The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 210

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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 210
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Asha Drucan let out a sharp cry.
“No! No! That’s not how you do it! You need to grip the end gently and keep the mana from wavering…. Sigh, non-mages really are something.”
On the bridge leading to the Sapphire Hall.
Servants were busily engaged in repairing the broken bridge.
Asha Drucan watched the small wooden boat crossing the Lake with an anxious heart.
They were bringing in a new magical artifact box to replace the burst fireworks magical device.
Why were the Imperial Palace people so utterly careless!
If it burst again, the Zebert Duke might just blow my head off!
‘Ah, of course he just left.’
The Duke had appeared with a stern expression and just departed for the Main Fortress by boat with the Emperor.
“Ah, be careful over there! Please!”
Asha watched the situation intently with wide eyes, then disappeared saying she needed to check on the bridge repairs.
Once the sensitive Outpost Mage, who had been shrieking like a nervous deer, departed, the servant carrying the magical artifact box couldn’t help but grumble.
“Listen. Why do you keep swaying like that? If you drop the magical artifact box again, we’re in serious trouble!”
“Ah, sorry about that.”
The bearded servant apologized with a slight bow.
“But you…. Were you really selected as a banquet service attendant?”
“Ah. Actually no, I brought the boat and saw we were short-handed, so I’m just helping out.”
“So you’re a boatman.”
“Well….”
They carried the magical artifact box to the location the Outpost Mage had designated. The servant dusted off his hands and offered advice.
“I appreciate the help, but you should probably head back. The Emperor himself took great care with this party, so the head servant is quite sensitive about it. They probably won’t appreciate seeing an unselected servant working.”
“Ah, I see.”
The boatman stroked his beard with a gentle smile and turned to leave.
“Come on, let’s move the next one! How are the repairs on the bridge going? Why is everyone moving so slowly?”
The boatman drifted away, ignoring the servant’s words.
Hidden in his pocket was a fireworks magical artifact he had quietly stolen just moments before.
If detonated toward the sky, it would create brilliant flames, but if detonated toward something else….
It would become a small bomb.
“I’ve bribed one of the noble’s attendants. He’ll deliberately destroy the magical artifact box to collapse the bridge leading to the Sapphire Hall.”
“….”
“Then they’ll have no choice but to come and go by boat. Then at that moment, you, the boatman, will watch for your chance….”
The voice of the First Prince, who had been watching him, echoed like a phantom sound.
“Stab the Fourth Prince with this needle and overturn the boat.”
The tip of the needle the First Prince had handed him gleamed. Sniffing it, it seemed to be coated with paralysis poison.
“A boat, you’re telling me to attack a member of the Imperial Family when we’re alone on a boat?”
“Just brush against him while pretending to hand him something! Or approach him by pretending to fall!”
“Ah….”
“That fox cub is scheming while digging into my affairs… but this should keep things quiet for a while. I won’t simply sit back and take it.”
While Licht appeared to be bedridden from nearly drowning, the First Prince was already devising plans to resolve the immediate problems and orchestrate a counterattack.
“How should we best capsize the boat?”
“Steal some magical artifacts meant for fireworks and set them off. Since we’ll be loading magical artifacts onto the boat if there’s trouble with the bridge, it won’t seem strange if one or two fell to the bottom.”
That way, evidence like the poisoned needles would be buried forever beneath the Lake.
‘Then I’ll swim away and escape the Imperial Palace. That’s all there is to it.’
The Boatman recalled the enormous pouch of gold coins the First Prince had handed him. His heart raced uncontrollably.
‘The problem is how to get the Fourth Prince onto the boat.’
The banquet was still in full swing.
Moreover, with the second ball dance approaching, Licht wouldn’t show his face for a while.
He was about to keep a low profile while observing the situation when it happened.
“You there. Are you the Boatman? The Fourth Prince is looking for you.”
“What?”
His eyes widened in surprise.
“It seems he needs to return to the Main Fortress urgently. Get ready.”
“Ah, y-yes, understood!”
This was the opportunity.
The Boatman hurried off to prepare the boat.
Not long after, Licht appeared.
‘A Maidservant?’
The Prince arrived with a woman wearing a Maidservant’s cloak. It bothered him slightly that he wasn’t alone, but the Boatman smiled readily and cast off the mooring lines.
