The Youngest Hides a Lot of Things [Novel] Chapter 70

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 70

Chapter Title: The Youngest Hides Many Secrets

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Tinkle tinkle!

"Correct!"

The cheerful bell sound filled the cave. Sortie smiled faintly.

"You got it!"

"But is Abelita Herb really supposed to have pointy leaves? I'm not sure..."

I puffed out my chest with a huff.

"There's a trick to spotting them. Come visit the ducal residence sometime, and I'll show you."

"Wow!"

"Rubian really knows so much."

Olivia exclaimed innocently.

The children sat huddled together near the campfire. I, at the center, drew the next picture on the ground.

"Alright, next question. Choose the herb effective for stopping bleeding! This one's multiple choice!"

"Eeeh. OX quizzes are better..."

"Who knew we'd end up holding a quiz contest in a place like this."

Licht, sitting a little apart, muttered with a hint of exasperation. I kept scratching away at the ground as I replied.

"Sitting still just makes depressing thoughts flood in."

"That was meant as a compliment. You seemed down, so I was worried."

"You join too."

At my call, Licht smiled softly and scooted closer.

'We can't keep moping forever!'

Licht was second on my worry list; I was more concerned about young Sortie and Olivia.

I might be used to this sort of thing, but those girls, accustomed to tea salons and boutiques—how scary must this be for them...

As I was about to resume the herb quiz, Asha returned from scouting outside.

"No sign of the rain letting up."

Water droplets flicked off as she clapped her hands. Outside, thick sheets of rain still poured down.

"Asha! Do the quiz with us!"

"Sure!"

Asha, now familiar with us, replied brightly, added fuel to the campfire, and sat down.

And so we quizzed for a while, then switched to word chain when it got stale.

'Phew. At least those two stopped crying...'

I glanced at Sortie and Olivia, who were now smiling.

"I'll go first!"

Ahem. Sortie cleared her throat and shouted briefly.

"We're lost right now... lost child!"

Asha jumped in quickly.

"Father!"

"..."

"..."

The clouds returned.

"Father... Daddy..."

Tears welled up in Sortie and Olivia's eyes. I yanked Asha close and whispered fiercely.

"Asha! Read the room!"

"Oops, got it."

We'd just calmed them down!

I laughed haha and stepped forward again.

"Okay, okay. I'll start! Asha, you're last."

"Fiiine..."

"Um... health!"

"Pooch."

"Roof!"

"Crucian carp!"

"Mother!"

"..."

Asha Drukan, are you the villain?

"Mooom!"

Olivia and Titi clung to each other and burst into tears. As I glared daggers at Asha and tried to lure them back to quizzes, faint voices mixed with the rain pattered in my ears.

-via! -Tieeee!

The girls whipped their heads up. The voices grew closer.

"D-Dad?"

"It's Father!"

"Daaaaddy!"

They both sprang up and dashed out of the cave. Licht followed, shouting, "Dangerous, miladies!"

Finally!

"They've come to rescue us! Let's go, Rubian!"

"Yeah."

I reflexively stood.

Tinkle.

The golden bell I'd tucked away fell out.

'Is Uncle here too?'

I picked it up, thinking.

But no matter how long I waited, no one called my name. Normally, Uncle would rush to me first.

"Guess he's not coming..."

He must be angrier than I thought.

"Rubian?"

"Coming!"

Hiding my sadness, I stepped toward the cave entrance. As I took one foot out of the dark cave...

Rumble!

A deafening roar I'd never heard shook the mountain.

"Wh-What?!"

"Ruby!"

Before I could react to the familiar voice, a storm of mana surged in.

It was Khalid.

The boy who dropped from the sky hugged me tight and poured in his mana. I groaned at the rough, heavy flow.

"Ugh. Cal!"

"Sorry, sorry."

Cal steadied his breathing and finally refined his mana.

"I don't need that much mana! You don't have to hug so tight!"

I wriggled free from Khalid's arms.

The boy let out a long breath and finally pulled back a bit, scrutinizing my face. His dark blue hair was soaked with sweat and rain.

"Hurt anywhere?"

"Nope."

"...Your face looks awful."

"I'm fine. I just got mana."

"Really..."

Cal staggered slightly, as if all tension had drained from his body.

"Tough..."

His long, heavy sigh seemed to carry all his worries.

"Should've bound our bodies instead of mana."

Huh?

I dug in my ear.

"...Did I hear wrong?"

Khalid averted his eyes but never denied it.

