DxDanmachi: Voyager of Worlds Ability

Chapter 172: [169] : Spy in the Spotlight, Escape Plan or Endgame!



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Chelsea stood dumbfounded, watching the departing entourage. She was utterly bewildered.

How did she so inexplicably catch the Emperor's eye?

Could this impostor Emperor be a lecherous fiend?

At that thought, Chelsea's face showed clear resistance.

Beside her, her former roommates were seething with envy as they looked at her expression.

After all, which maid entering the palace didn't wish to be noticed by the Emperor?

But now, Chelsea, who had been chosen, displayed a look of rejection.

If it weren't for the Emperor's personal attendant standing nearby, they might have given her a good beating to vent their jealousy.

"Miss Alice, we should be going," the attendant said respectfully, knowing that Chelsea had gained the Emperor's favor. Even his address had changed to a more honorable one.

"Ah... yes!" Chelsea hurriedly followed after hearing the prompt.

And so, she walked alongside the attendant in the direction the Emperor's procession had gone.

Behind her, her former roommates called out:

"Chelsea, don't forget to come back and visit us!"

"Don't forget about us!"

"Be careful in front of His Majesty!"

Hearing their shouts, Chelsea turned and waved before facing forward again.

She no longer had the energy to worry about such trivial matters.

After all, she had more pressing concerns now!

As an assassin disguised by her Teigu's transformation ability, staying close to a strong fighter like the Emperor increased the risk of exposure.

When that happened, her life would be in grave danger.

"What should I do now?" Chelsea thought anxiously as she looked toward the distant procession.

❁❁❁❁

And so, quite inexplicably, Chelsea became Mika's personal maid.

Her duties involved staying by Mika's side at all times, handling various trivial matters for him.

Such a life was easy for Chelsea, given her rich experience in assassination and espionage.

Being close to Mika also allowed her to easily gather important information.

During this time, Chelsea met the new Prime Minister, Mellie, and the new Grand General, Airmid.

Both were rare beauties.

Watching their interactions with the Emperor, Chelsea couldn't help but suspect that they had special relationships with him.

However, she also sensed complicated emotions in their gazes toward her, which puzzled Chelsea.

But these matters weren't her primary concern.

What mattered was that, over time, she gradually gained Mika's trust.

"So, you'd like to request some time off?" Mika didn't stop writing as he heard Chelsea's request beside him.

"Yes," Chelsea replied, kneeling respectfully on the ground.

Although it was rare for palace maids to get leave, as Mika's trusted personal attendant, Chelsea had previously been granted permission to leave the palace to visit her family.

After all, the identity she had assumed—Alice—was a native of the capital.

"Very well, I approve," Mika said calmly without looking up.

"Thank you for Your Majesty's kindness!" Chelsea said excitedly.

Finally, she had a chance to pass on the intelligence she had gathered.

❁❁❁❁

"Ahh!"

After packing her belongings, Chelsea let out a deep sigh.

"I can finally leave this place!"

She murmured to herself.

As Chelsea said, once she left this time, she wouldn't return.

During her time with Mika, she deeply understood how dangerous he was.

She had followed him to a secret workshop within the palace.

There, young but incredibly skilled craftsmen forged weapons of astonishing quality.

Chelsea had witnessed Mika take one of these sharp weapons and stab it into himself.

But instead of injuring him, the blade shattered.

Everyone present was stunned.

Chelsea had broken into a cold sweat from shock.

Incidents like this were just some of the dangers she encountered in the palace.

To her, the palace was exceedingly perilous.

Besides, she had already gathered all the intelligence she needed.

There was no reason for her to stay any longer.

"I'll just leave quietly."

Hoisting her bag onto her back, Chelsea headed toward the palace gates.

At the gate, the guards, already informed by other attendants, watched her leave with respect.

No one thought to inspect her belongings.

In the current palace, who didn't know that "Alice" was a woman favored by the Emperor?

Thus, Chelsea left the palace without any hindrance.

Gazing at the outside world, so different from the palace, she couldn't help but smile.

"I'm finally out!"

"Why did you take so long to come out?"

A sudden voice shattered her smile.

With a look of horror, Chelsea saw Mika jump down from one of the stone lions flanking the palace gate, walking toward her with a grin.

"Your Majesty! What are you doing here?" Chelsea exclaimed.

"Just out for a stroll," Mika replied lightly. "Didn't you know? I occasionally like to wander around."

"But what if you encounter danger?"

Stepping back into her role as "Alice," Chelsea quickly asked.

"Danger?" Mika's smile grew more confident.

"There are few in this world who can harm me!"

Hearing Mika's boastful words, Chelsea's heart skipped a beat.

What he was saying hinted at revealing his true identity.

Was he no longer planning to hide it from her?

Did that mean she wouldn't be able to escape in the future?

Thinking of this, Chelsea became even more desperate to shake off Mika and make a quick getaway.

"Then why is Your Majesty waiting for me here?" she asked.

"No special reason. I just thought of you suddenly and decided to wait," Mika said, his face full of smiles.

"Since we're both here, why don't we take a walk together?"

With that, he led Chelsea forward.

"But Your Majesty, I need to go home," Chelsea protested.

"You can go home anytime. For now, accompany me for a while," Mika said firmly, grabbing her hand and leading her from the palace gates into the bustling streets.

Feeling his grip and noting Mika's somewhat domineering behavior, Chelsea stopped resisting.

She silently followed Mika as they walked through the streets.

