Chapter 92
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Not a Battle of Wills, But a Heartwarming Aura Fest (3)
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The conversation, which had dragged on briefly, came to an end when 2nd Princess Hedera curtly asked about their well-being. For now, Teder and Anes were sent downstairs.
In the end, only Zekiel and Hedera remained.
'Anes dropped the ball on the small talk.'
Zekiel pondered quietly to himself.
The atmosphere wasn't great, thanks to Anes inadvertently ruffling Hedera's feathers on her way out, but it wasn't entirely incomprehensible. Anes had always been stone-faced, sticking strictly to protocol.
To put it simply, she could be a bit oblivious at times.
That was when Hedera finally spoke.
"Now, just a few questions for the Inspector."
"I'll answer to the best of my ability, no matter what."
"During this expedition, you apparently performed admirably while dressed in family attire."
"... "
The very first question was a tricky one.
He'd anticipated some awkward tension in the air, but he hadn't expected the princess to fixate on that detail.
'Or maybe I should consider it a stroke of luck.'
Recalling the atmosphere back at the palace, the other princesses must have noticed it too. At least only Hedera was bringing it up.
"Perhaps something with your exclusive secretary—"
"Teder grabbed some clothes in a rush, but all that was left were the family garments we'd distributed during the disaster relief. I had no choice but to wear them."
"Hmm."
"I had to conceal my identity, so there was no helping it."
He emphasized no choice as much as possible.
It wasn't a lie, so his conscience felt clear. Perhaps his sincerity got through, as Hedera nodded in understanding soon after.
"Well... I suppose that makes sense."
Hedera's expression softened noticeably.
Was this more of a concern for her than the Imperial Magic Tower's performance report? The 3rd Princess was probably fuming too. He'd need to be even more cautious moving forward.
At least the misunderstanding seemed resolved for now.
But Hedera wasn't done speaking.
"Inspector."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Mind if I give you one simple task?"
"Of course, Your Highness."
Hedera blinked slowly.
"You don't even ask what it is—you just agree right away. My Inspector."
"Because it's your command, Your Highness."
"...I truly appreciate that."
Her voice softened just a touch.
"It's easy. All you have to do is say the first word that pops into your head. Whatever I say, you just voice the very first thing that comes to mind."
It sounded straightforward enough.
But Hedera added cautiously,
"What if I use Word Command?"
"That's fine by me."
Submitting to Word Command might feel unsettling, but he doubted it would dredge up anything unsavory. Better to allow it and earn her trust.
Hedera slowly lowered her mask.
"My Inspector, from now on, say the first word that comes to mind after hearing mine."
At the same time, the distinctive aura of Word Command enveloped him.
'It's stronger than before.'
Hedera's mastery of Word Command had leaped forward in power. She wasn't the only one growing stronger by advancing her realm—Zekiel wasn't alone in that.
"Let's begin."
"Yes."
Zekiel nodded, steeling himself inwardly.
If a truly dangerous question came up, he'd resist the Word Command as best he could. Something along those lines.
But...
His worries proved unfounded—the questions were a breeze.
"Teder?"
"2nd Princess's secretary."
"Anes?"
"My secretary."
"Imperial Magic Tower?"
"Workplace."
"1st Princess?"
"Scary."
"...Good. Last one."
Hedera took a steadying breath, fixing him with a serious gaze. What kind of question warranted this?
Finally, Hedera parted her lips.
"Me, Hedera."
Whoooong—!
Suddenly, the Word Command intensified several times over, bearing down on him. Hedera had cranked it up massively.
'...!'
Caught off guard, he couldn't resist, and his mouth blurted out the first thought in his head.
"...Happy?"
The moment the word escaped him...
The air around them shifted palpably.
The cold stare she'd shown until now was gone, replaced by warm, gentle eyes fixed on him.
"Right on. You really are my Inspector."
Hedera finally smiled.
"...You did well. My Inspector."
