"This is the training ground of the tower."
Soon, the 2nd Princess of the Empire, Hedera, would visit the tower.
As soon as he heard the news, Jaekiel, guided by Anes, went to the training
ground. Of course, both faction leaders, Nox and Widro, accompanied him.
The training ground had two floors, and the upper edge allowed observation
of the lower level. Naturally, we were standing on the upper level.
"Hmm."
I silently observed below for a moment.
The number of people gathered in the tower's training ground was large.
However, a strange sense of discomfort was felt.
"Anes, the 2nd Princess is expected to arrive at 10 o'clock, right?"
"According to what I was told, yes."
Two hours.
Now, that's all the time left.
"Good. Continue with the tour."
I leaned back in the chair and chewed on a Sun Grass. The sensation of it
popping in my mouth was excellent.
"The space is not only wide but also very durable. Experimental use of
magic at the research stage, power and efficiency tests… Almost all
manifestations are done here."
I nodded quietly.
"Your guidance is quite skillful."
"I've spent quite some time in the tower."
"Is your nose okay?"
Just a moment ago, Anes had bumped her face against the door loudly. I
couldn't help but ask.
"It's nothing."
"Well, maybe you should wipe your nosebleed first."
"…!"
Anes hurriedly touched her nose, but there was no blood on her hands. It
was a joke from the start.
"The situation is urgent. Please don't joke around."
"Anyway, the training ground is a mess. It needs fixing."
"In what way is it a mess?"
The discomfort I felt was the cause of the mess.
This training ground, there was no sparring.
'No one is sparring.'
Training and sparring were inseparable, yet despite the number of people,
no one was sparring.
"Experimental use, power tests, practicality… You can grasp all that with
one sparring session. But no one is sparring."
"Ah, Auditor. Sparring is difficult."
Nox interrupted.
He still had a bit of a hangover, occasionally hiccuping, but he pushed up
his glasses and spoke calmly.
"According to the directive from the 2nd Princess, we prioritize research.
Sparring doesn't fit the character of this place."
"Interesting."
I let out a short laugh.
"Hmm? What do you find interesting?"
"Everything."
I exhaled the smoke from my Sun Grass.
"You're treated just like children."
"…What?"
Leaving children in a magical playground.
It seemed Hedera treated them just like that.
─Do what you want within reasonable limits.
Hedera gave this directive, and sparring was as likely to cause incidents as
anything else. No wonder sparring was forbidden inside the tower.
My gaze turned to Anes.
"Anes, combat is included in the performance evaluation, right?"
"Yes. It's included."
"…But there's no sparring? Even a passing dog would laugh."
It was absurd to abandon an item that was clearly included in the
performance evaluation.
In the case of other towers, focusing on areas they were confident in would
suffice, but the Imperial Tower was in no position to be selective. There was
nothing we could confidently showcase.
"Hey, Auditor."
Then, Widro spoke cautiously.
"I understand you're eager to try various things, but shouldn't we be doing
something else instead of visiting the training ground? Take a look at the
lower floor."
I followed the old man's gaze to the first floor.
"…"
The magicians who met my gaze hurriedly looked away.
Their inability to focus and indecisiveness were evident, making the chaos
on the first floor palpable.
The keen senses of a highly trained magician also affect their hearing.
Thanks to that, I could hear all the murmuring.
"The newly appointed auditor is impressive, but…"
"Auditor or not, the opponent is the Princess. What if we fall out of her
favor by violating the directive?"
"They say he has no experience. Maybe that's why he's brave? He seems
unaware of how strict the 2nd Princess is…"
Again, it was all about the 2nd Princess.
"Besides, this visit is supposedly for selling the tower?"
"Selling the Imperial Tower? To whom?"
"If it doesn't sell, they might just get rid of it. Anyway, it's a waste of
maintenance costs to leave it like this. What should we do now?"
The newly appointed auditor and the infamous princess.
Naturally, they were more concerned about the latter. Everyone was so
scared of the 2nd Princess that they were trembling.
Widro clicked his tongue.
"The entire tower is paralyzed by the news of the 2nd Princess's visit. We
shouldn't just be here in the training ground; we need to come up with a
plan. We can't do anything until 10 o'clock."
The old man was anxious and even urged him.
"Hey, are you listening to me? We can't welcome the Princess in this
chaotic state! It's really a big deal!"
Of course.
I merely waved my hand dismissively.
"Don't fuss. I've already made a plan."
I already had a plan, which was why we were at the training ground.
"…A plan?"
The eyes of the three nearby widened. I chewed on the Sun Grass and spoke
as if it was no big deal.
"First of all, the purpose of the 2nd Princess's visit is to sell. It's certain."
"It's not just a rumor, but a confirmed fact?"
"Of course. Now is the best time to sell at the highest price."
The dismal state of this place was not yet known to the outside.
However, if the current performance was maintained until the
announcement day, the value of the tower would plummet. From the 2nd
Princess's perspective, now was the best time to sell.
Anes blinked quietly.
"So, what plan did you come up with?"
"…It's obvious. Just clean up and wait, right?"
Nox interrupted, pushing up his glasses.
"Rather than causing unnecessary trouble and incurring the 2nd Princess's
wrath, it's much safer to clean up and wait. We can decide how to respond
after observing the Princess's reaction."
"…That makes sense. Auditor, is that the plan?"
However, I shook my head firmly.
"Nonsense."
Of course, Nox's judgment was perfectly normal.
