Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 137

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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 137
I had organized this before, but there were two methods for summoning demons.
One was summoning a weakened main body, and the other was calling forth a soul and possessing a single entity with it.
Gregory fell into the latter category. While it had the advantage of not requiring magical power afterward, it carried the troublesome disadvantage of potentially being betrayed by the possessed host.
The former method, conversely, demanded enormous magical power and was difficult to maintain. If magical power ran short, the summoner’s own power would be drawn upon.
So what I chose was this.
“Setting a contract period and summoning them. It’s a form of temporary dispatch, in a sense.”
In the basement of the manor, within the wine cellar.
I looked around at the people listening intently, blinking their eyes.
Ivan and Ruslara, Liribel who was quite fond of dark magic, and Chloe.
I had brought only those who understood demon affairs, excluding those ignorant of them.
Then, Liribel, brimming with enthusiasm, raised her hand and asked a question.
“Your Highness! What changes when you set a contract period?”
“First, there’s no need to maintain magical power, and you can suppress their autonomy by issuing limited commands.”
For example, if I issued a command like ‘protect me for the next week,’ the moment that requested period ended, the demon would be free.
However, if I set the summoning period to match that duration—one week—the demon would return the moment the command ended, significantly reducing the risk.
“Ah, so you save magical power while solidifying command authority! And if you issue limited commands, the binding force would increase too!”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
I hadn’t even mentioned binding force, yet she understood remarkably well. Could it be that Liribel was secretly studying dark magic on her own?
I cleared my throat and continued.
“Anyway, with this method, summoning multiple demons becomes possible. It’s like hiring mercenaries as demons to guard the domain.”
Then Ruslara asked in a cautious voice.
“But what about your magical power? Even if it requires minimal magical power, for you to handle it alone….”
“I can manage this much. My magical power has increased considerably recently.”
Even after visiting the City of the Baron of Golden, my magical power had been steadily increasing. At this rate, it seemed I’d reached about ten percent of my previous life’s capacity.
At that level, summoning dozens of demons was entirely possible.
“The real problem isn’t magical power—it’s what kind of demons appear. If any of them refuse to follow my commands, you’ll need to help me.”
Command authority wasn’t omnipotent. There certainly existed demons willing to endure pain and cause a disturbance regardless.
When summoning one at a time, those I had connections with often appeared, but with multiple summons, I couldn’t predict who would show up either.
Only then did the two of them realize their role, and their expressions hardened.
They seemed worried whether they could actually defeat demons.
I laughed briefly and spoke.
“Don’t worry. With your current strength, you should be able to handle most demons that appear.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“I will live up to your expectations.”
I nodded with satisfaction and channeled my magical power across the magic circle carved into the ground.
All the materials necessary for the summoning had been prepared by Grid. As if he had been waiting for this very moment, he already had everything ready.
He must have anticipated that I would summon demons again someday.
‘Well, who will come to me?’
I concentrated my mind. It had been a long time since I’d used magic this intricate, so I was nervous about making a mistake.
*Click*
The moment I finished channeling mana into the magic circle.
“…!”
An intense light exploded, bright enough to fill the entire wine cellar.
“Princess!”
Ruslara and Ivan, startled, simultaneously stepped in front of me. They drew their swords and stood guard against the entity rising from the magic circle.
As the light faded, its form finally became visible.
“…Mold?”
A brief silence fell. What had been summoned wasn’t a giant fungus, but rather enormous fuzzy spheres that resembled one.
And those fuzzy spheres writhed and breathed slowly, as if alive.
“Where is this?”
“It’s so dark and damp!”
“That makes it perfect!”
They huddled together and began chattering amongst themselves. Since their language wasn’t the Empire’s tongue, the others couldn’t understand them.
‘Sigh, why did these little ones have to….’
Recognizing their true nature, I approached the magic circle. Ivan, alarmed, tried to stop me, but I waved him off reassuringly.
“There’s nothing to worry about. I know these creatures.”
“Know them?”
“Yes, because these….”
I reached into the magic circle and pulled out one of the fuzzy spheres. Immediately, two long ears sprouted from its upper end.
“…A rabbit?”
Black fur, crimson eyes, and a plump form—the fuzzy sphere’s true identity was none other than an enormous rabbit.
“Sniff sniff, I recognize this mana from somewhere.”
“Really? A demon you know?”
“Who is it?”
As I lifted one up, the other rabbits gathered around my feet and began sniffing. Ivan hurried over but was soon blocked by the swarm of rabbits that had crowded in.
