Chapter 10: 10
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I talked all night with Hikaru, and left the Heavenly Dragon Shrine as the sun rose .
The plan is for Hikaru to go to the Royal Capital after soothing Tenryu .
The shrine is treated as its own area, so I can't directly teleport to it through Unit Arrangement, I can do short-range teleport to it though .
I've put a carved seal board for Return Teleport in Hikaru's mansion, so we can meet anytime .
I wanted to reconcile with the dragons before going out of the shrine, but they were frightened more than I thought and didn't want to get close to the shrine, so I asked Hikaru for their mental care .
I'm thinking of bringing some presents for them another day .
I thought of going to Boruenan Forest but it was at the hour where only Lulu should have woken up, so I went to the Royal Capital first to eliminate the thieves .
I move to Pendragon Mansion with Unit Arrangement, quickly activate the Anti Magic Essence Camouflage skill, and then notice one thing as I open the menu .
--The opponent shouldn't be activating it permanently if it's a skill with bad fuel consumption .
So I thought and checked the map, turned out Ropo is existing normally in an area of the slump .
Looks like my expectation is right on mark .
I investigate the thief hideout where Ropo is on the map, and move to his room with Unit Arrangement .
Right before that, I changed into Kuro form like yesterday from Nanashi form .
Two half-naked women are sleeping on both sides of the bed .
They haven't noticed me yet . Probably because I'm using Magic Essence Camouflage skill and Hiding skill .
The two women seem to be thieves too, so I can apprehend them without reserve .
I slightly lift up Ropo who's still sleeping with [Magic Hand] and then tie him with a rope made of [Thorn Foot]'s ivy .
Looks like he wakes up, he raises a hoarse scream .
Hearing that scream, the women ready daggers on their hands on top of the bed .
It's troublesome, so I neutralize the women with [Remote Stun] .
I tumble the neutralized women off the bed, and then lightly cut Ropo's cheek with the dagger .
Unlike with yesterday, the spilling blood didn't become smoke, it only stained the bed red .
"Who the hell are yaaa"
--He's forgotten already even though we just met yesterday?
Without answering him, I strike his stomach with [Remote Stun] like with the women .
I had thought that he would resist, but Ropo's status quickly becomes 'Fainted' .
. . . . Strange . It's too easy .
When I see Ropo with Anti Magic Essence Camouflage skill activated, I feel something odd on his neck .
According to AR reading it's a recognition inhibition type artifact called [Thief God Harness] .
I couldn't take it off, so I store it into the Storage directly .
--Who is this guy?
The person I had thought was Ropo turned into someone else .
It's a level 30 middle-aged bearded man .
Apparently, he's a body double who disguised himself by using an artifact .
I round up the other thieves beside the fake Ropo and take them to the royal capital's soldiers .
◇
I return to the thief hideout and recover the fainted fake Ropo to question him .
"Now then, you'll be telling me your relationship with Ropo . "
"Hmph, like I'd talk to you bastard--"
I can call Pochi-sensei and Tama-sensei here, but let's just threaten him normally .
I cut a steel armor that's in the room in half with a magic sword in my hand .
"I wonder if you'd still utter the same thing after losing your limbs?"
I don't actually intend to carry it out, although those can be restored with high magic potion .
"--That cold-blooded face is serious huh . "
Apparently, Poker Face skill is doing a good job .
"I'd rather be killed here than selling Head . "
Fake Ropo pretends to be tough with shaking voice .
"Do you have a long history with Ropo?"
"Yeah . . . . Since I was a petty thief in Holy Kingdom Parion, it's already more than 10 years huh--"
Despite saying that he'd rather be killed, he began to leak out information like it's normal, maybe it's due to Negotiation and Questioning skills .
Apparently, the person himself doesn't seem to notice that fact .
"--Propor-aniki was going to do something big in Shiga Kingdom, so we came here to prepare the preliminary work y'see--"
"Hou, that famous Mirage huh . "
"Hehee, Aniki is awesome . "
Fake Ropo smoothly told the situation surrounding him like a drunk man .
I got [Confession Inducement] skill before I knew it . I allocate points to it since it seems useful .
The item that this guy used was given to him by Mirage Propor he said .
. . . . Wait, his story earlier was a bit strange .
The positions of Ropor and this guy should have been like the subcontractors of Mirage .
I understand if Ropor sees Shinkiro as his aniki (elder brother/senior), but shouldn't this guy refer to him as ojiki? <TLN: Sort of "uncle" version of aniki I guess . >
The custom might be different, but let's try confirming it .
"Mirage Propor isn't your ojiki but your aniki?"
"Isn't that a given? He's my aniki who took me out of the slum . "
"Wasn't it Ropor?"
"But of course--Head is a benefactor . "
"Benefactor of what?"
"What, you ask . . . . I wonder what?"
Fake Ropor falls silence with a dubious face .
He looks similar to Baron Muno and the others who were manipulated by the demon's mind magic .
--My Crisis Perception is reacting .
A silver light flies, aiming for me and Fake Ropor .
I catch that with [Magic Hand] and put it into my Storage, and counterattacked the invisible assailant without preparation .
"How did you know my location zamasu?"
Ropor who flew from my kick raises his head from the debris .
--Zamasu?!
Ignoring the fake Ropor who's screaming behind, I kick Ropor who's standing up again .
Breaking the defense he had formed by crossing his arms, I kicked him again to the debris .
Looks like he's camouflaging from the magic essence, his information has disappeared from the AR reading .
Then let's bluff here .
"--What's the green demon doing in a place like this?"
Hearing my words, Ropor's face becomes like a Noh mask .
On his right left arm, I found the same bracelet that the fake Ropor was wearing .
