Chapter 95: Abyss’s Hidden Talent
Givia was puzzled. “How? How can I inspire my troops without being present?”
“As you said, Princess Givia, your presence is essential. Your soldiers need to see you, their leader, standing before them, delivering an inspiring speech,” Abyss said, winking mysteriously.
Givia didn’t understand, but the three girls, realizing his intentions, exchanged knowing glances, their expressions a mixture of surprise, amusement, and anticipation.
Boosting the Restoration Army’s morale was simple. Flora could simply walk among them, casting an inspiring Divine Art on each soldier, turning them into fearless warriors capable of single-handedly defeating two-headed ogres. But that, of course, wasn’t an option. Firstly, such a large-scale and unconcealed use of Divine Arts would attract the Church’s attention, and they wouldn’t tolerate such blatant interference. Abyss wasn’t worried about the Church. He or Flora could easily dismantle the entire organization if they became too troublesome. But the real problem was the Nine Gods.
If Flora used her Divine Arts to grant an army victory, it would disrupt the balance of the world. Those soldiers wouldn’t have won through their own strength, but through Flora’s borrowed divine power. The Nine Gods wouldn’t tolerate such a large-scale disruption, even if they overlooked minor imbalances.
The Nine Gods were more powerful than the Outer Gods. Hai-Teweru was their domain, regardless of their status as “mere” servants of the Creator God. Abyss could outsmart the Outer Gods, but he couldn’t directly confront the Nine Gods if they were displeased.
But Abyss had another solution.
Who was Abyss? Besides being the world’s most powerful and audacious necromancer, he was also a man who could effortlessly crossdress, even embracing the role with surprising enthusiasm. And by “man,” she meant someone capable of achieving feats beyond the reach of ordinary men.
The three girls, having witnessed his crossdressing prowess, instantly understood his plan.
“Tell me, what’s your solution?” Givia asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Ahem, Your Highness, I can transform into you,” Abyss said. “But there’s one condition. You must allow me to observe you closely, to memorize every detail of your appearance and your mannerisms, to ensure a flawless transformation.”
“You can transform into me?” Givia asked, her eyes widening, then she quickly understood. “You’re referring to the Transformation spell used by mages, right? I remember that perfectly mimicking another person’s appearance without detection requires advanced skills.”
Transformation was a common spell, a basic skill for any mid-level mage of the Transformation School. But it wasn’t typically used for impersonation. It had several limitations. Firstly, it consumed a massive amount of mana. Secondly, prolonged use could make it difficult to revert to one’s original form. Thirdly, it only altered one’s appearance, not their voice. Changing one’s voice required manipulating the vocal cords, consuming even more mana. And finally, the transformation was easily disrupted by physical impacts, draining mana and potentially revealing the disguise.
Impersonation was the specialty of Illusionist mages, but Abyss couldn’t use illusions on Givia’s soldiers. She wouldn’t approve.
Since he wasn’t an Illusionist, Givia’s skepticism was understandable.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I’m quite skilled in Transformation magic. And more importantly, I have an immense amount of mana. You don’t need to worry about my disguise failing,” Abyss said confidently, then chanted a spell, transforming into a dwarf.
“How do I look?” he asked, his voice now rough and gravelly, his usual lighthearted tone the only recognizable trait. “This is the owner of a tavern in the Western Empire’s capital. I drank there for several days, memorizing his appearance and his mannerisms. Now, if I just adjust my tone of voice… Like this. Hehe, Your Highness, what do you think?”
“Wow! It’s perfect!” Leona exclaimed, pointing at him. “That’s Dal, the owner of the Ugly Dwarf Tavern! You even sound just like him!”
“And my disguise is quite resilient,” Abyss said, turning to Leona. “Hit me, Leona. But don’t send me flying. I don’t want to break anything.”
“Alright!” Leona said, approaching him and flicking him hard on the forehead, the sound echoing through the room, making Givia wince. Leona, delighted at the opportunity to “discipline” the usually taller Abyss, had put considerable force into her flick.
If Abyss were an ordinary human, his skull would be fractured.
“Good job, Leona,” Abyss said, rubbing his forehead, wincing slightly. “Your Highness, now you’ve seen how stable my transformation is.”
“I have…” Givia said, nodding quickly, convinced by Leona’s demonstration. “So, how will you observe me? Do I need to… undress?”
“If you wish…” Abyss started to say, then, noticing the strange looks he was receiving from the three girls, quickly corrected himself. “…That won’t be necessary. I just need to observe your appearance and your mannerisms. I’m already familiar with your speech patterns. There’s no need for a special performance.”
“If you can do this, I’m willing to let you impersonate me. It might not be courageous, but it’s the best option for countering the Lord of Nightmares,” Givia said, nodding firmly. “Alright, Abyss, I’m counting on you!”
Abyss dispelled the transformation, returning to his usual form.
“In a few days, I’ll transform into you and visit your soldiers. You’ll remain hidden in a safe location. I’ll use some methods to relay my observations to you, so you won’t miss any important information. I have a feeling this will be… interesting.”
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