Sister-in-law of the Heroine in a Childcare Novel - Chapter 91

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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 91

When Lisianthus dug into the matter more earnestly than usual, I simply played it off as nothing—the sort of thing that would have embarrassed him if I’d responded with “We’re not close enough for this,” but he seemed to labor under some weight of guilt, so he went along with the act well enough. For that, I was grateful.
We didn’t even have complete information to begin with, and now an unknown enemy had surfaced. I was the one who’d made the plan, the one willing to take the risk. I didn’t want some innocent bystander drowning in regret because of it.
In any case, after Lisianthus yielded to my somewhat forceful argument, I ate the dessert he’d thoughtfully brought and listened in detail to what had happened after my near-death experience.
The building where the auction was held had collapsed entirely. The peaceful night market streets had become a wreck.
The guests who barely escaped the building scattered in all directions. Many were injured or dead. The sheer presence of a Magic Beast horde near the auction hall sent everyone into panic.
Raymond, who came to rescue me, deployed forces to search for traces and pursue the enemy before the building completely caved in, but they found no significant leads regarding the girl who attacked us or the Magic Beast horde. Flux barely made it out of the building before hastily summoning the guards and attempting to bring order to the chaos, but it wasn’t easy.
The Southern Region had been remarkably peaceful until now.
Everyone knew that, slowly and with each passing day, Magic Beasts were breaching the Barrier and encroaching into inhabited areas in greater numbers and with greater strength. But until now, people had been able to live by largely ignoring the problem. Especially for those living in wealthy, densely populated metropolises like this one, the appearance of Magic Beasts was hardly cause for alarm. The population density was so high and the security forces kept such constant watch that Magic Beasts could be eliminated without significant damage.
It was the sparsely populated rural territories that worried about Magic Beasts. Those places had enough trouble just defending against the wild beasts that attacked during the hungry season, let alone dealing with Magic Beasts.
That’s how far it went—there was even a joke that went around: “Only northerners and country folk worry about Magic Beasts.”
And above all else, the Southern Region had a Temple, didn’t it?
Even Flux, despite having fallen victim to the enemy’s scheming and spent time worrying about the future, hadn’t been concerned about Magic Beast attacks. It was unavoidable. It’s difficult for people to prepare for a disaster they’ve never once experienced.
Over a hundred years had passed since the era of the first Emperor. Only the Castrain Ducal House actively carried the weight of that time in their bones. Even if the Cortez Family overflowed with money, they hadn’t positioned manuals or forces to deal with Magic Beast attacks in the peaceful southern metropolis.
So the conclusion was: the damage was severe.
Flux, who had been so worried about me bleeding and collapsing before his eyes, was reportedly in such a state that he couldn’t show his face when he heard I’d awakened. The citizens were all anxious.
Until word came that a fire had broken out in the Temple and there was a problem with the Sacred Object, people had thought it an ill omen, but no one had regarded it as an immediate, serious matter.
The Dedication Ceremony itself hadn’t been cancelled—what was the harm in delaying an annual event by a little while?
For the local residents, the Dedication Ceremony had long since transformed from a solemn duty into something more like a summer festival. When rumors spread that the Crown Princess had her sword stolen, people just said, “What kind of mad bastard would have the audacity to pull off something like that?”
The city was so wealthy that rumors spread fast. Even ordinary citizens had noticed that all manner of things were being traded in the shadowy back corners of the city. So people had simply speculated that some powerful figure must have had his eye on the sword and smuggled it away—and in the commotion, perhaps the Temple caught fire. Nothing more than that.
But then, suddenly, a Magic Beast horde attacked the city.
It was a focused attack on a single building, and after a short time, it withdrew like a receding tide and left the city. Despite the sheer number of Magic Beasts in the assault, the casualties were relatively light, and yet the shock to the citizens was immense.
“Magic Beasts?!”
“Those creatures that only appear in the far north—why are they in our city?!”
“This has never happened before…!”
“But there’s supposed to be a Barrier, isn’t there? How did so many Magic Beasts breach it?”
“Oh, Divine One, look upon us…!”
The citizens were shocked, outraged, and trembling with fear.
They needed something that made sense from their perspective. Why? Why had they suddenly come under attack by Magic Beasts?
Even the Cortez Family couldn’t provide a clear explanation.
The Castrain Family’s forces had arrived and were monitoring the situation closely, and their rapid announcement that future Magic Beast attacks were unlikely to threaten the city couldn’t completely reassure the citizens.
