True God In Another World (Tensura x Tbate)

Chapter 106 - The Illusion

Rimuru POV

For a moment, I stood frozen in the doorway, my mind struggling to process what I was seeing. There, in the middle of my office, was a woman wearing my face like a mask. The illusion was sophisticated - I could appreciate the technical skill even as I tried to comprehend why someone would need it.

"Master Rimuru!" she squeaked, hastily pulling her shirt back down. The sudden movement caused ripples in the illusion, my features flickering across her face like disturbed water. "I- I can explain!"

"Please do," I said, keeping my voice deliberately calm as I stepped inside and closed the door. The last thing we needed was an audience for... whatever this was. "I'm very interested in hearing why someone is wearing my face."

As the illusion continued to fade, I recognized Cheria, one of my Big Sis Aya's most promising students. Her natural orange hair and green eyes emerged from beneath the fading magic, her face turning a shade of red that almost matched her hair.

"It was Lady Ciel's idea!" she blurted out, words tumbling over each other. "When you disappeared, she said we needed to keep it secret. She chose me because I was best at illusions, and-"

"Ciel put you up to this?" I interrupted, feeling a familiar tension building behind my eyes. Of course this was Ciel's doing. Only she would devise something this elaborate - and technically brilliant, I had to admit - to solve a problem.

My sudden departure to Epheotus had been necessary but complicated. The asuras weren't known for their patience or consideration of mortal affairs. Still, I hadn't expected my absence to be handled quite like... this.

Cheria nodded so vigorously I worried she might hurt herself. "She said it was crucial that no one know you were gone. Something about maintaining stability and preventing panic. I've been... well, being you. Just for appearances! In meetings and such!"

"For three years?" I asked, trying to imagine how they'd maintained such a deception for so long. The magical energy requirements alone would be significant.

"Two years and eight months," she corrected automatically, then winced. "I mean... yes?"

I moved to my desk, noting the new ornate carvings that definitely hadn't been there before. "And how exactly did you manage to maintain this charade for so long?"

"Well," Cheria's fingers worried at her shirt hem, "Lady Ciel helped me study your mannerisms. She was very thorough. We practiced everything - your walk, your speech patterns, even how you sit."

That explained the greetings I'd received from unfamiliar students. They hadn't been recognizing me - they'd been recognizing her version of me. I wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"And the Council? The other professors?" I asked, thinking of all the political complications this could have caused.

"Limited contact," she explained, her confidence growing as she moved into technical details. "Lady Ciel arranged most things so that I only needed to make brief appearances. The illusion is more stable that way. And Director Goodsky helped cover when-"

"Of course she did," I muttered. That explained the director's earlier amusement. "So everyone was in on this except me?"

"Not everyone!" Cheria protested. "Just Lady Ciel, Director Goodsky, Lord Vincent, Lady Sylvia, Amelia, and a few others who needed to know. We were very careful!"

I leaned back in my chair, processing this information. The list of conspirators was smaller than it could have been, but still larger than I'd like. Each person who knew increased the risk of exposure.