Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 20

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

Struggling to Pretend to Be Human Today Episode 020

* * *

The arena was turned upside down.

It was literally what it meant. Ruslara witnessed with her own eyes the ground flipping over in front of her.

‘This power…’

Ruslara, who hadn’t noticed that her strength was being drained by divine power, realized that all of this was Deina’s help.

The match was suspended as the arena was overturned.

“Wait, we’ll suspend the match for a moment! Security, please check the spectator seats and the players in the arena…!”

The match was urgently suspended. For Ruslara, she had been on the verge of defeat.

Her opponent looked at Ruslara and clicked his tongue.

“Tch, lucky you.”

It was true. She couldn’t make any excuses. If Deina hadn’t helped, Ruslara would have been defeated again and sent down below the arena.

‘I received help from my god again.’

She was happy but at the same time felt humiliated and sad.

Once again, she had failed to prove herself. Even though Deina had so carefully helped with her training, she couldn’t even make it to the finals, let alone win.

‘I wanted to get revenge on the audience members who mocked the Princess.’

The Princess is the only one who sponsors me.

She is not someone you people should be mocking.

I wanted to achieve success and grab the championship medal with her help.

She wanted to achieve such a dream-like success. She had even thought about her victory speech after winning.

But such a terrible defeat instead. And even that was only avoided with Deina’s help!

She felt like crawling into a mouse hole.

“Ar, Armored Fighter! Please go to the waiting room for now! We’ll guide you for the next match…!”

“…Yes.”

Following the staff’s guidance, Ruslara returned to the waiting room with limping steps.

Perhaps disappointed in herself, Deina, who had been sitting in the host’s seat until just now, was nowhere to be seen.

The moment she opened the waiting room door in a dejected state.

“Ruslara.”

Deina greeted her.

Having thrown off her veil, she looked at Ruslara with fierce eyes.

Ruslara unconsciously lowered her head and spoke in a tearful voice.

“I’m sorry, Princess. I failed again this time too. Someone like me doesn’t even deserve to be by your side…”

“Shut up. Come here.”

“Yes, yes?”

Deina suddenly grabbed Ruslara and immediately reached out to start removing her armor.

“Wa, wait a moment, Princess! Even if you’re disappointed…”

“What are you talking about? Liribel! Take off those boots too!”

“Yes!”

Liribel answered energetically and removed Ruslara’s armor.

Ruslara, who was instantly reduced to her undergarments, sat in a chair with a dumbfounded expression.

Looking at the armor and weapons scattered on the floor, Deina let out a deep sigh.

“Ruslara, don’t you feel anything from these weapons?”

“Huh? No, not particularly…”

“This is why the generation that hasn’t experienced war is problematic. You sense magic well, but you’re hopeless with everything else.”

Deina picked up a spare sword placed in the waiting room and held it up over her chest.

Then she applied strong force.

Crack, white liquid flowed out from inside the broken sword.

“This is…”

“Holy water. Probably concentrated.”

“Holy water?”

“So this is a kind of replica holy sword.”

Deina added that while it had no cutting or destructive power, it was a holy sword that weakened the demon clan members who used it.

‘Then I, who used this…’

Ruslara recalled her past of becoming powerless during every important match.

She couldn’t understand why they gave her new weapons for every important match, but there was such a secret behind it.

“Listen carefully, Ruslara. All your defeats were rigged.”

After that, Deina quickly began explaining.

Divine power weapons that weaken the demon clan.

The contract’s intention to instill a sense of defeat.

The story that the nobleman’s coincidence of buying the Baobhan sith’s hideout might actually have been intentional, and so on.

Ruslara couldn’t collect her thoughts from the overwhelming truth.

“Then, then our own kind betrayed us…”

“That would be the case. It can’t all be coincidence.”

“That’s impossible.”

But even as she said it, Ruslara herself could feel that it was the truth.

‘Why didn’t I realize? If our hideout was discovered, suspecting an insider or traitor should have been the top priority. That’s what I learned from history too.’

Countless war histories she had heard from her grandmother flashed through her mind. To think she couldn’t make such an obvious deduction until now.

And to think she had been played by her own kind, continuing this foolish arena life for over ten years.

