The Youngest Daughter Of The Great Wizard Of The Famous Swordsmanship [EN]: Chapter 18

18. Joseph Oser (3)

November 18, 2023

[If you do your part, I will send your sister back safely.]

“Could you at least let me hear my sister’s voice? Just to make sure she’s safe…”

[You know very well that if you say unnecessary things, I cannot guarantee your sister’s safety.]

“…….”

[Anyway, move the plan forward as quickly as possible.]

“Please give me more time.”

[One week.]

The other party said firmly.

[Resolve it within a week.]

Originally, he had given him a month. But now it was shortened to a week.

However, Joseph Oser couldn’t argue. He was in a position where he had to do as he was told.

“Understood.”

Before his answer was even finished, the communication was cut off. Joseph Oser stared at the communication device before covering his face with both hands.

“Damn it…….”

He was eighteen years old this year and had entered the Adrian family as a retainer five years ago. He had steadily worked his way up from the bottom and was now about to take the knight’s oath. He was that loyal to the Adrian family.

But about a month ago, he received a call from his aunt, who was taking care of Melody, saying that his sister had disappeared.

As soon as Joseph heard that, he took a vacation and searched every corner around his aunt’s house. But he couldn’t find Melody.

He was about to ask Duke Adrian for help, grasping at straws. That’s when a suspicious man came to him.

His business was simple. He was holding his sister hostage, so he had to carry out the mission they gave him.

Joseph didn’t even know what the mission was, but he agreed only to save his sister. He was prepared to sacrifice his life in the worst-case scenario.

But the ‘mission’ the other party gave him was even more shocking than he had imagined.

-Sprinkle this potion on Duke Adrian’s carriage.

-What will happen if I sprinkle it?

-That’s none of your business.

He didn’t tell him the effect of this potion, but Joseph could roughly guess. It would cause an accident.

If an accident happened in a running carriage, in the worst case, he could die on the spot. If he was very lucky, he might survive, but there was no guarantee that his body would be intact.

And to target Duke Adrian, whom he respected so much.

He even thought about running to Duke Adrian and revealing all this. But as if he had noticed it in advance, every time he tried to visit the Duke, a warning came.

The warning said that if he revealed this fact to anyone, his sister would die.

In addition, even if he failed and the plan was exposed, his sister would die, so he shouldn’t make any mistakes.

‘Now I really…….’

Joseph Oser tightly gripped the potion he had hidden deep in the drawer.

Now he really couldn’t avoid it.

* * *

“You’re slow, kid. A turtle would be faster than you.”

Lucas followed Rosette, trotting alongside her. Even though he seemed to be running casually, his running speed was faster than Rosette’s, who was running her best.

Rosette glanced at him slightly, gritted her teeth, and ran faster. Annoyingly, Lucas’s breathing didn’t falter at all, even when he increased his speed.

Since yesterday, Rosette had decided to do morning training with Lucas every morning.

All she did was run around the training ground, so it was embarrassing to call it ‘training,’ but she was a little relieved because everyone started with this at first.

Of course, other family members besides Lucas were skeptical of Rosette’s decision. They agreed with Rosette’s decision, but added that she could quit at any time if it was too difficult.

But Rosette was confident that she wouldn’t give up. She had a grand plan.

‘I need to build up my stamina quickly and create a mana core.’

If she had a mana core, she could prepare for emergencies. In addition, she planned to eat a lot to get chubby quickly.

Also.

‘I need to keep a close eye on Joseph Oser.’

Rosette, panting, looked at the Dallas family’s spy swinging his wooden sword in the distance.

She heard from Daniel that his name was Joseph Oser, and that he had been in the Knights for about five years. In addition, he lost his parents when he was young and only had a younger sister left.

In the process, Daniel subtly asked, ‘Why is our youngest curious about that?’ and Lucas went wild, saying, ‘So you’re interested in him!’ but she somehow explained that it wasn’t like that.

But there was something strange. According to Daniel, Joseph Oser was diligent and loyal to the Adrian family, unlike his young age.

How did he end up targeting Daniel as a spy for the Dallas family?

‘Is his sister being held hostage?’

She was thinking that it was a possible story when suddenly her vision went dark. Lucas, who had blocked her path, said with a sulky expression.

“You’re looking at him again, again. Listen, kid, you’re eight years old and he’s eighteen! Think about the age difference!”

Ugh. I told you it’s not like that. Instead of explaining, Rosette ignored him and passed Lucas. Lucas followed her, chattering, but she ignored him again.

Rosette, who had run all three laps, headed to Joseph Oser without waiting for Lucas, who had gone to get water.

“Joseph… right?”

Joseph, who was talking to a colleague, was startled to see Rosette.

“Oh, aren’t you the little lady!”

He looked down at her with his back straight.

“What’s going on?”

Rosette looked up at him with a clear expression and whispered.

“Water…….”

“Yes?”

“I want to drink water.”

