Chapter 178

Chapter 178

I Proposed While Drunk and Now the Princesses are Obsessed.

Episode 178: 0th Princess, Reunion, Forced Marriage (53)

Jaekiel had spent yet another whole day.

He was standing absentmindedly in the infirmary.

Through the transparent glass, he could see Akne lying down, and every time he saw her torso pierced in a circular shape, a complicated feeling overwhelmed him.

To see someone who had endured all sacrifices only for him, now lying devastated.

It was truly more painful than he could have imagined.

Solana stayed by Jaekiel’s side.

“It’s strange, but every time you are near, the Spider Goddess’s body tries to heal itself. She’s still… obsessed with you.”

It didn’t seem like a lie.

Akne’s blood vessels and magic, along with other things, were entangled like a spider’s web, desperately trying to heal her upper body.

Of course, the situation was so severe that there was no real progress.

Jaekiel felt a sense of responsibility for the situation, and it couldn’t be helped. In a way, he had decided to save her twice and failed both times.

Solana murmured softly.

“The reason I began to believe in the Sun God is simple. There was a man I wanted to support with all my strength, and as I prayed only for him, I was told I was devout… and before I knew it, I had become a saintess.”

“…Thank you.”

Jaekiel muttered quietly, knowing that the man Solana had mentioned was himself.

Solana didn’t deny it either. The one she fervently prayed for was Jaekiel.

“Looking back, I think it was possible because I had the luxury to pray. When you weren’t by my side, I was fortunate enough to have the time and means to pray.”

She continued calmly.

“The Zeroth Princess also longed for you, but she probably didn’t have the luxury to pray. The situation must have been too barren for her to rely on anything else.”

“…”

“I find it heartbreaking. I can’t believe such a cruel fate could exist. How could it…?”

Jaekiel silently nodded.

It was a scenario he had imagined many times.

If Akne had stayed on the continent and grown up normally, wouldn’t she have become Jaekiel’s student like the other princesses and trained?

She would have acted normally, found joy in normal things, become a beautiful princess whom everyone admired, and lived a happier life than anyone else.

With a crack, his fist clenched unconsciously.

Meanwhile, Solana was also worried about Jaekiel.

“Teacher, you need to sleep. If you become unwell, I will have too many worries. Please, for my sake…”

He reluctantly declined her kindness.

He had his duties to attend to, and there was little to say.

“…I’ll be back.”

Jaekiel moved with steps that couldn’t be undone.

He had to become stronger.

So he wouldn’t lose what was precious. So that even the Emperor or the Demon Lord couldn’t take what was his.

…He had to become much stronger than he was now.

The Imperial Tower was currently in great turmoil.

“Going on a solo mission… impressive. Isn’t it like saying you’ll single-handedly destroy the Purple Tower?”

“This mission is just reconnaissance. I’ll be eliminating the demons while observing the Purple Tower.”

“Still, the punishment operation has officially begun, and that alone is very satisfying.”

Anes quietly watched the scene.

All the magicians of the Imperial Tower were excited.

It was only natural.

When she thought of the betrayal she had suffered at the hands of the Purple Tower in the underground maze, she still felt rage, but now, thanks to the Auditor’s mission, the punishment operation was finally beginning.

She prayed with all her heart. May the Purple Tower be destroyed.

‘By the way, I haven’t seen him around lately.’

Anes felt secretly happy when Jaekiel regained consciousness. She thought that with the return of normalcy, she would be able to see him more often.

But that wasn’t the case. Recently, Jaekiel hadn’t shown up at all for some unknown reason.

Other magicians also found it strange.

“But where has the Auditor been recently?”

“He’s probably at the Imperial Palace more often than the Imperial Tower. His position and fame have grown so much. He’s now widely known for his competence.”

“By the way, the Purple Tower seems to be well-prepared. I heard they’ve even called in their elite members?”

Unable to ignore the conversation, Anes’s ears perked up, and she immediately intervened.

