The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 140

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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 140
Now that I think about it, the Camp is already in its final stretch.
‘I’ll be able to see him in just a few days!’
Father, away on his mission….
Being apart from him, I suddenly miss him so much.
My strongest Father, please come back safe and sound without even a single hair out of place. Pretty please.
‘Please teach me how to jump rope….’
* * *
“….”
Leviathan inhaled sharply through his nose for no particular reason.
‘What is this? It feels like my daughter is desperately calling out to me.’
He stood leaning against the crevices of a desolate ruin.
Despite days of continuous marching, there was no sign of exhaustion in his bearing, yet his expression grew increasingly haggard.
“Eyes bright and alert, nose adorably small, lips beautifully shaped….”
He murmured while keeping his head bowed.
A Knight who could bear it no longer asked him.
“What… are you doing?”
“Seeing my daughter.”
The Hero Duke spoke coldly while tenderly stroking a golden locket.
“….”
The Knight walked away with a weary expression. Here we go again.
Just then, a blue-haired Knight approached.
“May I… also look?”
“I’ll make an exception.”
“Thank you.”
Leon gazed at the tiny Rubian inside the locket alongside Leviathan. He was grateful his lord was such a compassionate person.
Phew….
Seeing my daughter’s face recharged me.
“So, what do we do about that now.”
Leviathan put away the locket and lifted his head.
Dry lightning crackled across the dark sky. Not a single drop of rain fell, making the weather ominously foreboding.
“For the Mage King himself to move directly. There must be something significant in that place.”
Leon clenched and unclenched his fist as he muttered.
The Delcan Ruins.
Leviathan had just finished reconnoitering the ruins.
A man appeared, dragging a long priestly robe through the throng of bustling mages.
Beautiful in appearance, yet with eyes as darkly dead as the chillingly hateful King of Mages.
‘So I was right, Dietrian.’
Leviathan thought, recalling the Emperor’s face.
The Mage King disappeared into the underground entrance of the ruins, his expression utterly entranced by something.
“I believe we’ve discovered a rather peculiar entrance. However….”
Leon added, his brow furrowing.
“Why in the world are they collecting Dark Mage corpses? We incinerated them all in the first place.”
“I’m not sure….”
Leviathan flicked the unlit end of a cigarette with his finger—tap, tap.
That was right.
Near the entrance to the Delcan Ruins basement, corpses of Dark Mages we thought we’d already eliminated were piled up in abundance.
And they were… forms of Dark Mages I’d never seen before.
“Could they be newly discovered from within the basement of that ruin?”
What on earth were they trying to do?
Leon muttered with evident displeasure.
“Dark magic….”
Leviathan was startled by the words that had escaped his own lips. Could it be that he’d discovered some clue about dark magic within that basement?
A sharp gleam crossed his eyes.
In an instant, the air grew taut, and the subordinates stiffened rigidly.
“We need to gather evidence.”
“Evidence? But we’re not mages… How could we possibly….”
One couldn’t very well drag Dark Mage corpses about while riding horses.
Leviathan, understanding this, fell into thought for a moment. Then something suddenly occurred to him.
“Ah.”
He rummaged through his garments and withdrew a small object.
“This glass vial….”
It was a glass vial bound with a blue ribbon, stained with blood.
“There’s quite a bit of blood splattered on it.”
“Well… I’ve been carrying it around for so long. In any case, I should be able to contain traces of that dark magic in this vial—that is, the Dark Mage corpse.”
“Is it a magical artifact?”
Leviathan couldn’t answer easily.
But what was certain was that through the traces of dark magic contained in this vial, I had been able to reach the location of the Dark Mage.
“Then shall I go secretly at night….”
Leviathan shook his head.
“No. If that madman suddenly catches on, it would be troublesome… I’ll go myself.”
No matter how seasoned these knights were, there were limits to how they could move while evading the Mage King’s perception.
Only through Leviathan’s own abilities could this task be accomplished with certainty.
“My apologies, my lord.”
The knights bowed their heads in shame.
“Once night falls, I’ll move.”
As he tucked the vial back into his garments, he suddenly turned his head.
“But… you should be capable of catching a rat or two, shouldn’t you?”
At that, Leon’s gaze shifted to the same location as Leviathan’s.
The ruins, their remains tangled in disarray.
It was because I had sensed another watcher’s presence from a distance away, lingering since earlier.
“Leave it to me.”
Leon stepped forward.
And not long after.
“Aaahhh. S-save me…. Please, just save me!”
A filthy mercenary, caked in dirt and dust, suddenly dropped to his knees.
“So.”
Leviathan pressed his foot firmly against the man’s knee.
