Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 59

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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 059

 

Instead, I called Liribel, who was watching this side with great interest.

 

“Liribel, Princess Chloe seems tired, could you help support her?”

 

“Ah, yes!”

 

“I’m sorry, Princess. My physical condition isn’t good either. I hope you won’t be disappointed.”

 

At my polite refusal, she nodded her head.

 

“I-it can’t be helped.”

 

While saying that, she let out a sigh of relief and took Liribel’s hand. When the petite Princess Chloe and Liribel held hands, they looked like a youngest sister leaning on her older sister.

 

When she asked to hold my hand, her eyes showed she hoped I wouldn’t take it, but when it came to holding Liribel’s hand, she stepped back with relief.

 

‘Why is she acting like this again? Did someone order her to become friends with me?’

 

But I couldn’t find anything strange about Princess Chloe’s servants. Rather, they couldn’t even lift their heads properly because they were watching our servants’ reactions.

 

What on earth was driving her?

 

‘I feel like I’m getting involved in another strange incident.’

 

I was gradually wanting to return to the Separate Palace. Even if it was stuffy, the quiet Imperial Palace seemed better than this chaotic journey.

 

* * *

 

Whether her words about being tired were true, after entering the lodging, Princess Chloe’s party fell asleep as quiet as mice.

 

In the deep of night when everyone was asleep, I welcomed a guest.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

“Come in.”

 

The man wearing a deeply pulled robe was none other than Grid.

 

As soon as he entered the room, he stretched saying he had finally arrived.

 

“It’s certainly far. Even with Coco’s help, it took this long.”

 

“How long did it take?”

 

“About three days.”

 

That was incomparably faster than us who came by carriage. The mobility of spirits was surprisingly amazing.

 

I asked him as he sat sprawled on the sofa.

 

“So, what did you come to transport? Do you have some important supplies?”

 

A few days ago, Grid had sent a letter through a spirit saying he had something special to transport and to meet at the port.

 

When I asked what kind of item would make Grid move personally, Grid shrugged and pointed to the door.

 

“Let’s see it directly.”

 

Thinking he meant he had placed an item in front of the door, I turned my head and discovered another person standing in front of the door.

 

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

 

What appeared was Ruslara. She smiled bashfully and knelt on one knee before me.

 

“Knight Ruslara greets Your Highness.”

 

The greeting was too formal for meeting after a long time, so I helped her stand up.

 

“There’s no need to be so formal.”

 

“I’ve received another favor, so it’s natural.”

 

“A favor?”

 

“You bestowed your blood upon me.”

 

I remembered giving her blood to help her recovery before leaving the Imperial Palace.

 

Just as I was about to say it wasn’t such a great deed to call it a favor, I was surprised by the magical power I felt from her skin and opened my eyes wide.

 

“Ruslara, your magical power is…”

 

Because Ruslara’s magical power had grown to an unbelievable degree. It was comparable to Baban Si whom I met in the Demon Realm. Comparing just the total amount, she had become more than five times stronger than the previous Ruslara.

 

Ruslara nodded and said.

 

“That’s right. It’s all thanks to Your Highness.”

 

“What do you mean? Are you saying your magical power grew because of my blood?”

 

Although Baban Si had vampiric characteristics, achieving this rapid growth was impossible. If that were possible, the Demon Realm would have been dominated by Baban Si.

 

Ruslara smiled at my confusion.

 

“That’s right. It seems the magical power contained in the blood helped me more than the blood itself.”

 

“Magical power… Ah! Human magical power!”

 

At that moment, I remembered the incident that occurred in Viscount Gorden’s city.

 

While absorbing the residents’ magical power, I had felt tremendous vitality filling my body.

 

At the time, I judged that there was a synergistic effect between the magical power that had passed through human bodies and the demon’s soul.

 

At the same time, there was one thing I had overlooked: this body was also human.

 

‘Ruslara also benefited from human magical power like me!’

 

But I also had doubts.

 

Unlike me, Ruslara wasn’t someone with a demon’s soul. Baban Si was a fairy of the Demon Realm, not a demon.

 

‘Wasn’t it because I was a demon that I had good compatibility with human magical power? Actually, the subject’s race didn’t matter at all…’

 

At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind.

 

What if the effect of enhancing abilities was the essence of human magical power?

 

And if there was a human who could draw out that magical power like a magic spring and inject it freely?

 

‘That’s me.’

 

Then perhaps, wouldn’t it be possible to create an army with powerful magical power?

