It Was Her After All

Nilari City, wilderness.

Night pressed heavily over the surroundings. Insects chirped from the jungle from time to time, accompanied by the roars of wild beasts.

Inside an abandoned Hunter's Wooden Cabin, a dim Illumination Stone hung from the ceiling, barely casting a faint halo of light.

Several figures sat around the cabin.

After briefly exchanging information,

the man seated by the door, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, said, "The Prince will soon be giving a speech in Central Plaza. You all know about that, right?"

"Choosing this time to give a speech, claiming it's to calm the people—it's really to lure out the person secretly killing officials." The speaker paused before adding, "Of course, that Prince suspects us."

Someone asked, "So is this speech real or fake?"

"It definitely won't be the Prince himself. They must have made preparations and are waiting to draw out the person in hiding."

"It depends on whether the real one will take the bait."

"I don't think he'll show up. If he could silently capture two Level 18s, how could he fail to see through such a trick?"

The group spoke in low voices.

The woman opposite them said, "The Second Prince truly does need to calm the people under him, but not the commoners. He needs to calm the powerful and wealthy people in the city."

As she spoke, she took out a crumpled piece of parchment. Suspended in the smoke, it drifted down onto the wooden table in the middle.

"This is today's list of noble merchants leaving the city. He may be hiding safely, but the other officials don't see it that way. If we kill the speech's Body Double, even more officials and nobles will leave the city. Then this city won't be able to function anymore."

Everyone in