The three princesses stared blankly at Seina and Agnes.
Dun dun dun…
It was hard to grasp what was happening.
Kyaaa?! Kidnapped? Ezekiel?!
The very fact that Ezekiel had been kidnapped was astounding, and by demons no less?
Luckily, the princesses were well-versed in hiding their expressions.
While they didn’t show it outwardly, an indescribable confusion surged within their hearts.
Having risen to high status in the continent, the princesses had faced numerous foes and overcome many adversities.
Thus, they knew all too well how serious things could get when entangled with the Demon Realm.
With her hands clasped, Solana, the 3rd princess, spoke up. Her anxiety was palpable.
“…I’m not sure what’s going on here.”
At that, Agnes, looking somewhat embarrassed, chimed in.
“As I mentioned, the Purple Magic Tower has betrayed us, and the Inspector has gone to the Demon Realm to save the hostages.”
GASP!
A shock settled in the hearts of the princesses.
Seina, who was nearby, opened her mouth.
“We’ve been betrayed and lost the Inspector. I might not have any face left, but I came here to convey the truth despite the rudeness.”
She bowed her head.
“If needed, I will personally venture into the Demon Realm and throw my life away. Perhaps the princesses could offer some assistance…?”
Dum dum…
A march to the Demon Realm?
She wanted to do that right now!
But…
“The scale is just too massive.”
Solana thought to herself.
If they marched into the Demon Realm leading the Inquisition, it would indeed bolster their strength, but if such a number of people went, it would definitely escalate into war.
War.
During the last war with the demons, the continent lost far too much. The problem was that Solana knew Ezekiel’s character all too well.
Solana, have you lost your marbles? Just dying for me is enough…!
Having known Ezekiel since childhood, she pictured him saying those words in her mind.
He would rather put himself in danger than let things spiral out of control. Because that’s the kind of man Solana admired.
“What on earth should I do?”
Even the 2nd princess, Hedera, looked similarly serious, as if she was calculating something. Just then, none of the princesses found it easy to speak.
“I’ll go.”
The 1st princess, Ether, stood up.
“I’ll go directly to the Demon Realm, stomp them flat, and bring back my teacher. I’ll set out right now.”
Her eyes were fierce.
There was a mix of overwhelming power, determination to save Ezekiel, and a hint of fury.
While Agnes and Seina’s expressions brightened slightly, Solana and Hedera couldn’t feel the same.
Was a direct confrontation really the best option?
It was still too early to jump to conclusions, and they feared that Ezekiel might be in even greater danger.
The 2nd princess, Hedera, took a deep breath and spoke as calmly as she could.
“I understand the 1st princess’s feelings.”
Ether’s eyes rolled toward Hedera.
“But rushing in would be reckless.”
“Why? Are you scared of taking risks?”
With that, Hedera met Ether’s gaze straight on.
“I’m a selfish woman, but right now I’m prepared to face any loss. You’re not the only one wishing to save the Inspector.”
“What do you mean?”
“Charging in recklessly doesn’t guarantee the Inspector’s safety.”
Hedera continued calmly.
“We need to approach this cautiously. We have to suppress our rising emotions and create a meticulous plan to move quietly.”
“Aha, so…?”
A vein popped on Ether’s forehead.
“What, are we just going to sit around planning while our teacher might be suffering in the Demon Realm? Is that your idea?”
“…1st princess.”
Hedera let out a deep sigh.
“The demon realm can communicate. We can figure out what they want and negotiate. Recklessly storming in isn’t the answer.”
Ether bit her lip.
Of course, she understood Hedera’s warnings. But right now, she was determined to eradicate everything that conspired against Ezekiel, even at the cost of her soul.
“2nd princess, this is where our differences become clear.”
“Differences?”
“You’re discussing negotiations as if dealing with an object. How foolish. Even if emotions run high, it’s right to use all our strength to retrieve him. At the same time, those who kidnapped our teacher should be punished.”
“Stop with the emotionally charged nonsense…”
Just as Hedera was about to snap back, Ether slammed her fist down on the table.
BAM!
The once sturdy table cracked and splintered, causing even the ground to tremble with a CRACK!
“Ezekiel was kidnapped! How can I think rationally?! The only response should be to lash out with everything we’ve got!”
At that moment, Solana finally interjected.
“Let’s both settle down.”
The 3rd princess had her eyes closed, hands clasped as she prayed briefly for Ezekiel’s safety.
All eyes were on Solana, and after a moment, she calmly continued.
“To save Ezekiel, the first thing we need to do is…”
“Hmm?”
Ether narrowed her eyes at Solana.
“We must first cooperate. While our strengths are considerable, if we stumble in different directions, we can’t unleash any real power.”
That was a valid point.
Though all the princesses desperately wanted to save Ezekiel, their personalities and methods were far too different, which posed a problem. They had never actually collaborated before.
“Cooperate, huh…”
Hedera nodded slowly.
“That’s a good point. If we keep bickering and can’t come together, we’ll just waste time, putting the Inspector in more danger.”
“Exactly. I’m glad you see it.”
“But how do we unite our opinions?”
An awkward silence followed.
Solana’s statement was undeniably correct, but whenever they tried to align their views, they found themselves back at square one.
What on earth should they do? What was the best approach?
In the midst of this dilemma…
“Greetings, princesses.”
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the meeting room. Dressed similarly to a butler and wearing round glasses, it was Ilaref, the emperor’s loyal aide.
Ilaref’s expression was unusually serious.
“You all must be discussing how to rescue Ezekiel. You may disperse now.”
The princesses’ eyes widened.
“…Disperse? How dare you tell us that?”
“I’m not ignorant of the princesses’ high status. However, this is an order from His Majesty the Emperor himself. Refusal would be considered treason.”
Ilaref’s gaze shifted to Seina from the Blue Tower and Agnes, Ezekiel’s personal secretary.
“You reported the news of the kidnapping to the Imperial Family. Please return to your magic towers. We must be mindful of the safety, as we don’t know what the Purple Magic Tower is plotting.”
“Are you just telling us to leave like this?”
Seina asked, unable to hide her shock, while Agnes chimed in, “We have an urgent matter at hand. What prompted His Majesty to… Ah?”
Suddenly, a sinister thought crossed Agnes’s mind.
“Could it be…?”
“Did His Majesty decide to abandon the Inspector? Is that why you’re telling us to disperse?”
That was a logical deduction.
The emperor, being more concerned about the continent than individual lives, likely wouldn’t hesitate to discard the Inspector to avoid conflict with the demons.
It seemed everyone shared Agnes’s eerie thought, as shock washed over their faces.
“Is it true? Is what the secretary said correct?”
“Ridiculous! How could the emperor make such a decision?”
“What on earth is going on?”
Everyone shouted in shock, while Ilaref simply blinked slowly.
His response was unexpected.
“The Inspector’s rescue will take place.”
Everyone’s head became filled with question marks.
The 1st princess, Ether, asked.
“It will? How?”
Ilaref fell silent for a moment.
After a brief pause, he said with uncertainty, as if debating whether to share this information.
“His Majesty the Emperor will go himself.”
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