The territory of the Purple Tower spanned a vast area.
It was only natural. The region was a vital hub with well-developed trade
and open routes.
Rumors began spreading quickly across the vast land.
People's mouths barely took a break.
"They say the trading post is the safest place."
"I heard it too. They wiped out all the demons."
"The Auditor from the Imperial Tower came in person—what a relief!"
News that humans were actively countering the demons who had been
overtaking the Purple Tower's territory spread, and most people welcomed
it with joy.
Even Jaekiel heard the rumors clearly.
However.
"Aren't the demons targeting an imaginary figure called the 'Snow Ghost'?
And yet, he claimed to be that person?"
"Why provoke them like that? It's not even his land. In the end, it just
endangers the Purple Tower's territory."
"It's too unilateral. It's excessive."
People's opinions were as diverse as their numbers.
The Imperial Tower began resolving the situation in the Purple Tower's
territory, but some of the Purple Tower's magicians clearly resented this.
It couldn't be helped—that's human nature.
'Let's not bother with trivial matters.'
Of course, Jaekiel didn't mind the negativity. The Purple Tower was
struggling, so it was understandable that positive thoughts might be hard to
come by.
Having lived his whole life with exceptional talent, Jaekiel was more than
familiar with envy.
He had turned the trading post into a stronghold.
The building was large enough, and its interior could sustain living needs,
making it an excellent stronghold. Having made such a bold provocation,
the demons would surely come on their own.
Yes, the provocation had indeed worked.
"How dare a human impersonate the Snow Ghost…?!"
"We'll see if your lies are true!"
Crunch, crack!
Demons who charged were frozen and shattered instantly. Holding his
ground in the trading post, Jaekiel killed every demon that came and
extracted information from them.
"Sir Auditor, may we stay here too?"
"Please, we beg you. We have nowhere else to go…!"
Naturally, humans began flocking as well. The rumors that there was no
safer place spread quickly.
At some point, as the trading post was being fortified…
"Are you the Auditor of the Imperial Tower?"
"We've come to speak with you. Is it true that you've cleared the demons
here? We were too busy to attend the exchange event."
Both were women, magicians from the Purple Tower.
They wore finely woven purple robes, clearly marking them as magicians
of the Purple Tower.
'Their attitude isn't exactly proper.'
Some were welcoming of Jaekiel's actions, but it seemed like these two
were more likely to be jealous. Their cautious gaze suggested as much.
Jaekiel slowly chewed on a piece of Sun Grass and responded.
"The auditor of the Imperial Tower, Jaekiel."
"Ah, now that I think about it, we didn't introduce ourselves earlier."
Normally, it would be proper for the other party to introduce themselves
before Jaekiel, the auditor, but it was quite rude of them.
"I am Laila, a high-ranking magician of the Purple Tower. This here is my
assistant. You don't need to mind her."
A high-ranking magician is one below the elder rank. In other words, her
rank was far below that of the auditor.
'Information comes first.'
Still, Jaekiel did not blame their rudeness. Given that magicians from the
Imperial Tower, including Anes, were hostages, information was too
valuable to let slip away.
"I've met a high-ranking magician from the Purple Tower? How
delightful."
"That reaction…"
Laila, the high-ranking magician from the Purple Tower, blinked, slightly
relaxing her guard. She hadn't expected the Auditor of the Imperial Tower
to show such courtesy.
Laila and her assistant exchanged a brief glance.
It seemed they exchanged a covert message between themselves, but then,
Laila asked in a more polite tone.
"The situation in the Purple Tower's territory is very bad. Would you be
willing to grant us a favor?"
"A favor?"
Jaekiel intentionally feigned ignorance and asked again.
'I'd like to hear some information.'
The underground caves beneath the Purple Tower were like a labyrinth—a
real headache. Often referred to as a 'maze,' the area was considered highly
dangerous.
To ask for a favor from Jaekiel, they would have to explain everything in
detail. That was what he was counting on—he would gain valuable
information.
Perhaps, he would even learn the precise location.
"…And just like that, they surrounded us in the blink of an eye. Using the
terrain of the underground maze at dawn, they flooded in—what a cowardly
tactic."
"Countless magicians are still trapped underground. They may be dead, or
if they're alive, they could be tortured."
"As for the reward, we'll give you something truly generous. There's the
Golden Lightning, referred to as the secret technique of the Purple Tower,
and we can even show it to you!"
Laila and her assistant requested help while simultaneously promising an
enormous reward, like the opportunity to witness their secret technique.
It wasn't just any reward; they were offering something as monumental as
witnessing their secret technique. The situation must have been dire.
'The reward isn't important right now.'
