The reason I could see through Jiekhrund's disguise? It goes without saying—mind-reading. Jiekhrund, a Six-Star General who voluntarily participated in the operation, was no different to me than a strategy officer sticking by my side, kindly explaining the mission.

But there was a problem.

I couldn’t reveal his true identity without explaining my mind-reading ability.

Jiekhrund's transformation isn’t some kind of mystery. It’s a combination of transformation techniques that alter the structure of the body using ki, the intelligence resources of the Military State, and a masterful performance. Although he might have borrowed a few elements from mystical arts, it’s purely a human-made skill.

Therefore, neither Shay nor Tyr noticed anything suspicious about him. The main reason being they didn’t know who Carrafald was in the first place.

The same goes for me. I hadn’t met Carrafald until a few years ago. If I were to insist that he was a disguised Six-Star General, they might listen, but ultimately, that suspicion would circle back to me.

But there's no need to invite unnecessary danger, right? I can just lure him out.

As planned, he took the bait. As soon as I sent Tyr away, Jiekhrund gambled his entire life, targeting me. He prepared himself for his disguise to be revealed and transformed into Historia to attack us.

Good. Everything has gone according to plan. Now it’s time to expose his true face.

"How did you know?" His face twisted in frustration.

"It’s a bit ironic, isn’t it? The ones who should be flustered are us. Who exactly are you, pretending to be Historia?”

As I said, his appearance was a perfect replica of Historia's. Even Historia herself couldn’t find any differences.

Standing protectively in front of me, Historia instinctively scouted the enemy but felt a strange sense of discomfort.

"It’s not just the face and body. His combat techniques and ki are almost identical to mine. There are differences, of course, but..."

"From the outside, they’re indistinguishable, aren’t they?"

It’s a blow to one's pride to see oneself so perfectly imitated. It’s the same as admitting that there’s a replacement for you.

‘Historia’ wore a self-mocking smirk, brimming with confidence.

"There’s nothing I can’t tell you. But before that, I’ll ask you one thing."

Jiekhrund, still in the form of Historia, spun around. His expression languid, his movements fluid yet unnervingly sharp, he lightly turned on his heel and asked me directly:

“My transformation was perfect. So how did you figure it out?”

"You were pretty close. But between close friends like Historia and me, there’s a vibe that we can sense, you know? I figured it out through—"

"No. You didn’t hesitate for even a second. Between those who know and those who don’t, there’s always a brief moment of doubt. You, however, surpassed that gap."

‘Historia’ approached me leisurely, every step delicate yet unwavering. It looked like Historia's walk but appeared slightly off to me.

"My transformation was perfect. Face, hair, height, bones, even facial expressions and tone of voice. I mimicked everything, piece by piece. The inside might be different, but from the outside, there’s no way to tell. Yet you knew."

“Your confidence is commendable. Perhaps the inside is different after all. Maybe Historia and I have a secret signal or mark to identify each other.”

"Even if you did have such a mark, you’d need time to check it. But your gaze didn’t linger anywhere. Without something hidden within you, that would have been impossible."

Mind-reading. That’s the answer. And thanks to reading the mind of a man playing a role, I could instantly tell.

Ordinary people don’t consciously think about their breathing. They walk without calculating their next stride or considering how to shift their weight. It’s the result of natural, unconscious movements.

But Jiekhrund calculated everything—his gestures, steps, voice, trajectory, even the environment around him. He used every muscle in his body to recreate reality. His art had reached a level where ordinary people couldn’t distinguish between his performance and reality.

To me, though, it felt like watching a stage play titled ‘Historia,’ with detailed instructions written all over it.

The face is Historia’s, but the person behind it is aware that it’s all an act, that his real name is Jiekhrund. That’s why, to me, he didn’t look like Historia.

“There is something hidden, of course.”

But I can’t reveal that I’m using mind-reading. It’s better to reveal something else.

How should I explain this... Oh, right. In these moments—

“It’s love.”

"...?!"

I bluffed with a phrase that can fit any situation. Historia, standing in front of me, looked at me like I was crazy, but I shamelessly pressed on.

"There's a lack of love. If there was enough love, the differences would be obvious. When you're as close as Lia and I, you can sense something wrong even with the smallest gestures.”

"That’s a lie."

Busted!

Wait a minute. How are you so sure? You don't have mind-reading abilities! How dare you question my honesty! I stubbornly held my ground.

