There was some back and forth, but anyway. The regressor accepted Hekto's proposal and decided to give a one-day reprieve. Hekto, sitting reluctantly as if he'd been stripped bare like a mark, didn't put away the iron cover and called Per separately. He intended to dig up whatever information he could about us.
Kind-hearted and diligent on top of that—uncharacteristic of Yeolguk, but conversely, such people are what give Yeolguk its dignity as a nation.
The regressor who had broken through the iron cover walked away nonchalantly, then glanced back.
"So they weren't using living people as stone statues? That's even more surprising."
"What. You knew too, Shei?"
"Obviously. When you see an excessively realistic statue, you have to suspect first whether it's human or not."
Wow, it was well-made. Isn't thinking like this normal? What kind of life have you lived?
"Anyway, how did you notice too?"
"I just picked up on what the Suppression Lord let slip. A human resonating? That's unsettling. I'm glad I didn't eat Yeolguk food, just like you said, Shei."
"They say outsiders aren't greatly affected, but yeah."
'If I didn't just die in Yeolguk but was resonated by the Golden Mirror, would I be able to regress... Ugh. I don't particularly want to find out.'
Shaking his head, the regressor got ready and spoke.
"I'll try to find where the Golden Mirror is. If the Suppression Lord's words are true, it should be nearby. Knowing the location in advance would give me more options. If worst comes to worst, I can ditch the Suppression Lord and go meet it."
He boldly declares he has no intention of keeping his promise. As expected of a regressor.
Hilde also offered a backhanded compliment filled with admiration.
"Wow~ It seems you have no intention of keeping even the promise you just made! Amazing! So moving!"
"Shut up. So what are you going to do for a day?"
"'Me'? 'I'm' going to disguise myself and gather information!"
"That's the same thing!"
"The one who accepted the proposal wasn't 'me', it was Shei! Besides, when 'I' transform, 'I' become another person, okay?"
"What do you mean another person. Even if you transform, you're still the same you. You don't become a different person."
The words the regressor casually threw out coincidentally struck Hilde's sore spot. Perhaps it was exactly what a shapeshifter who had lost herself needed to hear.
However, messages sometimes depend on the messenger. Hilde wiped the smile from her lips and spoke.
"You have no right to say such things. Because you can't find 'me'."
"I can figure it out, you know? I've guessed correctly several times."
"Using your 'eyes'? Pffft. Figuring it out with suspicion as a premise—anyone in the world can do that. Moreover, you have to rely on the power of light just to confirm it? Cowardly. What's worse is you don't even know you're being cowardly. The only person who recognized 'me' from the start was Father."
Uh. Actually I did use something like a power called telepathy. If you praise me too much, I'll feel really bad.
Still, I know I'm cowardly, so maybe it's okay?
"Why are you suddenly like this?"
"It hurts my pride when you nitpick about 'my' shapeshifting. Anyway, 'I' will take my leave now, I have to prepare for infiltration~."
Hilde waved her hand dismissively and headed to a secluded spot in the alley. The regressor looked at Hilde's back with a dumbfounded expression.
"What's with her?"
"I don't know what it is, but it seems Shei has gotten on her bad side."
"You're saying it's my fault?"
Not a fault. They're just people who don't click well.
The suggestion to gather information separately came up, but I had no intention of running around on foot. I'm hopeless at physical labor, you see.
The Golden Mirror. Is it trying to become a king? Or a god?
I simply cannot understand its intentions. Its actions lack consistency. Seeing how it produces food and builds cities, it seems like it wants to save humans, but ultimately, the thing it does after creating so many humans is collection.
One who kills others and sustains themselves on their blood and sweat is a king.
One who divides themselves and shares those fragments with people is a god.
Yet the Golden Mirror's actions straddled somewhere between those two. It uses its abilities to provide living spaces for others, but what the surviving citizens ultimately reach is 'collection.' The citizens ultimately become part of the Golden Mirror. If they live, they are 'collected,' and if they die, they are 'disassembled.'
But... there's no reason to collect something like humans.
Is that why it insists on the title 'Golden Mirror'? Because it's neither a king nor a god?
"I really need to meet it."
I was mumbling to myself as I retraced my steps back the way I came.
That was when it happened. I heard a commotion from the street ahead. Looking up, I saw carriages tangled together on a slightly sloped road. People who looked like owners were shouting with veins bulging in their necks.
"Who's the bastard who brought a carriage into the city?!"
"That side came to a sudden stop!"
"What does me stopping for a moment have to do with you ramming into a wall!"
A traffic accident. Common occurrence.
This city is temporarily inhabited by alchemists under the Suppression Lord and jackals aiming for the cornfields. Order is maintained by the Suppression Lord's power and prestige, but when willful jackals gather to live, problems are bound to arise.
Can't be helped. Shall I go around? I don't know the city's geography well, but as long as I have a sense of direction, I'll eventually reach where I want to go.
What? Directionally challenged? I refuse to acknowledge such mythical creatures as human. For a being whose only asset is intellect to be directionally challenged is too shameful. You are stripped of your humanity.
Like that, I slipped into a side alley and was about to head to the next one.
"Huh. There's no path here."
Strange. By my calculations, there should be a path here. Should I go a bit further? Let's see, next alley.
Right. If I pass through here, the next street will come up. I was about to enter the alley when I hastily stopped my steps at the thoughts coming from inside.
'When they come, strike. I'll stab some rich-looking guy and make a score. One hit'll do!'
What kind of robber is this? He's holding a dagger with clear murderous intent. A surprise attack after lowering their guard wouldn't work on someone like that. The moment you speak to them, they'll try to stab you.
Run away. Here, let's naturally turn right.
