I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 72

Challenge, Reverse Trial! (2)

As doubts about Dad’s identity swirled like smoke, a priest slowly rose from his seat.

“As you all know, I, as a priest, can verify that the ‘Yoter Merchant Group’s Paternity Test Kit’ is genuine.”

In that moment, I realized.

‘Ah, this was the Crown Prince’s hidden card? I wondered why the situation seemed a bit off.’

This whole affair wasn’t just a plan to involve me.

They probably anticipated the situation where Dad would step in to protect me directly.

In preparation for that, if the priest directly guarantees the results of the Yoter Merchant Group’s paternity test, the Mirmode family’s prestige, unable to even discern their own daughter’s identity, would plummet.

And…….

“If the priests vouch for it, what will you do, Dad?”

……Their scheme would be to push their created ‘fake daughter’ as a spy into the Mirmode family. They were betting that even Mirmode wouldn’t disown a blood relative.

Furthermore, the Crown Prince might have been trying to play the role of a benefactor who found the ‘real daughter’ for the Mirmode family.

I quietly reflected on the unfolding situation.

So, in fact, this operation was a collaborative effort with my ‘slightly foolish but good-natured’ Dad.

I would act as bait, enter the trial, be subjected to their paternity test kit, and then prove that the kit was faulty.

But suddenly, a priest appeared, claiming to vouch for the paternity test kit, and my plans were about to be shattered.

However…….

‘No, that’s not true!’

I smiled brightly, without giving in to despair, and looked at Dad.

‘Now that their cards are all on the table, we need to hit back immediately.’

I grinned and looked at Dad’s bulging pocket.

Hidden inside that pocket was the secret weapon that Dad and I had prepared.

***

Right at that moment when Sienne was wearing a victor’s smile inside the courtroom, Matthias Mirmode smirked as he watched the situation.

Right now, he was merely annoyed by the soldiers sticking to his daughter’s side.

“The priests will vouch for it, huh? Well, I’m curious to see how they’ll vouch for it.”

Priest Eduard, intimidated by the pressure, stammered.

“That is, well, that…….”

“Before that, get the guards out of here…… no, get the guards away from her.”

Matthias decided not to use harsh words for Sienne’s education. Instead, he lightly nodded his head.

Knowing Matthias’s infamy well, the guards beside Sienne stared at the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince gritted his teeth and nodded.

It was when everyone, led by the guard holding Sienne’s arm, hesitated and stepped back.

Matthias walked towards the priest and slowly questioned him.

“Now, I ask you. Priest, how do you intend to vouch for this paternity test kit?”

The Crown Prince, having regained his composure, frowned and said.

“……Don’t pressure Priest Eduard. There’s a way.”

“I’m just asking what that way is, Your Highness.”

“Priest Eduard will use his divine power. Priest Eduard’s divine abilities are well-known.”

“I’d like to hear the specifics.”

The Crown Prince, as if having completely regained his composure, descended the steps from the judge’s seat, one step at a time.

Objectively, he had a tall height and a good physique, but standing in front of Matthias, he seemed quite small. Perhaps feeling inferior about that fact, the Crown Prince frowned and said.

“Priest Eduard will use his divine power to discern the authenticity of the kit. Surely, you’re not thinking of disregarding the paternity test kit verified by the Imperial Palace administrator and the priest’s divine power, are you?”

Matthias’s lips tightened. There must be a reason why the Crown Prince was going this far, but he couldn’t quite grasp it.

‘To get rid of Sienne and tarnish the Mirmode family, he’s using the Imperial Palace administrator and a priest? Openly turning Mirmode into an enemy?’

It was an improbable development. There must be a hidden meaning behind acting so foolishly.

“Priest Eduard seems to have the ability to discern with divine power.”

Discernment.

To be precise, the ability to judge truth and falsehood.

Among those with divine power, there were extremely rare individuals who could discern truth and falsehood.

This was effectively used to distinguish between truth and lies in human speech, to identify forgeries in paintings, or to determine whether an item was defective or not.

Priest Eduard’s face turned pale as he said.

“As is well known, yes. That’s right.”

“Then, use your divine power to discern the authenticity of that kit.”

Eduard trembled, then stood up.

“Oh, dear.”

Matthias smiled elegantly and took out a swan figurine from his jacket’s inner pocket. The Crown Prince nonchalantly gestured with his chin.

“……What did he take out?”

It was an arrogant expression, as if to say, ‘Do you think you can turn this situation around?’

Of course, his thoughts were correct. The priest was going to discern the authenticity through divine power, so how could he turn the situation around?

