10 - The Youngest is Hiding a Lot
Episode 10
However, Gong-ja was just grinning. The round eyes of the child, who was a head taller than me, curved as if to show off.
"Let's stop with the greetings and go inside. It's getting chilly as the sun sets."
Uncle placed his hands on my and Void's heads. He suddenly frowned.
"The height difference..."
It's too much.
He seemed to mutter that, but I was too focused on observing Void.
"Where is Old Duke?"
To Uncle's question, the butler Grandfather, wearing a stylish monocle, stepped forward.
"Old Duke has not been feeling well for some time and has been staying in the north annex..."
It was a low whisper. Uncle nodded briefly.
"I see. I'll have to visit him later."
It was a familiar tone.
"It would be good to wash him up and feed him something. The journey was rough."
"Yes, I will prepare it."
Butler Grandfather bowed politely.
"Um... Father, may I visit you in your office later?"
Void fidgeted, looking shy. His eyes, looking at his father after a long time, held both respect and fear.
"Yes."
Void, who smiled brightly, immediately ran up the stairs.
"Elto! Where's my perfect test paper? My swordsmanship record?"
"Oh, young master! Please don't run! And there is no perfect score!"
Indeed, what great energy.
"You've become quite familiar with the young master."
Butler Grandfather said with a smiling voice. Leviathan rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed look.
"Well... yeah."
"Huh? Weren't you two close?"
I, who can't stand being curious, asked.
"There was no being close or not close."
"Then?"
"That is..."
Butler Grandfather bent down to meet my eye level.
"It was closer to the head of the family avoiding young master Void. The young master would cry whenever he saw the head of the family, so he was trying to be considerate..."
"Ah."
"Well, it's all the head of the family's fault. Who wouldn't be scared if a big adult opened his eyes like this?"
Butler Grandfather playfully raised the corners of his eyes with his index fingers.
"Right?"
A soft and affectionate smile. I nodded vigorously.
That's right, that's right.
I know very well that he has a grumpy personality.
"It's only now that the awkwardness has eased a bit. The mistress suffered a lot in the middle."
"...Adolf, you're talking a lot today."
Uncle said unhappily.
The interior was filled with warm air, making my body feel hot. Butler Grandfather smiled as he gently took off my cloak.
"That's why everyone is amazed."
"Huh?"
"Because you're the first child to be held in the head of the family's arms without any fuss."
"Oh, it's just more comfortable than I thought..."
Hot. I suddenly realized.
I should have walked on my own two feet! I should have looked dignified in the North!
"Just comfortable? You're so good at talking back."
Uncle ruffled my hair so much that it became statically charged and floated like a lion's mane.
"Stop it!"
"See? I told you he's a beast."
Uncle, who chuckled like a villain, was annoying. Even Butler Grandfather pushed up his glasses and laughed along.
"Then, shall we get you washed up and have something to eat? Hazel."
The brown-haired maid sister stepped forward.
"Rubian, would you like to take a bath first?"
'A bath!'
It was a welcome sound, but I couldn't readily nod.
As I hesitated, unable to do either, Leviathan added.
"Well, let Rubian allow you to help with the bath or clothes."
The servants' gazes met.
Uncle emphasized his words once more as if to make them aware.
"Don't force it."
He seems a little less grumpy at times like that.
"Understood, head of the family."
I sniffled once and took the maid sister's hand.
I slowly climbed the stairs to the second floor.
Unlike its rigid exterior, Zebert Duchy Castle had a bright and warm atmosphere inside.
The yellow lights of the splendid chandeliers illuminated every corner of the castle, and well-arranged carpets and a marble hallway with a subtle sheen stretched out.
"This way, Rubian."
Looking at the Zebert Duchy's crest embroidered everywhere... I felt strange.
Did I safely enter the Zebert Duchy Castle?
'Now I have to find the reason why Uncle dies.'
The real game starts now.
\ \ \
"Then, shall I wait outside?"
I nodded obediently.
"If you have any trouble, ring the bell."
The maid sisters looked back at me several times with very worried faces.
'I know you're worried because I look young, but...'
I've taken countless baths alone in my past and present lives.
It was even more comfortable this way.
'It smells good.'
The bathroom was filled with white steam and a pleasant fragrance. I took off my clothes and went into the tub.
The white bubbles were very soft.
Leaning back in the tub, my body relaxed.
"Ah, good..."
Enjoying the comfort for a moment, I suddenly thought of Cal.
Pressing my earlobe tightly, I called him, but as expected, there was no response.
'He really blocked me.'
I was starting to get seriously angry.
To be honest, I was most afraid that he would suddenly appear. He was unpredictable somewhere...
I soaked a little longer and got up.
I reflected my body in the large mirror. A skinny, unattractive body was revealed. And the scar across my right side as well.
'It's not a complete lie, though.'
There were minor scratches, but this scar was the biggest. It was a wound I got somewhere... Honestly, I didn't remember it well.
'It must have hurt a lot...?'
Is it fortunate that I don't remember?
I slowly turned around to check my back.
"This is more of a problem than that."
The small Archmage Kingdom's crest imprinted on my lower back.
'I have to do something about this.'
I had to prepare for any possible situation.
It must not be known that the runaway magician the Archmage Kingdom of Arcadia is looking for is me.
I haven't even figured out the cause of Leviathan's death yet, and I haven't changed the destruction ending either.
I pondered.
'The worst thing is to have my identity and power as a magician exposed.'
That's a bad ending in itself.
