Of course, exchanging names was a popular and convenient way to socialize.
“But, well… how should I put this… Do you know the feeling of watching something utterly inhuman imitate a human being?”
“Monsters often attempt mimicry to lure humans. The Jangsan Tiger, a monster that has yet to be subjugated, mimics human voices. Among monsters overseas, there are also entities that wear human skin or learn human languages.”
The Hunter shook her head at the researcher’s words.
“It didn’t feel that crude. Like I told you earlier, even though it was obvious that the being wasn’t human at all, deep down I was certain he was.”
“Yes, that is what you said.”
“This follows a somewhat similar line of thought.”
The Hunter struggled to explain, looking as though she were thinking, How do I put this so he understands?
“‘Black Cloak’ definitely wasn’t human. But there was nothing extraneous in the way he acted like one. With the monsters you just gave as examples, that one fragment of their behavior might look perfect… but it doesn’t make them look like perfect human beings, does it?”
“…….”
“‘Black Cloak,’ on the other hand, had none of that alien quality. The sense of wrongness was intense, but he was unmistakably a perfect human being. It was….”
“A perfect human being?”
The researcher looked straight at the Hunter.
“Human beings cannot be perfect.”
“That’s the problem.”
The Hunter nodded.
“He was too perfect.”
There had certainly been nothing alien about ‘Black Cloak’s’ behavior that…