Chapter 316: Good Morning Quiz
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 316: Good Morning Quiz
The same face, the same build, the same voice. Even the clothes, created from a Clothing Packet, were the exact same model. It was so identical I wondered if there was a mirror between them.
They were such a perfect match that even when the Regressor’s eyes cycled through their seven colors, she couldn’t tell which was the real Historia.
They aren’t completely identical. The problem is, I don’t know which one is real. From what I can see, this isn’t some magical ability or Arcane, but a genuine technique achieved purely through Qi Art. It might have even reached the level of an Axiom… Tsk, no wonder I couldn’t figure out her true identity in the last timeline!
In the previous timeline, the Regressor had approached the core of the Military State but had never managed to grasp its secrets. This was partly because the State’s secrets were far more unexpected than she’d imagined, and perhaps because, from her perspective, the Military State was just another obstacle to overcome.
In any case, the Regressor, excited by this new discovery, looked at me with a hint of expectation.
Still, I can’t be the only one who doesn’t know. Let’s see you take a guess!
Her sparkling eyes were putting pressure on me.
“…Shei-ssi. Why are you suddenly staring at me?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. What about you? Think you can tell them apart?”
“What? What do you take me for? I’m the guy who can spot even the tiniest scratch on the back of a card. Of course I can tell. What about you, Shei-ssi?”
“Me? I can tell them apart if I get serious.”
“Then do it.”
At my request, the Regressor scratched her chin, looking a little troubled.
“…But to do that, I’d have to activate my Eyes of Fate. I’m not one to hoard my lifespan, but using it for something like this is a bit of a waste.”
“I didn’t want to say this, but if you can only tell by using a cheat skill that lets you see a person’s destiny, doesn’t that just mean you don’t know?”
“Sh-shut up! If you’re so confident, then go on and guess!”
Tsk, tsk. I could just use my mind-reading to find out. Shaking my head, I read Historia’s thoughts.
I hate to admit it, but that thing is identical to me. Its appearance, its voice, even the unique gait of those who have mastered my Qi Art, the Explosive Discharge Domain… Even Huey wouldn’t be able to…
Seriously, why ask me if you think I can’t guess? You could have at least sent me a secret signal. You’ve got a mean streak, don’t you?
I sat up and asked.
“Anyway, why the quiz in the middle of the day?”
“…It’s nothing. The Chief of Public Safety just transformed on her own and followed me.”
‘Historia’s’ way of speaking was exactly like the real Historia’s, but it was completely useless against me, someone who perceives people through their minds. What good is it if your speech and appearance are the same? Your thoughts are different.
I looked at the ‘Historia’ who had just spoken and said nonchalantly.
“So if Hilde came up with this on her own, then Hilde will be providing the prize.”
“Who knows. I doubt she prepared anything.”
“How can you not know? Don’t tell me you’re going to back out after not even preparing a prize?”
As I pointed it out clearly, ‘Historia’ froze. She stared at me with a hardened expression, then suddenly broke into a bright smile and spread her arms wide.
“Correct! Amazing, Father! How did you know? That was a performance I put ‘my’ entire soul into! Even the Clothing Packet was a perfect match!”
“That’s a secret. A magician should never reveal his tricks until the moment he dies.”
“Ehh! No fair! You two didn’t set up a signal while ‘I’ wasn’t looking, did you?”
“I may be a third-rate magician who sometimes colludes with the audience, but Ria’s pride would never allow for something like that.”
“Honestly, what does that make ‘my’ pride then!”
‘Historia’ stomped her feet and fumed like a child, a gesture that didn’t suit her at all.
Needless to say, that one was Hilde. With her no longer trying to keep up the act, I asked her listlessly.
“Whatever. So what’s the prize?”
“The prize? Why, it’s ‘me’!”
“That’s not a prize, that’s just an object. I want a reward.”
“How mean! If you have ‘me,’ I can give you massages!”
Massages, huh. Come to think of it, didn’t she say she could use both Holy Power and the Qi Art for healing through acupressure?
It wasn’t that strange. Holy Power could be used by anyone with sincere faith who understood the sacred rites. Of course, the condition of having ‘sincere faith’ was quite strict, to the point of being impossible if one held other beliefs… There was a reason people said mages couldn’t use Holy Power.
