Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 9
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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 009
I first checked his condition.
​”A-are you alright?”
​Though it was much less magical power than what I had unleashed on Loreil before, it was still enough shock to make an ordinary human’s head spin twice over.
Fortunately, aside from his dented helmet, there seemed to be no major injuries.
​’Thank goodness he’s sturdy.’
​If he had died, it would have led to terrible consequences.
I need to control my strength better from now on.
​”H-how did you just…”
​”Exactly. You shouldn’t attack without being able to gauge your opponent’s capabilities.”
​If he were really my subordinate, I would have lectured him thoroughly. And I would have retrained him, asking if that pathetic attack was all he could manage.
I let out a short sigh and removed the veil that had been stifling me all along.
Ruslara’s eyes widened when she saw my pupils.
​”Those eyes…”
​”Unusual, aren’t they? You might not know, but I’m actually…”
​”They’re beautiful. Just like jewels.”
​”…”
​As expected, she was an unusual person. She was the first to compliment these eyes as pretty since Liribel.
​”Anyway, is that ornament so important to you? Important enough to raise your fist against a princess?”
​”I’m sorry, when my emotions get intense, I can’t control my strength… I’ll gladly accept any punishment.”
​She immediately knelt and bowed her head, as if asking me to cut off her neck right then and there.
​”Never mind, I was being rude as well.”
​In truth, attempting to attack royalty was a crime worthy of death, but I didn’t want to make this into a bigger issue.
​”Instead of punishment, I’d like you to explain about that ornament.”
​”That’s… difficult.”
​”You won’t speak even if you receive punishment?”
​”No. I cannot tell humans.”
​Humans.
Somehow the nuance felt strange.
I crossed my arms and quietly looked down at her. I couldn’t tell what expression she was making inside that dented helmet. Instead, I could only feel her determination to never open her mouth.
​”Then let me ask something else.”
​I looked for an appropriate topic to ease her tension.
​”I heard you’ve never once removed your helmet in front of the audience. Is there a reason?”
​”It’s just not a face worth showing to others. I also don’t like standing in front of people.”
​”Then why did you become a fighter?”
​Wasn’t performing in front of the public the main duty of sports?
At that, Ruslara’s shoulders trembled slightly.
​”…There are circumstances.”
​”Another circumstance you can’t tell your sponsor? You have many secrets.”
​”Well…”
​Perhaps feeling guilty about continuously refusing my questions, Ruslara answered with resignation.
​”It’s family circumstances. I have to do this work to guarantee my family’s survival.”
​”Is your family in trouble?”
​”Yes, our home is about to be taken away.”
​When family was mentioned, I could feel her attitude soften considerably. I spoke with sympathy.
​”Tell me about it. It might make you feel better.”
​After thinking for a moment, Ruslara slowly began to speak.
​”My family was living in an abandoned mine.”
As if recalling the past, her voice became heavy.
​”One day, a nobleman purchased the abandoned mine where we were living. Then he tried to drive us out, saying we weren’t citizens of the Empire. That nobleman is the Arena’s sponsor.”
​Ruslara said she begged him not to drive them out. But the nobleman wouldn’t listen and threatened to forcibly evict them if they didn’t leave.
​”If we were ordinary humans, we would have fled to avoid the nobleman, but we needed the mine for survival. Being told to leave meant being told to die.”
​’Someone who hates showing their face and must live underground… could it be.’
​I began to guess what her true identity might be.
Ruslara continued speaking calmly.
​”When we begged that we’d do anything as long as he didn’t drive us out, the nobleman proposed a deal. Specifically…”
​”To fight in the Arena?”
​”Correct. He said if I won even once, he’d return our territory. As a condition of the deal, my family became prisoners.”
​After that, Ruslara headed to the Imperial Capital.
“What happened to your family who became prisoners?”
“I don’t know. Whether they remained in the abandoned mine or were taken somewhere else… Fortunately, they let me know if they’re alive or dead through letters.”
That’s how Ruslara’s life as an Arena fighter began.
For over 10 years, no less.
​”But due to my lack of skill, I’ve never won even once. I even made inexplicable mistakes whenever important matches came up.”
​Eventually, Ruslara became a supporting character to the champions, the Armored Fighter.
Despite training without a single day off for years, victory’s light never came to greet her.
As if the goddess of victory had turned her back on her.
​’That’s strange. After fighting for 10 years, she should have improved.’
Did Ruslara lack combat sense? Even so, it was hard to believe she had been defeated for such a long time.
​’I can help improve her skills later, so I’ll think about that then. What’s more important is her identity.’
A race that must live underground.
The fact that she won’t remove her helmet in front of humans.
