EP.168 Fake News
I am weak.
Magic power, qi, other skills. At best, they merely exist.
Bland and bitter tree bark might not be delicious, but if asked whether it has taste or not, I have no choice but to answer that it certainly does. For a bitter and bland taste is also a taste.
The power I have is exactly that case.
It exists, but it is not delicious.
Even if I scrape it together desperately, it's a talent that never exceeds the level of an ordinary human who has practiced a little.
However, there is a saying.
It is not the strong who survive, but those who survive who are strong.
"Neru. Are you that desperate for information?"
And one of the ways to survive is.
To pretend to be stronger than anyone else.
Pretending to have a hidden card up my sleeve, pretending to be some great existence. Putting on a full bluff while what I actually do is sow discord and instigate using mind-reading.
Without actually using my own hands, without revealing my power. Moving others to achieve what I want. That is how a mind-reader survives in the back alleys.
"I'll warn you in advance. Can you handle it?"
Neru grinned and responded to my words.
"Handle it? Honey, can I take this to mean you know that taboo?"
"There's exactly one thing I can guess."
Beastmen have added ears and tails, making their hearing and sense of balance several times better than others. What does this mean?
It means they are optimized for sneaking around and secretly eavesdropping.
Is that why? I, who obtain information proudly with mind-reading, found it hard to understand their sleaziness.
"But will you still be okay with this?"
"Hmm? Is there a reason I shouldn't be okay?"
Neru is an annoying paparazzi who sneaks in and digs up secrets at every opportunity. On top of that, being the editor-in-chief of a private magazine, just hearing the introduction makes it seem like she is polar opposite to the Military Nation.
But there is one thing to keep in mind. Overly curious cats are already dead. The private magazine Black Cat dug up various gossips but never went against the Military Nation. Rather, it cooperated with the Military Nation by exposing corruption and scandals.
Retaliation from the exposed? That won't happen.
Let's not forget. This is the Military Nation. If the suspicion of corruption turns out to be true, unless they are a general-grade, their head flies off. Physically.
Being bitten by a black cat doesn't kill you, but when the hammer of military law falls from above, they disappear without a trace. It is truly a black cat that brings death.
The reason why one cannot rule just by becoming a soldier.
"If you know this fact, both you and your magazine might be in danger from that moment on?"
But can one remain calm even knowing the hammer of the law is above their head?
"Danger spoken of by a Magician. Oh, how scary."
"You'd better not take it as a joke. You might faint from shock just hearing it. You will fall into great agony. Whether you can write this in your magazine, whether someone might incur wrath. Every time you write down each letter, your fur will stand on end in fear. I don't know if the pen is mightier than the sword, but it's clear you'll have to swing it heavier than a sword."
Flinch. The swaying tail stopped for a moment. It was because she was a little frightened by my threat.
'A bluff? Or, is it really something of that magnitude...? Magician, Shadow. What on earth do the two know?'
It's a bluff.
Taboo? If I knew a taboo that could control the Military Nation, I would have used it already. Why would I give it to someone else?
'It seems the Magician doesn't want to let me know that information. If the Military Nation catches and tortures me, I would naturally rat out the Magician, and the Military Nation's surveillance network would head straight for the Magician...'
She doesn't have a single thought of keeping the secret without yielding to torture.
I shouldn't give you guys information in the future.
'But, we can't just back down like this either. Uncle McKellin is dead and Shato is unconscious. For the revenge of the family, no, to make sure this doesn't happen again... we need to know their plans.'
Neru clenched her teeth and forced a laugh.
The first to be exposed to indiscriminate violence are the weak. Especially beastmen with poor public perception were vulnerable to organized and collective crimes.
It's a Family meant to prevent that, but of all things, the opponent is a secret organization that came down from the Old Kingdom. Having been pushed back after losing the physical fight, the Family prepared for them earlier than any other organization.
'We will survive. By any means necessary.'
Neru is an information broker, and information brokers have their own way of fighting. Firmly determined, Neru put on a fake smile.
"Honey, you're quite cooperative today, aren't you?"
"I have always been cooperative."
"Heh. Lie. Didn't you say even condolence money was a waste before I mentioned the Captain?"
'Captain, don't know the affiliation but it seems the Magician is quite close with her. To the point of bringing her into his own place. Hehe. This could be useful.'
Until now, Black Cat has been a high-performance straw that processed information well and brought it right to my mouth.
But maybe because she's getting anxious, the instinct she inherited from her distant ancestors seems to be jumping out. Just because I showed a little concern, she's poking at me with her front paws.
Humans did wrong, humans did wrong. If only the dominant species on land wasn't them, beastmen would never have been born.
Sigh. How should I leak a classified information that will really explode if touched.
While I was agonizing over it.
