How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 102

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

How to Replace Your Dad

Chapter 102

* * *

The ghosts disappeared, and the dove’s wingbeats became intense.

‘Success.’

I glanced out the window.

Luciano and Yohaël were keeping watch on the cockatrice.

Of course, the cockatrice hadn’t fallen.

There was no way that massive monster would collapse instantly from just a few arrows.

‘If that were the case, we would have dealt with the cockatrice with arrows and escaped from the start.’

What we needed was the cockatrice’s cry.

That cry that brings night and day.

‘The cockatrice can’t cross over because of the swaying bridge.’

So this much is sufficient.

Luciano and Yohaël looked back at me.

I nodded.

Just then, Benjamin’s voice could be heard from the courtyard.

Benjamin who was in Gaspard’s body.

“Well then, is it time to attack me now?”

Benjamin had an extremely leisurely expression.

Then the man holding garden shears grumbled.

“What are you acting so relaxed for! We have the numbers!”

The man with garden shears said he had been a ghost’s servant here for a long time.

He had trembled with fear and helplessness for ages.

To him, anyone allied with the ghosts was no different from an enemy.

The man with garden shears kicked off the ground and charged forward.

“Ahhhhh—!”

“Philip, grab him!”

I quickly shouted.

Philip from Antonio’s Unit swiftly caught the man with garden shears.

People looked at me in surprise.

Even the man with garden shears frowned and turned to look at me.

“What! Why on earth…!”

“Wait. Killing that won’t count as revenge.”

People looked at me.

Stella narrowed her brow and asked.

“Why…?”

“It means the real enemy isn’t here.”

It wasn’t me who answered.

It was Yohaël, who had entered the courtyard after receiving my signal.

Luciano was behind him.

Yohaël looked up at Benjamin on the stairs.

Yohaël had his usual leisurely expression.

However, his eyes were cold.

“Since you dared to manipulate a prince, it won’t end with just you.”

“I’m so terrified my limbs are trembling, Your Highness.”

People murmured.

Among them were those muttering “Pr-Prince?”

It was natural since those other than the pursuit force didn’t know our identities.

However, none of the pursuit force members paid attention to the stirring people.

They simply gripped their weapons and stared ahead.

Because Benjamin was walking down the stairs.

“This is the problem with Avalon’s nobility.”

Click, click.

The sound of footsteps echoed low in the courtyard.

Benjamin smiled broadly and looked at Yohaël and Luciano.

“They never know how to bend their foolish pride.”

Yohaël’s eyebrow twitched.

He laughed out loud.

“A little rat who only knows how to hide sure has a good tongue.”

“The one who personally came to catch mere rats is acting quite leisurely.”

“The role of royalty is to remove impurities from the Empire, so it’s not impossible.”

“Remove? Are you doing it, or having it done to you?”

Wow.

Since they’re both snakes, they shoot poison while smiling.

Yohaël took a step closer to Benjamin.

Still with his lips curled up.

“If you thought putting Gaspard forward would stop me from laying a hand on you, you’re mistaken.”

“Would you really cut down knowing it’s your brother’s soul?”

“My heart would ache, but sacrifice is inevitable for the greater cause.”

“Is that really a way to escape this place? Well, if you want to try, I won’t stop you.”

Yohaël’s hand grabbed Benjamin’s throat.

At that moment, I shouted.

“Let’s make a deal, Benjamin!”

“…What?”

“…?”

“…!”

The smile disappeared from Yohaël’s face.

Other people also looked at me with surprised faces.

Even Benjamin’s eyebrow twitched.

I headed toward Yohaël’s side.

And waved my hand to make him release Benjamin’s throat.

Only then did I face Benjamin.

“We didn’t come here thinking we could really fight the Restoration Council.”

“…”

“The purpose was covert tracking. But since you’ve caught us, this mission is a failure.”

“…”

Benjamin stared at me intently.

As if trying to gauge what kind of scheme this was.

However, I didn’t avoid Benjamin’s eyes.

“So we’re going to end the tracking here. Let us go.”

“…I don’t know if you’re shameless or arrogant.”

Benjamin let out a scoff as if it were absurd.

“You can’t call something that only benefits you a deal, Young Lady.”

“It’s good for the Restoration Council too.”

“Are you going to give us funding or something?”

“As if! I can’t waste precious money!”

I put my hand on my hip and shouted.

You have to wash dishes all day to earn 30 copper.

