How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 177

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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 a Father
Chapter 177
The stone cave fell silent.
The two of them glared at each other as though whoever spoke first would lose.
In the end, it was I who broke the silence.
“Did you come because of the search for the prince?”
“Before the search party was even formed.”
“Before?”
“The Nevarro Heiress requested additional guards first. So I came. It was clear that Ilfarm wasn’t going to listen to the Protocol Unit’s instructions.”
“I see. Well, what happened was—”
“You don’t need to explain. I can guess well enough.”
Luciano’s gaze remained fixed on Terrius.
His expression was utterly cold.
“So the whole commotion about needing to see the port was to make contact with the Restoration Council.”
“I simply made time for their claim that there were important matters to discuss regarding the future of the Avalon Empire and Ilfarm.”
“And that group you made time for turned out to be the Restoration Council.”
“Could we not settle this by saying I only learned later what the Restoration Council was?”
“Could we?”
Both their mouths twisted.
Luciano spoke in an icy tone.
“An anomaly has occurred in the Portal. The Mage Tower Master is overseeing repairs, but we cannot know when it will be restored. That means we cannot expect support in the foreseeable future.”
“Cannot the families with estates in the vicinity provide support?”
“A barrier has been erected around the port. They are thoroughly blocking all outsiders.”
“What of the Protocol Unit and the Imperial Guards?”
“The Protocol Unit and the guards are holding back the Restoration Council’s assault with their lives on the line, but we cannot know when the defensive line will collapse.”
“So you cannot guarantee the safety of our delegation?”
In that moment, Luciano seized Terrius by the collar.
“I just said it—my people are risking their lives. To protect you wretches.”
“…”
Terrius fell quiet.
Luciano dragged him by the collar and turned toward the mouth of the cave.
I hurriedly called out to Luciano.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to use this bastard to negotiate with the Restoration Council.”
“You mean you’re handing Prince Terrius over to the Restoration Council?”
“If the situation demands it.”
I leapt forward and clung to Luciano.
“If you do that, diplomatic relations will collapse. And you’ll bear all the responsibility!”
“If bearing that responsibility can save thousands of my people’s lives, it’s a bargain.”
I hung from Luciano’s waist and shouted.
“Because of these idiots, you shouldn’t have to shoulder such responsibility—!”
It was then.
“Ilfarm is suffering from a plague.”
It was Terrius’s voice.
Both Luciano and I immediately turned to look at Terrius.
Terrius pulled himself free from Luciano’s grip and spoke.
“The Restoration Council said they know the answer to ending the plague.”
“I haven’t heard any reports of plague breaking out in Ilfarm.”
As I frowned, Terrius replied.
“The royal palace is desperately suppressing it. How could I reveal that the Mana Stone—the kingdom’s pride and greatest diplomatic weapon—is the source of the plague?”
“…!”
“…”
I was startled, and Luciano’s brows furrowed as if something was clicking into place.
Luciano spoke.
“So that’s why you kept pushing the matter with Yustea all this time?”
“Yes.”
“Not because a Saint’s healing was needed, but to make it appear as though the Empire’s prestige had been stripped away.”
“…Yes.”
Now that I think about it, Ilfarm had been targeting me all along.
They knew information about me and Esgaroth as if they’d been prepared.
‘They came targeting me from the start, so of course they prepared thoroughly.’
I asked.
“Was bringing Stella in also part of it?”
“There was genuine goodwill in wanting to repay her. But I’ll admit there was also intent to provoke you.”
Terrius let out a sigh.
“The Empire’s public opinion is peculiar. When Stella’s status rose, yours fell. You two have always seen each other as rivals.”
“…”
“I thought if your status fell low enough, there would be little resistance when negotiating with the Imperial Emperor over you.”
Luciano let out a laugh of disbelief.
“You certainly prepared thoroughly.”
“Three thousand Ilfarm citizens have died from the plague.”
“You already know the source is the Mana Stone. If you valued your people’s lives, you should have given it up. Without Mana Stones, Ilfarm would still—”
“Be rich in resources and have the means to feed its people, is that it?”
