My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 71

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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
Chapter 71
* * *
Oscar Manuel, Master of the Magical Tower, had been summoned to the Imperial Palace.
What could this be about?
No matter how he turned it over in his mind, there was only one matter the Emperor would call him directly to discuss.
“So you’re thinking of bringing the Rubinstein princess into the Magical Tower?”
The Emperor set down his tea cup as he asked.
As expected.
He was smiling, but Oscar would certainly displease him.
The Emperor wanted to hold Enoch’s leash in exchange for exempting Lilis from military service.
But if Lilis became a researcher at the Magical Tower—which amounted to military service exemption—his entire scheme would come to nothing.
“Yes, that’s correct. Indeed, the blood of Rubinstein runs true. I’m confident that if she works at the Magical Tower, she will be of great benefit to the Empire.”
“Let it go.”
“Pardon?”
Oscar tilted his head, feigning innocence.
“Surely the matter of hiring a member of the Magical Tower falls within my autonomous authority—a domain Your Majesty graciously granted me directly.”
“I’ve no intention of meddling in your authority, but Rubinstein is off the table. You know the reason without my saying it.”
“I’m afraid I cannot fathom Your Majesty’s grand designs. I merely harvest talent for the advancement of the Magical Tower.”
The Emperor let out a short laugh at Oscar’s evasive response.
“You needn’t fathom my designs at all. Simply accede to my request this once. Do not touch the princess.”
“That would be difficult, Your Majesty.”
Oscar pressed back without yielding.
“Surely you understand why the Magical Tower gained its power, why successive emperors have granted it freedom and privileges. You cannot have forgotten.”
“Indeed. I know well enough.”
If the Imperial House—born of Prymera—was the source of magic itself,
then the Magical Tower was like a workshop that could cast that magic to useful purpose and wield it skillfully.
Countless spell formulas were all created within the Magical Tower.
Even now, within the Tower, powerful and intricate magics were being born anew.
“No matter how strong those with talent may be, if they cannot deploy that strength efficiently, what use is it? The Magical Tower has dedicated itself to the mighty empire Your Majesty desires.”
Oscar added this with a solemn expression, his lips pressed together.
“To restrict our freedom in this manner… I confess I find it somewhat disappointing.”
“If you’re displeased, I regret it, but this is not a matter I can easily withdraw from.”
At the Emperor’s intractable stance, Oscar’s eyes grew sharp.
‘Damn. I didn’t expect the Emperor to take this line.’
He was willing to seize Enoch Rubinstein’s leash even at the cost of enmity with the Magical Tower?
It was unexpected.
Oscar’s expression, which had been relaxed, hardened.
“So you’re willing to sacrifice a cordial relationship with me—all to place an entire family, or more precisely, just a single talented individual, beneath your heel. Is that a fair interpretation?”
Oscar leaned forward and asked quietly.
The Emperor, taking up his tea cup again, smiled with unperturbed ease.
“Interpret it as you wish.”
* * *
Oscar walked silently out of the Emperor’s study, then suddenly drove his fist into the wall.
Bang!
Robel, who had been following him—Oscar’s aide and chief administrator of the Magical Tower’s Gifted Management Division—stared with his mouth agape.
“That old bastard won’t die quick enough. This is insane.”
“Yikes…! Shh, shh!”
Robel’s eyes went wide with alarm as he glanced frantically about, then hurried around to get in front of Oscar.
“Please, be quiet!”
“…I should kill him.”
“Agh, your mouth! Please, your mouth! What are you saying in the middle of the Imperial Palace corridor?!”
Robel stamped his feet in distress.
“What’s wrong? Are you upset that you can’t scout the princess to the Magical Tower?”
Robel couldn’t understand it.
He knew about Oscar’s obsession with collecting talent, but…
Was losing Lilis to the Magical Tower really worth such anger?
Enough to curse openly at the Emperor?
“No matter how bold the Magical Tower is, you are still a subject of the Empire. You cannot entirely ignore the Emperor’s will.”
……
“I’m not saying I’ll do whatever I want with the Magical Tower, and all I’m asking is that you leave Rubinstein alone. Is that really so difficult?”
Oscar ran his hand through his hair with visible irritation.
What would Robel understand?
It wasn’t anger at being unable to bring Lilis to the Magical Tower.
Not for Oscar.
‘If I don’t do something, it won’t work.’
That is, ‘The Returned One’.
Oscar Manuel
carried a responsibility not to let tragedy repeat itself.
“Honestly, your hand must hurt, right?”
Robel asked, watching Oscar absentmindedly massage the fist he’d driven into the wall.
Oscar nodded.
“Yeah, it hurts like hell.”
“Then maybe rein in your temper a bit.”
“Now that you mention it….”
Oscar stopped mid-stride.
“If we use the Warp Gate here, it goes straight to the Training Academy.”
Robel’s eyes went wide.
“What—what? Why would—are you planning to abduct her there? Have you completely lost your mind?”
“Abduct her? What, does her father have something against me?”
Oscar smirked.
Enoch Rubinstein….
It wasn’t a joke—he was genuinely a man who loved his daughter more than his own life.
A man who was selfless in every way, yet made the selfish choice to resurrect his daughter without hesitation at the final moment.
