Chapter 100
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Zekiel 223.38 (7)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Shaaaaaaa—!
The Round Table glowed with golden light. At the very least, it meant the words uttered by the fake Zekiel were unmistakably true.
Rebellion.
No less than the rebellion of the 5th Princess.
From Zekiel's perspective, it was nothing short of astonishing. Back in the distant past when he resided in the Imperial Palace, what sort of person had the 5th Princess been?
'I've never once seen her venture beyond the library.'
Her passive nature played a role, but the 5th Princess had never shown much interest in anything beyond her research on magic scrolls. For her, that life must have been quite fulfilling in its own way.
Which made this new information all the more telling.
What manner of rebellion could someone who never even left the library be plotting? He still couldn't quite grasp it.
"The Round Table is glowing...! It's not a lie!"
The cat head reacted with wide-eyed shock.
"...The 5th Princess is rebelling?"
"What exactly is this rebellion?"
It wasn't just the cat head. Most of the gathering's participants were frozen, shock etched plainly across their faces.
'I need to pin down exactly what kind of rebellion it is.'
Zekiel pondered quietly.
There was a pressing need to understand the rebellion's true nature.
Was it merely a bid for the emperor's throne, a grasp for leadership? Or was it something that threatened the peace of the entire continent? The two possibilities were worlds apart.
"Well, but before that."
The fake Zekiel's gaze shifted to Zekiel.
"The new member's information takes priority."
All eyes snapped to Zekiel in an instant. Their expressions suggested they'd overlooked something crucial.
The compass head shrugged first.
"It's only natural for a new member to share first, but the shock hit me so hard I forgot without realizing. My head's spinning today of all days."
"Come to think of it, nyang."
Everyone wore looks brimming with anticipation.
It was the expected sequence. Every piece of information aired today had been monumental, so they undoubtedly assumed Zekiel would deliver something equally explosive.
Zekiel mulled it over briefly.
'The theme was the princesses.'
Actually voicing it proved trickier than expected.
It had to shock, avoid overlap, and steer clear of exposing his identity. Yet surprisingly, the dilemma didn't drag on.
Something surfaced immediately.
He wasn't sure if it was fit to utter aloud, but claiming dominance in this secret conclave mattered most. He'd find ways to leverage it going forward.
"This empire originally had six princesses."
Shaaaa—
First came the Round Table's golden glow, as anticipated.
But then.
"Wh-what did you say?"
"Huh...?"
The shock rippling through the room dwarfed even Zekiel's expectations.
Originally, the empire's Imperial Family had six princesses.
There had been an eldest, born before Ether, but the emperor ceded her during his pact with the Demon King.
Zekiel had chosen this tidbit deliberately.
She was a princess once, but now even her whereabouts were unknown—no practical use for the knowledge.
'Knowing this changes nothing they can do.'
That was the clincher.
By dangling something shocking enough to stun every participant yet utterly unusable, his gambit paid off.
"There was another princess, nyang...?"
Starting with the cat head, who made no effort to mask her astonishment, the agitation was downright chaotic.
"...So the empire had six princesses in total?"
"Where is that princess now?"
Questions poured toward Zekiel, but.
"This should suffice for now."
Zekiel cut off any further probing decisively.
Better to hold the cards if he could. It would serve him far better in wrangling these folks later.
"...Fine."
Only then did the fake Zekiel nod.
"Back to the 5th Princess, then."
All attention swung to the fake Zekiel. Amid this barrage of bombshells, no one minded the whirlwind topic shifts.
"...What sort of rebellion, exactly?"
"From the 5th Princess, who hardly ever shows her face?"
Zekiel zeroed in on that too.
If it wasn't a mere power grab but a threat to the empire's peace, the stakes skyrocketed. It could spell hell for the entire nation.
At last, the fake Zekiel spoke.
"The Green Magic Tower has barriers to keep demonic energy from leaking through. The 5th Princess's handiwork."
"That intricate setup? Thousands of tiny barriers interlocked..."
"The Green Magic Tower borders demon territory, nyang. Without the 5th Princess, disaster."
The fake Zekiel nodded solemnly.
"Exactly."
The Green Magic Tower's barriers—courtesy of the 5th Princess—were legendary.
Not a single barrier, despite the name. Myriad puzzle pieces linked into an extraordinary whole.
"Truth is, cracks have been forming in the barrier fragments for some time. Yet the 5th Princess hasn't lifted a finger to mend them."
"..."
Silence blanketed the room.
Short as it was, the fake Zekiel's words nailed it: this wasn't about a throne. It menaced the empire's very peace.
"Th-then what do we do, nyang...? A breach would mean unimaginable damage...!"
"Green Magic Tower's got flames licking their feet. Broader view? We're all screwed..."
Questions erupted everywhere, but the fake Zekiel merely blinked, saying no more.
Just one parting line.
"That's all for today's shares."
The fake Zekiel rose and departed first.
"Ugh... Dropping thunderbolts and bailing like that, nyang... No clue what to do now."
Not wrong. Information's worth lay in utility; his bombshell was just an untended spark.
The cat head clawed at her hair.
"W-what now, everyone? Trade one more round? Can't just end it like this...!"
All had shared once. Extension seekers could linger and swap more, sure.
But the reception was lukewarm.
One participant shook their head.
"I'll call it here today. That intel was all too huge—continuing, I'd draw a blank on what to offer."
"Y-yeah, true. Ahh... No helping it, nyang."
Consensus to wrap built swiftly. Amid it, only the compass head stayed unflappable.
The compass head turned to Zekiel.
"Mood's shifting to adjourn. New member, your call? Pulling out now?"
"Hoping for overtime?"
"Haha, closer to begging."
The compass rubbed his palms.
"You strike me as info-rich. Bet you know how to handle the 5th Princess's rebellion. If you're game, even a word..."
That's when Zekiel sensed unease.
"Ahem..."
"Hm."
Coughs and averted gazes all around. Save the fake Zekiel, no one had budged.
He got it at once. They craved even a scrap.
His bombshell earned this deference—unthinkable otherwise. He'd climbed high in the pecking order already.
Only hitch.
'Trouble is, neither do I.'
The 5th Princess plotting treason stunned even him. He needed time to process. No snap answers.
Couldn't just admit ignorance outright.
"Without the host, this gathering's a snooze."
With that, he exited.
Why the 5th Princess harbored rebellious dreams. How to counter. Next moves.
His thoughts churned.
Right after breaking free from the virtual realm 'Black World', Zekiel received a messenger bird from the Imperial Palace.
'Not the scribe—the emperor himself?'
Exceedingly rare. A personally penned imperial missive.
'What's it say?'
He hesitated before the seal.
Fresh orders? Given the emperor's usual handling, likely.
Expectations bred letdowns. Zekiel cautioned himself repeatedly: Don't get hopes up.
Yet anticipation clawed upward, unshakable.
Then he read it.
"...!"
Zekiel stared, electrified.
[The Sun Solution has been prepared.]
One line. Monumental import.