Starting from Jujutsu Kaisen, Eating the Soft Rice of Doppelgangers Chapter 43

An Xiu, feeling it was about time, called the waiter over to start ordering.

A white-haired Kuranta girl in employee attire pushed open the private room door and walked in.

"Hello, I'm the restaurant server Xintelaia. How may I be of service to you, honored guests?"

Looking at the white-haired Kuranta girl before him, An Xiu blinked.

If he wasn't mistaken, this server should be Platinum, right? The name Xintelaia matched, and so did the features.

Except she wasn't wearing her original outfit from the source material, no bow or arrows on her—just a restaurant server's uniform.

The problem was, wasn't Platinum supposed to be an assassin for the Armorless Alliance? How had she fallen to working as a restaurant server? Was the Kazimierz assassin organization really in this bad of a state now?

"Miss Xintelaia, is it... What exactly is your line of work?"

An Xiu pondered for a moment before speaking.

Hearing this, Platinum froze for a second, first glancing down at her own uniform, then back at An Xiu.

Wait, hadn't she made it obvious enough when she walked in just now?

Despite the internal complaints, Platinum still answered obediently.

"As you can see, guest, I'm a server."

"An ordinary server wouldn't have your kind of skill. You didn't do this before, did you?"

In an instant, Platinum's heart skipped a beat.

Because of Kazimierz's defeat in the war against Ursus, during this critical period when Kazimierz was gradually being taken over by Ursus, every member of the Armorless Alliance had become unusually docile.

Whether it was the Black Iron Seat or the Lapis Lazuli Seat, regardless of any previous tasks they might have had, everyone had stopped and was lying low quietly in the city.

Not to mention that the Commercial Union, the Armorless Alliance's biggest financial backer, had already been taken out by the Ursus military. Even if they didn't lie low, the Alliance wouldn't be getting any contracts anytime soon.

The Black Iron Seat and Lapis Lazuli Seat were fine—they had savings from the past, so even without income for a while, it wasn't a problem. But that left poor Miss Platinum in a tough spot.

Frequently squeezed dry by her superiors and never having much savings to begin with, Miss Platinum, after losing her income source, had to grit her teeth and find a job to avoid becoming the first assassin to starve to death at home because she couldn't afford food.

Good news: the job search went smoothly. Even if it was just a server position, at least she didn't have to worry about meals anymore.

Bad news: on her very first day of work, a guest saw through her. If her identity as an assassin was exposed in public, her job would probably end just as it began.

Fortunately, An Xiu didn't seem intent on making things too difficult for Platinum. After mentioning it, he turned his attention to the menu.

Platinum breathed a sigh of relief. In this special period, she really didn't want to cause any trouble.

Besides, looking at An Xiu, she felt he seemed familiar, like she'd seen him somewhere before.

Before Platinum could think deeper, a shadow suddenly spread across the room.

Talulah in casual clothes, FrostNova, the Doctor in his ever-present hooded outfit, and Kal'tsit in a maid dress stepped out from the shadow.

"We really did go from Ursus to Kazimierz in an instant. Your ability is quite amazing, An Xiu."

Looking at the private room, whose decor was clearly different from Ursus's style, Talulah couldn't help but remark.

"I just feel a bit uncomfortable."

The Doctor added. Unlike Talulah, whose strength now rivaled top-tier experts like the Royal Court Grand Duke, or FrostNova, who was comparable to two Inner Guards, the Doctor's physical condition wasn't outstanding. Even though he was no longer as weak as when he first left the Stone Coffin, traveling through the Shadow Kingdom still wasn't a pleasant experience.

FrostNova and Kal'tsit remained silent. FrostNova simply had nothing to say, while Kal'tsit was pondering the Shadow Kingdom she had briefly entered under the guidance of the Shadow Troopers.

She felt this thing was somewhat similar to the Demons, yet also had certain differences.

"Alright, since everyone's here, let's get the food ready."

Having selected the dishes he wanted, An Xiu handed the menu to Platinum, whose expression had shifted from shock to numbness, then from numbness to terror, until her whole body began to tremble.

"What are you standing there for? Go tell them to serve the food."

"Yes!!!"

At those words, Miss Platinum nearly snapped to attention on the spot.

Wh-why was Talulah, the Emperor of Ursus, here?!!

