Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 63

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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 063

 

“Cough, cough…”

 

The captain collapsed, spitting blood from his throat. Even in his dying moments, his eyes showed he couldn’t understand what had been done to him.

 

But the reaper who had delivered his death had no intention of listening to the dying man’s final gasps, immediately turning and running toward the cliff from which he had emerged.

 

Seeing this, the vice-captain urgently shouted.

 

“Ca, catch him! What are you all doing!”

 

The mercenary who regained his composure fastest shouted, but his subordinates’ bodies couldn’t keep up with his judgment.

 

Even when they awkwardly positioned themselves to try to stop the assassin, his movements were not at a level that unprepared mercenaries could catch.

 

“He, he’s too fast!”

 

“You idiots, what are you doing! Block his escape route!”

 

It was useless even when the vice-captain desperately yelled.

 

The assassin ran toward the cliff without hesitation, then leaped into the cliff’s shadows with a splash, as if diving into water.

 

The assassin’s figure was swallowed by darkness and disappeared in an instant.

 

“Wha, what was that.”

 

“Magic? I’ve never seen magic like that!”

 

Among the murmuring subordinates, the vice-captain trembled with rising anxiety.

 

He had witnessed the captain’s death right beside him. That’s why he clearly remembered the words the assassin had left behind.

 

‘That assassin just said “first.” That means there’s a second one coming.’

 

A skilled fighter who had suddenly appeared and cut down the leader in one strike. Such a person had vanished after announcing a second assassination.

 

Then it was obvious who the next target would be.

 

‘It’s me, I’m the one who dies next!’

 

Preparing for the assassin was also useless. There was nothing a mere mercenary could do against such an absurd being who could hide in shadows.

 

‘Then that assassin is the Imperial Princess’s…’

 

The vice-captain, trembling with fear, raised his head to look up at the cliff.

 

Deina, who had been quietly watching the mercenary group’s confusion, slowly moved her lips when her eyes met the vice-captain’s.

 

[Next is.]

 

[You.]

 

The moment she finished speaking, shadows surged up from beneath her feet.

 

Though the sun was shining perfectly fine, that darkness writhed as if alive and swallowed her body.

 

Shortly after, just like the assassin had done, Deina’s figure also disappeared.

 

It was an exit that seemed to prove these shadows were her own power.

 

“Monster, it’s a monster…”

 

One mercenary who saw this muttered.

 

The vice-captain felt the same.

 

‘What kind of monster have we touched?’

 

He had a premonition that the Black Helmets’ legacy, which had continued for decades, might be cut short.

 

* * *

 

“Good work, Ivan.”

 

On the opposite side of the cliff, I spoke to Ivan who was sitting collapsed on the ground.

 

“That was clean skill. Now you’re finally starting to look like an assassin.”

 

At my praise, Ivan with his pale complexion forced his lips to curve upward.

 

“This level is what Your Highness considers an ordinary assassin? Your standards are quite high.”

 

“Yes, so be proud of it. There aren’t many assassins I acknowledge. More importantly, how’s your physical condition?”

 

I slowly examined his body.

 

Since he had suddenly enhanced his muscles, it seemed his mana and skeleton had been severely strained.

 

“Sorry, but I don’t think I can move for half a day. The muscle pain is no joke.”

 

“That’s actually doing well. You did plenty good enough.”

 

Since he had moved twice as fast as usual, this level of aftereffects was natural.

 

‘That aside, Ivan has quite good compatibility with mana. With repeated training, he’ll become a good warrior.’

 

Even though Ivan was an excellent assassin for a human, he didn’t have the skill to charge into the middle of enemy territory and assassinate the leader.

 

If it had been the previous him, he would have been blocked by subordinates before even reaching the leader.

 

‘Of course, me acting as bait and drawing attention played a part too… but it would have been impossible without mana.’

 

With his good mana compatibility, he had instantly doubled his physical abilities. That’s how he could break through the enemies’ encirclement and escape.

 

“But I really didn’t think such a strategy would work. As expected of Your Highness.”

 

Hearing Ivan’s praise, I was swept up in complicated feelings about whether I should be happy or not.

 

The content of this operation was simple.

 

I would personally reveal myself to draw their attention, and meanwhile Ivan, hidden in shadows created by magic, would appear and cut down the captain in one strike.

 

They probably thought Ivan had teleported through shadows, but the reality was different.

 

The shadows were just a deception; in reality, Ivan and I had simply moved behind the curtain called shadows.