"To be found out by a mere level 50 white haired kid like this, how pathetic zamasu . "
I take out the holy sword Durandal from Storage and slash at Ropor who's cackling like a frog, or to be exact, the green demon with it .
Of course, the aim is the bracelet on its left arm .
I smash the countless ice swords that have appeared around the demon with [Break Magic] chantlessly, and cut its left arm with Durandal in my hand .
I tried to put the bracelet together with the falling left arm into the Storage, but it was repelled .
--Then .
I incinerate its left arm with [Forge] magic .
The heat from the blast blows the underground thief hideout into pieces .
I don't intend to be a man-killer, so I reluctantly protect the fake Ropor with [Flexible Shield] and [Shelter] magic .
Surprisingly, the bracelet persists even while covered in flame .
I catch the bracelet inside the flame with [Magic Hand], and put it into the Storage this time .
And then, the green demon splits the smoke, attacking me .
Matching its name, it's holding a green magic sword in its hand .
I merely bend my body to evade the attacking magic sword, and then swing the holy sword while in unnatural stance, cutting its body in half .
I felt slight resistant cutting an opponent that looked exactly like a human, but since the inside was a demon, carelessly holding back would bring a chance for it, so I hardened my heart .
Just like yesterday, the blood spilling from it produce white smoke .
From between the white smoke gaps, I see the mock body that has been split standing . It feels surreal since it looks like a human .
As I stare at the crumbling mock body, its information is displayed on the AR reading like usual .
Its name has become, [Ropor(Fake)], and the race is [Human(Demon)] .
Looks like it can still disguise itself even without the bracelet, but its original state can't deceive my Menu .
I record the information on the AR before it disappears along with black smoke .
It seems it has disguise, hiding, camouflage skills, along with [Mind Magic] and [Ice Magic] .
"--Let's end the opening act . We will be back with the enthronement of His Highness . Enjoy your short-lived peace while you can zamasu!"
The mock body completely disappeared after leaving such parting threat .
. . . . Apparently, it can't hide its ending word when it's worked up .
The marker of the mock body has disappeared from the map .
Looks like the mock body was treated like it had died when it disappeared, so it's gone from the marker column .
When I check on it, the [Thief God Harness] bracelet that I've collected from the green demon and the fake Ropor is a set of three items .
In addition to having the effect of inhibiting recognition and manipulating your own information, it can also let the people who equip it to exchange their locations by teleport .
Since I had nothing to lose, I tried searching for the last one, and found the owner in an orphanage in the outer circumference of the Royal Capital .
Now then, I guess I'll settle this before the breakfast--
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"Boy . Is that bandana yours?"
I ask the white haired boy who's drawing water from the orphanage's water well .
The boy has the name Shin like a Japanese would, but his face looks like a Caucasian .
"--That's right . "
Shin boy hits the bandana with his hand after faltering a bit .
This bandana is the last of [Thief God Harness] . There's a closed eye picture drawn on the forehead part .
"Where did you get it?"
"I got it from a dead old beggar who was squashed under the debris during the monsters attack before . "
. . . . Fumu, so that old man was the original owner huh .
No, there's a possibility that Shin boy is in disguise .
"Let me borrow it for a bit . "
"Ah--"
I snatch Shin boy's bandana with [Magic Hand] .
Shin boy leaked out voice of surprise since it seemed he never thought that I would snatch it while crossing my arms .
His name and race don't change even without the bandana . His level is still 3 too .
The places that have changed are the Skill column and Detail column . His [One-handed Sword] skill disappears and [Pain Resistance] skill appears, his detailed information changes into blank .
Oh wait, his title has increased too--this is?!
I prevent looking surprised with Poker Face skill, and ask the protesting boy .
"What did you do before coming to this orphanage?"
"Dunno . "
"There's no way you don't know right?"
"It's true . I don't have any memory before I was picked up by the director here . "
Shin boy shouts on verge of becoming angry .
Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to be lying .
Considering his blank detail, his memory loss is probably a fact .
"Hero, demon lord, highness--Do you recognize any of those words?"
"I've heard about heroes and demon lords from aunties' stories who came to the orphanage . As for 'highness', the princess and the plump man at the academy were called that . "
I ask for more details from Shin boy, it seems to be about princess Menea and Souya-kun the illegitimate child .
Come to think of it, the name Shin came out in Arisa's story too .
"Last question . What's your relationship with the dead beggar?"
"He was an old man who often talked about something I didn't understand whenever he found me . "
"What kind of talk?"
Shin boy seems to dislike the old man, he looks fed up .
"'What do you think of freedom, or enthronement, or sacrifice', those complete nonsense . "
Freely offering sacrifices for the enthronement huh .
That old man might have been a member of Light of Liberty .
" . . . . He-hey, if you want that bandana, I'll sell it to you for one copp-no one silver coin . "
Shin boy talked so, what a godsend .
I'd be hesitant to take away a keepsake, but if it can be solved with money, then it's a simple matter .
At any rate, leaving this item alone is too dangerous .
"Very well, I'll buy it . "
I give him a silver coin together with a black bandana from my Storage .
" . . . . This is?"
"Wear that instead . It's a cheap item but it's better than nothing right?"
"Y-yeah . . . . I'll take it . "
Shin boy tries to behave curtly, but his mouth loosens .
Looks like he's pleased with the homemade recognition inhibition black bandana .
"Farewell . Boy . "
I turn my back from Shin Boy--Hero Shin, and leave that place .
Yes, he was concealing the title [Hero] .
I gave him the recognition inhibition bandana in order to hide his title .
It might be good to give him a holy wooden sword for training the next time we meet .
I'll consult about him with a real hero, Hikaru .
If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc . . ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible .
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