My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 174

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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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Father Hides His Strength
Episode 174
* * *
House Valenciano’s ducal residence.
“What?”
Jillian Valenciano, Commander of the Mage Division,’s eyes went wide.
A terrorist attack in the Commoner District.
From what he’d heard, it was a fire of considerable scale.
The kind that would be difficult to suppress without a High-Tier Ability User.
‘Am I the only one who can go right now?’
When it came to fire suppression, mages were undoubtedly the specialists.
“And Ulian Erzo, the Duke? The Holy Mage Corps Commander should be in Jedo as well….”
“Yes, sir. We’ve already sent a support request to House Erzo.”
“You—you have?”
Jillian gnawed at his lip anxiously.
Duke Axion Libre, who happened to be at the scene, had specifically asked for his support—he couldn’t ignore that.
But….
‘I can’t move freely. This is troublesome.’
As Commander, he had the authority to deploy his forces as he saw fit, and as a High-Tier Ability User, suppressing the fire itself was no difficult task.
Yet….
He still couldn’t act without gauging the Emperor’s temperament.
With fires, timing was everything.
If he waited for the Emperor’s permission before moving, he’d be too late, and the Emperor would….
‘He won’t grant it. A fire in the Commoner District… well, it might actually be welcome news to the Emperor.’
Even if he did give permission, it would surely come only after the critical window for suppression had already passed.
Jillian lacked the audacity to act without the Emperor’s favor, and he certainly wasn’t in a position that afforded him such latitude.
“This is maddening….”
Jillian clutched his head in anguish.
* * *
At that same moment, in the Emperor’s chambers.
The Emperor was personally brewing tea for his guest.
“My apologies for summoning you so hastily—I know you’re a busy man.”
The guest was the Tower Master, Oscar Manuel.
“It occurred to me that I’ve been bothered by having put you through that Inquisitorial Hearing before. I wanted to make amends.”
That hearing, when he’d been pressed to explain his role in saving Theo Antrace….
It had been quite some time ago now.
‘He didn’t summon me just to dredge that up.’
Oscar was trying to gauge the Emperor’s true intentions.
“You understand, of course, that the Inquisitorial Hearing at the time was merely for show. The Commanders were so angry, what choice did I have?”
“It’s quite all right.”
“In truth, that’s just an excuse. I simply wanted to see your face again after so long.”
Oscar exhaled slowly, then finally spoke his mind.
“If you have something to say, say it. I understand the real business of tea time comes in the last ten minutes, but if I have to endure twenty pointless minutes beforehand, I break out in hives all over.”
The Emperor let out a quiet laugh at Oscar’s frown.
It was amusing, really—that consistency of his never grated, even when it should have.
“You and I are alike, you know.”
At those words, Oscar’s grip on his teacup tightened.
“As you know, without you providing Magic Formulas, no matter how much ability users might struggle, they’d be useless. So maintaining your monopoly on formulas is precisely how you maintain your power. I’m aware of that.”
“…….”
“Of course, I have no way of knowing what spells you possess, or what level of magic you’re capable of creating. Nor do I have any intention of restricting you. As long as you’re a strength to me and this empire, there’s no harm in it.”
“You’ve gone to great lengths with all that. Between two who already understand each other, there’s no need for such formality.”
At the mention of Magic Formulas, Oscar finally understood why the Emperor had summoned him.
“I’ve grasped your meaning.”
“Haha.”
Oscar studied the Emperor’s eyes as he laughed in that affable way.
‘This garbage never changes, does he.’
Magic that had saved a man on death’s doorstep.
If he could create such highest-tier Healing Magic Formulas….
‘He summoned me because he wants to know if I have any worthwhile Offensive Spells.’
The Emperor was probably thinking it over right now.
He could certainly create destructive magical formulas that would prove useful in war.
‘Yes, now it’s about time you made your move.’
While Enoch had spent the last four years absorbing nearly every power broker outside Jedo and improving the rights of commoners within the city,
the Emperor had not been idle.
Ever since the death of the High Priest four years prior—the shock that had nearly toppled the throne—he had labored tirelessly to restore the Imperial Household’s theocratic authority.
Now that he believed the atmosphere within Jedo had stabilized, he was preparing for conquest once again.
“You’ve observed well, Your Majesty. I am a man who will do whatever it takes so long as I maintain the wealth to live comfortably and the power to bow before no one. That is all I require.”
Oscar leaned back against his chair with casual arrogance.
“And thus, as things stand now, I am thoroughly satisfied.”
“Is that so?”
“Indeed. Your Majesty’s empire will remain steadfast and formidable, and I am a sufficiently powerful figure within that realm. What more could I desire?”
……
“I am content with things exactly as they are. I wish for nothing more than this peace to endure.”
What he meant was that waging war to expand territory would not serve his position.
For Oscar, this was obvious.
The empire was already a power without rival, and continental unification was merely the Emperor’s personal ambition.
“Men who agonize over which rope to grasp, which to release—they are men with weak foundations. But as you know, I lack for nothing.”