Mechanically taking the menu, Miss Platinum was now drenched in sweat, her mind even starting to go hazy.

PS: Stomach pain, spent the whole day at the hospital on IV drips, came home and slept again. Posting one chapter first—chapter two won't make it today, sorry. I'll owe it and post three chapters before noon tomorrow to make up.

Chapter 92: Platinum: Damn Armorless Alliance, how can they be so selfish!

The moment Talulah appeared, Platinum had already remembered who these people were.

Talulah, Emperor of Ursus; the Doctor, Imperial Prime Minister of Ursus. Besides them, An Xiu and FrostNova were also Ursus Empire nobles and high-ranking officials who had appeared beside Talulah during the Coronation Ceremony.

She had just randomly picked a restaurant to work at—how was she worthy of hosting these legendary figures?!

Not to mention her identity had already raised some suspicion earlier. If she was mistaken for an assassin sent to kill the Emperor...

Thinking this, the terror on Platinum's face faded, gradually replaced by serenity.

Platinum, this is it. I'm really done for this time.

No, no, pull yourself together. Her identity had only sparked a little suspicion—it hadn't really been exposed yet.

As long as she was more careful from now on, these big shots before her might forget about her soon enough.

And so, Platinum bustled about, following An Xiu and Talulah's requests not to reveal their identities to anyone else in the restaurant, handling all the work of serving dishes and pouring drinks herself, spinning like a top for nearly two hours until she finally endured to the end of the meal.

Once everyone had finished eating, An Xiu picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth, then turned to look at Platinum, who was drenched in sweat from exhaustion.

"You're an assassin from the Armorless Alliance, aren't you?"

Thump!

Platinum dropped to her knees.

"Milord, I'm innocent! The Armorless Alliance hasn't paid wages in a long time—I really just came out to work a part-time job. I never imagined I'd run into all of you. I truly had no intention of assassinating anyone!"

Platinum swore she had never let out such a tearful, heartfelt cry in her life, nor had she ever burst forth with such genuine emotion.

Damn that rotten Armorless Alliance! They squeezed her dry on a daily basis, and now even when she was just out for an ordinary part-time job, they had to drag her into this mess!

How could they be so selfish? Ptooey!

If she died today because of something like this, she'd haunt those inhuman bosses of the Armorless Alliance even as a ghost!

"No need to be nervous. If you'd actually had the intention to make a move against us, you'd have been dead the moment you entered the private room."

After all, not a single person present was weak. It wasn't that they looked down on Platinum—it was just that aside from the Doctor, who had little combat ability, and Kal'tsit, who was essentially a pure Mon3tr launcher, everyone else—An Xiu, Jibril, Talulah, and FrostNova—could crush this poor little Kuranta with one hand.

So despite Platinum having been nervous for ages, the truth was that no one had really taken her seriously at all.

Whether that outcome was something for Platinum to be happy or sad about was anyone's guess.

"Eat these two things."

Pulling out an improved Monster Cell and a Limit Break Potion from his pocket, An Xiu tossed them to Platinum, who was still kneeling on the ground.

"Since we've run into an Armorless Alliance assassin so coincidentally, why not do us a favor? Take this improved Monster Cell and Limit Break Potion, then go end the entire Armorless Alliance for us."

"Ah, me?"

Hearing An Xiu's words, Platinum looked up and pointed at herself.

"That's right. New Kazimierz doesn't need an assassin organization like this. It's just that we're currently on vacation and can't be bothered to handle it personally. You don't need to worry about strength either—what I've given you are good things that can massively boost your power."

"Once you've dealt with the Armorless Alliance, you can report to the Imperial Assassination Squad, Miss Xintelaia."

"Um, I don't recall Ursus having a department called the Imperial Assassination Squad?"

Talulah raised her hand at the right moment to voice her doubt.

"I just made it up. Although Ursus has the Inner Guard who could double as an assassination squad, the Inner Guard has more important duties on a regular basis, so it's best we set up a dedicated assassination department to handle dirty work for us."

"Tumors like the nobles and the Commercial Union aren't rare in other countries either. If we don't have a specialized department to deal with them, what if those guys just run away the moment they see us?"

"Makes sense. Once we start operations in Kazimierz, I'll immediately pull personnel to form a new department."

