Chapter 100: Ezekiel 223.38 (7)
Chapter 100: Ezekiel 223.38 (7)
✦ Chapter 100 – Ezekiel 223.38 (7) ✦
「Translator – Creator」
𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝
*Shaaaaaaaaaa—!*
The round table blazed with a golden light, confirming the truth of the fake Ezekiel’s words.
Treason.
The Fifth Princess was plotting treason.
For Ezekiel, it was nothing less than astonishing.
Back when he lived in the Imperial Palace, what kind of person was the Fifth Princess?
‘I don’t think I ever saw her leave the library.’She was rather introverted, but more importantly, she had no interest in anything other than magic scroll research. She was content with her secluded life.
Which was why this piece of information was so shocking.
What kind of treason could someone who never even left the library be plotting? He couldn’t even begin to fathom it.
“The round table is glowing! It’s not a lie!” shrieked Cat-face.
“…The Fifth Princess? Treason?”
“What exactly is she planning?”
It wasn’t just Cat-face.
Every member was reeling from the shock.
‘I need to know what kind of treason she’s plotting.’
Ezekiel fell into thought.
It was necessary to understand the nature of the treason.
Was she simply after the throne, coveting the Emperor’s power? Or was it something more sinister, something that threatened the peace of the entire continent? The two were vastly different.
“Well, before we get ahead of ourselves…”
The fake Ezekiel turned its gaze to the real Ezekiel.
“The new member’s information. That comes first.”
Suddenly, all eyes were on him, as though they’d just remembered something important.
Compass was the first to speak up.
“It’s only natural for the new member to reveal his information first, but I must have forgotten in all the excitement. Forgive me. My mind’s a bit fuzzy today.”
“Indeed. You’re right.”
Their gazes were filled with anticipation.
It was only natural.
The information they had heard today was earth-shattering. They were expecting Ezekiel to deliver something equally shocking.
Ezekiel thought for a moment.
‘The topic was about the princesses, right?’
It was somewhat tricky to think of something to share on the spot.
Something shocking, but not already mentioned, and wouldn’t reveal his own identity… But surprisingly, the contemplation didn’t last long.
A piece of information came to mind immediately.
It was uncertain if it was appropriate to share, but it was crucial to take the upper hand in this council of secrets. It could be a useful leverage for the future.
“There used to be… six princesses.”
*Shaaaaaaaaaa—!*
The round table gleaming gold was the start.
That much was expected.
However…
“Wh-What?!”
“Huh…?”
The magnitude of shock received by everyone was far beyond what Ezekiel had anticipated.
• • • ₪ • • •
Originally, there were six princesses in the Imperial family.
There was an eldest daughter, born before Ether, but the Emperor had given her up as part of a pact with the Demon King.
Ezekiel chose to use this piece of information deliberately.
Though she was once a princess, her whereabouts were now completely unknown, and there was no practical way to use this information.
‘Even if they knew this, there’s nothing they could do about it.’
This was the key point.
His goal was to reveal something shocking that would leave the members stunned, but also something they couldn’t possibly exploit.
It was a gamble that had paid off handsomely.
“There was another princess…?”
Cat-face, unable to hide its astonishment, gaped at him.
The others were equally bewildered.
“…So there were actually six princesses in the Empire?”
“Where is this princess now?”
Questions were thrown at Ezekiel from every direction, but he remained firm.
“I believe that’s enough for now.”
He needed to hold on to some of his cards.
It would make things easier when he had to deal with them later.
“…Very well.”
The fake Ezekiel nodded.
“Then let’s return to our previous topic. The Fifth Princess.”
All eyes were back on the fake Ezekiel.
Perhaps due to the barrage of shocking revelations, no one objected to the abrupt change in topic.
“…What exactly is she planning?”
“The Fifth Princess who rarely shows her face?”
Ezekiel focused on that particular point.
If it wasn’t a simple power grab, but something that threatened the peace and stability of the Empire itself…things would be far more complicated. It had the potential to plunge the entire Empire into chaos.
Finally, the fake Ezekiel spoke.
“The Green Tower… It has a barrier that prevents demonic energy from leaking into the human realm. It was created by the Fifth Princess.”
“You mean the intricate barrier? The one with thousands of smaller barriers interwoven together?”
