How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 30
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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 30
When Mira briefly left her post to change shifts, I told the Irregulars about my suspicions.
But then….
“What? The Clan Leader was also suspicious of that girl?”
“That girl is good at lying.”
“How do you know that?”
“That girl is the culprit behind the orphanage fire incident.”
He said he knew from the moment he first met her.
She had the smell of gunpowder on her hands.
‘So that’s why he came to the lake to verify the truth.’
Mira screamed as if having a fit.
“N-no! What evidence do you have for such…!”
“Clan Leader, please find a restroom nearby. She probably has people waiting there.”
“…!”
Betium is a medicine used for stomach upset.
She must have told them to kidnap me when I left due to stomach problems.
She brought up human trafficking to avoid suspicion too.
The Clan Leader moved immediately.
And in less than 30 minutes, he brought back boys with red, yellow, and blue hair.
Whatever happened when they were captured, the boys were terrified.
As soon as they saw Mira….
“That’s right. That girl ordered us to do it!”
“Yes! Mira!”
“She told us to wait in that restroom and hand her over to Romen’s Mane!”
It was undeniable evidence.
I dusted off my hands and stood up.
“Will you give it? The key.”
“Th-then will you sp-spare me….”
“Sorry, but this isn’t a deal. It’s an order.”
When I said that, Antonio grinned and said.
“I think Miss is fucking cool at times like this.”
After finding the key, things proceeded swiftly.
I sat quietly in the carriage while the three Irregulars went in and completely cleaned out the warehouse.
The Elite Soldiers stationed by Andres must not have been a match.
The barrier was solved with the code.
“While we were at it, we made it explode too.”
“Well done.”
Then Andres won’t be able to catch our trail.
The carriage departed.
I said to the Clan Leader.
“What will you do with Mira and the boys?”
“We’ll send them to the mines. They need to repent for their crimes through labor.”
“I see.”
* * *
We returned to San Miguel.
When we brought back mountains of treasure, the Unit Members came running like puppies receiving treats.
I naturally thought it would be Antonio’s Unit, but it wasn’t.
“Ah! We can replace our weapons…!”
“Salary. We don’t have to worry about next month’s salary…!”
The Clan Leader’s Unit in charge of administration wept tears of joy.
Was the financial crisis that serious?
It would be tight, but still, we’re Irregulars.
I said to the Clan Leader who was sighing in relief among his unit members.
“Is there something going on at the castle?”
“Pardon?”
“I thought there might be something happening since funds are this short.”
“Ah. There’s something that requires a large budget.”
“What is it?”
The Clan Leader approached me, leaving behind his unit members who were rubbing treasures against their cheeks, saying how fortunate this was.
“You know that House of Marquis Valboa was expelled, right?”
Valboa was Ayabel’s family.
I couldn’t not know they were expelled.
Since I played a solid part in that.
“The vacant Valboa Territory is scheduled to be absorbed by other jurisdictions.”
“Which one? Sintez?”
“All regions can apply as candidates.”
“…!”
I was shocked.
Valboa Territory was under the Three Elders’ jurisdiction, so it boasted an area nearly three to four times that of ordinary jurisdictions.
Moreover, being close to the Marquis’s direct territory, commerce was developed.
The population was enormous, so the taxes going to the governing castle were tremendous.
“How will the absorbing region be decided?”
“Nothing has been announced yet, but we’ll put all our funds and military power into it.”
So that’s why the Clan Leader even inspected the military warehouse.
“Then it’s an information war for now.”
“Yes. So Yuise’s Team from the Intelligence Department is scheduled to return.”
Yuise?
I know that name at least.
Since she oversees the Irregulars’ intelligence, she does more external activities than other Elites.
‘But I don’t know her face.’
She was practically no different from a spy.
She infiltrates here and there, changing her face, identity, and even gender.
In the game, she always appeared with her face blacked out, so I was curious.
‘Plus she has special settings too.’
“When is she coming?”
“She should arrive tomorrow.”
I was making an excited face when.
