The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 79

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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 79
“For now, leave the Iosia matter to me. If any new information arrives, report it immediately.”
“Understood.”
Borbel bowed respectfully and withdrew.
Leviathan summoned Adolf.
“Bring me Rubian’s enrollment documents.”
“Right here.”
He meticulously completed the complex paperwork.
Rubian is my daughter. Whatever past she carried no longer mattered.
As I reached the final section where the child’s nationality was to be recorded, my pen paused briefly.
“Adolf, the matter I told you to handle—is it done?”
“Completed successfully. It’s a village called Marinvesta in the Southern Region of Babylon.”
Leviathan nodded and filled in the blank.
“I need to meet with the Emperor.”
He quickly had a carriage prepared.
Moving with haste, I reached for my outer coat when something rolled away with a metallic clink. It was a small glass vial that had been sitting on the corner of the desk.
Adolf caught the rolling vial before it could fall. An old blue ribbon was tied around it.
“What is this? Oh my. There’s blood staining the ribbon….”
Leviathan gazed intently at the vial. So it had been here in the study all along.
“It’s something that helped me on the battlefield.”
The vial contained traces of dark magic. Following it always led me to discover traces of the Dark Mage.
I had no way of knowing who sent it.
“Your Excellency, the carriage is ready.”
Leviathan placed the vial in his pocket and moved forward.
‘Rubian is my daughter.’
My grip tightened on the documents.
With this, Rubian would now become a true princess of Zebert in both name and reality.
A precious child who would grow up under the strongest protection within my walls.
What mattered to me was the child’s present and future.
“I’ve come to see Your Majesty.”
As I stood before the grand doors, the Attendant caught sight of Leviathan’s face and hurriedly bowed his head.
* * *
“By the way, Kalid. Why couldn’t I reach you on Ipson Mountain?”
I was eating snacks with Kalid in the greenhouse.
After drinking the warm milk, my scratchy throat finally eased. Hazel had stepped away briefly, saying she would bring back fruit preserves that were good for colds.
Kalid poured more milk into my cup before responding.
“My magical reserves were in poor condition. Communicating with you wasn’t easy under those circumstances.”
“What? Are you hurt somewhere? Your bracelet—”
“I’m wearing it.”
Kalid held up both wrists. The golden rings gleamed, asserting their presence with a soft chime.
The bracelet with three interlocking rings was no ordinary magical artifact.
I’d discovered it as treasure in an ancient ruin while wandering the battlefield, and I’d inscribed a spell formation onto it before fastening it around Kalid’s wrist. The boy’s underdeveloped frame seemed burdened by the excess mana he couldn’t yet control.
The bracelet held mana like a vessel, then reabsorbed it back into the body when released. The principle was simple.
“But why was your mana condition so poor?”
At my question, he rubbed his brow with a somewhat troubled expression.
“It might be psychological.”
“Huh?”
“When I’m anxious and scared, it often happens.”
I tilted my head.
“What on earth were you so anxious about? The situation was dire, sure, but there were adults around too…”
“That’s not it.”
No answer flowed from the boy for a while. Then came a somewhat blunt murmur.
“…Everyone said the second time is easy.”
“What?”
“Abandoning and running away. The first time is hard, but the second time is very easy, they said.”
“Abandoning and…? What? Who on earth said such a thing!”
His sharp eyes fixed on me.
“Those mercenary bastards who abandoned their wives and fled. They said it like it was habit.”
I was at a loss for words.
Good grief.
What kind of things did they say to this child? I’m going to lose all my friends!
“Don’t you dare play with those men!”
“They’re all gone from this world anyway.”
Ah, well that’s fortunate.
I picked up a cookie spread with strawberry jam and let out a long sigh. So to summarize…
‘He was anxious that I might leave him behind again.’
To the point where he couldn’t control his mana.
Once I realized it, the boy who’d lowered his head slightly looked as pitiful as a puppy caught in the rain.
Oh dear. I felt terribly sorry.
I crunched on the top of the cookie with a solemn expression.
“I understand, Kalid. I swear to you.”
“Swear what?”
“That I’ll always tell you before I go anywhere.”