And the reason she has my emblem.
​In my army, there was one race that had all these characteristics.
Demonic fairies who find sunlight uncomfortable and live in the Underworld.
​”Baobhan sith.”
​Evil blood-sucking fairies, the Baobhan sith.
Perhaps startled by my words, Ruslara’s body flinched.
​”How do you know that name…”
​”With this many clues, I can’t pretend not to know.”
​I stood up from my chair and approached Ruslara. Then I grabbed the shoulders of her who was trying to back away and placed my hand on her helmet.
​”W-wait a moment. If you touch the helmet…”
​”It’s fine, I’m used to it.”
​”…!”
​And I removed her helmet.
The Armored Fighter’s face was finally revealed.
Pale skin as if she had never been touched by sunlight, red eyes, and roughly cut short green hair.
Though she wore no makeup and didn’t even care for her hair, her seductively glowing eyes and sculpted features caught my attention.
If there were a god of beauty on the surface world, they would surely favor Ruslara most in this world.
​’The audience wouldn’t have known. The fact that the Armored Fighter was actually a woman.’
​That’s right. Ruslara was a woman.
​’Because there are only females among the fairy Baobhan sith.’
​Blood-sucking fairies who avoid sunlight and live in the Underworld, the Baobhan sith.
That was Ruslara’s true identity.
​”How do you know our race’s name… Humans shouldn’t be able to recognize us!”
​Baobhan sith were indistinguishable from humans except for their blood-sucking habits and beautiful appearance.
The reason I recognized her was because I was the one who had saved the persecuted Baobhan sith from the Demon Realm and incorporated them into my army.
My feelings were complicated.
I had thought she might be someone with past connections, but to think she was really one of my former Baobhan sith subordinates.
​”Please answer me. Why does Your Highness know about the Baobhan sith?”
​While I fell into contemplative silence, Ruslara’s eyes filled with murderous intent as if she had misunderstood something.
​”Don’t tell me, a minion of the Sun God…!”
​Eventually, she even drew the sword from her waist.
​”Don’t say such ridiculous things. I’m…”
​”But didn’t you just insult the Black Lion and refuse to revere the Sun God!”
​’That’s true.’
​I had nothing to say.
Just as I was about to open my mouth to tell her to calm down, she shouted furiously.
​”If you really are a minion of the Sun God, I’ll stop you even if it kills me! To protect my family!”
​”No, I’m telling you I don’t believe in such gods.”
​”I won’t be fooled by human lies anymore!”
​This won’t work. She seemed to have no intention of listening to me from the start.
​’Oh no, even the soundproofing magic is about to break.’
​Just as she approached with her sword while radiating a menacing aura, I heard the signal that the soundproofing magic would soon disappear.
Since I had used only minimal magical power to avoid aftereffects, the duration was far too short.
​’It’ll be terrible if we talk about Baobhan sith in front of other people.’
​At this rate, outsiders would discover Ruslara’s identity. I raised both hands to show I had no intention of fighting and said.
​”W-wait a moment. Then it would work if I showed you I’m not human, right?”
​”What kind of nonsense is that?”
​”Look carefully, my identity is…”
​Then I concentrated my mind and awakened my magical power. Since this wasn’t using magic but showing hidden magical power, I didn’t need to worry about aftereffects.
Instead, Ruslara, who was nearby, could feel that change.
​”Ugh…”
​Magical power flowing from my heart enveloped my body.
To my eyes, it just looked like black mist covering my body, but Ruslara, invaded by the magical power, muttered with vacant eyes as if seeing hallucinations.
​”Wings, hellish flames, a mane…”
​It seemed she was seeing my appearance from my prime.
Just as I was about to ask if she now believed I wasn’t human.
​”Ah, my deity.”
​She suddenly knelt down and began praying with her hands clasped together.
​”My deity, finally, you have finally descended into this world.”
​”No, I was trying to show you that I’m from the Demon Clan…”
​”My god, my light, my savior.”
​This is terrible.
She seemed to have gone mad, intoxicated by my powerful magical power. Baobhan sith were already a race that got easily intoxicated by magical power.
Just as I hurriedly withdrew my magical power and tried to help her stand up.
​”Excuse me. I knocked but couldn’t hear an answer… Your Highness?”
​The Rest Area door opened, and Loreil’s Knight entered the room.
​”…”
​What they saw was the beauty Ruslara, shedding tears and snot while praying earnestly.
And in front of her, the cursed princess (me) with her veil removed.
I covered my forehead with my hand, feeling a headache coming on, and said.
​”It’s not what it looks like.”
​Anyway, it’s not.
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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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