How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 15

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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 15

‘I’ll think about this later.’

I asked the Clan Leader.

“Are there any other abnormalities? Do you feel dizzy or nauseous?”

I had calculated thoroughly to prevent other clan members’ mana from entering the Clan Leader’s body, but there was still a slight possibility.

The Clan Leader stared at me intently.

He moved his lips slightly as if he wanted to say something, then shook his head.

“There are no physical abnormalities.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry. You’re so used to enduring pain that I can’t trust you. Clan Leader, I think we need a doctor and clergy’s diagnosis.”

“….”

That’s when I spoke firmly.

‘Huh?’

Something about the atmosphere was strange.

When I turned my head, the expressions of the clan members who had been crowded at every door and window watching us were odd.

“To the Clan Leader….”

“Wow….”

Someone gasped.

And someone else was grinning and making a fuss telling them to stop.

Especially Charlie from Antonio’s unit, whose face had turned pale as he waved his hands and grabbed his neck in panic.

‘Ah, did I seem too informal?’

Thinking that the regular clan members might have been surprised, I turned my head.

Antonio and the Clan Leader were also frozen in place.

“I knew the miss had guts from the moment she first clung to the Clan Leader’s leg on that mountain slope….”

“….”

Hmm. Even the elites seemed surprised.

I glanced at the Clan Leader, wondering if he might be offended.

“There really are no physical abnormalities.”

But the Clan Leader had an unbothered expression.

‘See? He’s a much better person than everyone thinks.’

So I’m glad I came to Haejoo.

I was truly relieved that he wouldn’t be in more pain.

* * *

After that.

I received confirmation from the doctor that there was nothing wrong with the Clan Leader’s body.

And in the afternoon, a clergyman came.

The elderly man who was once a priest moved his hands back and forth over the Clan Leader’s stomach a few times, then said.

“Normal. Perfectly monstrous.”

He said that while extending his hand to the Clan Leader.

The Clan Leader let out a sigh of relief and handed him a pouch the size of a basketball.

The Former Priest quickly took it and opened the opening.

Then he took out a silver coin and bit it hard with his teeth….

‘Silver coins?’

So all of that is silver coins?

It looks like at least 500 or more?

The Former Priest grinned.

“From now on, don’t bother calling me back and forth, just come to my house. Do you know how annoying it is to carry such a heavy pouch?”

Antonio had an irritated expression but just clicked his tongue without saying anything.

The Clan Leader sighed and said.

“Sir, please don’t do that and examine him thoroughly. Are there really no other abnormalities?”

“Well, I’m telling you he’s perfectly monstrous.”

It was a very insolent attitude.

Of course, the Assassination Squad couldn’t call clergy from the temple, so they would need such underground clergy.

Like all people who work in the shadows, the commission fee would be expensive.

But it wasn’t worth receiving 500 silver coins.

And with such a careless attitude when someone’s life was at stake.

“Excuse me… Former Priest.”

When I called him, the Former Priest glared at me.

“What did you say?”

“I don’t know your name, so I was wondering how to address you.”

“Didn’t you hear that person call me sir?”

His voice rose to almost a shout.

I answered calmly.

“This person is not ‘that person’ but the Knight Commander of Sanmiguel Castle. If you show proper respect, I will also respect you, Former Priest.”

The Clan Leader glanced at me with surprise.

Antonio was also flustered, his eyes wide open.

It was a telling moment of how rude the Former Priest had been to the Irregulars.

The Former Priest stood up with a displeased expression.

“Young people these days. Did you think I’d be scared of your status as Sanmiguel Knight Commander?”

“That wasn’t what I meant to suggest.”

“How foolish. Those who can’t properly address clergy become more dangerous the higher their status. If I report you….”

“Would only we get arrested?”

“What?”

I smiled and said.

“If you were to report us, Former Priest, we wouldn’t be the only ones arrested. Being an underground clergyman is a greater sin than using one.”

