The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 270

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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 270
“Mmm, mmm… Phew, whoa! When it hits you like that out of nowhere—oh! This is so fun. So what?”
Allen’s expression shifted in an instant as he slung an arm around Kalid’s shoulder, his tone rough and eager.
“What does a military campaign have to do with a confession?”
“Ugh. Get away from me, you reek like an old man.”
“I’m not an old man!”
Kalid watched Allen thrashing about with an impassive gaze.
Then his eyes caught the mercenary company’s identification badge that had slipped from Allen’s pocket.
Kalid swiftly kicked at Allen’s hamstring. Allen suddenly found himself on his knees before Kalid and let out a furious shout.
“Ugh! Why are you suddenly kicking me around!”
“You should be grateful I handed the mercenary company to a child like me instead.”
“What!”
“If I’d seen that badge back then, I might have killed you.”
Well, the mercenaries who used to torment me would’ve been long dead by now anyway.
Allen had been running the mercenary company in the back alley within what could be considered legal bounds—though admittedly through methods that were extremely cunning and precarious.
But if I’d known that the mercenary company exploiting me still existed intact, I certainly would have eliminated them without hesitation or question.
Thud, thud.
Allen, watching the broad back receding into the distance, spat on the ground.
“Damn it. That temperament of his—how does his manners keep getting worse the more time passes?”
Allen tore at his hair.
“Aren’t we supposed to rescue our princess? You bastard! Hey! So what does a confession have to do with a military campaign!”
Of course, there was no answer coming back.
And the next day.
Kalid departed without a single shred of hesitation.
Of course, Rubian, unaware of his true intentions, began carefully selecting a room from which escape would be absolutely impossible.
At around the same time.
The Emperor was turning over his meeting with Kalid in his mind.
“Hmm.”
A pleased smile graced his lips.
“Quite audacious indeed.”
The previous afternoon.
Kalid Liork had appeared suddenly in the Capital via portal.
He immediately requested an audience with the Emperor.
Normally, one would have to wait several days for such a thing, but the Emperor, unusually, approved his request for an audience at once.
“I will personally handle all the dark mages and demonic beasts in the Eastern Region.”
Yes, I somehow knew he would say something like that.
“You will?”
“Ten days… No, a week will suffice.”
The Emperor regarded Kalid quietly, who emanated the languid atmosphere of a predator.
When I first met him, I thought Leviathan had raised something just like myself.
It was a miscalculation.
There wasn’t a more dangerous and untamable beast here than Zebert Duke himself.
“Hmm, to resolve in merely a week what we’ve been suppressing for at least a year. Whether that’s even possible….”
The Emperor gazed at the flawlessly handsome face before him.
“Well, I suppose there’s no need to ask further.”
Since Kalid’s nature as a mage had been revealed, he no longer needed to conceal his magical power.
Moreover, the Emperor had heard everything about how he wielded both magic and sword in the Mage Kingdom.
“But why insist on stepping forward yourself? Marquis.”
“It requires at least that much….”
Then, a vivid glimmer of emotion crossed those otherwise expressionless grayish-blue eyes.
“Couldn’t I be promoted?”
Ah.
Promotion, then.
‘As expected.’
The Emperor stroked his chin and smiled.
“When the western subjugation campaign ended before, I asked you what you desired.”
“….”
“Back then you looked indifferent, as if you needed nothing. Why do you suddenly need a noble title?”
“That’s because….”
Kalid tilted his chin slightly.
“A title is the only thing I lack.”
The Emperor pretended to rest his chin on his hand, forcibly suppressing the corners of his mouth from rising.
Kalid gazed seriously at the floor, muttering as if to himself.
“To confess to her, I need a status befitting that. Rubian is a precious young lady of the Duke’s household, so I should at least match her rank so she won’t feel ashamed.”
‘Ah. Young love….’
This was far too amusing.
‘Of course, thinking of our Licht pains my heart….’
The Emperor deliberately straightened his posture, feigning solemnity.
“Ahem, very well. Marquis.”
“….”
“Return after organizing the Eastern Region in a week, and I’ll grant you the rank of Count.”
In truth, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to demand a title based on his achievements in Arcadia.
‘Well, it seems he’s not yet at the level of employing such tactics.’
The Emperor had been pondering how to lure the talented individuals of the Northern Region to the Eastern Front.
Therefore, he eagerly accepted Kalid’s proposal.
A Count’s rank, after all. Or so he thought.
But precisely four days later.
A victory report arrived from the Eastern Front.
It came with an audacious letter from Sir Kalid, whose unprecedented great victory echoed throughout the entire Empire.
< Grant me the rank of Marquis.
That seems to be something that needs to be settled.
