Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 64

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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 064

 

‘How did the situation end up like this.’

 

I looked at Princess Chloe captured by a petty mercenary and retraced the causes that led to this situation.

 

After defeating the Black Helmet Mercenary Group, we advanced targeting the second mercenary group, the Red Brotherhood.

 

Unlike the Black Helmets, the Red Brotherhood had good skills and excellent organization. It was an ideal form of mercenary group that wouldn’t collapse just because the captain disappeared.

 

So we deployed guerrilla warfare. Strike quickly at a speed the enemy couldn’t respond to, then retreat again. By repeating this, it was a method to reduce their strength.

 

It could be called an excellent tactic for us who had assassins enhanced with magic power.

 

‘Our side had 3 injured. In contrast, the Red Brotherhood’s casualties were more than half.’

 

Looking at the results alone, it couldn’t have been more successful.

 

Then at the very end, the moment we even dealt with the Red Brotherhood’s captain.

 

‘P-Princess Chloe! Why are you here!’

 

Princess Chloe, who I had clearly ordered to wait in a safe place, approached the battlefield.

 

The guard knights of Princess Chloe, who were blocking the retreat route from the opposite side to prevent the Red Brotherhood from escaping, called out to her desperately, but she approached the enemies as if bewitched by something.

 

The mercenary group, which had been driven to the brink of surrender after their captain was defeated, quickly grasped the situation and captured her.

 

‘O-open the retreat route! Otherwise, we’ll kill the princess!’

 

‘Please leave me behind, Your Highness! I’m, I’m fine!’

 

…And back to the present.

 

The remnants of the Red Brotherhood holding Princess Chloe hostage, and our soldiers surrounding them, continued their frustrating standoff.

 

‘Why on earth did she walk in there? What could her purpose be?’

 

I wanted to grab her by the collar and ask for the reason right away, but the situation was too urgent for that.

 

The mercenary remnants kept shouting that they would kill Princess Chloe if we didn’t open a retreat route and withdraw.

 

“Ruslara, what would happen if I withdrew as they say and opened a retreat route?”

 

Ruslara answered without hesitation.

 

“They would continue to use the princess as a hostage to escape. Then they would kill her at a place where they judge they’ve definitely escaped.”

 

“Do you have any good ideas?”

 

“Honestly, I think abandoning the princess would be rational.”

 

I agreed but knew we couldn’t do that, so I sighed and rejected her suggestion.

 

‘This is quite a tricky situation. If the distance were just a little closer, I could rescue the princess myself…’

 

The position was very poor. This was a large sandbar by the beach, the distance between them and us was too far, and there were no obstacles, making it impossible to deceive eyes with shadows.

 

So I thought about trying negotiations, but the hostage kept interfering.

 

“Don’t worry about me! Everyone, everyone run away!”

 

‘Please just shut that mouth.’

 

Her scream-mixed shouts were actually heightening the mercenary group’s tension.

 

They were excited, worried that we might actually follow Princess Chloe’s words.

 

“Y-Your Highness. How about withdrawing for now? If Your Highness gets hurt like this…”

 

“There’s no need to withdraw, so shut your mouth.”

 

“Y-yes!”

 

After pushing back the tactless Knight of the Jins Kingdom, I fell into thought.

 

If Ivan had been here, I would have at least considered a diversionary operation, but he was currently resting due to the backlash from the previous operation.

 

What should I do about this? Even while thinking of various tactics, Princess Chloe kept shouting at us.

 

“Someone like me, someone like me should die. I don’t want to cause trouble for everyone! So please, stop now…!”

 

Then Ruslara frowned deeply and said.

 

“It’s not… acting, right? I’ve never seen someone so good at provoking anger.”

 

“If that were acting, she would be famous as an actress, not a princess.”

 

Her face was full of despair. No matter how you looked at it, it was the expression of someone who recognized that death was approaching.

 

‘If she’s so afraid of dying like that, why did she walk into the battlefield on her own?’

 

For now, I decided to set aside her incomprehensible emotions. After long deliberation, I found what seemed to be the optimal solution.

 

“Release the princess. Then I’ll listen to your demands.”

 

“First withdraw your soldiers! Negotiations come after that!”

 

An attitude that they wouldn’t respond to any conversation unless we met their demands. Indeed, they weren’t as easy as the Black Helmet Mercenary Group.

 

“Fine, I understand. I’ll have them withdraw.”

 

“Your Highness!”

 

Ruslara was flustered, but I secretly placed my index finger on my lips to signal her to be quiet.

 

“It’s fine, but before that, let’s coordinate our words.”

 

And I briefly conveyed the script she needed to recite.

 

“Understood.”

 

Ruslara quickly understood my intention and withdrew with the assassins.

