episode_0164

I stopped by Victoria’s dorm and then went out.

Then, walk straight along the road from the main gate. There are large mansions on both the left and right, but soon they get smaller and you will come across a commercial building.

Victoria takes this route about once every three days, so she’s very familiar with it.

In fact, all the roads that harvesters frequently travel are familiar to me.

As I followed Victoria, I knew where I was going before I even got there. There was a delicious smell coming from the roadside, and there was a person coming from the opposite direction holding a piece of food in their hand.

The place we arrived at was an alley lined with restaurants.

When I was attending Clockwork Knight School.

It was a place I often went to hang out, since it wasn’t like I didn’t have any friends. I was already a good eater, but after I gained superpowers, my appetite tripled.

That thing eats up a ton of calories.

In other words, it’s not a superpower that creates something out of nothing. Of course, it does a lot of work compared to the amount of energy put into it, but that’s the same with magic.

Victoria ran down the alley with a smile on her face.

I followed them inside too.

But as soon as I enter, countless eyes are focused on me. There is a mixture of questions, jealousy, hatred, interest, and various other emotions and gazes.

Am I that weird?

“Oh my, you didn’t wear that on purpose? That kind of outfit. It’s hard for a normal person to wear that kind of outfit, right?”

Merryweather says this while pointing down to my neck. He’s smiling, but he can’t hide his searching expression. It’s only natural for the Intelligence Service to figure out what I like and what I don’t like.

Collecting these things and interpreting a person is called profiling, and it means cooking the person into a state that is easy to understand.

It’s a little annoying because I don’t want to show my weaknesses that I don’t know about.

By the way, it’s a costume.

If you look at it that way, there is a bit of a difference. Even though this is a neighborhood where people live fairly well, the material used is different.

I don’t care what I wear, but people wear different clothes depending on their position. Even Kanna knows about various types of fabric and clothes made from them.

Not only do you know the types, but you also memorize how the clothes you wear change depending on the situation, location, and even the time.

Clothes are an important element for humans.

A culture where you can reveal yourself and get to know others.

I’ll use it if I need to, but that’s only when I go out and exert influence.

With someone called Escort next to me, what else could anyone do besides stealing? Thinking that way, I approached Victoria, who was already filling her mouth with food she had bought in front of her.

“Do you want some bells too?”

“I don’t eat much.”

“That’s true. I didn’t really eat much at home either. You, that’s why you’re tall. Tall. Yeah. You’re not short. Yeah. ”

I guess as we were talking, I remembered the time when we first met.

“Isn’t the bell small?”

Merryweather asks from the side.

“This kid. When I first met him, he was about 25 feet tall? Rather, his body is a bit strange. What did he say? He said it looked like the body he had before… … . Huh? Why did I say that?”

Victoria covers her mouth. And I shrug my shoulders, watching my reaction. I can’t feel it, but Merryweather likely has the ability to make people’s mouths lighter.

What this means is that cognitive distortion can be done not only in specific places like the Royal Academy, but also outside. This.

I saw Merryweather.

I don’t see any objects that are supposed to have such functions. Is it hidden inside the body?

It’s a technology I’m curious about.

The art of calming the mind is very useful.

But the very fact that it can be used is a threat to humans. It becomes so creepy that it might be better not to know about it.

Even if you were to gain the memories of Merryweather right in front of you, there’s a high chance that you only know how to use the tool.

We need someone who can make tools.

So I’ll give it time. I’ll spend my days like an idiot, mindlessly, helplessly until all my doubts disappear and he starts using me.

This is the only method that has ever been successful, so I have nothing else to offer.

yes.

I am confident that I will succeed.

“Because it’s a fact that can be said, Victoria. I’ve never hidden the fact that I’m a monster.”

I answer casually, as if I had properly answered Merryweather’s question. I don’t like it if there are specific numbers, because it makes it easier to understand the monster rather than the form each person thinks it is.

The fact that it is okay to say that is true.

“Victoria, didn’t you get scolded by Beatrice for eating too much last time?”

“This, this is okay because I only eat it once in a while! And because of my superpowers, I don’t gain weight!”

No, even so, I have no intention of stealing it, so there’s no need to hold the box of fried food in your arms and turn it so that I can’t see it.

“Oh my, aren’t you gaining weight?”

“Ah, don’t you know what I’m talking about? This.”

As soon as Victoria spoke, a small water droplet appeared in the air. It moved around and became a small picture, then changed into Marley’s name.

And then again, suddenly, moisture returned to the air that had been rapidly drying out.

“I feel incredibly hungry after writing this.”

Victoria uses it every day. She uses it when washing in the morning and evening, and in other aspects of her daily life.

