The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 285

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Side Story, Chapter 11
* * *
Kalid and I teleported to the Gate Portal near the Capital.
From there, we boarded the portal and rushed toward the Western Continent as quickly as possible.
‘The expression on Grandfather’s face when I last saw him does nag at me a bit, though…’
But my heart was too urgent to help it.
Besides, who could have predicted that Kalid would suddenly teleport from there?
The Capital was a place almost devoid of mana, making teleportation truly reckless. Yet Kalid, who had nothing but mana to spare, willingly chose to strain himself for my sake.
‘Come to think of it, he once teleported from Iosia all the way to the Mage Kingdom to save me before.’
And that was while carrying all the children from Canalan Gorge with him.
In any case, Kalid looked somewhat exhausted, but he recovered his mana quickly enough.
For reference, I’d obtained permission to use the portal from Licht. The portable communication device proved invaluable in moments like this.
Permission granted.
If anything comes up, send me a message bird.
Thank you so much, Crown Prince.
;…^^
What was with that smug little smile?
‘Oops.’
I hurried to correct my message.
Thank you so much… You are my savior, Licht ㅠㅠ
Even after becoming Crown Prince, Licht preferred informal speech.
Truly a pioneer of anti-authoritarianism…
Yep, becoming Crown Prince was definitely the right call ^^
—whether he was power-hungry or just naturally irreverent, who could say…
In any case, Kalid and I found ourselves standing once more in this land of heathens, brimming with mysterious ancient ruins.
‘Mother, Father. Just wait a little longer!’
Honestly, I could have told them both and come here together.
‘But now both of them are locked away in their own rooms, not showing their faces at all!’
The atmosphere had grown so frigid and tense that I couldn’t even bring myself to broach the subject!
‘And besides, I have a feeling there’s something else I don’t know about.’
I resolved to uncover everything about my parents.
“So something like this existed.”
Kalid tilted his head skeptically as he gazed at the stone monument before the cave.
I stood before it, chiding myself for my helplessness, then clenched my fists and refocused.
“This is no time to despair!”
I immediately began removing the seal that wrapped around the monument.
You who command the omnipotent flow of time and space…
The inscription on the monument gleamed with light, as if it might activate at any moment—saaaaa—
“But how in the world did a temporal magic circle end up engraved here?”
Kalid murmured thoughtfully.
I placed my hand on the stone monument, twisting the embedded formula this way and that as I spoke.
“Ah, truthfully, this magic circle is incomplete. The inscriptions merely look convincing, but….”
“Hm?”
“I suspect it’s a remnant of an attempt by the Dragon God long ago—he tried to turn back time to reclaim the Goddess. In the process, a fragment of his power became sealed here alongside it….”
“Ah….”
The two deities loved each other, yet misunderstandings caused them to drift apart continuously until death finally bound them together.
The Dragon God yearned for the Goddess his entire existence.
It was an obsession so severe that he entrusted his power to Kalid and endured through countless ages because of it. So before his strength waned, it was hardly surprising that he attempted everything conceivable to reclaim the Goddess.
However, the Dragon God possessed abundant magical power but was not the type to excel at operating magic circles.
“So this is merely a trace of failed magic. Of course, it’s all speculation on my part.”
“Then Rubian, you’re currently….”
“Mm-hmm. I’m correcting the defects in this magic circle. I’m quite skilled with temporal magic, after all.”
“….”
“It’s different from what I’ve used before, so it’s a bit confusing….”
This was unlike a regression magic circle.
It was closer to a ‘time warp device’—it ‘transported’ the caster’s body to the past and future.
“For an Archmage, handling such variations is simple enough. Nnnngh. Ah, it’s done!”
I felt something click into place.
As I carefully withdrew my hand, the magical power that had been blocked began flowing smoothly, and
Shhhhhhhhh—!
the monument’s light intensified dramatically.
“Ordinary magical power won’t suffice, but since special power is imbued within it, it will definitely activate.”
My eyes sparkled with determination.
Rumble!
The stone monument blocking the entrance toppled backward in a cloud of pale dust.
Soon the dark cave entrance was revealed, and a tremendous torrent of magical power began raging from within.
“Kalid, remember this!”
The wind coiled around my entire body like vines.
