Chapter 98
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Zekiel 223.38 (5)
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Doppelganger.
Something that looks exactly like the original person, a harbinger of bad luck. There was a famous superstition that encountering one would bring misfortune.
"..."
I slowly furrowed my brow.
Not misfortune exactly, but displeasure for sure.
How would it feel to discover the version of myself from the mirror strutting freely through the world? It felt unfamiliar and strangely off-putting.
But soon enough, I noticed a subtle difference.
'It's a little different from the current me.'
The first sense of incongruity was the timeline.
The fake Zekiel didn't perfectly match my current appearance. Strictly speaking, it looked like me from about ten years ago?
There was definitely a youthful innocence on his face.
Thud— thud—
I observed the fake Zekiel as he entered the chamber. The similarity in his movements, the precision of every gesture—it was incredibly sophisticated, just like staring into a mirror.
'High chance it's someone who knows me very well.'
Meanwhile, the other members began chattering noisily.
"The leader's here. Guess it's time for the real start."
"Reindeer Antlers was always gonna end up like that. Way too cocky. This is supposed to be a friends-only spot, you know."
One of them even approached me.
It was a woman whose face was covered by an opaque muslin veil. She whispered just loud enough for me to hear.
"Hey, how'd you pull it off?"
"Pull what off?"
"What do you mean? You know exactly what."
The veiled woman glanced around once, then pressed even closer, lowering her voice further.
"Something like interfering with the world or abusing it... some shady trick, right? I'm really into that stuff. Spill it. I'll make it worth your while."
"What."
It was absurd. No matter how pristine she pretended to be on the outside, deep down she was itching to tread the impure path.
"I'll give you more than you can imagine. So—"
"Live a decent life. Just be decent."
I clicked my tongue and tuned her out.
Right at that moment.
"Quiet."
Snap!
As the fake Zekiel snapped his fingers, the door slammed shut and everywhere except around the round table plunged into darkness.
"Let's begin. Secret assembly."
"Six people? Feels just right-nyang."
All six of us stood at even intervals.
The fake Zekiel locked eyes on the cat-head man, then jerked his chin toward me, silently asking who I was.
"Ah, new member-nyang. Clashed with Reindeer Antlers, won the duel and booted him out—"
The cat-head rattled on at length, but the fake Zekiel shook his head plainly, as if that wasn't the issue.
"Assembly rules. Explained?"
"Ah, right...! I'll explain right now-nyang!"
As the cat-head finished his formalities and hurried over to me, I pondered quietly.
'His speech patterns don't resemble mine at all.'
It was odd. He copied my appearance and mannerisms perfectly, yet his way of speaking didn't match in the slightest.
Two possibilities.
First, no full intent to impersonate me, so he deliberately varied the speech.
Second, my natural speech was too distinctive to mimic properly.
"Hey, new member-nyang."
The cat-head spoke up.
"First time, so you probably don't know... Secret assemblies always have a theme-nyang. No matter how clever you are, without info on the theme, you can't join."
He tapped the round table.
"No pretending to know either-nyang. The virtual world taps into every part of your brain, so lies show up on the table right away and you're busted..."
Not just blurting random knowledge, but gathering info on a set theme, then sharing. Far more organized than I'd imagined.
'This is seriously legit.'
Anyway, that made the theme the most crucial part.
"What's the theme for this assembly?"
"Hmm, pretty tough one-nyang..."
The cat-head scratched his head.
"This time's theme is none other than the Empire's princesses-nyang."
"...Princesses?"
Totally unexpected.
I'd figured with magic tower info floating around, it'd be discussions on magic or demon realm politics. Never dreamed it'd be the princesses.
Misreading my silence as rejection, the cat-head nodded sympathetically.
"Too hard, right-nyang? Come back next time."
"No. This guy's got it covered."
Someone else jumped in with the answer.
It was the fake Zekiel.
Our gazes met pointedly in midair. Holding a conversation face-to-face with myself—what a bizarre sensation.
"Why do you think I know it well?"
"Your alias. His Imperial Majesty's name."
The fake Zekiel nodded toward my alias.
"Impersonation alone is a massive crime. But failing to live up to the name? Even bigger sin."
He even shrugged at me, as if to say, right?
"Isn't it?"
I shrugged right back at him.
"Well, yeah, probably. Lucky for me, it's right up my alley."
Blustery words, but no lie. In the entire Empire, no one knew the princesses better than I did.
And so the assembly began.
"Like last time, I'll go first."
The first volunteer was a man with a massive compass where his head should be. Virtual avatars allowed for all sorts of wild ideas.
"The 4th Princess has been raking in the pots lately."
4th Princess Chain.
Continent's top magnate.
The round table glowed golden.
I understood instinctively. This was the mechanism verifying if the speaker's words rang true.
The members' reactions were predictably sour.
"...4th Princess scooping up money? That's old news-nyang. Any stray dog could bark that out."
"Unbelievable. We doing this today?"
"Everyone calm down first. Hear me out to the end."
The compass-head's voice carried a relaxed confidence.
As if utterly certain he'd dropped something huge.
"Didn't I say 'pots'? The princess who made her gold through legit business is now sweeping the casinos clean."
The members just blinked in skepticism.
I wasn't impressed yet either.
"Hmm... Warning us to steer clear of the gambling dens-nyang?"
"Guess I'll have to skip that trip I was planning."
The compass-head smirked at their responses.
"Oh dear... You guys are way too in the dark."
He promptly raised a single index finger.
"The key isn't how much she's making. It's why she's suddenly going after every pot. And I've got that intel!"
That was when the fake Zekiel showed his irritation.
"No time. Make it quick."
"Haha, understood. One guy at the scene overheard the 4th Princess herself. Truly priceless words."
"...Quick."
"Dowry! She's aiming to gather a dowry!"
A heavy silence descended.
"..."
Only after a long moment did the members react.
"Dowry?"
"Marriage? The 4th Princess is gearing up for a wedding?"
"That actually make sense..."
But the doubts didn't linger.
Shaaa—!
The round table glowed golden again.
"...!"
"No way!"
The compass-head savored their shock and shrugged.
"Hitting every casino, no bet too big or small, scooping it all up. Planning to buy the whole continent for her bridal trousseau or something..."
"..."
I, meanwhile, showed no reaction.
Or rather, I couldn't.
The truth the table verified was too staggering.
'The 4th Princess is preparing a dowry?'
And with whom?
No need to overthink it.
My marriage proposals had gone out to all five without fail. Which meant...
'Me.'
No one else but me.
She was preparing to marry me.
Still, why the desperate money grab? Her current fortune could steamroll any ordinary wedding.
...Meaning this wasn't going to be ordinary. My head was already starting to throb.
"Magic towers better tighten up."
"No kidding. Who knows what excuse she'll use to squeeze gold out of us. You all know her personality."
The members' chatter barely registered.
That was when.
"My turn this time-nyang."
The cat-head cleared his throat with a hem-hem.
"Good thing it doesn't overlap. My info's huge too-nyang."
I strained to listen with every ounce of focus.
'Glad I joined this secret assembly.'
The thought looped in my mind a hundred times over.