I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 104

104. Who Dares Kidnap My Daughter?

At that moment, the basement door rattled slightly.

Matthias watched the gaseous monster slithering out through the crack in the door, raised his sword, and sliced out its core.

Simultaneously, Acid slashed at a beast-like monster that approached Matthias from behind.

Thick blue blood splattered from the monster, soaking Acid’s tunic and the back of his hand.

Thanks to his extensive war experience, Matthias, who could easily avoid monster blood splatters, gracefully took a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Acid.

“Wipe yourself first. It smells foul.”

“Yes, please continue,” Acid nodded curtly, taking off the tunic that covered his back.

Now, only a simple shirt remained on his upper body, revealing the contours of his physique. The distinct muscles seemed to show that Acid had matured.

That sight was subtly annoying, so Matthias remarked, “You must be someone the Pope desires.”

Acid, still gripping his sword tightly and guarding Matthias’s vicinity, looked puzzled as he noticed his body becoming increasingly faint.

Matthias, as if understanding, stomped on the eyes of a grotesque monster crawling on the floor and explained, “The Pope drew a summoning circle. It’s a magic circle that severs a portion of life and forcibly brings the desired target to him, regardless of their location.”

“That is…”

A rare look of unease flickered across Acid’s face. Matthias said quietly, “From what I gather, the Pope must have kidnapped Ciel… You’re connected to Ciel.”

Matthias glanced at Acid.

After hearing the detailed explanation, a subtle crack reappeared on Acid’s stoic facade.

He tried his best to manage his expression under Matthias’s gaze, but a hint of joy was clearly visible in his eyes.

“Don’t laugh.”

The subtle joy on Acid’s face was very irritating.

At that moment, Acid’s body gradually became almost transparent.

Matthias wore a sullen expression, but he fearlessly eliminated the surrounding monsters so that Acid could move safely.

***

I glared at the Pope with burning eyes.

However, the Pope had a slightly pale complexion but wore an expression of pure elation.

“Finally, I have secured an altar to serve our sword. I’m glad it’s the Central Temple.”

Perhaps he was so caught up in the excitement of summoning Acid that the Pope didn’t seem to consider concealing the fact that we were in the Central Temple.

Thanks to his mumbling, I gained certainty that this place was indeed the Central Temple.

I chuckled as I looked at the altar that had already been erected.

The Pope had exhausted his power to create the altar.

‘Why is he trying to turn Acid into a sword? And what’s with that attitude that if he just has Acid, the game is over!’

Even as I pondered, the Pope was using divine power to perfect the altar.

Right in front of me, a long, rectangular piece of carved wood was erected. And on top of it, glittering gold could be seen.

I saw white smoke flowing from the end of the carved wood. The pungent fragrance was enough to fill my nostrils.

I frowned and glared at the carved wood.

There was a hollow pit on the carved wood, large enough for one person to stand in.

“Finally, it’s over.”

The Pope smiled at me with a pretentious expression, as if feeling sorry for me, as a ‘Pope’ would typically do.

“What’s over?”

“Your meddling will end today.”

As soon as he finished speaking, white smoke enveloped our vision.

I coughed and stared at the altar with wide eyes. What the Pope wanted, that is…

“Our sword will finally make history.”

…Acid was on that altar.

And…

“What is the meaning of this?”

As soon as my deduction was complete, Acid was summoned onto the altar with a composed face.

Seeing that, the Pope clasped his hands in front of his chest, filled with joy.

“Finally…”

Whether Acid’s gaze was sharp or not, it was none of the Pope’s concern. Unlike the coercive summoning method, he bowed his head towards Acid.

“Please be reborn as our sword.”

“What does that mean?”

“It is as it sounds. Please be forged into a sword on this altar so that the world can be properly corrected.”

“I don’t see how that benefits me.”

I frantically strained against my tightly bound restraints and shouted at Acid, “Acid! He’s crazy!”

The Pope, who was looking at me, said coldly, “Axel Mirmode, you can dispose of that useless thing now.”

At those words, Axel staggered closer to me.

I narrowed my eyes and stared at Axel.

He was about to strangle my neck again. But then, Acid spoke first.

“Is it really necessary? If I become a sword, everything ends, right?”

His voice didn’t tremble; it just sounded matter-of-fact. However, the gaze that briefly flickered towards me after passing the Pope seemed to vibrate subtly.

I swallowed hard as I listened to Acid’s voice.

So, Acid was definitely…

“Let her go.”

…Much more mature than me, like an adult.

Even in this situation, I closed my eyes and reopened them, recalling the subtle distance I felt from Acid.

Acid was also trying to protect me.

So, instead of dwelling on these useless thoughts, I had to think about how to protect Acid.

“If you let Ciel go, I’ll cooperate.”

I bit my lip tightly.

