Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 55

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I’m curious too about why she acts that way. If Father hadn’t mediated between her and me when we were young, I’d probably be dead by now.
“I’m sorry, miss. I thought we’d be safe once we reached here.”
Don’t cry, Mother. Today was just bad luck, that’s all.
I slipped my hand into Titi’s wing coverts as she slept on the boat, fidgeting to find comfort. This creature was warm and soft—it felt good to touch.
“We’re safe for the next two years. They said they’d look after us until I come of age.”
“They said that?!”
What can you do? She’s someone who lives by her own whims. I just need to figure out how to survive within that. Besides, since I never knew when a death sentence might arrive at my doorstep, whether I’d even live another two years was uncertain.
“Evan Laef. I have a proposal.”
Gerth returned after finishing his communication with Hubert, sat down quietly before me, and made his suggestion in an even tone.
“Would it be acceptable to kill your biological mother?”
“No. Father would be sad.”
“I see. Then what about crippling her?”
“Father would probably be even sadder about that.”
“I see.”
The Duke’s fondness for the Duchess’s beauty surely included her healthy body. He’d rather she were dead than have her physical form damaged. Still, at my age, I couldn’t commit such filial impiety when only the Nanny and Father had ever stood by me.
“Then I’ll simply make you stronger.”
“That’s what I wanted.”
If Gerth, the strongest person I knew, would coach me, I’d struck gold. The Department Head Professor, someone I could kneel before and bash my head into, had shown weakness before Gerth, so Gerth was undoubtedly stronger than the Department Head Professor.
“First, recovery.”
“Understood.”
After concluding my conversation with Gerth, Leri clapped his hands in amazement, wondering how the two of us had met. Hubert, Lakne, and Magania must have known, but perhaps Leri didn’t yet. If so, I had to be honest with him.
“We met while mining mana stones.”
“We met while feeding magical beasts.”
“That wasn’t quite what I meant, but it’s fortunate we met in this way regardless.”
I wasn’t sure what “this way” meant, but I took it as a compliment. After I said that and closed my eyes gently, Gerth decided I should rest and had everyone except Mother and Titi leave the room. Since I was tired from talking so much, I was secretly grateful for Gerth’s consideration, and I decided to sleep a bit more while my eyes were closed.
While I woke, spoke at length, and fell asleep again, Titi didn’t stir once—just slept on. That creature had nerves of steel. That’s why the moment it broke the barrier around its own neighborhood, it immediately became a rabbit and racked up a debt of one hundred and eleven million.

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The being that the Machine King had sent to assist with the blood transfusion took the form of a tin robot, surprisingly enough. It stood about as tall as my calf, with a size comparable to a medium-sized dog, and bore a striking resemblance to those cola cans that dance when you clap.
The tin robot, having minimized its functions and thus lacking a speaker, politely inscribed an apology in writing before jabbing a needle deep into me, then proceeding to jab Mother and Thomas in turn with the needle, ultimately selecting Thomas to draw a substantial amount of blood from.
Presumably, Thomas and I shared the same blood type.
Regardless of whether Thomas cried out or not, the tin robot extracted blood in steady streams, then jabbed a needle back into me to replenish what was lacking. It was the moment vitality returned to me—I who had been suffering from anemia for days, sustaining myself only on beef liver stir-fry that Gerth had prepared.
As I regained my health, Thomas temporarily lost his, but there was nothing to be done about it. The man was sturdy; a single night’s rest would have him bouncing back soon enough.
The tin robot, having completed its task, waved its arms with squeaking sounds and returned home, and the Tower resumed its ordinary rhythm.
Gerth set out on a journey, bundling up provisions and declaring he would find something for me to eat, but aside from that, everyone else had returned to their daily routines.
Thomas, while feeling dizzy, returned to Ilam insisting he had to help with the Dock reconstruction, and Leri followed along under the pretense of lending a hand and seeing the man off.
Mother was preparing meals in Gerth’s stead, Hubert continued to serve as the Serpent King’s regent, and Titi had begun tending to the horses we’d brought.
Now that I think about it, I should have consulted with Gerth about the Horse Racing Track construction, but I missed the timing.
“Sister! I’ve finished all the pamphlet layouts for you, chirp!”
“Oh, good girl.”
I tossed Titi a strip of jerky and accepted the layouts for printing. Right, I figured there would be printing equipment since they’d been churning out pamphlets.
I drafted the flyer text and asked Hubert to mass-produce it. I’d written down all my campaign promises, so now I just needed to take these and distribute them while campaigning to become Village Chief.
“Mother. May I help as well?”
“Hubert. I am not your mother.”
“Oh right, Your Majesty the Serpent Queen.”
“I am not the Serpent Queen.”
“Oh my, that’s right, Evan Laef.”
He seemed prone to mistakes today. When I chuckled softly, the white fox-human bent his knees with a silly grin and thrust his head forward. It looked like a gesture asking to be petted, so I found myself gently stroking his head, and Hubert began making a rumbling sound.
…Did foxes purr too?
“However, you mustn’t overexert yourself. It would be better if I accompanied you.”
“Titi is coming with me, so it’s fine. And don’t you need to guard the Tower?”
“Still. That woman called my birth mother might come again.”
“If she said she’d see me in two years, then we’ll see in two years. She’s not the type to break her own word.”
As I rebutted firmly, the white fox-human seemed to pout, pushing his lips out before turning away abruptly.
“Do as you please!”
“I will do as I please.”
I took the flyers I’d printed in bulk and split half of them with Titi. I draped a sash bearing only the core phrases of my promises across my shoulder, and now there was nothing left but to go to Ilam, proclaim my message, and gather signatures.
“Let’s go. Titi.”
“Chirp!”
I headed toward Ilam with Titi. I would become Village Chief, no matter what.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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