NOVEL NEXT Chapter 88: The Punishment (5)
✦ Chapter 88 – The Punishment (5) ✦
「Translator – Creator」
𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝
Silence descended upon the exchange meeting hall.
“……………..”
Even Seina, the young Elder of the Blue Tower, remained speechless.
‘Teddy’s subordinates… there were so many souls…’
They’d even launched a coordinated attack. Even Seina, a seasoned mage, couldn’t have guaranteed an easy victory. It would’ve been a battle fought with her life on the line.
And yet, the Imperial Magic Tower inspector had won effortlessly, as if swatting away a fly.
It hardly felt real.This couldn’t be happening. Not now, not when the lives of so many mages hung in the balance; they couldn’t afford to lose their grip on reality.
But the scene unfolding before her was so surreal, so utterly unbelievable, that it defied all logic. In her heart, Seina reaffirmed her belief. This man… he was worthy of her respect, worthy of being her mentor.
“Seolgwi…”
She’d muttered the word unconsciously, then quickly clamped her mouth shut, realizing the heavy silence in the room.
Ezekiel… he embodied the true meaning of “Seolgwi” more than any other ice mage she’d ever encountered.
The leader of the Red Tower didn’t think much differently.
‘…Indeed.’
Something incomprehensible had just transpired. But in life, there were moments when one had to quickly accept the inexplicable — this was one of those moments.
This was no ordinary Inspector.
He was more like a judge, a dispenser of justice.
He carried himself with an air of authority, as if this—passing judgment, executing punishment—was something he was intimately familiar with.
‘This is not the skill of someone who has administered justice once or twice.’
The leader of the Red Tower narrowed their eyes quietly.
The Imperial Magic Tower… they’ve been sharpening their blades for ten years…
The thought that such strength had been honed behind an outwardly feeble facade was indeed chilling. Soon after, the leader of the Red Tower made a swift decision.
“Let us all withdraw from our positions.”
“What?”
“What do you mean, ‘withdraw’?”
The representatives of the other mage towers were astounded, their faces clearly displaying surprise.
“Yes, I said withdraw. All of us.”
“You want us to move to the spectator seats?”
“We’ve been preparing for this exchange for ten years…!”
The representatives understood the implications of their actions.
Relinquishing their seats wasn’t just a simple act of withdrawal.
It was a symbolic gesture, a clear acknowledgment of the Imperial Magic Tower’s dominance. They were stepping aside, allowing the Imperial Magic Tower to take center stage, to carry out its judgment unimpeded.
It was natural for the Purple and Green Towers to be taken aback.
While they hadn’t resorted to the Black Tower’s extreme methods, they’d all put in significant effort to claim the top spot. It was ironic, almost comical, that the Red Tower, the most ambitious of them all, was the first to suggest a retreat.
The Red Tower Master, however, remained calm.
“It doesn’t matter how many years we’ve spent preparing. What matters is whether we can survive in the magical world. And right now, the Imperial Magic Tower’s inspector…”
The leader of the Red Tower trailed off, struggling to find the right words.
…How should one describe the Inspector?
There was no precise word to encapsulate them. They had never encountered an inspector like this before.
“In any case, it’s best to let the Imperial Magic Tower handle this situation and observe from a safe distance. Any Tower that interferes will face consequences.”
It was an uncommon and startling statement.
However, the other tower representatives were well aware that the leader of the Red Tower’s words were not completely unfounded.
They were all masters of magic, highly skilled individuals who had earned their positions as Tower representatives. Therefore, even if they had just witnessed the event, they could easily infer the Inspector’s prowess.
‘It was a single attack…’
One precise, calculated attack. He hadn’t even allowed his opponents, who were attacking him simultaneously, to land a single blow.
The difference in their abilities was… staggering.
Although everyone was equally bewildered, there was no dispute about one single fact.
“…He’s no ordinary mage.”
“The Imperial Magic Tower has been secretly honing their skills…”
Finally, the Green Tower Master, the calmest of them all, spoke.
“Very well. We withdraw.”
“……………”
It was well known that once she made a decision, the Green Tower Master, who always kept her eyes closed, never changed her mind. The others remained silent, accepting her decision.
“Friendly competition is only possible if we remain within the magical world. And it’s clear who holds the upper hand now.”
The death of Teddy Devine would not immediately conclude the exchange meeting.
In other words, they would still have to face the inspector afterward.
The conclusion was obvious.
The Tower representatives retreated to the spectator seats, leaving the center of the exchange meeting hall empty; they had chosen to submit to the Imperial Magic Tower’s authority.
Ezekiel observed them silently.
Was he disgusted by their fickle loyalty, their willingness to shift allegiances at the drop of a hat?
Not at all.
Their pragmatism was beneficial to him.
He had secured this position of power, and he would never relinquish it.