“Ugh, what are these creatures!”
“Be careful not to kick them. Their claws and teeth are incredibly sharp.”
“What exactly are they?”
“As you can see, they’re rabbits. They’re called Black Rabbits—servants of the Demon Realm.”
“Rabbits as servants?”
Ivan’s expression showed complete bewilderment. I wasn’t sure where to even begin explaining.
Fortunately, the Black Rabbits also seemed to need time to recognize my identity, so I began explaining slowly.
“Black Rabbits are versatile creatures, so they’re commonly employed as servants. They can use magic reasonably well, and their sharp teeth make them excellent cooks.”
“…Teeth instead of knives?”
I deliberately ignored Ivan’s skeptical gaze about the hygiene implications.
“They’re fairly powerful beasts, and their breeding rate is excellent, so if you take them in as family, they become quite….”
Realizing I sounded like I was advertising Black Rabbits, I stopped my explanation.
In any case, just as I was about to sum them up as creatures familiar to demons, my attention shifted to the other two.
Liribel marveled at how “the rabbits of the Demon Realm are so black!” and was already sketching the Black Rabbits in her notebook.
Meanwhile, Ruslara remained frozen in an awkward stance.
“Ruslara? What’s wrong?”
I approached, wondering if she disliked rabbits, but stopped short upon seeing the look in her eyes.
There was a peculiar heat smoldering in her pupils.
Looking closer, I noticed her lips trembling slightly as she muttered something under her breath.
“…it’s fine. So….”
Curious about what she was saying, I leaned in to listen more carefully.
“They’re so adorable. This is a disaster. I mustn’t touch them. But their ears are so big. Their bellies are so round. They’re cute, but I’m a Knight. I’m a Knight….”
‘Right, I won’t touch her.’
It seemed Ruslara had begun a battle with herself in a realm I knew nothing about. I wisely surrendered and stepped away from her.
“By the way, Princess, are these rabbits summoned Demons? What help could they possibly be?”
Ivan lifted one of the Black Rabbits at his feet. It was so massive that it completely covered his broad shoulders.
“Of course, they’re not the strongest among magical beasts, but they’ll still be quite helpful. In fact, they might be better than common riffraff Demons.”
“This rabbit? By magical power alone, it seems weaker than me.”
“Combat can’t be measured by strength or magical power alone. The reason is….”
Just then, one of the Black Rabbits that had been persistently sniffing at my shoes suddenly sprang up and cried out.
“I got it! This magical aura! This human is Lord Dina!”
“Lord Dina?”
“Lord Dina, you say?”
The Black Rabbits that had been wandering chaotically around the area suddenly swarmed toward me. There were more than twenty of them. I was instantly engulfed by Black Rabbits.
“Where, where!”
“It’s really him! Lord Dina!”
Having confirmed my identity, the Black Rabbits were so delighted that they began circling around me frantically.
‘Seeing that they recognize me, they must be the Black Rabbits that worked at my home. Thank goodness. Honestly, I couldn’t tell whether they were ours or belonged to someone else….’
For reference, “Dina” was a pet name used by those who knew me personally.
While I was reassured, I caught sight of Ruslara’s expression. Her eyes moved ceaselessly, tracking each rapidly darting Black Rabbit with obsessive persistence.
“Good heavens, mercy me.”
I decided to stop paying attention to Ruslara.
I cleared my throat and summoned the Black Rabbits. Of course, I spoke in the Demon Realm language.
“You’ve figured out who I am, haven’t you? Stop making a fuss and settle down.”
“It really is Lord Dina!”
“Yes, yes!”
The Black Rabbits all came to a halt. I surveyed them and spoke to Ivan.
“You asked how these rabbits could be helpful? Actually, they possess one ability superior to ordinary Demons, and that is….”
I switched back to the Demon Realm language and addressed the Black Rabbits.
“You there, the largest Black Rabbit. Step forward.”
One of them raised its short paw eagerly. I heard Ruslara cough.
“Forward!”
“Form four columns and assemble.”
“Assemble!”
This time, all the Black Rabbits moved in unison, their voices echoing together.
In an instant, they formed a perfect formation before me.
Ivan’s jaw dropped at the impossibly swift speed, and I spoke with a satisfied expression.
“Perfect organizational discipline more military than soldiers themselves. That’s the Black Rabbit’s greatest strength.”
And when it came to commanding an army, I was a commander more confident than anyone else in the world.

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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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