Sister-in-law of the Heroine in a Childcare Novel - Chapter 137

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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 137

The man’s mouth fell open in shock. His expression was one of pure astonishment. Though to be fair, his temperament was clearly the sort to test everyone’s patience. He’d spent his life provoking people’s sensibilities, and yet—even when he’d mocked the Clock Tower Dress by adorning it with a pocket watch that chimed constantly, enough to drive Cleo, the First Imperial Consort, to distraction with its relentless ticking (a woman who never forgave anyone who displeased her)—he’d somehow survived thanks to desperate pleas from those around him: “That’s just his nature!” “But he didn’t refuse to wear it, did he?” “In the future, the very dress he gifted to Her Majesty Cleo will be treasured as a work of art!” Such fervent interventions had spared him.
Even when the man bought materials on credit and dodged workshop rental payments, his creditors never dared to threaten him for repayment. With a single commission from a great noble family—or perhaps two—he could pay off any reasonable debt. And if word reached higher authorities that he’d been pressured over such pittance, the consequences would be dire for them.
Yet for all his eccentric nature, the man moved with equal freedom. From my position, knowing he was a former Mage Tower Master, I could understand his erratic behavior well enough. But his unpredictability was remarkable nonetheless.
From the perspective of those who’d lent him money, their concern was legitimate—what if he absconded with their funds overseas? So they’d commissioned their own investigations. That information had reached Hecate’s Tavern, and I’d found it rather useful.
I gently closed the man’s gaping mouth with my hand. Then I clicked my tongue disapprovingly.
“Now, sir. You haven’t repaid a single debt while gallivanting about so freely—did you really think your creditors wouldn’t investigate a debtor who keeps disappearing?”
“How dare such lowly beings investigate me?!”
“Wow! You consider ordinary people beneath you, do you? And you’re the one who stiffed them!”
“Investigate me?! How audacious!”
“Of course, since you’re a former Mage Tower Master with remarkable abilities, most of what they gathered was vague and fragmented information. But my friends are quite skilled!”
And I’d also used certain advantages from my knowledge of the original story. Bibi had taken a keen interest in magicians, so she’d left various commissions at Hecate’s Tavern. I’d benefited considerably from that intelligence myself.
Now the man had calmed slightly, his gaze upon me growing contemplative. His amethyst eyes studied me with keen intensity.
“…So everything you just said is the truth? You’re truly Beloborg’s God’s Contractor? Really?”
“What profit would I gain from lying about something like this? And I’m a princess who’s suffered under my two older brothers—if it became known that I’m a Light Power Awakener, the Imperial Family would tear me from the succession entirely.”
The man nodded, accepting my words as he watched me smile radiantly.
“…Right, of course not. Now that I think about it, relations with the Castrain Family have been oddly favorable lately. Heh. To gather Divine Power Awakeners, cooperation with the Castrain Family is indeed essential—just sweeping through that family’s brothers, they’re all either awakeners or potential ones.”
“You seem to know quite a bit about this.”
“Of course I do. Even as I am, I’m a tutor to the youngest brat of that house… Wait. You came to me without knowing that?”
The man trailed off, then stiffened. I rifled through my memory. Right—that Poda or whatever had indeed said “The Castrain bloodline is a goldmine.” In the original work, everyone with Castrain blood had some gift or other, used Divine Power, and so on.
The man stuffed what looked like dried herbs—potent ones, by the smell—into a pipe and lit it, speaking as he inhaled. His expression grew complicated.
“Hah. Well. The youngest Castrain heir—Rasper. That boy’s a genius. A born scholar, truly. So young, yet he devours books more than old academics who’ve spent their whole lives at it. All books, no food, no sleep, he won’t leave the library… He could hold theological debates with experienced priests and not lose ground. For various reasons, I once took a position temporarily with the Castrain Family under a false identity, and I encountered that boy. I thought, ‘Now this is something special. A perfect disciple.’ And I figured—this one should become a magician, bloodline be damned.”
“You figured?”
“His brothers are all renowned swordsmen, and the Castrain Family has been a distinguished martial house for generations. Did he really need to reveal himself as a magician to the outside world? The family possesses enormous quantities of Mana Stones already, but they don’t have a magician themselves… And the fact that they’ve been gathering Divine Power bloodline holders secretly—that’s information the Imperial Family doesn’t know about. If a famous magician emerged from that family, it would make them a new target for scrutiny, become a burden to his brothers. So he told me if his talents were to matter, I should tutor him in secret!”
“Ah…”
The man exhaled smoke almost desperately, venting his frustration.
“Look, sure, once you awaken Divine Power, you can wield the essential elemental force without needing Mana Stones, right?! But frankly, unless you’re ancient royalty capable of wielding Light Power and accessing every attribute—it’s more efficient to become a magician using Mana Stones for diverse, situation-specific powers! He comes from a family where Mana Stones flow freely! Unless you’re of royal blood, ordinarily you can only awaken one type of power!”
Wait—no! I mean, normally it’s true you can only wield one type of power…
(๑ŏ╻ŏ๑) But…
That statement about “becoming a magician being more efficient” is wrong! There are very special circumstances where two types of power can be wielded! And also…!!
“Ah yes, well, from a magician’s perspective, I suppose so.”
—Contractor?! Aren’t you going to convey my position?! This ignorant human is disparaging the magnificent Divine Power!
(๑•́o•̀๑)
!!!
Ugh, right, they both seem convinced their field is superior anyway. I really hope they just work it out between themselves without me…
But I couldn’t possibly say something insane like “This sword seems to have significant objections—would you like to discuss it?” So I remained silent.
Unable to imagine the conversation happening in my head, I gave the man halfhearted replies as he vented like a professor whose specialty had been insulted by a graduate student.
But the man hadn’t cared much about my answers anyway—he seemed intent on unloading everything he’d been holding in, speaking to me almost pleadingly.
“But do you know what that brat said?! He said he’d just do both!”
“Ah…”
“He refuses to abandon awakening his Divine Power or magic—says he needs both to be of use to his brothers! And he’s using me as his teacher while wringing my knowledge dry! This is daylight robbery!”
“Yes… It seems you have a remarkably clever disciple who can even extract tuition from his debt-ridden master…”
Now that I thought about it, no matter how much of an eccentric he was—someone who’d defected from the mage collective and lived hidden among humans—if he’d invented a false identity, he should have maintained it consistently. Yet there were strange gaps in his appearances. If he’d been secretly visiting the Castrain Family Main Castle to instruct Rasper, that explained everything.
But from what the man was saying, teaching Rasper magic seemed to be hidden even from the Castrain Family itself?
“But isn’t security at the Castrain Family Main Castle rather strict? How can you, an outsider magician, infiltrate and teach Rasper in secret?”
“Tch. No matter how much people fawn over ‘our young master, our young master,’ the brat’s not so spineless he can’t leave the castle. And do I really look like a magician weak enough that I can’t breach their defenses?”
The offended man grumbled.
“Still, it’s rather amusing—the teacher of the great Castrain Family’s youngest heir, yet also a debtor. Did you not charge him tuition?”
“What master in the world charges his own disciple?”
…
Actually, given your capricious nature, I wouldn’t put it past you… The look in his eyes—the way he gazed at me as if I were some contemptible wretch—was deeply irritating. I do act impulsively at times, but I’ve never committed such lunacy as gifting someone like Cleo a Clock Tower Dress with a dangling pocket watch that chimes constantly, loud enough to nearly drive its wearer to neurosis.

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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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