Chapter 147

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 147

Chapter Title: The Spirited Little Hero

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The little hero was full of pluck.

"I'll protect you!"

"Seto, you're so cool!"

"When a nymph shows up, I'll spread my arms wide like this and block it."

"Seto, you're the best!"

"Little One, just trust in me!"

"Seto, you're dazzling!"

I stuck right behind Seto as he strode forward with such dignity. Just in case, I'd even prepared an ignition seal on the back of my hand, scanning our surroundings with a sharp whoosh, whoosh at every step.

"You don't need to check that thoroughly."

Zachary chuckled softly, but I kept my guard up like a cat with its fur bristled.

My life is way too precious.

I could regress if I died, but that would mean rebuilding my relationships with the Duvered family from scratch.

It'd be impossible to bond with them as naturally as I had when I knew nothing. If I couldn't achieve the same closeness as now, I wasn't sure I could bear it.

That's what scares me most.

So regression was the absolute last resort. For now, I had to cling desperately to my life.

My brothers watched me take each cautious step like the world's biggest scaredy-cats and grinned in satisfaction.

"Good, good."

"Leblain, never stray from Seto, no matter what."

Henri and Ishak, who would normally snap, "Too close!" or "How dare a brat get behind me? I'll have you drawn and quartered," were absolutely delighted.

I tilted my head, and Zachary whispered.

"He's your totem."

"Totem?"

"Like a scapegoat or a shield. They don't even see him as human. No matter how you look at it, you're doomed for marriage..."

That was when it happened.

"Kieeeek-!"

A scream like tearing metal rang out as a nymph with countless razor-sharp teeth charged at us.

Zachary leaped forward in an instant, pinning it down with the butt of his spear.

Zachary suited spear combat perfectly because of his monstrous strength—he could wield a two-handed spear with one hand effortlessly. Normally, the moment it was pinned, the force would keep it immobile.

But the nymph thrashed a few times, bending the spear shaft slightly. Seizing the gap, it reared up a bit and bit the spear with a "Kieek!!", melting it into a gooey mess.

"It's an acid-spewer!"

Zachary shouted to the wolves as he retreated.

The magic-specialized wolves were just about to erect a barrier. Seto dashed forward.

"Seto!"

I grabbed the kid's waist in a panic.

"It's fine. I can't attack—"

"Idiot! It charged at us even with you in front. That means it can't recognize you unless you're right up close. If it's a nymph with mid-to-long-range acid like that one, it could still hurt you!"

"Ah..."

I hurriedly pulled Seto back. Luckily, it couldn't move properly after Zachary's attack, so it hadn't spewed acid until Seto got close.

"Kiik... Kieek..."

It's calming down a bit. It recognizes Seto now.

That meant we had to get within three or four meters.

This is getting worse by the minute.

The nymph stayed still, holding its breath until Seto retreated among the wolves. But as soon as the boy hid, murder flashed in its eyes again.

It crouched low, one hand on the ground, poised to leap—

Bam!!

Chains shot out from behind me, swiftly binding the nymph.

Red chains and blue chains.

Generated from the seals on Henri and Ishak's hands.

The chains restrained the nymph from its feet to the crown of its head. It writhed and grunted, unable even to open its mouth properly.

"Shh, behave."

"You think it'll behave just 'cause we say so? Rip its jaws first, then it'll listen."

Henri and Ishak spoke in turn as they approached with steady steps.

Ishak grabbed the thrashing nymph by the hair and lifted its head, frowning.

"Should we kill it? Too much hassle to drag along."

Ishak's words made Henri shake his head. He flicked the nymph's forehead with his index finger. His seal engraved there, and the nymph's eyes glazed over.

As Henri and Ishak retracted the chains, the nymph's eyes bulged with burst blood vessels. It writhed in agony, screeching, "Kiiiik... Kieek...!!"

"It can't speak human, but it can understand. Nod if yes."

Blue veins bulged on its neck as it trembled violently, as if refusing to answer.

The nymph shed tears, convulsing in pain, but eventually nodded slowly.

"You're a guard."

The nymph nodded.

"How many more ahead? Ten? Twenty?"

"Kiiiik... Kieek!!"

"Twenty."

It nodded.

"Guards mean you're protecting something. Water source?"

"Kieek..."

"Weak individuals in your group?"

Finally, the blood vessels in the nymph's sclera burst, mixing blood with its tears. It wailed—a pitiful, gut-wrenching howl that hurt to hear. Then, very slowly, it nodded.

