The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 117

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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 117
【 The Heart of the Empire! … 】
From somewhere… those words….
Then, a familiar voice came to mind.
“If necessary, aim for the heart.”
Ah. Those were words Leviathan had spoken in the original story….
‘But why did that suddenly come to mind?’
Simply because the words overlapped?
“Hmm. How peculiar.”
I was furrowing my brow in frustration when the door opened and Hazel entered.
“Huh? Young lady, why are you standing there like that? You should be preparing soon. Weren’t you going to the Fortress to see the Lord off?”
“Oh, that’s right!”
This was no time for such thoughts!
I quickly put away the pamphlet and retrieved the drawing I had tucked inside my dress.
“Hazel, Hazel! Help me cut this!”
“Of course. What shall I cut?”
“Cut this beautifully! It’s going into a locket!”
I handed her the locket with a gold chain that I had purchased from the shop beforehand.
With her practiced hand, Hazel neatly trimmed the portrait.
“Father will love it, won’t he?”
“Absolutely!”
Inside the locket were my family members, including myself beaming brightly, all nestled together. My mood lifted instantly.
“Let’s go see him off!”
* * *
The Zebert Knight Order, guardians of the Northern Frontier.
Every spring, they set out on a subjugation campaign against magical beasts.
By periodically clearing the habitats of magical beasts, they could prevent sudden surges in their numbers and subsequent attacks on the region.
It was a ritual battle that never failed to occur each year, so all preparations proceeded smoothly and naturally. It was routine.
But this year was somewhat different.
Every knight departing now had a small, adorable ornament dangling from their sword hilt.
“Hehehehe. Thank you, my youngest.”
“Everyone, take care of yourselves, and come back soon!”
Rubian came out to the Fortress to see them off, waving her hand gently.
The castle gates opened wide.
The knights burned with resolve, encouraged by their youngest member’s cheers.
Pale purple gemstones swayed from the sword hilts.
Mine is a bit bigger, isn’t it?
No, mine is bigger!
Leon quietly caught those words and held back the urge to say that his gemstone actually sparkled the most.
Rubian’s words urging them to return soon kept echoing in his ears.
He approached Leviathan, who stood at the vanguard.
“Commander, I was thinking we might review our tactics to compress the schedule to about a month. What do you think?”
Subjugation campaigns typically took around two months, so he broached the subject cautiously. In that instant, the commander’s eyes blazed with determination.
“Ten days.”
In one of his hands, a golden locket was clenched so tightly it seemed ready to burst.
I recalled Rubian, who had shyly puffed out her cheeks as she handed it to him.
“If you ever miss me, look at this… I’ll be at the Portrait Studio!”
Leviathan gripped the reins with fierce intensity.
“Father shouldn’t be away from home for too long.”
A glint of fervor flashed across the eyes of the knights who heard this.
“Men, did you hear that! Pick up the pace!”
“Uooooh! Our spirits burn bright!”
That spring’s subjugation campaign.
The Zebert Knight Order achieved a victory beyond all comparison to their previous efforts.
There were no casualties.
A mysterious force had shielded them like a barrier during every perilous moment.
Of course, since this force was invisible, they never realized it emanated from the mana stone.
In any case, the spirited knights swept through the magical beast habitats like a whirlwind.
Morale soared to the heavens, and every battle unfolded with remarkable ease.
Without even considering that they had honed their skills in actual warfare, they polished their sword ornaments day and night, contemplating the reason.
‘It’s all thanks to our adorable youngest member’s encouragement!’
Well…
It wasn’t entirely wrong either way, so everything depended on one’s perspective.
* * *
The day after Father departed for the subjugation campaign.
This time, it was Liam and Void who left the mansion.
“Did you pack everything you need for the Academy?”
At Mother Rosetta’s words, Void ran through his luggage once more.
“Textbooks, clothing, diary, new sword, Hero Card Capital Edition, New Leaf Festival Edition, Rubian, shoes, writing supplies…”
I blinked slowly.
“Isn’t there something odd mixed in there?”
“Hero Card?”
“No. It seemed like I was sneakily included in there.”
Void clicked his tongue indignantly.
“You’re caught. Rubian, get in my bag quickly. I bought a big one on purpose.”
“No!”
I yelped in alarm and fled from Void’s gaping trunk, hiding behind Mother.
Liam stood beside us with a listless expression.
“Mother, I believe my home education has been somewhat lacking, so I would like to study at home this semester instead. There are also Asha’s lessons…”
“Liam Zebert.”
“….”
The gentle call of my full name made Liam, who feared nothing in the world, stiffen visibly.
“Our eldest son, did you pack everything in your bag?”
“…I’ve packed the melancholy along with everything else.”
“Once you meet your friends and study together, you’ll feel better in no time.”
Zebert’s hidden strongest fighter laughed cheerfully as she tossed a large trunk into the luggage cart with practiced ease.
“Both of you. If you don’t leave right now, your mother Rubian and I are hiding down south for good.”
“We’ll be on our way.”
