A Secretly Capable Child Is Seeking For Her Dad (Novel) - Chapter 104

Chapter 104

“Ppuppu!”

As the strength left the soldier’s hand, Tie hurried behind Ppuppu.

Then he quickly lifted his head and looked Ppuppu over.

Taller even than Uncle Basto.

An elephant mask of ornate design covering the area above the neck.

And moonlight-colored hair fluttering down beneath the mask.

It was while Tie swallowed hard at the sight of Ppuppu looking so different from usual.

[Insolent bastard. You’re prepared to pay the price, I trust.]

Muttering that, Ppuppu quietly raised one hand.

Then the markings that densely covered his skin turned into a red mist and rapidly spread around the area.

[Do not worry.]

Ppuppu’s mouth, visible beneath the mask, drew a vicious curve.

[I shall devour every bit of your fear for you.]

At once, the eyes of the soldiers around the stable lost all focus.

* * *

“What in the world is that?!”

Reginald, who had been watching the situation, shouted.

He involuntarily took a step backward and grabbed Lecia’s sleeve.

Before them, the battle was still in full swing.

“I said what in the world is that?!”

Veil Theodor.

The thug who had suddenly punched him was, even at this very moment, knocking down his soldiers one by one.

Of course, the more he did that, the more soldiers rushed at him, but

“Huff, Kkamang. You’re somewhat useful, huh?”

The problem was the unidentified glass-like membrane that had appeared a moment ago.

Blocked by the barrier, Reginald’s soldiers could not lay even a fingertip on Veil.

“H, how could something like this….”

Dizzied, Reginald staggered in place.

When he had first regained consciousness after being knocked out.

Reginald had given an order the moment he opened his eyes.

‘Throw that bastard into the very top of the spire at once! Torture him to within an inch of death if you must and find out his identity-!!’

But before long a problem arose.

‘M, my lord! The spire door will not open.’

‘What do you mean by that! How can the iron door installed at the entrance of the spire, which had been perfectly fine, suddenly not open!’

‘I do not know either, it was working fine until yesterday, but suddenly the key…!’

The iron door installed at the entrance to the spire had broken overnight.

When told that, in order to get inside, they would have to break down the door completely, Reginald had no choice but to change his plan.

‘Then bind him in the underground prison at least! As for the torture….’

‘M, my lord!’

However, the soldiers he had sent down to the underground prison returned in only a few minutes.

‘All the prison bars have melted. There isn’t a single place left fit to lock the man up….’

‘What?!’

It had indeed been quite some time since anyone had been confined in the underground prison.

But did it make any sense that all of the bars would rust through and snap in a single day?

To tell the truth, he had already thought from that moment that something was strange.

But he had no choice except to dismiss it as his imagination.

Because, if it wasn’t a coincidence, there was no way to explain any of it.

‘But why, why in the world….’

Reginald’s eyes anxiously turned forward.

“Aaaagh! My lord! Save us!”

“Run away! Retreat first!”

Right before his eyes, his private soldiers were pleading desperately.

The red mist covering the air, and the powerful barrier spread around Veil Theodor’s companions as well.

Reginald, he, was losing.

“…It’s a lie.”

In truth, he had known as well.

That they were not easy opponents.

That was because he had already checked the mercenary identification Veil’s soldier had brought him.

‘You say it’s Agabert? That bastard we locked in the stable?’

Reginald himself had not known, but the adjutant watching had told him.

That Agabert was a band of monsters who, despite being only a newly formed mercenary company, had made the holy knights at the gate aghast.

‘My lord. I fear this….’

The adjutant had warned Reginald again and again.

Saying that Agabert was exactly the mercenary company whose fame was resounding these days.

Hearing that, Reginald had become somewhat uneasy.

‘Then are you saying that the bastard’s companions may be nearby?’

‘Isn’t that likely? Especially since in the village….’

And before long, his premonition had proved correct.

‘My lord! This is terrible! We have testimony that Adeline Caldenvine went toward the lord’s castle!’

The watcher who had been placed on Adeline came running up in a panic to report.

‘We interrogated the territory’s residents, and they said Adeline went toward the lord’s castle together with people who appeared to be companions of Veil Theodor….!’

Reginald had felt his vision turn white with rage.

Adeline… so in the end it was you!

Mercenaries who had suddenly barged into the village that had been running peacefully.

And at the center of them, Adeline, his damned niece.

There could be no doubt that all of this was Adeline’s doing.

‘Mobilize all the soldiers! Bring in the bastard we locked in the stable first!’

Even after mobilizing the full military force of the lord’s castle, Reginald went looking for Lecia.

‘You had better come too!’

Lecia, who had been enjoying fine liquor in broad daylight, looked annoyed.

‘…Reginald. It’s just a mercenary company with a mere six members. Must I really step in for something like this?’

‘Have you forgotten what you promised me when you seized the seat of lady of the castle!!’

But Reginald roared.

‘I give you money! You promised to give me the power to keep this seat!’

In the end Lecia put on her cloak.

And followed Reginald out.

But even so, unable to shake his unease, Reginald muttered all the way to the back garden.

‘They are definitely going to storm the lord’s castle. That Adeline definitely has my brother Roman’s will…!’

In truth, this was the real reason Reginald was terrified.

‘The will, that damned will!’

The will of the former lord that he had certainly been keeping, only for it to disappear one day without a trace.

‘If not for the will, I would have killed that Adeline thing long ago!’

Before the will disappeared.

Reginald had in fact been planning to quietly dispose of Adeline.

But just as he was about to put that plan into motion.

Strangely, the will disappeared without a trace.

Reginald could not help but suspect.

That Adeline was surely the one who had smuggled out the will.

That will was like a key that could raise the now-adult Adeline straight into the seat of lord.

And yet such an object had fallen into the hands of the person concerned….

‘Could it be that she’s scheming behind the scenes to push me aside?’

Reginald was uneasy.

Having once been the princess’s maid, Adeline might well have some trustworthy connection.

And if that happened to be some renowned power holder, or the imperial household?

‘My lord. What shall we do? Shall we dispose of that woman Adeline?’

‘…No.’

‘Pardon?’

‘I said wait for now! Damn it all!’

Reginald had no choice but to change his plan.

Because, in the end, he could not ignore one possibility.

‘What if all of this is a trap laid by Adeline?’

What if he had hidden away the will in advance and was quietly waiting only for Reginald to attack her?

If he attached an assassin and they were traced back to him even in the slightest, Reginald would be finished.

Adeline would drag in every grave crime, treason and usurpation and all the rest, and tie him to them.

At that point, not even the excuse that he had only been looking after the territory on behalf of his immature niece would work.

So all of this, in the end, all of this.

‘To send me off in one stroke!’

Reginald suffered nightmares every night.

Unable to bear it, he repeatedly had men search Adeline’s house and shop.

‘It isn’t here, my lord. The former lord’s will is nowhere….’

‘That damned bitch, where in the world did she hide it….!’

But no matter how much he searched, the will never turned up.

Then why in the world….

“Found it.”

Reginald’s eyes fixed on Adeline, who had picked something up out of the dirt.

Adeline was lifting up something wrapped in yellow cloth with fingers scraped raw and bleeding.

“Waa! We found it-!”

Beside her, the blond little girl jumped up and down brightly.

Clenching his teeth, Reginald muttered,

“…Take it.”

The soldiers stirred.

But he soon widened his eyes and shouted.

“Take that away from them at once-!!”