How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 98

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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 98

“…What?”

“We entered this place three days ago. During those three days, five of our members were taken down by monsters. Including Yohaël!”

At those words, Luciano, the unit members, and I furrowed our brows.

“What do you mean….”

“How could you have arrived three days ago?”

The unit members stirred restlessly.

Meanwhile, Luciano and I looked at each other.

“Don’t tell me this is….”

“Right.”

When Luciano and I showed expressions of realization, the other unit members asked.

“Do you understand what’s happening?”

I nodded.

“In this dungeon, each group that enters arrives at different time periods.”

“Different time periods?”

For example, it’s like this.

Let’s say there are two teams entering from outside.

-Team 1 arrives on ‘January 4th’.

-Team 2 arrives on ‘January 2nd’.

This way, when you enter, you can’t know which time period you’ll end up in.

“Is such a thing possible…!”

One of the unit members gasped.

Then Luciano muttered with an expressionless face.

“Magic related to time doesn’t actually exist.”

“Then…?”

“This is a mental world. It means only our consciousness has been summoned here.”

That’s right.

“Then this isn’t the Reconstruction Council’s headquarters.”

“Right. This mental world is probably a trap designed to break intruders’ minds and prevent them from infiltrating the real headquarters.”

At Luciano’s words, Antonio’s unit member said cheerfully.

“Then it doesn’t matter if we die here! Wow, I was really curious about what it feels like to die, so now I can experience it!”

I smiled kindly.

“I said it’s a trap that breaks your mind. If you die, your consciousness disappears.”

“What, then I don’t want to die….”

“That would be wise.”

At that moment, Stella screamed once again.

“Kyaah—!”

The pigeon’s eyes glowed red.

The pigeon that fluttered up tried to peck at Stella.

I drew the sword from a unit member’s waist.

With a sharp sound, the unsheathed sword aimed for the pigeon’s nape.

And then, slash—!

Blood spurted like a fountain from the pigeon’s neck.

“Hnngh….”

Stella, who had been trembling with hunched shoulders, took a deep breath.

Then she looked at the pigeon rolling on the ground with its neck severed.

Next, Stella’s eyes turned to the sword in my hand.

I handed the sword hilt back to the unit member.

Stella frowned.

“You acted like you wouldn’t save me, so what’s this sudden change? Did you finally feel pity now that I might actually become a statue?”

“As if.”

“Then?”

“Because using you is more efficient for gathering information.”

Listening to Stella’s explanations is more efficient than searching the castle one by one.

You shouldn’t stay long in places like mental worlds.

If you’re not careful, you might go insane.

Stella frowned.

“You think I’ll help you even knowing you want to use me?”

“If you don’t? Will you stay here like this?”

“….”

“From what I can see, your remaining members can’t save you either, so will you live here forever getting attacked by pigeons?”

Stella bit her lips tightly.

She seemed to realize she had no choice.

But her pride was hurt, as her voice turned cold.

“There are no people here.”

“No people?”

“Right. They’re all ghosts. That’s why they sleep during the day and wake up at night.”

So that was the reason why no one was visible in the castle.

It’s broad daylight now.

The ghosts were asleep and not showing themselves.

“We arrived here at night. We were attacked by ghosts… they’re ridiculously strong.”

The people Stella brought looked strong at first glance.

Judging by the mana rippling along their body contours, they seemed to be Andres’s Elite.

For such people to become statues.

‘We absolutely must not engage in direct combat.’

Our side brought people specialized in tracking, so our attack power doesn’t match Stella’s pursuit force.

I asked Stella.

“But how are you fine? And what’s with that outfit?”

The Stella I saw in front of the cave was wearing the same pants as me with armor.

But now Stella is wearing a luxurious dress.

Her hair was beautifully braided and she was even wearing a veil.

“The ghosts took a liking to me and Yohaël.”

“Took a liking?”