Of course, Jaekiel wasn't particularly interested in the reward. He only
wished for the Imperial Tower magicians to be safe.
Perhaps Jaekiel's silence made her awkward. Laila squinted slightly and
cleared her throat before adding.
"…I've been through a lot underground, but had I been able to move freely
in the territory, I would've taken action myself. I would've cleared this
trading post as well."
"Yes. That's right. Our Laila is an exceptional magician. It's just the
situation is bad…"
Jaekiel observed their mentality carefully.
He soon realized.
This was a common type of person—one who desired great honor despite
lacking the abilities to back it up. They were obsessed with their pride.
They lacked the strength to do it alone, so they had to ask for help. But they
didn't want to beg. In the process, they wanted to maintain their pride…
'If it weren't for the Imperial Tower's hostages, I'd break their heads.'
Jaekiel thought this to himself while chewing on the Sun Grass.
"Alright, I know you think you're great. I'll cooperate, so speak freely
about what you know."
Jaekiel knew his priorities. He didn't bother to address their pitifulness and
focused on extracting information first.
Perhaps it was because of the praise, but soon, he was able to hear a lot.
"Since you're cooperating, I'll explain the layout of the maze in detail. We
were in this location, the barrier is here, and the route of the assault is…"
Laila began manipulating her mana like paint, describing the internal
structure of the maze and the current status of the magicians.
Jaekiel memorized every detail without missing a single point.
'This is very useful information.'
The map that Laila provided was incredibly detailed. He could leave the
trading post and head straight into the underground maze without hesitation.
Just as the conversation was coming to an end.
Perhaps feeling embarrassed for spilling all the information and making
numerous requests in her excitement, Laila suddenly became more
composed.
"Hmm… You know that I'm a valuable asset, right? Thinking about it, the
Imperial Tower's hostages are also involved, and the information I've
shared is crucial…"
"That's right. We were so disoriented earlier that we promised too many
rewards, but we can't give you everything."
"If things end up going well, we can renegotiate then. Auditor, that's alright,
right?"
Having seen Jaekiel's abilities, they must have been confident in their
success, as they suddenly changed their tone.
Jaekiel knew that saving the Imperial Tower's magicians was the priority,
so he decided to ignore such trivial human behavior.
He stood up, ready to head toward the underground maze.
"…This sounds like the typical speech of a fraudster. And yet, they're
receiving the help of the Imperial Tower's Auditor."
Suddenly, a cold, clear voice rang out like ice.
Clack!
A woman appeared, merging with the mist along with the chill.
"…Seina?"
It was Seina, the elder from the Blue Tower, with her braided hair cascading
over her shoulders. She was a master of ice magic.
As Jaekiel recognized her, Seina's sharp nose and the curve of her eyes
formed a perfect line. Her eyes glowed with a blue tint.
"The Blue Tower came to support the Purple Tower as well, and I felt a
very high level of coldness emanating from the trading post. I recognized it
as my master's work and rushed here."
"Master…?"
Laila asked with a bewildered look, but Seina didn't pay her any mind and
continued speaking.
"You've made the trading post, the largest building, your stronghold, and
have taken in the unfortunate souls, haven't you? Stories about you, my
master, are spreading like wildfire. As for those spouting nonsense out of
jealousy… I've dealt with them."
Seina, as if showing how she dealt with them, sharply pulled her ice whip,
the sound echoing.
Jaekiel nodded.
"Thanks. We'll catch up later. For now, we need to head straight to the
underground maze."
"Let's go together. I'll assist you, Master."
With Seina, the elder from the Blue Tower, Jaekiel had a strong and reliable
ally.
Jaekiel couldn't help but feel grateful. She didn't ask for anything in return
and just offered to help.
"Oh, and…"
Seina shot a fierce glare at Laila and her assistant.
"You were trying to push the reward negotiations off until later, but I've
seen people like you, who change their words later, once or twice."
"Elder Seina of the Blue Tower, we were just—"
"Enough excuses. Let's write up a contract right now. Don't you know how
exceptional the ice magician of the Imperial Tower is? Do you think you
can settle this for a low price?"
Jaekiel didn't even have a chance to stop her. Seina pulled out a scroll from
her pocket with a terrifying force.
"Write everything down without missing anything. What promises did you
make earlier? If anything is left out, you'll have to answer to me, the elder
of the Blue Tower."
"Y-yes…"
Laila, looking nervous, began writing down all the rewards they had
mentioned earlier, including the secret technique.
A moment later, Seina flashed a bright smile at Jaekiel.
"Master, did I do well?"
With a warm smile from the woman of cold energy.
And so, their journey toward the underground maze began.