Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint - Ch. 293
The more valuable a trump card is, the more it should be kept hidden.
Especially if it was a rare yet impractical card.
After all, once spilled, water cannot be gathered back, and once exposed, information cannot be hidden again.
The best strategy was to keep it tightly concealed and wait for the most critical moment.
But if you’re not planning to take it to the grave, there will come a time to use it eventually.
So, what reason is there to not reveal my card?
The truth is, I am the Human King.
Of course, that didn’t mean I was some great being or something.
My status hadn’t been of any help throughout my entire life.
If I were one of the Beast Kings, I would naturally possess powerful abilities representative of each beast and reign above others.
That was the way of the world, the natural order.
Yet I had no such power.
I didn’t even have the means to prove that I was a king.
No crown, no royal robes, no throne.
Nothing has been given to me.
I am a naked king left in a foreign land, though not literally naked, at least.
“Human… King?”
Historia was skeptical. Honestly, even saying she was half-believing was generous. If Maximilien hadn’t spoken so seriously, she would have dismissed it as nonsense.
I stepped in to dispel her doubts.
“That’s right. I am the Human King. So from now on, address me as Your Majesty, flatter me, and pay me 50% of your earnings as tax.”
“Quiet, will you?”
“Yes.”
See? Whether you’re a king or not, it’s useless if no one acknowledges it.
While I kept my mouth shut, the impertinent subject continued asking questions.
“…I’ve heard that there is no such thing as a Human King. Humans are the lord of all things, able to choose their own rulers and dignified enough to dominate the world.”
“Do you really think so? That humans are a dignified existence?”
A mechanical sneer appeared on Maximilien’s face.
“Even someone of your caliber is deceived by such talk, so what about the other ignorant masses? No matter how much one wants to deny it, the truth is clear. Humans are inherently beasts, and the only thing that sets them apart from other animals is being slightly stronger. Humans foolishly believe that their existence is special, but expectation is always far from the truth.”
“But–”
“But! Humanity did something extraordinary to become special! By their own hands, they killed their king! They became a ‘special’ existence capable of doing what even beasts would not even think of! How they managed to kill him, I have no idea!”
For the record, I don’t know either.
It happened before I was born.
Even a king cannot know everything that happened in their lifetime, much less a previous one.
“How can Huey prove that he is the Human King?”
Indeed.
If I had clear evidence, I could have announced it to the world.
Why am I lurking in the shadows instead?
These Human Regime bastards should use the power they have to crown me as their king.
In response to Historia’s question, Maximilien grew more enthusiastic in his answer.
“He can’t!”
“But you’re confident that he’s the one, aren’t you?”
“Confident? Not at all! No one can be! Thanks to them killing their own king, humanity has had countless kings! In a world where even a mere beggar can become king if you put a crown on them, how can you distinguish the Human King?”
Unlike earlier, when he was carefully weighing things against me, Maximilien was now boasting proudly to Historia.
He was the type who enjoyed showing off what he knew.
Not the best personality for running a secret organization.
“Even so, the Human King is still a king, the representative of all humans! If such king existed, he would surely understand any human, no matter how twisted or corrupt they may be, as long as they are human!”
Twisted and corrupt.
Hearing those words, Historia suddenly thought of someone.
｢Lankart. That annoying bastard who looked at others like insects was surprisingly friendly to Huey. And not just him. Even the Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka seemed to care for Huey in a strange way. They were all oddly kind to him, considering what he showed.｣
Hey, wouldn’t it be better to start by reflecting on yourself?
Why do you assume you’re normal?
While I silently criticized her, Maximilien began to talk about things that hadn’t even been asked.
“If he is the Human King, he would understand that some parts of humanity can be replaced by gears! Limbs, joints, and muscles are nothing more than organic machines, and gears can sufficiently replace them! Humanity can improve alongside gears…!”
Historia recalled her fight with Maximilien.
Earlier, Maximilien had appeared driving the Steel Beetle. His entrance was so loud that Historia noticed him long before he arrived.
Her body was in no condition to fight after battling the angel.
Let alone the Consensus of Gun and Sword, she wasn’t even sure whether she could use her bullet infused Qi.
Out of necessity, Historia tried to engage in guerrilla warfare from a distance.
However, Maximilien did not respond to her tactics.
He continued to approach the Communication Headquarters while riding inside the Steel Beetle.
Historia’s bullets were powerful, but they weren’t strong enough to penetrate the Steel Beetle, reinforced with Grade-5 Alchemic Steel. With no other choice, Historia had to engage in close combat.
She fought the Steel Beetle single-handedly, tearing at the gears with her bare hands, and managed to create an opening.
Even though her body was shredded by the gear, she attacked Maximilien.
His limbs moved in a peculiar way, almost like gears turning….
“Like your limbs, Director?”
There was no malice behind her words, just a simple observation made from their fight.
