The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 113

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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 113
It was Void and Liam’s voices.
I gasped and quickly sat up.
“What are you doing? You’re awake?”
The door cracked open, revealing the faces of my two brothers.
Father sighed as if he couldn’t stop them.
“I told you not to rush to Rubian’s room the moment you wake up. Are you ready to leave?”
“We’re not bothering you! And it’s not right when we wake up either, and it’s noon right now! Father!”
Void bounded toward me with a mischievous drawl at the end of his words. Behind him, Liam approached while polishing his glasses.
“Rubian, let’s play!”
“Yes, okay!”
I quickly jumped down from the sofa.
Just then, Father gently grabbed the back of my neck.
“But Rubian Zebert.”
“Father?”
Father looked down at me with his arms crossed, his expression stern.
I sensed something troubling.
“I told you not to leave the mansion without permission.”
Oh no.
“You broke that rule again.”
That was true.
“But that was a special circumstance….”
“It doesn’t matter.”
His voice was grave.
Sensing something amiss, Void and Liam stepped in front of me.
“Wait, why are you doing this? What did Rubian do wrong?”
“Father, rather than handling it this way, wouldn’t it be better to hear Rubian’s side first instead of making such a narrow judgment….”
The two boys shielded me with their backs, but when Father rose from his seat, their efforts were naturally futile.
Father’s expression was resolute.
“You broke a promise with me, so you must be punished this time.”
“Your Excellency….”
Even the servants watching tried to intervene, but it was no use….
I had no choice but to raise both hands in surrender.
“I… reflect on my actions.”
Should I stand here with my hands up? Or go to the corridor?
In that moment, hands suddenly slipped under my armpits and I was lifted into the air.
I blinked rapidly.
“Huh? Why are you picking me up?”
Father looked equally puzzled.
“…Didn’t you want me to pick you up? You stretched out your arms.”
No, wait… I did collapse, but…
“I should be punished, so why are you hugging me?”
A look of embarrassment crossed my composed face—ah, right, that’s how it should be.
Father rolled his eyes around in contemplation before finally letting out a thoughtful hum and returning to his stern expression.
“Punishment. Three hours assisting Father in the Study.”
“Ehhhhh?”
“…Is that too much? Then thirty minutes.”
“Ehhhhhhh?”
I was actually surprised—it wasn’t much of a punishment at all!
“What? Three seconds would be a bit much, wouldn’t it?”
“Sigh. What will become of my education…?”
He was far too soft-hearted for this.
There was nothing to be done about it.
It seemed my only option was to grow up well on my own.
* * *
After breakfast, I found myself stuck serving out my punishment in Father’s Study.
Whenever Father said “stamp,” I would press the seal with a resounding thunk at whatever document he pointed to.
“Here.”
Thunk.
“This one.”
Thunk.
“Once more.”
Thunk-thunk-thunk.
Honestly… it was so entertaining that I could have done it all day long.
Afterward, I visited the Villa to pay my respects to the Emperor.
“So you’re returning to Zelocks? Travel safely, Young Lady. If you get bored, come visit the Imperial Palace.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Do come visit the Imperial Palace.”
“…You just said that.”
The Emperor simply smiled warmly.
No one mentioned yesterday’s events. The atmosphere remained as it always was.
‘Honestly, the Kingdom’s Mage died in Babylon, so I thought the Mage King might lodge a protest…’
But they remained silent.
I didn’t know the reason, but I’d overheard Adolf reporting in Father’s Study that the Kingdom was being cautious to avoid being excluded from the Continental Alliance.
‘Things will stay quiet for a while.’
Let’s not meet again for a long time—ptooey, ptooey!
The next person I encountered was Asha.
After all, that was the reason I’d come to Ipson!
“Asha! Let me get straight to the point. Do you want to come to Zelocks with me?”
“Oh, yes!”
“….”
I was taken aback by how readily she nodded.
“Wait… I know this sounds odd coming from me, but what about your brother? And the Eastern Region estate?”
“He’s doing well with Grandmother! And I can visit back and forth whenever I want…. Besides, I want to be by Rubian’s side!”
As she said this, she rubbed her cheek against mine repeatedly.
I stammered through an explanation of why I’d come here, my face flushed like a burst dumpling.
I needed Asha’s blueprints, and I was planning to construct a barrier….
Whether she was truly listening or not, she simply responded with gentle affirmations.
And so, today had arrived.
“Wow, I’ve never seen an unregistered mage before.”
