Chapter 7

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: Desperately Skinny Kid Searches for Dad Chapter 106

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“Ugh... uh... ack!”

Tiye steadied her breathing.

Was it because she’d forcibly manifested the soul that had only been visible to her until now?

A bone-chilling cold swept over her body, like an icy wind brushing past.

But Tiye clenched her lips and lifted her head, forcing herself to focus.

Right in front of her stood the blue ghostly figure still gripping Reginald tight.

Adelin’s mother, who’d been pleading with her eyes to manifest for so long.

[Part of me wants to rip you to shreds and drag you straight to the afterlife right now! But... but...]

Stasia’s gaze shifted to Adelin, frozen in place not far away.

Her eyes, swirling with fury, softened gradually as they settled on her daughter.

[My daughter, Adelin, has suffered so much... I just can’t bring myself to do it. I won’t let you off that easy.]

As Stasia released her hand, Reginald slumped slowly to the ground.

He groped at his half-frozen face, his mouth gaping silently.

[Pay for your crimes in the world of the living. And don’t you dare expect peace in death. The afterlife will be another hell for the likes of you!]

Reginald toppled backward.

He clutched at his frozen throat and blacked out cold.

“...Ppu!”

At that moment, Ppu Ppu—in the form of a baby elephant—came dashing up to Tiye.

Ppu Ppu scrambled quickly up her body and onto her palm.

“...Ppu! Pwut!”

Faintly in Tiye’s ears came Ppu Ppu’s cries, as if shouting something urgent.

“Astie! Pull back your mana right now!”

Then Blackie, who’d come running from somewhere, grabbed Tiye’s shoulder.

But Tiye swallowed hard and raised her dizzy gaze.

“Hurry up! I said stop!”

“L-Lukarion...”

Tiye’s body trembled as she opened her mouth.

Then she leaned her head weakly against him.

“It’s... so cold. Feels like a gale blowing inside me.”

Lukarion draped his cloak around Tiye’s shivering form with trembling hands.

“Dismiss the summons. You’ll be fine then. It’s all over now, okay? You dummy.”

Tiye’s eyes drifted toward the villagers emerging from the far side of the lord’s manor.

The townsfolk were rushing at the soldiers, snatching away their swords, spears, and shields.

As if determined to pay back every ounce of suffering they’d endured.

“What’s going on? Why’s the kid like this?”

Veil came running from the opposite direction.

Basto, Raoul, and Enzo hurried over to Tiye as well.

“...Looks like mana exhaustion. I used her mana, that guy did too, and then all these undead summons on top...”

Lukarion’s muffled voice echoed dully in her ears.

“What? Then what do we do?!”

“We need Astie to pull back her mana, but she keeps...”

Leaning against Lukarion, Tiye struggled to keep her drooping eyes open.

“Kid, you hear me?”

Veil’s blood-smeared face suddenly loomed right in front of her.

But Tiye feebly pushed him away.

“Veil oppa... Move. Can’t see.”

Veil fell silent, freezing in place.

He stepped back hesitantly.

Everyone turned to follow Tiye’s gaze.

There stood Stasia, still in her spirit form, with Adelin right in front of her.

“Mom...?”

Adelin murmured, and Stasia’s spirit reached out a hand toward her.

The translucent fingers hovered in the air, as if longing to caress her cheek, before withdrawing.

[Well done, Adelin.]

Adelin’s pupils dilated slowly.

Thick teardrops began spilling one by one from her wide-open eyes.

“Mom... Mother did all this?”

An incredulous sob leaked from her throat.

“Gathering these people here, hiding the will...”

[No, Adelin. You did it all yourself. You made it happen.]

Adelin clamped a hand over her mouth.

Stasia pressed on, her voice quickening.

[Adelin, listen closely. Time’s almost up.]

“Mom, what in the world...”

[My daughter, you’ll do fine. Even without me at your side, never forget I’m always watching over you.]

Adelin’s face fell dark.

She reached out frantically, grasping at the air where Stasia stood just out of reach.

“D-don’t go. Please don’t go, I beg you—!”

But Stasia, already fading, vanished swiftly into the ether.

[Adelin... I was just so glad to say goodbye like this...]

The next instant, Stasia dissolved into hazy smoke and was gone.

But just before vanishing, she turned back to Astie.

A resonance swept past them—like wind howling or an echo resounding.

[Today’s events... I won’t forget them even in death, Lord of the Underworld.]

At the same moment, Tiye’s body went limp.

“Astie!”

Basto scooped up the collapsing girl.

Her little body was cold as ice.

The skeletons that had packed the area were turning to pale ash and dissolving away.

“F-follow me.”

Adelin hurried over, wiping her cheeks as she spoke.

“I know a place to lay Tiye down.”

Everyone quickly turned their steps toward the lord’s manor.

Meanwhile, in the rear garden littered with fainted knights...

“Miss Adelin!”

As Adelin entered the lord’s manor, servants who’d been peeking out at the chaos rushed toward her.

“Miss, how... how did you get in here...!”

The one clutching Adelin’s hand was the head chef—the only servant who’d kept his life in the manor all this time.

But Adelin shoved him aside; this wasn’t the moment.

She whirled on the other servants with a stern voice.

“As of right now, the lord of this castle has changed.”

The servants stirred uneasily.

But Adelin strode to the central courtyard wall without a second’s hesitation and slashed long gashes across Reginald’s portrait with the dagger in her hand.

“Reginald’s reign is over. He’ll pay for usurping the lord’s seat with his life.”

The servants held their collective breath.

Adelin eyed each one in turn.

“Anyone who wants to leave, go now. Anyone who stays is welcome. But if you stay, you’d better be ready to serve me—Adelin Caldenbine—as your new lord.”

She slammed her fist against the wall; the portrait crashed to the floor.

Adelin stepped onto it and added,

“Get a bedroom ready on the second floor immediately. And fetch technicians to replace the iron bars in the underground cells.”

Finally, her gaze settled on the head chef.

“Chef, make something warm to feed her. Porridge or something easy to swallow.”

The servants nodded briskly and scattered from the courtyard in a flurry.