But nothing is more uncomfortable than the truth.
Maximilien’s expression lost its smile.
There was a faint clicking sound as if gears were shifting in his mind.
“…I’ve spoken too much. Major General Historia, I trust you understand now. I have no intention of harming the Human King.”
But Maximilien’s mechanical mannerisms made him ill-suited to express emotions.
Historia failed to pick up on his discomfort and pressed further.
“What do you intend to do with Huey, Director? Do you really have no other intentions…? Agh…!”
Water always overflows because of a drop that falls just before it overflows.
Annoyed, Maximilien snapped his fingers.
The gears moved heavily, pulling Historia’s limbs.
There’s a type of bow that uses a winch to draw the string.
Historia’s body moved just like that bowstring.
As the gears twisted her limbs, her waist bent further, and a tearing scream escaped her lips.
Maximilien showed no change in expression as he twisted her limbs.
“Be mindful of your position, Major General Historia. Your life and death are in my hands. How foolish of you to question the person who holds your life in their grasp?”
“Aagh! Ugh…!”
“You may be worthy of becoming my ally, but if you continue to disappoint me, I will reconsider my decision. An ally who doesn’t know their place is more dangerous than an enemy.”
This was outright torture.
Unable to watch any longer, I approached and tried to pull the gears with all my might, but it was no use.
Once again, I wondered if this is what it means to be a king.
Maximilien didn’t ease up even as he watched me struggle.
“My explanation to a subdued opponent was a gesture of pure goodwill, but you have betrayed that goodwill, Major General. Surely, you understand now?”
“Oh, I understand perfectly. Completely. Historia here was just being too presumptuous, wasn’t she?”
There was enough time.
There were enough clues.
The Steel Beetle was a complex mechanical device made up of hundreds of thousands of meshed gears.
Power source? None.
It moved solely by the power of Maximilien’s authority and exerted its maximum force under his control.
To others, it was just a pile of scrap metal, but to Maximilien, it was an irreplaceable weapon.
This Steel Beetle became a prison where the pressure from the mechanical force could crush limbs.
Unlike the Regressor’s Sky Silk that once bound her, these gears continuously exert force.
She couldn’t escape by altering her body with Qi art.
The moment she changes her body structure, it will tighten even more.
“…But escape magic is the most dramatic when it seems impossible.”
Saying this, I grabbed the gears around Historia’s legs with both hands.
Maximilien’s gaze darkened.
｢Is he trying to undo the gears? How foolish. If he understood the structure of the Steel Beetle, he would know that it’s a futile effort. Could it be that he doesn’t understand?｣
I do understand. From what I’ve read from his mind, to undo these gears with human strength, you’d have to dismantle the Steel Beetle gear by gear, starting from the tail.
So it’s an impossible task.
Knowing this better than anyone, Maximilien spoke with a hint of disappointment.
“Don’t make me disappointed in you too. The Steel Beetle cannot be moved by strength alone.”
“I know that.”
This thing was impossible to move by strength alone.
Only Maximilien could move the Steel Beetle.
“Are you trying to protest? If so, I’m even more disappointed. If you think throwing a tantrum will change my mind—“
Screech.
Maximilien fell silent as a sound that should never have been heard reached his ears.
He didn’t understand what was happening and belatedly looked to see what was going on.
The gears were turning.
In reverse.
This wasn’t accomplished by brute force.
I didn’t have that kind of strength.
Even Tyr wouldn’t be able to reverse the force exerted by the Steel Beetle with pure physical power alone.
The mechanical device, created over years by a mad genius, amplifies any applied force by thousands, or even millions of times.
There was only one way to move it.
By using Maximilien’s authority, his Qi… No, his Unique Magic that was masqueraded as his Qi.
In other words, the only way to move the Steel Battle was by turning the gears.
“…!”
Maximilien was shocked.
Even his mechanical mind couldn’t process the overwhelming impact.
The gears that were supposed to be under his complete control, the weapon that was only his, the Steel Beetle, had escaped his grasp.
｢No way…! Could the King of Human even override Unique Magic…!｣
It only took a few seconds for him to regain his senses.
But that was enough.
Historia’s body sprang free.
With the force exerted by the gears gone, her right leg and right arm easily slipped out.
The rest was simple.
Before I could even touch the gears on the other side, Historia forcefully pulled herself free.
Suddenly liberated, Historia staggered and landed on the ground.
I waited for her to land before spreading my arms and shrugging my shoulders.
“Tada! Wasn’t that fun? It’s escape magic! Everyone, give a round of applause!”
As I proudly shouted, Maximilien raised both hands, his eyes wide open.
Historia, expecting an attack, moved, but it wasn’t an attack.
Maximilien tilted one hand and began moving his right hand, clapping excitedly.
The applause was so enthusiastic that it made Historia’s defensive stance feel hollow.
It’s been a while since I’ve met such an enthusiastic audience.