’It’s a pity. I really wanted to try[Herder]on it, but since I’m being watched, I can’t afford to do that.’
Then again, it was possible for me to use Mr. Jingle’s skill and make sure that none of the cameras were working, but that in itself would be rather suspicious. I could’ve forced the issue if I wanted to, but I didn’t want to take any risks.
Above all—
’There are still two more I can play around with.’
I looked ahead.
All attention seemed fixed on me.
Feeling the numerous gazes on me, I kept my attention fixed on Seraphine. Her expression remained calm, but I could sense something flicker within her eyes. She was likely already thinking of a way to regain the advantage she had lost.
’From what I can deduce, she probably tried to use me as bait to have the anomalies target me so that she can cleanly take care of them and figure out what they were to gain points. She probably waited a lot of time, calmly observing everything before putting her plans into motion.’
I had probably come at the right time for her to put everything into motion.
Unfortunately, I didn’t really act the way she wanted to.
"That’s a unique Decree that you have. What Decree is it?"
"Hm? Oh."
I smiled while looking at Seraphine.
"I am of the Mender Decree."
"..."
Seeing her expression, I really felt like laughing. This was pretty fun. Why didn’t I realize it sooner?
"Well, either way, it looks like we managed to get rid of one, right?"
I brushed off my hand and slowly stood up.
To be honest, finding the impostor had been rather easy for me. It wasn’t because of the knife. Unfortunately, the knife didn’t seem to work on the anomaly.
What actually worked was the compass.
The moment it pointed at someone, I shot at them using [Trait Transfer]. Although there was a chance that it had pointed at the wrong person, my shot wasn’t fatal to begin with. At least, not to a human.
’It certainly wouldn’t be good for me if I killed someone in front of so many people.’
"Yes, it does seem like you managed to get rid of one. You’re quite competent."
"Thank you."
Her compliments felt rather forced.
I still accepted them.
At the same time, she began talking once more.
"Since the situation has turned out this way, would you mind telling me how you managed to spot the fake? I’m not doubting you or anything, but I’d like to know how you did it since I have my back facing you. As the one in charge of this group, I’d at least like to understand how you figured it out so I can be less worried."
"Oh, sure."
Her intentions were clear to me.
’She likely wants me to reveal how I did it so that the anomalies become wary. After which, it’ll be much easier to be certain of who to eliminate and take the lead.’
So—
"Actually, I have faced one of these anomalies before. I’m sure you already know that. Telling wasn’t very hard."
Rummaging through my pocket, I took out my phone.
"This is a special item I managed to acquire from the Guild. Although it comes with some side effects, it can tell me exactly who the anomaly is and who isn’t."
"Such an interesting item exists?"
Seraphine looked intrigued while staring at my phone.
"May I get a good look at it?"
"Sure, you can."
Taking a step forward, Seraphine was just about to reach for my phone when she suddenly stopped.
Her eyes flickered—
At the same moment, dark tendrils shot up from the ground beneath us, surging upward and wrapping tightly around one of her team members.
"Uekh!"
The team member screamed, but it was already too late. The tendrils swallowed him completely as Seraphine turned her attention toward him.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. Then she gave a small nod and clenched her hand.
Almost immediately, the tendrils tightened. The crushing force burst his body apart, sending blood spraying in every direction before the remains slowly dissolved into the mist.
I stood in silence, observing the entire situation in surprise.
"You can keep it."
Seraphine’s voice whispered from in front of me as she glanced at the phone in my hand.
"I know it’s fake. Nevertheless, it did help me find the other anomaly, so I should thank you for it."
Squeezing the phone in my hand, I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I put it away. It seemed that this time, I had been the one seen through. Nevertheless, I didn’t feel angry about it, but rather... It felt rather entertaining as Seraphine stopped before her group, quietly scanning it in silence.
"There’s just one extra that remains."
Her words weren’t directed at them, but me.
"I’d like to capture this one instead of killing it."
I was of the same opinion, but at the same time, I knew I couldn’t fully trust her words. She said there was only one left, but what if that was also a trap and there were actually two? One of them could have already replaced someone in her group.
And what if she was aware of that as well, setting another bait in the process?
’Even if that’s the case, I’ll probably play along.’
In reality, I already had a rough idea of the anomaly I was dealing with. If I truly wanted to, I could probably identify all of them and end this entire charade.
The anomalies blended into groups seamlessly, stirring up discord among the members while also ambushing them in secret. In doing so, they distorted everyone’s perception, subtly making people forget that they were even there.
Having dealt with them, I already had a solution in my mind.
’Mirelle’s skill, [Innocent Giggle].’
If I used the skill, then I’d be able to expose them immediately. There were also the glasses, although not quite as effective, if I used them correctly, I was also certain I’d be able to find the anomalies hiding within us.
But—
’I know there’s more to this than what she’s saying. In fact, I’m certain she isn’t just using me as bait to identify them properly. She must know something about these anomalies and is trying to draw them out so she can figure it out.’
I played along because I was certain.
If I stayed with her, I might be able to uncover a small piece of the puzzle that would explain the truth behind the mist. She was cunning and seemed to lie with nearly every word she spoke, but there was no denying her capabilities.
With the Congress coming to an end soon, this was my last shot at earning some points.
Covering my lips with my hand, I used [Trait Transfer].
"Hehehe~"
I decided to help her out a little.