The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 154

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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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In the end, what Theo wanted to do was self-destruct.

To embrace Crookiatus and explode his own body, dying together.

“Simply detonating the device won’t be enough. It won’t deal any meaningful damage to Father. And if I do that, this entire island will be blown away.”

Rico understood to some extent why Theo had to reach such a conclusion.

“No one knows when the plan will be put into action. In the meantime, what if Isabel can’t escape Debokio Island?”

“I’ll somehow manage that…!”

“Don’t give me that ‘somehow’ nonsense. I don’t believe in that anymore. In my previous life, that kind of naive thinking got Annellia killed.”

Whenever Theo spoke about Annellia’s death, he always looked pained.

“Just because I regressed, just because she came back to life in the end, does that make it okay? Does that mean Annellia’s death never happened?”

“…”

“Rico. There really are no more chances now. That’s why I’ll only take the most certain path. The path of absolute victory, one where I cannot lose.”

“…”

“Annellia, Isabel. And both of their other family members too. This time, no one except me should die.”

Currently, Crookiatus was storing up power in the basement of the Magic Tower.

It was where the evil dragon’s nest, created by Crookiatus himself, was located.

The nest was extremely solid and sturdy.

So much so that no existing magic or technology could penetrate it.

“I’ll kill Father inside there or seal him away forever. So he can never come out again.”

“…”

“The magical power absorbed from the Heavenly Realm will be the foundation for the explosion, so there’s no chance of failure. If the preparations go well…”

“…”

“I can truly give our daughter a safe and peaceful world as a gift.”

Rico groaned as he hoisted Theo onto his back.

Then he opened a portal with one hand.

The portal connected to the very center of the Magic Tower, to Theo’s Research Lab protected by thousands of barriers.

As he stepped through it, Rico glanced at Theo.

Theo was completely unconscious, slumped limply on Rico’s back.

“…Hmph. I won’t watch that happen.”

A few years ago, Rico had told Annellia the story that was at the heart of all these events.

Information about Crookiatus’s existence and hints about where he was located.

Though he had disguised it as an ancient text, it was all material Rico had created himself.

“Lady Lili takes after sister-in-law, not big brother. That’s why her disposition is as kind as an angel.”

Rico grumbled as he completely crossed through the portal.

“Do you think the young lady would really be happy about something like that? A gift where her real father died trying to save her.”

The dimensional space slowly closed behind him.

Rico threw Theo onto the bed like a sack and panted heavily.

“Always acting so smart. Knowing one thing but not two.”

If not now, there would be no chance to give Theo a piece of his mind.

Rico scowled at the unconscious Theo with all his might.

“Hmph! Maybe I should tell Lady Isabel everything.”

Then he brought over a blanket that was draped on a chair and roughly covered Theo with it.

Magical power rampage was a dangerous phenomenon that could result in death or disability.

But Theo wasn’t an ordinary human.

After fixing the previous two devices to their coordinates, he had experienced a similar phenomenon.

However, he had simply been unconscious for a few days before getting up perfectly fine.

“…This time he pushed himself a bit hard, so maybe I should expect about two weeks.”

Rico let out a deep sigh and headed to the massive table in the center of the research room.

An old map was spread wide open there.

Rico dipped a quill pen deep into red ink and pulled it out.

Then he marked an X on the western cliff of Debokio Island.

As he put down the pen, his gaze naturally turned to the other two coordinates.

The other places that had been marked in red earlier.

The Sacred Forest of the Eastern Continent, and the sea volcano between the two continents.

Rico recalled the memory of the Sacred Forest where they had installed the first device.

Two years ago, Theo had finished all the preparatory work and headed to the Sacred Forest.

And he had holed up inside it for quite a while.

During that time, Rico had freely traveled between Abner Territory and the Magic Tower, handling other matters.

The first device took a full six months to complete.

After that, Theo immediately set sail without any time to rest.

Because he had to install the second device in the deep undersea volcano between continents.

At that time, Rico had mainly spent time with Theo too.

Because Annellia had been busy attending the Academy of Pharmacy for a while.

Recalling those events still made Rico’s spine tingle even now.

The endless expanse of the vast ocean, and the rock jutting out alone in the middle of it.

