How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 149

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

Chapter 149

The participants made their entrance.

The north gate opened.

“Enter the Guardian of the North, Esgaroth!”

Boom, boom, boom—.

Along with the sound of drums, Yustea and her knights appeared carrying Esgaroth’s banner.

“Enter the Center of Southern Defense, Andres!”

Boom, boom, boom—.

Once again the drums sounded and the gates opened.

Leira and her knights entered, unfurling Andres’s banner.

Yustea and Leira, along with their knights, prostrated themselves before the dais and bowed their heads.

“Glory to the Empire.”

“Glory to the Empire.”

Following the captains’ lead chant and the resounding response, thunderous cheers erupted.

The Emperor nodded and looked down at the prostrated participants.

“I am deeply moved by the brilliant spirit and loyalty of the Empire’s pillars. In this final of the Family Ceremony, I hope you will display everything you have honed thus far.”

After a brief congratulatory speech, the final competition details were finally announced.

The eyes of all participants, including Yustea and Leira, gleamed sharply.

* * *

After the final details were announced, there was a brief strategy time.

My knights and I gathered to plan our strategy, but first…

“This is going to be tough.”

“It won’t be easy, that’s for sure. Haha…”

…we looked like we were at a funeral.

Of course, I felt the same way.

‘This is disadvantageous…’

I let out a deep sigh.

The rules were as follows:

1. You cannot leave the designated area.

2. Even within the area, killing is not permitted. Immediate disqualification upon killing.

3. The team that obtains the trophy through the given clues and brings it to the Colosseum wins.

Simply put, it was a treasure hunt.

But there was a problem.

“The city is included within the designated area.”

Yuise clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Then Antonio groaned and said,

“That captain over there can beastify people and control them. If she beastifies the citizens, won’t we be at a severe numerical disadvantage?”

This was such an unfavorable situation for us that even Antonio could recognize the problem.

Miliano nodded.

“Moreover, killing isn’t even allowed. We can’t touch the beastified citizens.”

“That’s dirty.”

Antonio made a sullen expression.

Abel and Yuise seemed equally displeased.

“Are they playing favorites?”

“Maybe.”

I shook my head at Abel and Yuise’s words.

“That’s not it. The competition details would have been decided before the Family Ceremony started. But…”

I glanced at Count Andres sitting on the opposite side.

“…they might have known the final details in advance and selected their knights accordingly.”

Leira’s ability was perfectly suited for this final.

Wasn’t it too convenient that they chose Leira specifically from among the many ability users in the Reconstruction Society?

Moreover…

“Choosing Cesar was the same.”

“Cesar?”

Antonio’s eyes widened.

I nodded.

“Cesar can also control civilians.”

“Ah… But we have Miliano too, so isn’t it fine? With Miliano’s speech manipulation, we can also use civilians.”

Then Miliano said,

“Hmm, sorry to disappoint your expectations, but it’ll be difficult.”

“Why?!”

“That captain beastifies and dominates their minds. But I only control bodies. I have to give individual commands for each movement.”

In other words, it was like this:

Leira could give a command like [Attack over there and protect your body so you don’t die] and be done.

But Miliano had to specify each movement: [An attack is coming. Raise your shield. Protect your head. Pick up your sword again. Attack.] and so on.

Moreover, Andres could use soldiers strengthened through beastification.

“Then what should we do…?”

Antonio asked with a very tense expression.

“Combat isn’t necessarily required. After all, the most important thing is finding the trophy.”

My knights nodded.

Seeing this, I continued,

“We’ll minimize combat and focus on searching.”

Soon the drums sounded and the transmission devices rose.

The match had begun.

* * *

Esgaroth and Andres set off.

Anticipation appeared on the faces of people watching the mirror world from the Colosseum.

A noble youth said,

“Huh, both sides are moving toward the same place?”

Then a middle-aged noble nodded.

“It must be because of the clue.”

The clue read as follows:

The altar where sun and moon rise together.

Even when the child cries pitifully and collapses, the nun’s lullaby does not stop.

Do not fear the night.