“If I reveal that you’re Irregulars…!”

“You’d die.”

“…!”

I casually waved my hand, pointing to Antonio and the Clan Leader.

When the word “Irregulars” came from the Former Priest’s mouth, Antonio and the Clan Leader were glaring with fierce eyes.

The Former Priest flinched.

“It’s one thing to cooperate, but we can’t show loyalty when one side points a blade at us. Irregulars aren’t saints, after all.”

“So, so what are you trying to do…!”

“I’m just pointing out that our positions aren’t that different.”

So let’s both show proper courtesy.

‘Especially….’

I glanced at the pouch containing the silver coins.

The Former Priest flinched.

“Calling a clergyman usually costs 10 silver coins, and if you’re hiring someone from the underground, that would be 5 times more, right?”

“….”

“Right?”

“…Damn it. What makes a young one so shrewd.”

The Former Priest put the pouch down on the floor.

Then he took exactly 50 silver coins and put them in his pocket.

Just as he was about to leave.

“Former Priest?”

I called him back with a smiling face.

He flinched and said.

“There’s really nothing wrong with the Clan Leader’s body. He’s in perfectly healthy condition.”

“Hmm….”

“I swear on the god Teressa…. I may look like this, but my faith is genuine….”

He said with a dejected expression.

Only then did I bow deeply at the waist.

“Thank you, sir.”

“…Where on earth did you people bring such a child from?”

He grumbled that even when he was captured by the Central Temple, it wasn’t this bewildering.

The Clan Leader chuckled softly.

“We didn’t bring her, she came to us. It was divine fortune. Shall we escort you home?”

“No need….”

The elderly clergyman waved his hand dismissively.

“Farewell, sir!”

He looked at me once more as if finding me absurd, then burst into laughter.

‘Good, then all the problems are solved.’

I grinned at the Clan Leader, and the Clan Leader gazed at me intently.

“You’re peculiar.”

“Me?”

In what way?

When I tilted my head in confusion, Antonio and the Clan Leader looked exasperated.

But soon they burst into laughter.

The Clan Leader’s expression also seemed somehow softer.

* * *

Finally, it was night.

As soon as I arrived in my room, I washed up and collapsed onto the bed.

‘It was a long day….’

No, every day had been long since I learned about the Clan Leader’s curse.

Still, I’m really glad it ended well.

While thinking that, my fingertips caught my eye.

There were black lines on my fingernails.

I was startled.

‘It’s a symptom of mana poisoning.’

Simply put, it’s when the body becomes sick from mixed mana.

I had accepted another person’s mana, and such a large amount at that, so it was an expected side effect.

‘But fortunately, I know the purification method for mana poisoning, so I’ll endure the pain and tomorrow….’

I hardened my expression and pressed firmly on the fingernail with the black line.

But at that moment….

‘Huh?’

The black line began to slowly disappear.

“What is this…?”

I stared at my hand.

Suddenly, I recalled the text that had appeared in the air after completing the purification.

Second Job Change Successful!

[Purifier]

※This system has been reconstructed based on a familiar interface for user convenience.

‘If it’s Purifier….’

When starting the game, you can’t change the character Stella, but you can choose the profession.

And those professions can be advanced.

1. Swordsman→One Who Possesses the Sword of Courage

2. Mage→One Who Manifests Through Mental Images

3. Warrior→One Who Possesses Fighting Spirit

4. Shaman→One Who Shakes the Laws of the World

And so on.

And the advancement sequence for ‘Purifier’ is like this.

Cleric→Purifier

‘I became a Purifier, so I could purify the mana poisoning.’

It seems I had talent as a cleric.

But why a cleric of all things.

In the game, almost no one chose cleric as their profession.

There were professions like mage and shaman that could be used for both offense and defense, and were even impressive to others.

But all a cleric could do was support.

And even that was only purifying curses using mana, which wasn’t helpful otherwise, and if you used up all your mana, it was game over.

