I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 93

Peace Was Shattered

The ‘Refined Magic Stone’ contract was concluded quickly and successfully.

Although it was a small number, it was clearly an item that would cause a sensation once marketed with heartwarming stories of donations to the Imperial Children’s Academy and well-crafted advertising drafts.

But…….

‘You felt strange memories after touching it?’

‘Yes. Isn’t it strange?’

‘Refined magic stones are also tools for tracking the user’s mana flow. Perhaps that memory is suppressing Sir Cien’s mana flow.’

It was similar to what Headmaster Hephziba said, yet different.

In fact, combining the words of the two people, the answer could only be derived as one in the end.

‘Did I deplete all the mana in this body when I was reincarnated?’

But I seemed to be more than six months old when I heard Uella’s voice.

Refined magic stones were said to track the flow of mana, and Headmaster Hephziba said that my mana flow was suppressed because of the memories seen in the refined magic stone.

‘Then it’s not because of reincarnation.’

If the mana in this body was depleted because of reincarnation, the memories immediately after reincarnation should have been shown.

Besides, the ‘reincarnator penalty’ I know doesn’t include the depletion of mana.

‘Did Uella steal my mana? When I think about it, the pattern Uella engraved on my hand is also incredibly suspicious…….’

I even wondered if that pattern was forcibly depleting the mana in my body.

In many ways, there was a subtly unpleasant aftertaste.

I closed my eyes and opened them again as I pondered. I hoped that I would be able to know the secret of all this someday, although I couldn’t know the reason right now.

‘Uella. If I ask about Mom…… would I be able to know?’

Uella.

I don’t know if she was a good person or a bad person, but at least her voice calling me was warm.

I had never thought of asking Dad about Mom. I’ve been saying that all I need is Dad. But maybe…….

‘Will Mom remain a good memory for Dad too?’

……Dad might be waiting for me to ask about Mom. Suddenly, I had that thought. If I face Dad, I should ask about Mom.

I made a firm decision.

***

A few days later. Worrying about asking Dad about Mom felt like a past life.

I was tattered after finishing the ‘Etiquette Graduation Exam’, the last graduation gate of the academy.

“I really just, feel like I’m going to die…….”

“You won’t die.”

“People don’t die easily.”

“I feel like my heart is going to explode because of etiquette?”

“It won’t explode.”

“The heart doesn’t explode easily.”

There was no time to explain that it was a metaphor.

Deadly and Bench, who were next to me, made a fuss and put water in my mouth. But it wasn’t a joke, I really didn’t have the strength to move my throat.

As I was being supported by the maids and trudging towards the carriage, a familiar voice called my name.

“Cien!”

I didn’t have the strength to turn my head, so I leaned on Deadly’s solid muscular body and just rolled my eyes to the side. Martin looked at me like a corpse and opened his mouth.

“Cien, something strange is happening.”

“Something strange?”

I tilted my head. A bad feeling rushed in at the word strange. But I didn’t get goosebumps on my back. I was so exhausted from etiquette education that I didn’t even have the strength to get goosebumps…….

“It’s about Riena, she’s saying she’s dropping out?”

“Huh? Riena is suddenly dropping out……?”

I was flustered by those words and raised my eyebrows.

“Huh? Suddenly? Isn’t she also in her final year?”

Unlike me, Riena had her graduation postponed several times because she failed a few grades.

However, suddenly dropping out of the academy after attending for more than five years would not be an easy decision.

“Yeah. Everyone is saying that she couldn’t stand the bullying and dropped out…….”

“……If that were the case, she would have dropped out a long time ago.”

Since I made Burger get blisters on his hand, Riena has not been able to hang out with her friends. She has been constantly hearing whispers that she is a noble young lady who almost harmed the empire.

But she seemed to be listening to the classes diligently, so it was strange.

‘Is it possible that she suddenly dropped out at this late hour because she couldn’t hang out with her friends?’

As I tilted my head, Martin lowered his voice even more.

“Yeah. But it’s not just Riena. Burger too…….”

At the word Burger, I frowned and asked back.

“Huh? Burger? Burger is being sponsored by our family, why would he drop out?”

“Ah, no. Calm down, Cien. It’s not that Burger is dropping out, but it seems like he was recommended to drop out.”

“……Recommended to drop out? Who did?”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Aren’t Riena and Burger in the same class?”

“That’s right.”

“Teacher Chris in that class told Burger too. He said that it’s a waste of your talent to be in this academy, so how about dropping out and playing in bigger waters.”

“Bigger waters…….”

“Then he suddenly turned pale and said he was canceling it. And he never told him what ‘bigger waters’ were.”

“I guess he forgot that Burger is being sponsored by Mirmord. Teacher Chris…….”