It was general and reasonable. Moreover, most people think like Nox, so
they were stalling and waiting for the Princess in silence.
However.
I knew very well that this should not be the case.
"If you do that, it'll be too late."
"Too late for what?"
"I mean it literally. If you wait and then react, it'll definitely be too late."
Hedera was now a cold princess.
She accurately assesses practical benefits and rarely overturns a decision
once made. The moment she arrived at the tower, she was likely to proceed
with the sale without considering anything else.
Requests like "Please listen for a moment" were meaningless. Hedera never
listens to such things.
Therefore, there was only one way.
To change Hedera's mind. For that…
The tower must already be changed by the time she arrives.
As soon as Hedera steps in, the Imperial Tower must pique her interest. It
needed a scene that would capture the Princess's attention and elements that
she finds appealing.
Nox ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
"…You mean change this place? In two hours?"
"Yes."
"In just two hours, and even in a way that the 2nd Princess will like? That's
easier said than done! Is that even possible?"
Nox spoke with a bewildered expression.
"The Imperial Tower is too much to bet on a gamble. Let's just clean up.
Please, Auditor!"
"To turn a crisis into an opportunity, you have to take that much risk. Don't
you think?"
A good opportunity was always fraught with danger. At the same time, a
perilous situation was always a good opportunity. It was one of the things I
learned in life.
Anes parted her lips.
"…But execution is the problem. Everyone is in a state of confusion; they
don't seem to have the capacity to follow orders."
Anes's gaze was directed to the first floor.
The magicians there were still indecisive, just pacing around, waiting for
the Princess to arrive.
However, I had already anticipated even that.
"I understand. They're all a bunch of cowards."
"It's not about being cowards; it's a sensible judgment. How many people
in the Empire aren't afraid of the 2nd Princess?"
"Anes is right."
Widro joined in.
"The moment they follow your orders, they become accomplices. If the
Princess gets angry, can you handle it? Are you willing to take
responsibility for everyone here?"
"Responsibility?"
However.
I just let out a faint smile.
"Responsibility."
A smile. But not one that was entirely detestable, like a mischievous child.
The attitude of someone so confident in their greatness that they would
gladly take on anything, as if what would crush an ordinary person was as
light as a feather to them.
"I'll take it. Responsibility."
I suddenly recalled fragments of the past.
─Jaekiel, just this once, take responsibility for the continent. If you can just
succeed in closing the gate to the Demon World…
─Jaekiel, you're responsible for the lives of the squad members…
─Jaekiel, it's your responsibility.
Tuk, a Sun Grass stem fell to the floor from my mouth.
"…I've taken on that kind of responsibility countless times."
I lightly snapped my fingers.
Rumble.
Immediately, the entire training ground shook.
"Wah!"
"Wh-what's going on?!"
While everyone was confused, frozen statues rose from both ends of the
training ground. The figures were beautiful women with closed eyes,
looking as if they could open their eyelids at any moment.
The magicians, who had been startled, stood with their mouths agape.
"Huh?"
"Wow. Beautiful…"
However, their pure admiration didn't last long.
Hooo.
The two statues began to emit white breaths. The magicians soon noticed
something strange with their bodies.
"It's very cold."
"Our bodies are freezing! What is this?!"
Frost began to form on the magicians' skin. They all looked up at me on the
second floor with wide eyes.
"Don't make a fuss."
I spoke as I leisurely leaned on the railing.
"If you stand still, you'll freeze, but if you use mana, you'll be fine. From
now on, use magic desperately. It would be even better if you sparred in
pairs."
"What are you…?!"
"Do you have time to chat? Start using your magic."
"Waaaah!"
Preventing themselves from freezing was a higher priority than asking
questions. Before long, a spectacular scene of everyone on the first floor
recklessly using magic and sparring unfolded.
"…"
The three nearby stared at me in disbelief.
I simply took out another Sun Grass.
"Everyone inside the Imperial Tower is being threatened by me and forced
to spar to survive. This should be enough, right?"
"…"
From their perspective, looking at him as if he were crazy was the best they
could do. The method was bizarre, but it was also true that Jaekiel would
take full responsibility.
Someone on the first floor shouted.
"Ah, ah! That auditor, he's insane!"
"I'm never in my right mind."
Always, even now. I always was.
With my smile, a momentary calm settled.
For a moment, I stared intently at the lower floor.
With the eyes of a magician, attentively.
With the eyes of a responsible person, steadfastly.
With the eyes of a pioneer, thoroughly.
At some point, I closed my eyes.
One second.
Two seconds.
And finally, five seconds.
I opened my eyes and spoke.
"We don't need to wait until 10 o'clock. Tell her to come by 9."
It was the tone of someone who had found the answer.
10 PM. Entrance of the Imperial Tower.
Wooo.
The night wind swept over a woman's body.
A graceful body sculpted by a skilled artist—something that could be called
perfect without any exaggeration.
In the dark, only her red eyes glowed.
The woman stood with her arms crossed, looking up at the tower.
Wooo.
The night wind blew again, and the sale plan in the woman's hand fluttered
noisily. At some point, a delicate piece of paper tucked between the plans
fluttered into the air.
The woman quickly caught it between her index and middle fingers.
It was a single letter envelope.
Click-clack, click-clack.
2nd Princess Hedera.
She finally stepped into the entrance of the Imperial Tower.
"…Ha."
Her mouth was hidden by a mask, revealing no expression.