"......"

She must be dying of embarrassment. The Blue Tower Master was covering her face with both hands and bending over, engaged in a fierce internal battle with the shame surging from within.

At first, I wasn't sure what was happening.

But after hearing from Baek-seol that this person's hobby was speaking ahead of others, and that she possessed predictive abilities that had never failed until now, I could understand.

It's just a larger-scale version of something that happens in everyday life.

Like when a friend compliments you over text and you respond with "I'm not that great" while secretly feeling proud, only to find out they were talking about someone else.

Or when a female friend gives you a love letter and you make a big fuss saying "I like you too," only to learn she wanted you to deliver it to someone else. That kind of thing.

People make mistakes sometimes.

"Then, could you please explain what exactly was this negotiation and exchange that only took place in your head, Blue Tower Master?"

"...Yes. Well, you see."

The Blue Tower Master began her explanation with an attitude completely opposite to her confident demeanor earlier. Where she had spoken with overflowing confidence before, now she was awkward and stilted, as if reading from a script.

"Umm. I believe we formed the same understanding. So, even though my ability doesn't work on you, I hoped you would sense what I was trying to explain. Ah, is my speaking tempo alright?"

Baek-seol, who had been called in as an interpreter, looked at the Blue Tower Master with a strange expression, causing the Tower Master's face to turn an even warmer color.

"Baek-seol, please be quiet..."

"I didn't say anything."

"You were about to say that she acts all high and mighty with people her 'Complete Analysis' works on, but now that she's met someone it doesn't work on, she can barely string a sentence together!"

"That's right. The Tower Master really can't speak well."

The Blue Tower Master, who had spent her entire life using a cheat to communicate with others, had to spend quite some time getting accustomed to normal conversation. Still, it didn't take as long as expected for her to normalize.

So what was the conversation about? In the end, it was an invitation. To drop by sometime and have a deep conversation.

"I'm quite busy these days, so I might have to visit much later. I think I have about ten weddings scheduled."

"There's no rush. We have plenty of time. Feel free to visit even a century from now if you prefer."

"Well... yes. Let's do that."

It didn't seem like empty talk. She showed no impatience or urgency. She genuinely seemed to think it would be fine if I visited a hundred years later.

As the conversation was wrapping up, I stroked my chin thoughtfully and then:

"You mentioned an imugi, right?"

"Yes."

"That alone makes me interested in visiting the Blue Tower. If possible, could you throw out a bit more bait to pique my interest?"

"Gladly. I'd be happy if you took this a bit more seriously."

The Blue Tower Master looked into my eyes.

Her pupils shone like cracked glass. Each facet reflected me. It was "Complete Analysis," which had failed just moments ago.

And the Blue Tower Master found exactly the right sentence to capture my interest.

"Dyeing the soul with emotions for Ascension, twisting the soul's form with emotions for Sublimation. Then the next stage—you already know, don't you?"

"...That's enough. Interesting."

"See you later."

The Blue Tower Master turned away with a bright smile. Baek-seol followed behind her. From their direction, it seemed they were going to greet Irid.

She's certainly a character with a distinct personality.

"...I told you to be quiet!"

"I didn't say anything, I'm telling you."

Even the way she bickered with her disciple. Normally, once you see someone like that, you shouldn't be able to forget them...

But the impression she left was as faint and vague as colorless, odorless air. I noticed her memory was disappearing from my storage at an abnormal rate, so I had to repeatedly remind myself to preserve it.

She didn't hit me with some memory-erasing beam. I believe this is a "quality" the Blue Tower Master possesses. A constitution that doesn't remain well in others' memories... for whatever reason.

No wonder I hadn't heard even a grain of information about the Blue Tower Master, despite how reclusive she was said to be.

Peek.

Yuna flew over and clung to my back like a cicada. She must have been worried about me talking to the nearly-stranger Blue Tower Master, as she had been waiting nearby in disguise.

"...Was everything okay?"

"Yes. Well, she doesn't seem like the type who wants to burn the world down. Irid said her intentions were unknowable and to be cautious, but from what I can see, she's not an 'enemy.'"

"Hmm."

However, I do need to maintain a cautious admiration for her abilities.

In combat, understanding an opponent's intentions is paramount. And despite some margin of error, she was able to read my inner thoughts, albeit imperfectly, despite our being practically strangers.

And her final words precisely captured my interest. "Complete Analysis"... though she claimed she wasn't actively defending against it, I doubt she was using it at full power either.

Above all, time.

She wasn't the only one observing. I was watching her from multiple angles as well.

I had observed the Blue Tower Master's abnormally fast metabolism at various points. I know what this means. I heard they research time-related magic at the Blue Tower, and it seems the Blue Tower Master, at the pinnacle, knows how to handle time quite well.

