My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 69

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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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Dad hiding his strength
Chapter 69
Jem, eyes shut tight, wiped away the juice dribbling down her chin with the back of her hand.
“I-I-I’m sorry!”
I startled and frantically handed her a tissue.
“Don’t worry about it. Are you okay? Did you choke?”
“You’re a girl?”
The question tumbled out in my excitement, and Jem’s face twisted in exasperation.
“We share a room, so obviously I’m a girl—what, did you think I was a boy? I just cut my hair short because long hair gets in the way.”
“Wow, I mean, wow.”
“Are you an idiot? Did you seriously think I was a guy this whole time?”
“I knew you were a girl! It’s not like I ever said you were a—!”
Jemian Trahadec, they called her.
But somehow, Jem was Jemian Trahadec….
‘How is this possible?’
「Nearly two meters tall, muscular frame, hair that gleamed crimson in the sunlight.
When soldiers under the commoner mercenary captain Red Stray Dog Jemian Trahadec watched her suppress monsters at the vanguard with nothing but a Gauntlet, morale surged like wildfire.」
I stretched my cheeks wide, my mouth falling open.
It wasn’t that I was prejudiced. Any reader who’d finished the novel would never have imagined Jemian Trahadec to be a woman based on that description.
Two meters tall, rippling muscles—how on earth could anyone….
‘Author, you’ve got a problem.’
That was my conclusion.
The author’s mocking voice, though I’d never seen his face, echoed in my mind like a phantom sound.
“Aha, I never said I was a guy, did I?”
—as if to say.
‘Author, how could your narration be so unhelpful…?’
At this point, I could only assume he’d written this way deliberately to torment me before I was reincarnated into his book.
‘How many times have I been blindsided now?’
The protagonist had even raised a rebellion because of his daughter, yet she went the entire story without her name—Lilis—ever being used.
If he’d used it, I would’ve figured out the truth that Enoch was really James Brown ages ago.
And at this rate, I’m still suspicious about the Archmage Oscar, too.
I know from the original that he and I had some connection, but the story never describes it—how am I supposed to guess?
“Honestly, the author really is strange….”
“What?”
I felt like crying, but I pulled myself together and examined Jem more carefully from top to bottom.
At first glance, her red hair was cut as short as a boy’s—no one would guess she was female.
And she had all the makings of a prodigy: at only eleven years old, she towered over her classmates, her shoulders already broad and powerful.
She had the physique of someone born for Martial Arts.
“Jem, you’ve been held back two years now, right?”
“Uh, yeah.”
Ashamed of the fact, Jem’s ears turned crimson and she dropped her head.
“You bomb every Theory Exam, don’t you?”
“Well… no, wait—why are you bringing that up all of a sudden!”
“But you’re good at the Practical Exam for Martial Arts.”
“That’s right! I beat all those stupid noble brats!”
Proud, Jem puffed out her chest. I simply watched her.
Misreading my gaze, Jem’s ears flushed and she bit her lip.
“Theory… who wants to fail? When I ask teachers about what I don’t know, they just ignore me. Nobody explains anything, so what am I supposed to do on my own?”
“I see….”
“So I can’t memorize Magic Incantations and can’t cast any spells at all, which means nobody wants to take the Monthly Evaluation with me.”
“I see, I understand….”
I patted Jem’s shoulder comfortingly.
The Monthly Evaluation happened every month, but teams had to consist of four people, so not just anyone could take it.
First in Practical Exam, last in Theory Exam.
So Jem, who couldn’t cast a single spell and only knew how to use her body—
no other child would have taken her into their group.
‘Tsk tsk. If only they knew how amazing Jemian Trahadec really is.’
Me and Cheshire, plus Jem.
Imagining the team I’d assembled—three members already, enough to rival any Avengers—I grinned wickedly.
“Don’t worry, Jem. I’ve got your back.”
“Huh?”
“Take the Monthly Evaluation with me.”
“What, what? Really? But I’m going to fail Theory….”
“Don’t worry about that.”
I wrapped my short arms around Gem’s shoulders.
She swallowed hard, then tilted her body to make room for me.
“Just trust me. I’m a ninth-level cram tutor. One of my students got into Seoul National University’s Department of Mathematics Education.”
“…What’s that?”
“Never mind. You don’t need to know. Anyway.”
I pressed my cheek warmly against hers.
“Starting today, intensive training!”
* * *
That afternoon, we finally had our first Practical Exam class.
I linked arms with Gem affectionately as we headed to the Grand Hall.
Practical Exams often shared training grounds across different majors, so the Grand Hall was packed with students.
“I have to train over there….”
[Martial Arts Division—Gauntlet Technique]
Gem murmured, pointing at a sign posted in the distance.
I nodded and went to unclasp my arm from hers, but for some reason, Gem gripped mine tightly.
“…We’ll part when class starts, okay?”