“Wow! You really don’t use any magic power at all~ How is that possible? It can’t be possible, it’s strange.”

Merryweather stares at the spot where the drop of water disappeared. His pupils are fixed, so perhaps this person can see magic.

A powerful wizard?

Maybe it’s a cognitive distortion function. It’s possible that it’s not a special item that you’re using, but your own skills. No, that’s a bit strange. A wizard that strong is working as an intelligence agent?

Hmm.

I guess we can level up this kingdom a little more.

According to the development scale that Daegon created for invasion, it’s a bit of a tricky world. Of course, if you look at this alone, it’s at a level that Daegon’s prepared advance team can easily win.

The problem is that nature is broader and stronger than the civilization that covers the world.

Not only were there no humans, but there were many monsters that Daegon’s advance party could not handle.

In other words, this kingdom is a civilization of humanity in a world inhabited by such monsters.

Of course, even if I do this kind of analysis, I can’t do anything with it, but I plan to keep doing it. If I do everything I can, won’t it be useful someday?

I am honest.

Meanwhile, Victoria eats her food with a big smile on her face, while Merryweather grumbles and mumbles strange words and stares into space.

Then, when he felt my gaze, he took one of them off and offered it to me, but I refused.

I looked around because I felt embarrassed to look at it.

Our gazes meet and disappear every now and then. It’s because it’s so amazing, but also when I find worry in between.

I turned my gaze and looked at the sky.

Clearly, there are a handful of good people in the world, a handful of bad people, and a large number of people who waver in the middle.

That’s the world I know, and that’s the model of humanity that assumes that when I give of myself, I’ll consistently get warmth back.

Looking down again, there were still many people coming and going and the alley was filled with delicious smells. It would be hard for a bad person to come to a place like this.

So far, this is the scope of influence of public power.

That’s when I discovered someone approaching me with hostility.

A child just my size. A child about 3 to 5 years younger than Victoria. And a little further away from him is a grown man with a childlike expression.

It’s not that our faces look alike, it’s that we look at each other with the same emotions.

The man comes towards me, forcing himself to look into the distance. It’s as if he’s trying to tell me that he can’t see me because I’m short.

I thought I was going to bump into it, but my body shook as if I was going to bump into it, and then it just passed me by.

Taking advantage of the man’s distraction, a small hand reached out to me and grabbed a button on my clothes. It was a button made of some kind of precious metal.

Bam.

The hand that was pulling the button fell to the floor. I don’t know what cut it, but it was cleanly cut.

“Yeah. No, kid.”

Blood oozes out from the cut surface.

“Ah, aaaah!”

Merryweather lifted the severed hand, nonchalantly ignoring the child’s screams of pain.

“First of all, you’re on escort duty, right? You can steal other people’s stuff without permission.”

Then, as if showing off to others, I held it up, then stretched out my fingers and reached inside to grab the button on my clothes.

Pick up that button in an exaggerated manner and bring it to me.

“I made a mistake by not stopping it before it was stolen, but I caught it now, so please forgive me?”

I got that button.

It’s quiet all around. There’s only one sound. It’s the boy, now groaning and clutching his severed wrist.

The person who was blocking my way immediately ran away when the child screamed. So, that’s it.

It’s a common unfortunate accident, and it’s a proper judgment by those in power.

I got a button.

“Yes. I’ll let you know.”

What should I do with the torn clothes? As I was thinking about that, Victoria came over with an angry expression.

“Merryweather. It’s so cruel to cut off a child’s wrist.”

Victoria stood directly in front of Merryweather, glaring at him as if ready to fight.

“Oh, that’s strange. Isn’t it strictly stated in the law that anyone who steals will have their wrists cut off, regardless of age?”

But as if asking something strange, Merryweather asks Victoria in a dubious manner.

Step by step.

Merryweather approached Victoria with leisurely steps and asked while running his fingers up the tip of Victoria’s chin.

“Why did you suddenly bring Bell to a place like this? Could there be some other intention?”

Ah, I know that well. Sowing doubt.

They’re trying to isolate me. Is it finally time for the Crown to use me?

Hehehe. To think I’m going to be the direct target of this.

It makes me laugh.

Well then, I guess I’ll have to take Merryweather’s side.

“That’s right. Victoria.”

I picked up the child, drenched in sweat and suffering. About 20 kilograms. In today’s units, it’s about 50 pounds, so it’s very light.

I grabbed the child by both shoulders and lifted him up so I could isolate myself more, just like Merryweather wanted. I didn’t even hold him that hard, but he let out a groan of excruciating pain.

I brought the child in front of Victoria so she could see it and asked her:

“How do I do this?”