Why would I throw precious money into a cesspit?

When I widened my eyes, Benjamin let out a hollow laugh. “Hah…”

“So what’s in it for us?”

“You have two princes here. You’re already holding one. If you harm three princes, it’ll be an unavoidable all-out war.”

“…And?”

“But if you send us back safely, they won’t attack you for a while.”

“…”

“You need time to relocate your base, don’t you?”

They had their route to the base exposed.

Of course, it would be delayed if Stella and I didn’t pursue them.

But the Avalon Empire would eventually find their base.

“If there’s no contact from us, the Imperial Palace will immediately issue an alert. That means large-scale movement would be impossible.”

“…That’s true.”

“Your base must have countless soldiers, so combat during relocation would be inevitable. There’d be massive losses.”

“…”

“But if you just let us go, tada!”

I smiled brightly and spread both hands.

“You can quietly move your base without any losses.”

“…”

Benjamin narrowed his eyes.

He looked like he was considering my proposal.

Just then.

Stella’s pursuit team members shouted.

“Nonsense! To let traitors go because you fear for your life!”

“That’s absurd!”

“How could abandoning chivalry be acceptable!”

They were mages.

In other words, they were ordained knights.

For knights who valued loyalty above all, retreating out of fear was unthinkable.

So I told them this.

“Shut up.”

“Wh-what did you say?”

“Hah…!”

Stella’s pursuit team members glared at me with contemptuous eyes.

I spoke regardless.

“Do you want to seek glory?”

“What, we’re…!”

“There’s only one enemy in front of you, so you think you can handle them easily. If you find their base, you’ll achieve tremendous glory, right?”

The largest man among Stella’s pursuit team members flinched.

I glared at him.

“If you lose all the royals in the process, will you take responsibility?”

“That’s…”

“Finding the base is secondary. The primary objective is rescuing Prince Gaspard.”

“…”

“If you have to choose between the two, it should be the prince. That way you won’t be accused of seeking glory.”

“…”

“Moreover, since the Restoration Council already knows of our presence, even if we escape from here, they’ll attack us. Do you think you can fend off the Restoration Council’s attacks in just this sewer?”

Stella’s pursuit team members startled.

They looked at Stella.

Their expressions asked what to do.

Stella bit her lips tightly.

However, she glanced at me and said.

“Yustea’s words aren’t wrong. The prince’s life comes first.”

It definitely became easier.

When Stella took my side, the mages immediately fell silent.

I looked at Benjamin again.

“See, Stella and I are on your side.”

“What about the princes?”

He turned his gaze to Yohaël and Luciano.

Luciano lightly tilted his head to the side.

His expression said I was the leader of this pursuit team, so do as I wished.

Yohaël let out a sigh.

His face also showed agreement.

I smiled brightly at Benjamin.

“The princes agree too, so let us go.”

“I admit your proposal is efficient. But.”

Benjamin suddenly thrust his face toward me.

“What guarantee is there that you won’t stab us in the back?”

“You’re holding Prince Gaspard as a hostage.”

“One alone makes me too anxious.”

“Then?”

“You and Stella. You two stay.”

“…!”

I startled.

Stella also became wide-eyed.

Benjamin looked at me and curled up the corners of his mouth.

“You might bring soldiers as soon as we let you go, right?”

“…”

“Seeing how you and Stella were included in this small elite pursuit, it seems you two have some tracking method.”

“…”

“From your annoyed expression, I hit the mark exactly, didn’t I?”

“…”

I clicked my tongue.

“Sharp enemies are unlucky.”

Then Benjamin laughed heartily.

“You and Stella come with us. The others will be sent back.”

With those words, the castle distorted.

People looked around in confusion.

But soon most of them held their heads and groaned.

Severe dizziness struck their heads.

I also gripped my temples with both hands.

My breathing became labored.

Then blackout.

I lost consciousness.

* * *

“…tea. Yustea.”

I heard someone calling me from somewhere.

A familiar voice.

This was Stella’s…

‘Stella?’

I startled and opened my eyes.

My head hurts.

I placed my palm on my forehead and waited for my vision to clear.

What I saw was Stella with furrowed brows and Gaspard with a displeased expression.

The surroundings were… a prison cell?

“Where is this…?”

“Seeing that Gaspard is here, it seems to be the Reconstruction Council headquarters. I also found myself here when I woke up.”

Stella was wearing the knight’s formal trousers I had first seen at the cave entrance.

