Chapter 10
Growl!
The bearwolf jumped straight at Diarin. For the bearwolf, which relied solely on predatory instincts, Diarin was flawed and tempting prey.
Just before it could bite into the tender neck with steel-like canines—
Crunch.
The bearwolf's attack was split in half.
Even before its death was recognized, the beast spouted blood like a fountain.
At that very moment, a red wing stretched out from Diarin's back like a monster and swallowed the bearwolf in one bite.
The body was completely erased from the world in an instant.
〈This bearwolf seems to be the head of the pack. Their amount of mana is superior.〉
Lor, who had devoured the body clean, said this. Then Diarin hurriedly pulled a handkerchief from her arms.
Cough!
Diarin, who spat blood on the floor, quickly wiped her mouth with the handkerchief.
"Lady! Lady Concel!"
At a truly frightening speed, Lord Limoud rode up to her. His ability to reach her through the dark mountain path was impressive.
'I heard he won the knight duel a few days ago.'
She didn't think he was that great of a knight. It was strange. Limoud jumped off the horse almost like a flying arrow.
He was in front of Diarin in an instant.
"Are you alright? Any injuries? The monsters kept blocking the way…!"
"I'm fine. A bearwolf dragged me here and then disappeared."
"Phew… I'm glad."
He sighed deeply with relief.
Limoud's appearance was a mess, as he had been slashing through monsters like crazy. His bushy, crimson hair, reminiscent of a brown bear—which was also his eye color—was disheveled and scattered by the wind.
On the surface, Limoud looked like someone who had been kidnapped and just released. In such a state, he looked around the carriage carefully and examined it.
"Knight! Knight!"
"This way! Here you are!"
A crowd holding torches could be seen standing in the dark. Limoud, who responded with his light like it was an emergency magic artifact, didn't pay them much attention and turned his gaze to Diarin.
At that moment, Limoud's eyes widened.
Diarin, who had been looking at the forest, coughed quietly and spat out blood. With a pale face, she wiped the blood from her mouth.
Limoud held his breath in surprise. He felt as though he had seen something he shouldn't have. He turned around, pretending he hadn't noticed.
In an instant, Limoud's mind was a mess.
'…Blood? She's throwing up blood?'
Could Lady Concel be injured?
Part 2 of Chapter 10
The most prestigious reception room on the continent is the audience room of the Imperial Palace.
A place only for the Emperor, and only to meet the Emperor.
The purple throne was noble, and the decorations—lavishly adorned with diamonds, gold, ivory, and various red and blue gems—were so luxurious that they left one momentarily stunned.
In this dazzling audience room, Ezet was standing, looking forward with an expressionless face.
A red damask carpet stretched from the entrance to the front of the throne. A middle-aged wizard, wearing a robe of a color similar to the red carpet, entered.
'It looks like the same color.'
'It's like the same color.'
'Is it the same color?'
The wizard bowed his head to the Emperor.
"I would like to praise the greatness of Ezet Asperk Kirchen. My name is Gerald, a wizard of the Four Seasons Tower."
"Nice to meet you, Gerald."
"Thank you very much, Your Majesty."
The polite thanks quickly turned into excitement.
"It's truly an honor! To see the one who returned from the floodgates with my own eyes…! It's a glorious honor that will be remembered for generations! I dedicate this glory to the five divine beasts of Od Akir."
Glory to the five divine beasts.
In the Akir Empire, it was a greeting reserved for those held in high respect. Ezet's expression didn't change much, but the other nobles standing in the audience reacted differently.
How arrogant, independent, and stubborn the Four Seasons Tower was.
'At the very least, there isn't anyone here who doesn't know what that meant.'
The emperor, Bruno the Ninth, who was sitting on the throne and listening, also looked pleased.
"Thank you for the Four Seasons Tower's sincerity, Gerald Rune."
"Thank you very much, Your Majesty."
"But it's strange. Did you say the 8th Prince's wizard is Dilis Oan? I heard she's already headed to the Four Seasons Tower."
