term "elder" itself seemed awkward. Judging by her appearance, she
looked like a freshman at the academy.
Shrrrkk!
Seina's ice carried a sense of liveliness.
Jaekiel focused on that very point.
'You can tell from the ice that she grew up without any hardships.'
He had mentioned this to Anes before.
Ice was essentially talkative. Even if it seemed like simple frozen water, it
reflected the life and experiences of the ice magician.
From Seina's ice, you could feel liveliness, cheerfulness, and other bright
emotions. It seemed like a reflection of a life lived righteously, exposed
only to good things.
In some ways, she was the exact opposite of Jaekiel.
─Handle the mana as quickly as possible.
─This skill is inherently fast-paced.
─Yes. I've written it all down for now.
Anes responded by stating she had written everything down. Jaekiel nodded
quietly. He had completely analyzed the magic Seina was currently using.
It was now time for a counterattack.
'I think I can show her something even more impressive.'
The thought that flashed through Jaekiel's mind was just one.
At what level should he engage so that Seina would display as many skills
as possible? In other words, he wasn't concerned about losing anymore. He
had reached a far-off realm.
Fwoosh!
He quickly summoned a portion of the cold he had kept hidden.
He hadn't touched Sun Grass recently, so the cold within him was abundant
and overflowing.
Jaekiel suddenly recalled Ether's movements.
He perfectly replicated the movements of shooting an arrow, but instead of
qi, he gathered ice with all his might. Before long, an incredibly powerful
ice shard was launched.
Wooosh!
The ice shard shattered Seina's whip and grazed her shoulder. The young
elder's eyes filled with shock.
"As expected, you're not an ordinary person…!"
"Didn't we introduce ourselves? I'm an auditor, after all."
"Ordinary auditors aren't remarkable at all."
Seina smiled and crafted another whip.
Bang! Boom!
The duel had turned into a chaotic battle, with ice clashing from all
directions.
Jaekiel gradually increased the cold. The more he did, the more Seina
responded with higher-level freezing techniques, making it all the more
satisfying to draw out her skills.
'…Is this why the Emperor bothers me?'
Jaekiel had a sudden thought like that.
But soon, he forgot his worries in the midst of enjoyment.
How long had it been since he faced another ice magician?
Perhaps he had put too much force into it because he was enjoying it so
much.
Whooom!
"Ugh!"
Hit by a blunt ice shard, Seina staggered greatly, and Jaekiel thought, "I
should go easier than this."
Meanwhile, the old magician watching them muttered.
"…Is this really the level of a self-taught individual? No, upon closer
inspection, it's true. There are no traces of adhering to specific teachings.
How can one be so free? As if he created them himself!"
Anes and Tether quietly communicated as they watched this.
─They seem to be in quite a shock.
─It's understandable. The Blue Tower is a place where ice is studied for a
lifetime, and they've witnessed the Auditor.
Anes said that as she reviewed her notes.
'It's detailed. Enough to try it right away.'
Of course, what Jaekiel had gained from Seina wasn't the Blue Tower's
secret techniques, but that wasn't the point. The point was how easily he
had understood it.
'Just by watching a few times? To this extent?'
The ability to grasp the technique just by observing it was truly incredible.
It could be the key to accessing the secret techniques.
Anes pondered how many magicians were currently in this region. After all,
there were magicians from five different towers present.
…If he could clearly observe all of their demonstrations.
…If he could grasp everything like he's doing now.
Gradually, the goal didn't seem impossible.
While thinking that, the duel came to an end.
Whirrrk!
Seina withdrew, gathering up her ice whip.
"The Auditor's level is beyond my expectations. If we continue this duel,
this area won't survive."
"Then let's say I lost. I'll surrender."
"…?"
Seina blinked her blue eyes.
It was natural. She was never in a superior position, was she? Maybe if it
were a draw, but otherwise…
But for Jaekiel, it was a very rational decision.
'The connection with the Blue Tower, the opportunity to visit—all of it is
important.'
