Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 201

“Pahahaha!”

Hermes Jjack flew in from afar, erupting in a grand laughter.

His wings were flapping with all his might.

Aktserakhen’s expression began to sour.

He had been caught by the one person he least wanted to be seen by.

“Pahahaha! Pahahahaha!”

Hermes Jjack circled around Aktserakhen, mocking him to his heart’s content.

“What? A spirit who isn’t helpful said what? What were you acting all high and mighty about back then?”

Grinding.

A chilling sound of teeth grinding echoed from Aktserakhen’s mouth.

“To think you’re standing there with your hands up, being punished! Pahahaha!”

“…You.”

“How amusing, Jjack!”

Just as Aktserakhen, unable to bear it any longer, was about to stand up.

“Tsk, hands are going down.”

“……”

Aktserakhen quietly raised his hands again.

“Pahahahaha!”

The maddening laughter of the titmouse echoed in his ears.

‘…I must endure.’

“Hermes Jjack.”

At Ruatisha’s call, Hermes Jjack, who had been causing a ruckus, fluttered over.

Seemingly excited, he wiggled up and down even as he landed on her hand.

Ruatisha untied the note attached to Hermes Jjack’s leg.

She had sent a letter to the Echesis Mercenary Group, so he must have returned with a reply.

As expected, the sender of the note was the Echesis Mercenary Group.

Perhaps because she had said she wanted to see it as soon as possible, it said she was welcome to visit their hideout anytime.

‘Hmm?’

One odd thing was that it wasn’t Echen’s handwriting, which she was so used to seeing.

‘Did Baren or Nemis write it instead?’

It wasn’t a particularly important matter.

‘I should prepare and visit them as soon as I return to the Duke’s mansion.’

Ruatisha tucked the note into her chest and hugged the mystical creature.

‘Dad, Grandpa, and the brothers are….’

For some reason, all five of them were huddled together, focused on something.

‘What are they doing?’

She quietly approached and peeked, and saw,

“Hands up! Higher!”

The video stone showed Ruatisha scolding Aktserakhen.

* * *

“Look at that cotton ball throwing cotton punches.”

It’s not cotton punches, it’s more like pow pow pow.

“Is my granddaughter a genius? How can she hit so satisfyingly?”

Just then, Zeon discovered me and raised his head.

“…Do it to me too. Pow pow.”

Suddenly, I had a headache.

I staggered, clutching my forehead from the rising dizziness.

Zeon looked at me with a subtly expectant expression.

No, what are you expecting, really?

“You have to kneel too, right? No, don’t lower your hands, just kneel.”

Even in the midst of all this, my voice echoed loudly from the video stone.

That’s it.

The root of all this.

“……Woah.”

“Huh?”

“Erase it right now!”

I lunged at the video stone.

But before I could, Dad lifted the video stone up high.

Bouncing! Bounce, bounce, bounce!

No matter how much I bounced on my tiptoes with my hands up, I couldn’t reach it.

“Dad!”

“How can you say erase this precious thing?”

“Yes, my brother. You’ve gone too far this time.”

“Hoo, did I raise the cotton ball too freely? I gave her everything she wanted, so this is what happened.”

“No, when did Ixion ever…?”

“I didn’t kill anyone she told me not to, and I didn’t beat anyone she told me not to.”

“……”

“Lulu, this grandpa will grant you anything else you want instead of erasing this.”

“This is absolutely not allowed.”

“That’s right, miss. I put so much effort into filming this, paying attention to the angles and composition!”

No, Laura?

Laura should be on my side, right?

“Even so, I’m so sad that I couldn’t capture all of the young lady’s cuteness. I wish I had ten hands….”

“Laura, you did your best. Of course, you didn’t capture all of my daughter’s cuteness, but still.”

“Yes. To achieve this much alone is amazing. Of course, it doesn’t fully capture my granddaughter’s loveliness, but still.”

“……For His Excellency and the Marquis to acknowledge me……. This Laura will work even harder with bone-grinding effort.”

No, please don’t say it so dramatically.

It sounds like you’re going to war.

“In that sense, miss, would you like to sit here and have a sandwich? It’s your favorite strawberry cream sandwich. This place is a flower garden, so the background is very nice.”

