Marquis Sevis had an unshakeable habit.
Every day after lunch, he would settle comfortably into his plush armchair and listen to a hired musician play the lute.
Then, he would enjoy a thirty-minute nap.
During this time, his personal barber would trim his beard.
Since becoming a marquis, this habit had never once been broken.
Until—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“My Lord Marquis! Something terrible has happened!!”
“What is it?”
Awoken by the hurried footsteps, Marquis Sevis turned his head with a frown.
The person who entered was a spy he had hired.
At this moment, the man was sweating profusely and panting for breath.
“His Highness Kane is protesting fiercely after hearing that Li An Adolf was thrown into prison!”
“Wasn't this expected? Don't worry, everything is going according to plan.”
If Li An was framed and imprisoned, or even sent to Zarat Prison, Crown Prince Kane, who had always highly valued him, would inevitably take action.
This was only to be expected.
However, Marquis Sevis made his living playing political games and orchestrating conspiracies.
As long as they prepared forged evidence in advance, even the Crown Prince would find it difficult to find any flaws in it.
Thinking of this, Marquis Sevis let out a sinister chuckle and leaned back into his chair.
It seemed today's nap was destined not to be very peaceful.
“My Lord Marquis! Something terrible has happened!!”
“What is it now?”
This time, another spy rushed in.
“The Duke of Senistia and Princess Elizabeth have also begun to speak out in defense of Li An Adolf!”
“This is indeed a bit troublesome, but it is still within manageable limits.”
Marquis Sevis narrowed his eyes.
No one knew better than him what power meant.
In this era, a single word could turn an innocent person into a criminal, or a true criminal into a completely innocent man.
Crown Prince Kane, the Duke of Senistia, Princess Elizabeth...
How could a mere fifth-rank official get so many grand figures to stand up for him?
“His Majesty is on our side.”
Marquis Sevis spoke with absolute certainty.
“That much will not change.”
But was that really the case?
In truth, even the Marquis felt a bit lacking in confidence when saying those words.
According to the original plan, they should have seized this opportunity to execute Li An Adolf once and for all.
But the Emperor's attitude had been unexpectedly lukewarm.
“Cough, cough... Sentence him to death... That is fine as well. Cough, cough...”
This was the result Marquis Sevis had obtained only after exhausting his efforts and using all kinds of sweet talk for a long time.
He had thought everything would proceed smoothly.
Who would have thought that the Emperor's passive attitude would ultimately force them to settle for the next best option: throwing that eyesore Li An into prison?
But that was Zarat.
The most terrifying prison in the empire.
A death cage built on a remote island.
Those sent inside stood almost no chance of coming out alive.
To ensure absolutely nothing went wrong, the Marquis had even personally contacted Warden Cheshire.
At this thought, Marquis Sevis wore a satisfied smile.
He could already picture Li An laboring miserably under the scorching sun, struggling to survive.
This time, he should finally be able to sleep peacefully.
“My Lord Marquis! Something terrible has happened!!”
“My Lord Marquis! Something terrible has happened!!”
“My Lord Marquis! Something terrible has happened!!”
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Almost at the same time, three spies burst into the Marquis's room together.
Finally, Marquis Sevis lost all patience and stood up abruptly from his chair.
“Enough!”
“What on earth happened?!”
“If it is not some earth-shattering matter, you had better mind your manners before this Marquis!”
The spies looked at each other, shoving one another forward.
Ultimately, the one pushed to the very front had no choice but to brace himself and speak.
“The Imperial Evaluation Department... is on a collective strike!”
“They are currently protesting in the square, demanding the release of Li An Adolf!”
“And the catkins!”
Another spy quickly added.
“More than half of the catkins in the empire have rushed to the square!”
Marquis Sevis's face turned beet red.
“Disperse them by force!”
Seeing that things were taking a turn for the worse, the spies quickly turned and left.
The room finally fell silent.
Marquis Sevis took a deep breath.
Then, he looked at the only spy who had not left.
“Why haven't you left yet?”
“The White Magic Tower has discovered that the Jewel Frogs possess astonishing magical efficacy.”
The Marquis's eyes instantly widened.
“What?!”
“How can that be?”
“I do not know,” the spy answered calmly.
Then, he pulled a piece of paper from his coat.
“What is this?”
