013 – The Cost of Ability

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[Do doppelgangers even have a favorability system?]

Just curious.

[Comments]

– Just asking in case, but you’re not thinking that if you become friendly with a doppelganger, it can transform into any female character you want during s*xy times, right?

ㄴ (Poster): How’d you know?

ㄴ LOLOLOLOL

– Can’t even tell if the person in front of you is a doppelganger or a human to begin with, lmao

ㄴ (Poster): I can tell doppelgangers and humans apart just fine. I have my own method.

– (Picture) This one

ㄴ (Poster) That’s not a doppelganger. If it were a doppelganger, I would have been turned on, but I wasn’t, so it’s not a doppelganger.

ㄴ ?

ㄴ I respect diversity, lol

– A freakin’ pervert ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

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‘…How?’

It was absurd.

An impossible thing.

To distinguish a doppelganger just by looking?

For centuries, the only surefire methods humanity had to tell a doppelganger from a real person were… pre-arranged passwords before embarking on adventures,

or to inflict a wound and check if red blood flowed.

‘Just… by looking…?’

That’s how much doppelgangers were considered one of the worst monsters in human history.

Even the second method, which could once distinguish doppelgangers… Now, even that was gone, because they had evolved to bleed red, like humans.

Distinguishing doppelgangers embedded deep within humanity from actual humans was now nearing impossibility.

“!!”

If anyone else had said it, it could have been laughed off.

To distinguish doppelgangers from humans just by looking?

Even the previous Holy Maiden hadn’t managed to differentiate doppelgangers from humans, and yet, he could do it simply by sight.

If it were anyone else, one might have dismissed it as a need for attention…

But what if the one to utter those words was Mihyeon, this generation’s Hero?

“Mihyeon-gun!”

Having organized all the thoughts swirling in my head, I immediately reached out and grasped his hands.

“Are those words… the truth?”

There was no reason for it to be a lie, yet I couldn’t help but ask again.

That was how much the ability he possessed… was the ability humanity had so desperately longed for.

“Yes, it is the truth.”

“Are there limitations to this ability?”

This is it!

This is all we need!

With this, not just the Academy, but even the doppelgangers within the Magic Kingdom…

“…”

“…Mihyeon?”

Mihyeon’s expression suddenly twisted.

The expression didn’t last long before returning to his usual confident self…

But only now, having witnessed his distorted face, could I realize.

‘…Come to think of it, why was he having a nosebleed?’

The fact that crimson blood had been flowing from his nose.

“…”

At first, I thought he was bleeding because he had been attacked in the fight with the doppelgangers.

I hadn’t seen what happened inside the carriage, so I just thought it was something like that.

‘…Could it be?’

In the history of humanity, no one has ever distinguished doppelgangers from humans.

And Mihyeon is capable of doing it just by looking?

With no cost?

‘How could I ask such an obvious question… foolishly…’

It is said that dark crimson blood is dead blood.

The blood of a dying human is always a dark crimson, thick liquid, not red blood.

If the heart, which is responsible for blood circulation, fails to do its job, dark crimson blood begins to circulate in the human body.

‘…’

Yes…

That’s it…

Every time Mihyeon uses the ability to distinguish doppelgangers from humans…

He was paying for it with his very life force.

‘How could you…why…why go so far…’

*

‘Thank goodness!’

After a silence of about five minutes.

Not a look of seeing a bug…

But the gaze of a professor seeing a promising student, a sense of relief washed over him.

He was so worried that something like, “Doppelgangers? A few words are enough to figure it out in a snap!” might be said..!

‘Master Tower Lord, are you watching?! Your sponsorship was absolutely right!’

A sense of satisfaction that he could earn his keep, and the relief that he could finally play a proper role.

Not as ‘Kidnapper Mikhail,’ but as ‘Doppelganger Slayer Mihen,’ it was time to make his name known in the Magic Kingdom!

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Are there any limitations to this ability?”

To the professor’s question of whether there were limitations, he was about to confidently say there were none…

‘…Are you sure there are no limitations?’

A doubt suddenly arose.

The most people he had seen in a single day were about 150.

What if suddenly thousands of people lined up before him, waiting to be checked if they were doppelgangers?