"Weak individuals... Young ones, then."

Ishak muttered, and Henri stood, ordering the wolves.

"Bring the captured young from outside the mine. Line them up in front of the procession."

Seto, pale from the gruesome scene, cried out, "W-Wait...!"

"Threatening with young isn't righteous... Morally speaking... Um, nobles have a duty to be just, right...?"

Henri turned to Seto with a blank expression, while Ishak let out a hollow laugh.

"Cut the nonsense and get your head straight. Jump out like a fool again and endanger the kid, and you'll cross the River Jordan before the nymphs do."

"B-But..."

"Can justice protect my soldiers?"

"Huh?"

"Can morals safeguard my little one's future? Do you know how many of my subjects that 'greater good' water source could feed?"

"..."

"It's my duty to protect my subjects, my soldiers, and my little one—by any dirty means necessary. I have zero intention of shouldering pointless justice."

Henri and Ishak put the nymphs' young at the front.

If nymphs were attached to their offspring, they wouldn't dare attack us.

Henri's hunch was spot on.

Terrified by their young, the nymphs couldn't attack and had no choice but to clear a path.

Thanks to that, we reached the mine's midpoint smoothly.

"This is weird. Where's the water source? It's just mana stone fragments everywhere."

"Let's go deeper."

But even at the end, no water source appeared.

Is it not here?

The nymphs hadn't attacked Seto, which meant the spirits' blessing definitely existed.

"Is there something we don't know about Hero Tesla's legend?"

"Should we hunt spirits first after all? That'd mean heading to where the nymphs gather."

"Too dangerous."

"How about sending scouts ahead first?"

That was when our siblings and the wolves were debating.

"Kyaaak-!!"

"Uwaaak-!"

Seto's scream. Whipping around, I saw the nymph that had stolen my peanut pouch earlier had been freed.

Seto must have snuck off to release it out of pity.

The enraged young ones slashed at Seto with their sharp claws.

"That idiot!"

Ishak rushed toward Seto, but the young nymph was faster. It aimed claws at his throat.

It attacked Seto, who has the blessing?

Ishak ground his teeth.

"It's retreating! It's backing off now—let the fool go!"

"Kya aaak-!!"

We froze as Seto was threatened. In that gap, another freed young bit through the nymphs' iron chains.

The young nymphs opened their mouths toward the air. Wooong, wooong, wooong—vibrations like a song echoed. Soon, new nymphs swarmed from all around.

We were completely surrounded.

What do we do?

I bit my lip hard.

I should've watched Seto more closely, you fool!

Ishak saw the young run to the adults and seized the chance, yanking Seto back by the scruff.

But then.

"Kiaaaak-!!"

One adult nymph gaped its jaws wide and lunged at Ishak's neck.

"Ishak!"

My mind went blank. All I could think was saving Ishak. Reflexively activating my ignition seal, I dashed toward him. But...

"...Huh?"

The nymph charging at Ishak halted abruptly and backed away.

"Why...?"

I blankly looked around.

The nymphs knelt toward me one by one.

An elderly nymph shuffled out from among them, skin wrinkled and back hunched.

"Y-You... returned... Master... Old servant... greets...!"

"What? Returned?"

I blinked in confusion, and Ishak narrowed his eyes at me.

"What are you talking about?"

"It just said so. That nymph."

"Said what? It was just screeching like normal."

What?

I panicked and glanced around. Sure enough, no one else understood the old nymph.

Wait. Why did those young nymphs approach me outside the mine?

I'd thought they were starving and after my peanuts, but thinking back, it was odd.

The others attacked Zachary. But I only lost my peanut pouch—I'd never been attacked by a nymph since.

Could the reason adult nymphs couldn't attack Seto inside the mine be because of me?

Then why did the vanguard stop attacking when they first saw Seto?

Suddenly, I recalled going to the slave auction at age four with Henri and Ishak.

[Born from interspecies breeding...!]

[Looks younger than it is.]

Among mixed-bloods, some children looked older, others younger despite age.

Seto was an abandoned child from the House of Hope. Why abandoned?

Nymphs who cherish their young...

I'd assumed Celia named them Hans, Duke, Seto by order. Seto was the smallest, after all.

"Seto."

"Y-Yes?"

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen..."

"You're a nymph half-blood!"

That's why he pitied the nymphs so much!

Seto nodded innocently.

"Ah, so that's the monster I was mixed with—a nymph!"