He had no need to curry favor with the Emperor.
The Emperor’s eyes, which had been relaxed, gradually grew cold.
Then.
“Your—Your Majesty. It is Ramon.”
At the sound of the Advisor’s voice from beyond the door, the Emperor’s expression hardened.
“My apologies. There is… an urgent matter….”
“Enter.”
Oscar let out a soft laugh at the trembling words and shrugged.
“Come in.”
Ramon hurried in, bowed his head, and spoke.
“Your Majesty, a major fire has broken out in the Commoner District. Public security has sent someone to request aid from the Imperial Household.”
Oscar’s eyes widened.
Alarmed at the fire? No, that wasn’t it….
‘Does this man have two lives? Why on earth would he report a fire to the Emperor?’
The request itself was absurd.
The Emperor laughed as if equally baffled.
“So you’re telling me they came all this way to ask me to extinguish a fire? Which officer?”
“That would be… the support request was made by Duke Axion, who is at the scene. The officer came on his orders.”
“Ah.”
The Emperor nodded as if understanding.
He already knew the fire would occur. He had orchestrated it himself, after all.
So there was no need for a report—and yet the Advisor had rushed in….
“Duke Axion, I must say, is quite brazen. What does he take the Emperor for?”
“Yes, well… it seems he has requested aid not only from the Imperial Household, but from the Magic Tower and both Mage Corps commanders as well….”
“Then there’s no problem. Both commanders happen to be in Jedo at the moment—if they’re bored, they’ll go.”
“Ah, yes. I suppose… you’re right?”
Ramon wiped cold sweat from his brow, gauging the Emperor’s reaction.
Oscar watched the Emperor drink his tea without apparent concern and laughed inwardly.
‘How tiresome. He knows full well they won’t go because they’re wary of him.’
It was obvious why Axion had bothered requesting aid from the Imperial Household itself.
He was not asking the Emperor to help.
He was asking for permission—so that the commanders could act without hesitation.
‘At least he contacted the Magic Tower as well. That’s fortunate.’
Oscar had delegated a portion of his authority to Robel, his Advisor at the Magic Tower.
Should an emergency arise while Oscar was away, Robel would respond swiftly.
“So you came all this way just to report that, Ramon, while we have an important guest?”
“My apologies, Your Majesty. Since Duke Axion is at the scene, and the Sword Knight Corps Commander is there as well…. I came to inform you that there may be unexpected casualties.”
“Preposterous. As if those two would stupidly perish at the scene?”
“And… Princess Rubinstein is there as well….”
The Emperor, who had been dismissing the matter with a wave, froze.
At the same moment.
“What?”
Oscar turned sharply around.
“Who’s there?”
At Oscar’s sharp question, Ramon wiped the sweat from his brow and quickly addressed the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, the Princess of House Rubinstein is also at the location. Perhaps we should check on her….”
The Emperor clicked his tongue in annoyance.
That Ability Users had been caught up in the incident was unexpected, but neither Axion nor Cheshire posed any real concern.
But Enoch’s daughter….
‘That girl—there’s nothing about her I find agreeable.’
If something happened to Lilis, it would become troublesome.
Even knowing full well she was present at that very location, to leave her be would be….
‘Enoch would lose his mind.’
And it wasn’t just Enoch.
Seeing Oscar about to slip away without a word, the Emperor moved to stop him.
“Hold on. Where are you going?”
“I understand a request for assistance has been sent to the Magic Tower. I thought I should go.”
“Why on earth would you go there?”
Rising to his feet, the Emperor gripped Oscar’s shoulder firmly.
“Is it because of the princess?”
“…….”
Oscar was fixated on bringing Enoch’s daughter into the Magic Tower.
One might even call it an obsession. He and Oscar had already clashed over this matter before.
“Now that I think of it, I believe I could help the princess gain entry to the Magic Tower. Circumstances have changed since before, after all.”
The Emperor’s mind was already working.
Her value as a leash was gone now, so whether she went to the Magic Tower or not….
“If Enoch is opposed, I’ll have a word with him. I’ll see to it that the princess can enter the Magic Tower.”
“Your Majesty.”
Oscar pulled his shoulder free from the Emperor’s grasp, his teeth clenched.
“There’s a fire—there’s a fire, and I need to go now, I need to check on it….”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about the child. Why would someone of your caliber concern himself with such a minor disturbance?”
The Emperor smiled with benevolent warmth, tilting his head ever so slightly.
And then.
“……!”
In the spot where the Emperor had been sitting, Lilis materialized in an instant.
Her clothes were in ruins.
Ash clung to patches of her pale face.
Gasp.
Oscar’s breath caught in shock.
His mind went blank white.
“…….”
“…….”
The child, bewildered by the sudden situation, soon spotted the Emperor’s face and froze.
“How pitiful.”
The Emperor approached without hesitation and drew out a handkerchief, gently wiping the ash from the child’s cheeks.
“Ah….”
It was barely possible to breathe.
Tears welled up rapidly in Lilis’s eyes, stretched wide with terror to their limit.

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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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