Terrius’s mouth twisted.
“Do you have any idea how many enemies are circling?”
To the southeast of Ilfarm, powerful sorcerers and beastfolk cross the border dozens of times a year, plundering resources.
To the north, rivals equally rich in resources are constantly watching the royal palace.
The west is worse. It’s the only border facing the sea, with threats baring their teeth from other continents.
“We must project the power of Eastern continental dominion to intimidate them. To avoid conflict!”
“…”
“So should I announce that our greatest strength is actually an element destabilizing us from within?”
“…”
“Can you do that, Luciano?”
Luciano fell silent.
‘It’s a difficult problem.’
Even so, though…
“What does Ilfarm’s difficulty have to do with me?”
“We had our reasons—”
“Does having reasons let you spread plague?”
“…What?”
“Your misfortune has nothing to do with me, so why should I lose my reputation and be forced into exile or marriage, you bastard?”
“…”
“…”
Both Terrius and Luciano’s eyes widened as they stared at me.
I glared at Terrius as I spoke.
“If things were urgent and desperate, you should have prostrated yourself and begged properly, not made a spectacle!”
“If we did that, Ilfarm would be seen as having a weakness by the Empire—”
“And?”
“That weakness would be exploited—”
“So?”
“So…”
Ultimately, you used both me and the Empire’s people for your own benefit.
I glared at him.
Terrius fell quiet again.
After a moment, he spoke.
“I’m sorry.”
Even so, I did not ease my gaze.
If anything, hearing the apology made me angrier.
What good would an apology do now?
The deed was already done, and both I and the Protocol Unit had already suffered.
“You bas—!”
Just as I burst out and was about to spew curses, Luciano covered my mouth.
“Let go. You bas… Mgh, mgh!”
“I know. I know already.”
“You ass… Mgh!”
“Yes, yes.”
Terrius let out a sigh and ruffled his own hair.
At last, the carefully worn mask seemed to be slipping.
Regardless, I continued to sputter muffled sounds like “Drop dead… Mgh!” while my mouth was held by Luciano.
Terrius spoke.
“I regret it. I know that even thinking about compensation won’t ease your anger. I would’ve felt the same.”
“Mgh, mgh!”
“Since you seem to understand, let it go for now.”
Terrius spoke again.
“I had no intention of harming the Empire. Once the Restoration Council proposed the deal, I planned to resolve it with some amount of Mana Stones. I’ve secretly brought Mana Stones into the Empire, so you can verify it.”
“What’s that got to do with— Mgh!”
“Solving the situation takes priority over insults, Yustea.”
Luciano, still muffling my mouth, looked at Terrius.
“First priority is getting out of the port. The longer this drags on, the more danger the Protocol Unit, the guards, and the delegation will face.”
“Right. The Restoration Council will want to finish this quickly, which means our side will eventually collapse.”
“So what’s the plan you’ve thought up?”
“It seems we’ll need Yustea’s power…”
The two men’s gazes suddenly shifted.
Toward me, still huffing out “You bas… Ugh!” indignantly.
Luciano spoke quietly.
“At least try to persuade her.”
“Please do.”
I huffed through my nose and glared at Terrius.
* * *
The Imperial Prince and the Prince of Ilfarm discussed their plan.
Both men were regarded as closest to the imperial and royal thrones respectively, so the plan was conceived with near-perfect precision.
“Then let’s proceed with that.”
“Yes. But here we absolutely need Yustea’s help…”
Terrius glanced sideways at Yustea, who was warming herself by the fire at a distance.
She still seemed angry—would she actually help?
At that expression, Luciano chuckled.
“You still don’t know Yustea.”
“I think I’ve come to know her quite well now. She certainly has a sharp tongue.”
“She’s not particularly sharp.”
“Isn’t your betrothed bias showing rather badly?”
At Terrius’s words, Luciano quietly watched Yustea crouching before the fire.
“Actually, she’s quite compassionate. She doesn’t get angry very often.”
