Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Unmasking the Impostors
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“Sis, long time no see.”
That insolent smirk on his overly cocky face grated on her nerves, just as it always did.
How on earth could a punk like him recognize her?
If he failed to prove it this time too, she’d have no choice but to borrow her father’s power from heaven.
The faint hope she’d harbored for a moment quickly fizzled out.
‘A waste of time.’
Yet she didn’t stand and storm out first. Was it that flimsy confidence bedding her down?
The thought grew clearer with each exchange.
‘To trust that halfwit. My judgment’s been clouded.’
He’d called himself the family head or whatever, scraping at her already taut nerves one last time. Just as she was about to rise—
“Well, no need to drag this out then.”
The punk spoke with smug self-assurance, as if he had some trick up his sleeve, and flicked his fingers.
And then.
“Grab his hand.”
Her gaze snapped up as he shoved aside someone next to him.
How had she ignored that presence until now?
What struck Gadia first was its overwhelming power.
No mana was detectable, yet her instincts screamed down her spine.
This was no one she could face.
It was an animalistic survival instinct. Then her eyes locked on the face, and shock drained all blood from her body.
Not because of that inhumanly perfect appearance, but something more fundamental.
Blood rushed from her fingertips, draining away somewhere.
Her breath caught, her legs went weak, her heart plummeted then raced wildly, cold sweat beaded, goosebumps rose.
An impulse— no, instinct—to drop to her knees right there and bow.
Unlike her frozen self, everyone else in the room, fake included, stayed silent.
Why?
The fake even extended a hand to him, as if to prove she was Gadia.
“You can really tell?”
“Yeah. Just once is enough.”
“Then…”
Before their hands could touch, she shot to her feet.
Her heart clenched painfully. To dispel the chaos.
Gadia hurled the ice spike conjured from her Freezing Trait.
* * *
“Causing a scene like that… Sorry about the trouble. I’ve locked her in the next room temporarily; she’ll be fine. Her reaction proves that one’s the fake.”
Gadia had never shown emotion like that, not once.
As Lianna spoke, the blue-ribboned Gadia replied with a cold expression while tying her ribbon.
“This confirms it. I won’t deny your contribution.”
As if she wouldn’t cower and attack over some handsome guy.
The blue-ribboned Gadia rose from her chair with that expression and tone.
“Then Gadia, head back to the dorms for now. I need to talk with your brother about wrapping this up.”
“Understood, Professor Lianna.”
She gave a light bow and turned.
I clicked my tongue softly and smiled.
The two of them were playing both sides of the drum.
I addressed the blue-ribboned Gadia—no, the fake—then smiled at approaching Lianna.
“I haven’t even said who I am yet, Professor, but you’ve jumped to conclusions all on your own.”
At my jab, both halted and looked at me.
“What’s that supposed to mean, Adelrian?”
“No more explanations needed. I’m tired; I’ll rest. You, head out.”
I scanned their faces slowly, sneered once, then spoke.
“Kane, block the door.”
Kane ambled over and stood in front of the door.
The fake, heading out, stopped short.
“Move.”
Her voice chilled. I scratched my neck and chuckled.
“Wow, how deep did you brainwash her? She still thinks she’s Gadia. Hilarious.”
I shrugged and approached Lianna.
Or rather—
The Evil God Cult’s spy.
[En—Evil God Cult Puppet]
Main Traits: [Magic (A)] [Endurance (B)]
Hidden Traits: [Dexterity (B)] [Restoration (C)]
Talk about chaos. The Kruger name wasn’t some street pebble, yet only one professor oversaw this?
Considering the late-game turmoil at the imperial academy and palace, this place was already tainted by the cult’s influence.
So on a hunch, I activated User’s Eye—which I hadn’t used—and there it was.
Plus, it gave me a lead on something else.
I wanted to grab the fake Gadia and fake Lianna here and now, but the time wasn’t right.
I approached the baffled fake Lianna.
“Professor. The Gadia you locked up is my sister. That one’s the fake. Proof? Blood’s the proof. What else? But you’ll want to see or hear it for yourself.”
I stepped toward her slowly; fake Lianna retreated a step.
I reached out, opened the parlor door Kane blocked, then bowed nobly to her, gesturing outside.
“Would you wait out there a moment?”
“Wh-what…”
I shoved her out before she could finish and shut the door.
“What is this? Open this door at once!”
“Professor. This is Kruger family business. Won’t take long. Please wait.”
