Chapter 37
Episode 37
It was already night when I came outside.
I remembered Etwal being kept in the Duke's office and quickly headed there.
As I walked down the dark hallway towards the office, light leaked through a slightly open door.
And I heard a familiar voice.
"Look at Cattleya. Her complexion is so pale. It's because she vomited blood. Because of the Child of Destiny's Divine Power!"
The Baroness shouted in a trembling voice, and the Baron echoed her.
"Why did the Child of Destiny attack my daughter? What did my daughter do wrong?"
"You must hold the Child of Destiny accountable. Someone with that much power doesn't fall within the category of a child!"
"Noisy."
It was Isaac.
He was sitting crookedly, his arm resting on the sofa armrest, lightly supporting his head with his fist.
When the Baron and Baroness asked, "Yes?" Isaac murmured in a nonchalant voice.
"Makes me want to kill them."
"How can you be so heartless? Cattleya is your sibling, young master……."
Then Henri put down his teacup with a clatter and smiled sweetly.
"Baron."
Hope dawned on the Baron and Baroness' faces at the honey-sweet smile. The Baron, his expression brightening, said.
"As expected, young master Henri cares for Cattleya……."
"I'm tolerating you right now, Baron."
"What……."
"This wouldn't have happened in the first place if you hadn't tried anything foolish."
"Y, young master."
Isaac frowned and added.
"My sister's legs gave out because you came swarming in and made a fuss."
That was quite a thing to say in front of Cattleya, who had vomited blood.
Everyone seemed to think so, judging by their flustered expressions.
'There are too many people. Should I go back and come tomorrow?'
But I need to find Etwal before the voice turns me completely into a child.
I was hesitating.
"Hey, kid!"
"LeBlaine."
The young masters, who had somehow found me, ran out.
"Are you okay?"
"Why did you come instead of lying down?"
"I came becauth I'm okay. (I came because I'm okay.)"
I was surprised by my own way of speaking.
My pronunciation, which had been gradually improving, had regressed.
'I need to find Etwal today and ask the voice how to reverse my condition.'
"Gongzhanmi, I want to thee you……."
Then Henri and Isaac flung the door open and let me in.
When I entered the room, there was an Elder whom I hadn't seen from outside.
He looked at me as if he were appraising an object. His gaze was very persistent.
Suddenly, what had happened earlier came to mind.
If that old man hadn't egged me on so much, I wouldn't be so anxious about hearing the voice or completely turning into a child.
'Thinking about it makes me angry?'
I approached the Duke and looked up at him with tearful eyes.
"Heeing……."
The Duke quickly picked me up, who was whining. Then he rubbed his eyes.
"What is it?"
The young masters also came running to me.
"What's wrong? Huh? Are you still sick?"
I buried my face in the Duke's chest and pointed at the Elder with my index finger.
"I hate that man. He lookth at me thcarely. (I hate that man. He looks at me scarily.)"
At my words, Isaac glared at him with blazing eyes.
"I'll pluck his eyeballs out."
Henri stared at the Elder with cold eyes and said to Isaac.
"I told you to use polite language in front of LeBlaine. Say, 'I will enucleate his eyeballs.'"
Either way, he was saying he would pluck out his eyeballs.
The Elder laughed awkwardly.
"I should avert my eyes from the Child of Destiny before my eyeballs are enucleated."
He bowed deeply to the Duke and headed for the door. The other retainers followed him out like arrows.
Only Cattleya glared at me sharply before leaving.
After they all left, three of the Duke's faction retainers, including Viscount Dubois, and Noth remained in the room.
The Duke stroked my disheveled hair and asked.
"Do you not need to rest more?"
"I'm okay."
"Stubborn. Is there anything you want to eat? Anything else you need?"
As soon as I heard those words, my eyes widened.
'Right, I can't steal Etwal from the Duke's office, which Illy is guarding all day long.'
Then I have no choice but to secretly infiltrate with the help of the voice. But if I can't control my Divine Power and the Wizards of Dubled appear again and ask, 'Thousands? Tens of thousands?!' I'll really be in trouble.
'So I have to say it when he offers.'
I carefully looked up at him and said.
"Give me Etwal. (Give me Etwal.)"
The retainers and Noth's eyes widened as if they would pop out. Even Isaac and Henri looked taken aback.
"Huh? Hey, kid, that's……."
"LeBlaine, Etwal is……."
As expected, he wouldn't just give me something as precious as Etwal just because I asked.
'Let's try something.'
I put my hands together and looked at the Duke with sparkling eyes.
"Dad……. Leubu wantth Etwal."
I felt goosebumps all over my body, but I tried to speak as cutely as possible.
I'd rather wet the bed than give up my dignity.
But I wasn't sure he would easily give it to me just because I did that, so I closed my eyes tightly.
'Why is it so quiet? Did it not work?'
Then.
Thump!
I heard a dull noise.
When I slightly opened my eyes, a glossy wooden box was placed on the desk.
And when the Duke stared at the box with wide eyes, I heard the sound of explosions going off.