 

After that, I shouted to the mercenary again.

 

“Is this enough now! Return Princess Chloe!”

 

“Ha, how naive… but not yet.”

 

Perhaps I looked too easy, as the mercenary who had regained his composure pointed to the opposite side, the Knights of the Jins Kingdom, and said.

 

“Next, open the retreat route. And don’t pursue us until we leave.”

 

“That’s different from our agreement!”

 

“Shut up! If there are no pursuers, we’ll release the princess when we reach the border.”

 

It was as expected. They planned to flee while holding Princess Chloe hostage.

 

‘Now, this is the moment.’

 

Then, Ruslara, standing far away, spoke in a thoroughly sarcastic voice.

 

“Ha! How stupid. Even if you escape from here, without that thing, you’ll be caught by Emperor’s Army…”

 

“Ruslara! Can’t you be quiet!”

 

A scripted scene. But because it was content that couldn’t be ignored, the mercenary frowned and asked me.

 

“That thing? What do you mean?”

 

“Y-you don’t need to know. It’s not related to you…”

 

“Tell me now! What does that mean! And what about the Emperor’s soldiers!”

 

I made an expression as if I had made a mistake and continued stammering.

 

“Right now, localized earthquakes have occurred in the Empire.”

 

“We know that.”

 

“Since disasters occurred, Emperor’s Disaster Relief Force would have been dispatched throughout the Empire for relief. They’ll probably arrive everywhere within a day.”

 

“Disaster Relief Force? Is that true?”

 

Of course it was a lie. The Empire’s system wasn’t that excellent. But since they were cornered and weren’t from the Empire, it would be difficult for them to make hasty judgments.

 

“Moreover, so even if you escape from here, if you encounter the army…”

 

“W-we’ll die.”

 

One mercenary who interrupted my words clutched his head.

 

“Idiot, don’t get scared! We can use the princess as a hostage!”

 

“The opponent is an army! Would that work? Rather, if we take Her Highness as a hostage…”

 

“Are you crazy! That princess is rumored to be abandoned by the Emperor. She has no value as a hostage!”

 

‘They’re mixing in quite annoying words.’

 

While they were having this argument, the mercenary holding Princess Chloe glared at me with sharp eyes and said.

 

“Wait, what is this ‘thing’? You said without it, we’d be caught by the army, right?”

 

‘I’m glad there’s at least one perceptive guy among them.’

 

With a face that showed I didn’t want to speak, I lifted up a necklace that had been hidden in my chest armor.

 

“What Ruslara mentioned… is this.”

 

It was a hawk-shaped necklace decorated with gold, but it probably wouldn’t be clearly visible to them at that distance. I deliberately adjusted the angle so sunlight would reflect well off it.

 

“What is that necklace? Tell me straight!”

 

“T-this is a necklace that proves I’m carrying out a mission given by Emperor. If you have this, no soldier or nobleman in the Empire will block your way. Because they believe you’re on a secret mission.”

 

“There was such a thing?”

 

“I’ve never heard of it…”

 

The mercenaries murmured again.

 

Most thought it was a preposterous story, but still, no one shouted not to believe it.

 

It was natural. It was human psychology to listen even to strange superstitions if it could raise survival chances even a little.

 

Therefore, the choice of fugitives who heard this lie-like story was…

 

“That necklace, hand it over for now.”

 

It was extortion.

 

Whether they believed it or not, they probably thought to take it first and see.

 

“No! If I lose this, I’ll have to face His Majesty the Emperor….”

 

“I guess the princess’s life doesn’t matter much? Hurry up and hand it over!”

 

I made a tearful face and bowed my head. Then I tried to remove the necklace with fumbling hands.

 

“Hurry up!”

 

“I’ve never put on a necklace myself! I don’t know how to take it off!”

 

“This is why these nobleman types are…. Come this way! Put both arms up, turn around and walk backwards!”

 

Everything was going according to plan.

 

I turned around and slowly walked backwards toward them.

 

“There! Stop right there.”

 

When I arrived nearby, one of the mercenaries approached me. He tried to remove the necklace around my neck with rough hands.

 

“Damn, this looks disgustingly expensive. Is this really a symbol of the Imperial Family?”

 

I returned the sarcasm I had just received from them to the muttering man with a mocking voice.

 

“How naive, you believed that?”

 

“What?”

 

“Who said I’d hand it over to the Emperor? You’re my prey.”

 

“…!”

 

The mercenary who sensed hostility tried to strangle my neck, but I had already swung my arm.

 

Just like I did to Loreil, generously infusing it with mana after a long time.

 

‘Loreil survived, but how about you.’

 

I mercilessly struck the mercenary’s face.

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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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