“I wish she wouldn’t come….”
“…?”
Antonio’s Unit sighed with enlightened faces.
Even Antonio was frowning.
I tilted my head in confusion.
* * *
That puzzlement would be resolved the very next day.
Yuise’s Team that entered Count Sanmiguel’s Castle the next day….
“Always such an unsettling face to see.”
“Haven’t you dropped the rough speech yet?”
“If you’re going to enter the dormitory, wash your feet. Your feet.”
…caught Antonio’s Unit like catching mice as soon as they arrived.
The six units of the Irregulars are similar to their unit leaders’ personalities.
Antonio’s unit is simple and easygoing, specializing in attacks.
The Clan Leader’s unit appears strict at first glance but are actually caring administrators.
And Yuise’s unit is….
“This is driving me crazy. The smell of sweat, seriously.”
“Don’t come near me. You’re wrinkling my jacket.”
It seemed to be composed of glamorous handsome men in charge of miscellaneous tasks.
Moreover, they seemed to spend money quite lavishly.
The Clan Leader gritted his teeth while looking at the ledger.
“This clothing purchase expense record is….”
“Lady Yuise instructed me to convey that informants must win people’s favor to make them open their mouths, and the easiest way to win favor is through appearance.”
A smiling, glamorous handsome man said while offering a single rose to the Clan Leader.
Far from accepting the flower, the Clan Leader gripped the ledger tightly.
Well, Yuise’s unit was in better financial shape than the other units.
The Irregulars use 40% of the money earned by each unit as operational funds for that unit.
Being the information unit, they would have the most requests and thus be well-off.
Compared to that….
“Damn, is that really Tekari? Can I touch it?”
“Perfume costs 10 gold?! How many steamed potatoes could you get with that….”
Antonio’s unit, which specializes in attacks, is poor.
There aren’t many battles grand enough for Antonio’s unit to take requests for, and even when there are, they cause so much trouble that nothing remains.
“Where’s Yuise?”
“She’ll be here soon.”
“Where on earth did she go without greeting the Clan Leader and the young lady first?”
At the mention of “young lady,” Yuise’s unit all looked at me simultaneously.
The intense gazes of the glamorous handsome men poured down on me.
‘Ah, I should greet them first.’
I was about to raise my hand.
Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish.
The members of Yuise’s unit simultaneously offered flowers.
Then they said.
“We greet the young lady.”
“You are more beautiful than we expected.”
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
…Wow.
Antonio’s unit made disgusted expressions.
“So annoying.”
“Tell me about it.”
The members of the Clan Leader’s unit also sighed.
* * *
After greeting Yuise’s unit, I headed to the garden.
I was worried that something might have gone wrong with the garden since I’d been away for so long.
Charlie, who had now become completely dedicated to me, was with me too.
Charlie was the one who had managed the garden while I was away.
“How is it? Is it okay? Huh?”
Charlie asked with an excited face.
“Yeah. You did very well.”
“I worked really hard. With the mindset of being in Yuise’s unit.”
“Does Yuise’s unit like flowers that much?”
“It’s not that they like them, but that they need them.”
When I looked at him as if asking what that meant, Charlie answered.
“That’s how they win women’s favor. Is favor really that important?”
“They’re in a position where they have to utilize whatever they can.”
“Utilize?”
I answered while cutting protruding branches.
“An information unit isn’t something you can create in a short period of time.”
Intimate information is originally found within homes.
But noble families don’t hire people carelessly.
They thoroughly examine experience and family background.
So like growing a tree, you have to slowly put in effort to create an unquestionable history before you can place spies.
But the Irregulars’ history is short.
They’re in a position where they have no choice but to somehow win favor and infiltrate.
Charlie nodded at my explanation.
“But they don’t risk their lives with every job like we do, right?”
“They do risk their lives. Informants usually carry poison for instant death.”
“Why?”
“Because those who know too much are dangerous even to allies.”
In case they can’t endure torture and end up confessing.
“That’s why informants’ training includes enduring torture.”