The wealthy began urgently purchasing expensive items using Mana Stones for their safety, securing their own positions. Long lines formed of people willing to pay exorbitant fees to use Warp Tunnels, regardless of cost.
But not everyone could act this way. The vast majority of commoners lacked the means to afford expensive Warp Tunnel fares and relocate to distant places to start anew. They couldn’t afford Mana Stones inscribed with protective magic either. They could only huddle together and talk.
“Come to think of it, the Temple caught fire and the Dedication Ceremony was postponed!”
“I heard there was a problem with the Sacred Object!”
“That’s right. So the Barrier was damaged because of it, and that’s why the Magic Beasts attacked. If we just hold the Dedication Ceremony properly, it should be fine!”
“Y-yes, yes, that’s right. The Crown Princess defeated those Magic Beasts in the Imperial Palace with her sword, and…”
“But didn’t you just say that same sword was stolen?”
“Well, the Young Duke of the Castrain Family is here, so we can only trust that things will work out…”
The citizens needed something to believe in, something to cling to.
Even if it was the Temple that was currently undergoing repairs after the fire.
The Temple, whose credibility had been shattered and whose position had been precarious, suddenly found itself the sole object of everyone’s hope.
Cronen, who had been frantic just last night scrambling to escape that place, was said to have put on a pristine priest’s robes as soon as dawn broke and given a sermon before everyone with great fanfare.
“This is a lesson from the Divine, given to all of us for our negligence in honoring the Divine Name!”
Below the scorched outer walls of the Temple, barefoot and empty-handed, playing humble. Like a drowning man grasping at straw, he stood before people who had come to the Temple under vague hopes of safety—people who hadn’t properly assessed the situation. Yet there he was.
Acting as though he were a savior himself.
“Believe in us, I beg you! We shall be safe. We must all become one in faith in the Temple, in repentance for our sins, and in properly restoring the Barrier and conducting the Dedication Ceremony! Do you understand? This abomination that occurred the moment the Temple’s sanctuary crumbled!”
Illian spoke to me with a smile in his eyes but in a voice so vicious it seemed he wanted to grind his teeth through the man’s flesh.
“Ha! That Cronen fellow really does have a gift with words.”
Barbara spoke quietly to the Priest.
“Your manner of speech is excessively crude in the Crown Princess’s presence, Your Holiness.”
Illian laughed off his granddaughter’s complaint like a grandfather indulged by his grandchild.
“Crude speech? Give me a break, Barbara. How else am I supposed to comment on how appalling it is when someone excels at spewing lies?”
Barbara replied in an expressionless tone.
“You’re saying all of it quite plainly, nonetheless.”
“Ah. Your Highness, surely even you can sympathize with the desire to smash him to pieces, even if you don’t swear outright… Ah, stop glaring at me. I’ll stop. In any case, the real problem is that even in this situation, there are people who trust Cronen and find some comfort in that. There’s nothing inherently wrong with telling people to believe in the Divine and unite their strength.”
I quickly asked Illian a question as he nibbled on snacks.
“Your Holiness, since you’re also a Priest, wouldn’t people trust you more than that livestock-mouthed fool, if you stepped forward in this situation?”
“Ha, Your Highness. Even beasts eat half their fill at home. How much money has that smooth-tongued Cronen earned and received here, how many connections has he built up circulating drinks and letters in all directions? Quite a lot, I assure you. Besides, the Dedication Ceremony falls under the jurisdiction of the Southern Region’s Temple, so even if I stepped forward in front of everyone and said, ‘Listen to me!’ there’s nothing I could actually do. It’s better for me to stay quiet where they don’t notice, and later point out when he’s doing something foolish.”
As I listened to the situation, I sighed heavily in my heart.
I’d nearly died in the Magic Beast attack and come back alive, yet the true identity of the enemy remained completely obscured. And apparently, I still had to go through with the Dedication Ceremony to find out what this was all about…
One thing was certain: the Empress was probably dancing with joy hearing news of me.
When the Magic Beasts attacked the Auction House and Raymond rescued me, unconscious, most of the civilians had already fled to escape the beasts. The chaos was so complete that many people hadn’t properly grasped what was happening as they scrambled and scattered. But regardless, no one could hide the fact that Raymond had disappeared urgently, cradling a bleeding woman in his arms…
Because of this, new anxious rumors were spreading about the Dedication Ceremony: “Is the reason we can’t conduct it because something happened to a member of the royal family who came all the way here?”
I knew all too well the nature of how people rush to spread every sort of wild rumor and hearsay the moment something happens, plunging even the innocent into anxiety.
But what I had to deal with right now wasn’t the Empress.
“Your Highness! Bibi Lutein El Castrain has sent word!”
…Bibi!
I rolled my eyes as I heard Debi’s cheerful voice.

Her eyes were glistening with tears. I went stiff as a struck frog.

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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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