One Day, My Dad Disappeared - Chapter 12

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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 12
As the carriage came to a complete halt, Aidan opened the door and stepped out first.
A warm breeze brushed my cheek. So this was the Eastern Region. Unlike the Capital City with its towering buildings, the Eastern Region stretched endlessly with fields and paddies, and irrigation channels wove intricately along the river.
When the wind blew, wheat and barley rippled like waves of gold. The land was fertile, blessed with abundant sunlight and a broad river running through it—grain grew in the fields, and fruit in the forests and hills.
Most of The Empire’s food supply came from here.
Apparently word had reached them of our arrival, for a guard approached and greeted us.
“Welcome, sirs. I am Sage, the guide assigned to Eastern Central Neodymium.”
“How are patrols being conducted here?”
“No different from anywhere else, sir.”
While Aidan examined the duty roster Sage had offered, I approached the Central Neodymium.
The structure was identical to the one in the Capital City. Even down to the empty Core in the center.
“Hmm.”
The traces I felt when examining the surroundings—
This was taken by my father too.
“When did you discover the Core was missing?”
“Three months ago, sir. Since we patrol daily, we found it fairly quickly. The night shift discovered it at dawn.”
“Was there anything unusual? Any strange sounds or…?”
“Nothing particular, sir. As you can see, Eastern Central Neodymium is situated deep in the forest. If someone had taken it, it would have been in the dead of night—but wouldn’t that be practically impossible? Who would come to a place like this?”
Sage shrugged and looked around. He was right; reaching this place at night wouldn’t have been easy. Without the Village, one couldn’t get here without a carriage, and without any lighting installed, it would be pitch dark.
“Are there no Villagers who come here at night to forage?”
“Well, it’s fine during the day, but at night wild animals come out fairly often.”
“Wild animals?”
“Yes, wild boar and wolves and such. That’s why we guards ride together in a carriage from the Village entrance. Ordinary people can’t gather greens or pick mushrooms at night.”
If even trained guards found it too dangerous to travel alone and rode together, then clearly no one would have thought anyone would come at night.
“So the night patrol just slacked off, did they?”
“…Excuse me?”
Sage’s smiling face slowly hardened.
“In the middle of the night, thinking no one dangerous would actually come to such a place, you all relaxed and idled, didn’t you? Isn’t that right?”
“No, sir! That’s not… We would never be like that! Even though our shifts are at night, we don’t neglect our duties!”
“Young master, over here.”
Then Aidan’s servant respectfully held out a bottle. A Liquor Bottle.
“As you suspected, young master, I searched the secluded spots and found them scattered throughout that thicket over there. More than just one or two—it seemed habitual.”
The servant was right. I barely parted the brush and the reek hit my nose at once. The smell of alcohol mingled with empty food tins.
“Ugh, the stench. This has fermented quite thoroughly.”
I couldn’t say when it was consumed, but there were fruit peels and bone scraps scattered about.
Some bottles still had their caps on, the liquor sloshing inside—whether saved for later or simply abandoned.
“That, that was…! At night, you need alcohol to forget the cold a bit…and we’re frightened, so we need the spirits to give us courage and make the time pass, haha!”
“This is quite strong spirits indeed. The proof is… wow, 40 degrees?”
I turned the bottle over in my hands, examining it.
“It’s remarkable you managed to stand watch after drinking this. Or rather—you didn’t properly stand watch at all, which is why no one noticed when someone broke in.”
“Exactly. At this strength of liquor, you wouldn’t hear it even if wild animals came down from the hills.”
Especially if that someone were my father, who could mask his presence as skillfully as any beast.
“No, no! We didn’t drink that much—”
“Didn’t you?”
Green eyes cut through him sharply. Sage’s gaze darted away quickly. It seemed they did drink that much, after all.
At this strength, even one cup would make you drunk. I’d feel intoxicated just from the smell.
“I’ll file a detailed report with my superiors on your behalf, so don’t worry.”
“Y-Your Highness Winslow!”
“What? Do you have more to say?”
Seeing the futility of further protest, Sage finally gave up and shook his head.
“Tsk. There’s nothing more to gain here.”
I agreed with Aidan’s assessment and climbed back into the carriage.
As the carriage resumed motion, Aidan gazed out the window at the receding Neodymium and let out a sigh.
“Pathetic. Those people were supposed to be guarding the Neodymium.”
“Indeed. What if other locations are in a similar state?”
“The Southern Region shouldn’t be. Southern Central Neodymium is built right in the center of a resort town. And in the Northern Region, anyone who drank themselves to sleep would simply freeze to death.”
That’s a relief, at least. But if the Core there has already been gone for just as long, finding any remaining clues will be difficult.
“So my father found it easiest to take the Core from the Eastern Region.”
“Certainly—compared to the other locations, it was easiest. Concealing your presence was basic training for a mercenary. Slipping quietly among drunken men and extracting the Core alone would have been trivial.”
Aidan folded his arms and nodded in agreement.
“Your father’s Sword Mark was there too?”
“Yes, it was.”
“Any other traces?”
“Nothing unusual. Other than that they took the Core in the same manner, there didn’t seem to be any other information worth gathering.”
“Hmm.”
Aidan must be wrestling with the same confusion I am. Enough time has passed that any meaningful clues should have been obliterated.
If only the guards had reported immediately, we might have found something—anything.
But no. This world has already erased my father’s existence entirely, except for me. It would have erased any clues he left behind as well.
“If things stay like this, we’re going to have a real problem.”

* * *

Perhaps his words had been a curse.
We made the journey south, but beyond discovering my father’s Sword Mark there as well, we found nothing of substance.
The bleakness of finding nothing drove both Aidan and me into deep thought.
“What do we do? We could move west as planned, but it feels like it’ll be the same story.”
“I think so too. There has to be a different approach…….”
There’s nothing to be found at the Central Neodymium except for Father’s Sword Marks. I even combed through the Diary hoping for some other lead, but found nothing of note there either.
Since no one in this world remembers Father except me, there was no point asking anyone if they’d ever seen a face like his.
The Core being taken doesn’t eliminate the Magnetic Field, so the Gate won’t open. That meant they must have used the Core to open the Gate in the first place.
But wasn’t the Core only capable of blocking, not opening?
“Well, we’ve made it all the way to the Southern Region—a tourist city at that. Why don’t we rest properly for a day? We’ve been sleeping in government lodges for long enough.”
“Ah, yes, that sounds good.”
We’d spent our nights in public dormitories meant for traveling administrators, and honestly, the accommodations left much to be desired.
Two-tier bunks were crammed into single rooms, the buildings were decrepit, and only cold water came from the taps.
I sleep well anywhere, but Aidan—raised as he was—must have been struggling.
“Let me go into the Village and check if there’s an inn.”
“An inn?”
Aidan tilted his head, puzzled.
“What’s the difference between a local inn and a public lodge?”
“An inn is at least a proper establishment.”
“So is a public lodge.”
Then what exactly are you proposing?
“There’s a Villa of the house near here. We can go there.”
“Oh.”
Why not mention the Villa was available in the first place? Grumbling inwardly, I climbed onto the carriage.
The carriage rolled slowly out of the forest.
Then it happened.
Thud—
The carriage lurched violently, and I heard the horses cry out sharply.
“Ah!”
The moment the vehicle tilted drastically to one side, Aidan quickly cradled my head.
Crash—
The carriage tipped completely onto its side.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, yes. But what about you, sir?”
“I’m all right. But what on earth is happening?”
We pushed open the carriage door from above and peered out. Through the settling dust, I could make out a figure standing—indistinct, but unmistakably there.

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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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