The Youngest Daughter Of The Great Wizard Of The Famous Swordsmanship [EN]: Chapter 167

167. Reassembling the Monster Subjugation Force

Rosette arrived at the library and, with Joshua’s help, began searching for books about monsters. Lucas followed behind them, looking utterly uninterested.

Joshua, unable to watch any longer, said somewhat brusquely,

“If you’re not interested, why don’t you sit down? I’ll have them bring some refreshments.”

“I am very interested, Your Highness. Very interested indeed.”

Lucas brazenly replied, squeezing between Rosette and Joshua. Rosette shrugged at Joshua’s bewildered expression.

Rosette tried to ignore the subtle tension between the two men and examined the books. She carefully read about the origins of monsters, their habitats, characteristics, and methods of extermination.

She also looked into the history of sudden increases in monster populations. However, none of the information matched the current situation.

“Monsters sometimes come down to villages in the winter when food is scarce. But it’s summer now, so it doesn’t seem like that’s the reason.”

“Indeed.”

“What’s with all the worry, kiddo?”

Unlike the serious Rosette and Joshua, Lucas tried to sound cheerful.

“Even if the numbers increase, we can just get rid of them all.”

“Still, we need to know the cause to prepare.”

“Alright, alright. But let’s go rest for now. You’ve been looking at books for too long.”

“Okay.”

Rosette reluctantly got up at Lucas’s urging. She decided to ask the librarian to borrow a few books she hadn’t finished reading.

“It’s getting late. How about we have dinner together?”

Joshua suggested as they left the library, but Lucas immediately refused.

“We can’t impose. I’ll have dinner with my family back at the mansion.”

“Impose? That’s disappointing to hear between us.”

Joshua said jokingly, looking at Rosette. Rosette, feeling Lucas’s intense gaze, gave an awkward smile.

“My brother is right. Father will be waiting, so we should get going.”

“I understand. Give my regards to your teacher.”

“Yes.”

After a reluctant farewell to Joshua, Rosette got into the carriage and immediately pressed Lucas.

“Brother, why are you acting like that with the Prince?”

“Like what?”

Lucas replied as if he had done nothing wrong.

“His Highness was kind enough to guide us personally, but you were constantly rude to him. Just now, he even suggested dinner, and you refused without a second thought. Father and Daniel would be surprised if they heard.”

“So, you want me to just sit back and watch while His Highness flirts with you?”

“Flirts? What are you even talking about? Weren’t you okay with me and His Highness?”

“I was. I am!”

Lucas sighed deeply, pounding his left chest with his fist.

“My head understands, but my heart doesn’t. If it were anyone else, I’d challenge them to a duel, but I’m holding back because he’s His Highness.”

He grumbled, then glared at Rosette.

“And you, kiddo, you too. You used to say I was the best, but now you like His Highness more?”

“I’m not saying who I like more. Besides, when did I ever say you were the best?”

“See! Now you’re pretending you don’t know? I even gave you pancakes directly!”

“I said I liked you and Daniel, but I never said you were the best.”

“Look at this. Now you’re saying you won’t even acknowledge this brother of yours?”

Lucas grumbled, but when he saw Rosette looking a bit dejected, he softened his expression.

“Just kidding. Feeling better now?”

“Feeling?”

“You’ve been anxious since yesterday. Because the Prince or Daniel might go on the subjugation.”

It seemed Lucas had exaggerated a bit to ease Rosette’s tension. Rosette stared blankly at Lucas before bursting into a soft laugh.

“Yes, I think I do.”

“Don’t stay up all night reading those books when you get home. Get some proper sleep. I’ll have Pipi check on you.”

“…Yes.”

“That’s not a very enthusiastic answer.”

“I’ll try my best.”

“Tsk.”

Lucas pinched Rosette’s nose. It hurt a little because he pinched it quite hard, but Rosette just smiled.

“This brother will protect you no matter what, so don’t worry.”

“I know.”

“Good.”

Rosette smiled. Thanks to Lucas, she definitely felt a little less tense.

* * *

After that day, Rosette visited the Imperial Palace every day to investigate the monsters. Lucas, not wanting to leave Rosette alone with Joshua, followed her to the Imperial Palace.

Joshua gave Lucas silent glares, but Lucas didn’t even blink.