The primordial light shall become an oar to row the river of night.

Marquis Nevarro asked Marquis Esgaroth,

“If it’s an altar where sun and moon rise together, it must be ‘that place,’ right?”

The sun representing the Imperial Family and the moon representing the temple.

The only one who received the blessing of both was the founding Emperor.

It must be the shrine with the statue of the founding Emperor.

Leira in the mirror world let out a displeased groan.

[I’m getting a bad feeling about this.]

Then the man wearing a robe and even a mask looked at her.

People couldn’t recognize him, but Aslan, the Clan Leader of the Irregulars, instinctively knew.

It was Cesar.

[About what.]

[The path we’re taking. This time the bridge is broken, and before that the mountain entrance was blocked.]

[So?]

[Don’t you think they’re deliberately blocking our path?]

[In Esgaroth, you mean.]

Then, the man with violet-brown hair spoke.

[They’re probably trying to prevent us from approaching the city.]

[To stop us from using the people, right?]

Leira snorted derisively.

Marquis Nevarro said to Guinevere, who sat beside him.

“Yustea isn’t one to be easily defeated. Isn’t that right, Guinevere?”

“Ah…”

Guinevere smiled bitterly.

“Because she’s clever, Yustea is…”

At her powerless voice, the Marquis, her grandfather, looked pained.

After her defeat in the main tournament, Guinevere had secluded herself.

The attack from the knight she trusted most.

A defeat she couldn’t even resist.

The memory of the first round of the main tournament had become a bitter wound for Guinevere.

Even Duke Navarro and his wife, her parents, swallowed sighs watching their dejected daughter.

Leira in the mirror world spoke.

[That’s why I feel annoyed.]

[What?]

[I don’t want to move exactly as they expect.]

Leira crossed her arms and stared at the broken bridge.

[Yustea will want to avoid battle, so she’ll have to hurry to find the trophy.]

[That’s right.]

[But we don’t need to be obsessed with finding the trophy, do we?]

[That’s…]

Leira grinned.

[If they do the hard work of finding the trophy for us, we just need to take it from them.]

“…!”

People’s eyes widened.

Leira ran her fingers through her hair and grinned.

[We should head to the city. I’ll create plenty of impressive soldiers.]

Leira turned her back.

The knights of Andres didn’t stop her.

It was a rational decision.

Rather than exhausting their strength searching for the trophy, it was better to lure them into their territory after they found it and steal it.

The Imperial Army generals nodded.

“That’s right. Lady Yustea would have already planned an escape route.”

“She’ll move in the opposite direction from the city.”

“Yes, then Andres won’t be able to use their advantages and will lose.”

“Lady Leira is also a clever captain. She’s not inferior to Lady Yustea.”

In the family tournament preliminaries, it had also been a battle between Andres and Esgaroth.

However, since Stella and Yustea had a significant difference in leadership, there wasn’t this kind of tension when they faced each other.

The nobles laughed heartily and nodded.

“It feels like she’s met a proper opponent.”

“In my view, Lady Leira’s side seems superior.”

“Pardon?”

“Do kids these days ever think and move with their own heads? They all just do what they learned from books and the Academy.”

“That’s true…”

“Lady Leira hasn’t received that education, so she can move in directions that today’s kids can’t think of.”

Today’s kids who only move as they were taught.

Guinevere bit her lip.

She had commanded her knights based on data and through thorough training.

Was that why she couldn’t win?

Had she suffered such defeat because she only did what she was taught?

Guinevere bit her lip and hung her head.

But then it happened.

[What…! Kyaa!]

Leira in the mirror world let out a scream.

Startled, Guinevere raised her head.

When Leira had entered the mountain pass about 2km away, the ground had completely collapsed.

“A trap?!”

Shocked people shouted.

That was the moment.

[I knew you’d come to the fastest route from the broken bridge to the city.]

“Yustea…!”

Guinevere grabbed her skirt and shouted.

Yustea looked down at the trapped Andres and spoke.

[This is the first principle of Garosk’s military tactics, Leira.]

[What did you say?]