"Prove it."

"Love is an emotion, not a method. It can’t be an answer to ‘how.’ And more importantly, you..."

Jiekhrund trailed off, regaining his composure. He mentally reconstructed Historia’s persona, immersing himself in it.

‘The last survivor of Hameln. Rose to become a Six-Star General, but it’s not a success—just a continuation of failure. Moves alone without a lieutenant, hasn’t started a family. His heart still lingers in the past. Enough to abandon his status as a General and pursue the ghosts of history...’

He adjusted his voice, layered it with Historia's subtle movements and inflections that he had observed.

‘And yet, he never sought out Historia. He must have known she became a Six-Star General. Why didn’t he come to her? The weight of emotions leans the other way. In that case, what action would Historia take here?’

It wasn’t perfect, but close enough. That’s Jiekhrund’s method.

Once again, Jiekhrund became ‘Historia.’

"Lies! You’ve never taken me seriously, Huey! In all these years, you’ve never come looking for me!"

‘Historia’ said it, but the real Historia in front of me was clutching her chest, resonating with the words, silently relieved that her feelings were being voiced.

Acknowledging this means everything is exposed now.

 

“And then you speak of love? Stop spouting nonsense! You’ve never even thought of me until now!”
"It’s not nonsense. When you look with love, the differences become clear.”
“Then tell me, what’s the difference?”

Damn. If this turns into a battle of presenting evidence, I’m at a disadvantage since most of my clues come from mind-reading. What excuse can I come up with? It doesn’t even have to be the truth. As long as I can make the other party unable to counter-argue, it’ll be my win. Let’s see… what could I point out?

Huh? Wait a minute. Maybe that could be the reason.

“The way they move is different.”
“…Move? What do you mean?”
"Here, this."

I tapped my chest.

Historia and ‘Historia’ both tilted their heads in confusion, unable to grasp the strange answer I just gave.

If they don’t get it, I’ll just claim it’s private, and if they argue, I’ll label it rude.

"The real Historia was tied up for several days. She was restrained so tightly that her upper body and chest were compressed. As a result, her chest… well, the way it moves feels constrained, you know? Whereas the fake one—meaning you—moves too normally. The difference was too clear to miss.”

My response was so out of left field that even the fake ‘Historia,’ who had been playing along with me, faltered. After a moment of contemplation, Jiekhrund realized the oversight in his deception.

“…Indeed, I didn’t account for that.”
“Of course not. Like I said, you need love to notice these things.”
“So that’s what you meant by love… I hadn’t reflected the recent state of her body.”
“Even if you had, would you have been able to pinpoint such a subtle difference? Only someone with keen observation skills could pick up on it.”

“Both of you, shut up!”

Historia immediately turned around and kicked my leg. Her boot sank into my leg, and it felt as though a heavy rope had yanked me off balance. I flailed my arms and fell ungracefully to the ground.

Standing there, her face a mix of shame and fury, Historia crossed her arms over her chest.

"You pervert! I was deliberately ignoring your overly sensitive reactions as a prisoner, but you’ve crossed the line!"

But my lie ended up fooling our ally more than the enemy. Ah, great. I’ve broken the flow. If things had gone on, I might have been able to deceive them further.

“…It was a convincing story, but a well-crafted lie.”

Just like how dipping your hand in hot water then in lukewarm makes it feel cold, emotions are relative. Thanks to Historia's overly embarrassed reaction, ‘Historia’ managed to regain his composure.

“…It was a convincing story, but a well-crafted lie.”

Just like how dipping your hand in hot water then in lukewarm water makes it feel cold, emotions are relative. Thanks to the real Historia’s excessive embarrassment, the fake ‘Historia’ regained his composure.

"Historia adjusted her body to withstand the effects of the ki. Even if she had been tied up for days, her body wouldn’t have been damaged so easily."
“You figured it out. It was hard to tell just from that.”

“But it was still a blind spot. I hadn’t received any information about her being held captive. Besides, I’m impressed she stayed so calm while tied up.”
“You couldn’t deny the possibility I mentioned, right? Lia and I have been together for the past few days. Maybe we left behind traces that only we could recognize, something beyond a secret code or mark.”
"Of course, I can’t deny that possibility. But the odds are slim."
"Why? You have no idea what happened during the days Lia was captured, do you?"

