The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 146

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 146

 

* * *

 

The carriage ran for six full days. When I got off after arriving near the mine, I was completely exhausted.

 

Isaac, who got off the carriage with me, looked at me as if I were an old man on the verge of death.

 

“Little One is incredibly frail.”

 

I was dumbfounded.

 

It’s not that I’m weak—the other people who are still energetic after six days of this forced march are the monsters!

 

The motion sickness was severe because the road was so rough. But I couldn’t starve for six days, so I kept repeating the cycle of eating and throwing up.

 

Sometimes I had to use the bathroom, and it was insanely hot since it was summer.

 

We could have traveled more comfortably using mana stones, but that would leave residual mana along the path we took. Since we needed to move secretly, we couldn’t use mana stones either.

 

“Leblaine, how about we rest for a bit?”

 

I clenched and unclenched my hands, then nodded with a “Yeah.”

 

I was so tired that my divine power wasn’t working properly. We might have to fight spirits, and in this condition, it would be dangerous.

 

“We’ll camp briefly at the mountain foothills.”

 

At the Wolf Unit Captain’s words, the Wolves began to move.

 

Isaac decided to look around the mountain area, while Henri formed an advance team with Seto to search inside the mine.

 

Meanwhile, I stood blankly near the Wolves who were setting up barracks.

 

“Shall I bring you a chair?”

 

“No, a rock will do.”

 

“Are you alright with the motion sickness?”

 

“The medicine I brought from the mansion seems to be working well. I’m fine now. But I’m hungry…”

 

I, who have twice the appetite of a normal person, had been practically starving all day due to motion sickness.

 

When I looked up with pitiful eyes, the Wolf who was guarding me said, “I’ll go find something to snack on from the carriage,” and left.

 

I felt reassured because Zachary was setting up barracks pillars right in front of me.

 

Grumble.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

Grumble rumble.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

Grumble.

 

“Did a beggar get into your stomach?”

 

Zachary, who was driving pillars into the ground, looked at me with an incredulous expression, and I nodded with a pitiful face.

 

“It doesn’t seem like just one beggar got in…”

 

“I have some peanuts. Should I give you some—”

 

I immediately ran over and held out my hand.

 

“Who would see you as a noble Young Lady?”

 

Taking the peanut pouch, I returned to the rock and quietly peeled the peanut shells.

 

‘I ate these often during my beggar days.’

 

If I lingered around shops, kind-hearted workers would secretly give me a handful without their boss knowing.

 

Just as I was chewing the peanuts thoroughly, I heard rustling sounds from somewhere. Zachary, who had just finished setting up all the pillars of the barracks, startled and stood close beside me with his spear in hand.

 

“Wild beasts?”

 

I asked while carefully hugging the peanut pouch, and Zachary shook his head with a tense expression.

 

“It’s killing intent. Not just one or two.”

 

I nodded and gripped Zachary’s collar tightly.

 

Zachary lowered his body slightly. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, ready to spring into action at any moment, and grabbed the whistle hanging around his neck.

 

“When I signal, run in the opposite direction—”

 

That’s when it happened.

 

“Kiyaak—!!”

 

Monster-like screams echoed from all directions, then something burst out all at once.

 

At that moment, Zachary blew his whistle. It was the signal to summon the Wolves.

 

I ran frantically in the opposite direction. Zachary struck down several assailants in one swift motion with his spear shaft to clear a path for me.

 

But since so many had burst out, one of them broke through Zachary and charged at me.

 

And then.

 

“Ah!”

 

The assailant snatched the peanut pouch from my hands.

 

“My peanuts! It’s a peanut thief—!”

 

“Kiiiiiik—!”

 

The assailant clutching the peanut pouch ran toward the group that had been knocked down by Zachary.

 

Zachary didn’t miss the moment when the assailant approached and grabbed it by the scruff of its neck.

 

I ran over quickly and frowned when I saw the assailant Zachary had caught.

 

“A humanoid monster?”

