Chapter 247

#247 The Tin Knight and the Strange Retreat (6)

– The dream that cannot awaken is not returning.

– No way, did that guy fall for it too?

– I must inform the master of the truth…

As the Undead murmured with anxiety and concern, a voice intervened.

– Stop it. Protecting the island is the mission that our master entrusted to us. Abandoning it would be tantamount to forsaking our very existence.

– Oh, it’s you!

– Yes, there you are!

Receiving cheers from the Undead, The Masked One wore a sinister smile.

– If the intruders are strong, we can just use that strength against them. They will self-destruct amidst their mistrust and turmoil.

After declaring this, The Masked One began quietly observing the enemies.

To achieve perfect imitation, it was essential to analyze the enemy first.

And The Masked One came to a conclusion.

– It would indeed be best to imitate that green-haired woman.

The knight clad in metal armor and the blonde girl seemed to possess considerable combat power, and the Black Witch, who swiftly subdued the Mansion’s specters, was not to be underestimated with her magical abilities.

In contrast, the green-haired woman had yet to display any special power, and above all, her every move revealed blatant vulnerabilities.

Her lack of the instinctive wariness or tension expected of a living being made her resemble a mere scarecrow.

Moreover, she was wandering alone, observing the flora and fauna of the forest, making her the perfect target.

The Masked One transformed into a dog and approached the green-haired woman.

“Woof! Woof!”

“Hmm? Oh my, here?”

The target easily permitted an approach, and what followed was simple.

Whoosh!

The ordinary dog shape grotesquely morphed, and a tongue shot out like a tentacle, piercing the green-haired woman’s neck.

Crunch!

Just to be safe, The Masked One made sure to puncture her belly and sever her limbs, confirming her death thoroughly enough that it could be considered only polite to ensure she was truly dead. Then, to leave no trace, they scattered the remains over the cliff.

The order given by the master to the Undead was closer to banishment than murder, but that didn’t mean they were required to adhere to a no-kill policy.

After witnessing the waves, frothing white as they swallowed the body without a trace, The Masked One changed their form once more.

Green hair, eyes in shades between red and pink, an alluring figure with distinct curves, wrapped in cloth at the waist, and resembling a ‘pareo’ style swimsuit from the world of the Tin Knight.

Having completed the transformation into Sophia, The Masked One displayed a wicked smile.

No matter how powerful the intruders might be, if they were stabbed in the back by someone who looked like a comrade, there would be nothing to be done.

Even if the enemy’s abilities were so strong they couldn’t strike a fatal blow immediately, being attacked by someone who appeared to be their ally would surely engulf them in shock and terror.

Additionally, by cunningly utilizing their imitation ability, it would be possible to instill doubt among them about ‘who is the real one’ and create discord.

Thus, The Masked One naturally joined the group.

“What is this?”

“S-Sophia, there are two of her!?”

About five minutes later, they were stunned to see the original green-haired woman casually emerging from the sea.

Dorothea and Adelheid’s eyes widened in amazement, while the Tin Knight showed signs of excitement, but he was always like that, so it wasn’t particularly important information.

The Masked One was also internally screaming in surprise, but quickly regained composure.

‘Unexpected, but it’s not enough to ruin the plan yet.’

Although it was only a five-minute difference, the original had just appeared from the sea, while The Masked One had already been mingling with the group.

Moreover, when compared to the original, who looked like a soaking rag with hair flowing down and clutching her upper body, The Masked One had perfectly replicated the clothing and assumed Sophia’s appearance.

Truly, she looked like a spirit lured from the water.

‘Denying the opponent fiercely would deviate from the original’s behavior I’ve observed until now, causing distrust. So I need to remain calm.’

“Everyone, this is…”

Just as The Masked One was about to speak, the Black Witch suddenly chimed in.

“You two, stand side by side here.”

“Huh?”

“Yes, understood.”

In that moment, The Masked One, taken aback, had no choice but to mimic the original’s relaxed response and did the same, moving towards where the Black Witch pointed.

Then, just after that.

Swoosh!

As the Tin Knight swung his sword, The Masked One’s head was severed, with the head soaring into the air before landing on the ground.

It was such a clean strike that she didn’t even feel pain.

‘W-What, how did they figure out which one was the fake…!? Was there a subtle code I missed? Or a special means of communication only they understand? Or was my act just that poor?’

The Masked One was very flustered but still tried to analyze the situation calmly.

As an Undead with transformation abilities, she could tolerate some physical damage easily.

Of course, if she were set on fire, that would be a different story, but having her neck chopped off was still far from fatal.

So she quickly rolled her eyes to analyze the surrounding situation.

Roll, roll.

Soon, she fell into a repeated shock at the sight of the original’s head rolling just like hers on the ground.

Forgetting that she was also an Undead, she shouted with just her head remaining.

“Y-You monsters… can’t you tell the fake from the real one? You could just kill both!”

Dorothea, Adelheid, and the Tin Knight exchanged silent glances at The Masked One, who was filled with righteous indignation, lacking the calm demeanor she usually displayed.

The three of them pointed their fingers somewhere.

The Masked One turned her gaze in that direction.

There, as if nothing had happened, stood Sophia, having completed her regeneration.

“…”

An uncomfortable silence fell, hard to describe.

