How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 167

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

How to Replace a Father
Episode 167
For a moment, her true feelings threatened to cross her face, but Yustea quickly composed herself.
Yet someone had caught that fleeting expression.
Aslan spoke.
“It seems our tastes align now, Yustea.”
His tone was pleased.
* * *
Stella’s brow furrowed sharply.
“Do you think finding me means you’ve won?”
She’d expected him to be unpredictable about what he’d do.
Moreover, the magical tools Iparam had provided weren’t limited to mechanical golems alone.
The bracelet worn on Stella’s left wrist flared with light.
The rope binding her burst into flames in an instant.
“If you wanted to catch me, you should’ve prepared chains instead of rope!”
“I did consider that, but it seemed too heavy.”
“What?”
“Moving while carrying something heavy makes you sluggish—it’s more of a disadvantage.”
“Ha…!”
Stella laughed in disbelief.
The expressionless Yustea was infuriating.
“You act like you’re out for a stroll. I’m fighting for my life here.”
“That’s not it.”
“We each carry the hopes of our factions. We have to do our best…!”
The bracelet’s pendant flashed again, and fireballs rained down like cannonshot around Stella.
Yustea quickly braced herself against the ground.
Light radiating from her fingertips formed a hemispherical barrier, encasing the area entirely.
In an instant, the fireballs were extinguished.
Stella recoiled in shock.
“How…!”
‘That’s the Nullification Domain.’
She’d heard rumors of it and had actually seen it during the operation to sweep the Reconstruction Society Headquarters.
The ultimate skill that protected allies—Yustea’s trump card.
‘But the Nullification Domain restores things immediately after being attacked.’
It didn’t nullify the attack itself.
‘So how did she extinguish the fire?’
Stella wasn’t the only one shocked.
Prince Terius wore an intrigued expression.
He soon burst out laughing.
“Entertaining.”
Stella bit her lip hard.
Had Terius, too, fallen under the spell of Yustea’s abilities like everyone else who’d left her?
Terius answered in a gentle tone.
“Don’t worry. I meant you’re different from the image we know of the Saint.”
“The image you know?”
“A noble character who converts the wicked. This Saint seems far removed from such things.”
“What do you mean by—”
“It’s a bluff. That wasn’t the Nullification Domain.”
What?
Stella spun to look at Yustea.
Terius continued.
“It’s Mugamseok, isn’t it?”
“….”
“You activated Mugamseok the moment Stella attacked. You destroyed her magical tool on your own to nullify the attack.”
“….”
“You deployed the Nullification Domain to show that magical tool attacks are useless, didn’t you? That way Stella wouldn’t rely on them.”
“….”
“If you needed such a bluff, that means you can’t destroy magical tools indefinitely with Mugamseok, can you?”
Stella was stunned.
‘Is that really true?’
Yustea clicked her tongue silently.
Then she hurled Mugamseok toward Stella’s rear.
Boom—crash—crash—crash—!
The mechanical golems escorting Stella were torn toward the Mugamseok.
But aside from ten units, the remaining mechanical golems were unharmed. Not even dragged.
Five mechanical golems remained.
Stella cried out.
“It’s weight! Once activated, it can’t exert force beyond a certain mass!”
Since she had to use Mugamseok to disable the mechanical golems, she couldn’t deploy it against Stella’s other magical tools.
That’s why she’d bluffed.
To make Stella believe magical tools were useless!
Stella’s lips curved upward.
“The magical tools frightened you quite a bit, didn’t they, Yustea?”
Then she should use them all the more.
Stella touched the earrings she wore.
A whistling sound….
Wind began to blow from somewhere.
And what appeared was an enormous flock of birds.
“Attack!”
A magical tool that generated a wavelength drawing animals toward it.
The birds surged toward Yustea like arrows, all at once.
* * *
[The magical tools frightened you quite a bit, didn’t they, Yustea?]
“Good heavens…!”
Marquis Nevarro cried out.
An enormous flock of birds, like dark clouds, reflected in the Mirror World.
The old nobleman, thrilled by Yustea’s performance, gripped his staff as if to wring it.
