Chapter 261: The Country of Steel and the Faceless Men - 10
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 261: The Country of Steel and the Faceless Men - 10
The secret to seeing through Zigrund’s identity? Mind reading, of course. By taking the initiative to participate in the operation despite being one of the Six Generals, Zigrund was no different to me than a staff officer sticking close by my side, kindly explaining the entire plan.
But there was a problem.
I couldn’t reveal his identity without explaining my mind-reading ability.
Zigrund’s transformation was not an Arcane. It was a combination of body transformation techniques that used Qi Art to alter his physical structure, the Military State’s intelligence network, and a performance of a lifetime. While he may have borrowed a few methods from the Arcane, it was a skill crafted purely from human technique.
Therefore, neither the Regressor nor Tyr noticed anything strange about him. The biggest reason, of course, was that they didn’t know who Kerapald was in the first place.
The same went for me. I hadn’t even met Kerapald until a few years ago. If I stubbornly insisted that he was actually a disguised Six General, they might listen, but eventually, that suspicion would circle back to me.
But there was no need to court danger, was there? I just had to lure him in.
As planned, he took the bait. The moment I sent Tyr out, Zigrund risked it all in a gamble for the ages, targeting me. He attacked us, transformed into Historia, fully prepared for his disguise to be exposed.
Good. Now that I’ve succeeded this far, it’s time to unmask him.
“How did I know? You’ve got it backward. We’re the ones who should be confused. Who are you to be wearing Historia’s face and body?”
Indeed, his appearance was a perfect match for Historia. So perfect that even Historia herself couldn’t spot a difference.
Historia, standing as if to protect me, instinctively scanned her foe while feeling a strange sense of displeasure.
“It’s not just the face and body. The combat techniques, the Qi Art… they’re all very similar to mine. I can’t say there’s no difference, but…”
“On the surface, it’s impossible to tell, isn’t it?”
Having someone imitate you so perfectly is a considerable blow to one’s pride. It’s tantamount to saying a replacement for you exists.
‘Historia’ spoke confidently, a self-mocking smile on her face.
“It’s not that I can’t tell you. But first, I’ll have an answer to one thing.”
Zigrund, still in Historia’s form, spun around once. With a languid expression and soft curves that belied the disciplined precision of her movements, she turned lightly and asked me.
“My transformation should have been perfect. So how did you see through it?”
“You were quite similar, I’ll give you that. But between close friends like Historia and me, there’s a certain vibe you can feel, you know? I figured it out with that…”
“No. You didn’t waver for a single moment. There is a gap in reaction time between one who knows and one who doesn’t. Your response clearly leaped over that momentary gap.”
‘Historia’ walked over at a leisurely pace. Each light, graceful step was steady. It looked just like Historia’s walk… or so it seemed, but to me, it looked a little bizarre.
“My transformation was perfect. Face, hair, height, bone structure, even expressions and speech patterns. I copied every single detail. The inside might be different, but from the outside, it’s impossible to tell. And yet, you knew.”
“You’re certainly confident. Then I guess the inside must be different. We could have set up a secret code or a sign, couldn’t we?”
“Even if you had a sign to recognize each other, you would need time to confirm it. But your eyes never lingered on any one spot. Unless you have something hidden, that would be impossible.”
I do. It’s called mind reading. And since I happened to read the mind of the person acting, I saw through it instantly.
Normal people don’t live their lives consciously thinking about every breath they take. They walk as their body moves, not calculating the length of their next stride or how to shift their weight. That’s not a goal to be pursued, but the natural result of the body’s actions.
But Zigrund calculated and reproduced all of it. Gestures, steps, vocalizations, movements, even his surroundings. He minutely used every muscle in his body to replicate her. His craft was so masterful it bordered on an axiom; ordinary people couldn't distinguish the performance from reality and would accept it as genuine.
From my perspective, however, it was like watching a walking script with the title ‘Historia’ blatantly attached and detailed instructions written all over it.
The face was Historia’s. But the actor himself was more aware than anyone that this was all an act, that his real name was Zigrund. And so, I didn’t see him as Historia.
“Something hidden? Of course, I do.”
But I couldn’t reveal that I used mind reading. I’d rather reveal something else.
So, how should I explain this… Right, in times like these…
“It’s love.”
“…?!”