But for the shapeshifter before me, who could even deceive herself, it might be a different story.
“Ugh. Well, I’d appreciate it… but that’s not why you came, is it?”
“Nope! Our dear Gunmaster has something urgent to tell you, Father!”
“Urgent?”
Perfect timing. As long as I was in the same space as Tyr, I couldn’t receive healing that used Holy Power. Not wanting to watch a healer turn into a patient in real-time, I pushed myself up against the wall and forced myself outside.
“I’m going to wash up and get some treatment. I’ll listen to what she has to say while I’m at it. You don’t have to follow me.”
“Hmm. Understood. Go on.”
So the one on the left was the real one… Right, I’ll definitely get it right next time.
See? I wasn’t the only one who thought it was a quiz.
My muscle aches hadn’t subsided, so I left the room with my back hunched. Just then, Historia and ‘Historia’ fell into step on either side of me. No matter how much I told myself I could distinguish people by their thoughts, having two Historias standing side-by-side was disorienting. If I didn’t have mind-reading, I would have been genuinely confused.
Anyway, why did I feel like I’d just been put through a test without any reward or reason? Feeling it was unfair to just let it go, I spoke to Historia.
“By the way, Ria, why did you go along with Hilde’s good morning quiz?”
Historia answered without even looking at me.
“…I didn’t go along with it.”
“She came up to me with your face and asked ‘guess who.’ Obviously, she was quizzing me to see if I could find the real you.”
“The Chief of Public Safety acted on her own. I just didn’t stop her.”
“That’s something you could say if Hilde came alone. You were standing right next to her. Isn’t that basically cooperation?”
Still, Historia kept her head turned and didn’t answer. Instead, Hilde, with the exact same face, replied, looking strangely excited.
“That’s because! Women, you see, are creatures who want you to find that one small but special thing that only they possess! The Major General is a woman too, you know!”
“…Chief of Public Safety.”
“See! Her tone even got softer! Have you ever seen this side of Historia, Father?”
Why is this person so worked up? Normally I’d play along, but my muscles ached too much to match her energy.
As I groaned, ‘Historia’ began to shamelessly inspect my body.
“So, Father, what will you do first? Massage? Shower? Or… both at the same time?”
What do you mean, at the same time? Even a real daughter wouldn’t do that. At that, Historia reacted.
“What do you mean, at the same time!”
“Don’t worry, Historia! I’ll do it in this body!”
“Absolutely not! Do not do such a thing with my body!”
“Hmm. Is it really no good? Alright. As Historia wishes, I’ll do it wholesomely, disguised as a man.”
“That is not what I meant! And that’s not even the important part!”
Right. Historia made a good point.
“Ria’s right. The most important thing is my consent.”
“Your consent doesn’t matter, you can’t!”
What? I can’t?
Hey, Historia. I am the King of Humans, the dominant species of the surface. There is nothing I cannot do to a beast. You are now arbitrarily defining what a human is…
Just you try saying you’ll do it…! I’ll beat you to a pulp if I have to!
But there are things I can’t do because I lack the ability. I think one more just got added to the list.
“Ughhh. Fine. I’ll hear Ria’s story first.”
“Then what about the massage?”
“The massage isn’t really the urgent matter, is it? If you two finished your talk and came here together, you must have come for something related to Ria. The Military State’s hostage… no, the story about taking the Military State hostage. Right?”
“Honestly, it’s impossible to hide anything from you, Father. You’re right.”
Well, yeah, because I’m reading your mind. Hilde slowly let her transformation fade as she shrugged.
“I guess it can’t be helped~. I’ll leave the honor of fiddling with Father’s body to Historia!”
“I will not do such a thing.”
“You’ll have to touch him all over, and it would be a burden if someone else was there, right? So ‘I’ will take my leave!”
Hilde waved her hands above her head and backed away, her steps remarkably light.
She may be on my side, but from what I can see, Hilde seems to have a great attachment to the Military State. Though she acts nonchalant, she skillfully avoids anything that might harm the State.
