The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 250

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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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I don’t know how I left the room, or how I shook off Euriko and Shasha.

My vision cut out with every step I took.

“Lia!”

When I arrived at the royal palace barefoot, Armin, who had received reports from the knights, came running across the courtyard.

I felt both hands grabbing my shoulders.

“What’s wrong with you, what happened…?”

“You need to contact Grandmother.”

“What are you talking about? You can contact her yourself. There’s a communication stone in your room too…”

“Mine’s dead! The magic mirror doesn’t work either! Right now, you need to contact Grandmother right now-!”

Finally, rough sobs burst from my mouth.

Armin looked at me with trembling eyes, then ordered the knights around us.

“Take Annellia to her room. I’ll follow shortly.”

Both legs trembled as I was supported by the knight.

“Father…”

I saw Crookiatus.

And I instinctively felt it.

That everything I had seen was happening right at this very moment.

But at the same time, I couldn’t believe it.

Why was Father caught in Crookiatus’s hands?

Father had been staying at the 3rd Gate with Rico and Awin the whole time.

And there had been no reports from the 3rd Gate for the past ten days.

That meant there were no demon beast attacks or battles.

But then why…?

“A unit to search for Crookiatus’s main body has been formed.”

At that moment, I suddenly remembered the communication I had with Awin.

“Your father has taken command.”

My legs swayed.

“…No, that can’t be.”

It wasn’t just a regular unit, but a field army.

That meant at least ten or more executive-level knights had been deployed.

But in the scene I saw, Father was alone.

With no one else, he was lying alone at Crookiatus’s feet.

“Please…”

The sound of my violently beating heart made me feel like I might stop breathing.

When I arrived at Armin’s room, I collapsed onto the sofa.

Then I curled up my body and began trembling.

“Lia, are you alright!”

Then the Teroakan King entered.

Behind him stood Dimas and Armin holding a communication stone.

I staggered to my feet and rushed to Dimas.

Then I snatched the communication stone from his hands.

When I poured mana into it, a light flickered.

I stared intently at the communication stone without giving anyone who entered the room a glance.

But,

“Why, why isn’t anyone answering?”

Only signals went through, but there was no response from the communication stone.

“Calm down, Lia.”

Dimas rubbed my shoulder with a worried expression.

The fear that seemed ready to burst my heart was gradually changing into something closer to despair.

My lips dried up, and tears welled in both eyes.

Just as both legs began to tremble.

With a tick sound, a green light came on in the communication stone.

I opened my eyes wide, then hesitantly opened my mouth.

“…Grandmother?”

[…]

“Grandmother, is that you?! Grandmother!”

When I called urgently, a response came.

[Lady Lili… this is Rico.]

I closed my mouth.

Rico’s voice was different from usual.

It wasn’t his bright, playful voice, but an anxious and frightened one.

“Uncle Rico, where’s Grandmother…?”

Only after a long while did Rico open his lips.

[Her Excellency had urgent business to attend to and left her post…]

“That’s not it, is it?”

[…]

I asked in disbelief.

[That urgent business, it’s not related to my father, is it?]

Rico should answer no.

He should say that Father is fine and Grandmother just has other business.

“Nothing’s wrong, right? That’s what it is, right?”

Please, please let that be the case.

It absolutely has to be that way.

[Miss, please don’t be shocked and listen.]

Making my hope meaningless, Rico spoke in a choked voice.

[Your brother has gone missing.]

I let out a short breath.

Then I squeezed both eyes shut.

“We need to search the swampland. It was enormously large, and there were dead coniferous trees on both sides.”

When I spoke clearly, the administrators of the Marque Kingdom began moving quickly.

They were thoroughly examining maps of the Eastern Continent, Western Continent, and the large and small islands in between.

[My disciple. Don’t you remember what the sky was like or anything about the surroundings? If we look at the time period, we can roughly narrow down where it might be.]

Owen asked from within the magic mirror, but I shook my head with an anxious face.

“It’s meaningless. If that many demon beast armies gathered, it would have been dark whether it was day or night.”

[Damn it.]

Owen roughly swept his bangs back.

The frustrating feeling of my insides about to burst was the same for me too.

‘…If everything I saw was reality.’

Realistically, I couldn’t expect Father’s condition to be intact.

At the same time, there was something strange about it.

‘Why did I see such a thing? No, what exactly did I see?’

That was definitely the appearance of Crookiatus and the demon beast unit he was leading.

I paced around the room, biting my nails.

In the scene, Crookiatus looked like he had just regained his physical form.

If he had recovered most of his power, surely the aura he emitted would have grown stronger too.

What if my body had detected that energy?

If I assumed that, everything made sense.

Crookiatus’s blood flows through my body, after all.

Then Rico spoke from beyond the magic mirror.

[Lady Lili. Did you happen to hear or see anything else?]

I was momentarily dazed before quickly answering.

“They said they would advance to the Imperial Capital.”

At those words, several knights who had been moving busily beyond the magic mirror turned to stare at me.

I spoke again with a trembling voice.

“They said the barrier was nullified because they harmed Father. That they would advance to the Imperial Capital first at dawn…”

Immediately, the other side of the magic mirror became bustling.

Several people hurriedly passed behind the frozen Owen and Rico, and soon urgent voices could be heard.

[Send a telegram to His Highness the Crown Prince!]

[Check the Imperial Capital’s forces!]

“Annellia.”

At that moment, the closed door behind me opened.

When I turned my head, Armin and Dimas stood there with stern faces, fully armed.

Sensing unease, I asked.

“What’s wrong?”

Soon after, Mother walked out from behind Dimas, her face deathly pale.

Mother strode over and pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Annellia, the Marque Kingdom’s disturbance detectors have picked up a massive demon beast army.”

I pulled away from Mother with trembling eyes.

Mother bit her lip.

“But… their destination doesn’t seem to be here.”

I frowned.

“Their destination isn’t here?”

“They’re all heading to the Western Continent. Every single one, to the Taranta Empire.”

My heart sank with a thud.

Until now, the Imperial forces had been troubled by demon beasts swimming from Debokio Island in the west.

But now an enormous number of demon beasts were also swimming from the east.

Euriko, who had been watching us, added with tears in her voice.

“That’s not all, Annellia. All the demon beasts that existed on the Eastern Continent have disappeared too…”

Euriko’s words meant that even the demon beasts that had existed on the Eastern Continent might be moving to the Western Continent through the ground.

“We just made contact with your grandmother.”

Mother said, stopping to catch her breath intermittently.

“Grandmother… wishes you and I would stay here…”

Mother’s head dropped, and soon her delicate shoulders began trembling.

I clenched my fists and embraced Mother.

Then I looked around at Armin, Dimas, Euriko, and everyone else and said.

“If we fail to defend the Imperial Capital, it’s all over anyway.”

Though it was a statement that implied many things, Dimas immediately nodded.

“Right. It would only be a matter of time before this place falls too.”

The Teroakan King sent a serious look to what appeared to be the Chief Commander of the Palace.

As soon as the commander left the room, I stared at Owen and Rico in the magic mirror.

“…Master, Uncle Rico.”

[…]

“Open a portal. Mother and I will return now.”

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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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