The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 299
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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 299
I looked at Duke Grimoire with a surprised expression.
“How did you know about this place, Duke… Duck!”
In the middle of asking, an arrow flew from one of the assailants, making me shriek.
Duke Grimoire lightly twisted his body to dodge the arrow.
“Explanations later.”
After saying that, he looked at the assailant holding the bow as if targeting him, and soon an activation seal appeared beneath the assailant’s feet.
Light burst forth from the activation seal, which then transformed into something resembling a monster’s maw and devoured the assailant.
Crunch.
At the sound of something breaking, I flinched and hunched my shoulders.
Just then, I felt a familiar rift in the airspace above the deck. It was the wave of a long-distance teleportation circle.
Another blinding light spread, and figures in black robes leaped down from mid-air.
Even without explanation, I felt like I knew who they were.
‘The Grimoire Mist.’
Grimoire’s pride that stood shoulder to shoulder with Dubbled’s Wolves and the Shrine’s Paladin Order – the magic unit Mist.
Each and every one of them was a master of dark magic said to rival Magic Tower Masters, and they had arrived at this place.
They instantly surrounded the assailants and began chanting incantations.
The longer the incantations continued, the more suffocating my chest felt. I was short of breath as if my lungs were being squeezed tight.
Screech─!
A sharp ringing cut through my head. My vision narrowed.
It felt as if fear and anxiety had taken the form of blades, slicing through my organs and brain entirely.
‘Stop!’
Stop it.
Stop…!
Then, Duke Grimoire covered my eyes with one hand. Like a lie, the pain disappeared.
“A child sensitive to power.”
At his words, the incantations the mages were chanting subtly changed, and no more pain came.
Only when my blurred vision became clear again could I see the assailants’ appearance.
Their bulging blue veins looked ready to burst at any moment, and their whites had turned completely black. Clotted fresh blood was dripping drop by drop from their noses and mouths.
Goosebumps rose all over my body.
My blood seemed to run cold, so I gripped my collar tightly.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one feeling fear. The sailors freed from the assailants had turned deathly pale. Some were so overcome with terror they nearly wet themselves.
“Mon, monsters… monsters…”
That was right.
Duke Grimoire and those Mist members truly seemed like monsters.
Not only did they have the power to subdue dozens of trained individuals in an instant, but their control was chillingly perfect.
The reason I couldn’t use magic freely when attacked by the assailants was because of Servertium’s barrier.
The barrier surrounding the waters of the magic powerhouse Servertium is known as the world’s finest.
It was remarkably sturdy and delicate, and above all, Servertium had conducted independent research to the point where they could even detect what magic was cast near the barrier.
In other words, if I cast attack magic right in front of Servertium, it would be tantamount to a declaration of war.
‘If that happened, it would become an international issue.’
Not only would independence be disrupted, but we would suffer massive damage before even going to war with the Shrine.
Yet the Grimoire mists used such powerful magic while perfectly controlling it so that not even a bit of mana leaked out from the limited area.
Duke Grimoire himself didn’t even display an activation seal and naturally twisted the laws of nature as smoothly as flowing water.
Now I understand what the Chairman meant.
“Just how bold are you, Miss? Grimoire is a family that owns a Magic Tower. There have been countless people who served as Magic Tower Masters for generations, and Duke Grimoire himself is currently the most magnificent mage on the continent.”
‘I really was incredibly bold!’
Seeing the ship organized in an instant, I gaped in amazement.
* * *
The mists supported the Grimoire Elder.
Those specialized in breaking magic examined the Elder, and before long, light returned to the Elder’s clouded eyes.
Duke Grimoire, who had been watching him, spoke.
“What a disgrace this is.”
The Elder pressed his palm to his forehead and said.
“Damn Christian.”
“Christian? Did the Pope himself step forward?”
“Yes.”
Duke Grimoire let out a hollow laugh.
“So you were helplessly defeated. What a waste of the title of strongest Magic Tower Master in history.”
“I wasn’t completely defeated. I definitely dealt some damage.”
“How admirable.”
I took a deep breath.
Even when the Shrine was cornered, the Pope had remained quiet because he had been damaged from his battle with the Grimoire Elder.
But what was even more surprising was that this white-haired old man had fought the Pope one-on-one and emerged without any injuries.
‘That’s incredible.’
As I glanced at the Elder from behind Duke Grimoire, the Elder gestured toward me with his chin.
“What brings the Child of Fate here?”
“Ah, this is our ship, the Calosium Ship. I heard that you had boarded it, and it seemed suspicious, so I came to check.”
“The Child of Fate must have come through teleportation magic. Nikolai, what about you?”
“I also came through teleportation magic.”
“You bought goods distributed by House Dubbled?”
At the Elder’s question, Duke Grimoire glanced at me and said.
“Duke Dubbled provided it. He’s also the one who gave me the coordinates.”
“…Why would he.”
“Because he can’t kill his children’s maternal grandfather.”
The Previous Duke’s face hardened.
I was just as flustered.
There’s only one possibility for him to say such a thing.
If Mother, that is, Lisette Dubbled, was the daughter of the Grimoire Elder.
My fourth life’s experience warned me not to rashly believe without evidence, but strange thoughts kept occurring.
A baseless belief that Duke Grimoire’s words might be true. And the thought that before me… might be my maternal grandfather.
