Mind Manipulation

Leonard and I are roommates, while Hiyori is with Qiby. We were temporarily staying at this inn, which Hiyori unknowingly rented, who was still in a semi-conscious state at the time, paying the rent for 2 rooms.

The situation in the rooms, inns and the city is quite severe. A lot of debris fell apart and blended into the ground as I passed the city streets, not even a little there were still some buildings that had been renovated, still half-finished.

But even though they are still in a state of chaos, the residents of this city seem to be able to carry out their activities as usual; sleep in each of them' houses. No, wait a minute, is sleep an "activity"? Does not seem.

I've seen some parts of this city, and it makes me feel that the city is in a state of calamity. Not an ordinary disaster, but an extraordinary disaster, so it can be categorized as a disaster that should not happen again. Therefore, in my estimation, many residents decide to leave this city, move to another city or a village.

So, as a result of what happened in this city, it resulted in damage as well as confidence issues to live here. That way, this city must only have a few citizens left.

Before I escorted Hiyori and Qiby to their room, and before Hiyori went back to sleep again, I asked the owner of this inn. He was an old man, who couldn't travel far anymore so he had to stay here. I asked him what was going on here, and he replied, "H-Here... A-Ah... H-Here, yesterday, th-there was a terrible storm. H-Here... A-Ah..." and I was annoyed with that because he was panting because he was an old man who was probably 60 years old.

Okay, I'll just take the point from the answer, which is that this city experienced a disaster in the form of a terrible storm. So, with that information, I can conclude that what Qiby said is true.

Well, although true, I still doubt it. Therefore, at this time, I am trying to find out the facts that happened in this city, as well as the facts of the story, where her sister was killed by lizardmen.

The reason I doubt that? Of course, because I'm a person who can't just believe stories. I have to correct and find the facts that happened. So, even if the story is true or she is lying, I will still find out the truth about what happened to her.

"My Lord, where do you want to go? You do not sleep?"

"I want to find food."

"If it's food, I'll just buy it. You stay here, My Lord, for it is late."

I knew that Leonard would prevent me from leaving, but I had no idea that he was understanding and wanted to buy me a meal.

"Do you have money?"

"Ah, that… Of course, I have money."

He must be lying. How could a man who had just awakened have money? And how could an unemployed man have money? It was a lie from him.

"You are my family, so I know that you have no money. So, never lie about it, Leonard!"

"My apologies, My Lord. I don't have any money, but I'll try to give you some food. I will make food from the ingredients that I will seek and find in this city. This way, you can be satisfied."

"What kind of ingredients are they? Can you cook?"

"Of course, I can cook. I will look for suitable ingredients for you to eat, maybe like Ogre meat."

I was surprised to hear that. Plus, his face suddenly turned sinister when he said that. I was very surprised by that answer.

"E-Eh… Ah, I don't need that. I'd rather postpone eating than have to eat Ogre meat again."

"You don't like Ogre meat, My Lord?"

"That's how it is. Even though I don't look at food, whether it's food for the elite or the poor, it doesn't mean I eat everything. I'm still picking out good food for myself."

"Sorry for my stupidity, My Lord. I instead offer you something you don't like. My apologies, My Lord."

"It doesn't matter."

After observing the streets from this window, and having said that, I turned and walked towards the exit of this room.

"You're still looking for food, My Lord?"

"Yes. Besides, I also want to find out something about this city."

"Looking for something about this city? Could it be... It's amazing, My Lord. Because you see this city is only partially destroyed, so you want to destroy the whole city so that this city is not destroyed in half. You are extraordinary, My Lord."

"...Up to you."

Since he was so annoying, thinking that I would destroy this city, I decided to just walk away from him, without a single word.

***

As I said, some parts of the city are in ruins, and some are still being renovated. Every time I cross this road left and right, I only have rubble from collapsed buildings. Many residential areas were destroyed, and it was rare for me to meet humans here, so that was why I kept walking without thinking that I would encounter life here.

The night wind that blows, the stars that decorate the night, the twinkling lights like a horror movie, accompany me step by step on this street crossing. I feel like I'm the only one in this world.

Even so, even if there was someone I could meet here, I would still ignore that person.

Yeah, ignore that.

"My Lord, you are so amazing, even I can't catch up with you."