❁❁❁❁

And so, under Mika's insistence, the two strolled through the city.

"Hmm, this food is quite good!"

Mika stuffed various snacks into his mouth, his hands full of treats.

He kept sampling the capital's local delicacies.

"Slow down, Your Ma—"

"Just call me Mika!"

Seeing Chelsea struggle with how to address him, Mika said casually.

Hearing this, Chelsea was momentarily stunned.

This name didn't match the Emperor's name she knew.

In other words, this wasn't an alias the Emperor had adopted—it was the impostor's real name.

This realization made Chelsea conflicted.

The Emperor trusted her so openly.

"Understood... please slow down, Mika."

Taking out a handkerchief, Chelsea wiped the corners of Mika's mouth, cleaning away the grease.

Her movements were practiced and natural—this was part of her daily duties.

Mika smiled and continued leading her forward.

As they walked, Chelsea suddenly noticed that there were fewer and fewer pedestrians around them, until no one else was nearby.

"What's going on?"

Looking around, Chelsea began to panic.

This was the bustling market area in the morning—the time when the streets were the busiest.

But now, everyone had disappeared.

Such an eerie situation filled Chelsea with immense fear.

"Don't be alarmed," Mika's calm voice soothed her anxious heart.

"With me, the world's greatest warrior, here, what's there to fear?"

"Besides, I'm the one who made this happen!"

"Huh?"

Chelsea looked puzzled.

When she heard the first part of Mika's reassurance, she felt comforted.

But the latter part destroyed that feeling.

Yet, she also felt relieved.

"You did this, Mika? How did you manage it?"

In response to Chelsea's question, Mika chuckled. "Of course, with a Teigu!"

"But it's a new Teigu!"

"A new Teigu?"

Hearing this unfamiliar term, Chelsea thought for a moment and recalled Gabriel.

"Are you referring to Lady Gabriel?"

"That's right, it's her!"

With Mika's confirmation, Chelsea murmured to herself, "So the rumors are true?"

While working beside Mika, she had heard such rumors.

The Emperor was collecting Teigu, aiming to reverse-engineer the technology within them.

The one capable of such feats was the mysterious figure hidden within the palace.

As for this "mysterious figure," Chelsea had, of course, met her—when she delivered Teigu to Gabriel.

Thinking back, who else but her could accomplish such things in the palace?

"This Teigu is called 'Disperse the Idle'!"

As he spoke, Mika took out the magical device crafted by Gabriel—'Disperse the Idle'—and began to explain to Chelsea.

"Using this Teigu allows you to disperse people within a certain range, ensuring that no common individuals are present."

"Those who can resist this suggestion are top-tier experts."

"To be honest, I think this Teigu is best suited for assassination."

"That way, during operations, there won't be any eyewitnesses, since everyone has been driven away."

"I see," Chelsea said, her interest piqued after hearing Mika's explanation.

But soon, she looked intently at Mika.

"So, why did you use this Teigu to disperse the people around us?"

"Of course, I have something to do," Mika admitted readily.

"Alice, you must have already seen through my identity, right?"

"..."

"Just as I thought. But that's okay; I never deliberately hid it. The fact that you've discerned it shows your intelligence."

"Is Your Majesty planning to silence me?" Chelsea asked calmly, gazing at Mika.

Though she didn't want to die, as an assassin, she was prepared for death at any time.

"Of course not. I told you, I've never hidden my identity," Mika smiled.

"In the past, this nation fell into darkness and despair under Minister Honest's control."

"To change that world, my companions and I orchestrated everything to transform the Empire and give its people a chance to survive."

"And now, we've succeeded."

"I'm not like Honest; I won't kill to silence others. But I can't leave you without any precautions."

With that, Mika pulled out a seal.

"Give me your hand."

At his command, Chelsea reflexively extended her palm.

Mika then stamped the back of her hand.

To her surprise, the mark vanished instantly.

"What is this?"

Clutching her hand tightly, Chelsea asked urgently, staring at her now unmarked hand.

"This is another Teigu controlled by Mellie. After stamping this seal on you, your location will appear on the map she holds."

"With this Teigu, she can monitor your whereabouts at any time."

Mika then deactivated 'Disperse the Idle' under Chelsea's stunned gaze.

"Alright, you can go home now!"

He waved and walked ahead.

"But be sure to return on time tonight; otherwise, I'll personally bring you back."

With laughter, Mika's figure gradually disappeared from Chelsea's sight.

She was left standing there, feeling as if she'd fallen into an icy abyss.

❁❁❁❁

"There's no escape for me now?"

After witnessing the effects of 'Disperse the Idle,' Chelsea no longer doubted Mika's words.

This meant he had her completely under his control.

But that wasn't the most pressing issue.

What mattered was whether her true identity had been discovered.

Chelsea strongly suspected that she had been found out.

But she couldn't be certain, which left her feeling extremely uneasy.

If her identity had been exposed, then all her actions were just a show for him.

But if he hadn't realized it, admitting it herself would be walking into a trap.

Thinking this, Chelsea felt a headache coming on.

But soon, she made a decision.

She'd set aside other concerns for now.

She needed to quickly pass the intelligence she had gathered to Najenda of Night Raid.

However, she couldn't head straight to their base.

After all, Mika was still in the city. If he was secretly watching her, she'd be in grave danger.

"In that case, I should head 'home' first."

With this in mind, Chelsea began walking toward Alice's residence.

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