The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 229
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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 229
“It’s the same guardian star as the Founding Emperor of the Empire. That one that has hardly ever appeared…”
Mina asked with wide eyes.
“What is the Supreme God’s star?”
“It’s also called the Hero’s Star. It’s the star that great heroes are born under, like the Founding Emperor and the legendary knight who accomplished the Dragon King Subjugation.”
“Ah…”
When Mina nodded with an indifferent voice, the people around her got excited instead.
“It’s incredible! If your guardian star is the Supreme God’s star, you’re considered a hero from the moment you’re born!”
“Hmm, my thoughts are a bit different.”
“Pardon?”
“You were just born at that time. No one can be certain how a child born under the Supreme God’s star will grow up. Perhaps a child born under the Supreme God’s star might have lived crushed by the sense of duty that ‘since I was born with the destiny of a hero, I must live as a hero.’ That’s why the Supreme God’s star doesn’t seem all that impressive to me.”
Mina muttered with the tip of her fork in her mouth, and the surroundings became quiet.
Every world has its own laws.
According to Cheolsu, his and Mina’s world also had customs like [respecting elders], [holding ancestral rites on holidays], and [wearing black clothes to funerals].
Things so natural that even though they weren’t established as laws, no one raised objections to them.
Naturally, our world had such things too, but Mina, who came from another world, would casually point out things that were taken for granted.
And that aspect—
“You speak quite strangely.”
—initially provoked resentment like this.
Several students frowned as they looked at Mina.
“What you just said sounds like you’re saying we’re pushing obligations onto you, Miss Mina.”
“Children who possess the Supreme God’s star enjoy different rights from ordinary children. For example, Rigetoris, the legendary knight who subjugated the Dragon King, was of commoner status but received education in the Royal Palace from birth.”
“That’s right. Is it strange for those who enjoyed rights to bear obligations?”
As the atmosphere turned strange, Mina’s eyes widened.
“No. That’s not what I meant… I’m saying that people can’t be divided into special and not special based on things like guardian stars.”
“What?”
“Everyone is special, even without having the Supreme God’s star.”
“Pardon?”
“Not me, but Sandra, Allen, Tenor, and Mary Jane, who know that those who enjoy rights must also bear obligations, are more precious people. …And Emeline is also very special.”
The surroundings became quiet once again. Mina laughed awkwardly with an embarrassed expression.
“Am I addressing you correctly? Ah, I’m not used to these honorifics. In my world, ‘Miss’ and ‘Mister’ are a bit awkward.”
People forgot to respond and stared at Mina in bewilderment, and Sandra quickly spoke with an ‘oh my’ expression.
“That’s right. I’m happy you remembered my name.”
Then the others hurriedly nodded. The large man named Allen scratched his reddened earlobe and said.
“I haven’t even introduced myself yet, but you know my name?”
“I heard it before entering the dining room earlier. Right, Emeline… Miss? Ugh, this honorific is really embarrassing.”
When Mina covered her cheeks with both hands as she spoke, laughter burst out.
The Mina of this life is no different from the Mina in my memories.
Even if she faces hostility at first, once you talk with her, everyone comes to realize it. That this girl is a good person.
This girl has conviction. And that conviction always sparkles like this, so everyone becomes captivated by her light.
After that, the conversation revolved around Mina.
People tried to teach Mina, who didn’t know much about this world, various things, and the atmosphere remained harmonious throughout.
After the meal ended, we decided to have tea time as well.
“Leblaine, come with us too. Okay?”
I shook my head and stood up.
“I need to prepare for the evaluation this afternoon.”
“Evaluation?”
Then Allen answered in my place.
“The aptitude test only determines your ‘department.’ Classes are divided by grades. Other grade students are divided into classes based on last semester’s grades, but freshmen are divided into classes based on this afternoon’s evaluation.”
“Ah, then we shouldn’t interfere… Yes, let’s definitely have tea together later. Allen says the lemon tea he brought from home is so delicious.”
Mina waved her hand with a smile, and I left the dining room. Emeline followed me with quick steps.
After leaving the dining room, I turned to look at Emeline.
“What, why don’t you have tea with the children? It’s a chance to build connections.”
“I’m going to prepare for the afternoon evaluation too.”
“I have to because of the Elysiano Class, but you’re different.”
To enter the Elysiano Class, this semester’s grades must be very excellent.
In this school, there are cases where exams are taken as class competitions. That’s why I had to get good grades in the afternoon evaluation by any means necessary to be assigned to Class A.
Emeline walked close beside me with a nonchalant expression.
“Anyway, it would be good for me to get into a good class too. Commoner special admission students like me have to go straight home if we can’t pass the cutline.”
