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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: The Pink Poison Mushroom
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“Oh dear, our little stray kitten!”
The Dayamor Family’s esteemed elder, Ardores Dayamor, scooped Nibelria up into his arms.
Nibelria’s view shot up in an instant, and she burst into delighted giggles.
The old gentleman’s stern features melted away like butter at the sight of his granddaughter.
“Grandpa! Where’ve you been?”
“I was out in the woods. What’ve you been up to, Nini?”
“……”
“Oh my? Why the long face?”
“I went bankrupt.”
Kaleo tattled on his daughter’s misfortune without missing a beat.
“Goodness.”
Ardores set Nibelria back down on the floor, his expression turning grave. His golden eyes flashed sharply.
“What about the documents I gave you? Did you use those?”
“The guarantee papers? The ones for joint liability?”
“That’s right.”
Father, Kaleo muttered bitterly from behind.
“No one would stand guarantee for me. I must’ve wasted my whole life.”
“Exactly. That’s what a guarantee means. Don’t you go signing one for just anyone, Nini. Got it?”
“Would you sign one for me, Grandpa?”
“Not even for you, Nini.”
Nibelria’s cheeks puffed out in a full pout, her little chin dotted with walnut-like wrinkles.
She stomped off from her grandfather’s side as if to say, I’m mad now! Her destination? Right next door to Grandma.
With her snow-white hair and piercing blue eyes.
Even in her advanced years, her unyielding beauty could still stop passersby in their tracks.
Nibelria had inherited her looks from her grandmother.
“Did my Nini behave while Grandma was away?”
“Yeah!”
“No empty flattery from you—that’s a fine trait.”
“Heehee!”
Nibelria flashed a beaming smile.
From the moment she was born, Nibelria had adored Muniel. As a toddler just starting to babble, she’d even called her “Mama.”
“Grandma, did you eat any poison mushrooms?”
“No, I didn’t. That’d be a disaster.”
“But Brother said they were pretty mushrooms.”
“That pretty poison mushroom’s right here.”
Seletrina pointed to a silver tray holding the mushroom. Kaleo had prudently covered it with a glass lid, just in case.
“Wow.”
Nibelria’s round eyes locked onto the mushroom.
The massive pink stag horn poison mushroom gleamed with a glossy sheen. A touch larger than an adult’s palm, its split stem looked plump and hefty.
“What do you think? Pretty, right?”
Seletrina gazed fondly at Nibelria, who couldn’t tear her eyes away.
Finally pulling her gaze from the mushroom, Nibelria blurted out,
“Not pretty!”
“Oh?”
“Wolf’s eyes are a prettier color.”
Here, look! Nibelria thrust out the wolf plush she always carried. The doll’s eyes sparkled with red gemstones.
“But that’s a poison mushroom, so... don’t eat it. Bad color! Ptui! Ptui!”
Nibelria mimed spitting on the floor.
“Father, what’ll we do with the mushroom?”
Solles asked while gently scolding Nibelria for her spitting act. In the meantime, Dether wiped the spittle from the young lady’s mouth with a handkerchief.
“Sell it.”
“While we’re on the topic, what do you kids think?”
Muniel beckoned her grandchildren over.
“There are two places interested in buying it. How should we sell?”
“Hmm…”
Solles pondered for a moment before speaking up.
“It’s a pretty big mushroom, so we could split it in half and sell to both. But we keep the splitting a secret. Cut off all info about it.”
“Why?”
“That way, both sides think it’s the only one, and they’ll bid high against each other to get it.”
Solles explained methodically how one mushroom could maximize profits.
The adults’ faces bloomed with delight at his words.
“Smart thinking. Selri, what’s your take?”
“Same here, Mother.”
“Our boy takes after me—sharp as a tack!”
“What’re you saying? Anyone can see he’s got Grandpa’s smarts.”
Solles grinned bashfully at the adults’ praise.
“What about you, Nini?”
Seletrina called to Nibelria.
Having lost interest in the mushroom, Nibelria was busy smooching her wolf plush.
She tilted her head at the sound of her name.
Then answered with gusto.
“Cookies!”
Not having put much thought into it, Nibelria dashed to her room and returned with two packs of cookies.
The Dayamor Family.
A venerable merit house dating back to the founding of the Drameno Empire, its name carrying the auspicious meaning of “God’s Love.”
Yet not a single priest had ever emerged from its ranks.
The political sphere was no different. Despite their merit status, they’d never truly shone.
Behind their backs, the Dayamors were derided as hollow nobles, fake founders.
But forty-odd years ago marked a turning point. The Dayamor Family rose to become the empire’s mightiest noble house.
