Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 109

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Pretending to Be Human: Episode 109

If one were to compress malice into human form, would it look like that?

Asmo-rina shuddered with revulsion, muttering under her breath.

“That thing is the Sun God? Impossible.”

Gregory shared her sentiment entirely.

The Sun God was arrogant, but not inherently evil. He never resorted to cunning schemes, which was why Asmodina had once aptly described him as a “foolish but honest deity.”

Yet now, such divine power was being wielded by something so thoroughly wicked.

‘Is this truly a reincarnation? Or has the Sun God fallen?’

My mind churned with countless questions, but this was no time to indulge such doubts.

‘In my current condition, fleeing won’t be easy. I must stand and fight here.’

Gregory suppressed his pain and spoke to Asmo-rina.

“I’ll take the front. Support me from behind. Be careful not to be caught in the light.”

“What? You’re going to fight?”

If the Emperor possessed the Sun God’s power, the Legion commanders could never withstand it. This wasn’t a matter of strength. It was the natural order—wood burns in fire, fire is extinguished by water.

The Sun God’s divine authority was fundamentally incompatible with the Demon Clan.

‘If only Asmodina were here…’

In ages past, Asmodina had been the only Demon capable of defeating the Sun God. As that memory surfaced and Asmo-rina was about to call upon her—

Gregory spoke first.

“We will handle this. We cannot call for aid.”

“…!”

Despite their poor relationship, they had stood on countless battlefields as comrades. Asmo-rina understood Gregory’s meaning immediately, and in that same moment, she berated herself for her foolishness.

‘That’s right—Asmodina is in a weakened state!’

Hadn’t Asmodina herself said she couldn’t come directly because she had grown weak?

Even if Asmodina were to arrive here now, there was no guarantee of victory. She might very well fall to the Emperor instead.

‘If she dies, that’s one thing—but that man covets our power. If Asmodina were to be captured….’

The mere thought was horrifying.

Asmo-rina closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again with resolve. She turned to Gregory and spoke with unwavering determination.

“Fine. Let’s do this.”

The fact that they had just been fighting no longer mattered. To protect those precious to them, neither needed words.

“Oho, so you won’t run away now?”

The Emperor’s lips curved upward as he observed their resolve.

“Excellent. A sharp blade performs its work well. Let me show you my power.”

Gregory glanced at his own shadow. As if perceiving his intent, something within the shadow stirred.

‘You’ll be in danger too. Go back.’

The presence within the shadow hesitated briefly, then slipped away like liquid toward the shadow of another tree.

Gregory exhaled a low breath.

‘I hope that spirit doesn’t relay unnecessary information.’

But there was no longer time to concern himself with other matters.

Gregory drew upon his mana, and Asmo-rina raised the sword she held.

“Come then.”

In the Outskirts of the Capital, deep within a forest where no one would ever venture.

The confrontation between the Emperor and the Demon had begun.

Gregory had been ambushed by the Emperor while fighting Asmo-rina.

I received this absurd report only after I had finished my meeting with Jeina and returned to the Separate Palace.

“…Again, explain it to me once more.”

I spoke to Grid. He furrowed his brow as if he too found it difficult to relay.

“Just a moment, Coco isn’t very skilled at speaking human language….”

It was Coco, Grid’s spirit, who had brought this information. Coco had remained in Gregory’s shadow after protecting Loreil’s subordinates, watching the situation unfold to the very end.

“First, explain the circumstances that led to this. That is, from the moment when Gregory and I discovered Loreil.”

“Ah—yes, that.”

Grid paused briefly to gather his words, then relayed how they had come to meet.

Gregory had been independently tracking Asmo-rina’s movements, and in the process, he had obtained information through Grid that she was colluding with a human.

So he and Grid had found the location, and there they discovered Loreil. The human who had allied with Asmo-rina was none other than Loreil.

‘I tried to kill him with divine power the moment we met, so why did I form an alliance with Rina?’

Such a question crossed my mind, but it wasn’t important now, so I listened intently.

By the time the two of them arrived at the scene, the alliance had already fallen apart, and Asmo-rina was attempting to attack Loreil.

In the process, Loreil chose to self-destruct, and Gregory prioritized protecting the two of them, or so the story went.

Self-destruction as a final card—it was an unexpectedly irrational choice for Loreil.

“Originally, that was the extent of the information I had gathered.”

“So you took Loreil to a physician, and the Emperor appeared on your way back to the Separate Palace?”

