The Outer God Needs Warmth

I went out after stopping by Victoria’s dormitory.

Step, step

And I walked down the road in front of the main gate. Big mansions rose on both sides, but soon they started getting smaller before shops appeared.

I’m pretty familiar with this road since Victoria walks it every three days.

Well, all the roads that the harvesting period frequents are quite familiar to me too.

Following Victoria, I knew where we were going even before we arrived. Delicious smells wafted from the roadside, and I noticed food in the hands of people coming from the opposite direction.

We arrived at an alley filled with restaurants.

Back when I was attending the steam-punk school, this was a place I often visited even though I didn’t have friends. I always enjoyed eating, but after gaining psychic ability, my appetite tripled or something.

Gurgle, grumble

It consumes an enormous amount of calories.

In other words, it doesn’t mean I’m creating something from nothing with my psychic powers. Sure, I may do excessive things compared to the calories I intake, but that’s the same with magic.

Victoria dashed into the alley with a big smile on her face.

I followed her inside.

However, as soon as I entered, countless gazes turned toward me. Confusion, jealousy, hatred, curiosity—various emotions and stares mixed together.

Am I that strange?

“Oh my, didn’t you wear that on purpose? That outfit is hard for an ordinary person to wear, huh?”

Merryweather pointed to my neck while saying that. Even though she was smiling, she couldn’t hide her probing expression. Of course, an information department agent would want to understand what I like and dislike.

Gathering such things to interpret a person is called profiling, which means they’ve cooked the person down to an easily understandable state.

I don’t want to show my weaknesses that I’m unaware of, so it’s a bit bothersome.

Speaking of, about the outfit—there’s a clear difference. Despite being a modest living neighborhood, the fabric quality is different here.

Honestly, I don’t care what I wear, but people dress according to their status. Just look at Kanna, who knows various types of fabric, and she’s well aware of clothes made from them.

Not only does she know the types, but she also memorizes what to wear depending on the situation, location, and even the time.

Clothes are an important element for humans.

It’s a culture that expresses oneself and helps understand others.

I might wear them if needed, but that’s usually when you want to exert influence after stepping outside.

With someone like a guard next to me, who besides a thief could do anything? I thought that while walking toward Victoria, who was already buying food and stuffing her mouth.

“Do you want some, Bell?”

“I don’t eat much.”

“That’s true. You barely ate at home. So, you’re… height-wise. Not short—right?”

I guess she was reminded of our first meeting.

“If it’s Bell, isn’t he short?”

Merryweather queried from the side.

“This girl. Wasn’t she around 25 feet when we first met? But this body feels weird. What was the word? They say it resembles the body she used before… Hmm? Why did I say that?”

Victoria covered her mouth. She glanced at me, and I shrugged my shoulders. I can’t feel it, but it’s likely that Merryweather has a function that lightens a person’s mouth.

Shifting the cognition isn’t limited to places like the Royal Academy; it can also happen outside. This is intriguing. I looked at Merryweather.

I couldn’t see any objects presumed to have that function. Is she hiding something in her body?

That’s a coveted technique.

Manipulating minds could be very useful.

But the fact that someone can do it poses a threat to humanity. It might be better not to know.

Besides, even if I gained Merryweather’s memories, I’d probably only know the tools’ uses.

The creators of such tools would be essential.

So, I think I’ll take my time. I’ll spend my days carelessly until all doubts diminish and I’m finally used by them.

It’s the only method I’ve successfully employed, so that’s the only card I have to show.

Yep.

I’m confident I can succeed.

“I’m only stating this because it’s okay. Victoria, I’ve never hidden that I’m a monster.”

I replied nonchalantly, as if I fully answered Merryweather’s question. Although having specifics would make it less abstract, which I dislike, the fact that it’s okay to say this is true.

“By the way, Victoria, didn’t Beatrice scold you last time for eating too much?”

“T-this is just a rare occasion! And my psychic powers keep me from gaining weight!”

Come on, even so, there’s no need to hide a box of fried food from me.

“Oh wow, you don’t gain weight?”

“Ah, does Mary not know? Look!”

As soon as Victoria spoke, a small droplet appeared in the air. It swirled around, formed a small image, and then changed to Mary’s name.

Then, whoosh. The air, which had dried rapidly, regained moisture.

“If I use this, I get really hungry afterward.”

Victoria uses that every day. She finds it useful in her routine, like washing in the morning and evening.