“…I didn’t know. They were doing such important work.”
“Of course. Information is the biggest factor that determines the success of a job.”
Charlie nodded.
“I won’t think of them as annoying trash anymore.”
…You thought that?
* * *
“…is what she says.”
In Yuise’s unit’s meeting room.
Yuise’s aide conveyed the conversation that Yustea and Charlie had in the garden.
Yuise, who had been listening with her legs crossed, snorted.
“How eloquently she speaks. Did she seduce the Clan Leader and the elites that way?”
Yustea Andres.
Ever since that girl arrived, the condition of the unit members guarding Sanmiguel had been strange.
When Antonio made an emergency call, she answered, and he said,
[What do kids like these days?]
“You’re wasting my time to ask something like that?”
[It’s important.]
“Is it a mission?”
[No. Little Teacher isn’t even eating two bowls of rice. This means something really upset her, right?]
Click.
When an emergency call came from the Clan Leader,
[Return immediately.]
“Is Esgaroth Castle under attack?”
[The young lady went out to look for medicinal herbs and hasn’t returned. Hurry and investigate….]
Click.
‘Crazy.’
Yuise waved her hand with an annoyed expression.
“Move on to the next topic.”
“Marquis Sintus recently purchased Margust Farm.”
“Did they discover some amazing properties in Margust? Look into it more.”
“Yes. Next is news related to the saint. Terretsa Church has sent an official document requesting to dispatch clergy to Esgaroth….”
It was comforting not to have any talk about Yustea.
* * *
The next day.
An invitation arrived.
The sender was Asta.
Yustea, how are you doing?
I’m doing well.
Except for the longing I feel for Yustea.
Recently, I’ve come to think that time and affection might not be proportional.
Though the time we met was short, Yustea is to me….
(omitted)
So I’d like to invite Yustea to our gathering’s tea time.
I’ll enclose the list of attendees.
If you’re not too busy, please do attend.
At the end of the long 4-page letter, an important sentence was written.
‘A party?’
I quickly checked the list of attendees.
They were all young ladies and gentlemen from prestigious families within Esgaroth.
‘At this gathering, I might be able to get good information faster than deploying an intelligence team.’
I quickly left my room.
And went to the Clan Leader, showing him the letter and attendee list.
“This is indeed an opportunity that will help us obtain Valboa Territory.”
“Right? I’m planning to attend the party. So I need preparations. Very thorough preparations.”
“Do you need such preparations for just a tea time?”
“Noble social gatherings, Clan Leader….”
I said with wide eyes.
“Are silent battlefields.”
A place of bloody battle where every word ending is thoroughly calculated to gain advantage.
There was a reason nobles would pull out their foundation stones to debut their children in society.
Seeing my intensity, the Clan Leader nodded.
“If you write up a list of needed items, I’ll prepare them immediately.”
“Yes, and I need the intelligence team.”
“You need the intelligence team to go gather information…?”
If this young lady and this young gentleman dated and broke up, you must never bring up topics they have in common.
Even if this young gentleman was academically inferior to that young gentleman, that topic is off-limits.
If there’s resentment between this young lady’s family and that young lady’s family, you must clearly decide which side to take.
After rattling off all these points, the Clan Leader nodded.
“I’ll call Yuise immediately.”
“Yes.”
“Please wait a moment.”
I sat quietly on the sofa and waited for Yuise to come.
I was truly curious.
What kind of person would it be.
‘Gamers speculated it was a woman though.’
There were even community events to guess the gender.
How much time had passed?
There was a knock on the door.
“It’s me.”
I was startled.
Even though I have sharp senses, I hadn’t felt any presence at all.
Truly the leader of the Irregulars’ intelligence team.
The Clan Leader said.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
I quickly stood up.
“Hello. I’m Yustea.”
And when I raised my head, what I saw was.
Platinum hair that seemed to gather moonlight flowed down long.
In sky-blue eyes, a strange atmosphere flowed somehow.
And facing Yuise, I….
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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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