One Day, My Dad Disappeared - Chapter 10

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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 10
“What? Why would I…?”
I caught myself. Wasn’t that presumptuous of me? Aidan might take offense.
“Exactly. You’d have to agree it’s beyond what someone at your level deserves. You’re barely more than a junior clerk.”
“Ha, haha. Yes, of course.”
“I’m listing us as the initial discoverers. That’s what actually happened anyway, and the knights from Central Neodymium will corroborate the story.”
“To cover up the fact that they never filed a report?”
“Precisely.”
Of course, I’d need to visit Central Neodymium’s eastern, western, southern, and northern branches to find clues about Father, so being assembled into a special investigation team isn’t the worst outcome.
And if I’m part of the investigation team, perhaps I can conceal things when Father’s involvement eventually comes to light.
“Well, now you know. I’ll have the carriage take you home, so let’s go back to it.”
Aidan turned toward the carriage as if he’d said all he needed to say.
Now certain that Father was the culprit, suddenly burdened with this heavy responsibility of a special investigation team, my feet felt leaden. I’d only wanted to find Father.
That was when it happened.
Grumble—a loud sound erupted from my stomach.
And of all times, with the other knights standing right there.
…….
The knights politely averted their eyes, sparing me from their notice.
Good people. Well-mannered people.
Indeed, true gentlemen know to overlook a lady’s embarrassment.
Aidan, being a nobleman of standing, surely wouldn’t tease me over something like this?
I glanced at Aidan ahead of me. He walked undisturbed, his back perfectly straight.
Always the textbook posture you’d see in etiquette guides. My own spine was habitually curved, even standing.
Without thinking, I straightened my back and quickly climbed into the carriage.
“……What time is it that you haven’t eaten yet?”
“……Wouldn’t a gentleman pretend not to hear something like that?”
“How could anyone pretend not to hear something that loud?”
Was it really that loud? Mortified, I hugged my bag to my stomach.
“I was planning to buy a Strawberry Parfait before heading to Central Neodymium. I didn’t expect you to be waiting at my house.”
“……You’re saying it’s my fault?”
“Well, not so much blaming anyone as…….”
It is what it is.
Afraid my stomach might make another sound, I held my breath as hard as I could and gripped it tightly, but another growl escaped anyway.
He didn’t bother hiding his look of exasperation, clicking his tongue before turning his head away. I mean, being hungry is a biological function—there’s no reason to look at someone like that.
I felt a bit wronged, but Aidan had taken the trouble to come fetch me out of consideration anyway, so I decided to let it go.
I’d just have to go home and eat some of that stale bread I’d bought a few days ago.
How much longer did we travel?
“……Get out.”
“Oh, we’re already at my house?”
“No. Your house is further in.”
Then why did he want me to get out?
Ah, I see—he picked me up to save his own time, and now that he’s wasting minutes, he wants me to make my own way from here.
“Very well. I’ll see you at work on Monday.”
I turned to leave with a bow when a large hand caught my collar.
“What are you doing? You said you were hungry.”
Aidan pointed his chin toward a shop nearby.
“The Strawberry Parfait. Isn’t this the place?”
At his words, I looked around and recognized the park where the Crepe Shop I frequented stood.
“How did you know about this?”
“You’ve carried nothing but this shop’s crepe bags for all three years at the Academy. What kind of fool wouldn’t notice?”
“It wasn’t quite three full years, though.”
……Though maybe it was?
“Anyway, you worked hard this weekend. And you’ll work hard going forward, so I’ll buy you one. Though it’s too cheap to really count as a gift.”
Too cheap! I’ve scraped together what little allowance I have just to afford this treat.
“What are you waiting for? Don’t you want it?”
“I do! Can I really have two?”
…….
Aidan wordlessly produced two gold coins.