[When you’ve let the opponent read your moves, that’s the best time for a counterattack. Yuise—!]

As she shouted, a platinum-haired handsome man appeared beside Yustea.

From the hands of Yuise, that beautiful knight, strings of text extended.

Curved like vines, they bound Leira and pulled her out in an instant.

[This…!]

As the indignant Leira screamed sharply, Yustea said quietly.

[With just you gone, there’s no reason for us to be at a disadvantage.]

[Damn brat.]

Leira ground her teeth.

Guinevere bolted upright.

“Th-that’s the first thing you learn at the Academy. Garosk’s military tactics! I used it in the main tournament last time too. The Eight Trigrams formation!”

Seeing his granddaughter’s brightened face, Marquis Nevarro chuckled heartily.

“That’s right. Exactly. You did!”

“Amazing. Yustea, amazing…!”

Waaaah—!

Exclamations flowed out.

The Emperor chuckled softly.

“I thought she’d focus on finding the trophy.”

Luciano chuckled.

“She’s not a child who would just ignore something that bothers her.”

When something bothered her, she would devise all sorts of strategies to reduce her opponent’s chances of winning.

[Let’s hurry.]

Yustea and Yuise, having captured Leira, quickly escaped the mountain pass.

“What, only two of them came?”

“Where are the other three? Where are the other three?”

“Over there!”

A young noble pointed to a mirror world in the corner.

Miliano had entered the shrine with the statue of the founding emperor along with Abel and Antonio.

“Hahaha! This time it’s Yustea’s game too. Who said that child was inferior to Lady Leira!”

General Munoz of the Imperial Army, who particularly enjoyed Yustea’s tactics, clapped his hands in delight.

The face of the Imperial Army veteran who had held Leira in high regard turned red.

* * *

I ran frantically.

And reaching the place where I had hidden the horse, I mounted it with Yuise and headed toward Miliano.

“How long are you planning to keep me tied up?”

Leira, who was bound face-down to the horse’s rump, shouted irritably.

“I’ll dump you somewhere appropriate, so don’t worry.”

“Dump me?”

Leira let out a hollow laugh.

“You’ve got it all wrong. Did you think you could win just by capturing me—.”

“Hey, could you shut your mouth?”

“If you don’t like the chatter, then let me go… ugh.”

Leira hesitated.

I glanced at Leira with a sad expression.

“See? I thought you might bite your tongue…”

Leira jerked her head up and glared at me.

Regardless, I spurred the horse onward.

But something was strange.

Leira just clicked her tongue and said nothing after that.

Enough to make Yuise concerned.

Yuise furrowed her brow.

“Why is she being so quiet?”

It was when Yuise, having said that, turned her head toward Leira.

Leira’s lips curved into a crooked smile.

“Beasts take time to transform, you know.”

“…What did you say?”

Kaaaack—!

With a sharp sound, Yuise’s horse reared up violently on its front legs.

Yuise swayed greatly.

Because of that, the text strings that had been binding Leira came loose, and Leira was freed.

Leira, who had jumped down, said.

“See? I told you that you got it wrong.”

The horse finally threw Yuise off.

Leira stroked the mane of the horse, whose teeth had become sharp like a monster’s, and said.

“Did you think humans were your only enemies?”

Yuise, who had fallen badly from the horse, gritted her teeth.

I quickly jumped down from my horse and healed Yuise.

Woong—.

With a vibrating sound, Yuise’s wounds disappeared.

But there was another strange thing.

Even though I had healed her wounds, Yuise’s face remained contorted throughout.

To her, who was panting, I said.

“Yuise, why are you…?”

Leira’s laughter could be heard.

“In front of me, you can have no allies.”

Grrrr…

A growling sound came from between Yuise’s teeth.

I looked at Leira with a hardened expression.

“Yuise… was it.”

Leira called out to Yuise in a melodious voice like singing and extended her hand.

“Come here.”

Yuise moved her body unsteadily.

Toward Leira.

“Let’s see how well you can bite and tear.”

Leira pointed at me.

And I…

‘Perfect.’

Smiled coldly.

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