“Y-You monster-like beings…”

With those last words, multiple slashes from the Tin Knight descended upon The Masked One’s head.

A hollow end, but in a sense, it could be called a lovely demise.

[“But couldn’t the Tin Knight just distinguish based on whose voice he can hear?”]

“Ah.”

Had the Tin Knight’s party overheard their late conversation, it’s likely that The Masked One would have been the first Undead to die of a temper tantrum.

***

Step, step.

Every time and Sophia took a step, the crunch of fallen leaves and dry twigs created a distinctive sound.

At first glance, it seemed like a simple stroll, but in reality, it was a form of labor.

“Ah, Sir Tin, that mushroom over there is edible. But the red mushroom next to it is toxic just by touching the skin, so don’t touch it together.”

[The Tin Knight replies that he understands!]

After a clear answer, you tossed the mushrooms you had just gathered into the basket slung over your back.

It was a bright brown bag woven from wood, somewhat resembling what herbalists would use.

While the party’s meals used up supplies stored in ‘Hyden’s Gloves’ by Dorothea, no matter how abundant the supplies, they would eventually run out without replenishment.

Sometimes, it became necessary to gather new provisions like this.

“That grass over there can be eaten raw after soaking it in water to remove the bitter taste. And the fruit next to it has toxic flesh, but the seeds are safe and nutritious when roasted.”

Gathering something recklessly from the wild and eating it was indeed a practice fraught with difficulty.

It was physically demanding, with threats from snakes or poisonous insects, and misjudging toxic ingredients could lead to instant death.

You possessed a body far from the fatigue of heavy labor or physical threats, but lacked the ability to distinguish between edible and inedible ingredients.

On the contrary, Sophia might not have had the physical capabilities to wander the forest burdened, but her knowledge was exceptionally rich.

Of course, sometimes she encountered fruits or ingredients she didn’t recognize, but Sophia navigated those situations easily.

She would simply confirm any oddities by trying them, a straightforward and intuitive method.

“Hmm, this one seems questionable.”

After tasting a small green fruit resembling a bead and emitting a somewhat sweet aroma, Sophia spat out its contents.

Red spots appeared on her skin, but only for a moment.

It was as if the unusual symptoms that arose in her body were instantly erased.

You were secretly amazed by this.

The monster you had recently transformed into, as well as Witch Mombi, none had displayed a regeneration capacity quite like this.

However, while they ultimately revealed the limits of their regenerative abilities, Sophia’s immortality was on a different level.

You felt that with your body clad in the armor of the Tin Knight, there were plenty of ways to take down most enemies, but an image of how to finish off Sophia just wouldn’t come to mind.

[The Tin Knight asks how Sophia became a vampire!]

In response to your question, Sophia casually replied.

“Oh my, are you interested in how to become a vampire too, Sir Tin? Like the South Witch?”

[The Tin Knight says that’s the first he’s heard of that!]

“Well, for now, it’s just a guess. If the South Witch or her apprentice shows interest in me, I think that’s quite the reason. However, simply researching my blood won’t achieve anything.”

While Sophia’s story was somewhat intriguing, what you were really curious about was something else.

[The Tin Knight asks what led her to research that skill!]

“For that, it’s just as I mentioned before; it’s out of curiosity. I wonder if the great deity will still embrace me, a sinner who has crossed the forbidden line.”

That was a very “Sophia” response.

Wise, greedy for knowledge, and fitting of her haughty character in areas difficult for others to grasp.

If it were the old you, you might have accepted that and ended the conversation.

But you now understood.

Sophia wasn’t lying, but neither was she saying everything.

[The Tin Knight asks if it’s related to her dislike of the heavens!]

You recalled the moments of Sophia observed until now.

She always maintained a detached demeanor, rarely showing intense emotions.

Even when experiencing tremendous pain or being killed, she passed it off without a care, showing no signs of being affected.

However, she displayed a curious emotional side particularly concerning the sky… more precisely, matters involving the Holy Kingdom.

In response to your question, Sophia seemed to ponder briefly before answering.

“Why are you curious about that? It doesn’t seem too relevant to this journey.”

[The Tin Knight replies that he just wants to know, what more is needed?]

You responded without hesitation.

Sophia, for her part, revealed a rare frown.

“Hm, what would happen if I said I didn’t want to answer?”

[The Tin Knight says for now, he’ll back down and wait, noting there’s a cooldown period for inquiries anyway!]

“If it were with Dorothea or Adel, I think they would tell me, ‘You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to!’”

[The Tin Knight remarks that he’s the type to be spoiled by older women!]

This unexpected response seemed to stun Sophia, her eyes widening.

Then she burst out laughing.

“Ha, haha, oh my. Well, then I suppose there’s no helping it.”

After wiping a tear from her eye, she spoke.

“Still, not yet.”

[The Tin Knight asks if a key item is needed!]

“Well, more than that, let’s say, um, the sense of affection you’ve mentioned?”

[The Tin Knight nods, conceding that there’s nothing to do about that!]

“Yes, it can’t be helped. I haven’t endured all this time for nothing; there are quite thick walls here.”

Her amusing refusal echoed.

“─However, it may not be too long now.”

Her last words, subtly whispered, tinged with bittersweetness.

Yet when you turned to look at her face, it bore the same calm expression as always.

“Shall we continue with the gathering?”

You nodded and followed her.

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