The Unfilial Heir Who Tries to Kill Me Tempts Me - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 21

“It’s been that way since the Robert incident, and it’s the same now. You’re going above and beyond what’s necessary for my Territory’s affairs.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Do you happen to have feelings for me?”
“Have you lost your mind?”
What was he talking about?
Wasn’t that completely baseless?
Robert wasn’t wrong about this—the man was practically a terminal case of narcissism.
“I’m sorry, but I cannot return your affections. If you’ve been harboring any secret feelings for me, I suggest you set them aside at once.”
“I’m curious—has no one ever pointed out the magnitude of your self-regard?”
“That I’m excellent is an objective fact.”
Unbearable.
When I was writing this, it didn’t feel like this at all. How did it come to this?
“I suppose even a parent can’t control their child…”
“What did you say?”
“Let’s go back. I’ve got mountains of work waiting, and I can’t afford to waste time here. I’m hungry, for that matter.”
So think of something quickly.
“If he’d only listen, I might be able to persuade him… Is there no way?”
“There’s one method: dragging him along.”
Was this man mad?
“Would that even work?”
I stared at Cayus in disbelief.
He let out a low chuckle.
He’d been joking after all. The way he said things so seriously sometimes, only to follow up with jokes that never landed.
I fell back into thought.
Originally, Daemon wouldn’t seek out Cayus to protect him until a year later, after the Lucifenia Territory had been half-destroyed by the Black Scheme and its dark mages.
The desperation of not being able to lose Cayus was what would drive him to come.
That was quite a brilliant scene, actually.
Heh.
Looking back on it now, I’d written the novel rather well.
“What are you thinking about so hard?”
“That I’m quite impressive.”
“You’re delusional.”
As if you understand a writer’s heart.
Ignorant, ungrateful wretch.
I clicked my tongue silently and pushed myself up. Cayus’s slanted gaze followed my movement.
“There’s no choice, then.”
I brushed the dirt from the hem of my skirt as I spoke.
“There’s only one method, isn’t there?”
“Have you thought of something good?”
I understood Daemon’s nature well.
A knight who’d lived a lifetime of stubborn integrity wouldn’t be swayed by honeyed words or half-baked luck. If anything, it would only breed resentment.
“Speak honestly. Tell Daemon that you need him.”
“Don’t you think I’ve already tried that?”
“You probably led with extraordinary treatment and high wages as incentives.”
Cayus clamped his mouth shut.
I knew it.
For all his abilities in various respects, he was utterly hopeless at handling people.
Though if he’d been perfect at that too, he might’ve stolen the male lead role from Fabian himself. Can’t use supporting characters if they’re too competent.
“Don’t try to hire Daemon. Ask him. Honestly. Tell him you can’t do this without him. That you need him absolutely. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Daemon had spent more than eight years drowning in guilt. Giving him the same task would only compound that guilt with anxiety.
But if his only surviving disciple, his precious student Cayus, asked him to protect the Territory, he would never be able to refuse.
Of course, for Cayus—who’d lost his entire family and stood in a state of conflict with the world—even asking would be difficult.
“You didn’t come back to him all those times just because you needed him. You wanted to ease his guilt, didn’t you?”
Before I knew it, I’d reached out and gently patted Cayus’s head.
Looking at him this way, he was truly pitiful.
“I know this is awkward for you to hear, but say it anyway. Sometimes honesty becomes the strongest weapon.”
You understand, don’t you, my precious one.
“…What’s this?”
“Yes?”
Cayus stared at my hand.
A sudden silence fell between us.
Belatedly sensing something amiss, I hurriedly withdrew my hand and gave Cayus a gentle push toward the cabin.
“You should go now if you understand.”
Why won’t he budge?
Is he a stone?
“And you’re sending me off alone.”
“The two of you will want to have an honest conversation. I can’t very well insert myself in the middle of that, can I?”
I know when to join in and when to step back—that’s what makes a good writer.
But Cayus stood rooted to the spot as though he’d driven a stake through his feet. His narrowed eyes remained fixed on me.
Then he laughed.
“Are you running away, by chance?”
“I’m not.”
“Thank goodness. But you really don’t have any interest in me, right?”
“Please, just go.”
“Do get your feelings in order.”
How infuriating. Truly.
If I make it back safely, I’ll write Cayus a spin-off so embarrassing he’ll die from shame.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Take your time.”
“I will be back soon.”
No, you won’t be, will you?
Eight years of conversation won’t wrap up quickly. If I had to guess, it would be around sunset before Daemon and he emerged.
“I’ll wait here.”
For good measure, I tapped the ground with the sole of my shoe—tap, tap—and Cayus finally moved, though his suspicious gaze lingered a moment longer before he gave in and took his first step.
I flashed him a smile.
“Good luck.”