“What exactly are you, anyway?”
“I, I also came for a similar purpose…. Actually, we might be on the same side…?”
“….”
“Hahahaha. Please, spare me.”
Allen laughed awkwardly before prostrating himself in supplication.
* * *
The next day.
“Professor!”
“You’ve arrived.”
I trudged forward with labored steps.
Yuliope, who had been waiting for me in front of the Administrative Building, promptly took my basket from me.
“Shouldn’t we just meet at the Dining Hall from now on? This is quite heavy….”
“It’s fine! Today they have strawberry sandwiches!”
“Oh my.”
“There’s an absolutely enormous amount of whipped cream spread on them!”
Who on earth had the brilliant idea of pairing whipped cream with strawberries? Surely it was the work of a truly ingenious mind.
Before I knew it, I was chattering away excitedly, and Yuliope chuckled softly while patting my head.
“I see. Well then, let’s head inside. I have quite a lot to tell you.”
Yuliope’s expression was remarkably bright.
Thanks to that smiling face, I could tell he had resolved the Ancient Manuscript Archive problem.
“Yes! Strawberry sandwich!”
“I do hope you eat at least half today. Every time you barely manage half…. Hmm? Miss Rubian, your knee is scraped?”
Yuliope gazed down at my bandaged knee.
“Ah, I hurt it yesterday while jumping rope. It was my own mistake….”
I had injured the same spot that Haven had hurt before.
“….”
“Professor?”
When I called out to Yuliope, who had fallen silent and lost for words, he muttered quietly.
“…Professor Jex was supervising that, wasn’t he?”
Wait, what’s with that tone of voice?
“Y-yes…. But you see.”
My eyes flickered uncertainly at the suddenly chilled edge to his voice.
“How on earth is that brat managing the class?”
Did he just… call him a brat? Professor Yuliope, who was relatively mild-mannered and sensible despite his salary obsession?
When our eyes met, he chuckled sheepishly.
“Ah, don’t worry. That brat is my junior from the Academy.”
Is that supposed to make it better?
Regardless, Yuliope drafted a mental education curriculum for his junior with a cold smile playing at his lips.
I watched the scene with a somewhat tired expression.
‘How strange…’
A familiar situation…
Then suddenly, I broke into a broad grin.
“Still, it’s kind of touching…”
“Pardon? What is?”
“You’re angry because you’re worried about me, Professor!”
“What?”
The young professor’s face took on an expression of utter bewilderment.
“If problems arise in class, my salary takes a hit too, that’s all.”
“…”
“Rubian. I hate to say this, but you need to tell your parents… well, only the good parts, yes? Understood? If you’re going to mention anyone, tell Jex. As for your supervising professor Yuliope, it’s best to refrain from bringing him up…”
“Ugh… Professor, you’re such an idiot!”
Yuliope laughed heartily.
“A salary idiot!”
It was truly absurd!
Yet surprisingly, that very morning, Yuliope taught me how to jump rope.
He seemed bothered by the fact that I’d gotten hurt because I couldn’t jump rope well.
“Hmm. First, the rope is too long.”
“Is it?”
“Like this, it’s hard to jump over.”
“Ohhh.”
The professor adjusted the rope with practiced efficiency.
“And don’t think about jumping after you swing the rope—think about jumping as you begin to swing it.”
“I see…”
Standing in the Back Garden behind the Administrative Building, I slowly processed his words, then swung the rope and jumped with a hop!
“Gasp.”
I did it!
I actually did it!
I jumped rope!
“Professoooor!”
“You did very well.”
Yuliope would probably be better suited teaching physical education than researching ancient texts.
He smiled gently and ruffled my hair.
“If you remember that sensation and keep practicing, you’ll be able to do all sorts of things!”
“All sorts of things…?”
“Like single-leg hops or spinning the rope twice in one jump….”
Such advanced techniques!
“I’ll work hard at it!”
As I brightened my eyes with determination, Yuliope nodded approvingly, as if pleased.
Brilliant sunlight poured down upon us both. Yuliope shaded his eyes with his hand and glanced up at the sky for a moment.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been outside like this. It’s always been either the Research Room or the Library….”
I caught a glimpse of Yuliope’s brightened face and jumped rope once more. I still couldn’t do it consecutively, but it was tremendous progress nonetheless!
“Rubian.”
“Yes?”
“Would you like to go to the Ancient Manuscript Archive with me during free time today? Tomorrow is the last day, after all?”
The jump rope slipped from my hands.
“Really?”
“Yes. Actually….”
Yuliope smiled softly.
“The Ancient Manuscript Archive problem has been resolved.”

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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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