I decided to fudge it with a word that could be slapped onto anything. Although Historia was staring at me like I was a madman, I ignored her and spoke brazenly.
“You’re lacking love. Love. If you had enough love, you’d see a clear difference. When you’re as close as Ria and I are, you’re bound to notice something is off from just a subtle gesture.”
“That’s a lie.”
Busted!
Wait. How can you be so sure? You don’t have mind reading. Don’t you dare be certain about the truth of my words, you non-mind-reader! I pushed on shamelessly.
“Prove it.”
“Love is an emotion, not a method. It cannot be the answer to ‘how.’ And more importantly, you…”
Zigrund’s voice trailed off as he got back into character. He constructed a virtual Historia in his mind and immersed himself in it.
‘The last survivor of Hamelin. She rose through the ranks to become a Six General, but that wasn't a success, but a continuation of failure. She takes no adjutant, moves alone, and has not started a family. This means her heart is still stuck in the past. Enough to abandon her position as a Six General and chase after a ghost of the past…’
He created a personality similar to the current Historia and internalized it. He changed his voice, then overlaid the subtle gestures and intonations of Historia that he had observed so far.
‘But he never came looking for Historia. Even though he must have known she became a Six General. The weight of their emotions is different. It’s tilted in his direction. In that case, the action Historia would take here is…’
It wasn’t a perfect match, but it was enough to appear so. That was Zigrund’s way.
Zigrund became ‘Historia’ again.
“Lies! You don’t think of me seriously at all! Huey, you haven’t come to see me once in the last six years!”
Though the words came from ‘Historia,’ the real Historia standing before me empathized so deeply she clutched her chest. Even as she stood silently to protect me, she seemed relieved that ‘Historia’ was speaking her mind for her.
What am I supposed to do if the real one admits it? It gives everything away.
“And you talk about love? Cut the crap! You haven’t even thought of me until now!”
“It’s not crap. I’m telling you, if you look with love, the differences are obvious.”
“Then what is this difference?!”
Tch. If this turns into a battle of evidence, I’m at a disadvantage since I rely on mind reading for most of my clues. Is there any excuse I can make?
It doesn’t have to be the truth. If I can make it so my opponent can’t even think of a rebuttal, I win. Hmm, is there any visible characteristic I can use…
Huh? Wait a minute. Could that be a reason?
“The sway is different.”
“…Sway? Of what?”
“Here. This.”
I tapped my chest.
At my illogical answer, both Historia and ‘Historia’ tilted their heads, unable to understand at first.
Whatever. I’ll just call it a matter of privacy and accuse them of being rude if they point it out.
“The real Historia was tied up for several days. She was bound so tightly—enough to restrain a Six General—that her upper body and chest were completely constricted. So, her sway has a somewhat suppressed feel to it. In comparison, the fake one—that is, you—swayed far too normally. The difference was so obvious, there was no way I wouldn’t know.”
Was my answer too absurd? Even ‘Historia,’ who would normally have matched my lines, hesitated and trailed off. After a moment of thought, he realized the blind spot in his own thinking.
“…Indeed, I failed to consider that point.”
“Of course. As I’ve said time and again, you can only see it if you have love.”
“So that’s what you meant by love… I failed to reflect Historia’s recent condition.”
“Even if you had, could you have pinpointed that subtle difference with such devilish accuracy? That’s something only a person with my level of insight can do.”
“Both of you, shut up!”
Historia immediately spun around and kicked my leg. The combat boot dug into my shin, and I felt a shock like being struck by a heavy rope. I flailed my arms upward and collapsed in an undignified heap.
Historia stood with one arm covering her chest, looking down at me with a face mixed with shame and contempt.
“You pervert! I knew you were reacting sensitively for a prisoner, so I was deliberately trying to ignore it…!”
But my lie had deceived my ally before the enemy. Damn it. The flow is broken. I might have been able to keep him fooled if this hadn’t happened.
“…That was plausible. But it’s a well-crafted lie.”
Just as putting your hand in hot water then lukewarm water makes the lukewarm water feel cold, emotions are relative. Thanks to our Historia’s excessive embarrassment, ‘Historia’ was able to regain his composure.
“Historia has conditioned her body to its limits with Gam Qi Art to withstand the repercussions of her own Qi. Her body wouldn’t be affected by being tied up for a few days.”