If that happens, I'll be kicked out to the Archmage Kingdom, and I won't be able to achieve any goals.
I certainly won't be able to stop the destruction.
'Then, what about the past that I participated in the Human-Magical beast War being revealed?'
I looked at the scar on my side again.
"Ugh."
That meant I was a child soldier of Arcadia, so the probability of being exposed as a magician was high.
In the end, the same bad ending as before.
'Then, what about being exposed as a girl?'
That was the lightest secret among the things I hid.
However, since it was a well-known fact that the runaway magician of the Archmage Kingdom was a woman, there was no need to increase the possibility of being suspected.
'Besides...'
I thought of Leviathan in the original story.
Yes, actually.
'It's not that I haven't thought about telling Leviathan everything.'
But I couldn't do that.
Leviathan lost his child due to a carriage accident caused by a runaway magician.
"It was a girl..."
To be exact, the child Rosetta was carrying in her womb.
The Duchess gave birth to a dead child.
It was a fact that everyone in the Empire knew.
'I know better than anyone how much Leviathan despaired in the original story.'
It was from then on.
Leviathan and Duchess Rosetta started adopting children.
'But they were all boys.'
The eldest son, the second son.
The meaning was clear.
"Sigh..."
I didn't want to be Uncle's trauma. I didn't want to be anything that reminded him of his dead daughter.
Moreover, because of that incident, Uncle, as well as all the Northerners, came to hate magicians.
'I don't want to be hated...'
Uncle has a kind side, so his attitude won't change immediately.
But, if he shows even a little bit of reluctance towards me...
'I don't think I can stand it.'
So at least, while I'm here.
"I'm going to be a normal child."
I ended up keeping a lot of secrets... but it can't be helped.
Splash! I splashed water to wake myself up.
'Fortunately, the magic here is not as thin as in the capital.'
Is it because this place was originally the land of Magical beasts?
I had been moving my magic little by little all the way here, and it wasn't as breathless or difficult as it was in the capital.
'Maybe that's why I was able to contact Cal.'
Of course, I was blocked. Damn it.
"Okay. First, Invisibility Magic."
I operated my magic power.
The feeling that the magic passage inside my body was blocked was still there, but it was much more comfortable to use the magic power in the air.
Besides, Invisibility Magic is the most basic of the basics.
I created a thin barrier with a color similar to my skin. Then I covered the magician's brand and the side wound.
'I should be able to maintain it unless my condition drops significantly.'
I was quite an excellent magician.
Maybe, quite.
I had knowledge of numerous Magic Circles and circuits in my head.
I didn't have a lot of innate magic power, but thanks to that knowledge, I was recognized as a fairly excellent magician in the kingdom.
'As much as I have little internal magic power, it becomes difficult if there is a lack of surrounding magic power...'
It's okay as long as it's not the Imperial capital.
This is enough.
'Find the circuit that senses the surrounding magic power and my magic power in real time.'
If I connect it to this Invisibility Magic...
My head was spinning.
Looking slightly at the mirror, my eyes were swirling with red light.
My pupils would change like this when I borrowed knowledge from my head, not when I used general magic. I didn't know why.
Whoosh.
The magic light flashed briefly and disappeared.
I used the magic power in the air to complete a new formation so that my Invisibility Magic could always be maintained.
This way, it'll be okay even if I suddenly take off my clothes!
'I can't attach something that doesn't exist... so I still have to be careful.'
I looked down at my lower body(?) with a slightly embarrassed heart.
'Anyway, it's fortunate that the Northerners are ignorant of magic.'
The feeling of using power without being caught, the best!
"Rubian? Haven't you been in there too long?"
"I'm, I'm going out!"
Hurriedly, I shouted quickly.
Oh, don't run! It's dangerous!
I left the bathroom, listening to the anxious voices of the maid sisters.
It was a pretty meaningful first bath.
\ \ \
Hazel was waiting for me when I came out after washing up.
"Rubian, I'll greet you again. I'm Hazel, and I'll be in charge of Rubian's care."
"Yes! Hello, Hazel!"
"You can speak comfortably."
"Um, I'll do it slowly."
Hazel smiled, saying she understood.
For some reason, I become shy with characters who don't appear much in the original story...
"Then shall we go to dinner? You have no idea how much effort the chef put in because Rubian came."
Hehe. You didn't have to go that far.
Hazel, who was wiping the water off my arms and legs, suddenly tilted her eyebrows.
"Hmm... the clothes are too big after all. I should have prepared a smaller size."
The maid sisters behind her nodded in agreement.
This was because none of the clothes prepared in advance fit my body.
"It's made to fit young master Void's size when he was young... I'll have to order a new one."
"I'm okay. Like this..."
I folded up the long sleeves.
"-because I can do this!"
Tada!
"Kkeueueung..."
Hazel made a strange groan and wiggled her ten fingers.
"You're very, very, very cute, but no! You have to wear clothes that fit. I have to contact the boutique right away!"
Hazel's eyes were burning.
Hmm, is this such an important issue?
I didn't know, so I just stayed still.
"Then shall we go to dinner?"
"Yes!"
I went down to the dining room with Hazel.
"But where's Uncle?"
"The head of the family said he had a lot of urgent matters to take care of, so he would eat separately."
"Ah, yes."
I guess. It must be hectic since he returned after a very long time.
I sat quietly in my seat.
After being in the dining room, which seemed desolate because it was so large, for a while, soon the second son of this house.
Void Zebert appeared.
