/n/jackal-among-snakes-1520/c-566
chapter-565

“It took them all a rather uncomfortably long time to reveal that man,” Grand Eunuch Hao complained to an emissary of Erlebnis, the orange-robed man sitting beneath a tree that blossomed in brilliant pink. “We had to force his hand, somewhat. But, well… have you read the story floating around?”

“We know it,” the emissary confirmed. Of all of the emissaries, this one seemed the most human, the most normal—the only oddity was a lump of flesh protruding on its back. It could even somewhat blend into the imperial court.

“Quite grandiose. Quite stirring.” The eunuch ran his fingers through some discarded pink blossoms. “Well… enough talk. Do you have his face, and all the others bit I need?” Hao grunted as he rose to his feet.

The emissary raised its arm up, revealing a six-fingered hand. It snapped, and the Grand Eunuch touched his head as though trying to resist a wave of pain overtaking his mind.

“Half a thousand times, yet I’ll never get used to that…” the Grand Eunuch dragged his hand across his face, and the façade faded away to reveal the true face of the polymorph, Dimocles. He put his hand over his cheeks, then, like sculpting clay, his fingers shifted and twisted and his skin and bones as the man’s blue-green eyes shone ominously. What remained there afterward was a perfect replica of Emperor Ji Meng.

Dimocles continued on in great detail—he cast away the orange robes, then lengthened his legs to grow taller. He changed the flabby body of the eunuch into something harder and rougher, made the hands rougher and calloused, put on signs of age to better match with the ancient emperor whose life had been elongated by virtue of his vital force.

Dimocles put his hand to his throat, then massaged it gently. He hummed, “Wooo….” As he vocalized, his voice deepened until it perfectly matched the emperor’s. With a pleasant and sonorous deep voice coming out, he lowered his hand in satisfaction. “There we are.”

The emissary of Erlebnis draped a purple imperial robe over Dimocles’ bare body, and the polymorph put it on eagerly, then kicked away his old eunuch’s robes. He walked to a still spring beside the blossoming pink tree, and admired himself in the reflection.

“Not too bad. The eyes will always be a problem… but reports say that the emperor doesn’t have any magic, anymore, while I’m still S-rank. Two incongruities, one right answer… but it shouldn’t matter, right?” Dimocles looked over.

“If it does, your role is to prevent it from mattering,” the emissary reminded him. “Another thing. Change your speech. Grand Eunuch Hao could speak as he wished, but you? Times will change. You will be scrutinized, always, as an emperor ought to be.”

“We understand that.” Dimocles straightened, adopting the role of Ji Meng. “And we are returned.”

“This will harm the so-called Grand Commandant Sun’s legitimacy. Now, Kirel Qircassia will do his part.” The emissary turned to walk away into a shadowy recess, leaving behind only one direction. “Be ready.”