Raising the Grand Duke of the North as a Farmer Behind Dad’s Back - Chapter 3

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 3
I patted my cheeks sharply, forcing myself back to clarity.
‘I need to get out of here.’
To avoid running into Father, I had to go to the farthest corner of the Central District.
I recalled my conversation with the god.
[ I shall seal the bond between you and Dandelion Klein. He will forget your very existence entirely. ]
That’s what the god had said.
Father now—even the memory of me being ‘born’ had been sealed away from him.
It was, in short, the perfect erasure of existence. And yet.
[ But remember, child. There is no such thing as a perfect concealment in this world. You must avoid meeting him at all costs. ]
“…….”
[ His obsession with you is something you understand well now. Even the smallest trigger could nullify my power and make him remember you. ]
“Yes. I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely won’t seek him out or meet him! I swear it!”
Because I didn’t know what kind of stimulus my existence might become to Father, meeting him again was something that could never happen.
It was fine.
I’d already figured out roughly where I’d live!
Creak!
I pushed open the door to the Old Cottage.
It was the Slum Shack where I’d lived for a time with the grandmother who’d taken me in.
“That thing, where did it…… here it is!”
I found a piece of paper from my writing practice in a small wooden chest.
I unfolded the creased paper and flipped it over, revealing its original purpose.
– Settlers Wanted –
Location: Northern Bertus Dukedom
Basic Benefits: House provided, land provided, 100% tax exemption for 1 year after relocation
Qualifications: Anyone
* Responsibility for relocation rests with the individual. Pre-exploration is strongly advised.
* The lord assumes no liability for death, bodily injury, psychological harm, or other damages resulting from reckless pre-exploration.
This was it!
The Northern settlement recruitment flyer that once circulated throughout the Empire!
‘If I go there, they give you a house and land.’
It was perfect for a six-year-old like me to make a living alone.
I clenched both fists tight.
“Alright. This life, I’m going North!”
Without Father. Just me.
Never again a burden to anyone, never again hurting anyone.
“I’m going to be independent and live well all on my own!”
In that moment, white lights fluttered up around me.
* * *
My goal was simple: just two things.
1. Live well and eat well without Father knowing!
2. And if possible, secretly help Father with his Holy Power Purification!
I squatted down on the floor and tilted my head.
“Hmm…….”
The first goal would have to wait until I actually reached the North to see how it played out.
“But meeting the Northern Duke in the first place seems like it’ll be the real problem…….”
The memory of glimpsing the Duke in my past life made my chest tighten.
‘Basili Bertus.’
He was the Empire’s hero who had reclaimed in a single stroke the lands that had been ruled by the Gwangryong for five hundred years.
Basili was truly the strongest.
He was the only person who could be compared to Father.
Where Father, wielding Holy Power, was a guardian of light, Basili—who swept aside all with his inborn strength—was like a destroyer risen from hell itself.
‘In short, except for strength, Father and him were complete and utter opposites!’
In any case, Basili had as many titles as he did accomplishments.
God of War, Sword Saint, Butcher, Annihilator of Kingdoms…….
‘M-maybe a little scary…….’
“No. I’m independent now!”
I shook my head firmly.
What’s the foundation of independence? Solving problems yourself! So I just have to jump in and see what happens!
1. Live well and eat well without Father knowing! →
Head north and become a settler in the Gwangryong!
I grinned with satisfaction, scribbling my answer in the dust on the floor.
The problem was the second one.
2. Help Father with Holy Power Purification! → ……?
How was I supposed to do that?
“I don’t have any purification ability or anything…….”
If I could prevent Father’s regression, I could at least stop his Holy Power from becoming ‘more’ contaminated.
But…… what about the Holy Power that was already tainted?
How on earth was I supposed to fix that?
“Cough.”
For some reason…… my chest was growing even tighter.
I shook my head vigorously again.
“No. I’m independent now, so I have to figure this out on my own. Which means…… come on, little fly! Why are you buzzing around like that since before! When are you going home anyway!”
I finally couldn’t hold back anymore and spoke to the white light that had been circling around me this whole time.
What’s wrong with that thing? I still haven’t included adopting a pet fly in my independence plan! I’m barely managing to feed myself!
That was when it happened.
[#@$…%*&…!@#$…%!]
The white fragments suddenly began moving in sharp bursts.
And then.
‘Huh?’
Kaboom!
It exploded right before my eyes!
“Ow! Little fly!”
I meant for it to go home, not to blow itself up!
Just then, pure white letters appeared where the fragments had vanished.
[Frequency recalibration complete, stabilization complete!]
“Huh?”
Pop!
[Child, congratulations on your first independence!]
What is…… this?
[A child who has resolved to leave home early deserves special encouragement.]
[A ‘reward’ for beginning your independent life has arrived.]
[Child, will you accept your reward?]
“What in……!”
Startled out of my wits, my flailing hand accidentally tapped [Yes] [Yep yep :-)] [Yep!], specifically the [Yep!] option.