“Ah, water. Just a moment.”

“Lady, have this!”

“That’s what you were drinking! Lady, this is untouched, so have this.”

While Joseph was flustered looking for a water bottle, the knights rushed in. Rosette was instantly surrounded by large knights.

Rosette grabbed one of the water bottles handed to her and opened the lid. As she gulped down the water, the chosen knight smiled contentedly.

“By the way, lady. Aren’t you tired?”

“You ran all three laps, so you’re amazing! That’s not easy.”

“How’s your injured knee? Are you okay?”

Rosette nodded casually and observed Joseph, who was smiling awkwardly with a water bottle in his hand. To be exact, she felt the mana around him.

She hadn’t created a mana core yet, but this was simply feeling the energy of mana, so it was easy to do.

‘I don’t feel the energy of mana.’

Rosette was relieved. She was worried that he might be cursed and listening to Duke Dallas, like she had been in the past.

Last night, Rosette thought a little more about Joseph Oser, whom she had met in the past. Given that his expression was very dark at the time, she speculated that he was forcibly following Duke Dallas.

That stimulated her trauma. Rosette saw her own image in Joseph Oser, who was being used like a marionette doll, forcibly harming Duke Adrian and Daniel.

If Joseph Oser was also a victim, if he didn’t want this to happen, she wanted to help him.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a curse, so she thought there might be a way she could help.

‘If it’s not a curse, is his sister being held hostage?’

Then she had to prevent the accident, save Joseph Oser’s sister, and catch the mastermind.

‘But how? Can I do it alone? Without a mana core?’

Rosette was seriously worried. Lucas, who had brought a water bottle and approached her, shouted.

“What are you guys doing? If you gather like that, the kid will be surprised!”

“Hot!”

“We will correct it!”

The knights quickly retreated. Only then did Rosette’s figure, which had been hidden by the knights, appear.

Lucas snatched the water bottle Rosette was drinking from and handed her the water bottle he had brought.

“Drink this.”

“I’ve already drunk enough… no, I’ll drink it.”

She had already emptied one water bottle, but Rosette gulped down the water Lucas had brought. Thanks to that, she filled her stomach with water before eating breakfast.

* * *

“Then good night, lady.”

“Yeah. Good night, Joan.”

Rosette, who was lying in bed, sat up as soon as she heard the door close. She closed her eyes and focused on the mana flowing through her body. It had been going on for over a month.

Rosette gathered mana without even wiping the cold sweat that had formed on her forehead. The mana that had gathered vaguely in her stomach was gradually compressed and reduced in size.

From now on was the real crisis. If she lost focus here or her stamina didn’t keep up, the compressed mana would not create a core and would scatter.

Rosette had failed here for the past month because of her stamina.

‘Just a little more…….’

Rosette barely held on to her scattering mind and concentrated and concentrated.

And finally.

With a sense of liberation, Rosette opened her eyes wide. She groped her still flat stomach with both hands. Although it was still faint, she could feel the energy of the mana core.

It was a faint energy that others wouldn’t be able to feel, but it was definitely a mana core. She had succeeded in creating a core a year earlier than in the past.

Her stamina hadn’t increased much yet, but it was possible because Rosette knew how to use mana.

‘I can’t use proper magic yet, but…….’

Rosette didn’t create a mana core to use magic right away. She had another reason.

She infused mana with her hands outstretched. Pink mana formed on her palms and soon.

[Beep!]

A white, small bird appeared with a pop. It was a familiar [a magical creature bound to a witch or wizard] made of Rosette’s mana.

Rosette shouted happily.

“Pippi!”

The reed bunting, Pippi, flapped its small wings in response.

[Peep!]

A familiar made of mana was not a living creature, but it had a self.

However, since it didn’t remember the past, the current Pippi was different from the Pippi of the past.

Even so, Rosette was happy to see Pippi. In the past, Pippi was her only friend, who was very lonely.

Rosette put her cheek against Pippi and muttered.

“Nice to meet you.”

[Beep!]

“Oh, that’s not what I should be doing. You have something to do.”

[Peep peep!]

“Go and watch a knight named Joseph Oser. That person is going to do something to the carriage. Let me know then. No. You have to let me know the moment that person leaves the room in the middle of the night. Got it?”

[Peeeeeep!]

Pippi nodded and flew out the window. Rosette felt a sense of exhaustion and collapsed on the bed.

Now all that was left was to wait for Pippi’s call.

* * *

Three days later, Pippi contacted her around dawn. Pippi, who had squeezed through the slightly open window, pecked and pulled at Rosette’s head, who was fast asleep.

“Ouch. Who… Pippi?”

[Peep!]

Pippi flapped its wings hard in the air. Rosette, who had woken up, threw on a cloak and headed to the carriage storage following Pippi. A large figure was standing in the place where no one should be.

Seeing the man, who was obviously Joseph Oser, approaching the carriage, Rosette ran at full speed.

“Stop!”