Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint - Ch. 316

The same face, the same physique, the same voice…

Even the clothes, made from identical clothing packets, were the exact same model, as if a mirror had been placed between them.

They looked so alike that even the Regressor, with her Seven Colored Eyes, couldn’t distinguish who the real Historia was.

｢They’re not completely identical. The problem is, I don’t know which one is real. No matter how hard I look, it doesn’t seem to be some magical ability or Arcane. It looks like a pure Qi based technique, something she might have even reached the Axiom with…! Tch, no wonder I couldn’t figure it out in the previous timelines!｣

In the previous timeline, the Regressor had gotten close to the core of the Military State but didn’t uncover this secret.

It could have been because the Military State’s secrets were too unexpected, or maybe because, for the Regressor, the Military State was something to pass through rather than linger on.

Either way, excited by this newfound knowledge, the Regressor looked at me expectantly.

｢Well, I’m not the only one who doesn’t know. Let’s see if you can figure it out too!｣

Those eager eyes were a bit overwhelming.

“…Mr. Shei. Why are you staring at me all of a sudden?”

“Oh, nothing. How about you? Think you can tell them apart?”

“Huh? Do you even know who you’re talking to? I’m someone who could spot a tiny scratch on the back of a card. Of course, I can tell them apart. What about you, Mr. Shei?”

“Me? If I give it my all, sure, I could.”

“Then, go ahead and try.”

At my prompt, the Regressor scratched her chin, looking a bit troubled.

“…But to tell them apart, I’d need to open my Eyes of Fate. I’m not one to save my lifespan, but to use it on something like this is a bit much.”

“I wasn’t going to say this, but if you need that cheating technique that sees into someone’s fate just to figure it out, doesn’t that mean you can’t tell them apart?”

“S-shut up! If you’re so confident, go ahead and try!”

Tsk, tsk. With Mind Reading, I can find out easily.

I shook my head and read Historia’s thoughts.

｢I hate to admit it, but she looks exactly like me. Same appearance, same voice, even the unique gait of those who’ve mastered my Qi Art, Exploding Discharge Domain… Not even Huey could—｣

Why ask me to guess if you think I won’t get it right?

You could’ve at least secretly given me a signal.

Are you messing with me?

I got up and asked,

“Why are we doing a quiz in broad daylight, anyway?”

“…It’s nothing. The Chief of Public Safety changed her form on a whim and followed me.”

Though the tone of “Historia’s” voice was identical to Historia’s, it was completely useless for someone like me, who identifies people by their thoughts.

Matching voice and appearance doesn’t matter if their thoughts are different.

I looked at the “Historia” who had just spoken and said casually,

“So, since Hilde was the one who started this, I guess Hilde will be giving out the prize.”

“Well, we’ll see if she prepared anything.”

“How can you not know? Don’t tell me you’re planning to weasel out of giving a prize?”

When I pointed it out clearly, “Historia” paused.

She stopped in her tracks, stared at me with a rigid face, and then smiled brightly, spreading her arms wide.

“Correct! Amazing, Father! How did you figure it out? That was my absolute best performance! Even the clothing packets were identical!”

“It’s a secret. A magician never reveals their tricks until they’re at death’s door.”

“Hey! That’s cheating! Did you and the real Historia set up a signal while I wasn’t looking?”

“I may be a third-rate magician who sometimes collaborates with the audience, but Ria wouldn’t do that. Her pride wouldn’t allow it.”

“Really, now? Then what about my pride, huh?!”

“Historia” stomped her feet in childish frustration, which didn’t suit her current form at all.

I didn’t need to say anything—this one was Hilde.

I turned to her and asked blandly.

“Alright, so what’s the prize?”

“The prize? That would be me!”

“That’s not a prize. That’s just an object. Give me a real prize.”

“You’re so mean! If you take me, I could give you a massage!”

A massage, huh?

Come to think of it, Hilde said she could use Holy Power and some sort of pressure-point technique.

It’s not strange.

Anyone with strong faith who deeply understands the Holy can use Holy Power.