His sharp eyes softened. Clearly skeptical.
“I’m serious! I swear on this strawberry cookie!”
“…You’re eating the symbol of your oath like that?”
Gulp.
I moved my throat and laughed.
“I’ve swallowed the oath. Now you eat some too!”
As I pushed it toward him reluctantly, Kalid ate the cookie with hesitation.
“You promised. If you break it…”
The Young Boy’s words trailed off into silence.
When he couldn’t seem to finish, I quickly jumped in.
“If I break it, well. I’ll end our friendship!”
“…”
“Just thinking about it hurts, doesn’t it.”
“I’m going to throw up the cookies again.”
“What?”
“It’s not hard. Hearing something like ending our friendship made my stomach actually turn.”
“Hey!”
Watching Kalid cover his mouth, I shot to my feet. I quickly approached the Young Boy, who was weakly slumped over the table.
“How can you say something like that so casually…”
My voice came out slightly trembling.
“Hey, are you crying? Throwing up? What are you doing?”
I bent at the waist, trying to peek at Kalid’s face from different angles, but I couldn’t see it clearly. He turned his face away as if annoyed.
“Ugh, stop.”
“Are you angry? Why?”
“It’s not anger, I’m just sulking…”
“Huh? So you are crying? Are you?”
“I’m not crying!”
“Your complexion just turned pale all of a sudden.”
“So take back what you said about ending our friendship.”
“Fine. Taken back, taken back.”
I crouched down beneath the table and quickly responded.
The moment he heard the word “taken back,” that handsome face emerged from where it had been hidden in his arms. His pouting expression and flushed cheeks were somehow endearing.
“Goodness. The word ‘friendship’ scared you so much.”
There, there.
I laughed while gently ruffling his hair.
Just as I was about to poke those chubby cheeks, Kalid sprang up as if struck by an arrow.
“W-why are you touching me so much today? You’ve been grabbing at me since earlier…”
Is that so?
But…
“It could be. Why are you recoiling like that?”
He was the one being oversensitive today.
My empty hand felt oddly awkward. I certainly hadn’t noticed his flushed neck.
“Please maintain some distance.”
“What? Why do I need to keep my distance?”
Huh.
The moment those words left my mouth, I froze like stone.
‘Now that I think about it… I…’
I carefully lifted my arm and buried my nose in it. Sniff sniff.
“Surely not…”
For some reason, stubbornness seized me, and I thrust my face forward again. Kalid shuffled backward with a soft scraping sound.
…Look at this.
Forward again. Approaching.
Shuffle. You retreating.
‘What? It was just teasing at first?’
Disappointment flooded over me like a tidal wave. I stood rooted in place, biting my lips hard.
“You terrible Kalid, what exactly do you think of me!”
“You’re asking me that suddenly? Of course!”
Kalid got that far before his lips suddenly sealed shut. His entire face flushed crimson from the crown of his head.
What? Who turned him upside down?
In that moment, a massive shadow fell behind the young boy.
“Kalid, you rascal, so you were here!”
With a booming voice, my Grandfather’s hand grasped the back of Kalid’s neck lightly.
“How much longer are you going to skip training… Huh.”
That familiar voice. That familiar silhouette!
“Grandfather!”
I turned my head around eagerly, delighted to see him.
But something was strange. Normally, my Grandfather would have approached me immediately and unleashed his beard attack on me…
“S-s-s-s…”
Instead, he stood frozen, still gripping the back of Kalid’s neck.
“S? Um, are you saying something, Grandfather?”
“My s-s-on…”
Does your hand hurt?
“N-n-no…”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying, Grandfather…”
I gathered my courage and extended my arm once more. But my Grandfather shuffled backward as if he’d seen a ghost.
Wow, a back-stepping combo—two in a row.
At this point, there was no way I could pretend not to understand.
“So it really is…”
“R-Rubian?”
I’d taken a break from bathing because I wasn’t feeling well.
“It’s the smell!”
But even so, is there any reason for everyone to avoid me like this?
“Ugh! That’s so unfair! Goodbye, everyone!”
I’ll go wash up thoroughly!

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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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