However, despite their efforts, they couldn’t find the cause of the exponential increase in the number of monsters.

“I feel like I want to ask the Magic Tower,” Rosette muttered as she closed a book. Lucas frowned.

“Don’t even mention the Magic Tower.”

Joshua rarely agreed with him, but this time he did.

“Yes. It’s best not to consider them.”

“Still, the Magic Tower might know information we don’t.”

“Even if they did, would that guy help us? If he was going to step in, he would have done it already.”

Rosette was speechless at Lucas’s valid point.

“Besides, if we ask for help again, what kind of conditions will he set this time? It’s obvious without even hearing it.”

“…”

Rosette recalled her last conversation with Michael.

After that day, Rosette felt that her relationship with Michael had completely changed. Until then, Michael had been persistent no matter how much she refused.

However, whether the word ‘last’ was real, she hadn’t heard from him once since then.

Rosette felt relieved but also uneasy about this situation.

She felt sad that her relationship with someone she had known for a long time, someone she had once considered a friend, seemed to have ended like this, but she felt strange.

-You will regret what you did today.

-I won’t forgive you even if you regret it later and beg with tears.

The words she hadn’t paid much attention to at the time kept bothering her as time passed.

When she heard those words, she thought Michael simply meant, ‘You’ll regret losing a man like me.’

But what if that wasn’t the case?

What if Michael meant something else?

Could it be that Michael was holding a grudge against her for not accepting his feelings and was trying to harm her or Adrian?

She was already feeling uneasy because of the monsters, but Michael made her even more nervous. She couldn’t sleep properly at night and kept a close eye out for Perito.

However, contrary to her worries, Michael was quiet. He still seemed to be staying in the Imperial Palace, but according to Joshua, he didn’t seem to be going out much.

She knew that Michael was staying in the Empire solely because of Rosette, so why wasn’t he leaving even now that their relationship had completely broken down?

‘Am I just worrying for nothing?’

Rosette tried to think that way and softened her expression.

“Then let’s exclude the Magic Tower for now and try asking for help from other places. Like the Ibellin Kingdom or the Holy Kingdom.”

“Alright.”

Even in a situation where everything was not resolved, Rosette tried and tried again.

But unfortunately, the situation she feared eventually came to pass. The Imperial Palace announced that it would reassemble the Monster Subjugation Force, led by Joshua.

“Do you really have to go?”

Despite Rosette’s worried words, Daniel simply smiled kindly.

“Of course, I have to go. That’s what a noble and a knight should do.”

“But I heard it’s really dangerous this time.”

“That’s why I have to go even more, right? My little sister doesn’t seem to trust me, but your brother is one of the best knights, you know.”

It seemed impossible to persuade Daniel.

Indeed, Daniel had been like that since he was young. He would do anything for his family, and he would act for justice even if it had nothing to do with him.

There was no way such a Daniel would stand idly by in the face of the danger to Adrian Territory, and furthermore, to the Empire.

‘I know that, but…’

It was a worrying situation for Rosette to watch.

Daniel hesitated and patted her shoulder when Rosette drooped her eyebrows as if she was about to cry.

“Don’t worry, Rose. Your brother will come back safe. You trust your brother’s skills, right? I’ll exterminate all the monsters and come back soon. If we finish this well, there will be nothing to worry about in the future.”

“I trust you, Brother. But…”

Rosette whispered as if she was about to cry.

“I can’t go with you, can I?”

Joshua had already rejected Rosette’s proposal. Daniel’s answer would probably be no different from Joshua’s.

Even so, Rosette couldn’t just stand by.

“Of course not.”

As expected, Daniel refused. His voice was unusually firm.

“But Brother, I’m confident I can be of help.”

“Still no. There’s no reason for you to step in at all. You’re not affiliated with the Imperial Knights, and you have no reason to defend the Empire.”

“But I’m Adrian, and…”

“No means no.”

Daniel ruffled Rosette’s hair.

“Why don’t you protect Ines here instead? If you’re here, I think I can go with peace of mind.”

Rosette swallowed her tears and nodded.

No matter how much she tried to stop him, Daniel didn’t seem like he would break his conviction. It was better to wish him well.

The three days of preparation passed quickly, and the day the subjugation force departed arrived.