Sister-in-law of the Heroine in a Childcare Novel - Chapter 164

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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 164

Even for someone who thought he’d lived a rather eventful life, Phan found Titania to be an anomaly. Especially considering that mages weren’t typically known for being mentally sound.
Phan was a genius. Humans with aptitude for magic were rare, but those qualified to enter the Magic Tower were rarer still.
Having become the Tower Master’s student and claimed the position of successor said it all.
Most mages in the Magic Tower were geniuses, had catastrophically little talent for teaching, and those who survived were the geniuses who somehow managed despite that catastrophically poor instruction.
And it was only thanks to the elders in the Magic Tower who had ‘at least’ some social awareness and established rules that priceless secrets didn’t carelessly leak out—because if they did, the outside world would face utter catastrophe.
The Tower Master. Three elders who didn’t participate in the Magic Tower’s operations. Five professors. Together, the senior positions numbered fewer than ten. So the total number of all other Tower members probably wouldn’t even reach a few hundred.
Among them, a hundred or so wouldn’t leave the Magic Tower even if the world ended.
But unfortunately, Kosheay—the previous Tower Master before last and Phan’s mentor—was a madman and genius whom even all a hundred of those wouldn’t be able to defeat. He was an Arch-Mage, after all.
Strictly speaking, Phan might be counted as something like a scraps-level Arch-Mage, but the other was incomparable.
“You don’t understand me, it’s a pity……”
After retiring and handing over the Tower Master position, what suspicious business was this mad mentor up to? If he caused another catastrophe and created friction with the empire, it would be disaster. So it was with a click of his tongue that Phan went to check—and received a beating in return.
Mages often conducted research forbidden to the world, and many pursued studies of Immortality, regeneration, and resurrection.
So he’d been warning about monitoring and about side effects and dangers for hundreds of years. In any case, it wasn’t something to say while destroying his own student’s body.
“The future shines so clearly—why are you still bound by the weakness and taboos of the past? If only my research succeeds, if only we reshape this world with great power, we could transcend all life and death!”
Had there never been Dark Mages in the great history of the Magic Tower? No. There had been many.
It wasn’t as though young students weren’t given magic ethics classes—”You lot, don’t let yourselves get distracted by foolish pursuits just because you lack skill. Your seniors have already tried everything you’re thinking of. It’s all useless. Breaking Taboos seems good? That’s all tricks and disguises. Later the side effects are worse……”
So why was he going mad now?
Of course, Phan understood the answer. Kosheay likely believed that just as he was great, he would be different. It was a delusion that everyone experienced at least once.
The light that once shone in victory now wanes, and darkness comes. The age of man fades, and the age of Magic Beasts arrives.
When the ground and underground are reversed, what is now forbidden would become ordinary. Would humans unite and fight the darkness, keeping everything as it was before?
Kosheay, having lived as a human for an extremely long time, probably believed otherwise.
“By the way, Your Highness, things weren’t going well between you and your mother, were they?”
“My mother’s side of the family also seems to be… rather problematic, I’d say. Still just speculation, though.”
“My, Your Highness, your life does seem rather unlucky.”
“Beauty brings misfortune, as they say.”
Did she really have to say that with such a flat expression? Every time Phan saw the princess who had startled him from their first meeting, he was left speechless.
‘Yes, yes—crisis and hardship and suffering will come? It’s difficult? You’re weak? That’s what you’re trying to say, isn’t it.’
You’re a rather unremarkable person. You can’t do much. Most people would grow angry or despondent hearing such things, but Titania was perfectly calm.
Right, that’s true. There isn’t much I can do right now.
So?
What does that have to do with what I’ll do going forward? Just because I’m unremarkable and have nothing doesn’t mean I can’t do anything.
‘If you think about it that way… people are fated to die eventually after being born, so why eat or sleep or live at all? If you’re going to die anyway, why not die comfortably and early?’
We are alive, and struggling toward our inevitable end rather than simply accepting it—isn’t that the instinct of the living?
‘So let’s work hard together. Please help me.’
Really, such simple words.
The light in the eyes of someone saying that even he had a student, that he hadn’t completely abandoned the future, shone like a lighthouse before the despair and resignation of a mage who could never surpass his master.
It was a light that shamed him.
Perhaps that was why Phan, grumbling all the while, carried out the tasks Titania set for him well, played an unlikely head of family at her side, and remained by her side. Yes, honestly, even now. He truly doesn’t think everything will work out, but……
“Anyway, I don’t have intelligence capabilities as good as the Castrain Family’s. Many things were damaged, some nearly in ruins. There were limits, but I did complete all the orders you gave. Now what?”
“We should meet the precious young lord of the Castrain Family.”
Yet somehow, hope arose that perhaps everything really might work out like a miracle.

