There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 140

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* * *

Philomel’s surprising declaration filled Lguvin and Lexion’s faces with astonishment.

“…A Hero?”

“A Hero? Do you mean the Hero that the temple chooses every ten years?”

“Yes.”

Philomel answered Lexion’s question coolly.

“I’m thinking of participating in the upcoming Hero Selection Ceremony.”

“No way!”

The Master Tower Lord shouted in an agitated voice.

“Do you know what that means?”

“I know very well.”

“Even in the Magic Tower, you’re a target for enemies, and you’re going to go out in front of everyone’s eyes? Besides, the selection ceremony is entirely under the jurisdiction of the temple. It’s hard for me to intervene.”

“You don’t have to help me. I’ll do it on my own.”

“How are you going to do that?”

“Lguvin may not trust me, but I can protect myself.”

Even though I’ll have to rely heavily on the items I bought from the store.

Lexion also joined in trying to dissuade Philomel.

“Phil, think carefully. The temple’s trials are definitely not easy.”

“Right. Even if you become a real Hero, you’ll be exploited by the temple.”

“It’s all just empty honor.”

However, Philomel did not change her mind. It was a decision she had made after spending sleepless nights pondering.

Philomel repeated the same words like a parrot.

“I will become a Hero. The World Tree has recognized me.”

In the end, the Master Tower Lord exploded.

“That damn tree! I should have burned it down a long time ago!”

“Don’t actually burn it down, though. Lguvin will be disappointed.”

Lguvin, who couldn’t do anything, muttered in vain.

“…Why don’t you understand me? I thought you would understand me.”

“What did you say?”

I wondered what he meant, but he suddenly laid down the law.

“Anyway, I can’t allow it. You better give up on being a Hero or anything else.”

“Whether you allow it or not, I’ve already made up my mind. Parents can’t restrict my actions.”

“No, it’s a parent’s role to stop their child from going astray.”

“I’m not a delinquent!”

“You’re grounded for the time being.”

“That’s overreach!”

“It’s a legitimate parenting method from a childcare book.”

When did he even read such a book?

“That’s only when I’ve done something wrong.”

“Ah, there’s no use saying anything. My priority is your safety.”

“It’s unfair. You let the other siblings roam free.”

“They are…”

Lguvin was about to retort but looked at his first son.

“You guys are grounded too.”

The fire spread to an unexpected place.

“Heeey? Why us!”

“You did research I told you not to do, Kadin broke things again, and Jeremiah has no manners.”

“Even if Kadin did, Jeremiah will throw a fit if he finds out…”

“Just tell him to endure it because it all comes from a parent’s love.”

Lexion made a disgusted face at the word ‘love.’

“I feel like I’m going to throw up what I ate for dinner yesterday.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Even if the other two are like that, please exclude me.”

Lexion lowered his voice.

“‘That time’ is coming up soon. It would be very difficult if I couldn’t leave the Magic Tower either.”

Lguvin checked the calendar on his desk.

“Now that I think about it, it’s already that time. I can’t help it. You’re excluded from the grounding.”

“Thank you.”

They shared an enigmatic story that only they knew.

* * *

“So, what is ‘that time’ anyway?”

Philomel muttered, staring blankly out the window in her room.

A week had passed since that day.

For the first three days, she kept expressing her opinion to Lguvin. She had expected him to accommodate her wishes as much as possible in the Imperial Palace, but…

“It was impossible after all.”

Lguvin still opposed her going to the Hero Selection Ceremony.

She realized one thing. The reason he had let Philomel do as she pleased in the Imperial Palace was that he didn’t think the intruders posed a significant threat to him.

However, when Ieries appeared, Lguvin’s relaxed attitude changed.

Philomel got up from her seat and opened the door to the outside.

“Lady Philomel.”

“Is there something wrong?”

The two wizards guarding the front of the room greeted her.

“Just take it easy.”

“Thank you for your concern, but this is our job.”