“Did you say the elite members of the Purple Tower?”

“They’re twin siblings with golden, lightning-like hair. I heard their skills in cutting the enemy’s throat in battle are even superior to those of the elders of the Tower.”

Anes was also well aware of their reputation.

“They’re actually treated more like assassins than magicians. I’ve heard that they’ll stop at nothing to eliminate their enemies.”

“Those who betray others and commit vile acts have trained these deadly weapons, so they’re bound to be formidable. Now that I think about it, I’m a bit worried about the Auditor.”

Anes slowly furrowed her brow.

‘Elite members of the Purple Tower…’

She had heard about the brother, who was especially famous.

It was said that he traveled across the continent, breaking the reputations of powerful magicians. Even if someone refused, he would provoke them into fighting.

‘I’ve also heard that the younger sister is no easy opponent.’

She may have a gentler nature than her brother, but her physical power was said to be even greater.

This was information Anes had learned when she worked at the Imperial Palace.

‘I must meet the Auditor once.’

She naturally thought to herself.

Since learning about Jaekiel’s past, Anes had longed for his happiness more than anyone.

However, she suspected that this mission would not be easy. She decided she should visit him and provide some information.

One week later.

The day of the joint mission with the Purple Tower.

Inside the Imperial Palace, at the Extreme Training Ground.

Anes had been standing at the entrance of the training ground since dawn. It had been a week since she had decided to confront Jaekiel, but she still hadn’t met him.

It wasn’t just her.

Elder Seina of the Blue Tower had also declared that she would assist with the mission and was waiting, just like Anes, standing absentmindedly.

The reason was simple.

Jaekiel had yet to appear.

Boom! Boom!

A tremendous noise came from inside the training ground.

It was different from the announcement that the soundproofing was excellent. The noise was so intense that Seina and Anes, waiting outside, were nearly deafened.

And that wasn’t all.

Ssssshh.

Occasionally, strange energies leaked from the training ground. They were clearly cold but also contained an underlying heat.

When Anes and Seina tried to touch it, curious about the unusual sensation, it immediately dispersed.

Boom! Boom!

The roaring continued. The two women exchanged glances.

-The Auditor’s secretary, you’ve worked at the Imperial Palace, right? I thought the Extreme Training Ground had excellent soundproofing.

-The soundproofing system is working properly. It’s just that the power of the techniques being used by the Auditor is immense.

-I had my doubts, but I never expected it to be this overwhelming…

Seina, the elder of the Blue Tower, could not hide her surprise.

-The Extreme Training Ground is a special space that absorbs mana several times over. To produce such power after spending nearly a week there…?

-It seems like the Auditor has prepared thoroughly for this mission. I’ve been here for a week, and the sounds grow louder each day. That must mean he’s gaining enlightenment with every passing day.

-A week, huh…? I had suspected it, but it seems you might have a bit of a fondness for the Auditor.

-Wh-what are you suddenly saying…?

However, their conversation didn’t continue as casual chat. The door to the training ground suddenly opened.

Sssshhh.

The door opened with a tremendous force, releasing energy like a breath. Jaekiel appeared from within.

“Auditor!”

“Teacher!”

Seina and Anes called out to Jaekiel at the same time.

“Were you waiting for me?”

When Jaekiel recognized the women, he murmured, and they nodded like sparrows.

“You’ve been training until just before departure… Auditor, today is the day of the mission, is that alright?”

“No problem. We must leave immediately.”

Meanwhile, Seina asked something else.

“…The energy feels unusual. Just how much progress have you made in a week?”

“Not much.”

Jaekiel answered briefly.

However, the determination in Jaekiel’s words seemed different than usual. He was resolute, determined to finish this matter for good.

“…”

Eventually, both women fell silent.

The door to the training ground slowly opened.

There, the ice left behind was in the shape of three gray dragons coiled together, an unimaginable force.

“…”

Anes saw no need to mention the information she had brought.

This mission seemed to hold no danger at all.