“Ah, aah…”

Deina approached Ruslara, who had lowered her head in despair. Then she took out a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to her.

For some reason, the handkerchief was stained with blood.

“Don’t cry.”

Only then did Ruslara realize she had been shedding tears continuously from the arena until now.

Deina carefully wiped her cheeks covered with dirt and dust, then said quietly.

“It’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself or regret it.”

“But, but if I had been smarter, stronger…”

“There’s nothing more foolish than a victim blaming themselves in an incident that started with malice. If you’re a warrior, get your head straight.”

At the word warrior, strength entered Ruslara’s body.

“Am I… still a warrior?”

“Of course.”

Deina frowned as if asking what nonsense that was.

“You’ve been charging through hopeless battlefields for decades. There aren’t many warriors like you.”

My war god is acknowledging me as a warrior.

And with sincere feelings at that.

That made her so happy.

“Sob, sniff…”

“I told you not to cry.”

“Sorry, I’m sorry…”

Deina sighed again. But she didn’t blame her for crying. She probably thought it was understandable given the situation.

When the crying subsided, Deina spoke.

“I temporarily stopped the match with magic. Normally it should be completely canceled, but… I used my authority to order it to resume in 30 minutes. The audience liked that better too.”

“Does that mean I have to compete again…?”

“Of course not. Fighting with weapons like these, even Mihilda couldn’t win, let alone you. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m letting Ruslara be eliminated.”

What on earth did that mean?

She wouldn’t compete, but she wouldn’t be eliminated either?

To her who was showing question marks, Deina raised the corners of her mouth.

“The Baobhan sith’s disguise ability can be used on other people too, right?”

“Ah, yes. Of course, it’s only possible if the other person has magic power, and the duration is short.”

“Then cast it on me. And make the appearance look like yours.”

“…What?”

“Instead, you should change into my appearance and go up to the platform.”

Only then did Ruslara understand what Deina meant. As she gaped in shock, Deina spoke with confidence.

“Unless someone has considerable magical power, they won’t be able to use that weapon. But I’m different.”

Of course, such a small amount of holy water wouldn’t work on Asmodina.

She was the one who had broken through Loreil’s holy power carriage with her bare body.

“I tried to remain human. I was determined to live as royalty, as a princess, as Deina. But this time is different.”

Deina’s eyes gleamed ominously. Her beautiful golden pupils resembled those of a beast.

“If it’s the Demon Clan interfering, if demons are targeting demons, then it can’t be resolved peacefully.”

“Then, surely…”

“I’ll show you what a real fight using magical power looks like.”

The overwhelming and powerful magical power of Asmodina, which holy power cannot touch.

At her firm resolve, Ruslara couldn’t say anything at all.

* * *

A moment later, Ruslara changed into Deina’s outfit. Deina, who had finished disguising herself as Ruslara first, immediately headed to the arena.

“Let’s go now, Your Highness.”

“Ah, yes.”

“From now on, you need to speak casually.”

“Mm-hmm.”

After putting on a veil and changing her face with her disguise ability, Ruslara left the waiting room with Liribel.

Having already been briefed on the plan, Liribel smiled as she corrected Ruslara’s acting.

“When walking, you need to take narrower steps than that. And don’t hold your head too high so your face doesn’t show through the veil.”

“You really… know so much.”

“When it comes to Her Highness, I’m studying diligently.”

At Liribel’s attitude of wanting to tell her even the length of her fingers, Ruslara nodded with a slightly fed-up expression.

“Oh, let’s stop by the trash can for a moment.”

“Why?”

“I have something to throw away.”

Liribel hurriedly ran to the trash can in the corner of the corridor and began throwing something away.

“That… is that blood?”

The identity of the trash was dozens of handkerchiefs soaked in blood. The colorful handkerchiefs went into the trash can dyed bright red.

“Yes, Her Highness’s blood.”

“What? Are you hurt somewhere?”

Liribel gave a bitter smile to the flustered woman.

Then she whispered in a small voice so no one else could hear.

“As I thought, you didn’t know. Her Highness, you see, coughs up blood even from using small magic.”

“…!”

Ruslara’s complexion turned deathly pale.

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