The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 160

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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 160
Ch.17
“….”
I opened my eyes beneath the brilliant morning sun.
Blink, blink.
An unfamiliar ceiling came into view.
What? Where am I?
Ah, the Capital Duke’s Mansion….
‘Hah.’
Memories flooded back into my dazed mind like the tide.
Yesterday…. Yesterday something truly extraordinary happened!
‘I told them everything.’
The fact that I was a Mage, and my entire past!
‘Life really doesn’t go according to plan at all….’
I felt as though I had rediscovered this timeless truth all over again.
Last night, the adults listened to my story with remarkable composure.
‘I thought it would take an incredibly long time.’
My confession felt surprisingly brief. Once I had laid everything bare, it seemed almost trivial in retrospect.
After all the stories were told, Father, Mother, and Grandfather embraced me tightly.
Their warmth was so comforting that I instantly released my tension and fell asleep.
“Whew, at least I feel relieved now.”
I stretched and sat up abruptly. At that very moment.
“Sleep well?”
An unexpected voice made my shoulders jump.
Only then did I notice at the foot of my bed.
A round head of dark hair visible from behind.
“Kalid…?”
“I saw you wake up, so I’ll head out.”
The young boy brushed himself off and stood up.
“…You weren’t even looking.”
You had your back turned.
“….”
Kalid’s silence struck me as odd, so I kicked off my blanket and jumped up.
Slipping on my slippers, I dashed over, and Kalid slowly turned his head.
Huh?
His eyes….
“Hey! Your eyes are all puffy!”
When I pointed at his reddened eyelids, Kalid quickly turned away again.
Of course, his puffy eyes were rather endearing!
“What’s wrong with you? Don’t tell me you were crying….”
“I didn’t cry. My eyes are just swollen from not sleeping.”
Kalid spoke in a rather blunt tone.
“…So you admit they’re swollen?”
“…”
The young boy pressed his lips together again.
“You clearly did cry!”
“I didn’t.”
His response was coldly dismissive.
“Ugh… you could at least warn me before you get all cold like that…”
I traced circles on his back with my finger. I had a feeling I understood why he was being so sullen.
“Are you… mad at me?”
“I’m not upset… no, I’m angry.”
Wow, this was a first.
Kalid was actually angry with me.
“Why didn’t you call for me?”
The boy spun around and glared at me resentfully.
“…You know why. I was afraid the Mage King would discover your existence.”
There was no room to reconsider this decision.
If the same situation arose again, I would make the same choice.
“I absolutely hate the thought of you being dragged away to the Kingdom in my place.”
Kalid bearing the mark and becoming a puppet of the Mage King? The very thought was horrifying.
Remembering Second’s appearance—controlled by the mark, losing reason, going berserk—only strengthened my resolve.
“You… just how weak do you think I am?”
Kalid turned away again sharply.
“That’s not it…”
I traced another pattern on his back.
Anger. Dissolve. Now.
Even adding a few letters…
“…”
Eventually, Kalid turned to look at me again. His eyes were filled with unbearable resentment and reproach.
“You have no idea how helpless and anxious I was…”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
I tapped Kalid’s head gently. He trembled at the lips but lowered his head slightly for me.
“Don’t ever do that again.”
“Yeah, I promise!”
“…Now you’re just openly disappointing me.”
“Hmph.”
Kalid clenched his teeth once, then unfastened a bracelet from one of his wrists.
One of several rings.
“Hey, what are you doing? Don’t take that off…”
“I’ll grow strong enough to control my power without this bracelet.”
Kalid placed a ring into my hand as he spoke.
“When that time comes, even if I say I’m going to behead the Mage King, you won’t stop me, right?”
“What? I feel like I definitely would…”
But just as I was completely ignoring his words, he completely ignored mine in return.
“I will definitely return this bracelet.”
He pressed his palm firmly against my hand as if making a vow.
“I’ll give it all back to you.”
Well, I suppose.
‘It’s going to take an incredibly long time to remove all the bracelets…’
But I was a good friend who didn’t pour cold water on him by pointing out the facts.
Besides, he looked like an enthusiastic little boy saying “I’m not weak, I’ll become strong!” which was kind of cute…
Though of course, my expression remained as cold and expressionless as always.
“Got it. You can do this!”
As I cheered with both fists clenched, Kalid’s lips trembled slightly before he turned his head away toward Pax.
The tips of his ears, bathed in the morning sunlight, had turned a faint red.