Of course, the requirement of “strong faith” itself is tough to meet, making it practically impossible for those who believe in something else.

That’s why you don’t see mages using Holy Power.

But someone like Hilde, who can even fool herself with her shapeshifting, might be an exception.

“Hmm, I might just take you up on that… but that’s not why you came to see me, right?”

“You’re right! Our dear officer has something urgent to discuss with you!”

“Urgent?”

Perfect timing.

As long as I’m in the same space as Tyr, I can’t receive treatment using Holy Power.

So I put my hand against the wall and made my way outside.

“Let me wash up and get some treatment first. I’ll hear the urgent matter after that. You don’t have to follow me.”

“Hmm, very well. Go ahead.”

｢So the left one was the real one… Next time, I’ll get it right for sure.｣

See? I’m not the only one who thought this was a quiz.

With a sore back, I hobbled out the door. Historia and “Historia” walked side by side beside me. No matter how much I rely on reading thoughts to distinguish humans, having two identical Historias walking next to me was disorienting.

Without my Mind Reading ability, I probably would’ve gotten confused.

Still, why does it feel like I’m being tested for no reason?

Feeling a little resentful, I turned to Historia and said,

“By the way, Ria… Why did you go along with Hilde’s little morning quiz?”

Without looking at me, Historia replied.

“…I didn’t.”

“But she walked up to me, looking just like you, and asked me to guess who’s who. It was obviously a quiz.”

“The Chief acted on her own. I didn’t stop her, that’s all.”

“You could say that if Hilde came alone, but you were standing right beside her. That’s close enough to cooperation, don’t you think?”

Still, Historia didn’t turn her head, nor did she respond.

Instead, Hilde, still wearing Historia’s face, answered enthusiastically.

“That’s because women always hope that someone will notice the little things that make them special! Even the Major General is still a woman, you know!”

“… Chief.”

“See? Even her tone has softened! Have you ever seen Historia like this before, Father?”

Why is she so excited?

I’d humor her if it weren’t for this muscle pain.

Groaning, I watched as “Historia” brazenly examined my body from head to toe, then spoke cheekily.

“So, Father, what will it be? A massage? A shower? Or… both?”

Both?

Even if you were my real daughter, I wouldn’t go that far. Historia reacted.

“What do you mean, both?!”

“Don’t worry, Historia! I’ll do it in this form!”

“Absolutely not! Don’t use my body for such things!”

“Hmm, no choice, then? Alright, in deference to Historia’s wishes, I’ll change into a more modest male form.”

“That’s not the point!”

Right. Historia is making an important point here.

“Ria’s right. The most important thing is my decision.”

“No, it isn’t! That’s not happening!”

What? Not happening?

Hey, Historia, I’m the King of Humans, the dominant species on Earth.

You can’t tell a beast not to do som—

｢Say something like that, and I’ll beat you up!｣

Well, maybe there are things I can’t do, after all!

Looks like I’ve just found another one.

“Ugh, fine. I’ll hear what Ria has to say first.”

“And what about the massage?”

“The massage isn’t really the important thing, is it? If you both came together, it must be about something Ria needs to discuss, right? You’re planning to use the Military State as a hostage… or something along those lines, right?”

“Wow, Father, we really can’t hide anything from you! You’re right.”

Well, of course. I’m reading your mind.

Hilde shrugged and began to drop her disguise.

“Fine. I’ll leave the honor of massaging Father to Historia!”

“I’m not doing that.”

“You’d feel embarrassed massaging him with someone else around, wouldn’t you? So I’ll just step back!”

Waving her hands above her head, Hilde left, her steps light.

Even though she’s supposedly on my side, it’s clear she has a deep attachment to the Military State.

She carefully avoids doing anything that might truly harm it, even when she’s being playful or clingy.

Unlike Yuel, whose attitude was the opposite.

Yuel tried to actively resist me and Tyr, but Hilde took a more flexible approach.

If Yuel is a hawk, Hilde is more of a dove—or maybe a cuckoo?