“Yay! Yes! Let’s play more!”
As I was chattering away with Gem, someone tapped my shoulder from behind.
It was Cheshire.
“Oh! Cheshire, you’re here?”
Cheshire nodded, gave Gem a quick glance, then turned to me.
“That girl you were looking for—Jemienne Traha—she’s not in the Martial Arts Division. You sure about that?”
“Huh? You found me?”
Gem’s eyes went wide. Cheshire looked at her.
I scratched my head awkwardly between the two of them.
“Right. Cheshire, I found her myself. Turns out I was confused. Gem isn’t a guy—she’s a girl. And she’s my roommate, actually.”
The light is darkest under the lamp….
“Why were you looking for me?”
I patted Gem’s arm as she stared in surprise and offered an excuse.
“Oh, I just heard rumors. That there was this poor student who ranks first in practicals but dead last in theory….”
“What? I’m that famous?”
“It’s okay, Gem. Don’t let it get to you. Besides, you already agreed to intensive training with me.”
I grabbed both Gem’s hand and Cheshire’s hand and pulled them together.
“You two say hello. Let’s all be close.”
A bond forged at the Academy!
The greatest comrade—Cheshire and Jemienne!
“Jemienne Traha.”
“…Cheshire.”
“Huh? That’s it?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay then.”
I felt proud watching the two shake hands, still awkward with each other.
Later, they’d be the kind to hunt down magical beasts together, camp out during subjugation missions, and share roasted wild boar for dinner.
How moving it was, following the original story piece by piece, like assembling a puzzle!
“You guys, let’s all take the Monthly Evaluation together. We need four people, so let’s think of one more.”
“Huh?”
Gem was taken aback.
“Why?”
“Well… you’re okay with it?”
“Okay with what?”
Gem’s expression turned apologetic.
“Usually, students with higher-ranked Name Tags group together. Everyone avoids white, so there’s actually a rule—you have to include at least one white-ranked person in your team….”
Gem glanced at Cheshire’s white Name Tag.
“I didn’t know you already had a friend in mind. I’m fine either way. Just group up with him, and find the rest from the higher-ranked Name Tag students.”
The Monthly Evaluation—hunting fantastical beasts in a virtual field.
Obviously, choosing your teammates was critical.
The higher the stats of your team members, the higher your score, and the faster you graduate.
Everyone wanted to team up with kids who had high-colored Name Tags.
“No, Gem.”
“Huh?”
I shook my head vigorously, fighting back a smile.
‘One of them still doesn’t know her own strength—a first-class Ability User—and the other breaks the ranking system itself!’
I wasn’t accepting them as team members out of charity. I was planning to ride the team project gravy train.
I swallowed that thought and squeezed Gem’s hand firmly.
“It doesn’t matter. Let’s find one more white Name Tag friend. That way the white kids graduate faster too.”
“Are you serious? How does a gold Name Tag take three white ones…”
“Yeah. I’m serious.”
Gem, unaware of my devious scheming, looked moved, thinking I was giving them a ride.
“Lilis! I’m going to work really hard. I won’t burden you!”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Ha, you and Cheshire will carry the whole thing.
“Cheshire, you’re okay taking the exam with Gem, right?”
“I don’t mind.”
Gem jumped in with a bright face.
“Let’s do this right! Cheshire!”
“Yeah.”
Heartwarming stuff.
“Lilis, I’m really confident! I’ve never been to the Monthly Evaluation field before, but I swear I won’t drag you down!”
Gem’s eyes blazed with resolve as she opened the cloth bag hanging from her shoulder and pulled something out.
Gauntlets.
Her signature weapon, wrapping from the back of her hand down to her elbow.
I watched Gem strap the Gauntlets onto both arms, my mouth falling open.
“Whoa, that’s amazing…”
“Ha-ha-ha!”
Gem beamed and laughed at my amazement.
Not just Gem, but Cheshire also had a sharp Wooden Sword he’d received here.
“You both look so cool…”
Unlike the kids from the Magic Division, everyone from the Martial Arts Division had weapons.
Martial Arts majors trained in how to channel Mana into weapons like swords, gauntlets, spears, and bows.
Kind of like how my dad swings sword energy around like it’s a fireplace poker.
“And they have weapons too…”
Gem saw the envy in my expression and laughed again.
“You’re Magic Division though. You don’t need a weapon.”
“No, I have one too.”
“Really?”
I chuckled and spun the bear-shaped backpack I’d been carrying to my front.
Then I pulled out my prepared weapon and thrust it grandly into the air.
“Ta-da! Feast your eyes on this!”
Not that I needed it, but I brought it for the sheer spectacle—
“Princess Lala!”
—Cheshire’s gift, the Lala Princess Magic Staff!
“Why would you bring that of all things?”
Cheshire covered his face with his hand in embarrassment.

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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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