The Dutiful Kid Who Saved the Villainous Family - Chapter 157

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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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Episode 157

Declan gritted his teeth at the reality he didn’t want to believe.

Just then, breaking through his thoughts, the young boys who had been peering around the doorway to Airi’s room behind him spoke up.

“Father, why are you acting like that?”

“He must be hoping that Lady Airi will come.”

“Airi is coming?”

“It’s not certain, but…”

The whispering voices of the two boys could be heard.

Declan looked back at Serafin, who had become much more serious, and Berry with his pale face.

He was an adult.

So he shouldn’t think with the same mindset as these children, who were still a bit too young to even be called teenagers.

Having decided to comfort the children, he opened his mouth.

“For Airi to return as a human again, she’ll have to overcome many obstacles.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. But Airi will work hard and come back soon. So we need to help her, right?”

“How can we help?”

He quietly gazed at Airi’s body, from which her soul had departed.

The Pope’s presence had disappeared.

They had seized and blockaded the Papal States, but the place was already empty.

‘Then what can I do?’

Declan’s cold and rational mind reached a conclusion.

Wait for Airi.

If Airi doesn’t return…

‘Hunt down the Pope’s minions while somehow finding my daughter.’

The expression of a father who had lost his daughter turned cruel.

“First, the Pope will make his move, so we need to track his footsteps.”

Absolutely.

The Pope won’t just sit still.

And…

‘If Airi is alive in ghost form.’

This little kid would surely say:

“I’m a hero!”

When a frightened Declan would try to dissuade her, saying children shouldn’t do such dangerous things, this little one would…

“But you know what? Real heroes save people!”

…and would clench both her little fists with determination.

She’d still seem like a young child, but her baby talk would have mostly disappeared by now, wouldn’t it?

He quietly opened his mouth.

“By tracking the Pope’s movements, we’ll be able to find Airi too.”

* * *

Meanwhile, on Airi’s side, to borrow Cookie’s words, she was showing ‘somewhat foolish behavior.’

“You fool.”

“I’m not a fool! And that’s the hundredth time you’ve said fool!”

“No, you said you’d get your body back. So why exactly did you come to stop the Pope?”

Airi’s way of thinking was simple.

“But I don’t know how to get my body back!”

“Right.”

“But if I come to stop the Pope, I can help Father without getting my body back!”

“Shouldn’t getting your body back be the priority?”

Cookie spoke with mock seriousness, pointing at Airi and his own arm.

“I can just return to the Divine Realm and become a spirit again, but you might disappear completely!”

Disappear.

Airi didn’t really understand such difficult words yet.

But…

“I’ll disappear?”

“Yes, you idiot! Whatever wicked thing the Pope did, we’re gradually becoming more transparent!”

Come to think of it, Cookie’s shouting voice wasn’t as clear as usual either.

Airi became a little dejected.

Perhaps Airi’s soul really was ‘in the process of disappearing.’

“The way to solve this problem is…”

While Cookie was lost in thought, Airi brightly smiled and raised her hand.

“But Cookie!”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t know how to get my body back.”

“That’s…”

Cookie was at a loss for words.

Because Airi’s words were reasonable.

Then Airi’s voice carried a bit more strength.

“But I can’t just do nothing!”

“Huh?”

“And I know Father well!”

“How do you know?”

When Cookie expressed doubt, Airi stomped her massless foot.

“Father knows everything in my heart! So if I work hard as a hero, he’ll come to see me, right?”

Airi recalled the animation she had watched when she was nine-year-old taekwondo girl Airin.

Probably ‘Justice Hero Regent’ was like that.

“Heroes are originally based on self-sacrifice.”

“Self-sacrifice, you mean.”

But hadn’t the world already placed too much responsibility on this tiny nine-year-old ghost?

Cookie sighed deeply and said.

“…Alright, let’s go.”

If it seems like you have to sacrifice yourself.

‘I’ll do it together with you.’

Because that’s a summoned being’s role and destiny.

And furthermore…

Though he was just Cookie now, he had previously met and observed countless heroes.

Those who coveted success, money, the opposite sex, or honor.

This was his first time meeting such a young hero who moved with such a pure heart.

Cookie whispered in a firm voice.

“I’ll protect you.”

Instead of answering, Airi glanced at Cookie and thought.

‘So incredibly tiny!’

Cookie was bite-sized.

‘I’ll protect Cookie!’

* * *

Meanwhile, Declan was turning the capital city upside down.

The reason was simple.

“I heard the Pope’s army will enter the capital. I don’t know how they’ll enter. It was written in the doctrine book.”

As Declan combed through every person in the capital like hunting for lice, rumors spread throughout the capital.

‘Grand Duke Declan Ortejo has finally gone completely mad!’

The death of his beloved youngest daughter whom he cherished dearly.

How many years had he lived like a madman after that?

“Think carefully. Even the Papal States can’t judge him, so you must be feeling quite troubled inside.”

But Declan was perfectly fine, and rather serious.

‘He would try to judge the Pope to become a hero. I understand that much.’

However, Airi Ortejo.

His daughter was quite a peculiar child.

In other words.

‘There’s no telling what kind of trouble she might cause.’

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

And right at that moment.

Ding-

Ding-

Loud bell sounds echoed throughout the entire capital city.

It was a sound no one had ever heard before.

Declan’s gaze turned toward the source of the ringing bells.

It was the Imperial Palace.

And there…

There were no bells.

* * *

The atmosphere inside the Imperial Palace, the source of the bell sounds, was bustling.

Inside the Imperial Palace, specifically in the government meeting hall.

The nobles gathered here looked at each other and murmured.

“What on earth are these bell sounds?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.”

The bell sounds that echoed throughout the capital definitely came from the Imperial Palace.

“There are no bells in the Imperial Palace. They were removed long ago.”

Not long ago, Princess Rashe and the Dowager Empress had joined forces to remove all the bells within the Imperial Palace.

‘The reason was unknown. Something about the Dowager Empress receiving a revelation.’

In any case, thanks to that mysterious order, everyone could immediately notice that these bell sounds were strange.

The Emperor, whose expression changed instantly, looked around.

The meeting hall filled with people.

While everyone was confused, one person raised their hand.

It was Finance Minister Pierre, who was called a financial expert due to his extensive experience in financial matters.

Although he occasionally committed corruption, he was good enough at accounting that such things could be overlooked…

“It’s written in the doctrine: ‘On that day, countless people shall take their places.'”

…he had suddenly changed.

“The meaning of those words is…”

“Cough, cough…!”

Suddenly, red blood gushed from Pierre’s mouth onto the floor.

“Kyaaah!”

Countless people stood up with panicked expressions.

Pierre continued bleeding while struggling to speak.

“Like me, taking their places like this…”

He looked human.

But Pierre’s appearance became like that of a demon wearing a hood.

Even while spewing blood, he opened his mouth and spoke repeatedly.

“How is it, this magnificent world…”

He continuously recited strange words as if under some kind of brainwashing magic.

People were horrified by Pierre’s inhuman appearance and scattered busily.

“Pierre, what the hell is that bastard doing!”

“E-everyone run!”

At the same time, the thought that came to everyone’s mind was…

‘Could this strange phenomenon possibly be related to the Pope?’

Whether everyone was hurriedly leaving their seats or not, Pierre’s gaze was directed at only one person.

“Your… Maj…”

He moved strangely, as if using his body for the first time.

Amid the chaos, someone brave approached Pierre and brought a magic device to him. As it made a beeping noise, the noble holding the device swallowed hard.

“S-something seems to have taken over the Finance Minister’s body.”

At those words, Pierre’s joints began to twist even more grotesquely.

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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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