Leonard followed me. He's even like a ghost, sometimes appearing and sometimes not. He kept following me and just disappeared from my sight. Sometimes he appears in the rubble, and sometimes he appears very long ago. He is very troublesome for a subordinate and my family member.

Even though he could just stay in his room. Geez.

After crossing these streets, I finally arrived at my destination, which was where Qiby lost her sister kidnapped by the lizardmen.

I know this place thanks to the information given by Leonard. He said that this was the place where Qiby lost her sister. He uses magic, and I don't know about the magic he uses or how he knows using only magic.

Honestly, I want to know about all the magic in this world. I want to know that. However, since my goal wasn't that, I decided to postpone the question, choosing to put this quest first.

Because of that, everything Leonard does, whether it's using magic or his other abilities, I won't ask him. I don't want to think I'm bothered by anything else before I know the facts from Qiby first.

It's the same as when I got the mission to kill my subordinates. All the help given by my colleagues, in the form of information or live data from that person, I never asked how they got it. I have to focus on finding out what happened to my subordinates.

And my focus on finding out a fact, I finally found the real fact that happened and why he was able to kill his comrades while on the battlefield. The fact that happened was, he did that to save his partner from the cruel suffering of being kidnapped and tortured by the enemy. So, knowing the facts that happened, I can decide whether that person is worthy of my killing or not.

And in the end, I decided to take full responsibility for him. I didn't kill him but made him my assistant. And after that, I just asked how my colleagues can provide information and data from that person. They also said that they got it thanks to their abilities.

I am like that, prioritizing finding out the facts that happened from the task given to me rather than being busy thinking about how they could do this and that.

I have to be able to focus, of course, by thinking in only one direction. That way, any mission or quest is given to me, I can complete it properly and well, without the slightest mistake.

"Um..."

I took a stone, which was not too big, it fit my hand, which was on the ground.

"What is it, My Lord?"

Of course, I ignore it in this case, because I don't want to say anything about the reason why I took this stone.

I will try the name where the truth is tested.

I threw this stone, straight in front of me, and it flew very fast, indicating that the rock that came from the rubble of this building has a strong structure but is easy to throw, just like the stones that students throw during demonstrations.

"Wow..."

For some reason, Leonard was astonished to see that the stone was no longer there.

Well, my throw was so exaggerated, it even made the stone out of sight. It only took 0.3 seconds for the rock to disappear from my sight. It seems I was too strong in throwing the stone there.

"How wonderful you are, O My Lord. Even with these eyes of mine, I can no longer see the stone. You are extraordinary, My Lord. I, Leonard-"

"Yeah."

I had to cut him off instead of hearing his ramblings, which kept saying it over and over again. Quite sick of hearing the same sentence every day.

I'm back looking for something about this place.

I walked through every part of this place, even though here only the rubble of the building had merged with the ground.

While investigating this place, I found something strange there.

"What's that?"

It was building debris that had piled up, and I thought it was odd.

I approached the rubble of the building, then Leonard, who suddenly passed me just like that, lifted the rubble of the building.

After creating a gap under the rubble of this building, I saw what was there.

"Oh..."

I was briefly surprised to see what was there, but I quickly regained my composure and smiled.

"Leonard, put that down!"

"Okay, My Lord. At your command."

Leonard returned the rubble to its original state, not looking like it had been lifted by it.

"Well, Leonard..."

"What is it, My Lord?"

"Let's make a bet."

"Bet?"

"Yeah, bet. If I'm right, you'll buy me cigarettes—of course, you'll have to ask Hiyori for money first. But if I'm wrong, you'll still buy me cigarettes. How?"

"Very well, I accept your offer, My Lord. I, Leonard Valkoinen, bet with you because it is your will. Therefore, I accept it. I will always be loyal to you, My Lord. So, what do you want to bet, My Lord?"

"Yeah, that bet is..."

The two of us bet on what I expected this quest to be.

After that, I smiled slyly in front of Leonard who was saying that I was amazing.

"The most important thing now is how we meet the lizardmen. And one thing I want to try, which is…"

"You are very extraordinary, My Lord. Me-"

"Can you stop that!?"

"My apologies, My Lord."

"That's enough. Let's go back to the inn now."

"Okay, My Lord."