How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 165

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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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How to Replace Father
Chapter 165
One of Iparam’s envoys pointed at the Mirror World and gaped.
“It, it really is the Saint? Not someone else?”
Iparam’s envoys had expressions of complete disbelief.
An Empire nobleman spoke with arrogance.
“That is correct. She is the Saint of the Empire.”
“That can’t be…!”
Another Imperial nobleman added his voice.
“The figure reflected in the Mirror World is indeed the Saint. Since the Saint has frequently ventured outside since childhood, any Imperial noble would recognize that child.”
“H-how… how could….”
“I fail to understand why the ambassador is so flustered.”
Iparam’s delegation exchanged hurried glances.
‘What’s going on here?’
‘According to the intel we bought from the Andres retainers, the Saint was clearly made younger—around three or four years old.’
‘Then what on earth is that appearance?!’
The delegation stared at Iparam’s Prime Minister with bewildered faces.
The Minister spoke coldly, his voice lowered.
“Do not be alarmed. Regardless of any change in the Saint’s condition, our favorable circumstances remain unchanged.”
Stella understood the geographic characteristics better than anyone.
Look—in Yustea’s hand was what appeared to be a large sheet of paper: a map.
‘And since there’s no ban on magic or magical constructs, she can use magical constructs.’
Stella had been generously supplied with magical constructs from Iparam, the great power of magic.
Most importantly….
“The Saint’s body and mind are the same age. What threat could a mere child of about ten years pose?”
“Y-yes… precisely. Every word from you is absolutely correct…!”
“Of course. I hear the Saint’s powers have no offensive form. Her abilities amount to nothing more than Purification and Healing. In a bloodless competition, those two powers will be of little consequence.”
Smiles bloomed again at the corners of Iparam’s ministers’ mouths.
But there was something they did not know.
The Imperial nobles whispered among themselves.
“She appears to be around ten years old.”
“That was when Yustea received the Empress’s boundless affection. Look—her posture hasn’t slumped a single degree from back then.”
“Ah… Yustea at ten years old….”
Guinevere let out a long groan.
“Yustea was genuinely terrifying back then.”
“Terrifying?”
When the former Marquis, who had been in the territory at that time, asked with a puzzled expression, Guinevere and nobles her age shook their heads wearily.
That was the time when she seized Luciano’s achievements with countless schemes.
The time when any attack on her came back tenfold in return.
Yustea at eleven years old—the Spicy Chick era.
The Irregular Elite who had experienced eleven-year-old Yustea these past few days nodded vigorously in agreement.
The Spicy Chick Yustea’s emergence had to be traced back two days prior.
* * *
Two days earlier.
“All you have to do is input your name in that window, Young Lady!”
Head shake after head shake.
“I’m telling you, you should.”
Shake, shake, shake.
“You don’t give your name to strange people. That window is… well… it’s your father’s friend.”
Shake, shake, shake, shake.
At Yustea’s headshakes, Antonio, Cesar, and Yuise were struck dumb in sequence.
‘Damn system window.’
‘That tone—what on earth was that? Anyone would find it strange.’
The Elite ground their teeth.
A good child who obeyed her mother’s words refused to give her name to something strange.
Her mother had implemented kidnapping prevention education for her beloved daughter.
Countless times.
“If a stranger comes and asks, ‘Hey there, pretty girl, what’s your name?’, what do you do?”
“Poor little Yustea gets kidnapped. Someone save me…!”
“Good. Now, if people around you say ‘He’s not a bad person. He’s Father’s closest friend,’ what then?”
“Father has poor judgment and his friends are terrible…!”
“Perfect. And if they force you, saying ‘Come on!’?”
“They’re bad people. Someone save me, please!”
“Excellent, my treasure.”
After such lessons, she would shower her with storms of kisses as praise.
Yustea, hesitant and watching for a reaction, began backing away.
Hurriedly hiding her head beneath her bedding, Yustea whimpered.
“Someone save me….”
The effects of kidnapping prevention education shone brilliantly.
The Irregular Elite clutched their heads and groaned.
‘That’s correct though….’
‘Of course she should do exactly that…!’
If things proceeded this way, Age Advancement would be impossible even on the day of the competition.
Cesar, his face crumpled, exhaled a sigh.
“We’ve failed. The competition is over.”
“We don’t know that yet.”
At Yuise’s words, Cesar lifted an eyebrow.
“It’s already too late.”
“You….”
“Only two resentments have been collected. Even if her age advances, she won’t return to her original age. At best, she’ll regress to around ten years old.”
“That may be true, but….”
“In two days, do you really think it’s possible to explain the situation and prepare her for the competition? For a mere ten-year-old?”
