Ezekiel was accompanying Ilaref.
“What’s it like to be the center of the chaos in the Imperial Palace? It’s becoming harder to avoid hearing about the Inspector, huh? Must be a new experience for you.”
“…Finish talking about the Goddess.”
“Oh dear, have I been rambling?”
Ilaref shrugged her shoulders.
“First of all, the Goddess is alive. There are three Princesses, and since there was hardly any resistance from the Goddess, capturing her wasn’t difficult at all.”
Acrne showed little to no resistance?
Was it for Ezekiel’s sake? It seemed plausible. Looking back at the words and actions, that was the only possibility.
“Thanks to that, the Tribunal is extremely busy. Even capturing a single High-ranking Fiend requires careful decisions, and now a Demon has come willingly? That’s unprecedented.”
“….”
Ezekiel suddenly scanned his surroundings quickly.
There were many figures from the Imperial Family blatantly watching Ezekiel and Ilaref. Was it really okay to spill such crucial information so easily?
But soon he understood.
‘Invisibility?’
Despite walking quite noticeably, it seemed no one from the Palace had recognized Ilaref. She must have used a skill to conceal her identity.
It was as if Ilaref read Ezekiel’s mind and spoke.
“You don’t need to worry. I’m His Majesty the Emperor’s right hand, and it’s only natural for me to conceal my identity while acting. I believe it should be easy for you to understand, Ezekiel.”
Is it that now Ilaref was doing the kinds of things Ezekiel used to do while hiding his identity?
Understanding that part was easy. Even though she was becoming quite famous now, looking back at Ezekiel’s life, the time spent hiding his identity was much longer.
With that understood, he moved on to the next question.
“Where is His Majesty the Emperor?”
“I believe he is in negotiations with the Demon Lord.”
Ilaref replied shortly.
“There has been a tremendous incident, so to avoid it escalating into war, the high-ranking individuals must wrap things up. I don’t know what conditions will be attached to this.”
“Conditions….”
Ezekiel found that word to be ominously suggestive.
When the Demon Realm War had ended, the Emperor had handed Acrne over to the Demon Lord. Was it possible that this time too, something tragic would occur in a similar fashion?
“Can I ask about those conditions later?”
“Well, I really don’t know anything about that.”
She didn’t seem to be lying. The only option left was to confront the Emperor later and ask directly.
Ezekiel moved on to the next topic.
“How is the state of the Princesses?”
“They’re perfectly safe, not a single hair harmed. However, I’m not sure if I can say their condition is okay.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“All the Princesses had a meeting with the Goddess once. I don’t know what they talked about, but their expressions leaving the meeting room were not good. They looked very grim.”
“….”
The Princesses had the chance to talk with Acrne?
Ezekiel suddenly imagined the conversation that could have taken place in the meeting room, starting with the 1st Princess and Acrne.
—What is your relationship with the teacher?
—….
—Hey, I asked what your relationship with the teacher is.
—What? The bug can talk….
‘Ah, no way.’
Ezekiel hastily shook his head.
He just hoped that nothing worse had come up during the conversation between the Princesses and Acrne.
“Is there any way I could know what kind of conversation took place…?”
“Alright. I’ll tell you the rest indoors.”
Ilaref entered a building in the Imperial Palace.
However, even Ezekiel, who was very familiar with the geography of the palace, had never seen this building before. No matter how hard he tried to remember, this place never existed.
Once inside, he saw desks lined up in a row with people tightly packed around them. Papers were fluttering from the tops of the desks to the floor.
Then, everyone stood up abruptly, showing respect.
“Welcome─!”
Ezekiel quickly scanned the key figures present.
‘There are calluses only between the index and middle fingers.’
Everyone gathered seemed to be scribes—those who wrote professionally and took notes for their lords.
“Ilaref, what is this place?”
“As you can see, these are scribes, and this has been newly established. They focus solely on you, Ezekiel.”
“On me?”
“Yes.”
Ilaref nodded.
“Given your rapid accomplishments and the sheer amount of work you do, it was inevitable to set this up. With a small number of scribes, it was impossible to record quickly and thoroughly.”
As Ezekiel followed Ilaref deeper into the recording department, he felt the gazes of the scribes. Surprisingly, they all looked at Ezekiel with admiration.
“That’s Ezekiel… It’s my first time seeing him in person.”
