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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Father-Daughter Competition
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Unlike the man's astonishing build, the girl in his arms was scrawny and short.
‘This is so unfair!’
I know my dad is the main character, but still…
“Alright, we have a total of eleven teams! Please put on your participation necklaces, labeled A through K.”
The guy built like a tank was J, and Dad, who joined last, was K.
Standing next to them, my competitive spirit flared.
Even more so when I saw the man’s daughter smirking at my dad.
“Dad! I have to get those Princess Lala shoes!”
“Of course! Just trust your dad, just trust me!”
Dad was full of confidence.
“With so many participants, we need to thin the herd quickly, right? Now, let’s have our dads and moms do some squats until only five teams remain! Ready, set, go!”
As expected, a battle of stamina!
The announcer began to count each time the participants went down and up.
“…Twenty-one! Twenty-two!”
“Ho ho. Is it because you’re young? You’ve got great stamina.”
“You’re holding up pretty well yourself, Billy.”
The tank of a man—no, Billy, as he’d already introduced himself to Dad—had stamina of steel, just as I’d expected.
While everyone else was panting, he was leisurely chatting with my dad.
“Don’t lose, Dad!”
“Got it, Princess!”
I held on tight to James’s brown hair and cheered him on with all my might.
“…Thirty-seven! Stop! We finally have our sixth elimination! Please step down from the stage. Now, will the five remaining teams please gather in the center?”
Dad finally put Chessier and me down, wiped the sweat from under his chin, and caught his breath.
“The next stage will also be squats! But! Let’s raise the difficulty a little, shall we? Dads, I want you to do ten elephant trunk spins in place, then pick up your children! Ready, set, go!”
With a burning desire to give his daughter the Princess Lala shoes, Mr. James Brown earnestly grabbed his nose and began to spin.
No one would ever imagine it.
That the Duke of Rubinstein was here, doing elephant trunk spins…
Chessier watched Dad spinning in circles with a pitiful expression before asking me.
“Do you really have to have them? Those Lala-whatchamacallit things.”
“Hmph. Not really, but we’ve already crossed a river we can’t return from. This is a battle of pride now. We can’t lose.”
“Haaah.”
After finishing ten spins, Dad shook his head vigorously to clear his dizziness and focused his eyes.
“Come here, Princess!”
Though he was staggering, Dad put me on his shoulders and sat Chessier on his arm.
I glanced at Billy, who seemed completely unaffected, and whispered to Dad.
“Dad, are you dizzy? How about using a little magic? No one would know.”
“Ahem! What are you saying, Princess? A competition must be fair and square.”
“Aish.”
I knew it. It was a pointless suggestion for Enoch Rubinstein, a man who was nothing without his sense of justice.
“Ho ho. You look like you’re struggling… You’re going to be sore tomorrow, young man!”
“Haha. Don’t worry. I’m not tired at all.”
That sneaky Billy! Carrying a daughter who looked lighter than half a sack of rice and acting all relaxed!
I glared at Billy, grinding my teeth. His daughter glared right back at me, not to be outdone.
“Alright, let’s do some more squats until only two teams remain! Ready, set, go!”
The announcer’s booming voice echoed.
* * *
Axion’s eyes glinted sharply as he patrolled the commoners’ district, where the festival was in full swing.
Child disappearances were on the rise, and of all times, it had to be during the Children’s Day festival.
For the culprit, it was the perfect opportunity.
“They must be licking their chops somewhere.”
In just one month, over twenty commoner children had gone missing.
The common thread was their fair skin or pretty faces. They would fetch a good price if sold to a noble house.
*Rustle.*
Axion frowned as he unfolded the suspect’s sketch.
“A guy who looks like this…”
A nasty scar ran across his left eye.
His features were so distinct that it should have only been a matter of time before he was caught.
“…You still haven’t seen him?”
At the sharp question, the security officers exchanged glances.
One of them timidly spoke up.
“Well… it’s not that we haven’t seen him.”
“Then what is it?”
The officers couldn’t answer, only looking at each other.
Axion scoffed.
It was obvious. They must have taken a bribe and turned a blind eye.
It wasn't anything special in the commoners' district, which was beyond the protection of the law.
Axion glared fiercely at the officers who were avoiding his gaze, then folded the sketch with a snap.
“I will punish you under my authority, so catch this man today, no matter what. If you fail, you will be held responsible.”
“Yes, yes! Your Grace, the Duke!”
“Yes, sir!”
The security officers scattered in perfect order.
Axion also began to walk away, but then he paused, looking down at the candy in his hand.
“It’s a refreshing candy. Have some and cheer up.”
Lilis’s complexion was much better than when he’d first seen her, likely from eating and growing well while staying in the capital.
And her looks… she was the spitting image of her handsome father.
She was like a walking, talking doll.
‘Is this why people have children?’
Axion, lost in thought, unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth.
