Even superheroes had to know how to use their heads.
It was clear why Her Excellency Crystal had changed her tune several times. That wistful look of regret for the past had mostly been an act, a test of my reaction.
Even though I'd said earlier that I believed her when she said she was really looking for Akasha, she'd still held something back and hadn't told me everything.
Fair enough.
When dealing with a dangerous figure of unknown origin, telling them everything really wasn't the smartest thing to do.
And that had been her defining trait ever since we last met. It hadn't changed much.
Besides, one should always look on the bright side. Now that I'd seen through her, Her Excellency Crystal had shared her genuine theory, hadn't she?
"You're right. I thought she'd finally been unable to keep hiding and had revealed her whereabouts."
After only a brief silence, Fu Qian's words prompted Crystal to come clean. She didn't even hide her disappointment.
"Even before you took off your mask just now, I was still more inclined to think Akasha was playing a prank."
She stared intently at the face Fu Qian had conjured and gave a slight shake of her head.
"Oh? So why have you ruled out a prank now?"
Crystal's explanation had piqued Fu Qian's interest.
"...Honestly, I did wonder if this face was fake too. After all, Akasha and I witnessed the same things involving Andir, and she'd have been perfectly capable of creating the disguise I'm looking at."
Crystal's point of focus was a little unusual, but she followed his train of thought. She admitted she'd considered it, then nodded toward Catherine beside her again.
"Until I realized you weren't lusting after her."
Oh?
That was a little insulting, and the reasoning