Gaspard was also in the outfit from when he was kidnapped in Cuaron, different from the Ghost Castle.

I drew up my mana.

Of course, being in a prison cell, it quickly scattered due to the barrier, but I was able to use mana.

“We’ve returned to our physical bodies.”

“Yeah.”

It seems the Reconstruction Council secured our bodies after we had our souls stolen by the Ghost Castle dungeon.

That’s when it happened.

The sound of footsteps approached, and someone poked their head through the iron bars.

It was a girl with twin braids holding a rabbit doll.

“Don’t shake the barrier. It gets annoying when Arahan gets irritated.”

The girl appeared to be around the same age as Stella and me.

‘It was such a weak force, yet she noticed it this quickly?’

While I was startled, Stella spoke up.

“Excuse me…!”

“Don’t talk to me.”

“Ah, well…”

Stella flinched.

Seeing Stella like that, Gaspard scrunched up his face in anger and spoke to the twin-braided girl.

“Don’t you have any manners?”

“You don’t have a brain.”

“What?!”

“You keep yelling at Anne even though your neck could get twisted, right? That’s why you don’t have a brain.”

The twin-braided girl turned her head sharply.

Then she walked as if to leave the prison cell again.

That’s when I grabbed the iron bars.

“Give me food.”

“…You don’t have a brain either?”

“Brains need energy to function too.”

The corners of the twin-braided girl’s eyes lifted.

She approached me with determined steps.

Then she reached out her hand toward mine gripping the iron bars.

That was the moment.

“Stop it, Anne.”

Benjamin’s voice was heard.

He came with several hooded people and smiled broadly.

Not Gaspard’s appearance, but his original form I had seen before.

Benjamin’s eyes curved as he spoke to me.

“It’s better not to provoke Anne. That child casts curses.”

The twin-braided girl, Anne, shouted at Benjamin with a sulky expression.

“Why are you telling them Anne’s secret?”

“So they won’t provoke cute Anne. I don’t want Anne to get annoyed.”

“…Hmph.”

Only then did her mood seem to soften as Anne hugged her rabbit doll even tighter.

Benjamin said.

“I can’t have distinguished guests eat in a prison cell. Let’s go up. Dinner is prepared.”

At those words, Stella and Gaspard showed wary expressions.

Gaspard shouted.

“How do we know what you’ve put in it!”

I covered Gaspard’s mouth.

“…?!”

Gaspard glared at me as if asking what I was doing.

I said to him.

“Do you want to starve to death here? You need to eat something to be able to escape.”

“What, this… mmph!”

“Why would you miss the chance to see the enemy with your own eyes?”

Gaspard clicked his tongue.

When I signaled to Stella with my eyes, she flinched and got up.

Benjamin chuckled.

“Is escape your goal?”

“Since it’s not certain you’ll let us live, I have to keep escape in mind too.”

Puhaha.

Benjamin laughed out loud.

As if he found it very amusing.

Seeing Benjamin bend over at the waist and giggle, the twin-braided girl Anne glared at me.

‘Huh.’

But when our eyes met, she quickly turned her head away.

Benjamin opened the iron bars for us.

There was no key, but the bars opened as soon as his hand touched them.

A strange pattern appeared and disappeared on the back of his hand.

“You’re probably the only one who makes me laugh like this, Yustea.”

“That’s quite an annoying thing.”

Benjamin chuckled again and walked ahead.

As his hand touched it, the prison door opened once more.

‘Only those permitted can open doors without keys.’

I slowly surveyed the inside of the prison.

Benjamin and Anne didn’t notice that my right eye was sparkling.

* * *

[Don’t you have any manners?]

[You don’t have a brain.]

[What?!]

Gaspard and Anne’s voices flowed from the mirror world.

The nobles held their breath as they watched the mirror world.

The Emperor sitting at the head seat spoke.

“So what is that supposed to be?”

“It’s magic that transmits through human eyes. Magic perfected by Yustea’s mage.”

At Marquis Esgaroth’s words, the Emperor burst into laughter.

The Emperor, who laughed pleasantly while slapping his knee, said.

“So that’s why she so confidently proposed that deal. She can track with just those eyes!”

Clever and brave.

Indeed, she was a talent raised by Andres and secured by Esgaroth.

The Emperor’s eyes gleamed with desire.

‘If I bring her into the Imperial Palace, what other schemes will she use to entertain me.’

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