* * *

The moment Monday arrived, Aidan reported to the Emperor that the Artifact protecting Central Neodymium had vanished.
“The Special Audit Division?”
“Right. Officially, both the Gate’s Jewel and the Core made from it are classified, so we can’t exactly establish a ‘Special Core Investigation Unit.'”
I nodded at Aidan’s reasoning at once.
“Since we’re both from the Accounting Department, that cover would indeed be more convincing.”
“Exactly. In any case, we’ll be using this office from today onwards.”
And so we received a separate office.
The other departments seemed quite busy, perhaps caught off guard by the sudden emergence of the Special Audit Division.
“Eastern Central Neodymium is the closest location, so we should head there first, yes?”
“Yes, I’m fine with whatever. Should we depart immediately?”
“That’s the plan. Why?”
“Could we stop by Robean Village on the way?”
“What for? I don’t think there’s anything else we need to investigate there.”
“The Work Log I brought last time. I need to return it.”
Of course, not the original, but I couldn’t keep holding onto it indefinitely.
“There’s simply too much for me to carry alone.”
“Why not just send it as a parcel?”
This is what the wealthy are like.
Did he really not know how much it would cost to ship all those notebooks?
“We’re going that way anyway.”
“So you’re asking to use my carriage as transport?”
“Not exactly. If you deliver them on the way, we save time, save money, and it’s efficient all around.”
Aidan values efficiency above all else. He’s the type who abhors wasted time. He considered my words carefully, then finally nodded.
Good—I’d been wondering how to return all those logs, and Aidan was proving to be the perfect solution.
“Fine, whatever. It’s not difficult anyway.”
In the end, we set off toward Robean Village according to my plan.

“I’ll wait here. Just return them and come back.”
“Understood. I’ll be back shortly.”
As the bell chimed, the unremarkable interior of the Mercenary Guild greeted me.
“Well, if it isn’t Cynthia.”
Helena, who had been yawning and scratching her head, stretched languidly.
“Are you here to return the Work Log?”
“Yes. Thank you for letting me borrow it.”
“Nothing unusual in it?”
“No, nothing really…….”
Helena nodded at my answer.
“Let’s hope we don’t have the misfortune of another Gate appearing. I’m worried.”
“Yes, that’s true. But it’s quiet at the Mercenary Guild today, isn’t it? Did everyone go out on assignment?”
“Oh no. There’s a man named Theodore at the Mercenary Guild—his daughter’s getting married this week. He said he didn’t have a formal suit to wear, so everyone went together to the Tailor Shop across the way.”
Helena giggled and handed me a cup of tea.
“Since mercenaries spend all their time in practical clothing, we don’t have much formal wear. Theodore’s the first among us to have a child getting married, so he wants to dress properly for the occasion.”
“……His daughter’s getting married?”
“Yes. Theodore married quite young, actually.”
“No, that’s not what I meant…… What about Theodore’s son?”
Helena’s head tilted at my question. Her uncombed chestnut hair tumbled messily down her shoulder.
“Theodore’s son? He doesn’t have a son—only a daughter. His one and only precious child.”
“I, I need to check something.”
“Huh? Hey, finish your tea before you go!”
I heard Helena’s call, but there was no time to explain.
“What’s wrong? Why are you running?”
“Wait—Father’s diary is in here!”
I pulled the diary from my bag that I’d left in the carriage and handed it to him.

[Theodore was attending his son Edward’s wedding ceremony…….]

It clearly said his son Edward, didn’t it?
Yet Theodore only has a daughter. I didn’t miswrite Theodore’s name either.
“Could it be…….”
I tore out a blank page from my diary and began writing down the names one by one, starting from the first letter that appeared.

[Derick, Alisa, Damie, Gilbert, Owen, Elias, Seth, Bastian, Eden, Yohan, Oswald, Nathan, Dante, Thomas, Helena, Eric, Gabriel, Arthur, Theodore, Edward]

“What are you doing right now? Did you figure something out?”
“Wait, just a moment.”
I felt as though I was on the verge of understanding something.
I stared at the names I had written. There was no pattern to it. What could it be? Why had Father created a character named Edward in the first place……
“Ah. Oh!”
And in that moment, when I deciphered the hidden message Father had left, I covered my mouth.

[Dad goes beyond the gate.]

My father had gone beyond the Gate.

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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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