On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

[Storyteller's POV]

"Tell me about it, Hadrian."

"Yes, Milord. The puppeteer has finally gotten out of seclusion. She has revealed herself."

"Hoh?" The unexpected revelation made Layland quirk an eyebrow. "I thought it was a 'he' who came up with this manipulative scheme."

"That was also what we thought at first. It seems we are quite similar, Milord—we don't want to believe that females can behave heartlessly."

"That is a misunderstanding, Hadrian. I just didn't expect the person to be a woman because she has always prioritized logic over her emotion. I believe women can be heartless too, but I didn't expect to encounter another brilliantly scheming woman this soon."

Layland's explanation was quite roundabout but Hadrian got what he said. Layland accepted the fact that women could behave heartlessly, but he didn't consider them brilliant schemers because of their emotions that often got in the way.

It wasn't about the pity over their opponent but. Layland talked about how more prone they were to intimidation and provocation. So far, the puppeteer had been doing her job rationally. It meant she was not only an extraordinary woman but also an extraordinary human.

Still, no matter how brilliant she was, she had brought herself to the way of checkmate. By accepting the Temple's offer to ally with the other Human Kingdoms, her authority over Cresundia was close to non-existent. She could still rule it; however, she had to move according to the Temple's order. In return, though, her safety was assured.

As for how far the Temple would go to protect her was still up for debate. Layland was sure that the puppeteer herself was also not quite sure about it. For now, what Layland could tell was that the Temple was willing to give her the Holy Relics they had. What they had given to her was also not an ordinary Relic since it took her three days to adjust to it.

"Though I don't doubt your capability and credibility, I still need to know how you could reach that conclusion, Hadrian. I can't just accept the fact that you have found the puppeteer without hearing your reason why you are sure that the person is who you think she is."

"That is, Milord…"

Hadrian sounded hesitant and that made Layland the credibility of the information. He wouldn't accept 'gut feeling' as an answer from someone like Hadrian, whose job was to gather factual information.

"She came up to us and confessed directly."

Layland paused to digest the information before asking, "Do you have her with you right now?"

"Yes…. She is sitting right across my desk."

"Hold on a second."

Layland turned to Millonia and asked her to summon Lunea into his office. As Millonia left to call Lunea, he teleported to his office. Sitting down on his chair, he told Hadrian to change the way they communicate. He deactivated his Sound Crystal and waited for Hadrian to ring his Scenery Marble. When the call came, he immediately accepted it.

The Scenery Marble shot out a screen projection into the air. The screen floated above it. In the projection, he could see Hadrian and a hooded figure sitting across from each other. Both of them were looking at him but he could only see Hadrian's face. The only thing he could make out of the hooded figure was the mounds on her chest that her clothes failed to hide.

"Greetings, Milord." Hadrian bowed politely.

"Stop it. It's not like you haven't greeted me earlier." Layland waved his hand. Turning to the puppeteer, he tilted his head. "You intrigue me but we need to wait for someone before we can talk. I need assurance if you are indeed whom you confirm you are."

"The princess will not recognize me," the hooded figure, the supposed puppeteer replied.

"Why don't we see how much she doesn't recognize you?"

The hooded figure wanted to say something but eventually kept it to herself. Intertwining his fingers as he leaned forward, Layland entertained himself with calculating the possibility of the hooded figure being the real deal.

The Cresundia Kingdom had summoned twenty Heroes. When the takeover happened, only thirteen Heroes remained. The number remained the same until Layland took over Antares. He often left Antares to kill the Heroes and managed to reduce their number to eight. The Heroes were guarded more tightly ever since, so he couldn't "coincidentally" encounter them anymore.

The number remained the same until a few days before Cresundia cooperated with the Temple. One of them died in a mission. The cause of death was not disclosed at that time. Layland who also had been trying to figure out the identity of the puppeteer by himself was convinced that the one who "died" was the puppeteer.

He believed it was no more than a stunt to shoo eyes away from the puppeteer. Hadrian also thought the same but Celia's rejection of the suggestion made them think twice.

