Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 15

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Struggling to Pretend to Be Human Today Episode 015

After a long while, Ruslara finally opened her mouth hesitantly.

“An, an assassin, what do you mean by that…?”

Meanwhile, the captured intruder kept muttering to himself.

“This doesn’t make sense. How did you notice? It should have been perfect concealment… Just like last time…”

His tone suggested he couldn’t believe it at all.

Since the man I brought as a training partner didn’t matter much to me, I briefly explained the situation only to Ruslara.

“He suddenly snuck in this morning. He’s definitely not on our side, so you don’t need to hold back.”

I was always keeping watch around this open clearing, and that intruder was a nuisance who suddenly interfered today.

“That’s not the issue – didn’t you say I should hide my power?”

I whispered quietly so the intruder couldn’t hear.

“It’s fine, I never mentioned anything about your origins.”

“But what about swordsmanship?”

“I’d like to hide that too… but it’s not as important information as your origins.”

With assassins coming after me, I didn’t think I could keep hiding my sword skills forever. I’d be found out eventually anyway.

‘Of course, that’s not happening now though.’

I looked over the intruder with cold eyes.

“Besides, he won’t be leaving here alive anyway.”

That’s why I boldly continued training right in front of him.

If he tried to return, I planned to grab him by the scruff of his neck and deal with him before then.

The reason I didn’t deal with him immediately was because I hoped he might bring companions. If companions came, I intended to interrogate them together.

“Anyway, don’t worry. Once Ruslara’s training is finished, I’ll clean things up.”

Perhaps sensing something from the word “clean up,” Ruslara suddenly showed a resolute expression.

“No, I’ll do it. There’s no need to dirty Your Highness’s hands.”

“…If you say so.”

‘What admirable words.’

Hearing such loyal words after so long gave me a strange feeling. I smiled slightly and patted Ruslara’s shoulder.

Meanwhile, the assassin who sensed Ruslara’s killing intent frowned and looked at me.

“Don’t tell me you were discussing my fate?”

“Yeah.”

“How absurd. How dare you?”

“What exactly are you supposed to be?”

Getting captured in 3 seconds and talking like he’s some legendary assassin. At my words, the intruder’s face visible above his mask turned red.

“I am…”

Then he tried to say something but closed his mouth.

I wondered if the assassin was about to boast about himself, but he didn’t seem thoughtless enough for that.

Of course, I think being caught this easily already disqualifies him as an assassin.

‘He should have bitten his tongue the moment he was caught. Human realm assassins are so weak. In the Demon Realm, this would be unimaginable… Ugh, I need to stop.’

Constantly thinking of the Demon Realm is also a bad habit.

I shook my head briefly.

“Ruslara will handle your disposal. Try to endure it well.”

“Ha, that woman with just a pretty face is going to kill me? Ridiculous.”

He wasn’t intimidated even by Ruslara’s gorgeous appearance. At his confident attitude, Ruslara bit her lip as if frustrated.

“It’s okay, Ruslara. He’s a bit stronger than you, but you can win.”

“A bit? You’re kidding.”

Finally unable to contain himself, the intruder threw a dagger from his chest at me. He seemed to think he was taking advantage of a moment when I was distracted by Ruslara, but.

“…!”

It was useless against me.

I caught all four daggers with one hand. Seeing that each dagger was coated with different colored poisons, he seemed to be quite a meticulous assassin.

“Don’t interfere so presumptuously. I could kill you right now if I wanted.”

“Grk…!”

Deciding daggers wouldn’t work, the intruder threw his whole body at me in a charge. Ruslara panicked and tried to block his path, but I pushed her aside.

It seemed I’d need to break him in before training.

“A sandbag doesn’t need a tongue.”

“Gack!”

Before he could draw his weapon, I dove into his chest first and drove my fist into his torso. I put just a tiny amount of magic power into it, so an ordinary human would feel unbearable pain.

He dry-heaved and collapsed to the ground.

Thanks to that, his mask also came off, revealing a quite handsome face underneath.

Dark red hair and brown eyes, with an impressive long scar across his cheek.

“Listen well, assassin. You only have two choices.”

I crouched down in front of him and held up my fingers.

“One, die by my hand and meet your end quickly. Two, become Ruslara’s training partner and meet your end around this evening.”

“Hah, gasp, both options, end in death.”

“Of course. Did you think I’d let an assassin who came here with killing intent go free?”

If he had been a spy coming to gather information, I might have hesitated to kill him. There were plenty of such spies in the Separate Palace actually.

But someone determined to commit murder was a different matter.

I looked straight into the intruder’s eyes and said.