Even though she was our enemy not long ago, she finds a way to fit herself in.

Well, let’s just play along for now. It works out better for everyone this way.

“Come in.”

Historia’s room was one of the largest and most luxurious in the annex.

But by Military State standards, “luxurious” meant a slightly softer sofa, a bit bigger bed, and a somewhat cozier blanket.

This is supposed to be a VIP room?

In my opinion, if it’s harder than a wool cushion, it’s not a sofa.

Not wanting to throw my sore body onto something like that, I dragged myself over to the bed and flopped down.

Historia looked at me with concern.

“…Is it that bad?”

“It’s not as bad as what you went through, but I’m not as good at enduring pain as you are.”

“Turn over. I’ll treat it with acupressure therapy.”

Acupressure?

Is that the name of the technique that Hilde used?

Isn’t that the technique where you use Qi to strike the body and heal it?

If that goes wrong, the qi could invade your body and tear it apart.

Sounds dangerous.

“You learned acupressure?”

“I watched the Chief do it.”

Wait, if you can learn something just by watching it once, why even bother studying or practicing techniques?

Sure, you’re a genius, but acupressure has its own history and traditions—

“Ooooh… that feels good.”

Well, I guess it works.

Historia’s hands moved delicately over my muscles.

She spread a gentle layer of Qi over my body, finding the tension inside and concentrating on the knotted areas.

It felt like she was massaging me from the inside out.

It would’ve been nice if she had some Holy Power, but if she did, it wouldn’t feel this good.

True pleasure comes from alleviating what’s lacking.

Holy Power, which “restores” things, lacks that kind of satisfaction.

“Huey. Move 6.”

“Got it.”

Move 6 was the position where you bring one knee up… my body moved before I even thought about it.

As I raised one knee while lying down, parts that hadn’t been touched yet were now being stimulated.

I groaned contentedly.

Aside from a few occasional instructions, the massage continued in silence.

Once I started feeling like my body had loosened up, Historia pressed into my back and spoke.

“…I.”

Here comes the real talk.

I stifled my groan and focused on her words.

“I wanted to create a place for you in the Military State… so that whenever you decided to return, you’d have somewhere to go.”

Those who master Gam Qi Arts are said to be able to control their bodies completely through sheer will alone…

But is that really true?

Willpower itself fluctuates with emotion, so can we really say it’s “completely”?

Historia’s hands and voice trembled uncontrollably.

“It wasn’t just for you. The children who survived Hamelin, including Shiati, the cadets who didn’t participate in the graduation exam but were ostracized because of the Hamelin incident—they all suffered. I wanted to give them a place to belong. So I fulfilled my duties and became a Star General.”

Thanks to Historia becoming a Star General, the cadets from Hamelin couldn’t be discriminated against.

Thanks to Historia actively participating in numerous missions, the Resistance, including Shiati, survived.

Thanks to her leaving the position of her adjutant vacant, some lucky individual who caught Historia’s eye could rise to a prestigious position with minimal effort….

But the position remained empty.

“…You’re the King of Humans. You grant wishes, but…”

Her hand landed on my back with a soft thud, but the impact hit my heart more than my body.

Historia fought alone and created space for others.

Even after betraying the Military State, that didn’t invalidate her efforts.

But…

Your wish wasn’t to fill the space but to create it in the first place.

“Ria, what you wanted was an equal friend, someone you could share your heart with.”

Someone with whom you could exchange feelings on equal footing, beyond power or authority.

That was Historia’s wish.

“To share your heart, you have to open yourself up first. You had the strength and ability to do it, but the voices of others never reached you, just like the cries of those children never reached the Military State.”

I can place others’ hearts over mine, but I never truly share them.

That’s why I grant wishes, but I can never be the subject of those wishes.

The affection Historia feels for me is a product of my Mind Reading.

If she truly wanted to share her heart, she would have to open hers first.

“The Military State didn’t change much after Hamelin, but the cries of those kids changed you, and that change is now transforming the Military State. Their wish has already been fulfilled… because you shared their hearts.”