***

Of course, I had no intention of staying rooted in that spot.
Once I confirmed that Cayus had called Daemon out and both had entered the cabin, I turned on my heel. Not that I meant to flee—I simply planned to take a walk through the forest.
The Western Forest was the largest wetland on the continent. It sprawled across the entire landmass in a form that spanned the whole width, and even its narrowest stretch was larger than most kingdoms.
And in such a wetland thrived all manner of rare grasses and medicinal herbs you couldn’t find anywhere else. There was good reason it was called the Cradle of Life.
Since I was here anyway, I should plant a few Movement Coordinates and take the opportunity to explore. I’d be living in this world for nearly a year, so there was no harm in learning what might prove useful.
“Let me think—what herbs grow in wetlands?”
Off the top of my head, I could think of Mansureyon and Blue Kkomari.
Both were rare plants highly sensitive to humidity, so they couldn’t be cultivated artificially anywhere but a vast wetland like this. But properly grown, they served wonderfully as a universal antidote and a mana enhancer.
“Let me see.”
Unlike Cayus, I had no intention of getting lost, so I carefully planted Movement Coordinates at reasonable intervals and proceeded with deliberation.
Wandering too far would only bring Cayus charging after me, so I’d stay in this vicinity.
I had already brought a basket and was moving with keen focus when I suddenly stopped.
“Hmm?”
A familiar-looking plant appeared some distance away. To be precise, I’d never seen it before, but its shape seemed oddly recognizable.
Long, slender stems rose upward, each topped with a deep rose-colored fruit as plump and alluring as a cherry.
Most strikingly, a faint golden shimmer danced around the plant.
Wait.
Hold on.
What exactly did I just see?
“No way.”
It couldn’t be.
Why on earth would that be here? I’d have better odds of being struck by lightning.
I rubbed my eyes.
I shut them tight and opened them again.
It was still there.
“…Oh my God.”
A curse escaped my lips without my intending it.
Composing myself, I broke into a run toward the plant. The closer I got, the more certain I became. It was indeed the herb I knew.
“It’s real.”
Illaune.
It was said to grow only once every hundred years, and with its habitat and season still unknown, it was a legendary herb straight out of myth.
There was only one magical potion that could be made using it.
Elixir.
An awakening agent that unlocked the user’s power beyond its limits, allowing them to release absolute strength for a brief moment.
In the original story, Leoni used it to restore the continent after it was destroyed by the Black Scheme.
But the raw ingredient is right in front of me now, in such pristine condition?
“What is this.”
Can this even happen?
Why is the boss of herbs appearing now.
Isn’t this a world-building error?
The daze that had settled over me like a blow to the head lifted suddenly, and my mind snapped into focus.
Wait.
“I… might actually be able to go back…?”
In theory, a Mage who consumed Elixir could release tremendous power. That power was strong enough to open and close a Dimensional Gate, if only for a fleeting instant.
A Dimensional Gate.
And I happen to be a Mage.
The material is right in front of me.
I know how to make Elixir.
It takes two months to manufacture and half a year to mature, but even combined, that’s faster than when the Divine Being appears.
To obtain the Stone of Longing that will appear in the Lucifenia Territory, I would have to assume the worst-case scenario—a life-or-death battle with the Black Scheme. But this didn’t require that at all.
My legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed.
“…I’ve made it.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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