The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 186

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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 186
“Hey! Wait a second! I’m in the middle of digging here!”
I spun around sharply and unleashed a surge of mana toward the thick hands reaching for me.
“Wh-what, no, ahhhhh!”
Crash!
The Hooded Figures reeking of alcohol tumbled headfirst into the pile of cargo stacked throughout the Dark Alley.
Oops. I couldn’t let them know I was a Mage.
It was finally time to use the decorative bow I’d been carrying on my back.
“Magical Device Discharge!”
I quickly chanted the skill name and fired the bow haphazardly.
The arrow with its broken shaft tumbled wildly until I pulled my mana taut, redirecting it toward the ruffians in a devastating charge.
“Ahhh!”
But I hated seeing blood.
Screech, stop.
“Gasp, huff, huff. What are you? What is this?”
“What about you gentlemen?”
You’ve been sneaking after me this whole time.
“I’m in a really bad mood right now, you know? This isn’t the Capital, so I feel like using some force, you know? I feel like venting my frustrations anywhere, you know?”
As my body grew, so did the vessel capable of holding mana.
My mana reserves had increased somewhat, and being accustomed to conserving and recycling mana as I always had, I’d become quite formidable lately.
In other words.
I could protect myself without any difficulty!
“What are you saying? This tiny little thing…! Hey, get up! Go and catch…! Ahhhhh!”
“Hyah.”
Despite the grueling training, I never became a physical Knight, but…
I drew the empty bowstring, and blue arrows erupted forth, embedding themselves around the men like a torrential downpour.
Large arrows with suction cups appeared and stuck to their foreheads with soft taps. Since I’d inscribed a memory-disruption magic circle on them, they likely wouldn’t remember any of this.
‘Sigh… Must be the Festival. All the vermin are gathering.’
I dusted off my hands and kicked the dazed men aside.
‘I shouldn’t give Father a headache. Let me just head back.’
Should I tie up these thugs? What if they wake up and chase after me again?
As I stood there deliberating, fortunately I heard someone running from beyond the Dark Alley.
“Must be the Security Force Knights. Phew, thank goodness. You thugs, not that it matters, but you should all reform, okay?”
Just as I was about to flee.
Suddenly a gust of wind swept through the narrow Dark Alley, and the large hood that had been partially covering me was blown clean off.
“Oh no. My hood…!”
I couldn’t let the other Knights see my face!
I desperately grabbed at the hood’s edge but sensed failure immediately. The moment I turned my body sharply in the opposite direction, my back to the Security Force Knights.
“If you’re going to hide your identity…!”
A large, firm hand from behind pressed down hard on my head along with the hood.
“You should have hidden your mana too.”
“…!”
“Of course, it’s useless against me.”
My body went rigid.
A chilling aura crashed over me like a wave. The moment I sensed that mana, every cell in my body seemed to stand at attention as if responding to a lie.
The first thing I felt was the warmth of a hot hand against the crown of my head.
Next came a familiar scent reminiscent of a cool forest, mingled with the unfamiliar smell of iron and leather. Finally, there was the firm, solid sensation of a hard body supporting my back.
Thump. Thump.
What was this heartbeat?
“…K-Kalid?”
“I thought it was a dream like always….”
A rough voice flowed through my heightened senses. Hot breath touched my ear, and the fine hairs on my neck stood on end.
I slowly turned around.
“Kalid…. Is that you?”
“Yeah.”
And I was startled.
“Your face….”
“My face?”
He tilted his chin while carefully tying the strings of my cloak.
“Why is your face so much higher than before…?”
What is this height? What is this build?
Then what about that person from earlier?
“That’s quite a greeting.”
Kalid squinted one eye and smiled faintly. His gaze tracing my face was persistently thorough.
The face with lines now far more pronounced than before held nothing that would remind one of a young boy.
A sharply defined bridge of nose and eyes that rose languidly at the corners. The two beauty marks at their ends emanated a different, subtle atmosphere than before.
‘What….’
Unable to hide my bewilderment, I quickly grasped the truth. My cheeks flushed on their own.
So I had just made quite the misunderstanding.
‘Father…. Why did you spread such rumors….’
Fine.
When I get home, I’ll give Father a massage.