Numerous footsteps approached. The ground thrummed, bushes rustled roughly as people drew near.

"Here! They're here!"

A knight burst through the vines, eyes wide. People swarmed in an instant.

"Sortie! Sortie! Titi!"

"D-Dad... Daaaaddy!"

"Olivia! My daughter!"

"Father..."

Nobles, forgetting decorum, pushed through the crowd to embrace their children.

"Your Highness!"

Licht's attendant-looking man appeared pale-faced, patting down the prince frantically.

"Waaah. Thank goodness you're safe. But His Majesty will kill me now. Farewell! Waaah."

"Haha..."

Licht, surrounded by attendants and palace knights, explained what happened.

I watched blankly. As soon as the adults arrived, the rain began to thin.

Then, rumble! Another crashing sound echoed.

"What the hell has been making that noise?!"

"Duke Jebert..."

"What?"

The wind shifted, and a sharp mana I'd never sensed prickled.

"No way..."

"He's killing the magic beasts sealed nearby."

"Wh-Why... They should be dormant."

"You."

"..."

"Might be in danger."

That voice drowned in the final blast. Hoofbeats followed roughly.

Khalid scoffed lightly.

"Five superior magic beasts... all by himself."

"Rubian!" Faces of Sir Leon calling my name, Rosetta, and the knight uncles rushing over.

"Ruby!"

Uncle's voice struck like lightning.

Leviathan was grateful for the rain right now.

It wasn't enough to fully wash the blood drenching him, but it would do for hugging the child.

At Khalid's words of sealed magic beasts, he hadn't hesitated a moment. Anything threatening Rubian would be eliminated, no matter what.

"Ruby!"

Leviathan called desperately to the silvery hair in the distance.

The child stiffened and stepped back hesitantly.

Terror-stricken, huddled expression. It hurt his heart.

"Leviathan."

"Rose, wait here. I'll bring her."

"Okay. I'll help the knights bind the culprits."

With each heavy step, Rubian anxiously bit her nails and retreated—one step, two.

Back into the cave.

He stopped Khalid from following and stood at the entrance, peering into the dim interior.

"Rubian."

Leviathan softly called the child crouched in the darkness. Small shoulders behind a rock trembled.

"Ruby, first..."

"S-Sorry."

A quivering voice replied.

"You know, I-I didn't hide it on purpose... Th-There was a real unavoidable reason... So..."

Sorry, Uncle...

Leviathan's brow furrowed deeply at her words. Swallowing a groan, he lowered himself carefully at the entrance.

"Ruby, are you hurt?"

His low, cautious tone flowed out. He wanted to rush to her, but couldn't risk startling her more.

"Does it hurt anywhere? ...Sorry. I should've come sooner."

"Why..."

Rubian asked in a watery voice.

"Why aren't you mad?"

"Of course I'm mad."

"..."

"I told you in the capital not to run off alone. What am I supposed to do with my troublesome youngest?"

Ugh... Rubian's head drooped.

"I tricked you, Uncle... I'm not a boy."

"Yeah. I know."

In the silence, stifled sobs echoed.

Hearing Rubian's cry for the first time squeezed Leviathan's heart.

"But it's not your fault. It's mine for jumping to conclusions alone."

"..."

"Ruby... It doesn't matter who you are. You're just Rubian."

My precious little one, Rubian Jebert.

Leviathan spoke from the heart.

"So... stop crying and come here. Okay?"

He reached out desperately, but no reply came for a long time.

As impatience grew and he called again, a clear tinkle rang through the cave.

"..."

Tinkle— tinkle—

Leviathan clenched his fist and swiftly stepped forward.

He cleaved through the darkness hiding the child without hesitation. The solid shadows tore, shattered, and began to dissipate.

When the lone huddled child finally appeared... when he stood fully before her pitiful form...

Ah. He realized he would give everything for this child.

"M-My legs gave out..."

Rubian, face a mess of tears and snot, looked up.

Leviathan hugged her tight without hesitation.

"Then you should've called me Dad."

Rubian wailed.

"D-Dad..."

Something welled up in Leviathan at her halting voice.

"Daaaaddy."

Rubian sobbed uncontrollably in his arms.

What am I to do with you.

Dad, sorry. Daaaad.

Like a toddler learning words, she repeated only that, weeping loudly.

"Sorry I didn't recognize you."

It was hard. It hurt.

It's okay now. I'll make everything that hurt you right.

My precious Ruby.

My one and only jewel.

Leviathan felt as if he'd traveled a long road to meet his child again.