Lunea knew the remaining eight Heroes but she had never mentioned any of them having the possibility of being the puppeteer. When asked if there was another Hero that they didn't know about, she said no. Should that be the case, she even guaranteed that she also didn't know who it was. She was as floored as they were about it, which was why she had remained silent.

There was a high chance that no one but Yūto who the puppeteer was. Considering that he said one of them—the Heroes—betrayed them, Layland was sure the puppeteer was a Hero that they didn't know about.

As for how it was possible, Layland couldn't think of anything. Lunea and her parents might have missed her when they summoned the Heroes. It was a ludicrous notion—Layland was aware of that. Therefore, he was intrigued by the puppeteer.

What drove her to do what she had been doing?

Click.

"Excuse me. Do you need something of me…did I interrupt something?"

The person whom Layland had been waiting for had finally come. Lunea glanced at the projection briefly before looking at Layland awkwardly. The puppeteer didn't surprise her in the slightest. This action signified that she didn't know who the puppeteer was.

Layland patted his lap as he looked at Lunea. "Come, sit here."

"Okay." She rushed at Layland excitedly. Upon sitting down, she asked, "So, who is the person sitting across from Hadrian? Do you expect me to identify her?"

"Shortly, I do. However, I know you can't."

"That is true. I don't even recognize her figure."

"You remember people's faces well, don't you?"

Lunea nodded her head lightly. "So, you want me to see if I ever met this person somewhere."

Layland hummed lightly and then gestured for the puppeteer to pull her hood down. "I know you came here to make a deal. Let's get to know each other better first."

The puppeteer looked at Layland silently for a few seconds before turning her gaze to Lunea. The outcast Princess tilted her head, wondering if she ever encountered the hooded figure.

A minute passed silently and the puppeteer eventually pulled her hood down. Seeing her facial features, Layland immediately became sure that she was an Earthling.

Layland could tell she was Lebanese. She had tanned skin and a slightly Arabic look. Her luscious long hair was black and wavy. She was beautiful and could easily become a model back on Earth if not for the scar on her face. It ran from her temple down to her chin.

The scar was new. It made Layland wonder if it was the reason why she did what she did. He became even more intrigued with her backstory. Who made that scar and why did he do that?

"You are…that person whom I helped in Dissena Dukedom." Lunea, much to the puppeteer's surprise, could remember who she was. "Yeah, you are that person who spat on me after I gave you clothes and food. I still wonder if I did something wrong to you."

Lunea crossed her arms and hummed to herself. On the other hand, the puppeteer looked at Lunea coldly. The scene made Layland smile bitterly. He could already tell what had happened. It was as amusing as it was ridiculous for him to think humans remained the same wherever they were.

"How could I not hate you? Your father didn't only try to kill me but also rape me before he did it," the puppeteer said spitefully.

Lunea was stunned to silence. Her eyes widened in disbelief and her mouth gaped in shock. Her father might be cold, but she didn't think he was a bad person. He was a respectable man who wouldn't do such a vile thing. Alas, it was but her delusion.

"I was summoned first among my friends. I was the product of your father's failed summoning. I got my System late. For that, I had to be trained like a normal soldier for a few weeks. When I got my System, I immediately chose a Class. This was when everything changed."

"What did you choose?" Layland asked.

"Mentalist," the puppeteer answered coldly.

The light of realization entered Lunea's eyes immediately. She finally understood why her father did such a vile thing. Cresundia was traumatized by a Mentalist. An entire generation of the Royal Family was controlled by a Mentalist until her grandfather killed the Mentalist. A Mentalist Hero was the last thing Cresundia wished for.

"Your father is not a saint, Lunea," Layland stated before Lunea could say anything to defend her father. "It is hard to accept but you have to. You don't have to hate him for life. You just have to accept the fact that he is not what you think he is—just like what Celia did to her father."

Ignoring Lunea who became focused on her thought, Layland looked at the puppeteer. "I am not that intrigued with your tragic backstory anymore. Why don't you tell me what you have to offer?"

The puppeteer looked at Layland silently for a few seconds before telling him what had happened to her. She enjoyed his eye twitch greatly.