Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint
Chapter 343: The Name Is Azzyberus

Wow. This is unusual. I just had a dream.

Ordinary people tend to attach the prefix “silly” to dreams in an attempt to downplay the significance of these chaotic illusions.

But I know better.

In many cases, dreams don’t just end as meaningless fantasies.

During sleep, the human consciousness is at its weakest and when the signals running along the nerves falter, the noise that infiltrates is what we call dreams.

Though it’s hard to discern due to various embellishments, at the center of it lies the roots inside the dreamer’s subconscious that even they aren’t aware of.

Well, most of the time, people can’t find it again, so it ends up being a silly dream.

But for me, it’s different.

Memories that burrow into my mind while I sleep… Fill the room?

Whose memory is this?

“Woof! Woof woof!”

“Wake up! Wake up!”

The sound of a dog barking pierced my ears, disrupting my thoughts.

I frowned with my eyes still closed at the noise interrupting my rest.

Silly dreams are better than dogs—they don’t wake me up, at least.

“Azzy, can you stop barking so loudly?”

Of course, mere words wouldn’t stop her. Azzy thumped on the bed and shouted.

“Wake up! It’s morning!”

“Lazybones!”

“I’m not lazy. I am engaging in a noble struggle against the cruel morning that seeks to dominate humanity.”

“Lazybones!”

“Be diligent!”

She’s not the King of Roosters, yet she insists on waking me up every morning.

Ugh, I was hoping to sleep in today.

Beasts are worse than humans, I swear.

Fine, I’m getting up. I’ll think about that dream later.

What kind of dream was it again?

It felt like it was just a silly dream…

“By the way, why are you barking in turns?”

When I opened my eyes, two identical Azzy heads were staring down at me side by side.

I jumped up and shouted.

“A Cerberus!”

“Woof! I’m Azzy!”

“Cer…? Can I eat that?”

“Oh, it’s not a Cerberus. It only has two heads! A two-headed dog?”

“I have one head!”

“Dummy!”

“I don’t want to hear that from a two-headed puppy!”

What on earth is going on?

I wake up and Azzy was duplicated.

Did the King of Strays wander in?

This is troublesome.

Dealing with one was hard enough, but now there were two.

Instinctively, I was about to use my Mind Reading but paused.

Right, she’s the King of Dogs.

The only thing I can read from her is whatever is on the surface.

It’s probably useless anyway…

｢Look at that surprised face. Rare indeed~｣

I can read it?

What’s going on?

Did she get trapped somewhere and accidentally consume something that turned her human?

Or did my Mind Reading evolve?

｢Father is usually so composed, but he looks quite defenseless when he’s asleep~ Even if the King of Humans has lost all his power, wouldn’t he have any means of protecting himself? This needs more observation!｣

Wait a minute. That ‘Azzy’ is Hilde.

Ugh. For a moment, I thought I’d hit a growth spurt.

Right, it makes no sense for a human to read a dog’s thoughts.

You can know without reading them, but still. Should I give it a try anyway?

｢Wake up! Woof! Wake up! Woof!｣

Yeah, it doesn’t work after all. Even without Mind Reading, I know Azzy’s trying to wake me up.

My ability only reads her mood or actions, which are too chaotic to make sense of.

She’s trying to be kind to me, but letting me sleep would be kinder.

“What’s going on? Why all the noise… huh?”

The Regressor, pulling aside the curtain with annoyance, widened her eyes when she saw the two Azzies.

Supporting my chin with my hands, I excitedly said.

“Ta-da. Azzyberus.”

“There are two heads!”

“Is that really important? Let’s overlook the minor details, please.”

“Woof woof! Stay there!”

“Woof woof woof!”

Unlike other humans, Azzy didn’t seem to be wary of another ‘Azzy’ who looked exactly like her.

Instead, she wagged her tail wildly and joined in when ‘Azzy’ ran around playfully.

The two raced around, barely avoiding knocking over furniture.

“Two Azzies make the chaos exponential.”

“One isn’t even Azzy. It’s just Hilde pretending.”

The Regressor grumbled while watching the two play.

“What is she doing? Wearing dog ears and a tail and running around like a dog? There’s a limit to bad taste… What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“That description applies directly to Azzy, doesn’t it? Dog ears, a tail, and behaving like a dog. That’s Azzy in a nutshell.”

“What are you talking about? Azzy is the King of Dogs! What’s wrong with acting like a dog?”

“That’s strange. Didn’t you treat Azzy like a human before? You complained when I was rough with her, saying I was too harsh, and when I tried giving her leftovers, you scolded me. But now you say it’s natural for her to behave like a dog? That’s contradictory.”

Honestly, treating a dog like a human is more problematic than a human acting like a dog.

If you’re going to treat a pet like a human, you should uphold the responsibilities and duties that come with it.

If a pet enjoys all the perks of being pampered without doing any work, that’s not a pet—that’s a master.