Just like I use in my sessions. Just as time flows dozens of times faster inside a session than outside, the Blue Tower Master seems capable of exerting such power in reality.

It doesn't seem to be an insane ability like stopping time for the entire world. If that were the case, she would have long ago taken the head of the deep sea blue dragon and hung it at the top of the Blue Tower.

It also doesn't seem to be the type where physical laws apply strictly. If physical laws applied directly to a punch thrown in slowed time, air ejected at speeds exceeding light would cause a natural nuclear explosion.

Taking all that into account, to summarize roughly:

"Infinitely dividing time for use, and looking into the enemy's mind..."

She'd be devastatingly powerful even if she just threw snowballs.

I could vaguely understand why people said the Blue Tower Master was the most combat-proficient among the Tower Masters.

===============================================================

Most of the continent's territory is occupied by the Empire. But if you go far west, you reach lands that aren't part of the Empire, where kingdoms of modest size have repeatedly emerged and disappeared.

Currently, there are about three.

The difference in national power between the Empire and these kingdoms is overwhelming. So how have these kingdoms managed to survive? Simply because the Empire has shown no interest in them.

The Empire is already self-sufficient and prosperous enough. Therefore, there was no reason to invade or annex those tiny kingdoms.

The western lands were barren, with little arable land and unremarkable resource deposits. Swallowing them would bring more loss than gain.

So the basic stance was non-aggression.

The kingdoms minded their own business, and the Empire stayed within its borders. They traded, but otherwise maintained a somewhat cool relationship without interference.

Irid had grown up learning this, so he had no interest in the kingdom people. At least until he was tempered in the Mad Magician's session.

"......"

The United Kingdom of 100 years later would eventually swallow and effectively rule the Empire, which had fallen into chaos.

Even though the Empire had collapsed due to internal strife, even an old lion is still a lion. The fact that they could devour even a sick Empire meant the United Kingdom had tremendous potential.

It deserved vigilance. So Irid had expanded his existing information network to extend to the kingdoms, but...

"It was all fiction."

Yes. The Mad Magician's repeated insistence to Irid that "this is just illusion magic" was simply the plain truth.

So Irid's efforts to be wary of the United Kingdom amounted to nothing more than an elaborate shadow boxing match.

No wonder he couldn't find any dangerous signs no matter how hard he looked!

As the Emperor of the Empire frowned and massaged his temples, Centra beside him carefully observed his mood and spoke.

"Irid, are you still angry with Father...?"

"I'm not angry. I'm not angry, but."

He had already forgiven the lie. What remained in his heart wasn't the kind of anger that would send someone to the execution block, but rather the desire to just flick them on the forehead once.

"Three times. I once promised to forgive rudeness up to three times. So in the end, I couldn't hit the Mad Magician back then...!"

When he had stormed into the Magic Tower with a warhammer, how frustrated he had been to see the Mad Magician on his knees with a permission slip extended. Irid had to turn back, grinding his teeth.

That peculiar frustration still weighed on his chest.

It was honestly frustrating enough to appear in his dreams. Like the feeling after being utterly defeated in a forehead-flicking contest with a friend, with no chance for a rematch.

But there was still a chance for revenge.

"I know the Mad Magician's nature well. He's bound to pull some strange stunt to celebrate the wedding, and then I'll have justification to smack him."

"...But he gave you a wedding gift too, you know?"

"I haven't checked it yet, fearing it might be something troublesome. If it's something ridiculous, I could smack him twice. Did you check it, Centra?"

"Yes. I peeked to confirm the contents. I won't tell you what it is for the sake of surprise, but... I think you'll definitely like it, Irid. At least, I hope so."

I see. Perhaps it was a more decent gift than expected.

Then I'll think about what to do next after checking the contents. For now, it was time to fulfill my duties as Emperor and groom.

Namely, diplomacy.

Before and after the ceremony, I needed to circulate among the guests, welcoming them according to protocol and demonstrating the Emperor's dignity and trustworthiness.

"Will you come with me?"

"Hehe... Of course, Irid. I'd love to stay by your side forever."

"As would I."

Irid walked through the party venue arm in arm with Centra, who was wearing a snow-white dress. First, he planned to greet each of the Magic Tower Masters, the Empire's walking tactical weapons.

First was Red Tower Master Vermillion.

She was wearing a dress as black as the night sky, which looked as if she had simply wrapped a single long piece of cloth around her body to form a dress.

Also, it was extremely revealing. The scarcity of fabric reminded one of Saint Tara's outfit in her heyday.

With her shoulders and back line clearly exposed, there was a tug-of-war in the minds of many men between the desire to look and the fear that their homes might burn down if they were caught staring.

She raised a glass brimming with rose-colored wine and said:

"Emperor, congratulations on your marriage."

"Thank you. But... isn't that outfit a bit excessive?"

