Chapter 49

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 49

Chapter Title: The Chairman's Proof of Loyalty

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Roman gazed at the child sprawled on the circular dais, stroking his sparrow-tail mustache.

"Well done."

At Roman's words, the black-robed figure behind him bowed deeply.

The adjutant to Viscount Roman glanced back and forth between the child, his master, and the sorcerer, his face pale with fear.

"I-is this really okay? Kidnapping the Child of Destiny...!"

"We're just returning her to where she originally belonged. This isn't kidnapping."

"But if His Grace finds out..."

"That's why now is the perfect opportunity, while everyone's distracted with the spinel."

He let out a sly chuckle, then nudged the prone Leblain with his boot, rolling her onto her back.

"Hmph, as if this little thing could do anything to me."

It was right then.

Screeech—

The rusty hinges wailed as someone entered.

"Chairman!"

Roman rushed toward him with a delighted expression.

"What business brings you all the way he—"

The Chairman cut himself off, his eyes falling on Leblain collapsed atop the dais. His face hardened instantly.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

"It's proof of my loyalty to you, Chairman."

What greater proof could there be?

He had dared to kidnap the Child of Destiny right under Duke Duvered's nose.

"All that's left is to hand the girl over to the slave market, and we're done. Ah, rest assured. I foresaw something like this and bought off the castle's sorcerers long ago. She won't trigger the barrier..."

"You're insane."

Roman froze mid-boast.

He whipped his head around to see Leblain sitting on the edge of the round table, having gotten up at some point.

"You idiot? You think the Duke only relies on the barrier?"

"What did you say?"

Roman's face flushed beet red.

"How dare you speak to me like that...!"

He stomped toward her, thud thud, raising his hand to strike. But he couldn't bring it down—his wrist was caught.

It was the Chairman.

"What are you doing to my lord?!"

"...Pardon?"

My lord?

As Roman blinked in confusion, explosions boom! boom! sounded from outside, accompanied by the marching boots of knights.

The panicked adjutant shouted at the sorcerer, "The barrier!" The sorcerer hurried to cast it, but before he could even form the incantation, he let out a choked "Guh...!"

It was the backlash from the spell he'd cast on Leblain.

The Duke had layered multiple spells on her himself after the near-assassination attempt: protective magic, tracking magic, and a curse.

Anyone who cast magic on Leblain would have their mana core—the central meridian—destroyed from within.

Roman realized something had gone terribly wrong.

"Wh-what... What's happening...?"

Leblain hopped down from the dais and looked at Roman as she spoke to the Chairman.

"Lock the door."

"Pardon?"

"Before the Duke gets here. Seal it tight."

An incantation rune floated up beneath Leblain's feet.

I dusted off my hands with a few sharp claps and eyed Viscount Roman, his adjutant, and the sorcerer sprawled on the floor.

The Chairman stared blankly at the trio, who looked like half-burnt logs.

"Are you truly the fake Child of Destiny?"

"Yeah."

I smoothed out my crumpled skirt casually, and he swallowed hard.

"Unbelievable. For a four-year-old to wield such power..."

"Not even close, from what I've seen."

I mumbled as I clenched and unclenched my fist.

It's still incomplete.

Before my regression, I'd seen the Pope and Mina's power plenty of times. How immense it was.

And the strength of those two young masters in this life—equally formidable.

Above all, the power Bune used through my body was far beyond this.

It had been truly overwhelming. To wield that level of force would probably take an incredibly long time.

And the Duke who repelled even Bune's power... he's a real monster.

A chill ran down my spine as I recalled the audience chamber chaos, where holy power had raged wildly, and how the Duke shattered Bune's barriers time and again to reach me.

Then—bang!! The door flew off its hinges.

The one who'd blasted it open was that monster... no, the Duke. Henri, Ishak, sorcerers, and soldiers poured in behind him.

"Which bastard dared lay a hand on our—"

Ishak's eyes went wide.

"—little one's down?"

They'd clearly predicted the culprit, leaving everyone's faces stunned.

Henri scowled, scanning the room.

"What happened here?"

His gaze landed on the Chairman.

The Chairman glanced at me, and soon all the Duvered men and soldiers turned to me.

"It was Gramps who saved me!"

