Chapter 5

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: Desperately Shy Kid Looking for Dad 104

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“Ppu Ppu!”

As the soldier's grip loosened, Tiye hurriedly darted behind Ppu Ppu.

She quickly craned her neck to check on him.

A height even greater than Uncle Basto's.

A flashy elephant mask covering everything up to his neck.

And the moonlit strands of hair fluttering below the mask.

Just as Tiye swallowed hard at the sight of Ppu Ppu looking so different from his usual self,

Muttering to himself, Ppu Ppu quietly raised one hand.

At once, the intricate patterns blanketing his skin morphed into a crimson mist that swiftly enveloped the area.

The corner of Ppu Ppu's mouth, visible beneath the mask, curved into a savage grin.

With that, the eyes of the soldiers near the barn lost all focus in an instant.

“What the hell is that thing?!”

Reginald, who had been watching the scene unfold, cried out.

Without realizing it, he backed away while clutching at Letchia's sleeve.

The battle was still raging right before his eyes.

“What the hell is it?!”

Veil Theodor.

The brute who had suddenly swung a fist at him was still knocking down Reginald's soldiers one after another.

Of course, that only drew even more soldiers charging at him,

“Huff... Blackie. You're actually pretty useful, aren't you?”

but the mysterious glassy barrier that had appeared moments ago was the real problem.

Barred by the ward, Reginald's soldiers couldn't so much as graze Veil with a fingertip.

“H-How could this happen...”

Reeling, Reginald staggered in place.

The moment he first regained consciousness after passing out.

Reginald had barked an order the instant he opened his eyes.

‘Lock that bastard at the top of the spire right now! Torture him right up to the edge of death if you have to—find out who he is!!’

But trouble cropped up soon enough.

‘L-Lord! The spire door won't open.’

‘What kind of nonsense is that?! The spire door was perfectly fine, and now it suddenly won't open?’

‘I don't know, my lord. The key was working perfectly until yesterday, but suddenly...!’

The iron gate at the spire's entrance had malfunctioned overnight.

When they reported that breaking through would require smashing the door to pieces, Reginald had no choice but to alter his plans.

‘Fine, then chain him up in the underground dungeon! For the torture...’

‘L-Lord!’

Yet the soldiers dispatched to the dungeon came scurrying back after mere minutes.

‘Every single bar in the dungeon has rusted clean through. There's nowhere to hold him...!’

‘What?!’

It had been quite some time since they'd last thrown anyone in the underground dungeon.

But for all the bars to rust and snap overnight? Impossible.

Truth be told, he'd sensed something was off right from then.

But he'd brushed it off as nerves.

After all, if it wasn't sheer coincidence, nothing else could explain it.

‘But then, why on earth...’

Reginald's gaze darted anxiously ahead.

“Aaaah! Lord! Have mercy!”

“Run! Fall back for now!”

His private guards were pleading desperately right in front of him.

The crimson mist blanketing the air. The impenetrable barrier shielding Veil Theodor's group.

Reginald was losing. Badly.

“...No way. This isn't happening.”

Deep down, he already knew.

That they were no ordinary foes.

He'd already confirmed the mercenary registration card a soldier had brought him.

‘Agaveert Mercenary Corps, you say? That guy we locked in the barn?’

Reginald was clueless, but his watching adjutant filled him in.

Agaveert was a band of monsters who had left the Holy Knight Order at the gates slack-jawed, despite being a brand-new mercenary group.

‘Lord. This looks like...’

The adjutant had warned him over and over.

That Agaveert was the mercenary corps currently all the rage.

Those words had planted a seed of unease in Reginald.

‘You mean his comrades might be nearby?’

‘Has to be, right? And with the village...’

Before long, his hunch proved spot-on.

‘Lord! Disaster! Witnesses say Adelin Caldenbine headed for the lord's castle!’

The surveillance lackey he'd assigned to Adelin had come sprinting up with the report.

‘We grilled the locals, and they saw Adelin heading to the lord's castle with people who look like Veil Theodor's comrades...!’

Reginald's vision went white with fury.

Adelin... so you've finally made your move!

Mercenaries crashing into their peaceful little village out of nowhere.

And right at the center—Adelin, that cursed niece of his.

It all had to be her doing. No doubt.

‘Send out every last soldier! Drag that bastard out of the barn first!’

Reginald mobilized the entire garrison from the lord's castle and went hunting for Letchia.

‘You should come along too!’

Letchia, who had been savoring fine liquor in broad daylight, wore an irritated frown.

‘...Reginald. It's just some upstart mercenary corps with a grand total of six members, leader included. Do I really need to get involved?’

‘Have you forgotten the promise you made when you claimed the mistress spot?!’

Reginald bellowed anyway.

‘I give you money! In return, you give me the power to keep this seat!’

Letchia finally threw on her cloak.

And trailed after Reginald.

Even so, he couldn't shake the dread gnawing at him. All the way to the backyard, Reginald kept muttering.

‘Those scum are definitely gunning for the lord's castle. Adelin has to have Brother Roman's will...!’

Truth be told, that was the real source of Reginald's terror.

‘The will. That damned will!’

The previous lord's will, which he'd definitely been safeguarding—until it vanished one day.

‘If it weren't for that will, I'd have offed that Adelin bitch ages ago!’

Before the will disappeared.

Reginald had already hatched a plan to quietly eliminate Adelin.

But right as he moved to set it in motion...

The will had vanished without a trace, inexplicably.

He couldn't help suspecting.

Adelin must have swiped it.

The will was the key to catapulting Adelin straight into the lord's seat the moment she came of age.

And for that to fall into her hands...

‘Is she scheming behind my back to boot me out?’

Reginald was on edge.

She'd once served as the princess's handmaiden, after all—Adelin might have connections he could trust.

What if they were some heavyweight noble house? Or the imperial family itself?

‘Lord. What now? Shall we take care of that Adelin woman?’

‘...No.’

‘Pardon?’

‘Just wait! Damn it all!’

Reginald was forced to scrap his plans.

He simply couldn't ignore that one possibility.

‘What if this is all a trap Adelin set?’

What if she'd pocketed the will ahead of time and was biding her time, waiting for him to strike?

Attach an assassin, get your tail stepped on, and Reginald was finished.

Adelin would pin every heavy crime—treason, usurpation, the works—right on him.

His excuse of “just managing the territory for my immature niece” wouldn't save him then.

Everything—all of it.

‘Just to take me down in one fell swoop!’

Reginald was tormented by nightmares every night.

He'd even sent men repeatedly to tear apart Adelin's house and shop.

‘Nothing here, my lord. The previous lord's will is nowhere to be found...’

‘That wretched girl—where the hell did she stash it...!’

But no matter how hard they searched, the will never turned up.

And yet, why now...

“Found it.”

Reginald's eyes locked onto Adelin, who was scooping something from the dirt.

Adelin lifted an object wrapped in yellowed cloth, her fingertips scraped raw and bleeding.

“Yaaay! We found it!”

Beside her, a little girl with bright golden hair bounced up and down in delight.

Reginald, teeth clenched, muttered under his breath.

“...Seize it.”

The soldiers murmured uneasily.

But he promptly widened his eyes in a glare and roared.

“Snatch it from her now—!!”