Talulah let out the sound of a beast of burden.

After listening to An Xiu and the others' conversation, Platinum looked at the Monster Cell, which pulsed like some creature's heart, and the golden Limit Break Potion, then swallowed hard.

"Um... what happens if I don't eat these two things?"

"You'll die."

An Xiu replied with a kindly expression.

Hearing this, Miss Xintelaia nodded calmly, then expressionlessly stuffed the Monster Cell into her mouth, followed by downing the potion in one gulp.

Instantly, Platinum's aura began to surge, surpassing the level of a Silver Lance Pegasus in the blink of an eye, and it kept rising.

After a long moment, Platinum clenched her hand, hardly believing the explosive power in her body.

Right now, she felt she could easily take down a hundred of her former self.

"About the strength of two Inner Guards... that's enough."

Sensing Platinum's aura, An Xiu spoke.

Though she held the Platinum seat of the Armorless Alliance, Platinum's strength was far below Talulah's or FrostNova's.

FrostNova, who had only taken a Monster Cell, could easily rival two Inner Guards, while Platinum needed both the Monster Cell and the Limit Break Potion to barely reach that level.

Still, if it was just dealing with the Armorless Alliance, strength at the level of two Inner Guards was sufficient.

After all, three Silver Lance Pegasi were enough to push the Armorless Alliance into a tough fight, and seven could easily roll over the entire organization head-on. And though both were elite units of their respective nations, there was a clear gap in strength between a Silver Lance Pegasus and an Inner Guard.

"To be able to raise someone's strength to this level so easily..."

Kal'tsit, witnessing the effects of the improved Monster Cell and Limit Break Potion for the first time, was somewhat stunned.

"Are there any side effects?"

"No side effects. On the contrary, besides the power boost, there are plenty of other benefits—things like physical recovery, potential enhancement, lifespan extension, and so on."

"As for the only side effect, I suppose it's that anyone who takes the improved Monster Cell and Limit Break Potion cannot defy any order from me or Mobius."

An Xiu shook his head as he spoke.

"So from the moment you took those two things, everything about you has been under my control. Work hard, Miss Xintelaia."

"Yes..."

The die was cast, and Platinum felt no regret about it.

So what if she had gained a master? If anything, simply surviving was already a huge win—the boost in strength was nothing short of an unexpected bonus.

Recalling her past experiences and then thinking of the tasks the esteemed figures before her had entrusted to her, Platinum's face betrayed nothing, but a strange, indescribable feeling stirred within her heart.

Clearly, someone was about to be in for a world of trouble.

PS: Two more chapters before midnight.

Chapter 93: Nearl: Fear Not the Dark, but Isn't Kazimierz Quite Bright Right Now?

Kazimierz, in a high-end café located in the city center.

Unlike Platinum, who had to worry about going hungry and working outside to earn a living, Roy, as the Lapis Lazuli Seat of the Armorless Alliance, still lived a rather refined life. Even though he hadn't had any income for a while due to the war Ursus had launched against Kazimierz, thanks to his usual squeezing... ah, no, he should say his knack for generating wealth, his lifestyle remained quite elegant.

At this moment, he sat leisurely in a seat against the wall, sipping coffee and reading an entertainment newspaper. A television in the café was broadcasting the news that Talulah, the Emperor of Ursus, would soon be visiting Kazimierz.

"Just waged war against this country, and now after the war ends, she comes here to show concern for the people. I wonder if I should call Her Majesty benevolent or cruel."

"What do you think, Mr. Nearl?"

Roy spoke to a blond middle-aged man sitting on another chair nearby, also drinking coffee and reading a newspaper.

"Do not speak ill of an empire's emperor, Roy."

Nearl, who had taken a rare break during his lunch hour to relax, replied with a blank expression.

"That's not me speaking ill—it's the consensus among most high-ranking officials and powers across this land right now. This Emperor Talulah, who recently ascended to the throne of Ursus, has such contradictory behavior that plenty of people are scratching their heads, losing countless strands of hair trying to figure out her intentions."

"Besides, isn't your Nearl Family a clan of knights sworn to defend the nation? I didn't see any of you on the battlefield earlier, so why the sudden respect for that emperor now?"

Setting down his newspaper, Roy asked Nearl in a teasing tone.