My gut was telling me. This is definitely strange.

A teacher who is trying to force students to drop out of the academy.

The identity of ‘bigger waters’.

And…….

“It smells fishy.”

I sniffed and wrinkled my nose.

It definitely smelled fishy. It was also the smell of a long peace disappearing.

***

At the same time, inside the Crown Prince’s Palace.

“Did it move properly?”

“Yes, properly…….”

Crown Prince Baal chewed on his lips until they were bruised, and then nervously shouted.

“Find more things to do to make achievements.”

“That is, the budget allocated to the Crown Prince’s Palace is decreasing every year…….”

Baal grabbed the aide’s collar with a trembling hand. It was after a few misses. He didn’t care about the aide’s choking sound and shouted grimly.

“Grand Duke Selbastian is receiving my father’s favor. It means we’ve been pushed back.”

The emperor was using his sons as chess pieces, so it might have been insignificant to call it favor.

However, as much as the budget coming into the Crown Prince’s Palace was decreasing, Grand Duke Selbastian’s rise, who didn’t even have a mansion in the capital, was dazzling.

Over the past five years, Grand Duke Selbastian, who was in collusion with Mirmord, finally succeeded in gaining a piece of the emperor’s trust. He is now colluding with Mirmord to show off his wealth and build political connections.

On the other hand, he was at a level where he had nothing. After being humiliated by Mirmord’s young daughter over the ‘paternity test’ issue in the past…….

“That bastardly bastard is taking my place…… is that all you can say?”

The aide couldn’t say a word and trembled. Baal threw his neck away with a merciless expression and said.

“You don’t have to come out from tomorrow. I don’t need an idiot in my aide position.”

Unfortunately, this aide had only lasted one day.

More than a dozen limbs are cut off every day, being used as a receiver of the Crown Prince’s anger. [Figurative language for being dismissed or punished.]

He cast a cold gaze at the aide, no, the one who used to be the aide, who was staggering and falling over with tangled steps, and crawling out.

The place where the idiot disguised as an aide left was even bleak. He looked at the window and smiled sadly.

“I need Melodia’s strategy.”

Melodia’s strategy immediately captivated Crown Prince Baal.

That’s because Melodia kicked Grand Duke Selbastian out of the capital and strengthened the Crown Prince’s position. During the time he was dating her, Baal rose to prominence in the eyes of the Emperor.

Until the ‘paternity test’ incident.

‘I still trust you, Melodia. But where are you now?’

Unfortunately, Melodia had already left for the ‘Path of Light’ and cut off contact with him. [Likely a religious or spiritual retreat.]

He had already given up on the expectation that she would give him a letter. He was being pressured from all directions to get married, but he was keeping his pure heart for Melodia.

‘Melodia, if you come back, I’ll give you the power of the temple. I don’t care about insignificant, stupid noble young ladies.’

He had the expectation that if she came back, he would be able to easily crush Grand Duke Selbastian, including Mirmord.

But she didn’t come back, and a whopping five years had passed.

He clenched his fist and put strength into the tips of his fingers. He put so much strength that blood was flowing from his palm.

And…….

Like an illusion, a small and beautiful bluebird appeared in the window he was staring at as if glaring.

He rubbed his eyelids as if doubting his eyes and looked at the window again.

It wasn’t a mistake.

Clearly, a bluebird with a pure white note in its beak was playing in front of the window.

He had never seen a baby bird with such blue feathers in the past five years……!

“Melodia!”

The bluebird was the messenger of the letters she sent to him when Melodia and he were dating.

Even the bright yellow beak and the half-bent feathers were the same as then.

Seriously moved, he roughly opened the window and grabbed the bird’s wings.

The bird was holding a note in its beak that was clearly sent by Melodia. He threw the bird down to the floor as if throwing it away and took out the note.

The note contained surprisingly only what he had been expecting.

[My love, Baal.

I’ll be back soon. Please wait a little longer. Ah, and…… I’m gathering children through the priests. The Imperial Academy is said to be contaminated by Mirmord.

So I’m gathering only wonderful children separately to do good things.

It’s too much for our strength, so please help you gather the children.

Ah, my beloved Baal!

I’m preparing something very wonderful. I want to see you soon. I hope you are doing well.

P.S. I’ll be back in a few months, so please gather a lot of wonderful children in that time, right?

If that happens, Baal, the day you defeat Selbastian will not be far away.]

The Crown Prince, who was looking at the note she had written, smiled bitterly.

“Of course. Melodia.”

The note was folded preciously in his hand.

“What’s the big deal? You and I will be the Emperor and Empress.”

Crown Prince Baal had no reason to think about it.

Because the woman he loves, Melodia, will stain her hands with blood for him.