“A resignation letter.”
The spy said expressionlessly:
“We've worked together for so many years, but now that things have blown up to this scale, let's make sure we don't cross paths on the street in the future.”
With that, he turned and left.
In the room, only Marquis Sevis remained, now completely wide awake.
He fell silent for a moment.
Then, he slowly spat out:
“It's over.”
The White Magic Tower.
The White Magic Tower was home to a group of mages who dedicated their entire lives to the study of magic.
They pledged allegiance to no faction, nor did they belong to any country.
Here, magic was the only truth worth pursuing.
“So, you, a disciple who hasn't returned in ages, suddenly rush back to find me and say, ‘Teacher, this frog seems to have something special, you must investigate it thoroughly’?”
Borman, Master of the White Magic Tower, stared at the disciple before him with an extremely displeased gaze.
The White Magic Tower was originally an extremely pragmatic organization.
But once a person reached Borman's age, they would inevitably begin to care about etiquette.
Even if the person before him was his own disciple, she had truly gone too far this time.
Borman tapped his cane lightly against the ground.
In the next instant.
A soft carpet of pure mana instantly spread across the floor.
“Elizabeth, come and sit.”
“Your teacher has some words of wisdom to impart to you.”
This was a rare lecture.
Yet Elizabeth refused without the slightest hesitation.
“I don't have time, Teacher.”
“We're running out of time.”
“What?”
The veins on Borman's forehead throbbed instantly.
“Who do you think I am?!”
“I am the Master of the White Magic Tower, bearer of the White Staff—the highest achievement in white magic—and one of only three Archmages on the entire continent!”
“Do you think this Tower Master is someone at your beck and call?!”
In an instant.
A massive, sky-blocking phantom emerged behind Borman.
A terrifying pressure swept through the room.
Elizabeth bit her lip.
Even if she held the esteemed status of an imperial princess, she could not take the wrath of an Archmage lightly.
“Teacher, I know you are one of the first Awakened on the continent, respected by countless mages, and that even kings have sought your counsel.”
Elizabeth paused.
“But this matter is more important than all of that.”
The anger on Borman's face softened slightly.
However, upon hearing her final words, his brow furrowed again.
He tapped his cane lightly once more.
Tap.
The massive phantom and the mana carpet on the floor vanished simultaneously.
“Fine.”
Borman snorted coldly.
“Then let me see just what value these foolish frogs you brought have.”
Inside the cage.
Several Jewel Frogs, startled by the commotion, let out faint croaks.
“Ribbit...”
Borman glanced at the cage.
“Let's do this.”
“I pledge on the reputation of the White Magic Tower to personally conduct a thorough study of these Jewel Frogs.”
“If they truly possess the value you claim, then I shall overlook your insolence just now.”
Borman's gaze suddenly turned cold.
“But if it turns out they are not worth that much at all—”
“Elizabeth.”
“No matter your status, you must pay the price.”
“You will be expelled from the White Magic Tower.”
“And do not expect to receive any help from me ever again.”
“Do you understand?”
Elizabeth lowered her head.
“I understand, Teacher.”
Looking at her face, Borman could not help but sigh.
“Take a rest first.”
“That face of yours... makes you look like you're about to die.”
Even Borman, who rarely paid attention to such trivialities, was startled by Elizabeth's appearance.
He had no idea how long it had been since she last slept.
Dark, heavy circles bruised the skin beneath her eyes.
Her lips were dry, chapped, and practically bloodless.
“Thank you, Teacher,” Elizabeth said softly.
“Sigh...”
Borman sighed helplessly.
“Such a clever child, yet why must you throw yourself into such reckless endeavors?”
He reached out and picked up the cage containing the Jewel Frogs.
Research on live specimens was research.
But since an agreement had been made, he would absolutely not go back on his word.
Within the impregnable Zarat Prison.
Warden Cheshire was flipping through the latest prisoner files with a grim expression.
“What is this?”
“Is there a problem with the file of this prisoner named Jerob?”
“Why do none of the records in here add up?”
This was the list of prisoners who had arrived recently.
And Jerob was sent in shortly after Li An was imprisoned.
“Particularly the charge of murder.”
Cheshire's brow furrowed deep.
“If he really were a murderer, the files should be far more detailed.”