“Damn it!”
The Current Duke, son of Marquis Nevarro and father of Guinevere, glanced sidelong at the Iparam delegation.
“Yustea wasn’t lacking. Prince Terius was clever.”
He’d even succeeded in deceiving Stella.
If things had gone Yustea’s way, Stella wouldn’t have used her magical tools.
Then she could have easily escaped with Luciano.
Marquis Esgaroth spoke in a flat voice.
“The title of ‘the prince closest to the crown prince’ wasn’t merely talk.”
Terius had never actually seen the Nullification Domain.
He might have learned of it through rumor.
Yet from mere rumor, he’d immediately seen through Yustea’s bluff.
The Iparam delegation found their smiles again.
“With the magical tools we provided, we have physical superiority. If Prince Terius supports her, the Saint’s schemes become worthless.”
“Now the Saint has no way forward.”
The nail-biting competition had finally reached its climax.
Anyone could see that Iparam’s chance of victory was far greater.
[Attack!]
The birds surged toward Yustea.
Yustea quickly summoned Aslan’s hawks, Simyeon and Sunguang, but two birds couldn’t handle such numbers.
In that gap, Stella dashed away, pulling Luciano and Terius with her.
The anxious children of the Empire hopped about and cried out.
“Your Highness, run…! Run…!”
“Hostages can’t resist—that’s the rule of the competition!”
“But…!”
Stella passed Yustea.
Gripping Luciano’s wrist, she broke through the flock of birds and cried out in excitement.
[We made it out! Now if we just escape! …if we just… wait… huh?]
Stella spun around in bewilderment.
Prince Terius, who had been chasing her and Luciano, had vanished.
“Where has His Highness gone?”
Iparam’s Prime Minister sensed something amiss and narrowed his eyes.
Then someone cried out.
“There!”
Everyone’s gaze turned at once to the Mirror World, whose image had changed.
Yustea had deployed the Nullification Domain.
Inside it, she was holding someone, and that someone was…!
“Prince Terius!”
Roji of the Olbera Family cried out.
Her brother Romeban, standing beside her, narrowed his eyes.
“What happened?”
“I saw it. I did!”
“So what happened—”
“While Stella was running with His Highness alongside the prince, Yustea grabbed the prince!”
In that moment, all present recalled what they’d heard during the match.
“Your Highness, run…! Run…!”
“Hostages can’t resist—that’s the rule of the competition!”
Hostages cannot resist.
Prince Terius as well!
The old nobleman leaped to his feet and shouted.
“That’s it! Yustea created this entire situation to capture Prince Terius!”
“…!”
“…!!”
The entire assembly opened their mouths in shock.
The reason she’d thrown Mugamseok, showing Stella she was powerless…!
Aslan chuckled softly.
The Emperor, his face alight with unprecedented excitement, asked.
“How… how is it possible to predict this entire situation?”
Aslan recalled the words Yustea had spoken during their preparation period.
“I want to know all of Iparam’s magical tools. The Empire certainly inspected those coming into the country before Iparam’s delegation arrived for security, so gathering information shouldn’t be difficult.”
“You want to know what magical tools Stella might use?”
“Yes.”
With Luciano as an ally, discovering what magical tools Iparam had brought wasn’t difficult.
Once Yustea confirmed that list….
“I’ll need to move all the animals in the escape corridor beforehand.”
“Why animals?”
“Most other magical tools are fire, explosives, and other attack-type devices. Of all of them, only this earring-type tool can utilize animals.”
“And?”
“Stella will definitely use this in the final moment.”
“How can you be sure?”
“She won’t want to appear as someone who hurts others. That girl always wants to be seen as good.”
If she was confident of victory, she would certainly use that magical tool given the nature of the competition.
“I need to make her use birds. The bird flock can serve as a smokescreen.”
“There’s no need specifically for birds, is there? Other animals could be controlled for movement purposes too.”
“There’s one more reason it has to be birds.”
She’d said then.
“She’ll feel safe thinking they’re less dangerous than wild beasts.”
Luciano raised his arm in the Mirror World.
[This is troublesome. Now that it’s come to this.]