 

“…No, no.”

 

“Your Highness?”

 

When I shook my head vigorously, Ruslara called me with a flustered expression.

 

“It’s nothing. I just shook off some worldly thoughts.”

 

What military role now? Until the time when it becomes truly necessary comes, let me bury this thought in a corner of my memory.

 

After organizing my thoughts, I cleared my throat and looked at Ruslara.

 

“Anyway, is your leg okay? Gregory said you should rest for a few weeks.”

 

“Thanks to the magical power, everything has recovered. It’s even sturdier than before.”

 

According to what I heard, she recovered from all her injuries in just one day. Gregory recommended more recuperation, but she wanted to help me somehow and tried to travel alone.

 

Then eventually Grid stepped forward and promised to bring her.

 

“What’s this about? I didn’t think you’d help out of goodwill.”

 

At my question, Grid shrugged.

 

“Of course I was paid. Sir Ruslara is quite wealthy, isn’t she?”

 

Ruslara smiled bitterly and said.

 

“I had a lot of prize money left. My mother said she didn’t need it and told me to take it…”

 

“Right, how are Mihilda and the other kids doing?”

 

I had heard about the conversation with Asmo-rina from Grid, but I hadn’t heard about the Baban Si’s situation. I was secretly worried that something might have happened, but Ruslara reassured me that they were fine.

 

“They were freed without problems. Grandmother said she had to find the traitor and shouldn’t cause trouble for Your Highness…”

 

She briefly told me about the conversation she had with Baban Si. Rather than the words about returning as my subordinate, I was relieved to hear that they were safe.

 

After the story ended, Ruslara carefully asked me.

 

“…So, I would like to work as Your Highness’s guard knight from now on. Would you permit it?”

 

Come to think of it, since Ruslara went straight to her hometown after winning the arena, this would be her first proper knight duty.

 

I had promised to accept her as a knight then, so I had no reason to refuse.

 

I smiled and patted her shoulder.

 

“Of course. Ivan alone wasn’t enough for protection, so you’re very welcome. Please take care of me from now on.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Ruslara saluted with a face so moved she looked like she might cry. I was trying to stop her saying it wasn’t necessary, when Grid, who was sitting on the sofa, clapped as if he had seen a great play.

 

“What a touching scene. Knights are indeed cool.”

 

“Grid, you can go back if your work is done.”

 

“How cold. Even though I brought good information for Your Highness?”

 

‘So this was the main point.’

 

As expected of a merchant, he didn’t miss a business opportunity. When I gestured for him to speak, he made a coin shape with his hand and said.

 

“It’s quite expensive information.”

 

“I’ll pay later.”

 

“Hmm, good. Your Highness has high credit.”

 

Grid got up from the sofa and took out a small note from his pocket, handing it to me. There were short sentences and several words messily written on it. Listing them all:

 

[3 Free Mercenary Troops, gathering toward the port, target Princess Chloe, mastermind Jins Kingdom.]

 

This kind of writing was created.

 

I frowned.

 

“So you’re saying three mercenary groups gathered to capture Princess Chloe?”

 

“That’s correct.”

 

“Does that make sense? The Imperial army isn’t stupid either.”

 

Setting aside the reason why Princess Chloe became a target, there was no way the Imperial army would have turned a blind eye to mercenary groups crossing the border to target a guest of the Empire.

 

At this point, it was no different from foreign armies setting foot on Imperial territory.

 

Grid nodded as if he agreed.

 

“You’re right. I thought that point was suspicious too. But here’s the funny thing – all those mercenary groups crossed the border legally. As if by coincidence, around the same time.”

 

“Coincidence?”

 

It wasn’t a word I could just let slide.

 

“For example, wild beasts appeared in the border region so they were urgently called, or a disaster occurred in a nearby neutral zone so they came for relief activities… Those kinds of justifications that were hard to block entry for.”

 

“And after entering like that, they took on requests to target the Princess?”

 

“Well, they’re mercenaries. Money comes first.”

 

‘Is this starting again?’

 

Mercenary groups that coincidentally entered the country around the same time. What they were targeting was the subject I had to guide – Princess Chloe.

 

Already feeling like a path of hardship was opening up, I sighed and looked at Ruslara as I spoke.

 

“Should we just build an army?”

 

“Huh, what?”

 

It was too bothersome. I was thinking it might be easier to just sweep them all away with an army.

 

Hearing those words, Grid muttered as if he couldn’t believe it.

 

“What, are you going to become Emperor next?”

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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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