However, her attitude is the complete opposite of Yuel’s. Yuel actively tried to reject me and Tyr, whereas Hilde is more flexible and willing to compromise. If Yuel is the hawk, Hilde is the dove… no, the cuckoo? She burrows into the middle of those who were her enemies just moments before and carves out a place for herself.
Well, I’ll play along even though I know. A peaceful resolution is better for me, too.
“Come in.”
Historia’s room was particularly large and luxurious, even for the annex. Though, by Military State standards, “luxurious” meant a slightly softer sofa, a slightly wider bed, and a slightly cozier blanket. This was a VIP room?
By my standards, a sofa harder than a wool cushion wasn’t a sofa at all. Not wanting to entrust my aching body to such a thing, I dragged my feet over to the bed and flopped down on my stomach.
Historia asked with concern.
“…Does it hurt a lot?”
“It probably doesn’t hurt as much as you, but I’m not as good at enduring pain as you are.”
“Lie on your stomach. I’ll perform tahyeol.”
Tahyeol? The technique that uses Qi to heal the body by striking it? You know that if you mess it up, the Qi will invade your body and wreck it, right? This feels risky.
“Did you learn tahyeol?”
“I saw the Chief of Public Safety do it.”
Hey, if you can learn something just by seeing it once, why bother studying or training? No matter how much of a genius you are, tahyeol has its own history and tradition…
“Ughhhhhh. That feels good.”
So it does work.
Historia’s hands moved delicately over my muscles. She spread a faint layer of Qi to feel the reverberations, instinctively moving to focus on the knotted areas. It felt as if she were stroking the inside of my body directly.
It was a shame she didn’t have Holy Power, but if she did, I wouldn’t have felt this level of relief. Pleasure comes from fulfilling a lack. The ‘restorative’ nature of Holy Power lacks that kind of pleasure.
“Huey. Move 6.”
“Uh-huh.”
Move 6 was the knee-strike stance… My body moved before I could think. As I raised one knee while lying on my stomach, a part of me that had been unreachable was stimulated. I let out a long, drawn-out groan.
The massage continued in silence, save for the occasional instruction. When I felt my body had loosened up considerably, Historia pressed down on my back and began to speak.
“…I.”
Here comes the main point. I stopped my groaning and focused on her words.
“I tried to make a place for you in the Military State, so that you could come back anytime.”
They say one who has mastered Gam Qi Art can control their body completely at will… but is that really true? Will itself fluctuates with emotion, so can one truly use the word ‘completely’?
Historia’s hands, and her voice, were trembling uncontrollably.
“It wasn’t just you. The few children who survived Hamelin, including Shiati. The military academy students who didn’t participate in the graduation exam but were still viewed with concern because of the Hamelin incident. They all suffered, in big and small ways, because of that incident. I… I wanted to give them a place to belong. So… I faithfully carried out my orders and became one of the Six Generals.”
Because Historia became one of the Six Generals, no one could discriminate against the students from Hamelin.
Because Historia actively participated in all sorts of missions, Shiati and the other resistance members survived.
Because Historia left the position of her adjutant vacant, someone, one lucky person who caught her eye, could attain an enviable position after passing a minimal test…
But that position remained vacant.
“…You call yourself the King of Humans. You say you grant wishes. But…”
She hit my back with a thud full of resentment. It was a blow that struck my heart more than my body.
Historia fought alone to create that place. It all became useless after she betrayed the Military State once, but that was no reason to negate her efforts.
However.
Your wish wasn’t to fill the position, but to create the position itself, wasn’t it?
“Ria. You wanted a friend who was your equal, right? Someone you could share your heart with.”
A being with whom you could give and take as equals, beyond power or authority.
That was Historia’s wish.
“To share your heart, you first have to cut off a piece of your own to give away. You were more than capable. You had the strength and the ability. It’s just that the voices of others never reached you. Just like the children’s voices never reached the Military State.”
I only place the desires of others upon myself; I don’t truly share them. That’s why I can only grant wishes, but I can never be the object of one.
The affection Historia feels for me is a shortcut born from my mind-reading. For Historia to truly share her heart, she had to open her own first.
“The Military State didn’t change much even after Hamelin. But the cries those children risked their lives for changed you, and because of that, the Military State is changing now. Their wish was granted… because you shared and received their hearts.”