In that instant, the white letters turned blood red.
[Cannot receive!] [Cannot receive!]
[You must complete a ‘Divine Quest’ to receive your reward.]
Kyaaaaaaa! That blood-red text is terrifying!
‘More than that…… Divine Quest?!’
Wait.
Where have I heard that word before…….
“Oh, now that you mention it!”
My eyes went wide as saucers.
At the same time, the white letters flashed and changed.
[Retrieving Divine Quest list…….]
[A Divine Quest from the God of Destiny has arrived!]
[Checking contents…….]
Bleep—bleep—the text flickered.
I swallowed nervously without meaning to.
Pop!
[Divine Quest from the God of Destiny:
Drink Water (0/1)]
“……?”
[“If you run while eating bread, you’ll choke and meet your fated end.”]
……Excuse me?
But after reading the next line, I had no choice but to dash toward wherever the water cup was.
[Divine Quest Reward: Pure Uncontaminated Holy Power Sticker x1]
Yes!!!!!
* * *
Glug, glug, glug.
I blew on the collected rainwater and took a sip, blinking my eyes. The lump of bread stuck in my chest seemed to slide down smoothly.
‘That’s right. I can gather Holy Power!’
Now that I thought about it, that was true.
Toward the end of my conversation with the god…
[ Child. Now go on to your Reincarnation. Live your new life. ]
“Huuuuung.”
[ Go on. Please. I said go. ]
“Huuuuuuuuung!”
[ What do you want! ]
“You said humans have to take responsibility for what they do. Then you should too!”
[ What? ]
“You said my soul was supposed to be born in the Divine Realm originally. So why did you make me be born as my father’s daughter by mistake?”
I pressed my case against the god methodically. Perhaps because I’d read so many books in my sickbed in my past life, I was sharper than children my age.
“When you think about it, isn’t all this your fault? Your negligence? This seems like something I should totally, um, sue you over!”
[ Ah, this godless child…… What on earth do you want! ]
“Please help me! Let me purify my father’s corrupted Holy Power! Then I’ll do whatever you ask!”
The god sighed heavily and said he would find an appropriate method for me.
‘This must be that method!’
Glug, glug!
‘An object containing Holy Power.’
Glug, pause for a breath, glug!
‘It’s perfect for me. I don’t have a core in my body to hold Holy Power anyway.’
Glug, glug, gulp!
“All done!”
[Congratulations! You have completed your Divine Quest!]
[Will you receive your reward?]
This time I shouted with confidence.
“Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!”
Bright light bloomed before my eyes. Then,
Thud.
A single thumbs-up sticker fell onto my palms, which I’d held out neatly.
“Wow!”
[Pure Uncontaminated Holy Power Sticker]
– The energy is pure and clean
– Adhesive strength is excellent
– Affixing it increases cuteness by approximately 20%
– Purifies corruption within a certain radius
My eyes went as wide as saucers.
– Purifies corruption within a certain radius
“This is it!”
With Holy Power this pure and concentrated, I could save my father from the corruption!
I could gather them little by little, wait for the right moment, and secretly send them to him, couldn’t I?!
‘And maybe…… it could be a huge help when I’m living in the Northern Bertus Dukedom too!’
I’d heard that even basic farming was difficult there because of the Demonic Energy.
Since Holy Power could purify Demonic Energy, I could show the Duke my usefulness!
I wiggled in place, gazing up at the empty air as if it sparkled.
“Don’t you have another Divine Quest for me? Another one?”
Ideally something simple like finishing off half a loaf of bread!
But no matter how long I waited, white letters never appeared before my eyes again.
“……Is that all for today?”
Can’t be helped.
I tucked the sticker deep into my worn bag. Then I hurried around the cottage, packing my travel things.
‘It’s time to move.’
That was true.
I really didn’t have time to stay here. Because…
‘The Holy Knights will soon raid Zone Z.’
Just like in my past life!
‘If the Holy Knights catch me, an orphan like me will go straight to the Temple Orphanage!’
And the odds of running into my father would be way too high.
Of course… Father isn’t coming here today.
It wasn’t a first-rank Holy Knight and commander of the Holy Knight Order’s job to scout around the edges of the world like this.
In my past life, Father came here purely to save me.
“Little one.”
I found myself recalling those large, warm hands that would lift me up, and before I knew it, my shoulders trembled slightly.
“No, no trembling allowed! I need to pull myself together!”
In any case, I had to leave Zone Z right now and head north.
Without getting caught by the Holy Knights!
Fortunately, I knew exactly where to find someone who could take me all the way to the distant north.
“All right.”
I adjusted my bag strap and set my face into an expression of grim resolve.
“Let’s go!”
I bolted straight toward the cottage door——
Bang, bang.
“……!”
Bang, bang!
“Is anyone there?”
In that moment, my breath caught.
Because it was a voice far too familiar to me.
Bang, bang, bang!
“I am Dandelion Klein, Holy Knight of the Central Temple. Who is inside?”
All the color drained from my face.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————