“The King of Dogs is the representative of dogs. It’s only natural for her to do dog-like things!”

“Then do you admit Azzy has the appearance of a human but the essence of a dog?”

“I ad…”

The Regressor paused mid-sentence, swallowed her words, and shouted again.

“I don’t! But I can’t treat her like an ordinary dog either!”

“Stubborn as always.”

As the Regressor’s voice grew louder, Azzy paused her play and looked over with interest.

‘Azzy’ also crept closer.

Ugh. So she doesn’t intend to reveal herself until I figure it out?

She’s got quite a taste for games.

Let’s force her to show her true colors.

“Azzy.”

“Woof!”

“Woof!”

Azzy and ‘Azzy’ answered in unison.

Even though I checked last time, I can’t tell them apart by voice.

I didn’t expect her to mimic a dog’s bark so perfectly.

“Azzy, seeing someone who looks exactly like you, does it make you think anything?”

“Woof? The same?”

“What’s the same?”

Azzy and ‘Azzy’ both tilted their heads.

Oh, right. I forgot. Azzy’s a dog. She doesn’t look in the mirror much and wouldn’t recognize her own appearance even if she did.

Besides, they smell different.

To Azzy, ‘Azzy’ is just a human imitating her actions.

“All right, Azzies. I’m going to conduct a simple test to figure out which one of you is the real Azzy.”

“Woof? Toast?”

“Food?”

Sigh. Expecting a dog to grasp concepts like dignity and uniqueness was probably too much.

Let’s get this over with quickly.

Among the Regressor’s food stash, there were dried fruits.

I took out a dried persimmon and tore off a piece.

The large, luxurious dried persimmon, with its enticing scent, caught Azzy’s eye.

As I moved it side to side, both Azzy and ‘Azzy’ followed it with their eyes.

I called out.

“Azzy, sit!”

“Woof!”

“Stand!”

“Woof!”

“Good job! Here, eat!”

I tossed the piece of dried persimmon into the air, and both Azzy and ‘Azzy’ jumped for it.

In the airborne contest, Azzy snatched the treat.

Munching noisily, Azzy’s eyes lit up as she savored the treat.

Within moments, she swallowed the persimmon and began jumping with excitement.

“It’s delicious! Sweet! Delicious!”

“Good, right? It’s dried persimmon. I’ve been hiding it because I was afraid I wouldn’t have any left if you found it.”

Looks like I’ll be robbed of my share every time I eat fruit now.

Reflecting on that sad reality, I turned to ‘Azzy.’

｢Ugh. The King of Dogs is tougher than I thought. How can I compete with that? This is going to give me away…｣

Even if she’s easygoing, she’s still the King of Dogs.

I had laid the groundwork, so from now on, figuring out Hilde wouldn’t be suspicious.

“Want some more? Come on. Try to eat it.”

I tore another piece of persimmon and held it between my hands, showing the gap to both of them.

“Woof! Woof woof! Permimmon!”

“It’s persimmon.”

Azzy wasted no time and pushed her snout between my fingers.

The gap was too small, so she stuck out her tongue to try and grab the piece.

When that didn’t work, she licked at it.

｢…Hmm. Not impossible to mimic, but…｣

With the original showing the “answer,” Hilde had to mimic it.

After a brief hesitation, she did the same, sticking her tongue into my hand.

While it looked similar, I could feel the difference.

Azzy was unhesitant, but Hilde’s licking carried a slight hesitation.

｢It’s not an emotion a performer should show, but… is she feeling a bit embarrassed?｣

It’s peculiar when you think about it.

Humans, even when disguised as animals, feel this odd sense of embarrassment.

“…You really are strange.”

Ignoring the Regressor’s muttering, I continued.

If she didn’t like it, she could just close her eyes.

As my hands grew damp with saliva, Azzy, now annoyed, bared her teeth.

Alarmed, I opened my hands and revealed the persimmon.

Both Azzy and ‘Azzy’ swiftly snapped it up.

“Sweet! Delicious!”

“Delicious! Delicious! Delicious!”

The enthusiasm was rewarding.

After swallowing the remaining persimmon, both of them stared at the rest.

I held up the now half-eaten dried fruit.

“Do you want more?”

“Woof! I’m hungry!”

“Hungry!”

“Haha. But what to do?”

I crossed my hands and slipped the persimmon into my sleeve.

After a few grand, yet meaningless gestures, I opened my palms wide and showed them.

“Ta-da! The persimmon is gone!”

“Woof?!”

Azzy’s face fell as if the world had ended.

Even a child would know it was just a trick, but the King of Dogs has no immunity to such sleight of hand.

If it disappears before her eyes, she believes it’s gone for real.

Unaware of this, Hilde, a bit late to react, analyzed the situation coolly.