“It was hard.”
“But you did it. You’re different from the lone wolf you were in Hamelin. You can be relied on, respected, and you can live up to those expectations.”
That’s why Historia had to create a place. You have to make an empty space before you can fill it.
Historia realized that only after losing so much.
The hands on my shoulders tightened, but then the pressure vanished a moment later. Historia looked down at me and said.
“…The Chief of Public Safety said that the Military State needs at least one of the Six Generals to know the secret.”
“Because if there isn’t one, there will be no one left to protect it.”
“Huey, what should I do?”
“Do as you wish.”
“But. What about you? No matter how many places I create, it’s meaningless if no one comes. Even if I stay here and protect the Military State, you won’t come back here, will you…”
“Ah, about that.”
I glanced around, and after confirming with my mind-reading that no one was eavesdropping, I whispered.
“I’m the King of Humans, you know?”
“…I still don’t believe it, and even if I did, I don’t know what would change. So what?”
“Then why do you think the King of Humans appeared in the Military State?”
“Why are you asking me, Mr. Self-proclaimed King of Humans?”
“Because I don’t know either, obviously. I’m human, just like you, so I couldn’t choose where I was born, could I? By the time I came of age, I was scraping by in the back alleys of the Military State.”
The Beast Kings generally follow universality. It’s not absolute, but it’s generally true. My presence in the Military State means it’s safe to assume that the State represents human universality to some extent.
…The problem is, I don’t know why.
“Being a Beast King isn’t that special. Especially for the King of Humans, who’s been stripped of his power. Since I was born here, I have to live in the Military State. That’s why I went to the elementary citizen school and the secondary military school. If nothing had happened, I might have even gone to the Advanced Military Academy and slowly uncovered the State’s secrets through the proper channels.”
But in the end, I didn’t make it to the Advanced Military Academy. So, one could conclude that advancing to the academy is not an ordinary path. It’s judging by the result, but human desire follows that kind of universality.
So I was trying to approach it a little differently.
“In the meantime, I met Shei-ssi and found something out.”
“The King… of Sins?”
“Yeah. I need to confirm that. I don’t know how it will end. It might be enough if I just come out of it okay, or it might not be.”
I truly didn’t know. From this point on, it was completely uncharted territory, making it difficult to act rashly. But then again, I’m not the type to list every possibility and act with caution like a prophet.
“But one thing is certain. When all of this is over, I’m coming back to the Military State.”
This was the truth. If I were allowed a time of peace, I would stay in the Military State and slowly search for its secrets. Just like before I entered the Abyss.
Historia mulled over my words a few times. Then she said.
“That sounds like a lie.”
Seriously? I told her the truth out of our long-standing affection, and she calls it a lie?
“I can’t trust you. You abandoned the Military State, and me, so easily. Nothing can be your hostage, can it…”
Of course not. I am the King of Humans. Unless I take all of humanity hostage, that’s how it has to be.
But I still keep my promises.
“Here, Ria. Thanks for the massage. Oh, right. Last time, when we went down to the Communications Headquarters basement, I said I’d repay you when we got back up, didn’t I? It’s not exactly because of that, but…”
I held out my hand. Historia took it to pull me up. It was a mundane gesture, something friends might have done a thousand times.
I mixed one thing into it.
“Move 8.”
A move to switch our positions. Historia reacted instinctively. In an instant, our places were reversed. Historia, who wouldn’t have budged no matter how much I struggled and pushed, tumbled onto the bed at my single whispered word.
I looked down at her and rolled up my sleeves.
“Your muscle aches are bad too, right? Probably worse than mine, if anything.”
“Uh…”
“This is my repayment. I’ll give you a massage.”
“Huey, you… tahyeol is…”
“I learned it. Just now.”
I can’t do it. But Historia can. Therefore, I, who can read Historia’s thoughts, can also do it.
Tahyeol is a highly intuitive technique, but that didn’t matter. All I had to do was read Historia’s senses.
“Move 0.”
What is engraved before it hardens lasts the longest. Following the command we had arranged back when she was still clumsy, Historia took a deep breath and relaxed her body.