A historic day had come when three rogue mages gathered in one place.
A fugitive mage—myself—an unregistered mage—Kalid—and a Hub Mage whose heart had betrayed the Kingdom—Asha….
“Did this one help Rubian from behind even on the battlefield? That’s impressive….”
Asha examined Kalid with a naive tone, looking him over from every angle.
Irritated by her persistent gaze, Kalid clicked his tongue with a sharp, cutting look that made Asha flinch backward.
“Don’t bite, Kalid. I’m not asking you to bite people.”
“What are you talking about?”
>”Eek. Does he bite? How fascinating….”
What exactly had she just accepted?
I chuckled and tied off the knot.
Outside, the sound of cargo being loaded onto the carriage was in full swing. I had finally completed all the practice for the sword ornament!
“By the way… how did Kalid become an unregistered mage?”
Asha asked while tying knots alongside me.
“A mage hid her pregnancy and fled the Kingdom to give birth to him.”
“Gasp, the child of a fugitive mage? Is that woman dead?”
“Yes.”
“Wow….”
“-or so we’re assuming.”
“Pardon?”
“Truth is, neither Kalid nor I know for certain.”
I shrugged.
Kalid couldn’t have simply materialized in that cave…. I had pieced together a plausible scenario.
I didn’t mention that he’d been trapped in the cave, but Asha’s eyes lit up with intrigue.
“A boy shrouded in the mystery of his birth…. How fascinating.”
“But how did you end up there yesterday?”
I asked Asha about the previous day’s events.
“The Fourth summoned me, I suppose….”
“And the Emperor didn’t pester you afterward?”
“His Majesty said I should pretend I heard nothing, that he wouldn’t force me to say anything. I agreed.”
“I see.”
I could roughly grasp what she meant.
Asha couldn’t exactly step forward and testify, “The Mage Kingdom’s mage tried to attack a Babylon nobleman! I heard it myself!”
After all, on the surface, she was a mage of Arcadia.
‘If she did that, it would only amount to declaring opposition to the Mage Kingdom.’
Maintaining a roughly neutral stance was the unspoken rule among Hub Mages. The Emperor understood this.
“Phew. Anyway, you’ve worked hard.”
“So have you…”
Asha stroked my cheek with a face full of tears.
Kalid simply glanced at me and neatly arranged my belongings into a travel bag.
“But did Zebert Duke approve of Asha Drucan going to Zelocks?”
She asked casually.
Asha’s face filled with alarm as she exclaimed, “Oh no!”
What was she thinking, following me without checking?
Well, it worked out fine anyway.
I grinned.
“Of course he did.”
Convincing Father was honestly easier than eating breakfast. Liam was on my side!
“Brother Liam, you know? I was thinking of introducing you to the original author of that Demon Compendium…”
“What?”
“To be precise, she wrote the ‘Demon Subjugation Weapons’ section.”
Asha possessed deep knowledge about demons.
It seemed she had accumulated this knowledge after becoming a Hub Mage.
True to her dwarf heritage, she had written several research papers on demon subjugation weapons, which were published in the Demon Compendium.
Given her preference for avoiding attention, she must have cleverly hidden her name.
“That’s insane.”
Liam immediately rushed into Father’s study, dangling me from his side.
“Father. I’ve found my tutor.”
“When did Rubian become your tutor?”
“That’s not it…”
Father merely raised an eyebrow after hearing the explanation.
“Well, do as you see fit.”
“Yes. I was planning to anyway. And would you button up my shirt?”
“But there won’t be much for a Hub Mage to do in Zelocks. I’m not sure what excuse to give the Imperial Palace…”
“Oh! I’ll handle it!”
I raised my hand eagerly and jumped in.
“We’re hiring! For our Mana Stone Shop!”
And so Asha Drucan became my employee.
“What? Me, a shop employee…”
“How about it? You can handle mana stones while researching magical tools. There’s a blacksmith right next door—a really unique and wonderful neighbor. Doesn’t that sound great?”
“Yes… I’m excited, Rubian.”
A good neighbor? Kalid shot me a sharp look, but I pretended not to notice.
Then, I heard the sound of someone approaching.
The one who opened my door and appeared was Liam.
“Master.”
He approached with an eager expression and bowed respectfully before Asha.
“What, what, what!”
Her short hair shook violently. Liam offered a mechanical smile with his composed face.
“This disciple has been waiting. Shall we head to my library at once?”
A cart he had dragged along, creaking with each movement.
It seemed he had come to escort(?) Asha.

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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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