It was the sound of the twelvefold Barrier that the 100 Wizards of Dubled had been working on day and night for a week exploding.
Bang!
With the last explosion, the box clattered open, and blood spurted like a fountain from the Duke's arm that was holding me.
The Duke, grabbing Etwal, held it out to me and said.
"Shall I take the one in the Temple as well?"
……No, that's okay.
\*
"Dad."
"Yes."
"Dad."
"Yes."
"Dadaaa……."
"Yes."
How long do I have to do this?
The Duke didn't seem to get tired of it and was about to listen to me say "Dad" all night long.
I finally put on an act worthy of a stage actor, saying, "Ah, my head……!" and was able to get off the Duke's lap.
As I grabbed the doorknob, Henri and Isaac stared at me with very dark expressions.
'……I have a bad feeling about this.'
I quickly ran away from the room.
And I left the castle gates with Etwal.
'I can't do it in front of Leah.'
I looked around and found a suitable space to talk to the voice.
It was the gazebo in the garden.
'Do I have what it takes now?'
-I thought, but there was no answer.
Why did it suddenly get so quiet?
I tilted my head and shook Etwal.
'Do I need Divine Power like before?'
I was about to gently infuse the Etwal I was holding with Divine Power when.
A gust of wind blew. Leaves and petals mixed with the wind and scattered, so I covered my eyes with my arm.
"I can finally greet you in this form."
"……!"
The voice didn't come directly into my head, but I heard it in my ear.
I lowered the arm that had been covering my eyes.
Under the chillingly shining full moon, a fair and beautiful man with long silver hair, reminiscent of a lily, was standing.
"I am the twenty-second Pillar, Bune."
Fine silver hair fluttered in the wind, and beautiful eyes curved gently. Behind him was a Pillar with flames burning.
"I have been eagerly awaiting to meet the little one."
"……."
When I didn't say anything, he tilted his head and looked at me.
"Hmm? Are you surprised? Why are you not saying anything?"
"Fire."
"What?"
"Turn off the fire quick! (Turn off the fire quick!)"
What if people find out I'm here! I pointed at the Pillar and stomped my feet.
The voice, no, Bune erased the Pillar. He really erased it, literally.
Every time he waved his hand in the air, the Pillar disappeared as if he were erasing it with an eraser.
"I didn't mean to startle the little one. After all, only the little one can see my 'Pillar.'"
"Why can only I thee it?"
"Because the little one summoned me."
"Can Guromon thummon other people too? (Can Guromon summon other people too?)"
"If they have a strong obsession, a very rare relic, and luck and a price."
"What ith the price?"
"A soul."
I flinched.
"Do I have to give my thoul too? (Do I have to give my soul too?)"
"Of course not. The little one is someone with power and qualifications. When the little one borrows our power, what's needed isn't a soul. You can simply maintain us with your power."
That's a relief.
'Bune. Bune, huh. I've heard that name somewhere.'
And stories like 'Pillar' and 'soul' too.
As I pondered, I suddenly froze and trembled at the thought that came to mind.
"Mithter, don't tell me……."
"Calling me 'mister' makes me a little sad."
"Don't tell me……."
"Yes."
"Are you a demon?! (Are you a demon?!)"
He clapped his hands and smiled brightly.
"That's correct."
Dad is the mastermind.
The brothers are war maniacs and vipers.
The maids are serial killers, con artists, and loan sharks, respectively.
And I summoned a demon here, so I laughed.
'This is a mess.'
-I thought.
If the Temple knew, they would clutch their necks and roll around.
They picked me as the Child of Destiny to represent the Temple, but I summoned a demon.
I put my hands on my hips and sighed.
But Bune, who was looking at me with sparkling eyes, suddenly hugged me tightly. Then he rubbed his cheek against my face. Thanks to that, my cheeks became steamed buns.
"Aah, you're even cuter than I thought."
"Ugh……."
"Your cheeks are chubby, your hands are soft……."
He murmured in a daze and cooed at me.
"Let go of me. (Let go of me.)"
"Your eyes are round, your hair is fluffy……."
"Let go!"
When I shouted in frustration, Bune became sullen.
"I didn't mean to trouble you. I just like the little one very much. I've been waiting for a long time. For a special being to summon us."
"Why?"
"We have always granted someone's wishes. But no one could grant our wishes. Only the little one can do that."
He smiled and said.
"So the little one can wish for anything from us. You'll need a lot of the little one's Divine Power to make us exert our power, though."
"But why are you maintained by Divine Power? If you're a demon, don't you hate Divine Power? (But why are you maintained by Divine Power? If you're a demon, don't you hate Divine Power?)"
"I should be asking you that instead."
"Yes?"
"Why do you think we hate Divine Power?"
"Don't you hate it? (Don't you hate it?)"
"Yes. There are even those whose wish is a huge amount of Divine Power."
I hummed and nodded.
"Okay. Then what thould I do for Bune? (Okay. Then what should I do for Bune?)"
"You're finally asking!"
He was overjoyed and met my gaze.
"What I want is."
"What you want ith?"
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