“Blood…!”
“Blood—!”
Marquis Nevarro and the old nobleman leaped up and cried out.
Blood trickled from a scratch on Luciano’s forearm.
“But bird talons are sharper than you’d think. Sharp enough to draw blood.”
Marquis Esgaroth and Aslan chuckled.
Their faces were remarkably alike.
The Iparam delegation pointed at the Mirror World and cried out.
“Then His Highness must have bled too!”
“The Saint’s hawks may have scratched His Highness…!”
Roji of the Olbera Family spoke with an unhurried smile.
“What does that realm look like to you?”
“…What?”
“The Nullification Domain. The Saint’s ultimate skill—the pride of the Empire.”
Inside that realm, no one is harmed.
Whoever draws blood from a hostage is disqualified.
Stella’s birds had wounded the Emperor’s body and drawn blood.
‘So then….’
‘That means….’
In that moment, a thunderous roar erupted.
“Uwaaaaaah—!!”
“Waaaaaaaah—!”
“Awwwwwwwww—!!!”
The Emperor declared with an unprecedented glow on his face.
“Victory for the Empire.”
Waaaah—!
The Assembly Hall erupted as if it would burst.
* * *
Yustea claimed eight hundred Mana Stones.
Yustea looked at the cart and said.
“Check for defects. If there’s even the slightest faulty piece, tell the Iparam delegation to replace it before they leave.”
“Of course, of course. We’ll inspect every detail.”
The Administrative Officials of Esgaroth beamed.
A bounty of Mana Stones during a shortage—what fortune.
Besides, anyone who heard they belonged to Esgaroth would eagerly offer them all sorts of things, saying, “Ah, from our Saint’s house!”
Yustea held a Mana Stone from the cart and mused.
‘The quality is extraordinary.’
She’d never seen Mana Stones of this grade.
Not just never seen.
The quality was such that no historical records had ever documented it.
‘These resources existed in Iparam?’
Iparam was not particularly resource-rich.
‘If they’ve only now been revealed, could Iparam possess even greater resources in the future…?’
Iparam’s development seemed likely to exceed expectations.
Perhaps she should persuade Marquis Esgaroth to invest while she still could.
But Iparam seemed likely to hold a grudge over this.
‘I need to win back their favor before they leave….’
She was thinking such thoughts when.
“Yustea.”
A low, resonant voice reached her.
Yustea turned her head.
“Ah….”
It was Luciano.
“You didn’t recognize my voice?”
“It differs from the voice of Your Highness as I remember it.”
“Is that why you made me bleed so carelessly?”
Yustea stiffened.
Luciano smiled gently.
“Four years from now, you wouldn’t have used such a strategy out of concern for my wounds.”
“Then I’m fortunate to be my four-years-ago self. I don’t let sentiment override efficient tactics.”
Yes, this was the look.
Aside from Yohaël, she’d regarded every man this way.
Like distant stones scattered on the ground.
Especially cruel toward him, Yohaël’s greatest rival.
“Would you share a meal with me?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I won’t be then either.”
…Like this.
Luciano sighed.
“You remember nothing from last week? From when you were three or four, that is?”
“Nothing at all.”
Her answer was curt.
Back then, her eyes had sparkled and she’d said,
“What a pretty brother….”
Her affection had been so deep Aslan grew fiercely jealous.
That was when.
A cart of Mana Stones passed by, and catching on a stone, jostled Yustea forward.
Luciano caught the stumbling Yustea.
A pleasant scent wafted as her vision was blocked by his embrace.
“Be careful.”
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
He warned her about the cart, then looked down at Yustea.
“Are you alright?”
“….”
“Why. Did you get hurt?”
“….”
“Yustea.”
“…I’m asking just in case. Truly just in case.”
Luciano’s lips curved upward.
It seemed he’d finally understood that they had been lovers.
“So we….”
“Yes.”
“Became colleagues?”
“….”
Luciano’s expression turned bitter.
At that moment.
“Greetings, Saint. The prince of Iparam requests your presence for a meal.”
“Oh, very well.”
She said she wasn’t hungry….

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