Even though my sharp remark should have thrown him off balance, the fake ‘Historia’ answered calmly and clearly.

"If there had been something secret shared between the two of you, Historia wouldn’t have reacted so defensively."

This is going to be difficult. I pressed on with my argument.

"That’s just a possibility. It’s not solid proof."
"Just like your claim."

Damn. He may be pretending to be Historia, but he's still a high-ranking Six-Star General in the Military State. He’s not as easy to deceive as other people. I need another explanation… something plausible.

"Huey! How long are you two going to keep chatting? Now’s not the time for friendly banter!"

Historia, who had been listening to the back-and-forth without much choice, finally cut in, frustrated by our extended conversation.

"I’ll handle it—me against…well, myself. You should get out of here for now."
"Are you sure you don’t need my help?"
"I’m confident in a one-on-one fight. I rarely lose. Besides, Huey, you’re not exactly physically capable. Even if you stayed, you wouldn’t be much help in battle…"

"You’re wrong, Historia. If you’re that naive, I don’t think I can trust you with spy work."

The fake ‘Historia’ interrupted her.

"I asked you, didn’t I? How did you figure me out? He couldn’t give a proper reason. Naturally, because there wasn’t one."

"What does that have to do with anything?"
"An ungrounded certainty. The ability to win every gamble. A mystery."

With a peculiar smile, the fake ‘Historia’ spoke as if explaining something to a child, raising her fingers one by one as she patiently elaborated.

“To see the future. Or to read the past. To follow the threads of human fate or causality. To see and hear from a thousand miles away. To draw miracles from faith and belief. Anything beyond human capability, powers that descend as if by miracle, we call them mysteries.”

“…I know that.”
"Then why didn’t you doubt him?"

With deliberate steps, ‘Historia’ retreated a little, letting herself blend into the shadows of the control room, her fingers slowly curling one by one as she continued.

"In Hameln, a piper played his tune. Many children died, and those who witnessed the scene came to distrust the Military State. He operated in the capital, then ended up in Tantalos. There, he allied himself with the monsters that lay dormant and rose up to overthrow the Military State. And now, he’s on the verge of success."

"That wasn’t Huey’s doing. He just got caught up in it…"

"Is that really what you think?"

‘Historia’ covered her face with her hand. Sliding it down from her forehead to her chin, the face that had once been Historia's changed in an instant.

His cheekbones sharpened, his muscles shifted, and his skin lost its healthy color, taking on the pale, sickly hue of someone who hadn’t seen sunlight in a long time. The proud expression that had been Historia's morphed into the hollow bravado of a man trying to compensate for his lack of skill with arrogance.

"Carrafald… So it really was you in disguise."

It was Carrafald's face.

‘Carrafald’ muttered ominously as he inserted the data packet into the bio-terminal.

“Now, let’s assume he has a mystery. Then everything makes sense. The Piper knew from the beginning that I wasn’t the real Carrafald. He even knew about the trap in this refinery.”

At the same time, the once-strong, healthy female form began to change into a weaker male body. The shirt that had previously been tight on Historia's chest gradually flattened, and her once-broad shoulders shrank. The uniform, which had once belonged to Historia, transformed into the work attire of the refinery’s supervisor.

His bones and body hadn’t completely transformed. It was all just an illusion, crafted to appear that way on the outside.

By mastering Camouflage Ki (감 기공), Jiekhrund could compress and expand his muscles, bones, flesh, and even internal organs at will.

“No ordinary person could have pulled off such a grand scheme. But with a mystery—something akin to omniscience or foresight—it all becomes possible.”

After undergoing what could only be described as a near-complete transformation, Jiekhrund’s appearance was now indistinguishable from Carrafald’s.

Of course, to me, Jiekhrund’s true form still flickered beneath the surface.

"That’s my conclusion. So, Piper, what do you have to say to that?”

 

_______________________________

TL Notes:

In this context, "Piper" is used as a reference to Huey, the protagonist, based on his role and actions. It seems that Jiekhrund/Carrafald refers to Huey metaphorically as the "Piper," likely alluding to the figure of the Pied Piper from folklore—someone who leads others, often to their doom, much like Huey manipulates events and people using his mind-reading ability. This nickname highlights Huey’s manipulative nature and his role in orchestrating the events leading up to this confrontation. Jiekhrund is accusing Huey of being the mastermind behind the chaos, much like the Piper leads others with hidden motives.