Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 60

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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 060

 

“Just kidding. If that happened, it would cause even more troublesome situations.”

 

I tried hard to chase away the distracting thoughts.

 

‘I should call for reinforcements. This isn’t something I can handle alone.’

 

Three mercenary groups meant a force on a completely different level from dozens of assassins. It wasn’t something a princess could handle alone. The Emperor wouldn’t have given orders expecting me to overcome such hardships.

 

The moment I decided to request support from the Emperor, someone knocked on the door.

 

“Your Highness, it’s Emma.”

 

“Come in.”

 

Emma, who entered the room, was startled to see Ruslara but soon calmly greeted her and approached me. In the meantime, she didn’t even glance at Grid.

 

“What brings you here at this late hour?”

 

“A letter just arrived from the Imperial Palace via emergency messenger bird.”

 

Emergency messenger birds were rarely used except during wars, so something must have happened.

 

I tore open the seal of the letter she handed me and examined its contents. It was a letter bearing the Emperor’s imperial seal.

 

‘This is…’

 

The contents written inside were shocking. I read the letter several times with disbelieving eyes.

 

Grid showed his curiosity.

 

“What does it say that has you so concerned?”

 

“…There was an earthquake.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“A localized earthquake occurred two days ago, and the road we came by has been blocked.”

 

Interpreting the letter’s contents in the Emperor’s tone, it was as follows:

 

[An earthquake has occurred and the main road connecting the capital and Gilli Port has collapsed.

 

Therefore, take a detour through the Neutral Zone to return.

 

As a precaution, I’ve sent soldiers to the Neutral Zone, so you can rendezvous with them in three days.]

 

‘Does this make any sense?’

 

Grid, who heard my explanation, frowned with a troubled expression and said:

 

“We can’t receive immediate support from the Imperial Palace now. Even if we send a request right away, taking the detour through the Neutral Zone would take twice as long… Meanwhile, the mercenary groups are already near the port.”

 

Ruslara, who was beside us, urgently interjected.

 

“Wouldn’t it be better to hold out here and wait for support? There should be soldiers at this port too.”

 

Then Emma opposed this idea.

 

“I wouldn’t recommend that. The person managing Gilli Port is from the Nobility Council. In the worst case, they might take advantage of this chaos to interfere with Your Highness’s mission. It would be better to visit Viscount Gorden again…”

 

“Didn’t you say that place just recovered from an epidemic? They won’t be able to provide much help.”

 

“But at least it’s better than cooperating with the nobility faction…”

 

The opinions of Emma, Grid, and Ruslara clashed. Each opinion had merit, except for the fact that they all involved sacrifices or required betting on uncertain odds.

 

As these absurd situations continued, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

 

“Ha, hahaha.”

 

Seeing me like this, the three people stopped talking.

 

“Y-Your Highness?”

 

When my anger exceeded its limits, laughter spilled out. Laughing so helplessly was rare even when I was a demon.

 

“Haha, hahaha! Bad luck and coincidences, what absolute bullshit.”

 

I tore the Emperor’s letter to shreds and threw it into the fireplace in the corner of the room.

 

I was sick of looking at that useless old man’s letter.

 

“Even fate should know when to stop playing games. Do I look that ridiculous to you?”

 

If there was someone who orchestrated this damn curse, I wanted to put an arrow hole through their head right now.

 

No, one hole might not be enough. No matter how I thought about it, this was an insulting scheme.

 

If they really wanted to kill me, they should have come directly.

 

They should have come with swords, pouring out magic, attacking head-on.

 

But what was this?

 

I couldn’t understand why they were going in circles like this, borrowing others’ hands, twisting situations to torment people.

 

Using such annoying and cowardly methods, making me repeat the same actions endlessly as if testing me.

 

‘What makes me angriest is that I’m fine, but only my surroundings get swept up in misfortune and become chaos.’

 

Epidemics spreading, mercenary groups coming, and finally even natural disasters like earthquakes.

 

It felt as if someone had set up the board and was gradually raising the stakes, throwing misfortune at me bit by bit.

 

Even the casualty count kept increasing. At the end of the letter, it mentioned that three or four cities had been devastated by the earthquake.

 

Yet I was perfectly fine.

 

I was always standing one step aside.

 

As if the curse was intentionally avoiding only me.

 

That fact was unbearably disgusting.

 

As if they were deliberately destroying my surroundings just to see my expression and reaction.

 

I felt like there were mocking eyes asking, ‘What will you do now?’