* * *

After chatting with Phan briefly and pondering various things to pass the time, we arrived in the Northern Region.
It was practically crossing the entire empire, and even so, the speed was insane.
Even in midsummer, the Northern Region was cold. In shaded areas, partially melted snow still lay piled up. The fortifications and fences set throughout looked massive and sturdy, clearly marking this as the greatest front-line battle zone against Magic Beasts. As I stepped down from the carriage after passing through the enormous barrier surrounding the territory and stopping before the main castle, I unconsciously opened my mouth wide.
“Welcome to the Castrain Family Estate!”
A nervous-looking boy approached me, standing at the front of people gathered in a line with their heads bowed.
An angel. There is an angel before my eyes.
With silver hair tinged blue and shimmering, with eyes that formed a smile and shone a pale sky-blue, he was truly an angelic young lord.
Was his head half-size bigger than Bibi’s?
I found myself momentarily speechless watching the boy dressed in a pretty blouse, trousers, and ribbon tie, approaching me with a shy smile and offering a bouquet.
“Ah, hello, Your Highness! I’m Rasper, the third child of the Castrain Family. Um, I truly… welcome you to our family! Ah, I wish Father could be here. Since he’s away right now, I’m the one……”
Rasper fidgeted with his fingertips, apparently worried that I might be hurt that a proper adult wasn’t the one greeting me instead.
No, no! If that duke had been here, I would’ve frozen up and couldn’t respond properly! I looked at the bouquet. It was overflowing with bright, beautiful flowers that would’ve been difficult to find even in such a cold northern region. I hugged the bouquet tightly.
“Not at all! Thank you for the warm welcome, young lord Rasper. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Oh, what kind of things?”
Rasper’s eyes widened. Ah, how cute. Like a puppy. I wanted to hug him tight and stroke his head! If Bibi and Rasper were together, it really would be unstoppable.
But maybe the eldest brother’s betrothed meeting him for the first time shouldn’t treat him too much like a pet—he might not like it. I straightened my drooping smile.
“Compared to my brothers, I can’t use a sword and my body is weak, and I’m not as talented as Bibi either. Whatever you heard……”
“They said you were incredibly talented! That you’ve read every book, and your learning is such that you wouldn’t lose to most scholars!”
“Th-that’s just… everyone overestimating me.”
Rasper’s cheeks flushed red and he lowered his head.
I caught sight of Phan on the other side making a face like he’d swallowed a bug, and gave him a look.
Where was this reckless student? He’s just a pure, kind, soft little angel!
Since I’d worked briefly for them before and some people might recognize me, I’d disguised myself lightly—and Phan, envious that it was easy for mages to disguise themselves, visibly trembled with cheeks quivering.
“And Count Cortez. Lord Flux. It’s a pleasure to meet you this way. I hope your stay at our family will be filled with only pleasant memories!”
“Yes, thank you for your hospitality.”
Once Rasper, who’d barely gathered his wits, finished greeting Flux—the only other visiting family member besides me—the family members began joining in earnest. Bibi flew over like a butterfly and embraced Rasper.
“My sweet little brother! I missed you so much!”
“Oh, me too!”
Rasper smiled shyly and somewhat clumsily embraced Bibi in return. It was heartwarming to see the angelic, adorable young boy and girl holding each other. Lisianthus ruffled Rasper’s hair vigorously.
“There you are. Keeping well, I see.”
“Yes, yes. Brother, you haven’t caused any trouble while I was gone?”
“……Why say that right after reuniting, you little rascal?”
“Ow, ow, ow! My cheeks! My cheeks!”
Lisianthus kept pulling Rasper’s cheeks, fawning over his cuteness. It was all a warm, heartwarming scene.
“You’ve worked hard keeping the family going alone. Nothing serious happened?”
“No……”
Raymond patted Rasper’s head once and smiled faintly. Then, absorbed in the sentiment of ‘yes, this is how it should be among family,’ he looked toward me, who was admiring the scene.
“For now, please rest well today. If there’s anything you lack, please tell us anytime. Normally we’d prepare a formal banquet, but…you must be quite tired today.”
“I’m not that tired, actually. I appreciate the consideration.”
“…It’s cold and remote, but we’ll do our best to ensure there’s nothing lacking in serving Your Highness.”
A joke? Who in the world could dismiss the great Castrain Family Estate itself as ‘cold and remote’? …Though it really was cold.
Whoosh, a biting wind blew. Thanks to Lucy, who’d brought me a fur cloak just before stepping out of the carriage, it wasn’t terribly cold.
But I could feel the exposed parts of my face and ears growing numb from the chill.
If summer is like this, what about winter……? How does everyone even survive in winter……?
“Actually, Your Highness, there was no need for you to come all this way.”
Raymond stood beside me as if to block the cold wind, tilting his head toward me. His gaze toward my ears and nape, which had turned red in the meantime, was unexpectedly heavy.

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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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