Thuds on the door. Threats to break it if I didn’t. I replied calmly.
“I request it in the name of the Kruger family.”
“…One hour. I’ll return then.”
Only after invoking the family name did the knocking stop.
I turned to Kane.
“Kane, can you keep sound from leaking out?”
“For a bit.”
Silence wasn’t in the codex, so I’d rely on Kane’s ability.
“What is this, Adelrian?”
The fake Gadia, standing aloof, addressed me coldly.
She probably thought, as the real Gadia, that rampaging like the other would lower her dignity.
“I said ‘brainwashing’ with ears around, but it’s not entirely accurate.”
No need to tip off fake Lianna that I could spot her without basis, so I’d bluffed. But brainwashing memory implants were cliché-vulnerable to secrets only they shared.
I addressed her openly as fake, bored; she frowned and spoke.
“I don’t understand. You’re not… trying to kill me as the fake and pass that one off as me to control, are you?”
Fake Gadia conjured an ice spike midair. Appearance and memory aside, Traits weren’t copied.
So they scoured the continent for matching Traits?
‘The Evil God Cult’s thorough.’
Vicious and diligent.
I left suppressing her to Kane and Zero, pulled a chair, and sat.
Zero’s shoulder twitched—probably my imagination.
Kane deflected the flying spike; Zero circled behind, twisted her wrist, pinned her shoulder.
Mana swirled; somehow Kane halted the flow. As fake Gadia gaped in shock, a gag went in her mouth.
“Mmgh! Mmph!”
“…Even knowing better, it’s suspicious.”
I shrugged at Zero’s words.
“Don’t know the recipe, but it’s potion power, not magic.”
No magic detection or dispel response later.
Easy if you know it’s a potion; tricky otherwise.
“Zero, that labyrinth you were trapped in—its owner seems tied to the cult.”
“Yes?”
I grinned loosely at the fake Gadia, gagged and bound, glaring murderously while thrashing.
Perfect memory duplicate.
Doppleganger territory, honestly.
Key: not magic.
Magic would be harder—hundreds of thousands of mana arrays for the effect.
Potions differ.
For desired effect, need related ‘ingredients.’
No random mix yields it.
Apples make apple pie, not pork soup.
Yet doppleganger potion exists?
And it’s a continental ghost story, trapped in labyrinths.
‘Conclusion: labyrinth owner’s linked to Evil God Cult.’
“So the cult… trapped us for that…”
I met the fake’s murderous glare amid her struggles and smiled.
“Don’t know why they trapped you, but I know their gain after.”
Spies popping from imperial academy and palace.
Mercy: potion’s rare, numbers low.
“First, dispel the potion.”
Monitor to prevent more doses; it’ll wear off eventually.
Problem: unknown time.
“Not enough for starvation. Maybe some threats.”
“Mmph! Mmph!”
I pulled a recovery potion from subspace; fake Gadia paled blue.
Thrashing loosened her braided blue ribbon, hair spilling wildly.
“What do you plan?”
“People remember everything on death’s door.”
Precisely: intense fear or pain weakens effect.
Why? Probably prioritized perfect appearance/memory.
But acting too knowledgeable bugs me, even with Foresight Shield.
I bullshitted, held potion in one hand, dagger in other—Zero and Kane grabbed my arms.
“What, you wanna do it?”
Even just looks, protagonist knifing heroine candidate? Nah.
Plus Zero’s soft-hearted; better me, carefree.
“Must we push to near-death?”
“A bit much here, right?”
I glanced around the parlor.
“Psychological fear might work, but do we have that? No killing intent—Kane, just block sound.”
Kane moved to emit it; I pivoted, couple coin unsold.
Even fake, killing aura on heroine-lookalike? Easy habit for real one later.
“Asking to move to a dungeon for torture’s awkward too.”
Zero hesitated, gave a wry smile.
“I’ll do it.”
Zero?
I eyed her in surprise—mousy impression, take a slap without retort.
Soft looks aside, I knew her fears: hid behind me pre-Dragon Fear, Thousand Changes, Mana Stasis.
“You, emitting killing intent like you’ll slaughter without leak?”
Killing intent’s for cold-blooded like Kane—load mana with kill-will.
Non-combat, staring murderously? Only Kane the human-hater here.
At my distrust, Zero begged trust; I stowed potion/dagger, sat.
“Fine, give it a shot.”
Zero smiled faintly, approached fake Gadia.