I’ll press his back and shoulders with deep filial devotion, kneading them thoroughly.
While I was formulating this ambitious plan of filial piety, Kalid, who had been tidying my disheveled hair, suddenly asked as if remembering something.
“Rubian, but why are you even here? With whom….”
“Move aside, move aside! Where are the criminals!”
Just then, actual Security Force knights rushed into the dark alley.
“Ugh, how noisy.”
The ruffians who had lost consciousness for a moment due to the commotion of the knights poking around everywhere began to stir slightly.
“Wait, what is this! Why am I tied up!”
“Th-that’s an enormous demonic beast! It seems a young demonic beast has appeared!”
The awakened men screamed and began thrashing about wildly.
The commotion was so violent that the cargo stacked nearby swayed and tumbled down one after another.
“Ah, let’s head over there first….”
That was the moment. One of the wooden crates stacked highest came plummeting toward me.
Fortunately, I spotted it with my eyes and was about to hastily channel my mana.
“Rubian!”
Someone suddenly pulled me into their embrace.
“…!”
And then came a sickening sound of impact.
“Hey! What are you doing!”
I gasped and frantically pushed Kalid’s shoulder—the one taking the brunt of the crate instead of me. In that moment, I wondered—wasn’t he wearing armor?
“Why are you taking the hit like that…!”
“Are you alright?”
“Are you seriously asking me that right now?”
Despite my shock, Kalid let out a low sigh with an unbothered expression. Then he bent down and brushed the dust from my clothes.
On the ground, the crate that had struck his wing joint lay shattered to pieces.
“Hey, look, look here. Ah, really! How could you shield me like that!”
I could have just moved my mana!
At that, Kalid laughed with an awkward expression.
“My body moved before I could think.”
All the strength drained from my body. It seemed some things truly never changed.
“Ah, really…. I can’t even stay mad at you!”
“Stay mad…. Why would you?”
“You left nothing but a note and didn’t come back for two years. I was actually planning to give you an earful about that first.”
And to interrogate you about being closer to the Princess than to me!
“So you were planning to be angry with me.”
“I mean it! I was going to kick your shins and not speak to you for three days.”
“….”
Kalid stared at me intently for a moment, then suddenly furrowed his brow.
“Rubian, I’m hurt.”
“Huh, where!”
“Here. The spot where the crate hit me earlier is throbbing a bit.”
I hastily lifted the hem of his large cloak and was about to peer inside when I suddenly tilted my head.
“Huh? You got hit, so why would it throb?”
“Ah…. Actually, it’s just stinging a little.”
“…?”
My eyes narrowed suspiciously. Kalid averted his gaze and quietly turned his head away.
“Knight Kalid!”
Just then, Security Force knights came rushing through the Dark Alley. All the ruffians who had attacked me were already bound.
“When I saw the cloak, I wondered if it might be you, Kalid! It was an honor to train together this morning! But… did you handle these criminals?”
The tallest-looking knight among them rushed forward and spoke with utmost respect.
I instinctively drew my hood closer and turned away, while Kalid swiftly positioned himself before me in protection.
“Stalking, intimidation, assault, robbery, attempted kidnapping, and attempted murder. That’s what these are.”
His low voice cut through the air.
The thugs listening began protesting as if seized by convulsions.
“Huh? Us? We’re the ones who got attacked by that beast!”
“Shut your mouths, you worthless bastards!”
Smack. They took blows from the other knights and fell silent, but.
“What beast! There are several witnesses who saw you stalking this person!”
Kalid glanced around the area and kicked together some fragments of a broken box.
“Here. Evidence of assault and attempted murder. You tried to strike down someone so small and delicate with a box like this. How is that not attempted murder?”
“No! That’s not it! The beast roared and charged at us!”
“Shut your mouths, you worthless bastards!”
The thugs’ mouths were finally gagged.
Because of the memory distortion, they looked genuinely wronged, but that wasn’t my concern.
“We’ll handle these criminals according to the severity of their crimes. But is the victim… all right?”
The Security Force knight craned his neck like a giraffe, peering at me hiding behind Kalid. As all eyes converged, I wondered if my identity would be exposed right then.
“Oof!”
My crouched body suddenly lifted into the air. Kalid had swiftly hoisted me up to conceal me.

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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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