｢The King of Dogs should know the persimmon hasn’t actually disappeared by its scent. It’s late to follow up, so this time, I’ll take the lead.｣

‘Azzy’ lifted her nose and sniffed. Azzy, hearing the sound, sniffed too.

Then, as if on cue, they both looked at me.

“It’s there! It didn’t disappear!”

“Persimmon smell!”

‘Azzy’ imitated Azzy’s earlier move, poking her head into my sleeve.

Of course, she couldn’t fit her face in.

Instead, she reached in with her hand to retrieve it.

But the persimmon was already deep inside, with a conspicuous bulge visible through the fabric.

‘Azzy,’ pretending to follow the scent, sniffed up my arm.

She was getting close to the persimmon, but a thin layer of cloth still separated her from it.

｢It’s too deep. Unless I tear the cloth, I can’t reach it. How would the King of Dogs handle this…?｣

In a pinch, ‘Azzy’ glanced at Azzy for a hint.

Azzy was blissfully munching on a whole persimmon.

｢Huh?｣

“Ta-da. Actually, there were two persimmons.”

I had hidden one in my pocket beforehand.

If the original premise is false, all subsequent conclusions will be false.

A magician’s trick always starts by twisting the premise.

There was never just one persimmon. The sharp-nosed Azzy had realized this and was already enjoying it while ‘Azzy’ was distracted.

In other words, the ‘Azzy’ now climbing onto me and pressing her face into my chest to sniff was Hilde.

‘Azzy’ stared at her own reflection, seeing herself clinging to me and sniffing around.

She froze mid-action. I took the persimmon from my sleeve.

“Hilde.”

“…Woof.”

“Isn’t this a bit embarrassing?”

“…Yes.”

“Come on now. Change back.”

‘Azzy,’ or rather, Hilde, slowly stood up.

This time, the embarrassment had her ears tinged slightly red.

With an awkward smile, Hilde scratched the back of her neck.

“Haha. I totally fell for it~ Father really is unbeatable.”

“Don’t be too disheartened. The audience will always have an advantage over the actor. You really did seem like a puppy.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“It is. Here’s your prize: the persimmon you wanted so much.”

I pushed the slightly slobbered persimmon into Hilde’s mouth.

Hilde, casting me a side glance, tasted the persimmon with mild annoyance, but the flavor soon lifted her mood.

“I thought the King of Dogs would be easy to mimic. That was my mistake.”

“Hold your head high. It’s no shame to be caught by me. Anyone else wouldn’t have been able to tell. Right, Mr. Shei?”

The Regressor, who had been silently watching, flinched.

“…I knew from the start.”

｢It’s confusing at first glance, but The Seven Colored Eyes makes it clear. Seven Colored Eye, Jade Eyes, activate.｣

The Regressor’s Jade Eyes studied Hilde.

The Jade Eyes could see through things.

While it couldn’t penetrate a body filled with Qi, the Regressor found another use for it.

｢As I thought. The Jade Eyes can’t see inside bodies, but it can discern fabric. Azzy’s clothes are just basic shirts, but the Camarilla’s attire is made of a special outfit packet. That’s how Hilde changes clothes during transformations.｣

Well, even with transformation, you couldn’t change clothes.

Last time when she turned into Tyr, the shadow garments were crafted directly by Tyr.

But Azzy wouldn’t even know what she was wearing.

Even Hilde didn’t carry every type of clothing around.

Instead, she used a special outfit packet that could turn into any attire.

Depending on how it was crafted, it could be weapons, armor, or even dog ears and tails.

A Commander Arm, capable of limitless transformations.

It seems like a superior version of my cards, but it’s odd that Hilde manifests it with Qi Control.

For me, each transformation would drain both Qi and mana.

｢The ears and tail are attached to the skin. She probably uses the Bio-receptor too. That transformation ability is certainly impressive… though I have no reason to learn it since I have Agartha’s Mask.｣

Even while observing Hilde, the Regressor shook her head, muttering.

“Why do you keep coming up with these silly quizzes? You’ll always get caught anyway.”

Why give quizzes?

Isn’t it obvious?

“Mr. Shei, you really don’t understand.”

“Understand what?”

“There’s only one reason for a quiz. It’s given because the person wants you to solve it.”

Because she wants to be recognized.

No matter how she transforms or who she imitates, she keeps testing, hoping to be discovered.

It’s sad that even this needed explaining.

The Regressor still seemed puzzled and tilted her head.

“Then why do we have to solve them?”

Was the drawback for regression insensitivity?

Too tired to explain further, I ignored the Regressor and went to taste the persimmon myself.

I deserved a bite, too.

I plucked the stem from a dried persimmon and split it open.

A sweet aroma wafted from the flesh.

After savoring the scent with my eyes and nose, just before I bit into it, a thought echoed from across the room.

｢So that’s it. ‘I’ wanted to be recognized.｣

It was Hilde’s thought.

Chewing the persimmon, she reflected on my words.

｢For someone to know that ‘I’ exists.｣