“That’s right. We’ll guard the outside, so please rest assured.”

“…Good luck.”

She returned to her room.

After a monster believed to be a subordinate of Ieries was discovered, the Magic Tower went into a state of high alert. An elite wizard corps was stationed near the Magic Tower, and they strictly controlled people entering and exiting.

“Because of that, I can’t even meet Nasar…”

On the first day that entry was restricted, she had communicated the approximate situation here through the communication stone, but contact was cut off immediately afterward.

Lguvin had cut off the flow of magical power from the outside to prevent possible magical attacks, which also disabled communication. Philomel also had two wizards assigned as escorts.

‘It’s to protect me, but.’

If Philomel tried to go outside, they would definitely stop her.

She had been quite well-behaved for the past four days. As if she had given up on the Hero Selection Ceremony.

Seeing it as a positive sign, Lguvin comforted his daughter. He said that he would let Nasar stay in the Magic Tower in a few days.

“I think he’s quite careless.”

Of course, Philomel was not one to back down easily. If she was going to give up because of Lguvin’s opposition, she wouldn’t have started in the first place.

“I think I’ve packed enough, right?”

Looking down at her backpack, she muttered to herself with satisfaction. She was planning to sneak away tonight. The night came quickly.

Philomel turned off the lights in her room, pretending to be asleep, and put her ear to the door. She had escaped from the Emperor just a few months ago, and now she was running away again.

‘It’s like I’m a debtor or something.’

But this was the only way.

The Hero Selection Ceremony was just around the corner. If she tried to persuade Lguvin, she wouldn’t make it in time.

‘First, I’ll go to Angelium and join Nasar.’

Calming her pounding heart, she calmly checked her plan.

‘Nasar will follow my wishes, right? Probably…’

Then the moment she had been waiting for came.

“It’s time for the shift change. Was there anything unusual?”

“Not at all.”

Faint voices were heard through the door.

Philomel slightly opened the door while they were distracted by the conversation.

“We’ll take over, so go now.”

“Hoo-ahm, I need to go to sleep quickly.”

As soon as the wizards who had been there left completely, Philomel burst out of the room, throwing the door wide open. However, the wizards did not recognize her. It was thanks to the Veil of Ignorance [a magical item that obscures one’s presence].

The wizards who had changed shifts looked at the suddenly opened door and exchanged glances before calling Philomel in a small voice.

“Lady Philomel?”

“…”

Of course, there was no answer.

One wizard glanced at the bed, which was bulging in the darkness, and whispered.

“I think she’s asleep.”

“But why is the door open?”

“Maybe the guys who were here before didn’t close the door properly.”

“Is that so?”

“She’ll wake up. Close the door quickly.”

Philomel, who was walking down the dark hallway, listened to their conversation and shouted in her heart.

‘Yes, close it quickly!’

She couldn’t get caught until she had completely left the Magic Tower. They couldn’t find out that the thing under the blanket wasn’t her but a bunch of junk.

However, luck was not on her side. Another wizard, listening to his colleague’s words, shook his head.

“No, maybe she can’t speak. We need to check her safety, even if it means waking her up.”

He was someone who worked too hard for Lguvin’s subordinate.

He entered the room.

“Lady Philomel, excuse me.”

Soon after, the lights in the room turned on.

Philomel despaired.

‘I’m doomed.’

Right in front of her was Lguvin’s office. If they knew of Philomel’s absence, he would come out immediately.

The Veil of Ignorance was not omnipotent. She would be caught soon if she made a mistake. Philomel’s feet moved faster.

“E, emergency…!”

The wizard who had entered the room shouted, as if he had noticed something was wrong. No, he was about to shout.

Thud! Thud!

Two dull sounds were heard, and then the voice disappeared.

Philomel turned around. There was someone else in the darkness besides the two wizards.

After leaning the wizards, who could not control their bodies, against the wall one by one, he said,

“Philomel, are you there?”

It was Jeremiah.