The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 39

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

Chapter 39
I had once mentioned it to Kalid in passing.
If I was to completely free myself from the Mage King’s bondage—I who had been exploited by the kingdom—the most certain way would be to eliminate the king.
From that moment on, Kalid had gnashed his teeth, insisting he would kill the Mage King for me.
Just as I had once severed his chains in that cave and granted him freedom.
“That won’t do. You’re… still far too young.”
“Ha. Is that why you came here?”
A short, bitter laugh escaped him.
“Sorry, Master. I’m going to speak coldly from now on.”
“Don’t be too cold about it…”
“Why Zebert Duke?”
His voice dropped with icy precision.
“I understand the Duke dislikes mages. But he’s not so mad as to kill a foreign king without reason, is he?”
…
Honestly, I couldn’t entirely fault Kalid for his reaction.
‘He doesn’t know that the Mage King will openly scheme if left unchecked.’
The Mage King was still playing the virtuous one.
Arcadia was an island isolated upon the sea.
Conflict with the Continent would only bring loss to the kingdom. That’s why the king outwardly feigned humility while inwardly watching for any chance to devour this Continent.
Though admittedly, he was currently facing backlash over the child soldier incident.
‘World conquest—what a childish, grandiose dream.’
His desire to obtain a dark mage made sense in that context. Honestly, he probably would have welcomed war breaking out.
‘The order he gave me was “capture the dark mage alive.”‘
But Uncle Leviathan killed him, so all those plans came to nothing. Ha, serves him right!
In any case, the Mage King would cause trouble on his own, so all that mattered was that Uncle remained alive until then.
“You’ve gone silent again…”
Kalid stared at me, my eyes darting about, before finally lowering his head with a heavy sigh.
“I really wish I could peek inside your head just once.”
“That’s not possible…”
I have too many secrets.
Then he suddenly lifted his head.
“Still, I’ll kill the Mage King. Since he’s the one who tormented you.”
“I get it, I get it, so train hard then.”
Build your strength and collaborate with Uncle later!
I swallowed the words I couldn’t bring myself to say and laughed with a silly grin. Seeing Kalid’s expression soften, I also lifted the silencing spell I had cast.
Soon it would be time for Hazel to come up, saying dinner was ready.
“Good. I have a goal now.”
Kalid spoke with renewed conviction.
“A goal?”
Leviathan Zebert Duke.
“…?”
“I’ll need to surpass that person first.”
No, that’s not it at all.
“If that person is the strongest and that’s why you rely on them, then I’ll become even stronger than them.”
The Young Boy’s eyes burned with fierce determination.
Somehow, the second arc’s protagonist’s goal was…?
Kalid bit his lip once, then glanced sideways at me.
“And for some reason, I have a feeling that person will… make my life absolutely miserable.”
Worried about the future, Kalid maintained his serious expression for a long time.
Well… life in the Knight Order alongside Uncle probably isn’t easy, is it?
If that’s not it….
What else could it be?
* * *
That evening, in the Dining Room.
Kalid had been invited to dinner as my friend.
“Huh? Grandfather too?”
The moment I stepped into the dining hall, I came face-to-face with three generations of Zebert.
Grandfather usually ate separately in the Annex, so dining together was rare.
This was quite unusual.
I took a seat with Kalid. Uncle occupied the head of the table, while Grandfather and Void sat across from us.
“Father…?”
Void stared intently at the seat beside me, his expression vacant as he called out to Uncle.
“Yes.”
“I think I might be seeing things right now.”
“You probably aren’t.”
Void, who had been blinking, suddenly turned his head.
Snip, snip, snip, snip. As always, his hands didn’t pause in cutting meat and vegetables for me.
“So you brought a new one from the Capital? But when…?”
Whoosh. A beautifully sliced steak plate slid in front of me.
Kalid, sitting beside me, laughed at this absurdity—ha, ha.
You find it ridiculous too, don’t you? A noble serving meals?
Yeah… I know.
“That’s not it either.”
“Then…!”
“Boy, stop your chattering and eat your bread!”
“Mmmph.”
Grandfather, who had been cutting five chunks of steak at once, shoved white bread into Void’s mouth.
Void, his cheeks puffed out, looked up at Grandfather with an expression full of things to say.
“Ugh… Grandfather.”
“Hmm?”
Clack. At Void’s call, Grandfather set down his knife. His thick eyebrows trembled as he gazed down at his Grandson sitting beside him.
Void’s shoulders instinctively drew back.
“What’s with that look in your eyes? Are you already going through puberty?! No wonder… you haven’t been visiting your ailing grandfather for meals in ages!”
“But when I do come, you’re not sick at all!”
It seemed that whenever Uncle Leviathan was away from the Castle, he would often summon Void for meals.
Of course, Void found Grandfather terribly uncomfortable…
“This won’t do! We need to enter a relationship-strengthening period. After we eat, let’s take a leisurely stroll through the Northern Mountains!”
“Ugh! No, no!”
Void thrashed about, pushing away the meat that kept being shoved into his mouth. Grandfather’s lips curled with amusement.
…He’s enjoying himself. Today’s sacrifice is you, Void.
“Stop watching and eat something yourself.”
Thunk. A neatly sliced piece of bread landed on my plate.
“Oh, thanks.”
I popped a piece of bread into my mouth while looking at Kalid.
‘This guy really doesn’t mind anyone, does he.’
Eating with people I’d just met today, yet it felt as natural as being at home…
He’s quite remarkable in many ways.
“So, is there really no one here who can explain what he is?!”
Finally, Void exploded. He bounced around, pointing at Kalid with his finger.
“Rubian! You tell me!”
I swallowed the bread I’d been chewing and answered.
“He’s my friend.”
“What…?”
“A friend.”
Void tilted his head with a question mark plastered across his face. Why that expression?
Is he hearing the word ‘friend’ for the first time?
‘Huh… Does he not have friends because he resembles Uncle?’
Despite my concern, Void simply blinked with a vacant expression.
After that, the sound of cutlery clinking continued intermittently.
Clink. Kalid set down his fork beside me. When I glanced over, he’d already finished eating and was wiping his mouth with a napkin.
A plate emptied just right.
Impeccable table manners.
‘Hmm, sometimes he seems reckless, but he certainly learned his etiquette well.’
…Wait? Where did he learn that…?
“You managed quite well in a marketplace like this, Rubian.”
“…”
“Even though you hate loud places.”
Someone shut this tactless mouth already.
“What? You little brat.”
Grandfather set down his utensils with a bang. Uncle merely sipped his wine without even glancing over.
Kalid rose from his seat.
“Thank you for the meal.”
Well, at least his manners were proper.
I thought he would simply leave, but as he stood there for a moment, Kalid pointed at the bell pepper precariously caught on my fork.
“But he doesn’t like this. Could you change the cooking method….”
“Ahahaha.”
I struck Kalid’s side with a sharp blow, sweat pouring down my face.
“You… why do you talk so much when you’re eating at someone else’s table!”
And I was just about to drop that bell pepper. You caught me red-handed!
“Uncle! Grandfather! I can handle this myself….”
“Oho. Your impudent tone, that look in your eyes. This won’t do anymore.”
Grandfather set down his utensils with a sharp clink.
“This little brat needs some spiritual discipline in the Northern Mountains!”
“So it was spiritual discipline after all!”
Void’s mouth fell open.
“I don’t want to.”
“What?”
But the impudent young boy Kalid’s mouth would not stop.
Grandfather’s eyes burned even more fiercely.
As a tense atmosphere crackled between us, only the Guardian sitting at the head of the table continued his meal with an unperturbed expression.

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