* * *
Kalid walked through the Corridor of the Knight Order Building.
‘I need to get to training quickly.’
My heart felt strangely urgent.
I was genuinely frustrated that I couldn’t do anything at the Academy. I spent the entire night dwelling on it, tears streaming down my face… just a little bit.
“Come to think of it, I told her everything about my magic.”
The brief conversation with Rubian came to mind.
She said that last night, she had revealed all of her secrets.
“Yes, you did well.”
“But I didn’t tell you about your identity. That’s not my secret to tell. However, the adults might have vaguely sensed what you are…”
“Even if they did, it doesn’t matter.”
“…”
“They won’t drive me away because of that.”
“Y-you’re right!”
“Then that’s settled.”
I meant it sincerely.
Whether my identity was exposed or not, as long as I wasn’t driven away from this place.
This was where I could be closest to Rubian, and besides, I genuinely enjoyed the training here.
Kalid opened the door without thinking, then paused.
“Hey, why is there nothing in this room?”
“…Your Grace?”
It was because Zebert Duke had claimed my room as his own.
Kalid calmly closed the door and stepped inside.
“What brings you here, sir?”
His attire was loosely worn, yet there was something about him that commanded tension—a presence that made others instinctively wary.
Leviathan sat on the bed, tossing and catching an apple while casting a sidelong glance at the young boy.
“You knew about Rubian’s secret from the beginning, didn’t you?”
He got straight to the point.
Kalid had nothing more to add, so he simply nodded.
‘Is he going to blame me? Ask why I didn’t tell him?’
Suddenly, a memory surfaced—from long ago, a candy box the Duke had given him.
Moreover, though he hadn’t mentioned it to Rubian, the letter he’d received from Allen stated that Allen had met the Duke.
It was possible that Kalid had intercepted that letter and confirmed its contents himself.
The Zebert Duke I know isn’t careless enough to overlook such things.
He might have briefly intercepted the messenger bird mid-flight and sent it on its way again.
‘If he figured something out from that…’
Kalid’s hands clenched slightly.
He’d come to interrogate me, it seemed.
As I steeled myself with that thought.
“Thank you.”
Leviathan said it bluntly.
“Pardon?”
“I said thank you. Why do you look so shocked?”
A large hand suddenly reached out and roughly ruffled his hair.
“Judging by how well you’ve kept Rubian’s secret, my daughter has made a good friend—one who knows how to keep their mouth shut.”
Kalid felt awkward and stiffened slightly.
The Duke looked down at his now-empty hand and chuckled softly.
“So, just as you have been…”
“I will keep protecting her.”
The boy’s voice burst out suddenly, and the man tilted his head.
“Rubian. I was lacking yesterday, but I’ll grow stronger and protect her well from beside her.”
Kalid absently fiddled with his bracelet. Leviathan watched him intently.
“So I’ll train hard to become even stronger than I am now…”
“That’s not it, you insolent brat.”
A light flick landed on his forehead.
Leviathan let out a short sigh as he watched Kalid rub his forehead in surprise.
“What protection? Just promise me you won’t sneak into my daughter’s room. You little runt.”
“…”
“Protecting her is my job. And of course, you too—since you live in my house.”
Kalid was utterly bewildered. No adult had ever offered to protect him before.
“Honestly, I have things I’d like to ask you too… but guys like you won’t open your mouths unless you feel like it.”
“…”
“So for now, I’ll let it slide. But as always, if you ever want to talk about something, come running anytime. Got it?”
Kalid fell silent for a moment.
You don’t need to reveal your identity right now, and you don’t need to go out of your way to protect Rubian.
“…Then, what am I supposed to do here?”
At that, a faint smile crossed the Duke’s face as he regarded the Young Boy.
“How old did you say you were?”
“Twelve, sir.”
“When I was twelve, I went out to subjugate magical beasts alone.”
What nonsense. Kalid’s head tilted involuntarily.
“It was absolutely wretched. An accident occurred, and all the Knights who went with me died. I wandered alone in the Monster Habitat for a month.”
“….”
“At first, I waited for rescue beside the corpses, but no one came. It was cold, I was starving. As I rummaged through the bodies’ pockets, I made a decision.”
“…To escape that place?”
“No. To destroy the nearby Monster Habitats.”
“….”
Ah, yes, I see. You were quite the prodigy from childhood, weren’t you.
Kalid sneered inwardly.

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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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