I rolled my eyes wildly before pointing at him with a whoosh.

"Gramps saved me!"

"He saved you?"

Doubt filled Henri's eyes. Ishak, the Duke, and the soldiers looked the same.

The fallen Roman was a senior elder, Chairman of the Senate. Why would he take down one of his own subordinates to rescue me? Especially since his relationship with the Duke was notoriously bad.

"These uncles tried to kidnap Leblain, but Gramps beat them up! Thanks, Gramps."

I spoke extra childlike on purpose, tapping the Chairman's shoe with my foot.

He glanced at me, then opened his mouth.

"Your thanks are too much for me. I failed to detect my subordinate's scheme in advance, putting you in danger even briefly—it's a mortal sin. Arriving in time to avert the worst is this old man's only consolation."

Bolstered by his support, I toddled over to the Duke and clung to his leg, putting on a teary face.

"Scary..."

Henri and Ishak rushed to me at once.

"You must've been terrified, Leblain. Sorry we didn't get here sooner."

"I'll kill these bastards myself!"

They were already half-dead, but I nodded big. "Yeah."

But the Duke wasn't as soft as the young masters. He picked me up, yet eyed the Chairman suspiciously.

Time for the finisher.

I dangled from his neck.

"Daddy... wanna go home."

Only then did he look down at me. I pulled my most pitiful expression.

"Alright. Let's go home."

The Duke scooped me up properly, patting my back.

I buried my face in his neck.

For some reason, it really feels reassuring.

He seemed a bit surprised.

The Duke turned to leave without another word.

I mouthed secretly at the Chairman: "Handle it. Keep them quiet. For good."

He nodded.

That night, he proved his worth.

The young masters, having witnessed my power, had lined up to end their lives in secret—but they trudged back empty-handed from the underground prison where they'd gone to behead Viscount Roman.

A few days later, I met the Chairman in the greenhouse.

Scary guy.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I didn't say kill them."

"You know what Viscount Roman was like without me saying. His adjutant fattened his purse on all sorts of filth under him. The sorcerer kidnapped the elderly and infirm for human experiments."

"...They deserved to die."

I hummed thoughtfully, slurping my orange juice through the straw before asking.

"And the spinel?"

He placed a small box on the table.

"As you said, once holy power touched it, we could mine spinel in just three days."

"How many days to meet the quota for the Kruger War?"

"A fortnight will suffice."

I made a few more requests: a new identity for Seria and smart workers fitting for the trading company she'd form.

"And move the spinel we just mined straight to the place I mentioned. That sorcerer you're keeping? Today."

"You sure know how to use me efficiently. So what will you give me in return, little one?"

"Two shares of the spinel from the变形地."

He let out a thin chuckle.

"I'm the Chairman of the Senate, wealthiest in the empire after the Duvereds. I don't lack for riches."

"Hmm..."

"You know better than anyone what I truly want."

"..."

I pouted.

"Do you know how many nobles crave me? Even your late predecessor despaired at failing to secure my oath of loyalty. The temple and great houses keep reaching out."

"So?"

"Who could've guessed I'd end up running errands for a child like you in my old age...?"

He wore a defeated expression.

I patted his shoulder.

"I know. Now you're mine, Gramps. Right?"

That only made him look gloomier.

"I hate that it touches me."

Everyone else finds him terrifying, and I was a bit scared at first too, but now he just seems like a cute old grandpa.

"Let's go."

"Where to?"

I grinned.

"To screw over the temple."

With that, I headed to the Duke's study.

Viscount Dubos and the other retainers were gathered, discussing the spinel issue.

"Little one, you've arrived."

These days, I could come and go from the Duke's meetings freely.

After greetings, I approached the desk, and the Duke casually sat me on his knee.

"If things stay like this, we'll have no choice but to abandon the campaign."

"Even the imperial family will have to understand."

"It's a shame to lose the spoils from reclaiming Kruger Kingdom, but..."

I spotted the spinel in the Duke's hand and shouted, "Pretty rock!"

Despite the grave mood, Nos smiled warmly.

"It's called spinel. A precious mineral."

"Nope!"

"Pardon?"

"Not precious at all. There's tons of it."

The retainers all turned to me at once.

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