“The Green Tower partially overlaps with the Demon Realm. We would’ve been in deep trouble if it weren’t for the Fifth Princess, meow.”
The fake Ezekiel nodded solemnly.
“That’s right.”
The Green Tower…and the Fifth Princess’s renowned barrier.
It was called a barrier, but it wasn’t a single entity. It was a complex web of countless interlinked barriers, woven together like a puzzle, resulting in an impenetrable defense.
“Actually, there have been issues with some of the barrier fragments for a while now. But the Fifth Princess…she hasn’t done anything to fix them.”
“…………..”
A heavy silence fell over the room once more.
The fake Ezekiel’s statement, though brief, carried significant weight.
It implied that the Fifth Princess wasn’t simply aiming for a power grab; she was a threat to the entire Empire, to its very peace and stability.
“Th-Then what should we do, meow?! If the barrier falls, the damage would be unimaginable…!”
“The Green Tower’s in deep trouble. Of course, if we look at the bigger picture…we’re all screwed.”
Questions and concerns were thrown about, but the fake Ezekiel remained silent, only blinking with a certain intensity.
He then added a single sentence.
“That concludes today’s meeting. We’re done here.”
And with that, he abruptly left the meeting.
“Ugh… leaving us with nothing but earth-shattering news and no answers… I don’t even know where to begin, meow.”
It was true.
Information was only valuable if it could be utilized, but the fake Ezekiel’s revelations were like scorching embers, burning with potential but offering no immediate solution.
Cat-face clutched its head in distress.
“What…what should we do, meow? Should we exchange an additional piece of information each? I don’t want to end things like this…!”
Every member had already shared their piece of information.
It seemed they could choose to remain and continue exchanging intel if they so desired, but…
The response was lukewarm at best.
One of the members shook his head.
“I’m going to call it a night. After hearing those bombshells, I can’t even begin to think of what to share…”
“Y-Yeah, I feel the same way. Ugh… guess that’s that, meow.”
As the general consensus swayed towards ending the meeting, Compass was the only one who remained relatively composed.
He turned to Ezekiel.
“It seems everyone’s ready to call it a night. What about you, new member? Are you leaving as well?”
“Why? Hoping for some overtime?”
“Hahaha, it’s more like…begging, really.”
Compass rubbed his hands together.
“You seem to be quite knowledgeable… Perhaps you even have an idea of how to deal with the Fifth Princess’s treason. If you wouldn’t mind sharing your thoughts…”
That’s when Ezekiel felt a prickle of unease.
“Ahem…”
“Hmm.”
They all averted their gazes, coughing awkwardly. Except for the fake Ezekiel, no one had actually left.
It clicked.
They were desperate for any scrap of information he might have.
It was all thanks to the impact of his revelation. If it had been something ordinary, he wouldn’t have received such a request, let alone be treated with such deference. He could sense he’d already secured a relatively high standing within this gathering.
However…
‘The problem is…I have no idea either.’
The news about the Fifth Princess plotting treason was a complete surprise to him as well.
He needed time to organize his thoughts. He couldn’t possibly come up with a solution on the spot.
But he couldn’t just admit he had no answers.
“This gathering…rather dull without the Host.”
With those words, he stood up and left.
Why was the Fifth Princess planning treason? How should he deal with it? What should he do next?
His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
• • • ₪ • • •
Immediately after leaving the virtual world, better known as the ‘Black World,’ Ezekiel received a carrier pigeon bearing a message from the Imperial Palace.
‘Not the scribe… but the Emperor himself?’
This was practically unheard of.
To think he’d receive a message personally written by the Emperor…
‘What could it be about?’
He hesitated a moment before unsealing the message.
Was it another mission? Considering how the Emperor usually treated him, that was the most likely scenario.
But high expectations led to bitter disappointment. He reminded himself not to get his hopes up, but a flicker of anticipation stubbornly refused to be extinguished.
And then, he read the message.
“……..…!”
Ezekiel stared at the message, stunned.
[The Sun Elixir is ready.]
Just a single line, but its implications were earth-shattering.
— End of Chapter —
Translator’s Notes :-
We finally reached the 100 chapter mark!!!
⚘ ⚘ ⚘