024 – The Grace of Aether

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[If a Vampire and a Doppelganger fought, who would win?]

The Vampire wins, lol.

I’ve seen the ending five times, and I just thought the monsters were just brawling with each other, but there was a hierarchy?

I guess I should observe the monsters more in the next playthrough.

How does this game never run out of content, seriously? lol

[Comments]

– I was about to inject some knowledge thinking you were a newbie…

ㄴ (Author): Heu-eung… Please, put it in me♥…

ㄴ This is a chicken coop..

ㄴ (Author): Sshi~bal, 5 playthroughs is still a newbie! (470 hours)

– Why does this guy want to get pounded so much, lol.

– From their perspective, you can see the Vampires as nobles and the Doppelgangers as commoners.

ㄴ (Author): Why is that? Is it something like the logic of strength among monsters?

ㄴ That’s part of it, but from the doppelganger’s perspective, the Vampire is the creator, so it can’t be helped.

ㄴ (Author): ???The Vampires *make* the doppelgangers???

ㄴ Yeah

– Wow, Vampires created the doppelgangers?? Those hyper-s*xual b*stards… Did they knock up a gray slime by sticking it in? There were worse guys than me;;

ㄴ Dude.

– It is by birthright that a doppelganger cannot overcome a vampire. The Progenitor, who birthed the first doppelganger, designed them so that a single word from a vampire would cause them to melt on the spot. And if any doppelganger dared to mimic a vampire, that one would explode then and there.

ㄴ (Writer): What kind of beings are vampires that they *create* life forms??

ㄴ The word that allows for all possibilities: ‘Progenitor.’

—

Now that the situation has become like this.

There was no need to summon Professor Layton.

“We are truly sorry, Mihahn-nim…”

“We did not recognize you, as you were disguised so perfectly…”

As I had intended to use abduction skills to survive, now that survival was assured.

There was no need to risk revealing the ‘abduction’ skill.

“Please forgive us for daring to recreate the body of the Great One…”

I had gleaned some information from the conversation with the doppelgangers.

“Hmm…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Firstly, if a doppelganger attempted to impersonate a vampire, that is, an *absorbing ghost*, its body would explode.

Secondly, for reasons unknown, doppelgangers were utterly helpless against vampires.

That was why the doppelgangers who mistook me for a vampire were completely frozen in place.

Lastly.

“So, you’re saying you’re all the vermin here in the academy?”

“That is correct, Mihahn-nim…”

Apparently, the doppelgangers hiding in the academy numbered only these 11… Ah, excluding the one that exploded while transforming into me, a total of only 10 remained.

‘Can I trust these words?’

They didn’t *seem* like they were going to lie, but.

There was no need to be foolish enough to believe everything a monster said.

“Haa… I don’t feel any better.”

“!!!”

Seeing the doppelgangers still paralyzed by my every word.

I decided to ask them one last question, then eliminate them, one by one.

“You.”

“Yes, Mihahn-nim…!”

“Tell me everything you know about how many doppelgangers are hidden in the Magocracy, and how they infiltrated it.”

“While we do not know the exact number, it is certain that at least 800 individuals are hidden…!”

‘An unbelievable number are hidden.’

Over 800 doppelgangers disguised as humans, hiding in the Magocracy…

This is a truly shocking tale –

“Furthermore, it was an individual named Mihail that allowed us to infiltrate the Magocracy…!”

“…”

An individual named Mihail?

That there could be a story even more shocking than the fact that there were three thousand doppelgangers in the Demon Lord’s nation… it boggled the mind.

‘A doppelganger mimicking Mihail, is it.’

Judging by the flow of the conversation, I could surmise that the individual they referred to as Mihail was a doppelganger that had replicated me.

‘So, it must have been the doppelganger Mihail who has been abducting people all this time.’

I felt a sense of closure, one of the curiosities I held within this place resolved.

I had wondered why Mihail, the notoriously cruel kidnapper with a royal bounty on his head, had apparently starved to death.

The doppelganger mimicking Mihail must have been acting as the real Mihail, abducting actual people.

‘No wonder he demanded money without specifying where to send it…’

It was behaviour that defied human logic.

Turns out, it was the doppelganger’s little taunt.

“…But, Milord Mihan…”

“What.”

“…Concerning this upcoming invasion of the human realm… have we not already… reported to the Overlords?”

‘He’s starting to suspect me, since I don’t know knowledge that a vampire should.’

There were so many questions I wanted to ask.

But if it came to light that I didn’t know basic monster lore, something I, as a supposed vampire, should inherently know…

My charade as a vampire would crumble, and I might be surrounded and attacked by these creatures.

I decided against asking any further questions.

“What. Is it forbidden for me to *not* know?”

“…Eh?”

“You expect me to remember every word uttered by you inferior races?”

“Ah…! Forgive me, Milord Mihan…! Th-that is not what I meant…!”