“…”
When I narrowed my eyes and stared at her, Emeline deliberately shouted roughly, “What, what!”
I snorted and said.
“You’re worried I might be alone.”
“I’m not! I just don’t like that girl. Everyone is special, what nonsense…”
“But it was something you wanted to hear.”
Emeline flinched and looked at me, so I smiled bitterly.
“Mina is someone who easily wins favor. She says what the other person wants to hear, with complete sincerity and not a trace of falsehood. She’s different from me.”
Emeline stopped walking abruptly. After looking around for a moment, she confirmed no one was there and opened her mouth.
“What’s wrong with you. Why are you acting like this.”
“Like what?”
“Why couldn’t you say a single word in front of that girl? Like someone who lost before even fighting!”
“What should I have said? Mina didn’t say anything wrong, and she certainly wasn’t picking a fight. Rather, she’s showing favor toward me. But if I’m on guard and attack her, I’d just become the strange person. Getting criticized in a place where I came to build connections would be defeat.”
“What I mean is…!”
Emeline, who had been shouting angrily, bit her lips tightly.
“Never mind.”
“Emeline.”
When I grabbed her wrist, she shook off my hand with a sharp motion and glared at me.
“You’re only half a bad girl, but I’m completely a bad girl. So I don’t want to keep a pathetic friend who gets intimidated in front of others!”
“….”
“You said Mina was your hero, right? My hero was… the nine-year-old Young Lady who reached out her hand to a little child abandoned by her father!”
Emeline, filled with indignation, shed tears drop by drop as she pushed me away.
“You keep living intimidated in front of your hero! I’ll erase such a pathetic hero of mine from my memory!”
That girl shouted and ran toward the dormitory, leaving me behind.
I was dumbfounded.
‘What? When was I ever intimidated…’
I watched Emeline’s retreating figure, sighed, and headed toward the dormitory.
* * *
Afternoon.
After changing into my training uniform and heading to the Second Training Ground, I searched for Emeline among the bustling new students.
Sulking Emeline was hiding somewhere, not showing even a strand of hair until before the test.
I caught a glimpse of an ivory-colored head from quite far away from the other students.
‘It’s Emeline!’
I quickly approached that girl.
“Emeline!”
“….”
“I’ve been looking for you for a while. Where did you go? We need to form teams for today’s evaluation, but I couldn’t even form a team with the other students because I was looking for you.”
“….”
“We need to hurry and form a team too─”
But the atmosphere around Emeline was strange.
Unlike during lunch, the students were glaring at Emeline with sharp eyes.
“What’s this? Did something happen?”
Emeline didn’t answer, and instead Allen, a male student who was standing a little apart from us, shouted.
“Leblaine.”
“Yes?”
“Come over here. We’ll let you join our team.”
“…?”
“Ah, you’re the same age as Mina, right? I’m three years older. Come quickly. Don’t deal with that lunatic.”
“What do you mean?”
When I frowned, Allen snorted and looked at Emeline.
“She suddenly picked a fight with Mina.”
Then a female student from Allen’s group mockingly imitated Emeline’s way of speaking.
“I think that saying everyone is special is wrong. I understand you’re trying to win people over with nice words, but in a class-based society, those are irresponsible words. Especially not something you, who enjoys privileges, should have said.”
Emeline said such things?
I hurriedly looked at Emeline, and she was staring straight ahead with her lips tightly sealed.
‘This fool!’
In the end, she couldn’t hold back and went to pour it all out on Mina.
But to others, that looked like picking a fight. Even to me, it was clearly picking a fight.
Mina was a child who easily won people’s favor. It seemed she had become friends with most of the new students since lunch, and in this situation, picking a fight with Mina, who was the center of the group, would inevitably make her an enemy.
Snickers erupted from the surroundings.
“How ridiculous. Is this commoner pride?”
“She’ll do anything to stand out.”
The gazes were even sharper than at the Theological Academy.
‘The timing is also bad.’
Right now is when groups are just forming. If a public enemy emerges at a time like this, it’s perfect entertainment.
If Emeline, the target of ridicule, doesn’t get through this period well, she’ll be torn apart until graduation.
This wasn’t just a matter of relationships. This school has many group evaluations. If she falls behind like this, it would be difficult to get good grades.
Moreover, for Emeline who entered through the Commoner Special Admission, grades are extremely important.
‘In a situation like this, Mina should sort things out, but… hasn’t Mina come to the training ground yet?’
Allen gestured toward me.
“Come here. Let’s do this together. How about ‘Children of Fate’ for the team name?”
Then laughter erupted from the surroundings.
