Chapter 91: The Price of Order

In truth, Eve had not burned herself. The flames she wielded were a controlled concept of combustion.

As the wielder, she could prevent her summoned fire from igniting her or her clothes, allowing it only to generate warmth for herself.

However, the intense heat and combustion consumed the air around Eve, making it exceptionally thin. She was practically holding her breath to maintain this state, barely staving off the numbing cold.

Thus, enveloped in flames, she pressed forward, step by step, through the biting wind and snow, closing the distance to the Snow Princess.

Since her domain had been compressed to the point where long-range attacks were impossible, she would simply close in and deliver the flames personally. The fire that enveloped her could also serve as a protective shield.

Onlookers watched in stunned silence. How desperate was this lecturer to win?

They couldn’t believe she would resort to such an undignified, unsightly method, attempting a suicidal attack on the Snow Princess.

The Snow Princess observed her for a moment, then shook her head. “Your fighting spirit is commendable. Unfortunately, some gaps cannot be bridged by sheer desperation.”

She slowly raised her left hand, holding it level. Suddenly, a dazzling bolt of lightning erupted from her palm, transforming into a spear forged from pure electricity. Jagged arcs of crackling power ceaselessly flared from its shaft, hissing and spitting.

Eve froze. The surrounding students also froze.

The students from the Ivory Tower’s specialized classes widened their eyes in shock.

The root of a class’s power lay in matter, in what was known as the elements. Manipulating the discharge of matter, wielding lightning, was an feat only Grand Magisters of the Fifth Order could achieve.

Even then, they could only briefly summon a single arc of electricity to strike a designated location. Professor Roman, the head of the Ivory Tower’s specialized department, was merely at this level.

His lecturers could not even accomplish that. Yet, the Snow Princess had materialized lightning, grasping it firmly in her hand!

“You still have a chance to surrender,” the Snow Princess repeated to Eve, her expression unreadable as she gripped the lightning spear.

Eve paused, then silently continued to approach the Snow Princess.

The Snow Princess no longer hesitated. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled the lightning spear.

Though she threw it with little force, a thunderous boom instantly followed. The lightning spear transformed into a crooked, branch-like flash, grazing Eve’s body.

It then erupted against the distant arena wall, leaving a charred, cracked fissure.

Eve convulsed violently, immediately collapsing to the ground, twitching and unable to move.

“Damn it…” Eve, against all odds, had not lost consciousness. She struggled to raise her head, glaring at the Snow Princess.

The lightning spear had not pierced her, but it had easily breached her fiery barrier. The current that swept through her body as it grazed her instantly paralyzed all her muscles.

In the surrounding stands, some clapped, others cheered, celebrating the Snow Princess’s overwhelming victory.

Alice Liddell, watching from the stands, stared wide-eyed at the scene. She didn’t yet fully understand the specific abilities of each ‘Mage’ order, but one thing was clear:

The Snow Princess was incredibly powerful, likely at least a Fifth, or even Fourth, Order Mage. To make an enemy of her would pose a considerable threat.

However, the Snow Princess glanced around. The power of the lightning she summoned was so immense that even a graze could be life-threatening.

In the instant the lightning spear was thrown, she distinctly felt its power being somewhat suppressed. That was why Eve had not lost consciousness.

In other words, someone had used their ability to control this domain, interfering with her power.

‘Hmph, wearing a mask, hiding behind the scenes. How irritating.’

She quickly surmised who was behind it.

****

Meanwhile, within the entrance passage.

‘Ultimately, you couldn’t resist saving your subordinate’s life, could you? Hmm…’

‘She can control lightning, and even briefly materialize it. She can also summon natural disasters on such a large scale…’

The old man stroked his beard, adding, ‘There’s no mistake. The Snow Princess of the Winter Kingdom is actually a Fourth Order Elemental Lord.’

“I had already guessed as much,” Prince Kleiman said, unfazed.

“How was it? Did my Eve perform adequately?”

“Indeed, she’s a mad dog. She dares to bite and refuse to let go, even against an opponent two orders above her own.”

The old man chuckled softly. “Very well. A soldier so reckless with their life does hold some cultivation value. You may go retrieve her.”

“It’s fine. Within my domain, she won’t die anytime soon.”

Prince Kleiman did not move. Instead, he brought up another topic. “Teacher, the investigation into that killer seems to be making slow progress. Even students from the Sacred College have become victims by now. If it comes to it, how about I take over?”

“No matter what, you are a dignified prince. Such matters should not be handled by you personally. The case of that killer is more complex than you imagine.”

“This killer, wielding demonic power, appeared very suddenly. I believe their power might have been granted by someone else. You know, the Abyssal Cult has always been active in the Imperial City.”

The old man continued, “More than the killer themselves, the source of their power is what we should be concerned about.”

“Do you think the person or organization behind them assigned them to kill everywhere?”

“No, there’s no benefit in such actions. The cases discovered so far clearly bear the style of a single perpetrator. At the very least, the organization that granted them power is not directly involved in these acts of terror.”

“On the contrary, if this killer continues to murder, it would be troublesome for those behind them. I think it might be the opposite: the killings are the perpetrator’s own arbitrary acts, and the entity behind them might even be trying to stop them.”

“Are you intentionally delaying the capture of the killer?” Prince Kleiman turned to look at the old man, the smile finally fading from his face. “More victims will appear.”

“Is it really that serious? This killer has taken four thousand innocent lives in a month. That number is simply negligible compared to those we’ve killed,” the old man replied nonchalantly.

Prince Kleiman fell silent.

As an Inquisitor, he was well aware of the countless souls unjustly condemned within the Inquisition.

“I taught you this: if you became an Inquisitor to see the dark side of this country, you must be prepared. Our responsibility is to dirty our own hands to maintain order in this nation, even if it means abandoning our conscience.”

The old man’s voice was utterly devoid of emotion. “Your Highness, after Gulana was killed by the Red Queen, you had one less competitor within the Inquisition. But in my opinion, you are still not suited for this path.”

“Your abilities are perfect. All you need to do is shed that tiny bit of unnecessary morality. Only then can you unhesitatingly sacrifice those who need to be sacrificed.”

“How cruel. Must such sacrifices truly be made?” Prince Kleiman asked, his voice low and melancholic.

“That is simply the cruel reality. Our history has proven it countless times: order can only be established upon the sacrifice of a few,” the old man’s voice was as hard as steel.

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