Then, he found himself staring blankly at the crowded and noisy festival street, where there was no room to even set foot.
‘What if.’
If pretty and precious-looking children were the targets, Lilis was the perfect mark.
But…
‘Am I getting old? Worrying about such things.’
It was truly a needless worry.
If anyone even dared to try, they’d be caught by her overprotective father and wouldn't even have their bones left to bury.
Axion brushed off his pointless concern, recalling how he’d gotten a glimpse of the gates of hell after taking Lilis hostage.
* * *
“We finally have our final two! Billy-dad and James-dad! Please give them a round of applause to cheer them on!”
At last, the final round.
Watching Enoch, who hadn't lost his bright smile despite sweating buckets, Chessier, who was waiting in the audience, let out a sigh.
Fortunately, the final round had nothing to do with stamina.
“The rules for the final round are simple! Now, you see these five wooden boxes? Five children are inside them. I’m going to ask a question that only a father and daughter would know!”
The announcer added with a smile.
“After hearing your daughter’s answer, the fathers will have to guess which box their daughter is in! For reference, all the children have inhaled helium gas, so you won’t be able to recognize them by their voices!”
Enoch covered his mouth and laughed like a villain.
“Heh heh… Well, well. I believe I’ve won this one. My princess knows everything about me.”
Billy scoffed at the confident Enoch.
“Huhu. You think it’ll be that easy? My Emily knows everything about me, too.”
*Crackle.* Sparks flew between the two fathers.
“The other boxes contain the children who were eliminated earlier. Now, let’s get to the first question! Please answer on the count of three!”
The announcer flipped through the papers in his hand and shouted.
“What is your dad’s favorite food?!”
Enoch burst out laughing.
‘It’s the same as my princess’s favorite. Scrambled eggs with tomato sauce!’
“One, two, three!”
“Dark beer!”
“Potato soup!”
“Carrot puree!”
“Chicken breast soup!”
“Sausage!”
*Boing.*
Enoch faltered.
Billy, laughing heartily beside him, raised his hand.
“I don’t even need a second question. Can I pick now?”
“Yes, of course!”
“Wait.”
Enoch grabbed Billy’s arm as he strode forward.
“Brother.”
“What is it?”
“Let’s just hear one more question. We’ve sweated together like comrades-in-arms. Don’t be like that.”
“Puhahaha! Ah, you’re a funny one! Alright, I’ll let it slide this once! Announcer! One more question!”
“My, how generous of you.”
Enoch sighed and spoke toward the box where he presumed Lilis was.
“Princess. Your dad’s a little disappointed, you know? How could you get such an easy one wrong… Let’s do better next time, okay?”
“Then let’s go straight to the next question! What is your dad’s shoe size?!”
The announcer shouted.
‘Phew! This one’s a bit tricky, but there’s no way my daughter won’t know it!’
Enoch felt a wave of relief.
“One, two, three!”
“Fourteen peli!”
“…I don’t know.”
“I dunno!”
“No idea.”
“Four peli!”
Another *boing*.
Enoch’s eyes went wide.
“Princess, really?”
The one with a shoe size of fourteen peli had to be Billy, and the one who shouted four peli was probably a child who came with their mother.
She doesn't know her dad’s shoe size!
Even after we’ve gone to the shoe store together so many times!
“Heh. Heh. Hahahaha!”
“Hoo.”
It was a perfect defeat. Billy strode over, opened the first box, and his daughter Emily popped out.
“Wow, Daddy!”
“You did great, my girl!”
Enoch, who had been watching the heartwarming father-daughter scene, hesitated in front of the three middle boxes.
‘Should I use my ability just a little?’
Enoch considered sending out a trickle of mana to find Lilis’s presence but soon shook his head.
‘I have to play fair…’
In the end, he opened the second box.
As expected, a boy he’d never seen before jumped out.
“Oh dear…”
He turned away with a bitter smile and saw Billy, puffed up with pride.
“Congratulations! Today’s winners are Mr. Billy Black and Miss Emily Black! Here are your Princess Lala shoes!”
“Ho ho.”
Billy approached Enoch and offered a handshake.
“That was fun, young man. I run a pub in the next alley over. Come by for a visit sometime. I’ll treat you to a cold beer.”
“Yes, brother. I had fun too. I’ll stop by later.”
After Billy and the spectators left, the once-boisterous stage fell quiet.
“Princess, are you mad?”
Enoch trudged over and opened the third box.
An unfamiliar child smiled and ran off to find her parents.
“Haaah. Honestly, I can’t say this is my fault… How could you not get a single one of those easy questions right? Dad’s really a bit hurt…”
He opened the fourth box, and a girl with freckles came out.
‘Huh?’
Enoch froze.
The child in the last box couldn’t be Lilis, could she?
Just then.
Chessier, who was standing behind him, ran forward with a frown and urgently threw open the last box.
Out came a short boy.
Enoch’s mind went blank.
Lilis was nowhere to be found.
