Chapter 13.
A Double Life by Day and Night (1)
“……”
“Many things will change because of you. Are you confident you can handle that?”
I meant to say ‘of course,’ but for some reason, my mouth froze.
As if the sentence contained something that shouldn’t be answered lightly.
“You’re a foolish and weak human. But that’s just how humans are, nya. I really enjoy watching such humans, nya.”
As if it had read my thoughts, the fat cat gave me a smug smile.
And even stuck out its red tongue.
Wow. Seriously obnoxious.
Is that thing even a person or a beast? How can it make such varied expressions with such a blank face?
The cat even clicked its tongue as it looked at me, dazed in disbelief.
Tap, tap. Its thick tail struck the floor.
“Open your ears and listen well, nya! This great being will give you the solution, for you who are so foolish, nya! Now, let me ask you, nya. Don’t you even look at your status window? Are you stupid, nya? Have you already forgotten the reward you received, nya?!”
“The reward I received?”
“That’s right, nya!”
The plump cat pointed its paw at me.
“Once a day, you can become someone else, nya! All you have to do is use that to guide the emperor without being recognized, nya!”
“Oh.”
It seemed to be talking about the quest reward I received before.
To prevent the emperor’s rampage, I had been given the ability to appear as someone else once per day.
If I used that to guide him while disguised as someone other than Duke Ariel, then the emperor might never connect the guide to the duke.
Because I would appear as an entirely different person.
And since that information would be false, any search effort would be seriously hindered.
It wasn’t a bad method.
But the thing is—
‘That’s basically throwing myself headfirst into Option 2. And I’d have to guide the emperor every single day!’
Of course, I did have to guide the emperor.
I had a quest, after all.
But before that, I had something else to think about.
I’d received a quest to either break the incomplete imprint and find the “sunshine heroine,” or become a complete guide.
And I hadn’t chosen between those two options yet.
‘Because…’
As soon as the chief aide returned from vacation, I had asked him to investigate the sunshine heroine.
But the result I got back was:
‘Uh, my lord. Regarding the family you asked me to investigate… the only reply we received is that it currently doesn’t exist.’
‘What do you mean? Are you saying such a family never existed?’
‘Not exactly… but it’s as if all traces of them have been erased.’
‘……’
‘Shall I continue searching?’
I was devastated.
My sunshine heroine, my salvation, had vanished. How could this be?
And now you’re telling me to sneak in every night and guide the emperor while pretending to be someone else?
What if we ended up completely imprinted with each other?
“What if this incomplete imprint turns into a complete one?!”
“You foolish human, look up, nya.”
That smug cat pointed above my head with a sly smile.
And then I saw it—the glow I had been ignoring all this time pierced into my vision.
Right, there it was.
The emperor’s rampage danger level.
“You’re going to have to go anyway, nya.”
“I know that too, you damned cat.”
From the moment I first saw it, and again when I faced the emperor, that thing had been stabbing at my chest.
It was also written in the novel, but the empire’s situation wasn’t exactly hopeful.
Compared to the systematic management of espers and guides in South Korea, this world was far more desperate.
Here, order and organization were handled by nobles and mages, while espers and guides risked their lives in battle.
Because this world lacked the records and knowledge South Korea had.
They didn’t even have a proper tool to measure compatibility rates. All they had were crude magical devices that changed color when you placed your hand on them.
Knowledge on how to properly use a guide’s ability was severely lacking too.
Even the A-rank guides here were mostly clueless from what I had briefly seen.
So the life of a solitary triple-S rank must be pure hell.
The emperor in this novel wasn’t the kind of man who smiled and joked from a position of absolute power, suppressing nobles around him.
He literally threw himself into bloody battles. Over and over again.
If this wasn’t just a line in a novel written for entertainment but the life of a real person, it’d be hellish.
I clutched my head.
“If I accept this and guide the emperor every night… what if he clings to me and won’t let go until the disguise wears off? Then he’ll know I’m Duke Ariel!”