Hah.

I don’t need any of that, I just want to be alone.

* * *

Aktserakhen smiled faintly as he watched Ruatisha bickering with her family.

‘The reason that child can stand strong is because of her family.’

Her effort to maintain her daily life without despair is admirable, but her surroundings are also supporting that effort.

Even though he had told them in advance that he would be taking her to the spiritual realm, they must have been worried.

The expression on Ruatisha’s face when she opened her eyes again… was terrible.

But they don’t ask anything and just joke around like that.

‘And she’s the one who made them like that, too.’

…Though it seems more like the truth than a joke.

‘You can overcome this.’

Aktserakhen smiled.

“Why are you looking at me with that ‘you can overcome this’ face again, Jjack!”

“……Get lost.”

Hermes Jjack fluttered up and landed on Aktserakhen’s head.

“I’ve lived long enough to see everything. The Great Spirit Aktserakhen being scolded by a human toddler and standing with his hands up in punishment.”

“Hmph, what about you? Isn’t that great spirit now just a possession of a human toddler?”

“That child called me a friend.”

“Hmph.”

Aktserakhen turned his head. The titmouse, balancing with its wings, muttered, “Jealous…”

“And I like being that child’s possession. Because I can watch her grow up the closest.”

“……”

“What about you? Aren’t you deliberately being punished right now?”

There’s no way Aktserakhen is really scared of Ruatisha and standing with his hands up.

He’s just 맞춰주고 [matching her mood] to the child’s tune.

“……I was hoping it would ease her 마음 [heart/mind].”

“So you know you’re being hated.”

“……”

“Keep dreaming! That child likes me much more than she likes you, Jjack!”

Hermes Jjack pecked Aktserakhen’s crown and flew upwards.

But his heart was also heavy.

‘……If only I had regained my strength.’

Hermes Jjack is a great herald spirit.

Naturally, he is a being who can travel between the celestial realm, the demon realm, and even the spirit beast realm as a herald.

‘But right now…….’

He had exhausted almost all of his power saving Lady Aizelle, so far from getting stronger, he was almost at the same level as when Ruatisha first summoned him.

‘You must know too.’

There’s no way she wouldn’t know.

The explanation popped up accurately when Ruatisha first summoned him.

Don’t underestimate him just because he’s small!

This Jjack can freely travel underground and above ground like the Hermes in mythology, and even has free passage to the underworld!

Wherever the person you want is! Even if they are beyond the River Styx! He is a faithful herald spirit who can deliver letters!

Truly a 명품 [masterpiece] Jjack, a herald spirit!

Even so, that child didn’t ask him.

If he could cross over to the demon realm and deliver news of Sid.

‘Because she knows I can’t.’

How much she must have wanted to ask.

But she knows that the question will only cause pain.

To think that having his power sealed, and using up all the power he had regained, would be this regrettable.

“Hermes Jjack? What’s wrong?”

Ruatisha stroked the small titmouse that had landed on her head.

‘My little master. I will definitely regain my strength for you.’

“Give me cookies, Jjack!”

“What. Alright.”

Ruatisha smiled brightly.

* * *

“Surah!”

As soon as I opened the door, Nemis jumped up to greet me.

I was currently disguised as Surah and had come to the Echesis Mercenary Group’s hideout.

“It’s been a while, Nemis.”

“We’ve been waiting.”

“I’m glad to see you too. I didn’t expect such a warm welcome.”

Unlike the gruff Baren, I didn’t expect the composed Nemis to be so enthusiastic.

“There’s a good reason for that.”

With a rough voice, Baren opened the opposite door and appeared.

His always cheerful face looked somehow haggard.

‘Come to think of it, Nemis too…….’

“What’s wrong?”

“That’s…….”

Baren hesitated, as if he was in trouble.

What is it?

“Where’s Echen? Where’s Echen?”

Whenever I came to the hideout, Echen was always the first to greet me.

I expected an immediate answer, but for some reason, the two of them were silent.

They just looked at each other and sighed deeply.

“……We don’t really know either.”

“What?”