“That’s correct.”

Up to that point, I could understand. It was surprising that Gregory had acted without reporting to me first, but it wasn’t as shocking as what happened afterward.

“Coco described the Emperor this way: the one standing at the apex, cloaked in the power of the sun.”

Power of the sun so formidable that even Gregory had to retreat.

There was only one meaning to that.

‘The Emperor is wielding the Sun God’s authority?’

Upon reaching the rank of Legion Commander or Deity, one transcends magical power and gains abilities beyond it.

And the power to drain souls and obliterate magical essence—that was the Sun God’s domain.

‘That power cannot be used even by a devoted follower of the Sun God. Then… is the Emperor in a state of reincarnation or possession like me?’

It was utterly unbelievable. When I had seen the Emperor, I detected not the slightest trace of the Sun God’s former visage.

As my mind grew turbulent, Ruslara, who had been listening to the situation beside me, asked cautiously.

“Your Highness, what will you do? Given what Coco has said, this seems to be an urgent situation.”

‘She’s right. I don’t have time to deliberate.’

Gregory hadn’t sent me a request for aid. Likely to keep me safe.

But even if Gregory and Asmo-rina worked together, I doubted they could defeat the Emperor. The Sun God’s authority was an unfair power against the Demon Clan.

‘If I go, could I win?’

If I disregarded the body’s limits, my chances were sufficient. But what would become of me after the battle ended was painfully obvious.

My body, unable to withstand my soul and magical essence, would be torn to shreds.

“First…”

But I couldn’t abandon my Subordinate—my daughter. Just as I was preparing to march out, Grid stopped me in my tracks.

“Wait a moment, Princess. Surely you’re not thinking of going yourself?”

“That’s exactly what I intend to do.”

“Hmm, both Gregory and you—neither of you thinks like a soldier.”

Grid smiled bitterly and turned to Ruslara with a question.

“What do you think, Guard Knight?”

“…I oppose your departure, Princess.”

Ruslara’s expression hardened into stone as she stepped forward, blocking the doorway.

“Gregory faced that battle prepared to die. If you confront the Emperor here instead, you deny the very resolve he carried into that fight.”

“Life matters more than conviction, Ruslara.”

“No. For us, you matter more than life itself.”

“…”

For a moment I lost my words, my lips sealing shut. Then Grid interjected.

“I agree. I don’t say this out of some grand loyalty, but… honestly, even if you went to stop him, I doubt it would help much. Not that I’m saying you’d lose, of course.”

He wiped the smile from his face and continued in a grave voice.

“You would win, Princess. You always do. You’d fight until you coughed blood, until your body shattered—and you’d claim victory. And in the end, you’d die.”

“…At least I could avoid annihilation.”

“What good is that? Do you think he’d be happy surviving at the cost of your life? From what I can see, he’s a soldier who would take his own life if he thought it was his fault.”

It was an accurate assessment. Gregory had always said on the Battlefield that whenever danger arose, I should abandon him without hesitation.

“I never thought I’d be saying this to the Princess… but sometimes the greatest help is to do nothing. For his honor.”

I bit my lip. I couldn’t deny the bite of his words.

“Now, about that—”

Just then, the window of the room burst open and Ivan entered.

“I heard everything, but why do you keep choosing to fight? Isn’t there another way?”

The sudden remark silenced the room. Ivan frowned as if I were the only one spouting nonsense.

“I mean, there are options, aren’t there? Help Gregory and Asmo-rina escape, or persuade the Emperor with words. The Princess is quite eloquent, after all.”

Grid exhaled heavily, as if to make his point clear.

“Do you think it’s that simple? The Emperor can fly. And how exactly would you persuade him? Should we advertise that we’ve come to aid the Demon Clan?”

“Why are you being hostile? I was just suggesting that such methods might exist.”

“Don’t bring up ideas without solutions. I don’t know why I’m being treated the same as an Assassin.”

“You’ve been short with your words since earlier.”

The two quickly began bickering. Ruslara stepped forward to mediate.

In the midst of that commotion, a thought suddenly struck me.

‘That’s right. How didn’t I think of that?’

There was no need to fight to stop them.

I just had to make it impossible for them to fight.

I grabbed Ruslara’s arm.

“Ruslara! We need to go to the Main Palace right now!”

There was someone who would never overlook the corruption of the Imperial Family.

“There—I have to find Jeina!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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