Could he really check each and every one of them?

“…”

Since he was, for now, playing the confident Mihen, he regained control of his briefly faltering expression.

He could only offer a somewhat ambiguous answer.

“Actually, I’m not entirely sure about that. Haha…”

“…”

“I’m also not sure if I can forever distinguish between doppelgangers and humans. Ahem…”

It was the truth.

The status window helping him could suddenly disappear tomorrow…

‘Ah, shouldn’t have shown off…’

Regretting his words after speaking.

Regretting his actions after doing them was his specialty.

‘I should think before I speak from now on.’

Resolving to be a more serious person from now on.

“Still, right now, I don’t have any problems distinguishing between doppelgangers and real people.”

Afraid the atmosphere would become a bit awkward, he tried to show that he was still a useful Mihen.

So…

“…I’m sorry. We still need your strength, you see…”

What to say…

He could see Professor Leighton comforting him with a face filled with guilt.

“?”

“…For now, let’s keep your ability between ourselves. I’m referring to your… doppelganger distinction.”

“Ah… you mean my ability to identify doppelgangers?”

“Precisely.”

“Um… understood.”

Finally, I thought it was my time to shine…

But it seems, from the Professor’s perspective, there’s something he’s hesitant about.

*

“Ella.”

“Yes, Professor?”

“First, Mihan’s ability is our little secret. Understood?”

“…Forgive me, but may I ask why that must be so?”

“That… …I’ll send a letter to your estate this evening.”

“I understand…”

The Professor instructed me to keep Mihan’s ability a secret, and I intended to do just that.

‘But the estate…it needs Mihan’s help.’

Even if the secret must be kept.

At this moment, at our estate… Mihan’s assistance was utterly indispensable.

“As you may have already been aware, there will be no classes today. I am truly sorry for students like yourself who went to the effort to come to the academy… But we must resolve this doppelganger issue within the academy, after all.”

“I understand. It’s alright.”

Leaving the Professor, who said he still had things to do, behind.

I turned back to look at the man deeply lost in thought.

“Mihan-nim.”

“Yes?”

I didn’t know what he was thinking…

“It’s belated, but I sincerely apologize.”

“Hm?”

“You saved my life that day, and again today… I am truly grateful.”

Offering my gratitude with the utmost respect an heiress of a Marquisate could muster.

“Ahaha… it’s nothing. I simply did what I could.”

“No. If you have no other commitments for lunch or dinner today…”

“?”

“Would you perhaps care to dine with us at our home? Of course, I would also like to properly compensate you for saving my life.”

I was able to invite Mihan-nim to our family’s estate quite naturally.

‘If I simply ask him to find a doppelganger, he might think the estate is too dangerous and refuse to come. I’ll need to use the reward as an excuse to invite him.’

I did intend to use him.

It did cause a pang of guilt, not telling him the truth upfront, but there was no other choice.

We had to find the doppelganger hiding within the estate.

‘This debt… I will repay it handsomely.’

After everything is over…

If he needs money, then money.

If power is what he needs, then power he shall have.

If connections are desired, connections he shall gain.

Everything he could possibly want, the Marquis’s influence would provide.

‘…Will he come?’

No matter how influential the Marquisate may be,

if one could wield magic, they wouldn’t care about status, even if the person were a commoner.

Be they a knight of the Duke,

or a soldier of the Marquis,

before magic, all were equally helpless. He awaited Mihen-nim’s answer with a touch of apprehension.

“You saved my life twice, so I dearly wish to repay the debt, Mihen-nim.”

“Perhaps…”

“Yes?”

“Is it alright… if I eat more than two bowls of rice?”

“…Pardon?”

As recompense for saving a life…

More than two bowls of rice?

“Ah! Of course. You may eat as much as you desire. And the dessert that follows, as well.”

“Let’s go at once!”

This man…

How could he be so unpretentious?

‘…Does he truly want nothing? Does he… lack ambition?’

Ambition is inevitably tied to humanity.

Whether that be for wealth,

or power,

or connections…

To be human means to possess that greed as a fundamental trait…

‘…’

The man before him… showed absolutely no sign of such things.

He truly seemed like someone who was simply anticipating a delicious meal.

‘Does he… desire nothing?’