Faced with such a sharp threat, both young lords’ spines bent in submission.
After bowing respectfully, my older brothers climbed into the carriage. Only then did I peek out from behind Mother.
“Safe travels, older brothers…. Let’s play again during summer break….”
I waved gently toward the departing carriage in farewell.
Void and Liam’s cheeks, pressed flat against the window, were squeezed even tighter.
That afternoon, after seeing my older brothers off.
I had finished my healing magic lesson with Borbel and was sitting alone reviewing the material.
As I was murmuring through the book, I suddenly turned my gaze toward the window.
‘…Wow, it’s so quiet.’
A castle this peaceful was rare.
Father wasn’t here, and neither were my older brothers.
Grandfather was researching weapon blueprints again in the separate building, and Mother was whispering something with the maids.
‘It feels like someone else’s home!’
As silence descended upon my usually bustling surroundings, I felt an inexplicable sense of displacement.
Well, it felt a bit lonely too.
‘This won’t do.’
I jumped up from my desk and pressed my ear.
‘Kalid. Kaaaalid, what are you doing?’
Only my childhood friend could ease this emptiness!
I was calling out with all my might when an unexpected response came from somewhere.
“I just checked the location for installing the bell.”
From right behind me, in other words.
“Oh, you startled me.”
Kalid closed the door and stepped inside.
“When did you arrive?”
“Didn’t you hear me knock?”
I hadn’t heard a thing.
I must have been too absorbed staring out the window.
“But is this the last bell now?”
“Yeah.”
“Great. Then shall we go make the magical artifact?”
Perfect timing—he must have been bored too, and this worked out well.
After I made the final bell at Maddix’s place and handed it to Kalid for installation, the barrier work would be complete!
“I should check in on how Asha’s doing!”
With my resolve set, I found Mother to ask permission for an outing, and Kalid and I left the castle together.
“The weather is absolutely gorgeous, don’t you think!”
The sky was brilliantly blue and the sunlight was wonderfully warm!
I stretched lightly and glanced back at Kalid, who nodded curtly in response.
“Rubian.”
“Hmm?”
“Once the barrier is complete… like I mentioned in Ipson, I’ll need to be away for a while.”
My steps came to an abrupt halt.
Oh, right—he had said something like that before.
“Uh… do you have business outside?”
“Well, yes. Don’t worry. It won’t take long.”
I gazed intently at the composed boy’s face.
As I was growing taller, Kalid was also shooting up like a beansprout.
The knights must have trimmed his hair, as his bangs were slightly shorter now.
…How adorable.
‘Kalid is leaving too?’
I found myself kicking at the ground as I walked.
My lips pouted out involuntarily.
Of course, it wasn’t rare for Kalid to leave my side. He always vanished like smoke and reappeared abruptly.
But today, for some reason, I felt oddly disappointed.
“Hmm… what’s this.”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just… feel sad about it.”
Father had gone to attend to his duties, and my brothers had gone to attend to theirs.
Kalid was simply going to do the same.
‘Everyone’s been so accommodating that I must have become spoiled.’
They say humans are creatures of adaptation, after all.
I bit my lip hard before finally speaking.
“…Don’t be gone too long.”
“Of course not.”
Kalid answered readily. His rich, deep blue hair swayed gently in the breeze.
His prominent brows grew taut with determination. Rarely did Kalid speak with such solemn resolve.
“I hate being apart from you for long too.”
That single statement was enough to put my mind at ease.
It was truly a strange thing.
* * *
The moment I stepped into the Mana Stone Shop, a mass of something came hurtling toward me.
“Rubiaaaan!”
“Ugh, Asha!”
I floundered helplessly as the mage stripped the ball from my grasp.
Just then, a shop employee’s voice came from behind Asha.
“You should address him as the proprietor, Director Asha.”
Asha let out a surprised sound and withdrew from me.
“Ah, my apologies, Manager. I was simply overjoyed to see him.”
Asha straightened up with proper composure. The two exchanged a brief conversation with dignified expressions. Indeed, they carried themselves like true executives.
“Heh heh.”
I laughed with my hands clasped behind my back, much like the proprietor himself.
“What’s the difference between a director and a manager anyway? There are only two employees here.”
Kalid whispered beside me.
“It’s my management philosophy—granting appropriate titles so they respect one another.”
“Peculiar.”
He clearly didn’t understand the logic.
Still, I was relieved that Asha, being a mage, was accepted and thriving here.
“Ahem, ahem. …By the way, the blueprints?”
I asked quietly to Asha, who was dusting off the shelves.
Asha’s eyebrows shot up, and she discreetly handed me a scroll.
“But Rubian, why did you ask for luminescent coating?”
“Such things exist.”
Watching the mage’s puzzled expression, I grasped the blueprints in hand. Now, after so long, I would finally meet Uncle Maddix…
“Eeeek!”
In that instant, Asha turned pale as if she’d encountered a wild beast.
Following her gaze out the window, I spotted a familiar bronze-skinned figure approaching.

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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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