Distinguish to the Empire (1)“Who are…….!”
However, it was a meaningless struggle.
Already frozen energy was gathered under Daniel’s foot.
And its energy froze the air and stuck his foot to the ground.
“Y, you…..?”
A little boy, and magic.
With this fact, he could guess who it was.
So he was the boy. Mage Ian Page.
‘Did he arrived this fast? From the fashionable society? Wait, most of all…..’
An essential talent of a.s.sa.s.sins is erasing any trail as an a.s.sa.s.sin, and catching a sign of movement and a trail.
Daniel was one of the best among the Coldwalkers.
However, he couldn’t recognize Ian’s approach.
“It’s been an older hobby of yours than I imagined. I mean, making up like a lady. Thanks to that, it helped me to recognize you.”
“You, who are you? How do you ……?”
“So you already killed Cecelia?”
“Are you the one who escaped from us? Or…..”
“Well done. You accomplished one of my wishes.”
Daniel kept asking and questioning.
However, Ian didn’t answer any of his.
He came here just to accomplish his goal.
“So now…..”
“W, wait! You better capture me alive!”
“I waited for this moment for long. Finally, I can kill you with my very hand.”
“…….What?”
“Finally, I can avenge my comrades.”
“I hadn’t killed any comrades……”
“None, yet. Of course.”
A freezing energy started to climb Daniel’s body.
From his thigh, waist, abdomen, chest and to his fingers.
“There is still ten years left for that to happen.”
“Gahhhhh…….!”
Daniel struggled desperately.
It wasn’t an instinct of survive.
A regret that he couldn’t be able to relay information to his country.
He was different from Cecelia.
Unmatched by his characteristics, he was a perfectly trained dog by his country.
“Just think like this. In a previous time, you killed my comrades.”
Soon the ice reached the chin, and finally his head.
Daniel’s whole body were frozen.
“Now it’s your turn to be killed.”
Daniel couldn’t understand what Ian was saying.
Forever.
“That’s fair, isn’t it?”
After a while, Ian tapped the ice block.
Soon, it started to crack.
Daniel’s body was released from the ice block.
It was a glimpse of a moment that he was frozen.
However, his body left no blood at all.
‘Let’s see.’
Ian started to check Daniel’s corpse.
To eradicate any dangerous items that will be of threat to Ian later.
Such as the order of the Coldwalkers, or any other similar articles.
Fortunately, there were no such things.
‘And his mana inscription was…..’
Daniel’s mana inscription was located under the right shoulder.
When Ian found it, mages arrived in the prison.
Other mages heard that Ian had headed to the Ivory Tower.
Since the tower lord had to the left at the royal palace, archmage Ronan brought others as the leader.
“This…. What is going on here?”
Cecelia’s corpse which was laying down on the floor as holding her neck.
A corpse of a mysterious man.
Ronan wanted Ian to explain this situation.
“Why Cecelia is…. and who is this man?”
Ian didn’t reply.
A ma.s.sive storm had pa.s.sed the Greenriver Empire.
The first thing was the mana inscription test for the citizens of the whole Empire.
Literally, the ‘whole’ members of the empire was the target of the test.
From every low-rank people to royalties.
For every people in every province. It was an order of the Emperor.
The treatement was a bit late, but it had to be done.
“Already two members of the royal palace are missing! One maid and the royal secretary! While they are manipulating this empire, what have you done? Tower Lord. Answer! You asked me to give authority of this matter to the Ivory Tower, you said you would find out these spies, didn’t you?”
The Emperor’s fury was headed straight to the Ivory Tower.
The Ivory Tower was uniquely allowed to investigate Cecelia.
However, they didn’t figure out anything. Instead, they almost let these spies make contact.
And it seemed other spies were manipulating around to plant bombs.
The Tower Lord had nothing to say about it.
“I cannot trust the Ivory Tower’s capacity anymore, so I retake all their authority of the investigation from this moment. Hence, from now on, give the Imperial Army any information you have collected. Do you understand?”
The royalty and the Ivory Tower were supposed to be balanced as a parallel mutual relationship.
However, for now, the Ivory Tower had no such power.
The royalty had every reason and power.
The Ivory Tower had to submit for this time.
“As you command, your highness.”
The council was filled with the Emperor, the Crown Prince and every liege men.
And in the middle of the council, the Tower Lord Herbert gently received the Emperor’s order.
“Be gone. You must have many things to do.”
With strong face, the Emperor returned the Tower Lord.
The parallel relationship wasn’t easy to be maintained.
Sometimes he had to treat them as a friend, but sometimes as a political enemy.
It was a balanced game that only the Emperor could do.
‘I wish he could catch what I am doing here.’
The Emperor briefly looked down the seat of the Crown Prince, located at the right under of the Emperor’s seat.
The Crown Prince was smiling like innocent children.
It seemed he was just excited that the Ivory Tower got revoked.
‘……….. Still far to go.’
After sighed, the Emperor started the next topic.
The Ivory Tower was the most responsible for this event.
However, it was also the Ivory Tower who distinguished themselves to the empire mostly.
Precisely, the youngest Archmage of the Ivory Tower.
“Mage Ian Page, come out and bow to the Emperor, his highness.”
With the voice of an inner coffin, a boy entered the council room.
He wore immaculate clothes and made his hair very gently.
It was the second time that the Archmage Ian Page had been called.
“Good to see you again, Ian Page.”
Opposite to the Tower Lord, the Emperor welcomed Ian warmly.
The Emperor Terry Greenriver said to Ian.
“Before we start this topic, I will give you a chance to explain to everyone. As we received the report, there might be someone who wanted to hear it directly. Can you summarize what happened there?”
From the fashionable society to the prison of the Ivory Tower.
What had happened, and what Ian had thought and why he had taken action.
The Emperor was asking that.
Of course, everyone in the council already knew the details.
The Emperor was just giving Ian a chance to appeal himself.
“Of course, your highness.”
“Then tell me. What had happened at the night?”