On the other side, a silhouette in uniform could be seen. It was the Captain. In the angular alley of concrete, the Captain was walking down the middle with neat movements.
Neru also recognized the Captain and subtly dropped a remark.
"Speak of the devil. How did you know to come here?"
"Wait a minute."
Right. How did she know? Even if we're sitting at an outdoor table, this is a quiet alley where hardly anyone passes by.
Should I read her thoughts?
'Target found. Disconnecting.'
Well, so to speak.
She synchronized with the golems spread all over the Military Nation and searched through them one by one until she found me?
...Is this the power of a Communications Soldier?
What? Since when have I been under surveillance? A single individual can find me without me detecting her? And from that far away?
In a way, isn't she a superior version of me?
While I was feeling skeptical about the reason for a mind-reader's existence, the Captain immediately approached me. After looking at me and Neru alternately, she walked straight up to me.
"I request your cooperation."
The one who suddenly interrupted was Captain Abby's side, but a Captain is still a Captain. Leaving aside behind-the-scenes machinations, one cannot openly rebel against her. Neru hid her uncomfortable feelings and said to the Captain.
"Oh my, such an esteemed person as the Captain in such a shabby place! Could you wait just a moment? I'll finish talking quickly and yield the spot to you."
The virtue of an information broker is flexibility. She spoke warmly without being flustered at all by the Captain's appearance, but.
Unfortunately, this Captain, despite being a Water Captain, is a soldier who adheres to the strictest FM more than anyone else.
"I am on official duty. Excuse me, but I ask that you put your business aside for a moment."
Stiffness is bound to cause conflict. Neru frowned.
"Just a moment, Captain. You have to keep the order. I had a prior appointment first, you see?"
"Official duty takes priority over everything."
"Official duty? What is it?"
"Classified."
In my case, I read her thoughts with mind-reading so there was no trouble, but hearing it again now, I felt like it was surprisingly a way of speaking that was very good at provoking anger.
Because Neru snapped.
"Are you kidding me?"
"I do not kid."
Normally, Neru would have just stepped back and hoped for the next day, but right now, she was in a state where she couldn't see straight due to the unsettling situation.
Ah, I'm absolutely not insulting the visually impaired. What meaning would it have to insult a beastman with visual impairment? It's rather a compliment.
"He agreed to sell me information. Just wait until that's over."
"Information?"
This time the Captain reacted.
"Are you saying you're buying information from him?"
"Yes. Why, is there a problem?"
"Negative. There are no regulations regarding the commerciality of information. Transactions other than luxury goods are free. However..."
The Communications Soldier is top secret in itself. The Captain, whose very existence is classified information, glanced at me.
'You wouldn't sell the information that I am a Communications Soldier, right? I trust you... However, I cannot neglect my surveillance.'
The Captain approached the seat next to me and sat upright at the table there. She turned her body toward us and tilted her ears as she spoke.
"Then, I will watch here until the transaction is over. Please continue the transaction."
"What is she saying. Honey, that woman is weird."
It is weird. But somehow it's refreshing, so she's on our side.
"Ahem. How can you call the Captain, who works for us day and night, weird! Tsk! A mere paparazzi, if you have no conscience, you should at least have shame!"
"If it's information so dishonorable that you can't spit it out in front of me, I can't help but suspect that the information itself has room for illegality even before the transaction."
Cornered by the Captain's authority and my common sense, Neru glared as if her temper was flaring up.
"Look at you two being perfectly in sync. Are you guys dating or something?"
"Denial! Stop the baseless slander and finish your business quickly!"
Hmm. Anyway, for the Captain, Neru is now cornered one way or another. Without information corresponding to it, she won't move as I want.
But as she said, it's content that's hard to say in front of the Captain. I need to send the Captain home first and finish the story.
"Don't even think about shaking me off. I will not move from here until your story is over."
But how can I send this stubborn Captain home.
Ah, right. What did Neru just say? Should I try that method?
"No helping it. Beep. I'll tell you now."
"...? Why are you seeking my consent?"
'Are you perhaps going to tell the fact that I am a Communications Soldier...? That is unacceptable. At that moment, I would have to eliminate the witnesses even if I have to use all the golems I can mobilize.'
How scary. If she decides to do that, I wouldn't be able to read her thoughts and wouldn't be able to respond.
Don't worry, because I'm not doing that.
I beckoned to the Captain. The Captain tilted her head but trudged over to my side.
When the Captain stood next to me, I pulled the Captain in that state. In an instant, the Captain ended up sitting on my lap.
'...? Question. What is this action?'
With the Captain full of questions sitting on my lap, I smiled as if troubled and said.
"That's right, Neru. I'm actually seriously dating Beep."
"......?!?!"
'This is the first time I've heard of it?!'
Of course. I just said it for the first time today.