My body was drawn deeper into the cave as though sucked into a vacuum tube.
“You must stay right beside me! I’m the only one who knows the magic circle for returning to reality!”
“I had no intention of leaving your side anyway.”
Kalid grasped my hand firmly, shielding me.
“Right! Well, it seems we’ll be forcibly returned once this place’s magical power is exhausted, but….”
I rapidly conveyed to Kalid the rules of this ‘time warp’ flowing through my mind.
“Don’t do anything that would severely distort the future! You mustn’t suffer grave injuries, or die, of course! Fortunately, we… well, that is… we only hold the status of ‘travelers’… so when we return to reality, we’ll gradually fade from the memories of those from the past!”
“There shouldn’t be significant confusion even if we interact with people from the past.”
“Right! To some extent! So let’s quickly copy the information about the heirloom box’s key and return!”
The flow of time between past and present was different.
In other words, even if we spent several days in the past, only a few hours would pass here by this world’s reckoning.
‘I need to hurry back and open the heirloom box before Mother and Father find out!’
My plan was simple.
1. Approach Father in the past.
2. The moment Father obtains the key to the heirloom box—or before he does—quickly copy the key’s information!
3. Return to the present and open the heirloom box!
‘After all, a key is essentially a magical artifact in its own right.’
With an original to work from, copying would be effortless.
‘He said he received it on the day of his engagement ceremony with Mother, didn’t he?’
“Right. But Rubian, now that I think about it… what if you tried venturing into the future for just three minutes as a test? I have something I need to confirm…”
“What did you just say?!”
“The future…”
Kalid continued speaking, but his words grew muffled and distant.
Because I had suddenly lifted my gaze and…
‘Wait? Inside the cave…’
I had spotted something glimmering against the cavern wall.
‘There are so many mana stones?!’
My heart raced at the sight of their deep crimson glow. But that could wait!
If you become the omnipotent master of space and time,
where do you wish to go—
the future,
or the past?
“The past!”
Provide a reference point in time.
I rummaged through my drawer and pulled out a single sheet of paper.
“The date of Mother and Father’s engagement ceremony written here!”
That paper was from when I had interviewed someone I admired for an Academy assignment.
It was a page from the diary Mother had shown me.
Year N, Month N, Day N
Held an engagement ceremony with Leviathan, now twenty years old.
… (omitted) …
Thus, as a token of our engagement, I entrusted him with something precious to me. (continued)
‘Back then, I didn’t know what that precious thing was.’
Now I had a very good idea.
The page suspended in midair was engulfed in blue flames, burning away in a brilliant blaze.
Spatial-temporal coordinates confirmed.
Done!
Time warp initiating #$@%—
Time remaining: ■■■■■
‘What?! How many hours is that?!’
And the voice’s condition suddenly felt strange.
An ominous premonition washed over me.
The moment I sensed something had gone terribly wrong.
Before I could question anything further, a violent whoosh—!
“Rubian!”
My body plummeted downward.
* * *
The air brushing against my cheek had changed.
Consciousness flooded back in an instant, and my eyes snapped open.
‘I really did return to the past…!’
“I’m back, I’m back…! Finally!”
In that moment, my pocket grew scorching hot.
Ding, ding! Ding! Ding!
‘A communication device?!’
I frantically checked my communication device.
The device that should never have rung was trembling wildly, spewing out alarms.
Error@#%@
Calibration Error
Synchronization Error
Traveler Protection Protocol Initiating…
[Emergency Disaster Alert]
Time Traveler Exclusive Roaming Plan Enrollment Guide
Enrolling…
3, 2… Do not shut down the system.
Enrollment Complete!
From now on, we will provide personalized traveler alert services!
‘What on earth is this?!’
The notification messages were bizarrely jumbled with memories from my modern era!
Was that all?
Before I knew it, a message window from the communication device was opening automatically before my eyes, almost like a status window….
‘No, this isn’t that kind of story!’
So this was what the personalized traveler alert was?
More importantly.
‘I did arrive around the time of Mother and Father’s engagement ceremony, right…?!’
The error I’d glimpsed moments ago flickered through my mind, and unease began creeping in.
Surely Kalid arrived safely too?
“Kalid, are you alright….”
In that instant, thud!
Something collided hard against my shoulder.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————