The sight of the waves splitting in two when Theo climbed on top and activated the magic formula was vivid before his eyes.

“Ugh… gives me chills. I guess being a monster’s son makes him a real monster too.”

Rico rubbed his forearms for no reason.

Theo’s magic was truly tremendous.

Opening subspace to bring out magic stones and refine them, carving insanely complex magic formulas into them.

The sight of him controlling minute magical power to recreate and fix massive devices.

In the midst of all that, he also had to cast barriers and distortion magic so Crookiatus wouldn’t notice, so how much more difficult must it have been.

Time flowed endlessly again through the repetitive work.

Theo finished installing the second device and finally installed the third device in the underground space of Debokio Island.

It was the most powerful and massive core device among all the installed devices.

Rico surveyed the rest of the map with a solemn expression.

There was now exactly one coordinate left that hadn’t been marked in red.

“The last coordinate is the ritual altar. There’s a canyon in the national land between Abner Territory and Longton Territory.”

The canyon located between steep cliffs was made up of dense forest.

According to Theo, that canyon was also where the Michaeliann Clan had once hidden and lived.

Rico suddenly recalled a question he had once asked Theo.

“Why do you want to go there last? Abner Territory would be close to Lady Lili, and you’re always grumbling about wanting to see her.”

Theo was silent for a while before muttering as if tossing the words out.

“I want to see her a lot at the end.”

“Pardon?”

“Because I won’t be able to see her after it’s over.”

“…”

“At the end, I want to see her a lot, using it as an excuse.”

Recalling that somehow powerless smile, Rico headed back to Theo’s bedside.

And he grumbled while pulling up another blanket that had been sprawled to one side to cover him.

“Just hurry up and wake up.”

Theo had been complaining dozens of times every day, saying he missed Annellia.

But now he had finally collapsed like this, leaving only the coordinates to Abner Territory behind.

“Who told you to overdo it anyway?”

Rico pulled the blanket all the way up to cover Theo’s head.

Imperial Palace Grand Assembly Hall.

“I propose we hold a blessing ceremony.”

At Karin Empress’s words, who had attended for once, the officials all raised their heads at once.

Tian, who was sitting in the seat of honor, did the same.

One of the elderly Empress faction officials spoke with a bright face.

“You mean a blessing ceremony?”

“Yes. Since a prince is expected to be born next spring.”

A blessing ceremony.

A ritual held when a new descendant is to be born to the Imperial House, praying to heaven for the baby to be healthy and strong.

“A wise decision! Since it’s been so long since we’ve had such joyous news, it’s only natural to hold a proper blessing ceremony!”

“I think so as well!”

While the Empress faction nobles were all stepping forward.

A thud- sound came from one side of the table.

When they turned their heads, an old man had placed his right fist on the table.

On his little finger was a thick ring, the culprit that had made the sound.

“Orgeon Duke?”

Seeing the eagle crest carved on the ring, several Empress faction nobles frowned.

“Do you have a different opinion?”

Wearing a ring on the little finger and tapping the table was a tradition of the Western Nemped region.

Nemped had valued meetings before decision-making since ancient times.

This was due to their belief that exchange and dialogue should always be prioritized for important decisions.

Thanks to this, nobles of the Nemped region wore larger and sturdier rings the greater their family’s power and the higher their authority.

As evidence of this, the ring on Orgeon Duke’s hand boasted a truly tremendous size.

It meant he was the foremost noble of the west and a power holder who exercised the strongest authority in decision-making.

“A blessing ceremony is excessive. Wasn’t it an event that was omitted even when the late Empress was carrying Crown Prince?”

At his direct words without any preamble, bewilderment appeared on the nobles’ faces.

The hesitating Empress faction nobles opened their mouths.

“Hmm! But there are circumstances, aren’t there? At that time, the drought was severe too…”

“It has nothing to do with drought. It’s a matter of order.”

The Duke’s eyes gleamed coldly.

“Just as all who are not kings in the Empire are subjects, a prince who is not the Crown Prince is merely a prince.”

Karin Empress’s brow furrowed.

“But for there to exist a prince who receives a blessing ceremony that the Crown Prince did not receive? Such a thing can never happen.”

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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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