“His features are beautiful. He doesn’t look like someone who’s been through the battlefield.”
“The person behind the recorded events is finally here… It’s gratifying to write about his achievements in print.”
It was always a refreshing feeling to feel this way.
Suddenly, he recalled the past.
—Ezekiel, you handled that matter a bit too roughly, didn’t you?
—I had no choice for the sake of completion.
—The scribes are really struggling. If you commit murder, it’s the scribes’ job to make it look presentable, so do a better job from now on.
Though they told him to prioritize mission completion, they still pressed him with criticism once he succeeded. Ezekiel remembered being treated that way back then.
In reality, the scribes were notoriously finicky.
In the end, history is recorded, right? Thus they held considerable power, so it was surprising to see their admiration directed at Ezekiel now.
“Thank you, everyone.”
Ezekiel deliberately spoke respectfully to the scribes as a bid of gratitude, hoping they would write favorably about him.
Maybe due to the long period of being a nobody, he had a desire to leave a good record and be remembered.
“Did he just greet us…?”
Fortunately, it had a good effect.
The scribes were surprised but very happy.
As they walked along, they soon reached the innermost part of the recording room, a very secretive reception room was revealed. Ilaref and Ezekiel faced each other and sat down.
“I’m going straight to the main point. Is that alright?”
“That’s what I was hoping for.”
“Good.”
Ilaref nodded and grabbed a thick stack of documents. The text was densely packed.
“We’ve accurately recorded accomplishments including rescuing an entire city’s worth of citizens, annihilating one of the cities in the Demon Realm, and single-handedly defeating a Demon.”
As he adjusted his spectacles, he continued to speak carefully.
“Firstly, these achievements have been recorded clearly. The testimonies of the freed individuals will serve greatly, and you should receive significant rewards.”
“Does that mean those processes are already completed?”
Ezekiel asked curiously.
Was the recording department actually genuine? He hadn’t said a word for a week due to being bedridden, yet they already seemed to know extensive details.
“Yes. From now on, you’ll find it quite convenient. The recording department will automatically handle everything as you go about your activities.”
He adjusted the rim of his spectacles again.
“In the near future, you will need to pass judgment on the betrayal of the Purple Magic Tower… Hmm, perhaps it’s better to postpone that topic for now. It seems this is the most crucial issue.”
Ilaref swiftly shuffled away the immensely thick stack of documents, leaving only a single page behind.
“Let’s talk briefly about the Princesses.”
His expression turned very serious.
“The 1st Princess, 2nd Princess, and 3rd Princess… Each of them has asked me to inform you as soon as you regain stability. It’s not less than an urgent matter.”
“Stop.”
Ezekiel interrupted Ilaref.
“We started to discuss the Goddess, but I feel like we’re wandering off track. You said you wanted to get to the main point; why are you now changing the subject?”
Ilaref raised her eyebrows in response.
“Hmm? You seem to be misunderstanding something. What I am currently discussing directly relates to the Goddess.”
“I don’t understand.”
“At the meeting with the Princesses, it seems the Goddess expressed her feelings for you quite excessively. The Princesses are understandably concerned about that.”
“….”
Finally, the situation he worried about unfolded.
If the conversation had merely been intense, it would have been a relief. But Acrne had gone so far as to express her feelings.
“….”
Cold sweat started to form.
His mouth went dry in an instant.
“You likely hope that the Goddess wishes for her own life. However, this also depends on the Princesses. The Tribunal operates independently, and only the Emperor and the Princesses sit atop it.”
At that moment, an ill-omened thought flooded his head.
Ilaref hinted at him.
“Ezekiel, there is indeed a solution.”
“…A solution?”
“Yes. Aren’t you forgetting something crucial? Why did the Princesses have to keep the Goddess alive? They could have killed her and simply informed you.”
Nothing came to mind immediately.
After some time, Ezekiel spoke.
“Ilaref, just tell me the conclusion.”
“Hahaha!”
Ilaref burst into loud laughter.
“Do you still have the five tickets for the Princesses? You must find the best way to use them. Only with all three Princesses’ agreement can you prevent her execution.”
The five Princess tickets?
Ah, it finally clicked.
That moment had indeed come for him to use them.
“By the way, the Princesses are looking forward to it immensely.”
“Uh….”
…How should I use this?
…What should I really do?
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