Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 61

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

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Pretending to Be Human: Episode 061

After issuing orders to Grid, the next person Deina summoned was Ivan. Having learned of the situation belatedly, Ivan entered the room with a light heart, but upon seeing Deina’s expression, he straightened his posture.

‘This isn’t a time for jokes, it seems.’

I had never seen Deina this angry since the Arena incident.

No, if anything, the atmosphere was far more ominous than it had been then.

“Ivan.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

So I decided to use formal speech for now.

“You said your purpose was to revive the organization, correct?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Explain why it needs to be revived. What noble cause does this organization serve?”

Ivan sensed it instinctively. If he tried to brush this off with a joke, he would never receive her assistance again.

“…Currently, Black Hand is in a state of decline. Originally, it wasn’t an organization of assassins obsessed with money.”

Ivan slowly explained the organization’s former glory.

In the past, Black Hand was known as an organization of righteous thieves.

They took two oxen from persecuted farmers crying out under oppression and claimed the lives of landowners in return. They executed Priests who embezzled relief funds from orphanages in exchange for four days’ worth of food for war orphans.

On other occasions, they drew their blades against Noblemen who had seized positions of family leadership through corruption and conspiracy.

The price was the entire fortune that the Domain’s people had scraped together.

Trading blood for justice—that was the way of Black Hand.

But as time passed, skilled assassins dwindled in number, and those who remained began pursuing money and fame instead of justice.

Black Hand bore only the name; it had gradually lost its original purpose.

“Your Highness might think an Assassin like me is being presumptuous, but our organization once had a storied history. Though admittedly, it’s a legend from before I joined.”

“You never experienced that organization yourself, so why do you want to restore it?”

“Because it’s cool.”

Ivan straightened his shoulders with confidence.

“I was originally a vagrant rolling around in back alleys. Then I was taken in by my grandfather, who was a low-ranking member at the time. That old man wouldn’t stop bragging about the organization’s past glory—I heard it so often my ears practically grew calluses.”

He chuckled softly and continued.

“At first, I thought it was just nonsense. An old man peddling his memories, you know? But the more I heard it, the more magnificent it seemed. As if I had actually experienced it myself.”

Though I maintained an outward air of indifference, my voice grew uncharacteristically uncertain.

“So I wanted to see with my own eyes what that glory my grandfather spoke of truly was. If I could restore the organization to its former state and become an Assassin of unparalleled magnificence… I thought even my grandfather in his grave would smile.”

It was a truth I had never revealed to anyone. Ivan felt embarrassed hearing himself say it aloud and deliberately averted his gaze.

“But I lack the talent to know what to do. The higher-ups only care about money. So the moment I saw Your Highness, I had an instinct. This person is special.”

“…You’re an Assassin who came to kill me.”

“That’s separate from this. Anyway, the moment I became your Subordinate, I just felt it. Standing beside Your Highness, I knew I could become anything.”

I lacked Grid’s ability to explain things logically. I couldn’t enumerate my reasons methodically, so I simply expressed my honest feelings as they were.

But for Deina, it was enough.

“You’re more of a decent person than I thought.”

She smiled faintly as she spoke.

“If your resolve had been lacking, I would have told you to step back from this matter. But at this level…”

“Do I pass?”

“Yes, you have the right.”

Deina approached Ivan. Then, grasping his hand—which was already beading with cold sweat from the room’s oppressive atmosphere—she spoke softly.

“Close your eyes for a moment.”

“Okay.”

Ivan closed his eyes without hesitation.

“Honestly, there’s no guarantee this will work. Side effects could occur. And yet….”

“It’s fine. Because you’re doing this, Your Highness, I trust you.”

“…Very well. Then feel the power flowing from my hand.”

The moment she finished speaking, a torrent of mana surged into Deina’s clasped hand.

Hot yet cold, an alien force that made him instinctively want to recoil—but Deina’s grip tightened, holding him firmly in place.

“Concentrate. Follow the flow of power. If you hesitate or falter, even I don’t know what will happen.”

Ivan steadied his mind and focused his consciousness on the mana, following her words. The power flowing through his palm traveled up his shoulder and across his chest, seeping into his heart.

The tingling sensation faded quickly, and the mana touching his heart suddenly radiated throughout his entire body.

“…!”

Ivan’s body trembled at the shock—as if he’d been drenched in ice water. It felt as though mana, not blood, now flowed through his veins.

“That’s enough.”

Soon after, she released his hand. Ivan slowly opened his eyes and met Deina’s gaze.

“Wow.”

And upon seeing Deina, he was left speechless. For the first time, he could perceive just how much mana gathered around her.

