CH 85

Seeing me in shock, my Aunt laughed and said, “What to do?” And laughed.

“W, what? Dad didn’t come?”

“Mmhm, he didn’t come home for some reason. We left first because we thought we shouldn’t be too late.”

“Dad is not coming home? Where’s Daddy?”

Aunt paused and looked at Uncle.

“Didn’t you tell her?”

“Brother-in-law told me not to talk….”

What was it? I looked at Uncle and Aunt, who smiled awkwardly, and my grandfather said.

“Your father has been busy these days. He has been doing what he left behind since you entered the training center.”

“What happened?”

“Uncle went out to subjugate demons.”

Leon said while pretending to wield a sword.

“He came home every two days, slept, and went out again the next day.”

Theo added.

“I, I see.”

Well, my Dad is the busiest person in the country right now.

Monsters spawn in this vast land of the empire, so it’s essential to subdue demons on a regular basis.

And the most effective army for subjugating the demons is the Paladins.

It was rather strange that my Dad, the active commander of the Paladins, had been at home all this time.

‘Before I entered the training center, he must have been avoiding subjugation in order to stay with me even a little longer….’

I let go of my disappointment.

No, but.

“But why didn’t Daddy come home? Daddy would have made sure to come on time….”

“That’s right. I thought that was strange too. He went out for the last subjugation the other day, and he said that he would definitely come back this morning.”

When Aunt was puzzled, I was terrified.

“D, didn’t something happen to Dad? I, if he got hurt somewhere while catching a monster…”

My body trembled automatically. The surrounding area was quiet as I was thinking.

I looked around wondering what it was, and everyone was only blinking at me.

“….?”

They looked like they couldn’t relate to my worries at all.

“My dear, Lilith. Don’t worry. The most useless thing in the world is worrying about him.”

“Because Lilith doesn’t know Enoch well yet, Father.”

Her younger brother didn’t come back without contact, but Aunt just laughed.

Are you really siblings?

“S, still…”

“I know how you feel, but you really don’t have to worry. You should worry about the demons, not brother-in-law.”

“Hahaha! Dad, isn’t that too much?”

Leon giggled.

“No. You really have to worry. If Mr. Demons dry up, brother-in-law will lose his job.”

“Ah! Is that so?”

As I watched Uncle and Leon exchange jokes, my strength drained from my body.

I’m the only one who’s serious—.

“Phew.”

Uncle held me in his arms and put me in the carriage.

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s go back and wait at home.”

“Yes…”

“You guys get on quickly too!”

The children who were waiting followed me and got into the carriage.

Cheshire, who was sitting next to me, said.

“Don’t worry. I also don’t think he’ll get hurt. He might be late because he bought you a present.”

As expected. Cheshire was the only one who took my concerns seriously.

I nodded with a sad expression and looked out the carriage window.

From Central to Capital…

‘Wouldn’t it take half a day? It’s an expensive carriage.’

Noble carriages have magic tools attached to horseshoes. It will arrive four times faster than an ordinary carriage.

‘Then Daddy will be back, right?’

I know very well that the most useless worry is the main character, who is the strongest in the worldview.

“Haa.” 

Still, I couldn’t be relieved because my Dad’s absence, who would have set aside ten days to come to see me, was strange. 

‘Huh?’

Then.

I saw a familiar face outside the window and rubbed my eyes in surprise.

‘Isn’t that Uncle Joseph?’

Joseph Lüttman.

The main character in the original work that my Dad and I tried to win over by going to the casino and playing poker. 

Enoch Rubeinsten’s machinator.

‘W, why are you here?’

I hurriedly looked around Joseph.

He was having a conversation with an aristocratic man whose stomach was out of order.

It was the first time I had met the aristocratic Uncle, but he was probably the parent of one of the people with power leaving today.

‘Whoa. Oh my.’

Bruce’s father, the Marquis of Chambers.

And for some reason, it seemed Joseph had visited the Marquis of Chambers, not my Dad.

My brain went blank.

* * *

At that time, Enoch—.

“Ugh. Haa…” 

He was scratching his head in frustration.

“Ugh. This… why… no carriage?” 

“A little bit… Ugh. It’s hard… look at me…” 

Two gray-haired old priests were squatting in front of the warp gate and whimpering.

Where did it go wrong?

Enoch, Axion, and Philip. The three most elite paladins finished subjugating last night in the southern Argonia territory.

The subjugation, which was expected to end only at dawn, ended much faster.

Today is the princess’ discharge day. 

This is because her father, Enoch, who only wanted to pick her up quickly, was all over the territory like a madman. 

After he wiped out even the monsters who didn’t want to come out, the subjugation was over instantly.

But—.

“Excuse me, priests. Is it still far away?”

“Uh, huh? What do you say? I’m getting old, and I can’t hear well…” 

“Still! Is it still far away!” 