 

It had arms, legs, eyes, nose, and mouth like a human, but it was small like a dwarf with a protruding belly. Its skin was slippery like a fish, and its eyes showed only large black irises like a puppy’s.

 

“Kiik! Kiik!”

 

“A goblin?”

 

“It’s similar, but it doesn’t show several goblin characteristics.”

 

All the assailants that attacked us were the same species as the peanut thief. A particularly small assailant from the peanut thief group was hitting Zachary’s knee repeatedly.

 

“Ki! Kii! Ki!”

 

“Is it asking to be put down?”

 

Just as I was muttering that, Wolves and Isaac came running toward us.

 

“What’s going on… What the.”

 

Isaac frowned as he looked at the group of peanut thieves.

 

* * *

 

Isaac watched with an incredulous expression as the monsters devoured the dried fruit and nuts ravenously.

 

“How much more is that guy planning to eat?”

 

I also made a dumbfounded expression looking at the heavily piled food pouches.

 

The six monsters seemed to have eaten two days’ worth of our soldiers’ rations and still weren’t full.

 

When I handed jerky to the smallest monster, it sniffed curiously before accepting the jerky.

 

“Kyaak! Ptui!”

 

The jerky didn’t seem to suit its taste.

 

Isaac chuckled seeing the monster coughing and spitting out the jerky.

 

“Well now. Being picky about food when you’re getting it for free?”

 

“It’s not that, I think it can’t eat meat.”

 

“Then it’s definitely not a goblin… could it be a nymph?”

 

In legend, the place where the water source was kept was Nymph’s Lake. In other words, where nymphs lived.

 

Nymphs are beings that serve water spirits, and according to the books I read on the way here, they do look similar to these creatures.

 

“But nymphs are supposed to live in clean water. They say they can’t survive even an hour outside water, but these children have been with us for at least two hours.”

 

“Maybe they’re mutants. Or they might not be nymphs at all.”

 

Just then.

 

“They are nymphs.”

 

It was Henri, who had returned after scouting the mine ahead with the advance team. Behind him, a giant monster that appeared to be of the same species as the monsters with me was being dragged along.

 

“Kiiiek─!”

 

The monster that had stolen my peanut pouch extended its claws and quickly ran forward.

 

However, it couldn’t approach Henri and flew backward with a loud bang─!!

 

“Don’t be a nuisance.”

 

An activation seal was glowing in Henri’s hand. Now that I looked, he had scratches on his neck and face. The wolves that went with him also seemed injured.

 

“Henri!”

 

When I ran over, pale with shock, Henri patted my head.

 

“It’s not a wound worth worrying about.”

 

“Did you get hurt while catching that giant nymph?”

 

“Yes. If that guy hadn’t hesitated in front of Seto, we wouldn’t have been able to capture it.”

 

“Since he’s a child blessed by spirits, the nymphs who are spirit familiars couldn’t harm him.”

 

Henri and the wolves are aura users. For such strong fighters who don’t spill a drop of blood over ordinary matters to get these kinds of wounds capturing just one nymph.

 

“It wasn’t just one.”

 

At Henri’s words, I opened my eyes wide.

 

“What?”

 

“At least dozens. If there are many, hundreds are inside that mine.”

 

As Isaac and I stiffened, Henri wiped the purple blood from his sword blade with a cloth and said.

 

“But there was an even bigger problem here.”

 

Isaac frowned and asked.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“The ones that were with you are probably nymph young. Adult nymphs wouldn’t let their young wander outside their territory.”

 

“…You’re saying this entire mountain is nymph territory?”

 

“Yes, the nymphs in the mine are just a portion. A much larger number of nymphs are positioned throughout this mountain.”

 

Henri’s eyes darkened.

 

“It means we’re practically surrounded by nymphs.”

 

“If that many nymphs find out their young have disappeared… damn it.”

 

Realizing the situation was turning urgent, Iri’s deputy commander shouted.

 

“Pack up the barracks and put out the fires!”

 

While the wolves moved in perfect unison, Isaac, Henri, and I discussed countermeasures.

 

“The entire advance team was injured just catching one. We need to abandon the water source search and return.”

