Sister-in-law of the Heroine in a Childcare Novel - Chapter 271

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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 271

Adrian and his companions had prepared numerous small, underhanded tactics.
Using horses was one of them.
In human-versus-human combat, isn’t it natural to target the horse when your enemy rides one? Those bloated Magic Beasts wouldn’t understand since they move on four legs themselves.
Unlike Brian and Adrian, who had fought barehanded up until now, all of Brian’s subordinates had been riding horses.
The moment Adrian shouted, his companions dismounted as if they’d been waiting for the signal, and they were unharmed.
The horses Adrian’s forces had brought bolted forward with bodies glowing freely, while the Imperial Palace horses carrying their riders also joined the charge, kicking up a storm of sand.
Shrill! A whistle cut through the air.
Seeing the scene instantly descend into chaos, Brian faltered. In that reflex hesitation, a gap opened in his sword strike against Adrian.
Adrian caught sight of it and laughed aloud. He twisted his body away from the blade and called out.
“You’re pretty good at running away too!”
“Such a crude, contemptible tactic…!”
“What’s crude or contemptible about war?”
Adrian’s motto was simple.
Losing a battle was acceptable.
Losing a war was not.
The Magic Beast that had consumed Brian’s true essence ironically became obsessed with Adrian, perhaps because it had usurped Brian’s shell. It seemed to have abandoned whatever lingering attachment it held toward Imperial Consort Cleo, whom Brian had relied upon as his mother—though who could say for certain.
‘He was always acting out even before the previous Crown Princess, so he must have thought she was beneath him too. That’s why he can’t be bothered with her anymore.’
How selfish and arbitrary an emotion this was. His younger brother, born of the Empress’s womb. The Second Prince whose appearance and abilities both surpassed his own.
‘Even as a Magic Beast, he’s never satisfied. A life with nothing to protect, a life where only he matters—that’s the kind of existence he’s living.’
Perhaps he was doing this out of spite after losing at the Hunting Competition, or perhaps the Emperor and Cleo kept egging him on—but in any case, who knew.
Humans were imperfect, so why should a Magic Beast be any different? Adrian had actually calculated several scenarios where Brian wouldn’t bother engaging him in a one-on-one duel due to his obstinate stubbornness. But none of that mattered now.
“I’ll kill you!”
“So you were planning not to kill me until now?”
Ah, he didn’t need to provoke him any further. Adrian dodged the sword aimed at him once more and leaped onto a Wolf-dog summoned by his companion’s whistle.
The Wolf-dogs that the Castrain Family had specially bred were creatures of a unique strain that feared no Magic Beast and could swiftly navigate the Imperial Palace despite the oppressive darkness seeping from its very walls.
Brian, having lost Adrian right before his eyes, saw his eyes burn crimson red. That wasn’t all. As if bothered by the restraint, he tore off his gloves, and his bare hands were revealed—the fingertips pitch black.
Consumed by rage, had he stopped bothering to maintain his human form? Adrian laughed softly at the sight.
The Wolf-dog galloped as Adrian narrowly eluded the demon-like creature that was Brian, darting past him by mere inches.
Ah yes, there really was an advantage to having money. Adrian and his companions were draped in magical items embedded with countless Mana Stones.
Shoes that lightened the legs and boosted speed, belts that bolstered strength and prevented fatigue—and that was far from all they carried.
Even mounted on a Wolf-dog enhanced by magic, their opponent was swift.
Grinding his teeth, Brian drew closer. As a parting gesture, Adrian clapped his hands lightly before his face. Bang! The sound was like a balloon bursting.
“This has been fun, brother!”
“You bastard…!”
In that same instant, light poured from Adrian’s hands.
An imitation of Titania’s Shine—simply overwhelmingly brilliant light. Brian, struck by the flash detonating before his face, stumbled and collapsed right there.
Scratch-scratch—the sound of claws grown sharp raking across the ground. Adrian laughed with a brightness like an orange catching sunlight, clear and crisp.
“See you later!”
Leaving behind nothing but that irritating taunt, Adrian and his companions poured into the Imperial Palace.
A truly exhilarating advance it was.

