Chapter 168: Fake News
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 168: Fake News
I am weak.
My mana, my Qi Art, my other skills. At best, they merely exist.
Dry, bitter tree bark isn't delicious, but if you were to ask whether it has a taste or not, you'd have to say it does. After all, bitterness and dryness are tastes too.
My power is exactly like that.
It exists, but it isn't very palatable.
A mediocre talent that, no matter how hard I scrape it together, can never surpass the level of an ordinary person who's practiced a little.
However, there is a saying.
It's not the strong who survive, but those who survive who are strong.
"Nehru. Are you that desperate for information?"
And one of the ways to survive…
Is to pretend I'm stronger than anyone else.
To act like I have a hidden card up my sleeve, like I'm some great being. I put on a grand bluff, but all I really do is sow discord and instigate others using my mind-reading.
Without getting my own hands dirty, without revealing my own power, I move others to achieve my goals. That's how a mind-reader survives in the back alleys.
"I'll warn you in advance. Can you handle it?"
Nehru grinned and met my words.
"Handle it? Darling, can I take that to mean you know about that taboo?"
"I have one particular guess."
Beastkin have extra ears and a tail, making their hearing and sense of balance twice as sharp as anyone else's. What does this mean?
It means they're optimized for sneaking around and eavesdropping.
Is that why? As someone who openly obtains information through mind-reading, I found it hard to understand their shady methods.
"But are you sure you'll be okay?"
"Hmm? Is there a reason I wouldn't be?"
Nehru is a pesky paparazzo who sneaks around at all hours, digging up secrets. Add to that being the editor-in-chief of a private magazine, and just from the description, she seems like the polar opposite of the Military State.
But there's one thing to remember. All the overly curious cats are already dead. The private magazine, Black Cat, may have dug up all sorts of gossip, but it never went against the Military State. In fact, it cooperated with the State by exposing corruption and scandals.
Retaliation from those who were exposed? That never happens.
Let's not forget. This is the Military State. If allegations of corruption are proven true, unless you're a general officer, your head will fly. Literally.
A bite from the Black Cat won't kill you, but when the iron mace of military law falls from above, you'll vanish without a trace. Truly, a black cat that brings death.
The reason you can't just lord over others even if you're a soldier.
"If you learn this fact, you and your magazine might be in danger from that very moment, you know?"
But can she remain so composed knowing the iron mace of the law hangs over her own head?
"Danger, you say, magician? Oh my, how scary."
"You'd be wise not to treat this as a joke. You might just faint from shock when you hear it. You'll be thrown into a great agony, wondering if you should print this in your magazine, if someone might get hurt. With every single letter you write, your fur will stand on end in fear. I don't know if the pen is mightier than the sword, but you'll certainly have to wield it with more weight than a sword."
Flinch. Her swaying tail stopped for a moment. My threat had scared her a little.
'Is he bluffing? Or is it really that serious...? The magician, the Shadow. What in the world do they know?'
It's a bluff.
A taboo? If I knew a taboo that could shake the Military State, I'd have used it myself already. Why would I give it to someone else?
'It seems the magician doesn't want to tell me. If the Military State were to capture and torture me, I'd obviously rat him out, and their surveillance network would turn on him...'
Not a single thought of resisting torture to protect a secret.
See if I ever give you information again.
'But we can't back down now. Mister Mackellin is dead and Chateau is unconscious. For our family's revenge—no, to make sure this never happens again... we have to know their plan.'
Nehru grit her teeth and forced a smile.
The weak are always the first to be exposed to indiscriminate violence. Beastkin, in particular, with their poor public image, were vulnerable to organized, group-based crime.
The Family was meant to prevent that, but their opponent was a secret organization dating back to the old kingdom. Having been defeated and pushed back in a direct conflict, the Family was preparing for them before any other organization.
'We will survive. Whatever it takes.'
Nehru was an information broker, and brokers have their own ways of fighting. With firm resolve, Nehru put on a fake, smiling expression.
"Darling, you're being quite cooperative today, aren't you?"
"I've always been cooperative."
"Hmph. Liar. Before I mentioned the Captain, you said even condolence money was a waste."
'The Captain... I don't know her affiliation, but it seems the magician is quite protective of her. Enough to let her into his own place. Hehe. I can make good use of this.'
Until now, Black Cat had been a high-performance straw for me, processing information nicely and feeding it right into my mouth.
But now that she's getting desperate, it seems the instincts inherited from her distant ancestors are starting to show. I show a tiny bit of concern, and she starts prodding me with her front paws.
It's humanity's fault, all humanity's fault. If we hadn't become the dominant species on earth, beastkin would never have been born.
Haa. What should I do? Should I really leak a piece of classified information that's like a ticking bomb?
