Okay… I hadn't expected this.
As I looked at Ana's face in shock, she fidgeted uncomfortably, blushing and looking hesitantly at the ground.
Could she sense my surprise? My disappointment?
"B-but, you had a workshop, right?" There was no way a workshop would be given to an ordinary factory worker.
Unless…
"I made the workshop myself. It's a secret one too. No one has ever found me there… except you." Her tone became softer as she kept speaking. "I collected scraps and parts disposed of by the factory to develop my tools. Sometimes, I stole some of our raw materials…"
So that was how she had been able to achieve it. It seemed I had assumed too much.
"When we got the alarm that we were being attacked, I couldn't just leave everything I had worked for behind. I thought I could quickly retrieve them, but…"
The backpack Ana carried behind her was where all of her items were. She must have used some form of Structure Alteration Magic to reduce the size. I remembered the Dragon King had one of such Magic—though, his was probably more advanced.
"I see. I understand, then." I smiled, drawing closer to her.
She tightly shut her eyes while clenching her fist in turn. I wondered if she felt I would be disappointed by the sudden revelation.
'I mean, I am a little disappointed, but…' Ana wasn't completely useless yet.
"The fact that you could make amazing inventions from scraps further proves your value. You should be proud, Ana." I patted her head once more, gazing warmly into her eyes.
Looking at how cute she was, and how she responded with a nod, I grew nostalgic. Honestly, I had missed Ana's cute days.
"In any case, it's time to get rid of my disguise. There's no longer any reason to keep it on."
"I was beginning to wonder when you would." Neron replied with a light chuckle.
In any case, the moment of truth was at hand for Ana. I just hoped she wouldn't freak out too much.
My blue hair faded into yellow and my facial structure reverted to its original—more handsome—form. Yes, my original 'Jared' look was definitely superior in terms of looks.
As a light mist rose from me, the transformation was undone, and I was back to my original form. The first person I glanced at was Ana, trying to confirm if she was alright.
"J-J-J…. L-Lord… J-Jared?!"
As expected, she wasn't!
Sweat broke out all over her face and her bulging eyes were filled with fear and stifled rage. As I watched all the colour drain away from her face, I decided to quickly resolve the misunderstanding.
"F-forgive me, Lord Jared! I honestly did not mean any of the things I said earlier. That story was false. I… I am your loyal servant. P-p-p-please, spare my lifeeee!"
Ah, wasn't it a bit too late for that, though?
'At this point, she must be thinking something along the lines of this being a test of some sort.' Ana was very calculating, so I expected this much from her.
She would probably think of ways to guarantee her escape and would operate on the assumption that I wouldn't believe her anyway.
'It would have been fun to tease her some more, but there's no time for that.'
"Ana, relax. I'm not the Jared you know." I sighed. "I mean, why would the Jared of this world be working with the Outgroup."
This had to be the first time, but Ana's bright eyes widened as she looked around her—seeing all the Outers that were presently occupying the lounge.
I had no idea if she didn't notice earlier, but… her face suddenly lit up in surprise.
"T-that's true. B-but wait… what do you mean by the 'Jared of this world'?!"
It was time to explain this again. Fortunately, I had Magic which could just relay the information I wanted to her without much effort on my part.
'This shouldn't take too long.'
*
*
*
"A-ah, I see…" After experiencing layers upon layers of my memories, Ana must have already gotten the gist of everything.
Of course, I only showed her the parts relevant to the discourse, so she didn't know much else about me.
"I-I'm sorry for doubting you." She muttered.
"It's fine. I understand why you would react like that."
At this juncture, with the Outgroup already aware of my capabilities and with Ana already up to speed about the gist of the situation, it was time to bring up the true reason I brought her into the fold.
Fortunately, based on all I had seen, that reason was still valid.
"Ana was a brilliant Magic Scholar in my original world. She developed countless devices, discovered a new energy source, and defeated many people who were stronger than she was. She was the perfect culmination of Skill and Knowledge." I looked at this world's Ana with a smile plastered on my face.
"You haven't changed in that regard, even in this world. That is why I want to suggest making Ana a member of the Outgroup."
Not only did she have a good motive for wanting Jared gone, but she was also very skilful. Besides, I sort of didn't want to let her out of my sight—both for practical and conventional reasons.
'I still don't understand how this world's mechanics work. Technology, Magic… almost everything here is a mystery. Having her around should make it easier for me.'
Of course, with Neron and the others here, I could most likely make do without her. That was why this was most probably more personal than practical.
'Then again, wouldn't Neron be busy? It's still a mix between the two. Ah, but if Ana joins the Outgroup, she'll be busy too.'
I finally decided to cease my mental back and forth. The decision was not mine to make, It was the Outgroup's.
And so, as I looked at Neron, casting my gaze on everyone as well, I hoped they would make the right call.
'I don't know what I'll do if they don't.'
*
*
*
[A/N]
Here's the link.
