The Youngest Hides a Lot of Things [Novel] Chapter 20

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 20

Chapter Title: The Youngest Hides Many Secrets

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[They seem to have sent trackers to the continent, so be careful for now. Of course, I'll arrive before that... Master? Ruby?]

A mild panic washed over me. If my identity was discovered, it would all be over.

"Khalid, I'm scared. I don't want to be dragged back to the kingdom..."

Khalid fell silent for a moment.

"How did you know?"

"I already am..."

That was the problem—it wasn't easy.

I mumbled vaguely to brush it off, and Khalid let out a long sigh.

"Don't get mad. I'm feeling down right now."

Khalid snorted.

I knew all too well.

The Arcadian Magic Kingdom was an island rising in the middle of the sea. To reach the empire from there, one had to cross the ocean and navigate countless mountains and gorges.

He was right. This land was the worst place for mages.

Even if a Tracking Mage came, it would take time.

Which meant...

I had time to prepare too.

"I can't just sit around."

My eyes gleamed with resolve.

Meanwhile, in the drawing room.

"......"

The room where the child had vanished felt like it had sunk into deep quicksand.

Old Duke Jebert, Ballock, gaped and patted the spot where Rubian had slipped away.

"Stomachache?"

Just like that?

"Is that normal for kids?"

"Who knows..."

Ballock's eyes spun in confusion.

If she was really in pain, he couldn't just sit here. He needed to call the physician...

At that moment, the maid who had chased after Rubian returned.

"D-did you catch up?"

"Yes. But she didn't go to the bathroom—she barricaded herself in her room."

Suddenly, prickling stares turned his way.

Unaware of the reason, Ballock bellowed.

"Does she not know where the bathroom is?!"

"No, Your Excellency. That's not it."

"Huh?"

The response came from his longtime butler, Morris.

Morris, with his neatly combed gray hair, sighed heavily.

"Lady Rubian is angry."

"Angry...?"

"Isn't she? She begged not to be sent away, but Your Excellency insisted on threatening to kick her out."

The servants nodded in agreement.

Ballock was flustered.

Threats?

He had only wanted to send that speck of dust back before she faced hardship here!

Northerners joined knight orders as squires from childhood, enduring harsh training to become stalwart guardians of the land.

So when Leviathan said he'd bring the child, Ballock naturally assumed that context.

This was the empire's front line, and House Jebert bore the heavy duty of defending the border.

"But what the hell is that squishy thing supposed to do?!"

He couldn't accept it. For conscience's sake, she needed to go back before bad memories formed.

That was all Ballock intended...

"How scared must that little one have been? That's why I've told you thousands of times to rein in your temper."

"So... she ran off because she doesn't want to see me?"

"Sadly."

"......Hah."

Ballock let out a hollow breath.

The silver-haired figure scampering away replayed in his mind.

No, no.

Wasn't she being insolent?

Daring to bolt without his permission!

"Th-that tiny thing gets mad—what's she gonna do, scare me?! B-b-better this way! If she rolls out quick..."

"Your lips are trembling, Your Excellency."

Ballock clamped his mouth shut.

"You could've just told her to take it easy. Why be so stubborn?"

"She's too small! She looks like she'd fly away if I huffed—how could she endure? What if a magic beast shows up? Huh?"

"But didn't you find her cute?"

"I did! Nearly bit her!"

Gasp—Ballock shut his mouth again. Unspoken feelings spilled out unwittingly.

Morris sighed knowingly. He'd served the Old Duke for decades.

He knew Ballock melted for small, cute things. ...Only Ballock was oblivious.

"To me... Lady Rubian seemed as brave as the young masters."

"What makes you say that?"

"She wasn't afraid of Your Excellency or Lord Leviathan at all. Most would cry if scolded like that."

"......True."

Ballock slumped into his seat, recalling Rubian.

Even when he burst through the gate in a hurry, she just widened her eyes—no tears.

Void and Liam had wailed... and sulked to this day.

"That booger stared wide-eyed and yapped back endlessly without tiring..."

"But now she's made an enemy of you."

"......"

Ah, why was this guy so infuriating today?

Ballock glared at his former adjutant, now better suited to butler garb.

The retired knight slyly averted his gaze.

"Argh, tch! Why'd she leave half her milk?!"

He irritably eyed the lonely mug on the table.

Mint-green mug! He hadn't even known they had something so cute in the house!

"No wonder she's puny—smaller than a ground goblin if she can't eat properly!"

"She's bigger than that... And please stop comparing to magic beasts."

Ballock froze again.

"......W-was that bad too?"

"What child would like being compared to a magic beast?"

"You..."

The Old Duke finally exploded.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

Roar! Morris pulled out a handkerchief amid the lion-like fury.

"Did I need to spell it out?!"

He fired back undaunted.

Morris was exhausted.

Ah, subjugating magic beasts was better. Butlers had it worse than knights.

These damn Jebert humans!

"I'm clocking out... No, retiring!"

I spent the entire afternoon pondering how to overcome this crisis.

Khalid said the Magic King didn't yet know I was in the Jebert Duchy.

"I was planning to move soon anyway."

Finding out why Uncle Leviathan dies.

My leading hypothesis was magic beasts.

"That author would do something like that."

The cliffhanger ending had zero logic anyway.

Not some trashy "A meteor suddenly fell and killed the hero. -The End-" but the most plausible plot was the protagonist dying to a magic beast invasion.

"There's nothing else in the north that could be Uncle's enemy."

Monsters eyeing his territory covetously.

From my few days here, nothing else threatened the peace and safety.

"So, the timing?"

Part 1 of the original showed post-war daily life, however briefly.

Void reconciling with Uncle and the blond becoming crown prince were late-game info.

"Making everyone happy then that ending? Author's personality is the issue."

So, I could roughly deduce Uncle's death from other characters' stories.

I pushed up nonexistent glasses and crossed my arms.

"Void reconciling with Father was when he was 12..."

Uncle should be safe for about a year?

"Other than that... hmm. Can't remember."

What did this uncle even do after the war?

Whatever happened and whenever, full preparation was essential.

"Magic beasts will rampage come spring... And just in case, prepare for the Tracking Mage too."

I sat on the floor, deep in thought.

"Can't just wait it out."

With resolve hardened, I straightened up and closed my eyes gently.

It felt like plunging into a deep ocean. A sea tangled with myriad magic formulas.

Need a method?

I'd known every magic array in the world since birth.

It was called wisdom, truth, order, or Wijeria's grace.

What do you desire?

I swam through it, extracting, assembling, rearranging what I needed.

Familiar work.

Despite scant innate mana, this knowledge let me live as a mage.

Found it.

"Good."

I snapped my eyes open. Turning my head, my gaze met my reflection.

A pink flash faded slowly from my blue eyes.

"Phew, tiring..."

I shook my head.

Viewing Wijeria's wisdom drained stamina considerably.

But after weeks of good food and rest, I recovered quickly.

"The Old Duke said outing tomorrow, right?"

Perfect timing.