However…….

Matthias chuckled and shook the swan figurine.

“It’s a sacred relic, Your Highness. Swear on it directly, Eduard.”

“That…….”

Instantly, Priest Eduard’s face changed, turning red and blue. The Crown Prince, not noticing that fact, urged him on.

“If that’s what it takes to believe, then do so. Swear on the sacred relic, Priest.”

The Crown Prince’s attitude was that the oath ceremony was not a problem, but Priest Eduard was trembling. He seemed to have realized what kind of sacred relic the swan figurine was. Matthias coldly sneered and said.

“Your Highness has also permitted it.”

“Th……that is.”

When Priest Eduard couldn’t continue speaking, the Crown Prince asked with an uneasy look.

“What are you doing? Priest?”

“……I.”

The priest tightly closed his eyes. Matthias smiled as he tossed the swan figurine in his hand high into the air, then caught it again.

“You can’t do it, can you?”

“Th……that is.”

Priest Eduard, who had been stammering, wiped the cold sweat from his hand with his palm. The Crown Prince opened his mouth, sounding frustrated.

“Why can’t you do it? Priest Eduard!”

There must be a bribe between the priest and the Imperial Palace, so he couldn’t understand why he couldn’t do it.

“Because this swan figurine is a genuine ancient sacred relic.”

Priest Eduard raised his trembling hand and wiped his face.

The Crown Prince raised his eyebrows and whispered.

“……What exactly does it mean to be an ancient sacred relic?”

“Anyone who lies under oath to the gods in front of the figurine will die.”

Anyone who swore a divine oath on the swan relic and lied would be torn to pieces and killed.

Because of that infamy, the swan figurine was also called the sacred relic of an evil god.

The effect only occurred once, and after that, there was a risk that it would return to being an ordinary swan figurine.

But that one time was enough to threaten.

Matthias gave a satisfied smile and looked at Priest Eduard, then shifted his gaze to Sienne, who was staring intently at him with her fists clenched.

Yes, in fact, today’s victory was not a big problem.

The problem was…….

‘Sienne told me that this swan figurine was hidden in the Mirmode family’s vault. As if she had predicted that something like this would happen.’

He wanted to ask how Sienne knew that the swan figurine was hidden in the Mirmode family’s vault. He wanted to ask how she knew the power of this swan figurine relic.

But then, the Crown Prince spoke.

“……That’s nonsense. Priest Eduard, what are you doing?”

In front of all the jurors, Priest Eduard’s lips began to tremble.

“I, I can’t…… I don’t want to die……!”

That alone was enough.

“It seems the gods are saying that Sienne and I are of the same blood.”

“This is…… th, that is.”

“Priest Eduard. Listen carefully. I won’t say it twice.”

Priest Eduard and Matthias’s gazes collided in the center. It was Eduard who averted his gaze first.

However, Matthias elegantly walked and stood near Eduard. His hand froze as it gripped Priest Eduard’s neck.

“What do you mean by not saying it twice, th, that is.”

Matthias’s hand gripped Eduard’s neck. It was a light movement, so light that no veins appeared on his cool hand, but that was enough for Eduard.

Fortunately, he had adjusted the angle so that Sienne, who was turned away, couldn’t see.

“Well, I think you’ll realize it just from this action.”

Matthias quietly tilted his head.

He still wanted to appear as a kind dad, a pushover dad, to Sienne.

That way, Sienne would love him and rely on him. He didn’t want to be seen as a trashy villain dad. Even if Sienne wanted that, the child still couldn’t even fathom the weight of the blood he had on his hands.

“……E, even if the gods don’t vouch for it, it’s okay. He must have been thr, threatened.”

“Threatened, yes. Threatened, indeed.”

There was still something left to do.

Matthias coldly stared at Ambassador Heinrich, who was standing in the jury box, trembling. But he wasn’t worth spending much time on. He soon shifted his gaze to the courtroom door.

Just then, the courtroom door carefully opened again.

“……W, we have something to say. We are from the duchy…….”

“People from the Sheraf Merchant Group.”

“Why are you barging into this sacred trial!”

Matthias said quietly.

“They are attending as witnesses for my daughter, what’s the problem?”

The Sheraf Merchant Group people appeared to testify accurately about the paternity test kit.

In their hands, they held tools to prove their technology.

“We came to pr, properly prove the paternity test kit.”

“……Y, you’re going to do a real paternity test!”

The Crown Prince, who had been quietly seething, raised his eyebrows and asked.

“……What?”