Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 21

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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 021

“Does your body weaken every time you use magic?”

“I’m not sure. Her Highness says she’s fine, but… seeing her bleed like that, how could it be normal?”

Liribel looked at the discarded handkerchiefs with a gloomy expression. There was enough blood to fill three or four cups.

How much effort she had put into disposing of these without Deina being noticed by others, and preventing the blood from touching her dress.

“The reason she doesn’t usually use magic must be because of this.”

‘Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Her Highness use magic.’

She had revealed her magical power to show her true form, but that wasn’t using magic.

I thought she had forbidden magic because of her setting of living as a human, but it seemed Ruslara had been greatly mistaken.

“Then… she bled like this because of me?”

“It wouldn’t be solely because of that.”

Liribel shook her head as if telling her not to feel too guilty.

“Her Highness doesn’t like to glorify her own actions. She’s always been like that.”

“Always?”

For example, Liribel explained what had happened at the Separate Palace.

“There are pages who come from outside to work. Those children take charge of laundry delivery in winter, but suddenly the Separate Palace’s laundry decreased. The servants at the Separate Palace suddenly decreased.”

Liribel added that it was because people who felt guilty after Deina’s revival had quit.

“But without that work, the children couldn’t receive their wages. Most of them were in difficult circumstances, and if things went wrong, they might starve throughout winter. That’s when Her Highness appeared.”

“Did she do charity?”

Did she mean she did good deeds by giving money to children in need? At Ruslara’s question, Liribel shook her head.

“No, the opposite. She found them work. She suddenly said she would do a major cleaning of the Separate Palace, ordering all the carpets, curtains, and bedding to be washed.”

Thanks to all that laundry going back and forth to the laundry, the children were able to earn wages to survive the winter.

“So when I told Her Highness she was amazing, she smiled bitterly and said this:”

‘If I were truly good, I would have sold my own property to help those children. I just performed hypocrisy for self-satisfaction. It’s not amazing.’

She said she wasn’t kind, just cowardly satisfied with performing a little good deed.

“…That’s just like Her Highness.”

“Right?”

It was typical of Deina to insist on evil to those who received help.

“Such things happened frequently during the past month. So I made a resolution. To stay close by Her Highness’s side. There won’t be another boss as kind as Her Highness.”

So, Liribel looked down at the blood on her hands.

“Don’t feel guilty. Rather, help Her Highness as much as you’ve been helped. Her Highness would want that too.”

“…Yes.”

After hearing those words, I became determined about what to do going forward. Ruslara smiled slightly with Deina’s face.

To think there was a god who would make such sacrifices for a subordinate she’d known for less than a month.

There wouldn’t be another god as kind as this in the world.

“Liribel.”

“Yes?”

“There’s a place I want to visit. When today’s matches end, could you help me?”

“If it’s something I can help with, by all means. But where do you want to go?”

“A place that will make me beautiful.”

“…Pardon?”

Ruslara spoke confidently as if she were Deina.

“Introduce me to someone who knows how to make me most beautiful.”

* * *

The matches resumed.

The suspended match was the round of 16, and if I won 2 more matches, today’s competition would be over.

That meant I had 2 chances to be active today.

“Now, the Armored Fighter’s return! What kind of defeat will he taste in this match!”

The announcer seemed to have already decided on Ruslara’s defeat. Well, considering how the match had gone, it was natural.

‘I don’t like that comment. I’ll have to take back the spotlight.’

It seemed Liribel’s way of speaking had stuck to me. Smiling slightly inside my helmet, I stood on the half-destroyed arena and looked at my opponent.

“I thought you’d run away, but you came back. Did you want to show us a miserable defeat?”

“…”

My opponent, confident of victory, was clearly elated.

But rather than responding to his provocation, I was pondering how to win.

‘It wouldn’t be good to win in one blow, right? If I win as narrowly as possible, those targeting Ruslara will also be provoked.’

They probably believed without doubt that I would naturally be eliminated in this match too.