“If you came to kill someone, you should have thought of yourself as being on a battlefield from that moment.”

“…!”

Perhaps some magic power leaked out, as his body trembled.

‘Now he won’t dare act recklessly.’

I turned away from him and headed back toward Ruslara. Just as I was about to give instructions to continue training once the intruder recovered.

“Wait, hold on. Let’s make a deal.”

The intruder called out to stop me.

“You seem to not understand – there’s no point making deals with someone who’s going to die anyway…”

“I’m hired help. If I win, I’ll become your guard.”

‘What kind of nonsense is this now?’

When I looked at him incredulously, he spoke with serious eyes.

“I’ll prove that I’m more skilled than that woman. Then, you hire me.”

“What reason do I have to trust you?”

“I’m Black Hand of the Empire. I never lie about contracts. I’ll swear an oath if you want.”

I had heard of Black Hand before. It was supposedly a vicious assassination organization from the distant past, passed down like a fairy tale in the Empire.

“I don’t need money. I’ll serve you in exchange for my life. Of course I can’t tell you information about my previous employer, but instead you’ll gain an excellent subordinate…”

Since he kept spouting nonsense, I cut off his words.

“How am I supposed to trust someone whose job is killing people?”

“Th, that’s…”

“You seem to have pride in this organization called Black Hand, but killing people for money is an extremely vulgar thing to do. Get your head on straight.”

“Vul, vulgar…”

As if he never expected to hear such words, he gaped open-mouthed.

“As I said before, there are no choices. Instead of talking, save your strength.”

“Damn it, think about it carefully! You’re getting the Empire’s greatest assassin as a subordinate!”

Thinking that communication was impossible, the intruder suddenly raised his voice.

“You’ll regret this! I may look like this, but I’m the most successful assassin in Black Hand! Do you know how many nobles tremble just hearing my record!”

“What’s your record like?”

“I, I can’t say that!”

Perhaps his true nature came out as he became desperate.

Gone was any seriousness, and the intruder started throwing a tantrum like a child.

‘Actually, looking closely, he does seem kind of young.’

I hadn’t noticed because he was scowling, but I realized the intruder’s face was surprisingly young. He had that freshness of someone who just became an adult.

“Do you know how knowledgeable I am about the Imperial Palace’s layout? Right now in the Main Palace…”

“Ah, I thought so. You were also the one hiding by clinging to the greenhouse ceiling, weren’t you?”

“Ah, you knew?”

The intruder’s mouth fell open in shock once again.

His body type and movements were exactly the same as the intruder from that time, so naturally I recognized him.

The intruder seemed not to have expected even that to be discovered, muttering while biting his nails.

“It was already absurd that you found me back then, but I never thought you’d figure out we were the same person…”

Hearing this, Ruslara cautiously asked me.

“Your Highness, then is this person the one who fought evenly with the Empress’s guard last time?”

“That’s right. He’s probably a bit stronger though.”

“Then you’re saying I could defeat him…”

“I’m serious about that. As I said, there’s a slight skill difference between you and Ruslara, but it’s not insurmountable.”

Ruslara fell into thought for a moment, then spoke as if she had resolved something.

“Your Highness, I have a request.”

“Hm?”

“Would you consider taking this intruder as a subordinate?”

“What? Why?”

Then Ruslara approached my ear and whispered.

“Your Highness needs subordinates. Liribel and I alone are not enough.”

“That may be true, but…”

“If he’s an assassin capable of deceiving the Empress’s eyes, he’d also serve well as an informant. I felt it last time too, but Your Highness has far too little information.”

Ruslara seemed to have gleaned much from her conversation with the Empress.

Indeed, while I had somehow ended up cooperating with the Empress, it was a dangerous situation where I could be confined again if things went wrong.

If I had information, such a situation wouldn’t have arisen in the first place.

‘But still…’

While Ruslara’s words made sense, the intruder before me was still utterly untrustworthy.

“Have I, have I gotten weaker? That can’t be. I’m a very promising finger…”

How could I trust this intruder who was muttering strange things to himself in shock?

Then Ruslara added reassuringly, telling me not to worry.

“Your Highness, have you forgotten my race?”

“Ruslara’s… Ah!”

Only then did I remember.

Ruslara’s race, the Baobhan sith.

Their representative abilities were blood-sucking, disguise, and…

‘Mind control ability.’

In the army, Baobhan sith were also excellent interrogators.

‘Wait, wouldn’t this make me too much like the Demon Clan?’

Brainwashing an enemy spy.

Somehow I felt a sense of déjà vu, as if I had returned home.

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