‘Not a Knight, and just a scrawny, thin woman at that.’
If anything happened, he could overpower her with force, so he didn’t consider her a variable worth worrying about.
* * *
“Where is my Father?”
At my urgent question, Licht didn’t press further and guided me out of the Banquet Hall. On the way, he didn’t forget to find a cloak that appeared to belong to a Maidservant and hand it to me.
“The Zebert Duke has headed to the Main Fortress. An urgent message arrived for the Father Emperor.”
“An urgent message?”
“Something’s happened in the Southern Region. He just departed by boat, so he shouldn’t have gone far. If you hurry, you can catch up.”
Licht carefully wrapped the cloak around me.
“If the main character leaves her seat, it will draw attention. For now, it’s best to hide your appearance with this.”
“I need to head to the Main Fortress right away. The Father Emperor just left too, didn’t he?”
“Yes, yes.”
The Boatman bowed his head and answered the Prince’s words.
I stood quietly, pretending to be Licht’s Maidservant, my cloak pulled over me. I felt the Boatman glance at me, but when Licht positioned himself to shield me, he lost interest.
“Please board this boat.”
The Boatman pointed to the gangway leading to the boat.
A noble’s pleasure boat came into view, adorned with elaborate decorations and covered with plush silk cushions.
“My apologies. It was just used to transport magical artifact boxes in haste, so the arrangement is somewhat neglected. There wasn’t time to prepare another cargo boat…”
“It’s fine.”
“Then we shall depart.”
“Make haste.”
Creak, creak. The boat cut through the water’s current.
Above the darkened Lake, magical artifacts that Asha had set afloat hung like lanterns at regular intervals.
The luminous path woven across the black water was quite a spectacle, but I had no leisure to admire it now.
‘I’ll verify it with my own eyes.’
The truth of this potion.
Only after the cold river wind struck me did I recall that Mother Rosetta and Grandfather were also in the Banquet Hall.
Come to think of it, I didn’t need to pursue Father this desperately….
“….”
When I glanced back slightly, the Sapphire Hall had already receded far into the distance. I stared intently at the Boatman rowing with all his might.
That was when it happened.
A crackling signal tone sounded. Only then did I recall Kalid’s presence, and I pressed my ear with a somewhat chagrined expression.
[ Rubian. ]
‘Kalid? Sorry, I’m not thinking straight….’
[ Sorry. I’m with Zebert Duke right now. ]
Before I could finish speaking, Kalid added in a somewhat urgent tone.
‘What?’
He spoke briefly and quickly.
[ A magical beast appeared in the Southern Region. But they say the aura is a bit strange. ]
‘Strange how?’
[ There were traces that looked like dark magic on the corpse of the magical beast we defeated. ]
‘What did you say?’
It felt as though ice water had been poured over me from head to toe.
Dark magic? Did the Mage King succeed in summoning a Dark Mage?
As I lost my words and my lips merely trembled, Kalid continued softly, as if to soothe me.
[ Rubian, calm down. It’s not that a dark magical beast appeared. In any case, I need to verify this myself. ]
Then I understood.
Why Father had left the Banquet Hall in such haste without informing me.
[ I’m telling you this so you don’t hear unfounded rumors and become anxious. Actually, the Duke specifically instructed me to tell you after the banquet…. Huh? ]
Kalid, who had been speaking in a low murmur, suddenly fell silent.
‘What’s wrong?’
I pressed my ear even more firmly, seized by a sudden wave of unease, waiting for Kalid’s words.
“Rubian, is something the matter?”
Licht, seated beside me, examined me with a concerned voice.
At that moment, the boat lurched violently once.
It was because the Boatman at the stern had suddenly slipped while rowing.
“Ah! My apologies. The darkness caused my foot to slip….”
The Boatman apologized repeatedly and resumed rowing. It was only a slight tremor—nothing serious.
Licht, who had been staring straight ahead with a darkened gaze, moved me further inward for protection and quietly drew his sword.
‘Kalid? What’s the matter?’ I asked.
[ Ah, the Duke… ]
At that moment, I caught sight of a light rapidly approaching from the direction of the Main Fortress. My eyes widened.
[ Why are you suddenly turning back? ]

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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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