 

That’s why I was angrier, and why I laughed.

 

That laughter just wouldn’t stop.

 

“I can’t stand it anymore.”

 

Then I’ll show them.

 

I’ll destroy this malice disguised as coincidence right before my eyes.

 

‘Preparing mercenary groups at the end was a mistake. War is what I do best.’

 

Our guard forces: about 10 men.

 

Princess Chloe’s guard forces: 5 men.

 

And me, Asmodina, daughter of the Demon King.

 

The enemy: Free Mercenary Groups. At least hundreds of mercenaries.

 

Our forces were sufficient. More than enough, in fact.

 

I spoke to the three people who were frozen in place.

 

“We’re building an army. Wake everyone up.”

 

Wasn’t it called treason when someone without a domain raised private soldiers without permission?

 

It was now late at night.

 

The perfect time for plotting rebellion.

 

* * *

 

“Haha, hahaha!”

 

The moment Deina’s laughter burst out, the air in the room froze and sank. Emma, Grid, and Ruslara could only hold their breath and watch that laughter tinged with madness.

 

Deina’s shadow, flickering in the firelight, spread along the walls and swallowed the entire room. It was as if darkness itself had taken form.

 

‘What is this…’

 

Grid felt the urge to cover his ears against the screams of Coco, the dark spirit.

 

Coco was sobbing in a terrified voice, saying they needed to escape this place.

 

His feelings were no different. The overwhelming pressure emanating from Deina now was no different from that of a demon king who would destroy the world, like something from fairy tales.

 

If you were human, you could only instinctively bow your head before the pure malice felt from her.

 

On the other hand, Emma clenched her fists with rising anticipation and tension.

 

‘As expected, my choice wasn’t wrong.’

 

Her expectation that Deina would cause a storm in the Imperial Palace and help achieve her own goals was now unfolding into reality.

 

Someone with this level of power and madness would surely overturn the stagnant power structure of the Imperial Palace.

 

And finally, Ruslara.

 

She was trembling with fear, yet couldn’t hide the ecstasy seeping within as she gazed at Deina. Her eyes, strangely mixed with terror and joy, flickered with a light close to fanaticism.

 

‘Ah, my goddess!’

 

Deina’s name and presence, which had seeped into her ears like a lullaby in childhood, was now vividly manifesting before her eyes at this very moment.

 

Transcending time and dimensions, to think that she, a descendant of Baobhan sith, would witness such an honorable sight.

 

What sacred glory this was!

 

To the three people trembling for different reasons, Deina turned her head.

 

Her platinum eyes held killing intent and fighting spirit.

 

“We’re building an army. Wake everyone up.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Ruslara was the first to answer. Without any questions, she immediately ran out to gather people.

 

Emma swayed for a moment, then bowed at the waist and stepped forward, saying she would wake the servants.

 

Finally, Grid answered with a voice mixed with sighs.

 

“Your Highness, as you know, I am a merchant. Although I’m exclusively contracted, without compensation…”

 

“Your spirit, was it called Coco? Do you know what grade that spirit is?”

 

“Grade… you say?”

 

This was the first time he’d heard there were grades for spirits. Deina continued speaking with her arms crossed, as if she had expected this.

 

“Your spirit is low-grade at best. Its intelligence drops during the day, its functions are limited, and the magic duration is short. I’ll change that grade for you.”

 

“How do you mean?”

 

“I’ll evolve it. To mid-grade.”

 

At those words, Coco, who had been clinging tightly to Grid’s back, trembled all over. Fear mixed with anticipation could be felt from Coco.

 

“Low-grade and mid-grade are on completely different levels. It’s an opportunity for you to become a proper spirit mage.”

 

“Is that… possible?”

 

“That’s an uncharacteristic question from you. Have I ever lied?”

 

No.

 

He had never seen anyone as worth investing in as Deina.

 

Grid suppressed his rising smile and knelt on one knee.

 

“Please give me your orders. I will find the finest goods worthy of the compensation.”

 

“Good. Then first…”

 

She pointed outside the window.

 

“Buy about 20 horses.”

 

“May I ask their purpose?”

 

“War horses. We’re abandoning the carriage and forming a squad with only combat personnel.”

 

Deina spoke like a seasoned general.

 

“The objective is guerrilla warfare. We’ll defeat them one by one before the mercenary groups can unite.”

 

“Is that possible with this force?”

 

“It’s possible. No, I’ll make it possible.”

 

If it doesn’t work.

 

Make it work.

 

It was the soldier’s universal spell.

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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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