In other words, you die.

It had the worst drawback and didn’t help clear the story, and in the ending….

“I shall now depart to God’s embrace. Father, brother, farewell….”

Stella bid farewell to her family and entered the convent.

It was almost like a bad ending, earning the ire of players.

“Still, being a Purifier might help my life… no, that won’t work.”

If others found out, they might covet me.

My future would change from being the protagonist’s organ storage to being a miracle cure used anywhere for curses or poison.

And if I exhausted all my mana during purification, I’d die.

“I should keep my mouth shut and live quietly.”

With a benevolent expression, I made my resolution and went to sleep.

* * *

After the hardships ended, peace arrived.

“Wow….”

Everyone gasped in admiration seeing the Clan Leader wearing robes embroidered with Sanmiguel’s crest.

The Clan Leader’s Unit Members, who had carried money and diligently poked the sides of Esgaroth’s ministers, looked moved.

That’s right. The Clan Leader had ascended to the position of lord.

And I was….

“No matter how I think about it, growing flowers is out. The north is too cold. Let’s switch to trees.”

“Still, wouldn’t a colorful garden be pretty?”

“We’ll plant all conifers so they look like flower clusters when it snows. Usually, we’ll hang glass orbs and such.”

“Hmm. That would be pretty too.”

I was decorating the garden with Charlie from Antonio Unit.

Since the Clan Leader had newly become a lord, many guests would be visiting.

Decorating the garden was strictly work.

‘But it’s so enjoyable.’

I like deriving the maximum results possible within limited resources.

Work where you could clearly see the results was truly enjoyable.

When I was in Andres, I had to unconditionally match Father’s tastes and constantly worried whether he might dislike it.

It was work that brought stress first rather than enjoyment.

But the Clan Leader….

“Before starting the garden renovation, I’d like to know the Clan Leader’s preferences. I want to minimize the possibility of failure. You can just refer to some sample materials.”

“…?”

“Uh…. If that’s bothersome, just roughly the color scheme….”

“The garden isn’t mine. It belongs to everyone in this castle. The intentions of the person tending it would be most important.”

“Ah….”

“If you happen to fail, that too would be experience.”

…He said that to me.

I chuckled as I recalled my conversation with the Clan Leader.

“The Clan Leader is such a good person, isn’t he?”

“…What?”

Charlie, who had been checking the wood supply, froze.

The Antonio Unit members who were moving dirt also flinched and turned to look at me.

When I looked at them as if asking why they were acting that way, the unit members came rushing over.

“Miss. It’s good for a person to be kind. No, it’s good. It’s good, but you can’t be so naively kind like that.”

“What if you have no eye for people like that? No, what do we do? Your organs. Do you have all your organs? You didn’t go around giving them away one by one, did you?”

If the spice shop owner who always swindled me out of naja salt for 5 copper at Jedo Market heard this, he’d clutch his neck and fall over.

I was quietly tilting my head to the side when Charlie spoke in a serious voice.

“Miss.”

“Yeah?”

“You need to memorize this. Just because someone is handsome doesn’t mean they’re a good person.”

“…”

“Say it.”

“…Just because someone is handsome doesn’t mean they’re a good person.”

“Good.”

Charlie let out a big sigh.

“The Clan Leader isn’t a good person, he’s a strong person. And a rational person.”

Everyone nodded their heads.

“What are we going to do with our naive Miss? We all need to stick close and protect her, there’s no choice.”

“From now on, never let her go anywhere alone. Her organs are in danger.”

“Right. Let’s all take turns.”

While it was true that my organs were in danger, from my perspective, it was the Antonio Unit that was naive.

As someone who had even managed to get weekly holiday pay that didn’t exist in this world every time I received my salary, this was a bewildering reaction.

One of the unit members spoke up again.

“From now on, when you say someone is a good person, make sure to add ‘to follow’ in front. Good to follow…”

That’s when it happened.