“Then why is she like that today?”
“Because if she weren’t, I would be the one raging.”
Terrius flinched.
Luciano shrugged his shoulders.
“I know Yustea, and she knows me in turn. If I’d let the situation flow as it was, I would have decided not to trust you and made a plan for myself and my people to escape instead.”
“…You’re sharp enough that I could never have missed that, and complete cooperation would have been impossible.”
So she raged first to prevent Luciano from having room to grow angry himself?
Terrius bowed his head lightly.
The sound of air escaping leaked through his teeth.
“I owe you another debt, it seems.”
“Then you shouldn’t do anything pointless again.”
Terrius quietly watched Yustea poking the fire with a stick.
“…I can’t help but covet her, though.”
Luciano’s eyebrow twitched.
Terrius laughed heartily.
“You too.”
“Disgusting talk.”
Luciano’s expression darkened sharply.
Terrius draped an arm over his shoulder.
“Let’s do this well.”
“Take your arm off.”
“You mentioned being the same age, didn’t you? Come on, why not debut in the Dawn Circle? I’ll take good care of you.”
“I said take it off.”
“Haven’t you ever heard someone call you cute?”
Flames burst from Luciano’s palm.
Yustea leapt up with a start.
“Hey, hey, you bas—!”
“It won’t work anymore.”
“It won’t work, Saint.”
Yustea’s mouth drooped into a pout.
Terrius burst out laughing.
* * *
Soldier Narbonne of the Imperial Restoration Council held a map.
From Communication Stones set in all directions came the voices of scouts.
[Not in Zone B31.]
[Same in Zone A10.]
[Haven’t merged with the Protocol Unit.]
Narbonne let out a quiet laugh of disbelief.
“Then it must be here.”
Narbonne’s weathered finger pointed to one location on the map.
A stone cave.
“Inform the Black Clouds of combat.”
[Yes.]
[Yes!]
Young voices crackled from the dark Communication Stone.
Narbonne’s mouth curled upward with sinister satisfaction.
* * *
Guinevere shouted.
“Hold them! Don’t let a single one through!”
Roji of the Olbera Family shouted.
“It’s impossible! How long can we hold them back with logs?! Any word of reinforcements?!”
Guinevere bit her lip hard.
Reinforcements would arrive too late—they would be captured first.
‘Communication Stones are completely jammed.’
It seemed they were using special signals to block communications.
If this continued, their only option was to decrypt the enemy’s signals.
Then they could use those signals to send and receive communications themselves.
Several Ilfarm delegates and Protocol Unit members skilled in sorcery were desperately attempting to decrypt the signals.
Guinevere shouted.
“Signal decryption—how’s it going?”
“That’s… that is…!”
Earl Claren, renowned for his Magical Craftsmanship, muttered while sweating profusely.
Roji cried out in frustration.
“Can’t you even speak properly?!”
“It’s s-such a complex technique…”
“You mean it’s impossible?!”
“For now… yes…”
Damn it.
Roji gritted her teeth.
“Ugh.”
Romeban, her older brother, frowned.
“Biting your teeth with that loose mouth of yours—figures.”
“Shut it.”
“Do you want to hear Mother’s lecture on etiquette again?”
“If we die today, what’s etiquette?”
“True enough.”
“Since when do you not nag?”
“Because what you said about dying today hit me?”
They pushed desperately against the hastily lashed logs in resistance, but honestly, this was hardly a formidable defense.
It was just something to do rather than wait to die.
‘Damn it all.’
Romeban whispered.
“I’ll create a gap. Get out of here while you can.”
“What?”
“Get out and run. Don’t look back.”
“What nonsense is that?”
“If both you and I die, the family has no heir.”
“You…”
Roji was about to frown when it happened.
Crash!
The logs finally shattered.
A spear thrust through burst into Romeban’s chest.
Romeban screamed.
“G-Roji!”
“Brother…!”
That was when.
Crack-crack-crack—!
A strange, thunderous sound echoed across the land.

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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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