* * *

“It truly has been a long time, Master.”
…….
Pan looked down mockingly at the withered, crumbling heap before him.
Dozens of complex Magic Circles had been laid out in a small space designed to block all manner of power.
To share the new situation and devise a new strategy, everyone except Pan had been kept outside this chamber. There was a reason Pan had entered this place.
Pan gazed down upon the dust pile that had once been called his master, upon whom he’d despaired of ever prevailing, now reduced to such a pitiful form.
“Ah, Ran, it’s been so long.”
“Now that all external magical power and demonic energy have been cut off, you’re utterly helpless, Master. Yet just moments ago, when you were continuously supplied sacrifices in real time through Magic Circles across nearly the entire empire, you could certainly speak with confidence of Immortality.”
“Yes, yes, my student! The path I chose was never wrong!”
“And the most certain method to sever that magical power conduit itself is the power of Light, but precisely because of that you couldn’t target the imperial bloodline—so you’ve been desperately hunting for the Castrain bloodline, who have high physical durability and a high probability of manifesting a quasi-Light power, haven’t you?”
“Just as I always say—if one knows one thing, one understands ten!”
“Hah, Master. Do you really think I’m here now to take your side? Unfortunately, Crown Princess Titania has joined us, we’ve completely severed you—the one managing the core of the Magic Circle—and even my gifted student has joined to slow the momentum. Master, your situation is hopeless.”
Pan swallowed a curse that rose to his lips.
It would have been impossible to capture Kosheay without casualties had it not been for Titania’s surprise attack. If Titania had charged forward honestly, he would have fled, and even if Lisianthus had clung to him until mutual destruction, the losses would have been catastrophic.
It had been effective precisely because, while Lisianthus held him down and Pan’s attention was completely fixed on him, an attack like a sudden bolt of lightning had fallen from the sky.
Titania’s Light Storm had, for a single moment, succeeded in severing every connection that had been supplying Kosheay with physical force through the Magic Circle.
This was power being gathered to summon Chernobog itself. A single Kosheay could be revived as many times as needed—if only the connection remained.
“Why, why are you angry at your young student? If you supply me with just a tiny bit of power, I can easily erase the Curse embedded in your student’s body! If you don’t believe me, let’s make a proper Contract, staking my name…!”
“That isn’t what I want.”
“Oh.”
From the dust pile that had been rattling, those dull crimson eyes flared and chuckled. Kehehehe.
“You mean to say you still harbor hopes of recovering the sacrifices the Castrain Family has offered?”
…….
“Ooh, yes yes, when it comes to physical regeneration, restoration, or dissolution, no authority exceeds my own. But then again….”
Clack-clack, clack-clack-clack—the sound of teeth grinding. Even as the situation demanded he bow his head for self-preservation, the moment it became an opportunity to boast of and deliberate upon his knowledge, a mad exuberance emanated from his spirit.
“Creation and regeneration are inherently the province of Chaos. Yet that Chaos is ultimately the parent of Light and Darkness. I couldn’t fathom how to interpret this. Light and Darkness are opposing forces—how could they dwell in one place? Nothing is born from eternal, undying Chaos. Can there truly exist something called
Rod
—a parent that bore Beloborg and Chernobog? If such a being exists, does it merely watch over this world? I’ve wanted to experiment with the dual nature of Light and Darkness, but ordinarily the moment I tried to contain even a fraction of both forces together, the test subject annihilated itself.”
“What of Prince Brian’s case?”
“His physical strength was weak and his will was feeble. So I deliberately chose Chorte—but honestly, he too was a test subject! Even I don’t know how he’ll ultimately turn out!”
Hehehehe, hehehehe—the Grand Sorcerer, now a grotesque wreck that seemed desperate to twist the face of the one before him with despair, laughed.
“That’s why realistically speaking: in a body dense enough for a god’s soul to descend into directly—you dare drive out that god? Haha, hahaha! If you could manage it, that would truly be magnificent. They say bigger dreams are better, but that’s an even grander dream than mine!”
“There must be some hypothesis!”
“Not entirely nonexistent. I couldn’t realize it myself, but there are theories that perhaps you and that Crown Princess might manage it. However.”
The cunning dust heap chuckled.
“What will you give me to reveal it?”
Time was running out. Pan clenched his jaw. It would be possible to make this cunning old creature vanish immediately.
But time—there was simply no time.

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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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