“That’s a perfect name to catch the professor’s eye.”
“Ah, that team is being sneaky!”
The atmosphere was cheerful. Except for Emeline alone.
“Leblaine, hurry up and come over here. We need to write down the team member list and submit it—”
“I’ve already decided on my team.”
“What?”
I took Emeline’s hand.
“I’m going to team up with Emeline.”
“…You’ll regret it. Everyone else made teams of five or more.”
“As long as there are ten members or fewer, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to team up with Emeline.”
“Oh, really? Then go ahead and try.”
Allen twisted his lips as if his feelings were hurt.
The other students looked a bit flustered, but Allen clapped his hands and shouted.
“That Child of Fate over there says she can take on all of us even with one useless soldier, so let’s face her with full power so she won’t be looked down upon further!”
The reproachful gazes that had been directed at Emeline now turned to me.
Emeline whispered to me with a flustered expression.
“You idiot! You came to this school to build connections, so what are you doing?!”
“When a friend makes a mess, you have to help clean it up.”
“What kind of vulgar words from a noble Young Lady…!”
“Come, come. Let’s go write down the team member list.”
When I urged her, Emeline hesitantly followed me to the temporary desk set up in one corner of the training ground.
I wrote down Emeline’s and my names side by side, then wrote the team name.
Emeline’s eyes widened when she saw the team name.
[Max’s Gang]
That was what our Beggar Gang used to be called.
Soon, along with the evaluation start bell, Mina came running into the training ground. Wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, she smiled brightly and asked.
“I’m not late, am I?”
“Yeah. Just barely.”
A deep voice came from behind Mina. It was the professor who had entered the training ground at some point.
The professor said “Go to your positions” while reading the team member list placed on the temporary desk.
“Mina and the Children?”
“Yes, teacher! That’s us!”
When Mina raised her hand high, the professor chuckled softly.
“That would be Professor.”
When Mina made an embarrassed expression, laughter burst out throughout the training ground.
“This year’s class assignment evaluation is to rescue hostages inside moving barriers. The hostages are living beings. So if you recklessly break the barriers, the hostages won’t be safe, right? We’ll conduct a comprehensive evaluation based on the time it takes to rescue hostages, the condition of the hostages, the number of rescued hostages, the level of barriers broken, and so on.”
When he waved his hand in the air, a giant hourglass appeared. Soon the training ground transformed into a maze-like shape.
“For this evaluation only, mana restrictions are lifted. Now begin.”
That meant they could remove the gold magic tools.
Allen was the first to remove the magic tools attached to both his wrists and ankles. Thud! With a heavy sound, the magic tools crashed to the floor and tremendous mana shook the ground.
Mina said to Allen.
“It really was a test to rescue hostages, just like you said.”
“I told you so. My elder brother gave me all the past exam info. First, that purple circle has the highest score. It’s a tricky barrier. We’re only going to target that purple one.”
“How do we break the barrier?”
“Actually, breaking visible barriers like this isn’t much. You just need to perfectly shoot an arrow into the center of the barrier. But not only can’t we know the center for sure, the barrier is moving so it’ll be hard to destroy.”
“I think I can do it? Isn’t that the center? Near the dark colored area. And─”
“What did you say?”
Mina climbed up onto the maze wall and aimed the bow that was distributed before the evaluation started at the barrier.
“I’m a former archery athlete!”
The training ground became noisy upon hearing Mina’s story.
Finding the center of a barrier is impossible unless you completely understand the magic formula.
Especially for difficult barriers like the ones used for training at Odis Academy.
Even the professor looked at Mina with a surprised face.
Mina shot the arrow.
“Ah! I missed. It’s harder than I thought─”
Bang─!!
A sphere of condensed divine power struck the barrier where Mina’s arrow had missed. Precisely at the center of the barrier.
“Leblaine…!”
“Lady Leblaine!”
Allen and Sandra looked up at me floating in mid-air with surprised expressions.
‘The center of the barrier, you’re not the only one who can see it.’
I smiled sweetly.
‘Moreover.’
I had released the restrictions on my divine power.
Which meant.
[Hey, kid. We’re going harder this time!]
[It’s like a game event! Ooooh─! Do we get item drops if we smash that thing?]
[My lord, we must suppress from above first. Let’s go.]
It was time for my three familiars to make their appearance.
As soon as the first barrier was broken, upperclassmen appeared in the spectator seats surrounding the training ground. At the head table were the people from Elysiano Class.
Isaac and Henri subtly gave me thumbs up.
Emeline looked at me with a surprised expression.
“How did you…!”
“I told you I’m your hero. This much is nothing for a hero.”
I said with a grin.
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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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