While I was contemplating this...
A uniformed silhouette appeared in the distance. It was the Captain. In the angular, concrete alley, the Captain was walking down the very middle with precise movements.
Nehru recognized her too and let a comment slip. "Speak of the devil. How'd she know to come here?"
"Hold on."
Right. How did she know? This is a quiet alley with almost no foot traffic, even if we are sitting at an outdoor table.
Should I read her thoughts?
'Target acquired. Disconnecting.'
So, let me get this straight.
She synchronized with the golems scattered throughout the Military State and searched through them one by one until she found me?
...This is the power of a signaller?
What the hell? Since when have I been under surveillance? A single individual can find me without me detecting them? From that far away?
In a way, she's a direct upgrade to me, isn't she?
While I was having an existential crisis about being a mind-reader, the Captain walked straight toward me. She glanced between Nehru and me, then approached me directly.
"I request your cooperation."
Captain Abbey was the one who had suddenly interrupted, but a captain is still a captain. You could work against her behind the scenes, but you couldn't openly defy her. Nehru hid her discomfort and spoke to the Captain.
"Oh my, someone as important as you, Captain, in such a humble place! Could you wait just a moment? We'll finish our conversation quickly and make way for you."
The virtue of an information broker is flexibility. She spoke gently, not at all flustered by the Captain's appearance, but...
Unfortunately, this Captain was a soldier who adhered to the field manual more rigidly than anyone.
"I am on official business. Excuse me, but I must ask you to postpone your matter for now."
Rigidity inevitably leads to conflict. Nehru furrowed her brow.
"Hold on, Captain. You have to respect the order of things. I had a prior appointment, you know?"
"Official business takes precedence over all else."
"Official business? What is it?"
"That's confidential."
In my case, I just read her mind so it wasn't a problem, but hearing it again now, I realized her way of speaking was perfectly designed to piss people off.
Because Nehru was getting irritated.
"Are you kidding me?"
"This officer does not jest."
Normally, Nehru would have just backed off and waited for another day, but right now, with the chaotic state of affairs, she wasn't seeing straight.
Ah, I'm not insulting the visually impaired. What's the point of insulting a beastkin for being blind? If anything, it's a compliment.
"He agreed to sell me information. Please wait until that's finished."
"Information?"
This time, the Captain reacted.
"You mean to say you are buying information from him?"
"That's right. Is there a problem?"
"Negative. There are no regulations concerning the commercialization of information. Transactions not involving luxury goods are permitted. However..."
A signaller is top secret in and of themselves. The Captain, whose very existence was classified information, glanced at me.
'Surely, he would not sell the information that this officer is a signaller. This officer trusts you... but that is no reason to be lax in my surveillance.'
The Captain walked over to the next table and sat down with perfect posture. Turning her body toward us and tilting her ears to listen, she spoke.
"In that case, this officer will observe from here until your transaction is complete. Please continue."
"What's she talking about? Darling, that woman is weird."
She is weird. But for some reason, it's satisfying, so she's on our side.
"Ahem. How dare you call the Captain, who works day and night for us, weird! Tsk! A paparazzo like you! If you have no conscience, you should at least have some shame!"
"If the information is so illicit that it cannot be spoken in front of this officer, then I have no choice but to suspect the information itself may be illegal, even before the transaction."
Hit by the Captain's authority and my common sense, Nehru's eyes widened in irritation.
"Look at you two, working in perfect sync. Are you two dating or something?"
"Negative! Cease your baseless slander and conclude your business promptly!"
Hmm. The Captain aside, Nehru is currently backed into a corner. If I don't give her some information of equal value, she won't move according to my will.
But as she said, it's difficult to talk in front of the Captain. I need to send the Captain home first and then finish our talk.
"Do not think of shaking me off. This officer will not move from this spot until your conversation is over."
But how can I send this stubborn Captain home?
Ah, right. What did Nehru just say? Should I try that?
"This won't do. Bbey. I'm going to say it now."
"...? Why are you seeking this officer's consent?"
'Is he about to reveal that this officer is a signaller...? Unacceptable. The moment he does, this officer must mobilize every available golem to eliminate the witness.'
How terrifying. If she decided to do that, I wouldn't even be able to read her thoughts to react.
That's not it, so don't you worry.
I beckoned to the Captain. She tilted her head in confusion but walked steadily over to my side.
When the Captain stood next to me, I pulled her down. Before she knew it, she was sitting on my lap.
'...?! Query. What is this action?'
With the bewildered Captain on my knee, I gave an awkward smile and said,
"You're right, Nehru. The truth is, Bbey and I are in a serious relationship."
"......?!?!"
'This is the first I'm hearing of it?!'
Of course it is. I just made it up today.