Chapter 32

---

Just like that, Fuwawa started talking.

Her voice could be heard, but it wasn't human speech.

Apart from the audible voice, something flowed directly into my mind.

It was as if recalling a conversation in a dream—fuzzy and hard to grasp, yet clearly understandable, a mysterious sensation.

"Interesting, then try it."

As I said this, Fuwawa descended to the floor, and her form began to blur.

The blurred form turned into a mist, which then dispersed and reformed.

"Wh-What!?"

Alan was so surprised that he exclaimed.

"Is this... me?"

"Yes. Get someone to bring a mirror and stand next to it with her."

Alan called one of his subordinates—shocking them as well—and instructed them to bring a mirror.

During this time, the transformed Fuwawa stood next to Alan.

When the subordinate brought the mirror, Alan, peering into it, was even more surprised.

"Exactly the same..."

He murmured, speechless.

Fuwawa, transformed into Alan, looked so much like him that she could have been his twin.

"Can you do such things..."

"There's more. Probably... like this."

I reached out my hand to Fuwawa.

The moment Fuwawa took my hand, she disappeared.

Alan was surprised that the entity that looked like him vanished in an instant.

Shortly after, Fuwawa reappeared, still in Alan's form.

"What did you do?"

"Fuwawa, show me your hands. Alan, touch them one by one."

Both of them followed my instructions.

Fuwawa showed her hands, and Alan touched her right hand, then tried to touch her left hand—only to pass through it.

"Huh?"

"I only materialized the right half. I can do both, but this is just a test."

"Like a ghost that can't be touched, but only the right half is materialized...?"

"Yes."

"Amazing..."

Alan's eyes widened even more.

Materializing Fuwawa was made possible by the link with the armor ring.

Leviathan and Rutiya had done this before, and I made Fuwawa do it too.

Combining ghost-like transformation abilities with the materialization from the armor ring.

It was almost a perfect transformation ability.

"How far can you go? Can you make your stomach growl?"

--- *Rumble* ---

As soon as I asked, Fuwawa's stomach growled loudly.

"Can you disappear?"

"Whoa!"

This time, the left half, the part not materialized by the armor ring, turned transparent.

Seeing only half of herself, Alan let out a scream.

"Interesting, you can do all of that."

"...As expected, Your Highness, to be able to use a new partner like this."

Alan, finally recovering from his surprise.

I completely returned Fuwawa to her original form and then said to Alan:

"Good job. Contact me if anything happens."

"Yes!"

---

When I returned to the mansion of the Thirteenth Prince, the new reception maid, Cecily, greeted me at the entrance.

"Master, Martha wants to speak with you."

"Martha? Who is she?"

"Zoe's mother."

"Ah, right."

After a few seconds of thought, I finally remembered.

Six years ago, Zoe's hometown, Doss, was hit by a flood, and at that time, I gave her mother a position in this mansion.

I think... it was a nominal job, something to do just for the sake of giving her something.

"Alright, bring her to the study."

"Yes."

Martha, whom I hadn't spoken to in six years, wanted to talk to me.

Considering the possibility of hearing something I didn't want to, I chose the study.

My study, being in the Prince's mansion, had soundproofing magic.

No human speech could leak out, nor could it be heard from outside.

After entering the study and waiting for a while, the special bell on the door rang, as the room had no doorknob.

Shortly after, an old woman entered.

The old woman—Martha—entered the room, closed the door, and knelt before me.

"What is it? What do you want to talk about?"

"Yes, by the Prince's order, I have been opening and closing the back door every day."

"Ah, right."

Hearing Martha, I remembered her job.

It was the task of opening and closing the rarely used back gate of the mansion, morning and night.

She was paid ten Reen per month.

Honestly, it was a meaningless job, done purely out of charity.

"What about it?"

"For the past few days, someone has been meeting someone at the back gate at night."

"Someone? Who?"

"Um, the one who recently came to the mansion... um..."

Martha rubbed her forehead, trying to remember.

She looked her age, and her memory seemed weak.

"Recently?"

"Yes, the one from... um..."

"Don Oats?"

"That's him!"

My eyebrows shot up.

"Don is meeting someone at night?"

"Yes. I don't know who, but no one in this mansion has ever met outsiders so secretly at night."

"..."

I nodded.

I had Dylan investigate, and this added another piece of circumstantial evidence that Don was a spy.

"Understood. Here."

I took out a few dozen Reen from my pocket and gave them to Martha.

"Thank you for telling me. This is a reward, keep it."

"Thank you."

"Don't tell anyone about this, not even your daughter."

"Understood."

Martha, clutching the money I gave her with both hands, left the study.

...Trouble.

---

On a moonless, pitch-black night, at the back gate of the Thirteenth Prince's mansion.

As usual, Martha came out of the mansion to perform her daily task of opening and closing the back gate.

She walked slowly, step by step, toward the back gate.

After closing the gate, which had been left open—

"---Mmm!"

Someone came from behind, grabbed her in a bear hug, and covered her mouth.

Martha resisted but couldn't break free.

The person did something to her.

She twitched violently for a moment, then collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

The person checked her breathing through the nose and listened to her heart to confirm.

Satisfied, they quickly left the scene.

--- I watched all of this from the shadows.

"You're safe."

"..."

"..."

Two women were speechless behind me.

Zoe and her mother, Martha.

"Was Mom targeted?"

Zoe asked hesitantly.

"That's right. And it was probably done to look like a natural death. There are no external injuries."

As I said this, the "Martha" who had been killed shimmered and turned back into the ring on my thumb.

Then, Fuwawa slowly flew over.

Martha had witnessed Don communicating with someone outside.

Predicting that Don would try to silence her, I had Fuwawa materialize and go in her place.

The materialized Fuwawa, using the armor ring, could mimic human biological responses, making it look like she had been killed.

"Amazing... the person who was Mom just a moment ago..."

Zoe was amazed.

"Zoe."

"Y-Yes."

"For a while, return to Doss, your hometown, with your mother's body. It would be better to bury her in a place she was familiar with."

"Huh...?"

"To put it bluntly, you might be targeted too."

"Oh..."

Unlike merchants and nobles who constantly deal with deceptions, Zoe, a simple maid, needed a straightforward explanation.

"Understood."

"Once this is over, I'll call Martha back. Rest for a while."

"Thank you! Thank you!"

Grateful for saving her life and showing her kindness, Martha bowed to me repeatedly.

"Master, may I ask... shouldn't we keep an eye on that person?"

"I've already thought of that."

"Huh?"

"Did you notice something missing?"

"Huh? Um... oh, the new subordinate of Master is not here."

Zoe realized that Fuwawa had disappeared.

"Actually, she's right next to you. Fuwawa, touch her shoulder."

"Huh? ---Ah!"

Zoe was surprised even though I had warned her.

She was startled by the sensation of being touched when she couldn't see anything.

"Is this...?"

"Show your face."

"Wow!"

This time, she was surprised by a floating head in the air.

"You can disappear like this. Fuwawa, go and keep an eye on that person."

Fuwawa, still a floating head, nodded and completely disappeared.

Zoe finally understood.

"Got it! Amazing, Master."

She gave a belated cheer.