Downstairs from the conference hall.
'Somehow, I made it through unscathed.'
Relieved at clearing the biggest hurdle of the expedition, Zekiel suddenly received an apology from Anes.
"Inspector, I'm sorry. I seem to have unintentionally upset 2nd Princess's mood."
"It happens."
"It was my first time meeting someone so esteemed. If I've caused you any trouble, I truly apologize."
Zekiel waved it off casually.
"I'm fine, like I said. If you're really worried, just do even better next time you see Her Highness."
Only then did Anes sense something off.
'...Why am I apologizing to the Inspector?'
Thinking about it, it was strange. Strictly speaking, it was 2nd Princess who'd been offended. She should have apologized to her, if anyone.
No, she needed to go further back.
'Why did I act like that in the first place?'
Anes was a woman who lived by the manual.
She knew better than anyone Hedera's status, and her head was full of protocols for treating such nobility.
Suppress the self. Obey the intent. Show proper respect... She'd flagrantly ignored every single one.
She hadn't erased her sense of self.
Why?
Anes's question boiled down to just that.
She valued and cherished following the manual above all—why, just why had she broken it?
'...Because of the Inspector?'
She pinpointed the cause immediately. It was Zekiel.
The woman who'd navigated life solely by scripted responses was, for the first time, acting on her heart's impulse. Her life was changing.
Was the Inspector gradually reshaping her world?
...It felt utterly foreign.
Anyway, putting stray thoughts aside, Anes asked,
"Inspector, what do we do now?"
"Well... We could head back right away without issue."
"Pardon? But the exchange presentations haven't happened yet."
Anes tilted her head slightly.
"Leaving without participating feels off, doesn't it? Though joining wouldn't help much either. The Yellow Tower only has your achievements—no real presentation material."
She shot him a puzzled look, but...
He returned one even more baffled.
"What better presentation material is there than that?"
Zekiel jerked his chin toward one corner.
Teddy Divine's corpse dangled from the tip of an ice spear, with a purified demon sword resting beside it.
"We can just use that."
"Ah..."
...Now that she thought about it, yeah?
"The presentation dilemma is solved. So, we head back to the Yellow Tower immediately?"
"Anes, what would you do in my shoes?"
"Hm."
Anes spun her cube with one hand.
"We've reaped massive gains, and even the awkward presentation is sorted... I'd probably return quickly to avoid any mishaps."
"Nope, can't do that."
Zekiel shook his head firmly.
"Satisfied with this much and heading home? No way."
"... "
Anes blinked with a blank expression.
"...There's more to gain here?"
"Obviously."
Zekiel nodded.
"We haven't seen their secret techniques yet, have we?"
"Ah, the secret techniques...!"
Anes exclaimed unusually. But she still tilted her head, doubts lingering.
"Inspector."
"Yeah."
"When extracting and recording the Blue Tower's magic, didn't we use duels?"
"We did. Though it wasn't our idea."
"Up until then, there was this undercurrent ignoring the Yellow Tower, with zero trust in us. But hasn't everything changed now?"
Anes twirled her cube with a flick.
"No one seems eager to challenge us anymore."
"My secretary sure says some frustrating things often."
Zekiel prodded the back of Anes's neck with his iced palm. She let out a startled "Eek!" and shuddered violently.
"Wh-what are you doing?"
"Magic isn't something you only see in fights, right?"
Zekiel muttered as he stepped forward.
"Everyone, listen up!"
An ice spear plunged vertically into the center of the round table.
"Take ten minutes to rest, then present for each Magic Tower. Prepare your best."
"... "
...Such a simple solution?
Had Anes been overcomplicating it?
No. Not at all.
...The Inspector was just making the impossible look effortless. Every time, without pause.
Anes quietly observed the other towers' reactions.
And she was stunned.
Distressed faces, expressions she'd seen before.
Just like academy students facing a nightmare group project.
"...Amazing. Truly amazing."
There was nothing else to say.