"Ahhh!"
First, something fell clumsily from the sky.
It wasn't an object, but a human. Judging by its appearance, one might say
it resembled a rabbit.
Thud!
Then, three more descended.
"The closer you are to falling, the more you should crouch down. I believe I
already taught you the technique."
"Yes, yes. My body didn't cooperate…"
"It's a relief you're not seriously hurt."
But Greta's gaze wasn't on the women. It was fixed on the man in the
center. He seemed to be the key figure.
'Strong.'
He was surrounded by an immense amount of refined cold energy. Just by
standing there, his extraordinary skill was evident.
He took a drag from his Sun Grass and spoke.
"Freezing everything is pretty exhausting."
"Freezing the entire forest to find someone… I never imagined such a
search method. It's hard to believe you pulled it off."
"Well, it worked. We found who we were looking for safely."
At that moment, everyone, including the man, turned their attention to
Greta.
Fwoosh!
As if it had never been frozen, the forest quickly returned to normal. It
wasn't just the freezing but also the thawing that showed his mastery. Even
Greta was impressed.
"Are you the Black Tower Master?"
The man approached Greta directly.
"I'm Jaekiel, the Auditor of the Imperial Tower."
"I'm just a witch. I used to be the Black Tower Master."
"Then we've found the right person."
Jaekiel gestured toward the frozen forest keeper with his chin.
"Is that your friend? Want me to thaw him out?"
"There's no need."
Her answer was calm, but inwardly, Greta couldn't help but be filled with
admiration.
'He froze the entire forest to find me?'
He must have extended the ice imbued with magical power infinitely, then
created a path the moment he detected Greta and rushed toward her.
…It was a concept that was only theoretically possible.
'And this forest is full of demonic energy.'
Freezing even the constantly shifting demonic energy? She couldn't fathom
his level of mastery over ice. Not even the Blue Tower had accomplished
such a feat.
It was then that the woman beside Jaekiel showed respect.
"I'm Seina, elder of the Blue Tower."
"…Even an elder from the Blue Tower?"
Of course, Greta knew who Seina was.
Despite her age, Seina was known for her high accomplishments and her
sharp, cold personality that matched her mastery of ice.
But standing next to Jaekiel, she seemed unusually gentle.
'A remarkable auditor, both in magic and connections.'
Just as Greta was thinking that.
"It's an honor to meet you, Black Tower Master."
"We greet the Black Tower Master."
Since Jaekiel's party all showed their respects without exception, Greta's
wariness naturally eased.
Jaekiel also showed proper respect.
"I've used magic that may have been disrespectful. I ask for your
understanding."
"If it weren't for that magic, I'd be in much greater danger. I should be the
one thanking you."
Perhaps because of their mutual respect, the conversation between the two
sides was smooth, without any rough edges.
"I'd like to speak with the Black Tower Master."
"I understand. It may be humble, but come in."
Following Greta's guidance, the group entered a large log cabin.
Inside Greta's cabin.
"…That happened? Teddy was punished?"
"It's hard to believe, but it's the truth."
Seina smiled and nodded, but Greta was still surprised by something else.
'She couldn't even resist?'
Given Teddy Divine's nature, it was inevitable that she would fall one day.
But the fact that she couldn't even put up a fight and was killed so easily
was astonishing.
As she listened to the detailed account of what happened at the Black
Tower, Greta's gaze naturally shifted toward Jaekiel more and more.
"When I heard of the achievements in the Luiple region, I figured a
remarkable auditor had arrived, but I didn't expect a magician of this
caliber."
"That's flattering. I still have a long way to go."
Jaekiel responded modestly.
Or perhaps it wasn't modesty at all. He truly expected more growth from
himself.
The conversation continued.
They spoke of Jaekiel's various accomplishments, and eventually, the
conversation shifted to the matter of secret techniques.
Hearing about the secret techniques, Greta asked.
"You want the secret techniques I've researched?"
"I need them."
"Giving them to you is easy, but… hmm…"
Greta pulled something out of her cauldron.
A disk appeared. It was divided into sections like a pizza, with various
elements imbued in each section.
Ribbit?
Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit, ribbit, ribbit!
At that moment, the frogs suddenly swarmed over Greta, trying desperately
to stop her.
A telepathic channel quickly opened among Jaekiel's group.
─Master, what are the frogs saying?
─How would I know?
─The Master I know is omniscient!
─I know a little about interpreting the wavelengths of non-human creatures.
Shall I add a translation barrier over your eardrums?
Everyone stared at Tether in silence.
Their expressions clearly said, 'You?'
Tether sighed bitterly.
─You must think I'm completely useless…
Tether quickly cast a thin mana barrier over everyone's eardrums, and the
frogs' voices were translated.
"What are you saying to outsiders? This disk has been Greta's long-time
wish!"
"It's true that it's my wish, but as long as it stays in my hands, it'll remain
incomplete. There's no way to finish it."
"No matter what…"
Greta calmed the gathered frogs.
"I don't have much time left, and my only wish is to see this completed.
Holding onto it myself is just stubbornness and pride."
It seemed Greta had already made up her mind.
"I don't understand. To give it to a magician you've just met…"
"Greta! Please reconsider…!"
"Don't worry too much. I'm only showing it."
Despite the frogs' continued concern, Greta firmly turned around and
handed over the disk.
"Auditor of the Imperial Tower, do you see a way to complete it?"
She asked lightly, but Greta was soon surprised.
The intense focus in Jaekiel's eyes was astonishing. It was as if he had
instantly entered another world.
'Taxidermy technique.'
Jaekiel immediately recognized the disk.
In each section of the disk, elements like fire, darkness, and wind swirled
with incredible purity.
It wasn't power that continued to generate.
Rather, it was the preservation of an elemental moment for eternity.
Greta had said she put great effort into it, and Jaekiel could immediately see
that it was true. Calling it a high-level technique was an understatement.
"I just couldn't contain the ice element."
Greta muttered.
Seina's eyes widened in surprise.
"Why is that? It seems like ice would be the easiest element to contain."
"Ordinary ice melts, and simply containing ice that doesn't melt wasn't
enough. I was sure there was a more beautiful form of ice."
Ice that doesn't melt just doesn't melt.
Its appearance was no different from regular ice.
That's what disappointed Greta. Seina, who loved ice, understood what she
meant.
It was then that Jaekiel spoke.
"Black Tower Master, do you have a specific type of ice in mind?"
Greta slowly nodded.
"Yes. I was thinking of an ice waterfall."
The Black Tower Master closed her eyes for a moment, as if recalling the
image in her mind in detail.
"Ice is usually solid. It's not dynamic or capable of movement. But if ice
could flow…? Wouldn't that be a breathtaking sight?"
Jaekiel quietly rubbed his chin.
Ice.
Flowing ice.
Seina was the first to speak.
"Incorporating the element of flow into ice is something even the Blue
Tower struggles with. And if we're talking about a waterfall-sized flow, the
difficulty increases exponentially."
"I also know it's practically impossible. That's why I said it was just
stubbornness."
"…It's difficult. No, it's impossible."
Tether and Anes both wore troubled expressions.
The more they listened, the more they realized how ridiculously difficult it
was. Fire burns, wind spreads, ice solidifies.
That was common sense. How could ice possibly flow?
It was then that Jaekiel suddenly handed the disk back.
Greta nodded as if she understood.
"…So, it's not possible after all?"
Jaekiel didn't answer with words.
Instead, he summoned an intense blue cold.