“The system favors you, nya. So don’t be afraid. Go and check for yourself, nya.”
Ugh. Whatever.
As I looked up at the danger level shifting from orange to red, I realized I was once again facing the same choice.
“You saved him, didn’t you, nya?”
“……”
“Hoping everything will work out while doing nothing at all—that’s just cowardly, nya.”
The cat was right.
Either I needed to actively participate and steer my life’s direction, or drag someone into this who could somehow change my situation.
“I…”
Looking into the cat’s glowing yellow eyes, I reached out to the system window.
“I want to live.”
By any means necessary.
I scrolled past choices 1 and 2, dragging the screen all the way down.
And then, the same window I had seen before popped up.
Don’t be discouraged.
We will provide you with appropriate support to help you easily achieve your quest.Reward: Disguised Identity (Click)
Fine. Whatever this cursed system wants from me, I have no idea—but at least it doesn’t seem like it wants me dead right now.
That was enough for me. I pressed firmly on the status window.
* * *
It was truly a strange experience.
After a blinding light swept over me, I found myself standing in a hallway of the imperial palace.
I flinched and tried to hide, but I made eye contact with a knight who seemed to be changing shifts.
As I stood frozen, scrambling for an excuse, the knight walked past me without a second glance.
‘He… didn’t recognize me?’
Apparently, in addition to appearing as someone else, this disguise also prevented others from suspecting anything.
It really felt like the system was protecting me thoroughly!
‘If it works like this, it might just be okay!’
My hunched shoulders straightened naturally.
I probably looked like a palace maid or something similar.
‘Would they even know if I just ran away?’
That cowardly thought crossed my mind for a second—but I quickly shook it off.
Even if I ran, the system wouldn’t let me go so easily. The quest would fail, and my soul would be extinguished.
‘I have to try something. I’ve survived all kinds of hell among those crazy espers for years—this is nothing!’
I followed the unnatural glowing arrow on the palace floor, walking naturally down the hall.
Even from a fair distance away, I began to feel it—that crackling, intense energy.
It was violently overwhelming.
Just like how I had suddenly arrived in the palace, I guessed I would return to my own room after the guiding quest was complete.
‘As long as I don’t get found out and I complete the guiding safely.’
Unlike when I was in my original form as Duke Ariel, there was no warning about approaching the emperor in this disguise.
Does that mean the system’s abilities are above those of espers and guides in this world?
But I had no time for those idle thoughts.
As the system’s helpful path ended, I came face-to-face with a grand, heavy door.
“Haa…”
I really wanted to go home.
My hand trembled as I reached for the door.
Behind it, I could feel a vicious aura so sharp it seemed to slice the skin.
Guides, just like ordinary people, are overwhelmed by espers’ energy.
Except we can see that energy and feel it directly on our skin.
‘Damn it. You crazy bastard.’
It hadn’t even been that long since we parted. And he’s already like this?
How much power did he recklessly use in that short time?
I suppressed the urge to scream and placed my hand on the doorknob.
As expected of the emperor’s palace, the door opened without a sound.
A black shadow came into view.
And then—
Shiiing!
A blade of cold wind cut through the air and grazed my cheek.
Warm blood streamed down my face.
I froze on the spot.
A surge of resentment toward that fat cat, who was probably chomping on meringue cookies in my room right now, exploded inside me.
You said I’d be fine! You said it’d be okay, you damn cat!
“Who are you?”
I couldn’t even wipe away the blood. I opened my eyes tightly shut in fear, and saw glowing blue eyes piercing through the darkness.
A man you couldn’t mistake even in your dreams.
Kaisis was there.
And he did not look sane.
“You…”
His face was twisted in pain, drenched in cold sweat. His upper body was bare.
A shadow contorted in agony.
A hand reaching out.
“Are you… a hallucination?”
This was the esper state I had seen far too many times as a guide—when one had pushed their powers far beyond the limit.