“Right. So they made us serve the castle lord’s family. Yohaël pretended to serve while looking for a way to escape this place, but the ghosts caught him and he became a statue.”

“What about your other members?”

“There were two members they liked, but they didn’t care for the others and immediately turned them into statues.”

What’s the criteria for liking someone?

Divine power?

No, the other members seemed to be mages.

Then they wouldn’t have divine power.

I was furrowing my brow when.

Screech—!

A strange cry came from outside the castle.

Stella flinched.

“No, night is coming…!”

“Night?”

“Here, the sunset doesn’t come slowly with evening. When that bird cries, night comes!”

The bird had already cried.

‘Then….’

I hurriedly pulled the curtains to check outside.

The sun had disappeared without a trace.

The sky was dyed navy blue, with the moon and stars in place.

Then….

“Young Lady.”

I heard the tense voices of the unit members from behind me.

I forced my stiffened neck to turn and look back.

[Ah, more rude guests have come to visit.]

A muscular woman who appeared to be at least 2 meters tall pushed up the bridge of her monocle.

Her body was translucent.

Moreover, her voice didn’t enter through my ears, but seemed to penetrate my consciousness.

The woman reached out her hand.

One of the unit members quickly drew his sword.

And tried to cut the woman….

“…!”

The sword couldn’t cut the woman.

It just passed through her body as if cutting through smoke.

However, the woman’s attack was different.

Without any weapon, the woman strongly pushed the unit member’s chest.

The unit member was slammed straight into the wall.

Then he couldn’t move for a while as if hit by a shockwave.

‘No wonder we’re helplessly defeated!’

[In our castle, we don’t receive rude people as guests.]

Led by the woman, ghosts rushed toward us.

Luciano, the unit members, and I were cornered against the wall, facing off with the ghosts.

Luciano whispered.

“Can you purify them?”

“I’ve been trying since earlier, but it’s impossible.”

It seemed I couldn’t use mana since this was a mental world.

Magic and divine power didn’t work, and physical attacks were impossible too.

We were completely cornered.

But then.

[Oh my!]

The muscular woman passed through a unit member and suddenly thrust her face toward Luciano.

[Premium grade! This is premium grade!]

Premium grade?

The woman quickly turned her head.

She looked at the Unit Member of Yuis and widened her eyes again.

[This one’s useful too! And….]

Next, she looked at me.

[Oh my, this one too! Ah, the young master and young lady will be pleased!]

Three people she liked?

‘What do Luciano, the Unit Member of Yuis, and I have in common…?’

Antonio’s Unit Member quickly raised his hand.

“Excuse me, what about me?”

Then.

[We don’t need ugly ones—!!]

…Ah.

Antonio’s Unit Member was upset.

“Even ghosts judge by looks in this rotten world!”

Well, it seemed that way.

* * *

The muscular female ghost smiled brightly and said.

[Good. We’ll give these beautiful guests a chance to serve as attendants.]

Stella looked at me with a pale face.

Her expression said to do something.

When the muscular ghost clapped her hands, other ghosts approached us.

[What shall we do with the others, Head Maid?]

[Turn them into stone statues and lock them in the underground. Count Papan has strange hobbies, so he’ll buy even statues made from such things.]

[Yes.]

The muscular ghost, the one called Head Maid, laughed wickedly.

The ghosts approached the unit members who weren’t chosen by the Head Maid.

Just as the unit members were about to be captured.

“Excuse me!”

I quickly raised my hand.

The attention of both people and ghosts focused on me at once.

And I boldly said to the ghosts.

“We cannot serve as attendants.”

[That’s not for you to decide. The weak have no right to choose.]

The Head Maid looked pitying, as if she felt sorry for these weak and foolish beings who didn’t know such things.

I shook my head and said.

“No, it’s not our opinion. Because we… are people sent by Count Papan.”

Everyone present widened their eyes.

Stella’s face asked what on earth I was talking about.

However, I calmly looked at the Head Maid.