I couldn’t be a burden, so I had to devise a way to save Acid as quickly as possible.

Even in this situation, the Pope wore a satisfied smile.

“Will you truly cooperate?”

“Yes. I will truly cooperate.”

“In that case… Axel, get out of here. After everything is over, I’ll do whatever you want, so go hide in the corner.”

Axel and the Pope seemed to be in a hierarchical relationship.

Axel grumbled and cursed under his breath, but he went to the corner and hid without complaint.

I stared at that scene as if it were strange, and then I stiffened my body when I heard Acid’s voice whispering to me while the Pope was distracted for a moment.

“That person will be here soon. So you can rest assured.”

But there was no chance to talk more.

Before we knew it, the Pope had come back near us. The Pope burned more incense on the altar, and then he knelt in front of the altar and bowed a couple of times.

‘Acid…’

Unlike his detached demeanor, I looked at Acid with an anxious face. But he was no longer the young boy I had saved in the past.

Acid maintained a knightly composure even while hanging from the altar. It was a bonus that he was expressionless even while watching the pure white flames flowing from the Pope’s hands.

“It will be a little hot. But the process of forging is always hot.”

“You talk too much.”

“Yes, let’s start forging right away.”

The Pope attached pure white flames to Acid’s extremities.

“Don’t do it!”

The Pope, who neatly ignored someone like me, was even looking over Acid’s whole body with adoring eyes, as if he were about to worship him.

I quietly muttered to myself through my teeth.

“Acid, don’t be in pain.”

I don’t know if he could hear me…

At this moment, Acid was calm even in the burning light. Only I was trembling and looking at Acid.

The pure white, but blue-cored flames were eating away at Acid’s feet. But his expression was still indifferent.

And in a very small voice, he answered me.

“I’m okay, Lady Ciel.”

He was trying to reassure me.

Tears were about to pour out at the sight of the flames devouring Acid’s body, but I decided to calm down.

It was certain that we were on the defensive, but if we looked at it with reason, it might not be an objectively bad situation.

‘It’s not a ritual to kill Acid. There’s still time, and the more relieved they are, the more gaps will appear. So calm down.’

According to Acid, reinforcements would be arriving soon.

The Pope smiled bitterly at us, who were quietly looking at each other.

“It can’t be okay. Then now…”

The Pope wore a happy smile as if all his plans would come true.

It was a typical stupid villain look.

‘Usually, they make a mistake at times like that…’

I narrowed my eyes and glared at the Pope.

“Shall we move on to the next stage?”

It was just when the Pope was stroking Acid’s hair and giving him a loving look.

A very subtle vibration rang out from the doorway.

The Pope seemed to be so focused on Acid that he hadn’t noticed the subtle vibration yet.

Axel Mirmode, who had come to torture me, was constantly losing energy in this space, so he was just panting while hiding in the corner.

In the meantime, I, who had become subtly free, was staring at the doorway as if contemplating it.

‘Is that vibration good or bad for me?’

I stared at the doorway while tightly bound.

I didn’t know if Acid knew about the vibration felt at the doorway, but anyway, he was playing the role of distracting the Pope so that he wouldn’t pay attention to the door.

“Pope.”

“Yes.”

The Pope was very polite in front of Acid.

It was an incredible low posture.

He bowed his head politely to Acid, as if he were about to crawl.

“Oh, noble sword. Do you have anything to say? Do you feel nauseous? How does it feel to be forged into a true sword? I’m really curious. I am.”

Acid fearlessly, but with a slightly tired tone, stared at the pure white light that was devouring his body.

“I’m just curious. What are you doing to me right now?”

In the meantime, the vibration was gradually getting stronger.

I listened to the conversation between Acid and the Pope with one ear and looked at the doorway where the vibration was ringing. Light was slowly leaking from the crack in the door.

In the meantime, the Pope seemed to be so focused on Acid that he hadn’t noticed any signs.

Watching the door slowly cracking, I was convinced.

‘Delphia is here! Earlier, Acid said that person was coming.’

I thought that if I left a note, Delphia would be able to come to this place.

I asked her to safely shake off our dad, but I didn’t know if that would be achieved…

Hiding my pounding heart, I deliberately stretched my shoulders.

Even though it didn’t show because my arms were tightly bound, I wanted to project an image of composure as Delphia’s young mistress.

That’s how the door slowly opened.

It was around the time when the Pope and Acid were facing each other and talking. The dark figure instantly burst through the door and quickly appeared through the gap.

I swallowed hard and looked at the dark figure.

‘I have to act confidently in front of Delphia.’

Thinking that she was a faster and more capable sister than expected, I thought that I should let her stroke my pink hair later.

But then, an unexpected voice echoed in my ear.

“Who dares kidnap my daughter?”

…Huh?