I Don’t Need a Dad Like This! - Chapter 45
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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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【Chapter 45】
[Anyway, now that we’ve dealt with the dark mage matter, let me explain the events from before the regression that you don’t know about.
Five years ago, a war broke out with the Fold Empire. However, the Chronos Empire was losing, and anticipating defeat, I turned back time.
The cause of the war was that a group of dark mages who had been running rampant in the Fold Empire disguised themselves as Theodore’s diplomatic mission and assassinated the Emperor of the Fold Empire.
I regressed to three years ago and prevented that assassination. From this day forward, the two empires began to share information related to dark magic and emerged as allied nations.
However, having suffered severe injuries in place of the Emperor, I was pursued by dark mages. To make matters worse, I was under a memory loss magic spell and couldn’t use my abilities.
I was dying in the forest when a woman who happened to be passing by treated me.
That woman was Emilia.]
* * *
After sending Rie home and being left alone with Jair in the Imperial Palace reception room, Casselik got straight to the point.
“What is it.”
“What do you mean?”
“The reason I performed regression. It would be more comfortable for Your Highness the Crown Prince if there were no more regressions.”
“Ah. I don’t know either.”
“Excuse me?”
“I just said it because I was annoyed.”
The boy’s lips twisted like a mischievous child.
“…Hah.”
Casselik pressed his forehead in disbelief.
If the other party hadn’t been the Crown Prince, he would have flipped the table.
However.
“But I do know that the time I’ve been trapped is 10 years because the Duke has regressed so many times.”
“10 years…?”
“You look completely clueless. So I’m the only one who suffered alone for 10 years again.”
He couldn’t hide his surprise at Jair’s grumbling words.
‘He repeated regressions for 10 years?’
Why? What could there be to regret that much.
His past self wouldn’t have been a fool either.
Then there must have been a valid reason.
That’s when it happened.
‘The people here. They keep glancing at Rie because she did something wrong. When they glance like that, scary things happen.’
Suddenly, the child’s frightened voice flashed through his mind.
A sense of unease struck him.
Could it be something related to the child?
“More importantly, Duke. Do you know that your lifespan has been shortened right now?”
Then, at Jair’s sudden question, Casselik returned from his thoughts to reality.
“Did you see the future?”
“Yes. Your death has been moved up. It’s not from an accident or illness either.”
“That means….”
Casselik’s brow furrowed as he understood the intent behind the question about ‘lifespan.’
Originally, Time Ability Users had no restrictions on using their abilities.
But-
“Yes. It shortened as the price for using my time ability.”
However, ‘after a new ability user was born,’ God’s blessing turned toward the next generation’s ability user.
Naturally, the previous Time Ability User’s powers would deteriorate, and they could only use them at the cost of their own lifespan.
“Then that means a new Time Ability User has truly been born, not Mary.”
“That’s right.”
“Then that person is….”
It was most likely Rie, who had suddenly changed one day.
If so, then the Theodore Ducal House’s direct line had inherited the ability without incident.
But somehow his thoughts became complicated.
‘If my lifespan has shortened, then Rie has definitely awakened….’
The fact that she hadn’t revealed her identity probably meant she didn’t want to return to the Duke’s Castle that much.
With that thought, he became confused about whether he should acknowledge her first.
Just then.
“By the way, why didn’t you check your notebook? I know you looked at it diligently every regression. Did you get dementia or something?”
“…It was stolen.”
If only he had the notebook, there wouldn’t be any reason for such complications.
Could Rie have taken that too?
Casselik briefly dismissed the doubt that arose in his mind. The child didn’t even know of its existence, so that would be difficult.
“Ah, so that’s how things got to this point.”
“That’s not the main point.”
“Your stupidity is also a main point of this conversation.”
“Sigh…. Anyway, what I wanted to talk about is that dark magic has infiltrated the Empire. We need to eliminate them.”
Casselik emphasized in a low voice.
He had been wary of Dark Mages since long ago. The thought that they must be driven out of this Empire and completely eradicated was like an instinct to him.
Then Jair’s voice also became much more serious.
“Ah, that’s right. A Dark Mage was hiding in House Theodore?”
“Yes.”
It was when Casselik’s expression darkened with that thought.
“Jair. Duke Casselik.”
Just then the Emperor appeared, and the two men stood up and paid their respects.
“We greet Your Majesty.”
“Yes, yes. Neither of you have amusing personalities, so let’s get straight to the point.”
The Emperor sat down and continued speaking.
“I heard news that dark mages had appeared and sent people to the Greenlenton Count House. But they must have noticed somehow and fled like rats.”
“With that level of intelligence gathering, there must be someone backing Mary. Currently, the dark mages’ target seems to be Duke Theodore.”
“Hmm. Then we’ll need to throw out some bait to catch those rats…”
Casselik, who had been thinking about something, spoke up.
“Haven Ford Bridge, which has been under construction for three years, is scheduled to be completed this month. If the route to the Northern Region opens up, we’ll be able to export Southern Region specialties to the north as well.”
“…Are you suddenly bragging?”
“That’s not it. We’ll obtain suppliers for the specialties to export to the north through a reverse auction. It would be the only opportunity for uninvited parties to meet me.”
Reverse auction.
Opposite to regular auctions, it was a trading method where among competitors selling specific goods, the person offering the lowest price would win.
In that case, there would surely be dark mages appearing disguised as merchants.
The Emperor’s eyes flashed at Casselik’s answer.
“If the dark mages are indeed targeting you, they’ll participate in that auction by any means necessary.”
“Yes. Since it’s difficult to find their stronghold, I’ll use myself as bait to lure them out.”
“Good. Then let’s wait for the right time.”
After finishing the secret meeting and leaving the Imperial Palace, Casselik got into his carriage.
And-
“Go to House Birdwell.”
“Yes.”
In truth, throughout the entire meeting, Casselik couldn’t erase the child’s frightened voice from his mind.
If his regret was related to them.
He had to visit Rie and Emilia and hear about what they had experienced all this time.
* * *
Meanwhile, Rie couldn’t get over her shock.
“…Mother saved Father. That means Father kicked his benefactor away. He’s really, really… a bad person!”
“I knew this would happen! I should go kick that bastard’s butt right now! Let’s quickly stop time!”
“Grr…!”
Rie’s small fists trembled.
She wanted to kick Dung Cart’s butt like Kami suggested, but there was still a lot more to read.
Thanks to the large amount of energy accumulated during the process of Rie revealing the dark mage’s identity.
“Let’s read the rest first and then think about it!”
Rie turned to the next page.
[Thanks to Emilia’s treatment, I recovered and barely regained my memories.
And I also learned that the one who tried to kill me was my own older brother, Count Greenlenton.
Originally, he should have become the head of the Theodore Ducal House, but when my time ability manifested, he was pushed out of the position. And he became an adopted son-in-law of the Greenlenton Count House.
But Count Greenlenton knew my identity that even I didn’t know.
That I was an illegitimate child.
Emilia learned this fact during the process of uncovering my identity when I had amnesia.
After much searching, we found where my birth mother was, but she had already passed away several years ago.
And when he discovered that her birth mother was from the servant class of the Theodore Ducal House, he investigated even that far-
To conclude, my father apparently had me with a servant after his firstborn, Greenlenton, was revealed to be a Non-Ability User.]
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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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