“….”
“We should inform the Emperor now and cancel the competition.”
“….”
Yuise and the other Elite fell silent.
Aslan had been negative about participating in the competition from the start.
Of course, the Empire’s honor would be damaged, Yustea would become a target of criticism, and Stella would rise to say things like ‘Of course Stella is better than Yustea.’
But Yustea’s safety mattered more than criticism.
What concerned him were the forces that would claim to take Yustea under their wing, riding the wave of public opinion.
But still, keeping his daughter from danger was more important than the desire to be together.
“Contact the Palace. Request a private audience with the Emperor and make arrangements for immediate entry—.”
It was the moment Aslan spoke.
“Young Lady, that thing is a nobleman.”
Antonio crouched down and lifted the blanket.
Yustea peeked her head up.
“A noble…?”
“Yeah. Nobles tend to speak in irritating ways, don’t they?”
Yustea blinked, looking into empty space.
Antonio spoke.
“When they ask for something, do they say ‘Please’?”
Yustea shook her head vigorously.
Nobles never bowed their heads honestly.
Even when they came to Mother….
“We would like to offer your distinguished family the opportunity to take pride in laying the foundation for growth in an ancient House. Considering the standing of our House, we ought not involve ourselves with a trading post, but given our long association with Andres….”
“That’s a creative way of asking to borrow money. Get out.”
“W-wait…!”
They usually ended up being thrown out.
And when a noblewoman came to Grandmother asking her to introduce tutors for her grandchildren….
“Of course, our House has many excellent tutors as well. Professors from the Central Academy have petitioned for the honor of teaching my children.”
They would say such things first.
Then Grandmother would smile outwardly, but after the noblewoman left, she would scoff.
Yustea blinked, staring at the window.
Older brother wasn’t the type to rush or be uncouth, was he? Hehe
Now that I look at it, the little Young Lady seems hesitant about Age Advancement because of her image. Brother has good instincts for this sort of thing^^; Don’t hold back, just do it!~
Go ahead and settle it cleanly!~
Cesar, who was watching Antonio and Yustea, let out a hollow laugh.
“That won’t convince her, so stop doing stupid things and—.”
“Yustea….”
The Elite and Aslan flinched.
Yustea was a good child who could pity a window that couldn’t say please.
“Yustea….”
That was the moment.
Identity confirmed.
Distributing compensation.
First compensation: Age Advancement in progress….
Second compensation: Age Advancement in progress (2/2)
Age Advancement successful.
And then brilliant light filled the room.
The Elite shielded the light with their arms and hands.
As the light faded, what emerged was….
Beautiful auburn hair cascading to the waist.
Golden eyes that sparkled like the morning star.
A girl of about ten years old who seemed to have been pure-cultured and precious, kept under careful preservation.
“Whoa, Young Lady…!”
“Yustea!”
“…!”
Antonio, Yuise, and Cesar rushed to the bed.
At that moment.
An elbow came to meet Antonio, who had reached first.
“Who are you?”
It was Yustea.
A voice sharp as a blade and an expression like frost on snow.
The arrival of adolescent Yustea.
* * *
The Irregular Elite, who had entered the Palace as Aslan’s aides, ground their teeth.
‘Damn those Andres bastards.’
‘What on earth did they do to that innocent girl?’
‘An eleven-year-old more terrifying than the Clan Leader—this is a first.’
Only Miliano laughed, haha.
“Glad you understood the situation. Communication worked well.”
“Communication worked… perfectly well….”
Tell her one thing, and she understood ten.
“So, uh, Young Lady needs to enter the competition, and we… we know you from when you were fifteen, so we didn’t kidnap you. This is Esgaroth and… wait, Young Lady! Where are you going?!”
In the middle of Antonio’s faltering explanation, Yustea stood up.
The Elite rushed after her, asking urgently.
“Let me explain again. His explanation would be hard to understand—.”
“I’ve returned to the past at fifteen, and Andres abandoned me, so now I belong to Esgaroth, and you are the subordinates of Aslan, the illegitimate son of Marquis Esgaroth, and Aslan is the Clan Leader of the Irregulars. I’ve manifested the Saint’s powers under the Clan Leader, becoming the Empire’s representative. Is there anything else you need to understand?”
The Elite, flustered, shook their heads the way little three-year-old Yustea would.
“Um… doesn’t seem like it….”
“Avoid euphemistic expressions like ‘seems’ or ‘appears.’ They create variables in situation assessment.”
“Y-yes, understood.”
“Then guide me to the competition grounds. That mountain is where Stella always used to play. In a Hostage Securing Competition, the side with better geographic knowledge has the advantage.”
“….”