 

‘If they were skilled fighters, they would have noticed something strange about the shadows’ appearance and prepared for it, but they weren’t at that level.’

 

Such a simple strategy worked because the Black Helmets were the weakest of the three mercenary groups.

 

I felt like an adult who had gone all out against a small child, making it difficult to purely celebrate the victory.

 

“Anyway, the next mercenary group won’t collapse this easily. It’s not a position where we can launch a surprise attack, and they’ll have heard about the Black Helmets’ situation and be prepared.”

 

“But is it okay to use magic so openly like this? You hated standing out.”

 

“If I cared about that, I wouldn’t have tried to fight in the first place. At least for this time, I won’t worry about it.”

 

I could tolerate rumors about using black magic spreading one by one. Right now, kicking away this absurd misfortune was more important.

 

Then, Princess Chloe, who had been trembling with anxiety in the corner, cautiously asked.

 

“Um. Aren’t the Black Helmets still intact? They don’t seem to have collapsed.”

 

“No, they’ve collapsed.”

 

I said while thinking of the Black Helmets’ situation, probably cleaning up the captain’s corpse below the cliff.

 

“Mercenary groups like that are thoroughly centered around their officers. You could tell just by how no one took action first when they discovered enemies, and they were all waiting for orders.”

 

A ragtag group where “act first, report later” didn’t work at all – such groups were bound to be more greatly affected by their leader’s death.

 

“The vice-captain saw the captain’s death and must have realized he’d be the next target.”

 

‘I actually gave a warning so it would sound that way too.’

 

I recalled the vice-captain’s face, pale with terror.

 

“Even if they complete the commission, if he dies it’s all meaningless, so he’ll definitely retreat like this.”

 

Fighting a full battle against a mercenary group with such officers was wasteful. Besides, if there were going to be casualties anyway, it was more comfortable to minimize them.

 

Princess Chloe, who had been listening to my explanation, gaped as if she couldn’t believe it.

 

“Ho, how did you learn such things? Were you perhaps a mercenary?”

 

“Wha, Your Highness!”

 

The knight beside her hurriedly tried to stop her. She too seemed to realize belatedly that she had made a mistake and quickly covered her mouth.

 

I tilted my head, saying “Well.”

 

“I heard it here and there. It’s nothing special.”

 

“Ah, yes.”

 

“More importantly, Princess Chloe, the battle with the next mercenary group will be more dangerous. Will you be alright coming along?”

 

When leaving the port, I had suggested to Princess Chloe that she hide in a secret place until the battles were over.

 

But she had refused that suggestion for some reason.

 

‘Everyone is fighting, so I can’t run away alone. I want to be together.’

 

…was her admirable reason.

 

But looking at her actually standing on the battlefield, I could hardly feel any resolve from her. Rather, she was paralyzed with fear and often held people back.

 

Wondering if her resolve had faded, I recommended again that it would be better for her to hide, but…

 

“N, no. I’ll follow along.”

 

She chose to join again this time too.

 

“This happened because of me. I don’t want to run away alone. So please take me with you.”

 

“Your Highness…!”

 

The guard knights beside her covered their mouths as if impressed, but I found her quite unreliable. Ivan, who was resting, felt the same way.

 

“Honestly, just staying out would be more helpful.”

 

‘I agree a hundred times.’

 

But I couldn’t forcibly leave her behind in this atmosphere. I let out a short sigh and instructed her.

 

“Then follow along well. If it gets too difficult, ride on another knight’s horse.”

 

“Yes, I’ll do my best!”

 

‘When we fight, I’ll just hide her somewhere safe.’

 

Since we’d have to engage in real guerrilla warfare from now on, there was no room to accommodate someone who was slow on their feet.

 

Thinking I could just leave her to the knights when the time came, I decided to lose interest in her.

 

My purpose was to safely escort her to the capital.

 

I had no intention of paying her more attention than necessary.

 

…Or so I thought at the time.

 

Until she was ridiculously taken hostage.

 

“Clear a path for retreat! If you don’t, I’ll kill the princess!”

 

“Leave me behind, Your Highness! I’m, I’m fine!”

 

At such an absurd situation, I squeezed my eyes shut and muttered.

 

“Does a person’s personality count as misfortune too?”

 

Ruslara, who happened to be nearby, added a comment.

 

“So misfortune spreads even to other kingdoms across the continent.”

 

It was a pitiful story.

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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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