?!”

“Yes? Where is this? Far, of course…” 

“Argh!” 

Enoch roared as he tore his hair.

Yes, the problem occurred in the temple where the warp gate is located.

Southern Canton, Argonia.

A remote area that few people visit.

So, the members of the Argonia Temple were both old priests.

“Obviously, it’s definitely going to be fully charged this morning… Didn’t you…” 

“Eung? W, what…?” 

“N, no! Please continue!” 

Warp gates are rechargeable.

The priests charged it with holy power, so it had to be prepared so that it could be operated at all times.

However, a remote temple with no one looking for it.

The old priests had neglected the warp gate for quite some time, and when they tried to return it, it was in a discharged state.

“Pft. Oh, what should I do? Our commander. It’s a real big deal.”

Philip, who was eating a packed lunch from behind, laughed at Enoch, whose tail seemed to be on fire.

“I’m crazy, so please sit still and wait. If you rush it like that, can it be charging?” 

Axion, who was eating together, clicked his tongue.

“No! So, I! I can do it!”

Frustrated, Enoch pounded his chest and said to the priests.

“Priests, I will just help you. I can recharge in no time.”

“No”

The priest shouted.

“This is our job! Speaking of warp gates… It’s a gift from the Primera…” 

“No. please.”

“Anyway! It’s not like outsiders just carelessly touch it… impurity…” 

He doesn’t know what he’s saying but can only listen to things like this.

Enoch was going crazy.

Abandon warp gate. It wasn’t enough to be negligent, so the old priests were even clogged up.

It’s so much holy power that anyone with a lot of strength should put it in—.

He told him to wait, saying they had to follow the customs. 

The subjugation had been finished quickly anyway, so he waited patiently because it was fully charged at dawn.

“Ugh. Being old is a sin…say in the past. Huh? How was I?”

“Our priest… your mana overflowed…” 

“Hoo. It was, it was…” 

“Aaaaaaa!”

Enoch quietly screamed, sweeping down his cheek as if to rip it off.

Axion and Philip were busy laughing as they watched.

“Oh!”

The chief priest suddenly flashed up and raised his head up.

“I’m hungry, so should I eat something first…?”

“Hmm. Should I…?” 

“Whoa. Oh my.” 

Enoch’s eyes spun around.

Should he just act like he doesn’t know and use his holy power?

He should show respect for the elders. But that was the limit.

Enoch quickly ran to the two priests, who stood up with their skinny legs trembling as if they really intended to eat.

“I will do it.”

“No!” 

“If you go out to eat now, when will I go home?”

“Shouldn’t we eat something to get mana… young man…” 

“I’m sorry. When our priest was young… the mana overflowed… you know, right? When you get old, mana and holy power decrease dramatically… all the powerful people retired and…” 

“Yes, yes. So please let me do it. I’ll do it. No, I want to.”

“No!” 

“Priest!”

This time, Enoch also fought back without losing.

“I, I have a daughter who doesn’t get hurt even if there’s something in her eyes…” 

“H, huh? Daughter?” 

“Yes. Today is the day of her discharge from the training camp. I promised to pick her up, but I couldn’t. My daughter will cry for me….” 

“What? Then stop talking!”

The priest pointed to the warp gate.

“Put it in, then.”

“What?”

Is this a joke? Was it enough to talk about his daughter once?

Enoch was angry, but he didn’t have much time, so he moved quickly.

He quickly poured a lot of holy power into the warp gate charging port.

The warp gate glowed blue with an ominous sound.

“What! What are you putting so much into this!”

“Hmm. The young man is very strong… I thought I saw myself when I was young…” 

“Isn’t this broken?! This is expensive!”

From where the power came, the priest grabbed Enoch by the collar and shook him off.

However, the warp gates started operating anyway.

“I’m sorry. If something goes wrong.”

Enoch trembled with his impatient legs and pointed at Axion behind him.

“Contact Axion Libre, vice-commander of the Dos Holy Knights.”

“No, you caused the accident, and why did I…” 

Axion got angry and stood up.

“Priest, please don’t do that and let me go quickly… I need to go see my daughter…” 

The priest laughed and slowly checked the screen of the warp gate.

He has to put the destination—.

“Oh, my eyes are blurry… It’s been a long time since I saw it, so what is it…” 

“Me! I’ll do it!”

Enoch, who quickly intervened, found the Pavill Temple on the map that appeared on the screen and put it. 

“Goodbye!”

Then, without looking back, he crossed the warp gate.

‘My princess must have come home long ago. I have to go back home quickly. Go…’

Enoch, who was rolling his head in that short time crossing, stiffened as it was.

Capital, Pavilion Temple.

There were many people, but none caught his eye.

“Daaad!”

Just one.

He could only see his beloved daughter.

“…Princess.”