The Previous Duke looked at Duke Grimoire with cold eyes.
“You wretch, there’s nothing to tell an enemy, my Gri…”
“It was unavoidable to find Father’s granddaughter.”
“Granddaughter, you say.”
“I’ve confirmed with Duke Dubbled. Leblaine is the ‘bloodline of the oath’ recorded in the First Family Head’s records.”
“…What did you say?”
Duke Grimoire slowly pulled me toward him. Standing me before the Previous Duke, he slowly brushed away my hair.
The strangely shaped mark that Father and my brothers teased me about daily was revealed.
The Previous Duke touched my neck with trembling hands. Then, with a sharp pain, I felt a strange floating sensation as the mark transformed into a bizarre tattoo-like form.
Into the crescent moon pattern that was House Grimoire’s emblem.
The Previous Duke’s face completely contorted.
The giant who had dominated the world for nearly a century looked as fragile as a lost child who had found their way.
The Previous Duke looked at me frantically with tear-filled eyes, and Duke Grimoire spoke as if grinding his teeth.
“She’s my sister’s daughter, Father.”
The surroundings fell silent. Only the sound of wind circled between the three of us.
The Previous Duke spoke.
“Yes, how could I not have known.”
“…”
“When she resembles that child’s eyes from the portrait so much.”
“…”
The Previous Duke reached his hand toward me. His finely trembling fingertips touched me.
That’s when it happened.
Screeeech─!!
Tinnitus crossed through my head once again and a dizzy headache came.
Gremory’s desperate voice echoed in my head.
[Child, according to our contract you can’t use divine power right now… release the seal of the oath… Child!]
Her voice became distorted.
As my consciousness faded, I seemed to have a ridiculous thought.
‘This is why you shouldn’t make contracts carelessly, damn it’
─That was my thought.
* * *
Leblaine was immediately moved to Grimoire Manor. Upon hearing the news, Duke Dubbled, Johan, and Henri hurriedly came to the Grimoire Estate.
Henri asked upon seeing the unconscious Leblaine.
“What happened?”
“Her mana outlet has been blocked.”
Henri frowned at Duke Grimoire’s words.
“Then does that mean she’s become an ordinary human who can no longer use divine power?”
“No, the outlet is simply blocked, as I said. It seems to be demonic power.”
“Demonic power?”
“There was someone who witnessed her making a contract with a demon inside the Calosium Ship. I heard she called it ‘Gremory.'”
She had a familiar, yet made a contract with Gremory.
‘It must have been such an urgent situation that she couldn’t use her familiar.’
“Why…”
“Henri.”
“It’s always like this. Leblaine is always the one placed in hardship, and there’s nothing we can do. What sin has this child, what sin has Mother committed…!”
Johan’s eyes dimmed as he saw his younger brother unable to contain his anger for once.
Johan gripped Henri’s shoulder while looking at Duke Grimoire.
“I heard the general story from Father. That we… that Mother was of Grimoire bloodline as well.”
“…”
“Please explain in detail. Why you abandoned Mother, and what this ‘covenant bloodline’ you mentioned to Father means.”
Duke Grimoire glanced at the Previous Duke. The Previous Duke was holding the unconscious Leblaine’s hand, staring at the child in distraction.
Duke Grimoire spoke.
“I’ll explain. Sit down.”
As Duke Dubbled, Johan, and Henri took seats on chairs near the bed, Duke Grimoire began explaining the situation.
That the Previous Duke didn’t know of Lisette’s existence until she died.
The reason Lisette possessed the life extension technique,
The reason for not revealing all these facts.
After explaining everything about the relationship between Lisette and Grimoire, Duke Grimoire let out a sigh.
“At first, I thought about telling you, but my resentment ran deeper. You were people who shared the pain of losing Lisette, but you were also descendants of Previous Duke Dubbled who killed Lisette.”
“…”
“Above all, I thought Theodore’s reason for marrying Lisette was to use Shaman’s blood.”
“…”
“After all, throughout their marriage, you never showed her to the outside world. As if confining her. …Do you resent us for such misunderstanding?”
“I understand. For Lisette’s sake.”
Theodore answered without emotion.
Duke Grimoire let out a hollow laugh. After catching his breath, he continued the story.
“The First Head of Grimoire summoned a demon. With its help, he created the life extension technique and laid the foundation of this family.”
“What kind of demon was it?”
“A demon with the power to see the future.”
Johan and Henri flinched and exchanged glances. Johan spoke to his father.
“According to Leblaine, during the battle with the Kuhelm Tribe, the Amethyst Demon showed her the future.”
“…Is it possible that the demon summoned by Grimoire’s First One was the Amethyst Demon?”
“Circumstantially speaking, yes.”
Duke Grimoire opened his mouth again.
“According to the First One’s records, the demon left behind one prophecy just before disappearing. That a child would be born into Grimoire’s bloodline who would make a Sacred Oath with him.”
“…”
“Therefore, he said he would leave this for the child born bearing the mark of the Sacred Oath.”
Duke Grimoire pulled something from his coat.
An emerald so deep it was dazzling.
In that instant, Leblaine convulsed as if having a seizure.
Grooooong─!
A powerful vibration shook the floor.
Duke Grimoire gripped the gem.
“The First Pillar and Demon of Beginning, Baal.”
The most powerful piece was placed on Leblaine’s chess board.
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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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