"This is my version of formal dress. After all, I'm in the presence of a hegemon with tremendous authority who has made both the Goddess Cult and nobles kneel under his crown. So I dressed conservatively. Almost suffocatingly so."

"......"

That's conservative?

Next was the Gold Tower Master, a beautiful giant standing at 240cm tall.

From a distance, she appeared to be an elegant and beautiful woman, but up close, one would notice something slightly off about the perspective. She tilted her wide-brimmed hat and offered her congratulations.

"When will you lift the green belt restriction?"

"...That's not a congratulation, Gold Tower Master."

"Hehe... Congratulations aren't just expressed in words. All my sincerity is packed into the gift I sent, so please appreciate it, Your Majesty. So, about the green belt?"

"If you want to create a new celestial body by tearing off a piece of land, first submit documentation on how to prevent the collateral damage, and then we'll talk."

Irid drew a firm line and moved on.

Next, he exchanged greetings with the Blue Tower Master. In terms of being unable to discern her intentions, she felt more concerning than the other two Tower Masters. That's why he had sent the Mad Magician, and things seemed to have gone well.

As he approached, he glanced at the Mad Magician, who secretly gave a thumbs up indicating everything was fine. He also signaled "low threat level."

I see. Was she just a normal person who had been misunderstood because she was shrouded in mystery?

"May your marriage and life flow as swiftly as dying embers, amidst happiness."

Right. I wasn't expecting much anyway.

As Irid pondered whether this ambiguous statement was meant as a jab or not, Baek-seol, who was standing next to the Blue Tower Master, quickly added an explanation.

"Please don't misunderstand, Your Majesty. The Tower Master dislikes eternity, so she doesn't even say the usual 'be happy forever.' In other words, she has chosen the best words she could possibly offer."

"...Thank you, Blue Tower Master. And to your disciple as well."

And finally...

Purple Tower Master Yuna Blackraven Violetiris.

"C-congratulations on your marriage, Your Majesty! W-wow. Centra, I'm so happy for you! You don't know how long I've been waiting for this moment. Um, Your Majesty, may I offer a blessing as a token of celebration? It's not magic, just words, but if you don't like it..."

Watching Yuna blurt out words in a fluster, Irid felt the presence of justice and hope in this world with his entire being. Finally, he seemed to be receiving a normal congratulation.

He bowed his head to Yuna with the gentlest expression in the world.

"I would be happy to hear a blessing from my mother-in-law. Please, go ahead."

"M-mother-in... Um, well. You see."

Yuna rummaged through her left and right pockets, then unfolded a crumpled handwritten note and read the lines written inside.

With a heart full of wishes for happiness.

"Be grateful for the relationship that sparkles like an illusion, dream dreams that will never crumble, and finally, love like the sun!"

"Pfft—!! *cough* *cough*!"

The Mad Magician, who was listening nearby, choked on the familiar phrase.

Irid and Centra looked at each other, savored the ample happiness from that brief meeting, and then answered with bright smiles.

"Yes. We will live loving each other as you blessed us, and beyond."

"So don't worry, Mother. We will... be demonstrably happy!"

"...Yes! Yes yes!"

It was the moment when Love Cupid Yuna's first success case was completed.

===============================================================

After briefly meeting with the Empire's nobles, magicians, and local dignitaries, Irid's footsteps turned toward the envoys from the kingdoms.

If this had been before the misunderstanding was cleared up, he would have engaged in a sharp battle of nerves with the guests from the kingdoms. Since they were potential enemies, he would have tried to uncover their secrets or acted venomously to gain diplomatic advantage.

But now it's different. Now Irid can treat the kingdom guests comfortably. He'll only take a modest, conscientious diplomatic advantage.

With that resolution, he approached, only to find a small commotion taking place.

"No matter if you are a representative of the Goddess Cult, I won't tolerate any further insults!"

"No, it's not an insult. I'm telling you I detected an abnormal reaction! If you don't trust me, we can call another notary. Though I'm not sure who would be more trustworthy than a Saintess for identification!"

There was an argument between Saintess Tara, the representative from the Goddess Cult, and Princess Ebra, the second princess and representative of the kingdom delegation.

"Saintess Tara, what's going on?"

"Ah, Your Majesty. Congratulations on your marriage. The issue is... I detected dark magic from the kingdom's princess."

"...?"

Images of Crownhall 100 years later and the United Kingdom flashed through Irid's mind. No, this was fiction.

No matter how famous the Mad Magician was for taking down dark mages, he couldn't have predicted this far in reverse.

Second Princess Ebra stood firm against the pressure from the Empire's people, loudly proclaiming her innocence.

"Dark magic?! How rude! I merely add a technique of slightly squeezing my soul when using magic!"

"That is precisely dark magic."

"Hieeeek?!"

*Thud!*

The princess wore an expression as if the sky was falling.