 

Isaac showed reluctance at my words.

 

“But we can’t miss this opportunity. We need to strike while Marshu is distracted with Marquis Nodelli’s affairs and the Valois territory annexation.”

 

“First, we need to send Leblaine back. This time we’ll have to use long-distance teleportation even if there’s a risk of being tracked.”

 

“If Henri and Isaac aren’t going, then I’m not going either!”

 

When I shouted, Henri grabbed my shoulder with a rarely cold expression.

 

“We brought the maximum number of soldiers we could move secretly. We can’t get more military support here. In the end, we have to find the water source with just the soldiers here. We don’t have the luxury of sparing an escort for you.”

 

“I… understand that.”

 

“Those who can’t fight will only be a burden.”

 

“…I can fight too. I’ll be more helpful than the wolves.”

 

“It’s not a question of whether you can or can’t fight. The issue is whether you can or can’t kill. Do you have the confidence to kill an opponent without hesitation in a moment of crisis?”

 

I couldn’t answer anything and bit my lips.

 

Henri was right. I lacked resolve. And it’s not like I’m helpful like Seto, nor do I have divine blessing to avoid being attacked by nymphs.

 

When I took out the teleportation circle with a dejected face, my brothers smiled wryly.

 

“Little one, if things seem dangerous, we’ll run away too. How cunning is your second brother that he’d fight to the death?”

 

“Right. I’ll go back.”

 

I rubbed away the tears that had somehow filled my eyes with my palm.

 

“It’s a promise. You absolutely, absolutely must come back alive, okay?”

 

“Have we ever broken a promise we made with you?”

 

“…Keep this one too, for sure.”

 

After hugging Henri and Isaac, I tore the teleportation circle with tearful eyes.

 

But then.

 

“…?”

 

“What.”

 

“Why…”

 

I took out a new teleportation circle and tore it.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

The teleportation circle isn’t activating.

 

We siblings had such a touching farewell, but if the teleportation circle doesn’t activate now, this becomes embarrassing, doesn’t it?

 

When I glanced around, the knights who had been watching our tearful goodbye with sad expressions were blinking their eyes.

 

I quickly stuffed the torn teleportation circle into my pocket and said.

 

“What do you mean go back! Whether we die, we die together, and whether we live, we live together!”

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

“Let’s go! To find the water source!”

 

When I shouted with a pretense of determination, Henri and Isaac, who had been frozen stiff, looked at me with incredulous expressions.

 

* * *

 

The problem wasn’t just the transportation array. The communication stone was also dead. Just in case, I tested the mana stone, but the mana stone was useless too.

 

“Is mana completely not working?”

 

“I was able to cast magic. It’s not that I can’t use mana. There’s only a problem with the magic tools.”

 

“Does it make sense that the transportation array, communication stone, and mana stone all broke down at once?”

 

“…There might be a specific wavelength on this mountain that only affects mana mediums.”

 

“Then how on earth was Baron Eston able to mine the stones? He was definitely mining here until a month ago.”

 

A mountain where mana mediums become useless. And there’s even a powerful nymph that even Dubbled’s Wolves couldn’t handle.

 

Listening to their conversation, I frowned at a sudden thought that occurred to me.

 

“…Divine blessing.”

 

We all looked at Seto at once.

 

“What if the divine blessing is some kind of signal?”

 

When I spoke, Isaac muttered.

 

“A signal that makes the nymph appear and creates wavelengths that interfere with mana mediums….”

 

Henri said while massaging his temples.

 

“Then it means this ridiculous situation will only end when we complete the legend.”

 

That ultimately meant we had to enter the mine and finish the young hero’s legend.

 

‘In other words, meet the spirit.’

 

But it’s strange.

 

Why Seto of all people? Out of so many children, why was only Seto chosen by the spirit?

 

And coincidentally when he was in the same space as me.

 

‘Anyway, we have no choice but to go, whether we live or die.’

 

We siblings entered the mine with Hero Seto leading the way, who wouldn’t be attacked by the nymph.

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