What he gained from Seina was already a huge benefit, but if he could visit
the Blue Tower directly, he could gain even more incredible things.
He gained techniques, strengthened his relationship with the Blue Tower,
and Jaekiel's power grew. There was no need to stubbornly claim victory
here.
"For some kind of mental training or something, I sometimes visit the Blue
Tower."
"…"
Seina, still with her braided hair resting on one shoulder, stared blankly at
Jaekiel.
"…!"
Then her eyes sparkled, growing larger.
"…Auditor of the Imperial Tower, you turned out to be far more remarkable
than I imagined!"
"What exactly were you thinking?"
"When I received your challenge, I thought you'd be incredibly arrogant.
But who knew you'd be so excellent in both ice magic and character…!"
Seina pulled out Frost Essence from her bosom.
"You admitted defeat, but because of that statement, I've lost even in
character. I'll just give you the Frost Essence. It's a token of appreciation
for accepting the duel."
"Hmm…"
"Come on!"
"…Alright, thank you."
Jaekiel accepted it somewhat awkwardly.
Was it really okay to accept this?
He had taken her technique, and now gained an elixir too…
He even felt a bit of guilt.
Jaekiel suddenly organized his thoughts.
The Blue Tower's magic, Frost Essence, and the Black Tower's suspicious
circumstances.
Each one alone would be impressive, but he had acquired all three at once.
And on top of that, he had formed a connection with the Blue Tower.
'Who knew a connection would be formed like this?'
Looking back on his past, hiding his identity had always been the top
priority, so nothing had ever led to forming connections. His feelings
naturally became complicated.
"We should share a meal together to truly conclude the duel. Shall we move
and talk? Don't worry, of course, it's on me!"
Seina began to chatter like a sparrow.
Jaekiel's party quietly nodded.
On the way to the restaurant, they took care of some bandits. It didn't take
long before the area was completely cleaned up.
Apparently fed up with the bandits' misdeeds, the restaurant owners
brought out a ton of extra food for Jaekiel's party, even though they hadn't
ordered it, as a token of gratitude.
However, there was one woman more busy talking than eating. Of course, it
was Seina.
"The ice element is the most noble and powerful. Therefore, ice magicians
must carry both a sense of duty and responsibility, following the will of the
Snow Ghost─"
Something about the mindset of an ice magician, or so it was.
It was the Blue Tower's unique mental training, and it seemed endless.
Do the magicians of the Blue Tower engrain this mindset into themselves
every day as they practice ice magic? Jaekiel couldn't even imagine.
Tether, who had stuffed her mouth full of food, communicated
telepathically.
─So, who exactly is this Snow Ghost?
─I've been curious about it too. Now that we have the opportunity, we
should ask.
─But isn't that someone the Blue Tower is extremely sensitive about? I'm
not sure if I should be the one to ask…
The two women's gazes turned to Jaekiel.
The intention was clear. They wanted him to ask for them.
"But, who exactly is this Snow Ghost?"
In the end, he spoke up. Honestly, the name Snow Ghost had been
bothering him, too.
"Oh, normally it's forbidden for anyone outside the Blue Tower to discuss
that person's identity. But…"
Seina then smiled.
"You handle the ice element, and you've already promised to visit, so I
think it's safe to consider you part of the Blue Tower. I'll tell you."
The story that followed was simple.
There was an ice magician who had shone brilliantly during the war with
the Demon Realm, and among the demons, he was known as the Snow
Ghost, feared and respected.
"…Yes, we now follow that person's will."
Then Tether and Anes exchanged telepathic thoughts, and it seemed like
they were getting along quite well.
─It's fascinating. Humans didn't know, but there's a record among the
demons, and that's how the story has been passed down?
─We can't be sure they actually existed. It could just be a figure created for
teaching purposes.
"…"
Meanwhile, Jaekiel was thinking something entirely different.
'Isn't that me…?'
He had wondered, but now that suspicion was confirmed.
The Snow Ghost that the Blue Tower revered was Jaekiel himself.