Chapter 42

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: The Hidden Power Child is Looking for Dad 138

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Veil answered with wide-eyed innocence.

"Yeah. They won't last much longer. At best, maybe two minutes?"

"Two minutes?! You said two minutes right now?!"

Lea and Helga shot to their feet.

"Ugh... ugh..."

The fallen servants began writhing with all their might.

Helga hurriedly stepped forward.

"P-please, don't do this. Just give us the antidote! Are you really trying to kill us all? For real?"

But Tiye just shrugged with a blank expression.

Growing desperate, Lea rushed right up to Tiye.

"I-is this okay for a mercenary group? You're supposed to protect people from monsters—how can you just harm people like this?!"

"Huh? But Tiye's mercenary group didn't do anything bad."

"That's ridiculous! If this isn't harming people, then what is?!"

"But we just put the poison needle bombs in the cart. Someone came along and messed with them on their own, so they exploded..."

Helga fell silent, unable to argue back.

Then Lea shrieked from the side.

"W-what did we do that was so wrong?! As servants, we were a bit cold to our young lady because she was annoying—is that such a huge crime?!"

Tiye, who had been watching quietly, muttered to herself in amazement.

"Wow, the one who farted is the one getting mad...!"

"Ugh!"

At that moment, a frantic wail came from behind.

The head maid was there, letting out strange groans.

The head maid cast an imploring gaze at Helga and Lea, as if begging them to come closer.

As the two dropped to the floor, the head maid's lips twitched, trying to form words.

Helga and Lea's faces darkened as they understood.

Soon, they approached Tiye again.

"O-okay! It was all our fault! So please, give us the antidote! It's almost been two minutes!"

But Tiye replied firmly.

"No way. You'll get the antidote after the servants bring back everything they stole from Selina."

She deliberately pulled forward the kindergarten bag slung over her shoulder.

Then she took out the antidote from inside and dangled it in front of the two.

"First, return Selina's mom and dad's stuff. And hand over every bit of money you have to Selina."

"Ugh...!"

The sprawled-out group groaned.

But Tiye just grinned like a movie boss.

Hmph. Tiye's not dumb.

If these people had stolen valuables from Selina's family home, what they'd done with them was obvious.

Sold them for cash.

She was angry and frustrated, but they'd probably already spent most of that money.

"If you don't want to, then all you bad servants can go to heaven together!"

"Ugh! Waah!"

A plea for mercy bubbled from the head maid's lips.

She looked back at Helga and Lea.

Helga and Lea, nervously biting their nails, glanced at Tiye and stammered hastily.

"If you're saying that, then... truth is, we have some valuables from the mansion that we 'found' stashed in our lodgings..."

"Lie to Tiye or hide stuff, and you'll go to heaven then too."

"Th-there's some in the basement warehouse too! And in the national vault, borrowed under the young lady's name...!"

Veil stretched lazily.

"Now we're getting somewhere. Guess we check it out first, huh? If even one more thing turns up that you skimmed off, you're dead by our commander's hand."

The servants trembled violently.

"O-okay! So now you'll give us the antidote...?"

"Noble brat. You're coming with me. Gotta verify their lodgings and basement warehouse. I don't know the mansion layout."

Selina hesitantly took Veil's hand.

"W-where are you going? You have to give them the antidote first...!"

At that moment, Tiye shouted brightly.

"Ppu Ppu! Subspace evolution!"

As soon as her name was called, Ppu Ppu spun her nose in circles, creating a subspace in midair.

Tiye then looked at Lukarion.

"Lukarion, let's stuff these people in the subspace!"

Lukarion nodded and flicked his hand upward.

Helga, Lea, and the paralyzed servants floated into the air.

"Aaah! What are you doing?! The antidote?!"

"Ugh!! Uwaaaah!"

Tiye just giggled amid the chaos of screams.

She gave the panicking servants one last glance.

"Close it, Ppu Ppu!"

She slammed the subspace shut.

"H-hey—!!"

"Nooo—!"

Tiye gazed fondly at the closing subspace, then stuck out her tongue at the last second.

She crossed her arms and grinned like a mob boss once more.

"Heh heh heh!"

The poison needle bomb's paralysis lasts ten hours without an antidote.

Which meant the servants would spend the next ten hours terrified of dying without one.

"An eye for an eye, a butt for a butt! Heh heh heh heh!"

Tiye's booming laughter echoed through the mansion for quite a while.

Two hours later.

Selina returned to the dining room, having recovered some of the valuables and money the servants had skimmed.

And there, in the kitchen, she spotted a stranger.

"Selina! This auntie is Marshal Auntie. She's gonna make us yummy food 'cause we're hungry!"

"R-really?"

Come to think of it, she vaguely remembered seeing the woman a few times.

The longtime caretaker of the neighboring mansion.

A kind lady who always waved warmly whenever their eyes met.

As Selina sat awkwardly in her chair, Marshal approached the table with two large plates.

"Eat up, kids. And veggies too."

Selina stared blankly at the plate before her.

Chunks of meat floated in a rich, dark soup.

On one side were thoroughly cooked vegetables, thoughtfully added for nutrition.

"Eat lots and have seconds. Gotta eat well when you're young to grow big and strong."

Marshal patted Selina's head.

"Thanks for the meal!"

Tiye gave a hearty thanks and scooped a big spoonful of soup into her mouth first.

"......"

Selina, spoon in hand, was suddenly at a loss for words.

The soup was truly delicious.

Not charred black meat, not undercooked veggies.

It had been so long since she'd had properly made, heartfelt food that her eyes stung on their own.

"Selina, don't cry—eat Tiye's too!"

Tiye, seeing Selina's eyes redden, hurriedly scooped meat from her own soup into Selina's.

That was when Selina, eyes still red, looked up.

"Hey, noble brat."

Veil appeared from behind.

In Veil's hand was a communication orb blinking red.

Selina's eyes widened for a moment.

-Selina! We're on our way right now!

Her mother's cracked voice came from the orb.

-Our baby girl, you must've been so scared? Mommy and Daddy are coming, so just hold on six more days... Mommy and Daddy will be there... Sniff, sob.

-We had no idea. It's all our fault! How much you've been through alone all this time...

Veil handed the orb to the frozen Selina.

Selina clutched it tightly and barely managed to speak.

"M-Mommy... Daddy..."

-Yes, sweetie! It's okay. Nothing to say. Mommy heard everything, and we're so... so sorry. The Agaveert Mercenary Corps will protect you till we arrive, so don't worry...!

Soon, thick tears began rolling down Selina's cheeks, drop by drop.

Tiye unconsciously rubbed her own nose.

...Will Daddy ever remember Tiye again someday?

And say he's sorry for not recognizing me, then hug me?

Tiye forgot about her meal and stared at Selina for a long time.

Somehow, a corner of her heart ached, making it hard to hold back her own tears.

That evening.

"Y-you got 100 transfer scrolls?!"

At the Agaveert Mercenary Corps' base, where Selina had returned.

Nordics staggered in place at the entrance.

"Yup! Selina's mom and dad gave 'em for free!"

"Not exactly free. We got paid to watch the noble brat for the next six days."

Tiye went "Oh yeah!" and nodded.

"Right, payment!"

But even so, Nordics couldn't easily close his mouth.

A single transfer scroll was worth 300 gold right now.

So 100 would be 30,000 gold...

Nordics' gaze drifted blankly to Tiye.

Tiye had spent 16,000 gold coming here—and now she'd casually earned double that.