‘The Head Maid mentioned Count Papan earlier.’

He’ll even buy such things.

In other words, he’s a VIP among VIPs.

[…What did you say?]

“Count Papan sent us to inspect the stone statue trade beforehand.”

[Hmm….]

The Head Maid narrowed her eyes.

She seemed incredulous.

However, if they were truly guests sent by a VIP, she couldn’t treat them carelessly.

[We’ll need to verify this. Send an owl to Count Papan’s castle.]

[Then what shall we do with these… I mean, these people?]

[Let’s escort them to the underground for now.]

[Yes.]

“That child should come with us too.”

When I pointed to Stella, the ghosts’ eyebrows twitched.

[That child is the young lady’s attendant. It would be troublesome for her to serve you.]

“Insignificant humans like us are affected just by being with ghost ladies. If you don’t want to ruin us, the ones Count Papan sent, please grant this request.”

The Head Maid crossed her arms and looked at me with displeasure.

Whether I was lying or truly a guest sent by Count Papan, she would be displeased either way.

[We’ll escort you temporarily until the young lady wakes up.]

Success.

We headed underground under the ghosts’ guidance.

Underground, there were all kinds of stone statues.

They must all be intruders.

Passing the statues, we reached a certain room.

It’s called a room, but there isn’t a single window.

‘It’s a detention facility.’

It seemed they had locked us up in this place in case we were guests.

The ghosts closed the door and disappeared.

Stella hurriedly turned the door handle, but the door was firmly locked.

“What kind of stupid thing is this!”

Stella glared at me with an extremely agitated face.

“If this continues, you’ll all become stone statues. You won’t even be able to look for a chance to escape!”

“Neither of us can escape when we get the chance. Look at yourself.”

“….”

“Why couldn’t you escape during the day?”

Stella bit her lips.

I slightly lifted Stella’s skirt.

Iron shoes were fitted on her feet.

“It’s because of this, isn’t it?”

“How did you know….”

“Your walking sound was strange. I assume something bad happens to you if you leave the castle?”

“….”

“So you just wanted to console yourself with the thought that we’d be serving alongside you.”

“Why do you talk like that…!”

Stella shouted.

I covered Stella’s mouth.

‘This girl, really.’

“Are you trying to make the ghosts swarm here?”

“I….”

Stella bit her lips.

I let out a sigh.

“Philip.”

At my words, Antonio’s Unit Member who had been squinting looked at me.

“Yes, Young Lady.”

“Unlock it.”

“Yes.”

I said I brought those with special skills too.

Philip was someone who could unlock any lock.

Philip said to Stella.

“Let me borrow that metal pin from your hair.”

Stella flinched, but Philip casually took out the pin.

And he unlocked it in an instant.

We immediately left the room and examined the stone statues.

“Look for your unit members.”

Then I went around searching for Yohaël.

But instead of looking for her unit members, Stella followed behind me and said.

“Doing this won’t bring back the people who became stone statues.”

“Can’t you just look for them, please?”

“Explain it. I need to know what you’re doing so I can help.”

Luciano crossed his arms and looked at Stella and me.

Stella looked at Luciano.

As if asking for help.

“Can Your Highness understand this behavior?”

“….”

“I don’t understand. Why she’s so unfriendly and self-righteous.”

“….”

“If she wants to ask for help, making me understand should come first. Please tell her that, Your Highness.”

Then she glared at me.

“That girl seems to have ill feelings toward me and doesn’t want to listen to what I say.”

“Why should Yustea make you understand?”

“…What?”

Luciano let out a chuckle.

“There’s no time to explain right now.”

“But….”

“Besides, even if we explain, you’ll keep asking questions and waste time.”

“That’s….”

“Most importantly, your word choice is wrong.”

Luciano looked at Stella.

“The one giving help isn’t you, it’s Yustea.”

“No, I am!”

“See. Even now, Yustea is looking for your unit members and Yohaël.”

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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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