Three people had returned alive from the floodgates:
Ezet.
Limoud Baston.
And Dilis Oan, the wizard of the Northern Stone Territory.
Before the Emperor's summons, she had already gone to the Four Seasons Tower. Basically, all wizards belonged to the Four Seasons Tower. Its independent influence was considerable—even the Emperor did not interfere easily.
"Haha."
Gerald laughed with a smile.
"I rushed to the Akir Empire and haven't met with Dilis yet. But…"
He suddenly shouted, excited.
"The case of Wizard Dilis is truly, truly, truly amazing! She was only a second-class wizard, but after returning alive from the bottom of the floodgate, she jumped to fourth-class! It's unprecedented!"
It was extremely difficult for a wizard to advance through the ranks. Some practiced for decades without progress. But Dilis Oan had returned as a fourth-class wizard in at most two years.
Dredging, if not legendary.
It was a story already confirmed to be published in the Four Seasons Tower's magic textbook.
"Your Majesty, I have heard that the young knight, Limoud Baston, who returned with the 8th Prince, has also improved greatly! Is this miracle really true?"
"It's true, Wizard Gerald."
Limoud had won an unofficial knight duel. The Emperor looked at Ezet, tapping the armrest.
"He wasn't a stand-out knight in the first place, right? Ezet Asperk."
"Yes, Grandfather."
Ezet answered calmly.
Grandfather.
The smile on the face of middle-aged wizard Gerald faltered slightly.
Yes, the Emperor was Ezet's grandfather. In fact, all the current princes and princesses of the Imperial Family were grandchildren of Emperor Bruno the Ninth.
Bruno the Ninth, Emperor of Akir and the Iron-Blooded Lord, had no surviving children.
This was due to Emperor Bruno's purge.
Twelve years ago, the crown prince rebelled. That treason became the fuse. As punishment followed, most of the other princes and princesses were either directly or indirectly involved.
Truly shocking.
Afterward, Emperor Bruno developed deep distrust and cut off all of his own children. Yet he still needed a successor to the throne. Therefore, a few of his grandchildren who passed his standards were spared and proclaimed as 'Prince'.
Thanks to this, the current princes of the Empire were grandchildren—not sons—of Emperor Bruno the Ninth.
At the time, not only the Empire but even the Four Seasons Tower—where normal people are rare—found it bizarre. Opinions buzzed everywhere.
Then the Emperor asked,
"Wizard Gerald, if someone goes to the bottom of the floodgates, will a knight's skills increase dramatically?"
He asked first, then shook his head.
"No, no, no. I don't think so. If that were true, the Imperial Knights wouldn't have been wiped out in the Northwestern Stone Area."
"That's right."
Gerald frowned slightly.
"After miraculously surviving the unrefined magical power, my skills improved dramatically. The underground floodgates are hell, as they say."
"Yes, it's famous for being hell."
"That's right. By any chance, have you ever heard this rumor? That eating poisonous mushrooms can sometimes cure diseases?"
"I've heard of it."
"As you may already know, it's just a rumor."
"Right. I understand what Wizard Gerald is saying."
If you eat poisonous mushrooms, you die.
However, very occasionally, there's a saying: "the body transforms when a powerful, nearly lethal poison repels accumulated toxins."
It was impossible to confirm whether it was real, and the odds of dying were far, far higher.
"Besides, pushing someone to grow by driving them into such a corner is something only a black magician would try."
The Four Seasons Tower symbolized the path of righteousness. Moreover, unless under very special circumstances, it was nearly impossible for humans to enter the underground through the sealing magic of the founder.
Bruno the Ninth nodded.
"I have no doubt about the morality of the Four Seasons Tower."
"It is an honor to hear that from Your Majesty."
It was a smooth answer.
Ezet could understand why Gerald, among the many wizards of the Four Seasons Tower, had come to meet the Emperor.
Gerald was a very good speaker—well-suited to stand before the Emperor. In the Four Seasons Tower, where most wizards lacked sociability, this was a rare and valuable talent.