“You figured it out. The truth is, it was hard to tell just by that.”
“Still, it was a blind spot. That she was recently captured and kept tightly bound… I hadn’t received that information yet. It’s impressive she stayed so still while tied up.”
“But you couldn’t deny the possibility I raised, could you? Ria and I were together for the past few days. We could have created a sign that only we would notice. Not a code or a mark, but something only the two of us could recognize.”
“Of course, I can’t deny that possibility. But the chances of that are extremely low.”
“Why is that? You don’t know what happened during the few days Ria was captured by us, do you?”
Despite my sharp point, ‘Historia’ didn’t fall for it and answered clearly.
“If you two had shared something secret, Historia wouldn’t be reacting so defensively.”
This isn’t going to be easy. I continued my argument.
“That’s just a possibility. It doesn’t count as proof.”
“Just like your claim.”
Tch. He’s still a Six General and the Chief of Public Safety, even if he’s rotten. He doesn’t fall for tricks as easily as others. Is there another explanation I can use…
“Huey! How long are you two going to just talk? We don’t have time for a friendly chat!”
Meanwhile, Historia, who had unintentionally been subjected to our back-and-forth, forcefully cut off the conversation.
“I’ll handle me—no, that thing. You get out of here for now.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay without my help?”
“I’m confident in a one-on-one. I rarely lose. Besides, Huey, you’re powerless. Your presence won’t be much help in a fight…”
“You’re wrong, Historia. With that kind of naivete, I could never entrust you with intelligence warfare.”
‘Historia’ cut Historia off.
“I asked you, didn’t I? How did you see through me? He couldn’t give a proper reason. Of course he couldn’t. He probably doesn’t have one.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Conviction without reason. A fate that always wins in a gamble. An Arcane.”
With a strange smile, ‘Historia’ began to explain patiently, like a teacher instructing a child, holding up his fingers.
“Seeing the future. Or reading the past. Following the threads of human destiny or causality. Seeing and hearing things a thousand miles away. Drawing miracles from faith and belief. Powers that do not originate from humans, but fall like miracles, deviating from the ordinary—we call these Arcane.”
“…I know.”
“If you know, then why don’t you suspect?”
Her combat boots clicking, ‘Historia’ stepped back slightly. He half-submerged himself in the darkness of the control room and folded his fingers one by one.
“He played the pipe in Hamelin. Countless children died, and those who witnessed it came to distrust the Military State. He operated in the shadows of the capital before being sent to Tantalus. There, he joined forces with the monsters sleeping within and rose up to bring down the State. And now, he has very nearly succeeded.”
“That wasn’t Huey’s doing. He was just caught up in it…”
“Do you really think so?”
‘Historia’ covered his face with his hand. As he swiped it down from his forehead to his chin, the face that was clearly Historia’s instantly changed.
His cheekbones protruded, and his muscles shifted shape. His skin tightened, taking on the pale complexion of someone who hadn’t seen the sun in a long time. Historia’s expression vanished. In its place, a bluff, as if to compensate for a lack of ability despite his high self-esteem, filled the void.
“Kerapald… So it really was you in disguise.”
It was Kerapald’s face.
‘Kerapald’ muttered grimly as he inserted a Clothing Packet into his bio-receptor.
“Now. Let’s assume he has an Arcane. Then everything makes sense. The Pied Piper knew from the beginning that I wasn’t Kerapald. No, he saw through the fact that this refinery was a trap.”
Simultaneously, the firm, healthy female body gradually transformed into that of a frail man. The once-full shirt deflated, and the strong, broad shoulders slumped. The Clothing Packet activated, changing what had been Historia’s shirt into the uniform of a labor camp supervisor.
His skeleton and physique hadn’t completely changed. It was all just a facade, made to look that way on the surface.
When one’s mastery of Gam Qi Art—the art of infusing the body with Qi—reaches its peak, one can freely compress or expand muscles, bones, flesh, and even internal organs.
“It’s impossible for an ordinary, talented man with no power to pull something like this off. He has an Arcane. Some kind of Arcane close to omniscience or foresight.”
After undergoing a process akin to metamorphosis, Zigrund’s appearance was… unmistakably Kerapald’s.
Of course, to me, Zigrund’s true form still shimmered faintly underneath.
“That’s my conclusion. What do you say, Pied Piper?”