A battle that was expected to take a year had been concluded in merely four days, so the secondary benefits were tremendous. The loss of troops and supplies, the faster stabilization of the people's lives—everything. His request was reasonable, but.
'A week? He had this in mind from the start.'
Ah, the audacity of youth.
'It is admirable, though….'
Why does it feel so irritating?
The Emperor crumpled the letter with a soft smile on his face, crinkle after crinkle.
'Ah, so when is he returning?'
Damn, I should have crumpled it after reading.
He carefully smoothed out the wrinkled letter again with meticulous care.
"Hmm…."
Hmm?
* * *
Crinkle, crinkle.
I crumpled the newspaper with utterly brutal force.
It was plastered with news that Kalid of Zebert had achieved a great victory in the Western Region and was returning.
"Oh my. Did you see this news? A triumphant report in just four days!"
"A hero who is both strong and handsome. Goodness, I'm getting dizzy."
"He's coming back tomorrow, right? We absolutely must attend the triumph ceremony!"
"Ah, I do hope he'll ask me to dance at the banquet~"
The young ladies were absolutely delighted seeing it.
Blinded by exploding jealousy, I crumpled the newspaper thoroughly and shoved it deep into my pocket.
Where no one could see it.
'Well, he's definitely getting locked up when he returns.'
But is this really how unrequited love works?
"Still, I'm relieved he's returning safely."
I let out a short sigh, checked my commoner's attire, and resumed walking.
'Right, the Capital is always bustling.'
The day after Kalid left for the battlefield, I came to the Capital with my family, half out of spite.
After spending a few days here, fortunately my condition wasn't bad.
My core had strengthened, but it was also thanks to the mana clock Kalid had charged up for me before he left.
"Is this the right place?"
I tilted my head in front of the noisy Dining Hall.
Today was the day I'd decided to meet and play with Sortie and Princess Sebelena for a change of mood.
Sebelena had been going back and forth between the Empire and Casalia regarding the King of Casalia issue, but that had been roughly settled, and she'd decided she'd be returning completely tomorrow.
'The King of Casalia said at the Round Table that he would take responsibility for collaborating with the Mage Kingdom and abdicate as quickly as possible.'
And for some reason, I had a feeling that Sebelena might be eyeing that throne.
'Anyway, let's have fun today! It's the last time after all!'
Titi and Sebelena had no connection, but after I invited them to tea time together while I was in the Northern Region, they became close.
Ding-
"Welcome!"
I pushed open the dining hall door, thinking of the Guard Knight who would be quietly watching over me from nearby.
It had been so long since I'd spent time with girls my own age, and it was absolutely delightful. We ordered delicious food, shared all sorts of stories, and laughed and chattered away.
"But I have something on my mind."
I sipped the fruit juice that came as dessert and carefully opened my mouth.
"Oh my, oh my. Time for a serious conversation."
The two of them said worries needed to be eaten away, so they ordered more food.
I couldn't hold back any longer and collapsed onto the table with a thud.
"I never knew unrequited love could be this painful!"
"Pfffttt!"
Sebelena sprayed out the beer she'd been drinking.
"Unrequited… love? Don't tell me… it's not about Kalid, is it?"
"H-how did you know?"
"For heaven's sake. You two still aren't dating? Why? Why on earth? What are you two doing fumbling around for? Oh, this is delicious."
Titi dipped the braised meat enthusiastically and chewed. Sebelena, her face flushed with alcohol, tapped my arm repeatedly.
"My lady, my lady. Are you really experiencing unrequited love? When we visited the Northern Region last time, I saw Kalid's eyes were intense, you know? He looked at a pebble on the street worse than anything, but he was so tender with you."
A low sigh escaped my lips.
"That's because he thinks of me as his 'master.'"
"…?"
"I saved his life once. So he's just repaying the debt…"
Ah, the feeling of hitting myself with facts.
My heart aches. It throbs painfully.
Sebelena fell silent at my cold grasp of reality, and this time Titi asked again.
"No, why such empty delusions… Wait. When you two meet, what are you doing if you're not talking about this?"
"When we meet?"
Well…
I counted off on my fingers one by one.
"Holding hands, stroking my cheek, sometimes embracing me, and occasionally… our lips… touching too."
"…"
"Ah. He also says I'm pretty. He doesn't even correct himself anymore saying he misspoke. That's somewhat fortunate…"
"What is this? Are you rubbing salt in our wounds?"
Titi, whose relationship with her current boyfriend Jerdin hadn't been going well lately, furrowed her brow seriously.
"No! It's all because of his magic power!"
My voice came out louder than intended. I quickly lowered it to a whisper.
"And now he's so sick of even that, he ran away to the battlefield…"
That was when it happened.
A distant table shook violently.

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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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