I Will Try to Save My Dad - Chapter 106

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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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Chapter 106

There was a reason Baltar threw a tantrum at Jena Chaser, who hadn’t lived even a fraction of his long life.
“The quality of ore from the new vein is different!”
“Yes.”
“The deeper we go, the higher the iron purity and the lower the impurity content!”
“Yes.”
“Which is why I must meet with Baron Oldman!”
“That’s not possible.”
“Not possible?!”
Baltar clutched his head in frustration. Despite his thorough explanation, Oldman’s Representative didn’t even blink.
‘I can’t meet the Baron!’
Though both came from the same mine, the ore quality was strikingly different. The deeper the new vein extended in one direction, the significantly higher the iron purity became. Within Baltar’s knowledge, this could mean only one thing.
The most perfect metal—adamantite—was influencing the surrounding minerals.
“….”
Baltar resented the inflexible Representative.
He needed to show Baron Oldman this magnificent discovery and reveal what he had accomplished.
He’d received a flattery-laden letter from Count Trabel, but that joy was short-lived. Now was not the time to feel pleased by that Trabel fool’s obvious flattery.
“Listen here, Representative.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know what Baron Oldman has done for me?”
“Yes. The Baron expresses his gratitude for your efforts. A generous bonus will be distributed to you and the workers for this achievement.”
“You understand nothing!”
Baltar huffed indignantly.
‘He’s shown me kindness!’
I needed to express my gratitude to my benefactor. Clasping hands, meeting eye to eye. Making a vow to wield my hammer for him for as long as he desired.
That was the highest form of gratitude among the Dwarves.
But if Baron Oldman had no intention of meeting me—
“Then I’ll have to repay him in my own way.”
With a snort, Baltar rose and hefted a massive pickaxe onto his shoulder. Jena Chaser asked.
“Will you be going to Baron Oldman?”
“How can I find a Baron whose address I don’t know? I’ll mine adamantite as quickly as possible.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Relief?”
“I won’t have to report you. I was worried when you picked up that pickaxe talking about revenge.”
“….”
A relief indeed. That expressionless face wasn’t that of someone deliberating. Had I mentioned going to Baron Oldman, that Representative would have reported me as a criminal on the spot.
Baltar snorted at the Representative, who lacked both flexibility and compassion.
“Just you wait. I’ll show Baron Oldman why the Dwarves’ master blacksmith is the greatest in the world.”
“What do you mean by that, sir?”
“It means the first processed adamantite will belong to the Baron.”

***

It was after all my classes had ended for the day.
I stood before Sapphire House, not Stone House.
“Wow! This is my first time visiting Sapphire House!”
At my reaction, Calips beside me scratched the tip of his nose with an awkward expression. It was a response that came from the fact that I’d been praising him since the horseback riding lessons.
Math, history, literature—I’d complimented him so much that Calips had graciously agreed to help me study for the end-of-month evaluation.
‘I honestly thought he’d say he didn’t want to study at Sapphire House.’
Studying in the classroom was different from studying at Sapphire House.
Ciel and the Twins would see me going to Sapphire House alone with Calips.
But contrary to my worries, Calips had actually laughed and said it was fine.

“I don’t mind. We can do it at my place.”
“Really?”
“Just don’t think about running away in the middle.”

He wore a wicked smile, but it was the kind of smile that reminded me of Porchi from Leaf Village. Whatever scheme he had in mind, thanks to it, my plan was proceeding smoothly.
‘If I go into Sapphire House with Calips, there’s no reason for anyone to be suspicious~! And Aunt Mariane and Uncle by Marriage are out anyway.’
I grinned and fingered the key in my pocket.
Calips pointed at the eagle statue above the entrance and puffed out his chest.
“Of course it is? How could someone like you, the lowest rank, even come to Sapphire House? Hey, have you ever seen the jewels embedded in that eagle statue? That’s what sapphire is. You wouldn’t know, having lived as a commoner.”
“….”
When I stared at Calips in response to his irritating words, he flinched with a guilty expression and asked.
“What, what is it.”
“Oho….”
“Don’t forget. Today I’m the teacher….”
Calips trailed off mid-sentence, his voice becoming meek. It seemed he thought that since I’d always held my own against every word he said before, I’d do the same to him this time too.
I looked up at such a Calips and smiled softly.
“That’s right! Thanks to you, I get to visit Sapphire House! Thank you!”
“…What?”
For a moment, Calips asked back with a dazed expression.
“Huh? Don’t I deserve thanks too?”
“Oh, yes. It’s thanks to me. Come on, let’s go in.”
Then he quickly came to his senses and opened the door to Sapphire House. Perhaps surprised by the sight of me entering with Calips, the servants working on the first floor turned their gazes toward me. Calips spoke curtly.
“What are you looking at? Get back to work.”
At his words, the gazes scattered. Unlike the other maids, a maid wearing a black tie walked toward the entrance where we stood.
“Young Master. But what brings Miss Berry here…?”
She was the Head Maid of Sapphire House. Her gaze swept from my head to my toes, clearly looking down on me. It was obvious she thought I had no business being here, that I’d wandered into a place I shouldn’t have.
‘Hmm.’
Within the Trabel Family, the order of succession was power itself.
Second place and last place. A marquis’s house and a mere commoner. Among the servants, the Separate House where one worked was as much a class distinction as anything else.
However, that was only among the servants themselves. It shouldn’t have influenced how they treated the direct line of Trabel. These were people hired by the family, not like Anne, who Father had personally employed.
‘What should I do?’
In my other memories too, there were plenty of people who let their true feelings show like this, but I only remembered silently enduring it. I probably hadn’t wanted to cause a fuss.
I spoke to the Head Maid with confidence.
“I came to visit!”
“Shouldn’t you be leaving?”
The Head Maid, who had been looking down at me with a cold gaze, rudely reached up and grabbed one of my twin braids. Then she rubbed the ribbon Theon had given me between her thumb and forefinger.
“…”
I lowered my head and took in the sight.
“You have dirt on your hair and ribbon, I see. I heard you had a riding lesson today. It’s not proper etiquette to visit someone else’s home looking so filthy.”
“What are you doing? She came here to study today. Go get her something to drink.”
“Calips, Young Master, if Miss Mariane were present, she would say the same thing I’m saying. How dare someone from Stone House come to Sapphire House like this…? And that ribbon—such cheap trash as commoners would wear…? I’m so appalled I can barely speak.”
“…Oh.”
At the sound that escaped my lips, Calips standing beside me flinched. He reached out as if to stop me, but my mouth was faster than his hand.
The maid should not have touched my ribbon.
“Oh, the ribbon came loose.”
“…Pardon?”
At my calmly spoken words, the maid made a flustered sound. The scattered gazes that had been diverted by Calips’s words focused back on me.
In that moment, I retrieved my hair from the maid’s hand. The ribbon felt soiled. I’d have to ask Theon to tie it again for me later.
I brushed away the dirt, dusting off the hair and ribbon the Head Maid had touched as I spoke.
“Calips, is it okay if I stay just until evening? I feel uncomfortable because of the dirt, and I want to leave soon, but I still need to study, right? You said you’d teach me.”
“…Y-yes, that’s fine.”
Sensing something odd, Calips nodded reluctantly.
“But the maids at Sapphire House wear such pretty shoes. Sherry said she doesn’t need pretty ones since they get dirty when working.”
“They must not be able to afford them.”
The bait I’d carelessly thrown out caught a big fish.
I slowly lifted my head toward the Head Maid.

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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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