Noticing the change in Ivan, Deina asked him a question.

“Can you see the magical energy around me?”

“Uh, yeah. It’s incredible. It feels like standing before some massive beast.”

“Your metaphor is rather… apt. Right now I’m releasing my magical energy to infuse it into you. Since you can see it clearly, I suppose the procedure was successful.”

It seemed to have been quite an exhausting task—she exhaled deeply with a soft sigh.

“What happened to my body?”

“I infused you with my magical energy. For a while, you’ll be able to use magic like a Demon.”

“Really? Then I’ll become as strong as the Princess?”

Ivan had always been hungry for strength. Deina regarded him with mild displeasure—he showed no resistance to the word “Demon”—but she nodded nonetheless.

“You’ll become somewhat comparable. However, since it hasn’t fully settled, your magical energy will diminish by half within a month. It will continue to decrease after that.”

“Can’t you give me more? How do I make it permanent?”

“This is already my limit. Any more and you’ll burst. As for permanence… it depends on talent and effort.”

She added flatly, “I’d say talent accounts for about ninety percent, effort for one.”

“It’s a shame it’s not permanent. Still, for rapidly training soldiers in the short term, this is optimal.”

“Training… you’re going to give this power to other people too?”

“Those subordinates of yours that you brought on this journey—remember when I told you to bring trustworthy people?”

“Yeah, they’re the kind who’d face death itself on my word.”

They were among the few members of his organization he could entrust his back to. Deina nodded, satisfied.

“I’ll distribute my magical energy to them as well. I’m excluding Princess Chloe’s guards since I can’t trust them yet. Instead, your subordinates will take the front line—is that acceptable?”

“Of course!”

The prospect of gaining such power made paying that price more than welcome.

“I’ll bring my Subordinates right away! We’re starting immediately, right?”

“Yes… wait, Ivan.”

“Hm?”

Deina called out to Ivan, who had already turned to leave and fetch his Subordinates.

“You know what kind of enemies we’re facing, don’t you?”

“Mercenary Groups, wasn’t it?”

“Right. There could be hundreds of them. And you’re still willing to fight alongside me?”

Laying down weapons and surrendering here would have been far the wiser choice for preserving one’s life.

Yet Ivan’s lips curved upward as if to question why I would even suggest such a thing.

“But we have the Princess with us.”

“…”

“If the Princess fights alongside us, I can’t imagine we would lose, somehow.”

An answer devoid of calculation or fear—the unwavering trust of a subordinate in his commander. Deina smiled back at him.

It was the most tender smile of hers that I had witnessed that night, the one most truly her own.

* * *

I gazed up at the sky beginning to break with dawn and exhaled slowly.

‘At least it all finished within a single night.’

The work of imbuing my Guards with magical power had finally reached completion.

Since talent in magic varied greatly, few had risen to the ranks of the truly formidable, yet ten warriors in total—Ivan among them—had grown capable of wielding magical power.

‘With this, I could form an entire squad.’

I gathered my companions in front of the lodging’s stables. Princess Chloe, who had just awakened from sleep, stood behind them with a drowsy expression.

“Your Highness? What is this about?”

At Princess Chloe’s question, I raised my voice so everyone could hear.

“Currently, three Mercenary Groups targeting Princess Chloe are advancing toward the Port.”

In that instant, the air around us grew cold and heavy.

I briefly condensed the situation into an explanation. I added that with the earthquake, we could not expect additional reinforcements, and since the Port was a city of the Anti-Emperor Faction, we could not remain here any longer.

“Then, what should we do?”

“Fight? But the enemy numbers in the hundreds….”

The Servants began to murmur in panic. I raised my hand to quiet the commotion and unveiled the strategy I had prepared.

“Therefore, we will divide our group and move separately.”

I pointed to Princess Chloe.

“The combat personnel capable of riding horses, including Princess Chloe, will depart the Port following me, while the non-combat personnel will remain in the Port.”

The Mercenary Groups’ sole objective was Princess Chloe. If that were the case, there was no reason for them to harm the Servants remaining in the Port. Of course, Emma and Liribel would be among those staying behind.

“And….”

I paused for a moment, then continued with conviction.

“With a small-scale platoon, we will strike the Mercenary Groups.”

For a moment, silence fell.

One of Princess Chloe’s Guards opened his mouth with an expression of disbelief.

“Strike them? Surely you don’t mean we’ll attack first?”

I nodded without hesitation.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Not retreat, but preemptive strike. And divide and conquer.

As I had told Grid, this was the only path to overcome the crisis.

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

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