“Yet the person he supposedly killed... hadn't they already been dead long before?”
“How strange.”
A guard close to Cheshire also picked up the file and began reviewing it carefully.
Then, as if realizing something, he stroked his chin and said:
“Jerob...”
“Ever since Li An Adolf arrived, this man has done everything he can to stay by his side.”
“It's almost as if he is waiting for an opportunity to be alone with Li An.”
“...”
Cheshire's face instantly went pale.
Jerob.
Identity unknown.
Entering prison immediately after Li An's arrival.
And constantly seeking opportunities to get close to Li An.
Even the most dense person would understand what this implied.
“Oh no!”
“Li An is in danger!”
“Get over there, now!”
Cheshire panicked.
He could absolutely not let his great benefactor die in a place like this!
After all, Li An was the noble patron who had helped him buy a house and even fully secured his retirement.
Boom!
When Cheshire rushed to the yard, the first thing he saw was a colossal figure flipping midair.
And then landing firmly on the sandy ground.
Cheshire's face drained of color entirely.
“Am I too late...”
Behind the massive figure, what looked like the spectral phantom of a giant was slowly dissipating.
It was Jerob.
Cheshire covered his face with his hands.
It was over.
His benefactor had been killed after all.
“What brings you here, Warden?”
A familiar voice suddenly rang out.
“Huh?”
Cheshire snapped his head up.
“Mr. Li An?!”
He frantically looked around.
In the next moment, he froze.
Li An was standing there.
Completely unharmed.
He was even doing some light warm-up stretches.
“...”
Cheshire was utterly bewildered.
Who was the person who had just gone down, then?
He hurriedly looked at the ground.
A regular, heavy-sentence convict was lying on the sand.
Foaming at the mouth.
By the looks of it, he was already half-dead.
“Send him to the infirmary,” Cheshire quickly instructed the guards.
Several guards immediately lifted the unlucky fellow onto a stretcher.
Only when the man was carried away did Cheshire finally breathe a sigh of relief.
At least Li An was fine.
“What on earth happened?”
“It looks like there was a confrontation between the prisoners.”
“Hehehe.”
Jerob let out a simple, foolish laugh.
“That guy bumped into Li An, so I played with him for a bit.”
Cheshire: “...”
From the looks of it, this Jerob seemed to have been protecting Li An all along.
Cheshire looked up at that mountain-like physique.
Such a colossal frame.
Yet it possessed such a simple-minded, honest expression.
“Li An.”
Jerob suddenly spoke.
“Knit sweaters.”
“Sure,” Li An agreed without hesitation.
Jerob immediately sat cross-legged.
With nimble movements completely unbefitting of his massive size, he pulled yarn from his vest and began knitting in earnest.
Cheshire looked on, lost in thought.
Just who exactly was this Jerob?
In a hidden chamber closed to outsiders, the leader of the Spiders unfolded a crumpled letter.
The handwriting on the letter was crooked and uneven, resembling the scrawl of a child who had only just learned to write.
The ink was even smudged in several places.
The leader narrowed his eyes, taking quite a bit of effort before barely deciphering the contents.
“Mhm...”
“It seems Jerob has successfully infiltrated.”
“Blacksmith, you did well this time.”
The person beside him waved a hand dismissively.
“A minor matter.”
“After all, if we couldn't even manage something like this, the empire wouldn't stand much longer either.”
The leader of the Spiders nodded.
At the very least, the first step was a success.
Jerob was indeed a member of the Spiders.
Though he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, in terms of sheer physical capabilities, he was the absolute strongest in the organization.
He was, after all, of the Giant race.
“Was the assassination successful?”
“I am reading it now.”
The leader continued reading the letter.
In the next instant, the corners of his mouth slowly curved upward.
“Hehehe...”
“Li An, it seems your good luck has run out.”
“Now that Jerob has set his eyes on you...”
“Jerob?”
Someone in the room suddenly froze.
“That's impossible!”
“Leader, what did Jerob say exactly?”
“Was the assassination a success?”
“Tell me quickly!”
The leader fell silent for a long moment.
Then, he said slowly:
“The Spiders...”
“Have six legs left.”
Snap.
The candle in the hidden chamber was suddenly extinguished.
Plunging everything into pitch-black darkness.
Rate on N.U.