Ahem.

A throat-clearing sound rang out.

The people who had turned their heads wondering what was going on froze in place.

There was Antonio grinning, the Clan Leader with a troubled expression, and…

“C-C-Clan Leader.”

Mm. He was there.

He had probably been listening to the conversation the whole time, and when it didn’t end, the Clan Leader must have given him a hint.

Antonio giggled and said…

“Right, Miss. You really can’t be that naive.”

Seeing him say that.

The Clan Leader struck his side at a terrifying speed.

Leaving Antonio collapsing with a scream, the Clan Leader approached me.

“The notice for the prince’s page selection has come down.”

Finally, it’s here.

I stood up.

The Clan Leader and my eyes met.

* * *

The notice that came down from Esgaroth can be briefly summarized as follows.

1. Page selection is overseen by Esgaroth Mansion.

2. Each jurisdiction can send one page candidate.

3. From immediately after this notice is issued until the page is finally selected, no private meetings with the Citadel’s ministers are allowed.

And it included the date and time of the page selection and the location of the selection examination hall.

‘Exactly two weeks left.’

It wasn’t such a tight timeframe for preparation, but the Clan Leader’s expression wasn’t good.

“Things have become difficult.”

“Why is that?”

He pointed specifically at the part that said ‘no private meetings with the Citadel’s ministers until the page is finally selected.’

“It means we can’t offer bribes.”

So they were planning to offer bribes.

It probably wasn’t because they didn’t trust my abilities.

Rather, it would be for other reasons.

“It’s because I’m from Andres. Andres doesn’t have a good relationship with Esgaroth.”

“That’s right.”

Initially, even after learning I was the eldest daughter of a great noble family, the Clan Leader didn’t recommend me as an adopted daughter.

Only after all the girls were kidnapped and the situation reached its peak did he reluctantly send me to the adopted daughter test.

This was exactly the reason.

Andres and Esgaroth were different factions.

And by the time of the previous Marquis of Andres, my paternal grandfather, and the current Duke of Esgaroth, they had become practically bitter enemies.

Even if I was a daughter cast out from Andres, they would still be reluctant to bring me into the Citadel.

“Originally, an Esgaroth minister allied with us should have become the chief examiner.”

“You would have threatened him with the bribes he’d been taking to somehow make me a page.”

“You’re perceptive. But…”

Antonio clicked his tongue and continued.

“That greedy old man got caught taking bribes from other places too. He’s in the underground prison now.”

Ah, I see.

Things had certainly become difficult.

For the Irregulars, that is.

‘My thoughts are a bit different though.’

I said.

“Then I just need to become a page without taking the test, right?”

The Clan Leader and Antonio frowned.

Their expressions said there was no way such a method existed.

“Are you thinking of being directly appointed by the princes? That would be difficult. The princes’ travel routes are kept strictly secret, and even if we knew, there’s no way to approach them.”

“Mm. Could you take a look at this?”

I pulled out a letter from my pocket and showed it to them.

Dear Yustea.

I’m traveling to the far North and thinking of you. The cold reminds me of those past days when you worked with the supply corps on the barbarian subjugation campaign. When the supply line was cut off by an avalanche and I was deeply troubled, you alone caught a wild boar and asked, ‘Should I move this and roast it whole?’ You were more excellent than any soldier. I still miss that roasted boar we ate then…(omitted)…Also dumplings, lamb soup, shark fin. Those days with you seem like a dream. Are you still at that workplace you said you luckily got into? I worry whether your employers are being harsh to you. If so, come to my embrace anytime…(omitted 2)…Ah, dumplings…

-Missing your dumplings, Lagoni.

“Traveling to the North…?”

“Colonel Lagoni of the Imperial Guard…?”

That’s right.

Colonel Lagoni was escorting a prince and coming to Esgaroth in the North.

I smiled brightly.

“It seems like there might be a way, don’t you think?”

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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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