Chapter 99: Ezekiel 223.38 (6)

✦ Chapter 99 – ​Ezekiel 223.38 (6) ✦

「Translator – Creator」

????

Cat-face cleared its throat, a confident smirk spreading across its face.

“The First Princess has postponed her return to the North, meow.”

A wave of murmurs rippled through the room.

“…The First Princess? The one who loves the North more than anything?”

“Who will defend the front lines then?”

Cat-face, unfazed by the flurry of questions, calmly replied.

“It appears she has something more pressing to hunt in the Imperial Capital than mere monsters, meow. This should be of great interest to the Magic Towers.”

The members nodded in unison.

“Does this mean a powerful monster is hiding somewhere within the Capital? Finding it quickly will be crucial. It might even be an opportunity for us to gain a foothold…” one mused.

“Imagine the uproar if we were to subtly imply that we aided the First Princess in her hunt. We should definitely investigate this further.”

Excitement crackled in the air as they delved into a lively discussion.

Sёarᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Ezekiel, however, remained silent.

Because he knew.

He knew exactly what they were talking about.

‘The prey is me. It has to be me.’

There was no doubt in his mind; the First Princess’s target was him. Her words from their last encounter, their last chase, echoed vividly in his mind. 

— …Very well. If I catch you, I will wring everything out of you.

Should he flee the capital? Or should he wait and face her wrath? Neither option was particularly appealing.

‘…This secret gathering is surprisingly useful.’

No, it surpassed mere usefulness.

While other mages considered how to utilize this information for the benefit of the Magic Towers, Ezekiel was deep in thought about something far more primal.

…Survival. 

The simple, desperate need to survive.

“It’s rather peculiar, isn’t it? That all of our information is completely unrelated. I suppose it’s my turn. I have some information regarding the Third Princess.”

It was the veiled woman’s turn next.

“It seems the Inquisitors have begun specialized training.”

“Specialized training…!”

A collective gasp echoed throughout the room.

The implications were clear as day. The Inquisitors were preparing for something. Something big.

Worry tinged their voices.

“Why would the Inquisitors suddenly…? Does this mean a large-scale inquisition and purge is imminent?”

“Yes, it seems so. The Magic Towers need to be careful….”

“I suggest you keep a close eye on the mages under your command. There’s no telling where a demon might be hiding.”

They all seemed to be worried about demons.

But Ezekiel… he had other concerns.

‘…Surely, she doesn’t have other intentions?’

He suddenly recalled Solana’s warning. 

— Stay away from other women.

— If not…

— I’ll be forced to punish them myself.

Several women flashed through Ezekiel’s mind — Tether, Agnes, Seina… He had spent a lot of time with them during this trip. He hoped nothing bad would happen.

…He’d have to make sure he kept Solana happy.

And at that moment…

“Huh? Wha…?!”

Cat-face sputtered, its eyes wide with surprise.

It stared, dumbfounded, at the fake Ezekiel.

“I didn’t notice it before, but now that I see it… the Host looks exactly like the Imperial Magic Tower’s Inspector! You know, the one who caused such a stir at the exchange meeting!”

The realization spread through the members like wildfire.

“You’re right!”

“Now that you mention it, it is the Inspector’s appearance.”

“Is it actually him…?”

The fake Ezekiel quietly shook its head.

“No.”

“Then…?”

“We’re acquainted. That’s all.”

Ezekiel narrowed his eyes at the word “acquainted.”

It confirmed they at least knew each other, but who could it be?

Someone who knew him well enough to imitate not only his appearance but also his mannerisms.

He started narrowing down the possibilities.

‘Could it be…?’

There was one princess whose way of speaking felt somewhat similar.

— Teacher, it’s time for bed.

— I can’t sleep alone. We have to sleep together.

— Teacher, Teacher….

He shook his head. Surely a princess wouldn’t be here, right?

“Hmm, it would be rude to pry further…”

Ezekiel inwardly hoped more information about the fake Ezekiel would be uncovered, but the members refrained from asking further questions.

Virtual reality was a complicated place.

While some might model their virtual selves after people they admired, far more chose to use it for…less noble purposes.

For example, creating an avatar that looked exactly like their enemy. That way, any misdeeds committed in the virtual world would tarnish the reputation of their real-world counterpart.

Perhaps that was why they refrained from asking about their connection.

They simply continued praising the Imperial Magic Tower’s Inspector.

“He was truly amazing, wasn’t he?”