He had a reason for presenting the scroll first.
He had a reason for waiting patiently for Teddy to summon her creations and issue her commands.
‘I needed them to understand the situation first.’
That was the reason; to make them truly grasp his power, to make it sink in.
Ezekiel reflected on his past life.
He’d assassinated countless targets, always killing them swiftly and silently. And yet, despite his skills, his notoriety never spread.
He’d taken great pains to conceal his identity, but there was more to it than that.
— He must have been caught off guard.
— He was probably assassinated with some cheap trick.
— That’s just a baseless rumor…
People wouldn’t believe what they hadn’t seen with their own eyes.
Even if they did see it, they wouldn’t believe it if they didn’t understand it.
Acceptance required time.
Ezekiel had spent a lifetime hiding in the shadows, suppressing his true power.
He understood how to reveal himself, how to make his presence known. It was simply a matter of doing the opposite of what he’d done before.
He had to execute his judgment slowly, methodically, savoring every moment.
He would make sure everyone witnessed his power, that they fully comprehended his capabilities.
He would leave no room for doubt, no room for dismissal as mere rumors. He would make them acknowledge the true might of the Imperial Magic Tower.
Shhhk—!
He retrieved his ice spear.
Only Teddy remained.
Thud—! Thud—!
He walked towards the Black Tower Master, his footsteps heavy, purposeful.
“I gave you ten years,” he spoke quietly.
“And this is all you could manage?”
“Well~ What can I say? It’s not my fault that my incompetent predecessor ran the Black Tower into the ground.”
Come to think of it…
Teddy Devine was not originally the Black Tower Master, was she?
“…Where is the previous Tower master?”
This was a somewhat critical issue for Ezekiel.
His deal with the emperor required him to investigate the secret techniques of each magical tower, and for that, he needed the former Black Tower Master.
“Why are you asking me? She’s a traitor who abandoned the Black Tower and its purpose. Why should I care about the whereabouts of that trash?”
Teddy, despite the beads of sweat forming on her brow, smirked.
She was about to add another insult when…
Thud—!
…Suddenly, a long ice spike impaled Teddy’s body, near her plump thigh.
“……..…!”
Her eyes widened in shock.
And it didn’t stop there.
Shhhk—! Shhhk!—Shhhk—!
From the spike, more spikes branched out like thorns, and then from those spikes, even more spikes emerged, resembling wedges, digging deeper.
“Agh, AGHHHHHH!”
Teddy collapsed, unable to withstand the unbearable pain.
“Gah, Gah… Gaaaaahh—!”
“This should be obvious, but don’t give me sarcastic answers. My patience is wearing thin.”
“Ugh…!”
The pain was excruciating, unbearable.
Teddy looked up at him, her body trembling. She couldn’t comprehend Ezekiel’s confidence, his utter lack of fear.
‘Why? Why is he so calm?’
She’d warned him! The Tower itself was a ticking time bomb! How could he be so nonchalant?
“Imperial Magic Tower Inspector, you…” Teddy stammered, her jaw trembling with pain. “Are… are you saying you don’t care if all these mages die? That it doesn’t matter if this place explodes?!”
Ezekiel didn’t answer.
“Ha… Haha… HAHAHAHA!”
Teddy burst into laughter; the pain was gone, replaced by a numb, hysterical glee. Maybe she’d finally gone mad.
“HAHAHA—! HAHAHAHAHA—!”
She pointed a finger at Ezekiel.
“It’s your fault! All of this… it’s your fault! You’re the one who’s going to make this place explode!”
She channeled all the power she could muster, unleashing a wave of dark mana.
BOOM—!
But…
One second.
Ten seconds.
Thirty seconds…
Nothing happened.
“Huh…?”
BOOM—!
She unleashed another wave, but the Tower remained silent; the laughter died on her lips, replaced by confusion.
“Why? Why isn’t it… why…?”
BOOM—! BOOM—! BOOM—!
She continued bombarding the Tower with waves of dark mana.
Finally, a crack appeared in the wall, and…
Thud—!
…a corpse tumbled out.
“Why… why won’t it explode…? Why…?”
Teddy crawled towards the corpse, her fingers digging into the flesh, desperately searching for an explanation.
“The mana core, the mana core…”.
She found it, pried it loose…
…and that’s when she knew.
A chill touched her palm; the mana core was frozen solid, perfectly preserved.
“Frozen…? It’s… frozen…?”
Her face was a mask of horror.
Slowly, she turned her head, her gaze travelling…
“This… this… can’t be…”
…towards Ezekiel.
“All of them…? You froze the mana cores of all these corpses…?”
Ezekiel offered no explanation.
Instead, he simply flicked his wrist, sending an ice spear flying towards her.
Clang—!
It landed at her feet, point down, embedded in the floor.
“Teddy Devine, end yourself.”