“We can’t get in touch with the leader. It’s been quite a while. So we’re in a difficult situation.”

This was truly unexpected news.

“Did he go on some…… dangerous request?”

“No. It wasn’t anything like that. Since the end of last year, the only request the leader has personally gone on is collecting Shireen flowers.”

“Then…….”

“Yes, he disappeared unrelated to the mercenary group’s work.”

“We thought you might know, Surah.”

“Me? Why would I?”

At my words, the two of them were silent for a moment. It was a strange silence.

“……It would be better to hear it directly from the person when they return.”

“Anyway, you’re saying Surah doesn’t know either.”

“Yeah…….”

Baren scratched his chin as if he was in trouble.

Following Sid, even Echen.

How could two people I like have something bad happen to them at the same time?

I even felt guilty, as if it was because of me.

“When did he disappear?”

“It’s been over a month. About six weeks ago.”

“What?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, no…….”

The timing overlapped with when Sid crossed over to the demon realm.

‘……It’s just a coincidence, but.’

Is it really something that happened because I liked them?

“The leader has always been a bit individualistic. He’s disappeared and returned many times, so we didn’t pay any attention at first.”

“We only started to think it was strange after the period of no contact got longer.”

“But we didn’t really worry. The leader is such a 괴물 [monster/prodigy] that there’s no way he’d be in danger.”

“But even though we put up the sign that Surah’s letter had arrived, there was no response.”

“Huh?”

“No matter what, if we put up the sign that Surah was looking for him, he would come to the hideout right away, even if he couldn’t be contacted.”

“We thought it would be the same this time. But…….”

“He didn’t come?”

“Yes, there’s no response at all.”

“We thought it would be good for Surah to know, at least.”

“…….”

“Ehey, why are you making that face? It’s not like the leader is someone who would be easily defeated.”

Baren waved his hand.

But my hardened expression didn’t ease.

“What about the room Echen used to use?”

“Huh?”

“Echen is strong, but you never know what might happen. If he’s in a dangerous situation, we have to help.”

At my words, the two of them looked serious.

It seemed like they both had similar worries but couldn’t bring themselves to say it.

“Where’s the room? Wherever he went, there might be clues left in the room.”

“The leader doesn’t like people going into his room…….”

“Wouldn’t it be alright if it’s Surah?”

“Well, it would be alright if it’s Surah.”

Nemis and Baren looked at each other and nodded.

Nemis gave me a 이동 [teleportation] scroll.

“Let’s move first.”

“Hey, is it okay to just reveal the main base like this?”

“Haha, didn’t Surah ask to see the leader’s room first? And…… because it’s Surah.”

“Yeah, because it’s Surah.”

No, what’s with you guys since earlier?

Still, I felt pretty good that I was so trusted by them.

From the Echesis Mercenary Group’s perspective, the leader’s disappearance itself would be a very big crisis.

* * *

Echen’s room was 깔끔 [neat/tidy] if you put it nicely, but 살풍경 [bleak/desolate] if you described it accurately.

“……Didn’t you guys make a lot of money?”

At least the amount I traded with them was enormous.

A bed that was just enough for one person to lie down on, a table, and a small closet that could fit one person.

That was all there was to the room.

‘It’s not like a person’s home, but like a traveler’s temporary lodging.’

A room that seemed like he could leave at any time, without any regrets.

“……It’s a room that’s just like the leader.”

“Echen? He doesn’t seem like that.”

“He’s changed a lot since meeting Surah. At first, he only opened up to Surah, but now he doesn’t say anything even if we approach him sometimes.”

What is that?

Aren’t they comrades who have fought together, risking their lives?

Did Echen not rely on them at all?

Baren and Nemis must have felt quite 서운 [hurt/disappointed], but I couldn’t help but feel more for Echen.

‘……Then what kind of life did Echen live?’

Among so many people, leading so many people, yet he was alone.

The only thing that didn’t fit in the desolate room was the bouquet of flowers placed on the table.

“This bouquet is…….”

Even though they were quite expensive flowers, they were unique in that they were made a bit clumsily rather than being beautifully and sophisticatedly arranged.

As if a child had picked them from the nobles’ garden一.

‘……Huh?’