I strode confidently past the doppelganger who had been eyeing me with suspicion.

Fortunately, whether human or doppelganger, they seemed to react the same: if you act boldly when the other party isn’t sure if you outrank them, they inevitably shrink back.

“From this moment forth, each of you will follow me, one by one. Understand?”

“Understood…!”

“Yes!”

“Forgive me, but may I inquire as to the reason…!”

“Number 7126.”

“Yes…!”

“You shall be the first to follow. I shall personally show you the reason. Consider yourself honoured.”

“…!!! Thank you!”

…

*Thwack* – next.

*Thwack* – next.

*Thwack* – next.

*Thwack* – next.

*Thwack* – next.

*Thwack* – next.

*Thwack* – next.

“Next.”

“I’ll go!”

“Good. I shall bestow the eighth grace upon you.”

Certainly, with the aether, dealing with doppelgangers wasn’t difficult.

No, wouldn’t it be more accurate to say it was effortless?

Stabbing to death doppelgangers who offered no resistance was an easy task to begin with.

“What kind of grace is it that brings you to such remote places…?”

“The grace of the Aether.”

“Ah…! What happens when you receive it?”

“You too shall return to being a part of nature.”

“Wow… ..Huh? Pardon?”

*Thwack-*

With the aether added, I could dispatch them before they even had a chance to scream.

“Farewell. Doppelgangers of the era before doppelganger detectors.”

Once again, I easily dealt with a doppelganger, dragged it to that corner, and tossed it.

I went to call the ninth doppelganger to be processed, but a question suddenly arose, so I posed an additional query to the remaining doppelgangers.

“You lot.”

“Yes!”

“Speak, Mi-haen-nim!”

Even if my true identity was revealed here,

I could handle two of them alone, so I decided to confidently flaunt my lack of knowledge.

“Didn’t the individual named Mihail infiltrate you here?”

“Yes, that’s correct!”

“I infiltrated directly, as I was outside the range that the individual named Mihail could see!”

“You.”

I pointed at the one who said the doppelganger Mihail infiltrated them directly.

Along with that, I asked a question.

“Remember exactly how you infiltrated the Magic Kingdom and explain it in detail.”

“Uh… …Why do you ask about that…?”

The doppelganger who claimed to have infiltrated directly asked from the side.

*Thwack-*

I stuck a dagger in its face.

“Only I ask questions.”

“.!!”

“Explain as you know, Number 7126.”

“I… I’m not Number 7126…”

*Shling…*

“The individual named Mihail!! Kidnapping magic…”

I should look into that later.

Why the doppelgangers, immediately after mistaking me for a vampire, become so obsequious.

…

The doppelganger’s explanation had just concluded.

“Wow, that’s totally broken. Right?”

“Y-yes…! Individual designated Mikhail obtained the finest flesh…!”

Abduction, Espionage.

The magic the doppelganger Mikhail could use totaled two.

Supposedly, through those abilities, they infiltrated doppelgangers into the magic kingdom and abducted humans.

However…

“Only being able to use it once a week is kind of sad, though.”

Unlike me, who can use ‘Abduction’ and ‘Espionage’ as skills with no cost, he used them as magic brimming with aether.

Apparently, he could only use those magics once per week.

Well, if that guy could spam Abduction like me, the magic kingdom would’ve been annihilated ages ago.

“When your doppelgangers replicate a human, can they use the magic that human knows?”

“Y-yes… Ahaha… …But, why do you keep…asking things you already know…?”

Now I was openly asking all sorts of questions out of curiosity.

The doppelganger seemed to have caught on, as they started regarding me with suspicion.

“One last question.”

“…Ask away.”

*Thwack-*

After lulling him into a false sense of security by saying it was the last question, I plunged a dagger into his face.

“..Hum..man..”

Only when death was before his eyes did the doppelganger realize they had been played.

But what could he do?

“Took you long enough to notice.”

If he had realized my true nature, the right choice would have been to eliminate me before taking any damage.

“I still had so many questions… Well, guess it can’t be helped.”

Truthfully, I was a little disappointed because there were so many things I still wanted to ask.

Why did the doppelganger who impersonated me explode, even though I’m human?

Why are you guys so obsequious to vampires? and so on.

“Still, it was fruitful.”

Even so, I managed to glean a lot of useful information, so I’d proudly share it with Professor Layton…

*Meeeooow~*

A single cat strolled into this deserted place.

It was an undeniably cute cat, so I bent down to pet it, but…

—

Isabella Lilith (■■■)

[Abduction] – Active

[Espionage] – Layton Isold

[Sleep] – Active

—

“..?”

A status window that wouldn’t appear for animals…

It was feeding me information about the cat.

Myaaong?

Swish~ Swish~

“..Kidnapping.”

First things first, it’s cute, so I began the butt-patting ritual.

Pat pat pat pat.

Myaang?!