“It was hard.”

“But you did it. You’re no longer the lone wolf of Hamelin. You’re someone who’s trusted, respected, and able to meet those expectations.”

That’s why Historia needed to create a place, an empty space.

It needed to be empty to be filled.

Historia realized that after losing so much.

Her hand tightened on my shoulder for a moment but soon relaxed.

She looked down at me and said,

“…The Chief of Public Safety said the Military State needs at least one of the Six Star Generals who knows its secrets.”

“If not, there’d be no one left to protect them.”

“Huey, what should I do?”

“Do whatever you want to do.”

“But what about you? No matter how hard I try to prepare a spot, it doesn’t mean anything if no one comes. Even if I stay here and protect the Military State, you’re not coming back, are you?”

“Oh, about that.”

I glanced around, checked with my Mind Reading that no one was eavesdropping, and lowered my voice.

“I’m the King of Humans, right?”

“…It still doesn’t feel real, and even if it is, I don’t see how that changes anything. So?”

“Why do you think the King of Humans showed up in the Military State?”

“Why are you asking me that, O self-proclaimed King of Humans?”

“Because I don’t know either. Just like you, I’m human. I don’t get to choose where I’m born. By the time I became aware of myself, I was already crawling around in the back alleys of the Military State.”

The King of Beasts generally follows a universal logic, though not always absolutely.

The fact that I’m in the Military State suggests that it represents a certain degree of humanity’s universality.

…The problem is, I don’t know why.

“The King of Beasts isn’t particularly special. Especially not the King of Humans who’s lost his power. Born here, I had no choice but to live in the Military State. That’s why I went to the elementary citizen school, the secondary military school. If the incident didn’t happen, I probably would’ve gone on to the advanced military academy and learned the Military State’s secrets step by step.”

But ultimately, I didn’t.

Going to the advanced military academy isn’t exactly a “normal” path.

In hindsight, the wishes of humans follow such a universal trajectory.

So, I approached things differently.

“But then I met Mr. Shei and learned something important.”

“The King of Sin?”

“Yeah, I need to figure that out. I don’t know how it’ll end. Maybe, I’ll be the only one left standing, or maybe it won’t work out at all.”

Honestly, I don’t know.

From here on, it’s completely unknown territory.

I can’t just go around guessing like a prophet.

“But one thing’s certain: once everything’s over, I’ll return to the Military State.”

That part is true.

If I’m granted a normal amount of time, I’ll stay in the Military State and slowly search for its secrets, just as I did before entering the Abyss.

Historia pondered my words for a few moments before speaking.

“That sounds like a lie.”

Seriously?

I just poured my heart out, and you’re calling it a lie?

“I can’t trust you. You abandoned the Military State and me so easily. Nothing can hold you hostage…”

Of course not. I’m the King of Humans.

Unless you hold all of humanity hostage, there’s no stopping me.

But even so, I keep my promises.

“Ria, Thanks for the massage. Oh, right. When we went down to the Communication Headquarters basement, I said I’d pay you back once we got back, didn’t I? I wouldn’t say this is because of that, but…”

I extended my hand. Historia grabbed it to help me up.

A simple, everyday gesture, something friends might do.

And I added a little twist.

“Move 8.”

It was the motion for switching positions.

Historia instinctively reacted.

In a flash, we switched places.

No matter how hard I tried to shift her before, Historia wouldn’t budge.

But with one word, she tumbled onto the bed.

I looked down at her and rolled up my sleeves.

“Your muscles must be pretty sore too, right? Probably worse than mine.”

“Ah…”

“Consider this your repayment. I’ll give you a massage.”

“Huey, you… learned acupressure…?”

“I just learned it. A moment ago.”

I can’t do it, but Historia can.

And if I can read Historia’s thoughts, then I can do it too.

Acupressure is an extremely tactile technique, but that doesn’t matter.

I can just read Historia’s senses.

“Move 0.”

What’s engraved first lasts the longest.

Following the instructions she learned when she was still a cadet, Historia exhaled deeply and relaxed her body.