“Absolutely incredible. To call it a landslide victory would be an understatement.”

It felt strange, hearing them discuss him so openly.

Ezekiel feigned ignorance, asking, “Was the Imperial Magic Tower’s Inspector that good?”

“Not just good, meow. He caused a complete upheaval.”

“An upheaval in the magic world? As busy as things may seem, this industry is usually quite dull and predictable.”

“…Did you sleep through the entire exchange? No, I’m certain you’ve completed the Specialization! You’re not a mage, meow!”

The faces of the other members were not much different.

He had inadvertently deepened the concealment of his identity.

After that, he had to endure listening to praises about himself for quite a while.

“What makes this Imperial Magic Tower Inspector so special is… well, usually Inspectors are all about barking orders but never actually lifting a finger themselves. But this one… he personally dealt with every single instance of wrongdoing. It’s been ages since we’ve seen such decisive action.”

“Is that so impressive?”

Wasn’t it just common sense?

Maybe the other Inspectors were just lazy?

That was the only explanation that made sense to him.

Compass beside him nodded in agreement.

“It truly is an extraordinary feat. It seems the rumors that he’d been inactive for the past 10 years were just a smokescreen, a carefully crafted deception. He was simply biding his time, sharpening his blades.”

“Well…I suppose you could see it that way.”

“It’s not a matter of ‘seeing it that way,’ it’s the plain truth.”

Ezekiel scratched his head.

‘It seems these guys were at the exchange meeting too.’

He decided he might as well take advantage of their enthusiasm and extract some information.

“So… most of the Magic Towers didn’t take their presentations seriously, did they? What was the point, with the Imperial Magic Tower dominating everything?”

“Exactly! That’s why we all hid our most groundbreaking research. We knew we couldn’t win, so we just went through the motions.”

“Smart move. Very smart.”

Ezekiel nodded, his mind racing with a scheme of his own.

“These guys need to be thoroughly investigated someday.”

He was starting to understand why the Secret Gathering had such strict rules against anyone associated with the Imperial Magic Tower; they were spilling valuable information left and right, practically begging to be exploited.

It was a gold mine for any Inspector worth their salt.

Achievements, all ripe for the taking, lay scattered around him like juicy, low-hanging fruit.

*Tap*

At that moment, the fake Ezekiel tapped the round table.

“That’s enough chatter. We’re running out of time.”

Silence immediately descended upon the room.

“The information I brought today, there are two pieces.”

“…Two?”

A collective gasp echoed through the room.

It was no surprise.

Each piece of intelligence the Host brought was incredibly valuable, and now he was offering two? They were practically vibrating with excitement.

“A-Are you serious? Two pieces of information?”

“Yes. Since the Inspector’s been mentioned, I thought I’d add one more.”

The fake Ezekiel nodded.

“The Imperial Magic Tower Inspector… he has a particular fondness for the Fifth Princess.”

It was an odd choice for a first piece of information.

Confusion was etched on every face, but the fake Ezekiel, unfazed, doubled down on his statement.

“No. It’s more than that. He adores the Fifth Princess. More than anything. Everything he does, he does for her.”

As the person in question, it was bewildering.

‘Did I really care for the Fifth Princess that much?’

The Fifth Princess, Neo.

The continent’s leading scroll researcher.

It was true that he cared a lot about her as a student, but he cared about all the princesses equally. There was no favoritism.

Even the round table’s light didn’t react this time.

*Whoosh… sizzle…*

A faint glow… No…

Well, it was glowing, but the light was unusually weak.

Most members looked hesitant, but since the information came from the Host, they couldn’t directly challenge it. They just reluctantly nodded.

“I suppose it’s something to keep in mind if we ever need to curry favor with the Imperial Magic Tower. Knowing his preferences is crucial.”

“…Y-Yes, meow. To think you’ve investigated the Inspector’s personal preferences… As expected of the Host.”

The fake Ezekiel nodded silently.

“Consider that last bit… a bonus.”

A serious expression settled on its face.

“The second piece of information… is the truly important one.”

The weight of his words hung in the air, intensifying their focus. Ezekiel was no exception.

And then…

The fake Ezekiel spoke.

“The Fifth Princess… she’s plotting treason.”

“─!”

Jaws dropped.

“W-Wh-What?!”

“Impossible…”



Shock. Disbelief. Utter astonishment.

They couldn’t, wouldn’t believe it.

In this atmosphere of disbelief,

*Shaaaaaaaaaaa—!*

The round table blazed with an intense, blinding light.