“That’s not what this is. Let’s just go. I need to see her face and talk.”
“Wait, hold on—!”
Oscar hurried ahead.
* * *
I hadn’t slept a wink last night.
I’d thought about Oscar, and I’d investigated the bracelet’s function.
‘This bracelet is made entirely for me. Oscar definitely knows who I am.’
The bracelet displayed the Life Force I consumed whenever I used my abilities.
My lifespan was roughly double that of an ordinary person.
Which meant I aged proportionally—half the time shown on the bracelet.
Cast a spell for thirty minutes, age fifteen minutes.
Cast a spell lasting a year, age six months.
‘How much Life Force does Grade A Attack Magic consume?’
I stared at the bracelet.
30min
Thirty minutes. Using Grade A magic meant aging fifteen minutes.
Just thinking about it let me sense the Life Force consumption in advance.
‘I was going to test magic directly to gauge the drain, but I don’t even need to now.’
More than that, I’d been worried someone might notice the bracelet displaying time every time I used my ability and see through my identity.
‘But Oscar thought of that when he made this.’
When I’d asked my roommates if they could see anything on the bracelet, they all tilted their heads in confusion.
Only I, the caster, could see the Life Force consumption.
‘I don’t know how he figured out who I am, but Oscar knows everything. So I need to see him soon. To….’
Negotiate? No.
I’d have to fall to my knees, plant my hands on the ground, and beg like a fly.
Begging him to keep my identity secret.
Fortunately, Oscar seemed well-disposed toward me for some reason, but if he changed his mind, everything would be over.
In other words, he held my life in his hands….
“Hey, isn’t that the Master of the Magical Tower?”
“Oh my god, yeah. With the white hair and everything….”
“We saw him at our entrance ceremony, remember?”
I snapped my head up at the voices around me.
‘What? How is he here at exactly the right moment?’
We were in the middle of practical outdoor training.
I spotted Oscar in the distance, conversing with the supervising researcher, and my stomach dropped.
Why would the busy Master of the Magical Tower visit the Training Academy to watch novices like us?
“The Magical Tower Master is supposed to be a terrifying person.”
“Yeah. I’ve heard it too—apparently he barely speaks, and he’s cold like that.”
I frowned as I listened to the children whispering among themselves.
That rumor had no basis whatsoever.
I still hadn’t forgotten how he’d belched loudly at our first meeting.
Soon enough, Oscar approached me.
“Dear one, it’s been a while.”
……?
Why are you doing this?
“I had business at the Imperial Palace, and it reminded me of you, so I came by.”
“Um, about that.”
I glanced sideways with one eye.
Just as I thought—all the children were staring at Oscar and me with their eyes wide open.
“I got permission from the instructor. Want to find somewhere quiet and talk for a bit?”
“Yes, yes! Master, I have something to tell you too!”
I hurriedly pushed him away before he could say anything stranger and draw more attention.
Fortunately, Oscar went along with it without resistance.
“Master!”
Once we’d turned behind the training grounds, I dropped to my knees without warning.
Oscar flinched in surprise.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ve been so misbehaved this whole time. Not wanting to study, and—just, I’m truly, deeply sorry.”
“Pfft. Pffhahahaha…!”
Oscar laughed, clutching his stomach.
Then he helped me to my feet and brushed the dirt from my knees, meeting my eyes.
“So. You tried on the bracelet, didn’t you?”
I swallowed hard, the sound audible.
Cold sweat beaded on my skin, and my eyes were growing hot.
As I stood there tensely, biting my lip, Oscar tapped my cheek lightly.
“Don’t be scared. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Really?”
“If I’d meant to spread rumors, why would I have made such a device and given it to you in the first place?”
“You really mean that?”
“Yeah. Really.”
“But why? There are so many things I’m curious about. Can I ask?”
“Sure. I’ll answer what I can.”
“How did you know?”
“Ah, this. Starting with that question.”
Oscar stroked his chin thoughtfully, rolling his eyes this way and that.
“How should I even answer that?”
After a long pause while he chose his words, he muttered “I hope it’s all right” before speaking.
“Because it’s a ‘Restriction.'”
The moment the words left his mouth, Oscar gasped, clutching his chest.
“Cough…!”
Blood poured from his mouth in a torrent.
“…! What, what—why, why….”
“Hack, khhhh! Gasp!”
His hand flew to his throat as he collapsed to his knees, blood spilling ceaselessly from his lips.
‘He’s—he’s going to die like this.’
I looked at the bracelet, thinking of how to heal Oscar.
1 year
‘Insane. Dear gods. A whole year? So I grow six months at once?’
My vision swam.
But there was no time to hesitate.
‘Screw the year! Save Oscar!’
Reviving him after death would require far more life force.
“Ha… ha…”
Very slowly, Oscar’s ragged breathing began to ease.
The bleeding stopped, and his expression grew calm.
At the same moment, I felt my bangs slightly obscure my vision.
‘Oh, my hair’s grown….’
I spread my palm urgently and turned it this way and that. Thankfully, the growth of my body didn’t seem to show much.
“Have you lost your mind?”
Oscar crawled over and seized my hand in his.

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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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