“I need the biographical details of Prince Terius. Investigate whether similar situations have occurred in the past, and gather data on how the Prince moved.”
“….”
When they stared blankly, Yustea spoke with an expressionless face.
“I don’t trust everything you say. But as long as I’m fighting with my name on the line, I won’t fight an embarrassing fight.”
“Y-yes…!”
There was an oppressive force that made even flower-headed Antonio tense.
Cesar groaned.
‘Frustrating. …Damn it, she’s magnificent.’
He preferred superiors who controlled situations precisely, maintaining an unwavering momentum.
Antonio spoke.
“Young Lady will win, right? She was incredibly smart. She came up with all the strategies, and she selected all the magical constructs herself.”
“…I acknowledge she’s a clever child, but the competition won’t be that easy.”
Cesar narrowed his brows.
Most of what Yustea knew was information from four years ago.
In those four years, Iparam had quelled its internal conflicts and made enormous magical advances.
There was no way to catch up to four years in two days.
Most of all….
“Back then, Yustea was weak against House Andres.”
“Ah….”
That brilliant mind had been wholly dedicated to her family.
Yustea might abandon victory for her half-sibling.
The Elite’s expressions darkened.
At that moment, Stella appeared reflected in the Mirror World.
[Wait… if she’s eleven years old….]
Stella, observing Yustea’s form through Iparam’s security magical construct, felt the corner of her mouth rise slightly.
Yuise let out an inward whistle.
‘That one’s already plotting how to exploit her.’
Stella’s stratagem.
When Stella first saw eleven-year-old Yustea, she had been greatly alarmed.
‘Isn’t this the age when I saved Prince Terius?’
What if the Prince heard that voice and recognized Yustea?
She was worried, but soon changed her mind.
‘With hair that long, she’s definitely around eleven years old.’
“Wait, if she’s eleven….”
This was when Yustea was most vulnerable to her.
A time when even the slightest tear meant she would abandon everything without protest.
‘I’ll overwhelm her and trap her.’
The Prince can’t see the Mirror World.
If she didn’t give the Prince time to talk with Yustea, it would be fine.
Stella grasped the Control Rod she had received from Iparam’s Prime Minister.
Then the mechanical golems surrounding Stella began to move with a whir and click.
Countless mechanical golems.
There was no way a single person could face these mechanical soldiers alone.
“Cowardly.”
Luciano, sitting in a chair prepared at the base, spoke.
Stella frowned and turned her head.
“Me?”
“Is it not the same as mobilizing soldiers?”
“These are merely magical constructs. Lifeless.”
“So you have no intention of fighting with actual skill?”
“Using what’s given to you is a form of skill.”
Stella, lifting one corner of her mouth, swung the Control Rod with a whoosh.
Numerous mechanical golems surrounded the base.
“I will use what’s given to me to prevent Yustea from approaching the Prince.”
There were at least two hundred mechanical golems assigned to guard the base.
An eleven-year-old girl’s body could never break through.
“Scouts will move to scout the mountainous terrain. Guards will protect me. Yustea cannot capture me or find the base.”
[Scouts will move to scout the mountainous terrain. Guards will protect me. Yustea cannot capture me or find the base.]
“Hmm. You handle soldiers more deftly than expected.”
“There is no need to worry about the commander.”
Iparam’s delegation let out boisterous laughter.
The Imperial nobles groaned.
‘Damn it….’
‘She seems to have reflected on the shameful display from the Family Tournament.’
An elderly noble muttered, as if gnashing his walking stick.
“She’s certainly different from before. She’s doing quite well with manipulating mechanical soldiers. She has talent for Mana Manipulation.”
“Now that you mention it, she was always good at Mana Manipulation. She had quite a knack for Healing even without being the Saint.”
Is victory truly impossible….
The Imperial nobles, and even the Emperor himself, furrowed their brows.
Then it happened.
Screech and crack…!
The sound of warped metal rang out.
“Y-Yustea has subdued the scouts!”
“What?! How…!”
People gasped in shock and stared at the Mirror World.
Yustea, holding something massive, spoke with ease.
[No matter how much magical constructs advance, they’re just metal. Metal is helpless before magnetism.]
“…!”
“…?!!”
[How foolish to send scouts without protecting the connection.]
Yustea’s eyes flashed.
The Mana line connecting the scouts to Stella became visible.
“C-crazy…!”
“Is that even possible? A ten-year-old?!”
Guinevere smiled slightly.
“Yustea was top of her class in every subject at the Academy.”
People remembered.
[Guide me. Take me to the base where your master is.]
The nickname of Yustea at eleven years old.
‘The Little Empress.’
The finest girl of her generation.
Before that girl, even the gap of four years meant nothing!

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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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