Their economic growth was especially staggering.
“Whew, really.”
Seletrina, ready for work, gave a wry smile at her family seeing her off at the entrance.
“You don’t have to do this every time. It’s just a quick trip to the annex next door…”
“What a heartbreaking thing to say.”
Muniel pulled Seletrina into a light hug.
“If I had my way, we’d live in the annex and turn the main house into your office.”
“Please don’t. I’d get too big for my britches.”
“You deserve to.”
Seletrina was the one who had sparked the Dayamor Family’s economic revival.
Right after marrying Kaleo, she’d launched her business. It grew relentlessly, expanding its influence and amassing wealth beyond measure.
Thanks to her, the Dayamors enjoyed their most prosperous era yet.
“I could give up Kaleo, but not you, dear.”
“Regrettably, Mother’s right, darling.”
Even Kaleo nodded along with Muniel’s blunt words.
The family saw off their precious moneymaker with heartfelt cheers on her commute.
“Our daughter-in-law, thanks for bringing in the big bucks.”
“Darling, you know I love you forever, right?”
“Mother, have a safe trip.”
“I gotta pee…”
Amid it all, Nibelria—cradled in Dether’s arms—had to rush to the bathroom.
With Seletrina’s departure, the Dayamor Family’s day truly began.
Ardores headed out for external affairs, while Kaleo holed up in his study for family matters and assisting Seletrina’s business.
The servants bustled about their duties.
“Dether, you work too?”
Nibelria asked as she washed her hands after a satisfying relief.
“Taking care of you is my job, miss.”
Dether dried Nibelria’s damp hands as she replied.
“I can do it myself fine, so... your job’s easy, huh?”
“Oh my!”
Dether burst into laughter that echoed down the hall.
“Our young lady’s getting good at jokes now.”
“Wasn’t a joke.”
“Best thing you’ve ever said.”
Dether led Nibelria to Muniel’s room, where Solles was waiting.
“Nini.”
Solles stretched out his arms. Nibelria stood obediently by her brother.
Nibelria scratched her philtrum and asked,
“Grandma not working today?”
“Today, looking after you two is my job. The most fun, but toughest one.”
“Why tough? Brother’s fault?”
“Who’s making it tough stays our little secret. Wouldn’t want hurt feelings.”
Muniel stared straight at Nibelria as she answered.
Nibelria cocked her head, then turned to Solles beside her.
“Brother, listen to Grandma. Got it?”
“Ahaha!”
“Unbelievable.”
Muniel let out an incredulous chuckle.
“Alright, time for a little errand from you two.”
After some pleasant chit-chat, Muniel got to the point.
“Grandma, then give me stickers.”
“Whew, you drive a hard bargain.”
“Three! Three!”
“No, just two.”
Ignoring Nibelria’s dramatic flop in protest, Muniel handed two freshly written letters to Solles.
“Drop these off at the information broker’s and the Magic Tower.”
“Whoa! Nini, hear that? To the info broker and Magic Tower!”
Solles exclaimed excitedly, glancing at his collapsed sister.
The information broker who knew everything from the neighbor boy’s spoon count to the bastard royal grandkids across the continent.
The towering stone spire piercing the heavens, where mages delved into knowledge and the laws of nature.
Places no child should venture lightly—dangerous spots. But all the more tempting for being off-limits.
Solles was thrilled enough to kick down the door right then.
“Your mushroom-selling idea from yesterday was spot on. Want to try handling the sale yourself?”
“M-Me?”
Solles tensed at the sudden major assignment.
“It’s good experience.”
“But I’m still a kid, and I’ve never…”
Above all, he feared messing up.
“Brother.”
Nibelria, now back on her feet, patted Solles’s back.
“You gotta fail to succeed.”
“Nini…”
“Look at me. Bankrupt, but working hard to pay it off.”
“R-Right…”
Oddly, Solles felt encouraged.
A bit embarrassed, he gave Nibelria an awkward smile. He felt sheepish about his earlier fears.
“Nini, it’s okay to mess up, huh.”
“Yeah. Nini messes up all the time!”
“Right, messing up’s fine.”
The siblings clasped hands tightly and set off on their errand, thick as thieves.
The pair’s first stop was the Magic Tower.
A serene forest on the capital’s outskirts.
Towering above it, a massive tower-like structure loomed so high that even craning one’s neck to the point of falling backward couldn’t glimpse its peak.
So Nibelria just lay flat on the ground.
Solles asked,
“Can you see the top?”
“Nope!”
“Miss, you can’t lie on the dirt.”
Dether, who’d come along, scooped Nibelria up.