‘Then a good method would be…’

At that moment, an idea flashed through my mind.

It was a somewhat foolish method, but simplicity was usually best for this kind of thing.

“Then- the match begins!”

The moment the announcer rang the bell, my opponent confidently rushed at me and swung his sword.

A beginner’s attack I could dodge with my eyes closed. Even Ruslara in perfect condition would have easily avoided it.

But I…

Thwack-!

“Ah! Armored Fighter! He seems to lack the strength to dodge attacks! He’s helplessly taking hits!”

I took it head-on as if to show off.

I neither dodged nor blocked.

I felt my armor denting from the strong slashing attack. It was strong enough to break ribs if I were an ordinary human.

‘Right, I need to act like I’m staggering.’

I acted out wobbly movements. Then my excited opponent continued swinging his sword.

“Haha! How’s that! You can’t even scream!”

Sides, shoulders, head, legs – his sword hit various parts of my body like attacking a scarecrow.

My armor kept getting damaged, but I didn’t care.

That was because I was wrapping my body with magical power.

I only felt impacts like being pressed with cotton balls.

“Cough!”

Still, using magical power was the same, so I coughed up blood intermittently. Blood flowing out of my helmet made for quite realistic acting.

…And that meaningless beating and coughing up blood continued for half an hour.

“I-isn’t he going to die like that?”

“Why is he enduring like that instead of just collapsing…”

The audience also seemed to sense something was wrong and murmured among themselves.

Regardless, I proudly took the attacks. Naturally, I never counterattacked once.

In their eyes, I would look like a fighter of determination standing through willpower alone, enduring pain.

“Huff, gasp! You crazy bastard, just say you lost! You’ll really die at this rate!”

‘He might actually be a pretty good person.’

For someone who spoke arrogantly, he was considerate enough to worry about me.

I opened my mouth to tell him not to worry needlessly and fight.

“I haven’t… lost yet.”

But the voice that came out was miserable. It was because blood was stuck in my throat.

Thanks to that, the man’s face turned even paler.

“Wh-what’s so important about winning this tournament… There will be other chances!”

“…Come at me.”

“Grr! I don’t know anymore! If you die, it’s not my responsibility!”

Thinking persuasion wouldn’t work, the man vigorously swung his sword to finish things.

‘It should be about time now.’

I gripped my sword, thinking this was the moment. And just as the man’s sword was about to strike down on my head.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“…!”

Giving a brief greeting, I struck his chin with my sword.

Since it was a blunt blade, it didn’t leave any wounds. Instead, the man collapsed from the strong impact that shook his head.

Those without skill probably saw it as if the man had collapsed on his own.

“Ah, aah! The fighter has suddenly collapsed!”

After the announcer’s fuss, the referee approached to check whether the opponent was alive or dead. After confirming he had fainted, the referee declared my victory.

“V-Victory! Armored Fighter!”

Not expecting the match to end so anticlimactically, no one in the audience cheered.

Feeling somewhat awkward, I slightly raised one hand and waved it to do some kind of ceremony.

‘I’m getting weak from standing here so long.’

Contrary to my intention to move energetically, my arm just swayed limply.

Then I saw the princess, Ruslara, sitting in the hosting seat.

She was sitting demurely while looking at me, but her hands resting on her knees were trembling.

She had clenched them so tightly that her fingers looked pure white.

Liribel beside her was on the verge of tears.

‘Why are they acting like that again?’

Did they really think I was going to lose?

I waved my hand once more to tell them not to worry.

“….”

But they only looked more dejected.

‘I need to win one more time like this for today’s matches to end… It should be fine, right?’

Hoping they wouldn’t misunderstand, I exited the arena.

“A-Armored Fighter! Another bloody victory! What kind of obsession could have dragged him from death’s abyss to this arena? Even though the arena has become covered in blood, he does not fall!”

And naturally, in the second match I repeated the same strategy, and Liribel and Ruslara’s faces grew even paler.

Not understanding why, I could only wave my arms again while looking at the cheering audience.

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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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