“Wow! You really don’t use any magic power, huh? How does that work? That’s unbelievable.”

Merryweather stared intensely at the spot where the droplet disappeared. Since her pupils were fixed, maybe she can see magic power.

A powerful mage?

Or perhaps she has a function of cognitive distortion. Maybe it’s her own skill rather than using any special item. No, that’s just odd. A powerful mage working as an information department agent?

Hmm.

This kingdom could use some improvement. According to the scale created by Daegon for invasion, it seems like a complicated world. However, on its own, it’s a level sufficient for the first team Daegon has prepared to win.

The problem is that nature is broader and stronger than the civilization that envelops this world.

Many monsters exist that even Daegon’s first team can’t handle.

Conversely, this kingdom is humanity creating civilization in a world where such monsters exist.

Of course, even with this analysis, I can’t do much, but I’ll keep it up steadily. Surely, everything I can do will be useful someday, right?

I’m diligent.

Meanwhile, Merryweather was mumbling strange words while focusing on the air, while Victoria was eating, smiling from ear to ear.

Then, noticing my gaze, she handed me one of her food pieces, but I declined.

I looked around, worried it might be awkward to stare.

Gazes occasionally touched and disappeared. As fascinating as it is, when I noticed worry among them,

I turned my gaze upward to the sky.

Indeed, there’s a handful of good people in the world, a handful of bad people, and many who wobble in between.

That’s the world I know, a model of humanity I assume can consistently gather warmth when I give of myself.

Lowering my head again, I saw a bustling alley filled with delicious smells. It wouldn’t be easy for bad people to come to such places.

At least for now, it’s within the influence of public authorities.

That’s when I spotted someone approaching me with hostility.

It was a kid just about my size. Compared to Victoria, perhaps 3 to 5 years younger. And a short distance away stood an adult man with the same expression as the kid.

It means they share the same feelings looking at me, not that their faces resemble each other.

The man was forcing himself to look far away while approaching me. It seemed like he was trying to act as if he couldn’t see me because of my height.

Just as I thought we would collide, he wobbled and brushed past me instead.

Seizing the moment when the man’s attention was drawn away, a small hand reached out and grabbed a button on my clothes. It was made of some precious metal.

Pop

The hand pulling the button dropped it on the floor. I didn’t know what cut it, but it was severed cleanly.

“Hey, that’s not okay, kid.”

Blood gushed from the freshly cut surface.

“Ah, aaaaaah!”

Ignoring the kid’s pained scream nonchalantly, Merryweather lifted the kid’s severed hand.

“Right now, I’m on duty as a guard. You can’t just steal from others.”

Then showing it off to everyone, she extended her fingers to pluck the button from my clothes.

With an exaggerated gesture, she brought the button to me.

“I made a mistake by not stopping you before you stole it, but since I caught it like this, please let it slide?”

I accepted the button.

The surroundings fell silent. The only sound was the child sobbing while clutching the severed wrist.

The person who blocked my path bolted as soon as the kid screamed. So this is it.

It’s a frequent unfortunate accident, a legitimate judgment carried out by the powerful.

I accepted the button.

“Yep. I’ll let it slide.”

What should I do about the torn clothes? As I contemplated that, Victoria came over, her face twisted with rage.

“Merryweather, it’s too cruel to cut off a kid’s wrist!”

Victoria glared at Merryweather, standing with the look of someone ready to fight.

“Oh dear, how strange? The law decrees that a thief shall have their wrist cut off, regardless of age.”

But as if asking something odd, Merryweather replied, teasingly directing the question at Victoria.

Step, step

With slow-paced steps, Merryweather approached Victoria, brushing her fingers along Victoria’s chin as she asked,

“Is it rather suspicious that you brought Bell to such a place?”

Ah. I know this well. It’s sowing suspicion.

They’re trying to isolate me. Looks like the royalty finally thought to use me?

Hehe. To be the target of this.

It makes me want to laugh.

Then, I should side with Merryweather.

“That’s right, Victoria.”

I picked up the kid who was covered in sweat from pain. About 20 kg. In this unit, it’s roughly 50 pounds, really light.

Just as Merryweather wished, I raised the kid by both shoulders, isolating myself more. I didn’t hold very tightly, yet the kid whimpered painfully.

I brought the kid forward to make it easier for Victoria to see and asked,

“What should we do with this?”

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