I haven't gotten lost yet. I know which direction the sun rose from, and I can clearly grasp north, south, east, and west. If worst comes to worst, I can always get on a roof and jump around. I'm not directionally challenged.
Which makes it even more strange.
Even though I didn't intend it, even though I chose each time without much deliberation, I seem to be naturally funneled down a certain path. The way I'm going is right, but it's a bit secluded—an alley where it wouldn't be strange for someone to jump out.
Bizarre. How should I explain this? My choices held no meaning; I feel like a puppet moving as someone designated. I feel an unpleasantness like dancing in the grip of a chess knight who sees ten moves ahead.
But that's impossible. I am a mind reader. A master of psychological warfare who can read the thoughts of a player looking ten moves ahead and lay counter-traps. Yet my mind reading sensed nothing.
The jackals blocking the road, the aspiring highway robber, and the blocked wall. None of them intentionally blocked the path. If I had known, I would have read it in advance and dealt with it. Even if someone designed it, how could they know I would walk down that street at that time to prepare such devices?
My coming this way must be purely coincidental....
"I will issue a warning. Barbarian."
...No, there is one more possibility.
The 'destiny' spoken of by the Holy Imperial Court.
A woman with a deeply pulled-down robe stood blocking the narrow alley. The only parts of her body visible were her gaunt jaw, ash-gray hair, and her clenched fists revealed between her sleeves.
I should have expected it.
I read her thoughts, but having come this far, I couldn't flee either. From the moment I changed direction at the first street, this encounter was already 'predetermined.'
By the Saint of the Holy Imperial Court.
Standing in this place as predetermined, she glared at me as predetermined. There was hostility but no intent to attack. She came here simply to warn me.
"If you intend to stop the war, I will leave you be. Rather, blessings will be upon your future. However, if you intend to pursue further chaos. If you intend to reduce humanity once more to beasts acting on their whims."
The Saint of Steel. Peruel.
The only one among the Saints at the pinnacle of the Holy Imperial Court who possesses pure martial prowess.
The Saint of Steel raised her tightly clenched fist and pointed at me. The reason she covered that fist, which shatters heretics in a single blow, with the Holy Sea Cloth was not to protect the fist, but to protect the person who would be struck by it. However, despite that tear-inducing consideration, it is said no one has ever been protected.
For everything the Saint's fist touched was pulverized.
"Following the will of the first Saint who blessed this servant and cursed the barbarian."
I admit it's impressive she came alone without any sense of crisis, but even if she had come with someone, it wouldn't have been any safer. Because the Saint of Steel cannot be stopped. Literally.
Peruel pointed her finger at me and warned.
"With this fist directly, I shall deliver divine punishment upon you!"
No, not at me, but at the King of Humanity.
People cannot choose how they are born. The King of Humanity is no different. Is there a special seed for kings and nobles? I just opened my eyes and I was the King of Humanity.
I could think being the King of Humanity is something grand, but a king without a kingdom is nothing more than a lunatic who believes himself a king. Much less a King of Humanity who has lost all power? Just an ordinary lunatic who happens to be a bit skilled at human affairs.
So I lived ordinarily, and tried to pass the time ordinarily.
The problem is the world wouldn't leave me alone, so I ended up among special people, and being an animal of adaptation, I adapted somewhat, but my essence hasn't changed.
But suddenly a Saint comes looking for me and says she's warning me. If push comes to shove, she'll deliver divine punishment with her fist. It's unjust. It doesn't make sense! Why should I be beaten to death!
Emotions surged up. I shouted, filled with as much indignation as I could muster.
"What am I trying to do?! I was just trying to live normally and got caught up in strange events!"
"Are you denying it after having touched the Demon God's Designation of the Bottomless Pit?"
"Demon God's Designation? What's that? Is it something you eat? Who says I touched it? Did you go inside me and come out? I'm at the point where I want to confront the Celestial God! I was suddenly captured and thrown into the Bottomless Pit, where was my free will in that!"
"Stop playing innocent! You colluded with the Sorcerer Rankart and...!"
Peruel, who was about to shout in anger, suddenly covered her mouth and mumbled.
"...No. Conversing with a barbarian is foolish! I will not be deceived!"
"Deceived? You call the appeal of an unjustly treated lamb deception too? Since when did the gods become so heartless?"
"Do not defile the name of the gods! Your actions have already made everything clear!"
"I'm telling you I didn't do it. It seems we have some misunderstanding, so let's resolve it through dialogue."
"Unnecessary!"
"Why? The scripture itself says that the ability to converse with one another is the most noble power given to humans. If it's that noble, we should use it more."
"It is also what demons use best! Conversation with you is unnecessary!"
Peruel kicked off the ground and leaped. It looked like she just lightly stomped, but her body soared up. Peruel, who had already returned to the street entrance, pointed her finger at me and spoke.
"This servant withdraws today. But do not forget! There is always an eye watching you!"
"Why do you keep saying you'll watch me so creepily. Are you a pervert? Rather than watching me continuously like that, let's both bare everything and talk honestly. There are plenty of empty houses here, so let's at least go inside somewhere..."
Peruel clamped her ears shut and ran without looking back. I called out desperately, but her ears, covered by the Holy Sea Cloth, let none of my voice through.
Tch. Too bad. It was a chance to read a bit more of her thoughts.
My mind reading can only read humans. The Saints are human, so their hearts can be read. But I cannot directly peek at the futures they have seen. Just as truth exists in the world, but not all humans perceive it.
Moreover, the Saint of Steel's precognition was special, making it even more difficult.
So I had to gradually draw out information through dialogue... She's well-trained.
I feel it anew, but the world is too unfair. I, with no power at all, rack my brain and use every trick available just to desperately survive, while they show up riding on destiny. And then they target me, who merely got swept up and did nothing.