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Chapter 248:
Chapter 248:
The Powerless Sorcerer (2)
***
When I first came to the Desmond family, Darbav spoke to me.
“Are you the little brat who beat my daughter with your fists?”
“…”
“You must know how to fight. There’s no one among her peers who can beat Olivia.”
At that time, I was trembling with fear.
He wasn’t just an ordinary wizard, but a Grand Wizard. On top of that, he was a villain who became an enemy of the Empire due to Olivia’s death.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the pressure I felt was overwhelming, especially when I saw a monster who had the power to cut off my head just because I had beaten his daughter.
Now, he only seems like a doting father, but back then, I was utterly overwhelmed by Darbav’s aura.*Gulp.*
But.
“You pass as a guard. As for being a butler, I’ll have to keep an eye on you for a while. Olivia is too much for a child to handle alone.”
Desmond Darbav was much more easygoing than I had expected. His only flaw was that he was an extreme daughter-con. Other than that, he was an excellent nobleman in both appearance and ability.
“I wish I could get hit too.”
“Pardon?”
“I shouldn’t give her any snacks today. That way, I might get hit.”
“…?”
Darbav said to me.
There was something important to keep in mind when serving a lady, or even any noble, Darbav had once told me when I was just a child sitting on the sofa in his office. ?
“What did you say your name was?”
“Ricardo.”
“Sounds like a rather irreverent name.”
“The lady gave it to me.”
“That’s a fine name. I want her to name me too…”
*Sigh.*
“Anyway, Ricardo. Olivia—no, nobles—are people who make things happen once they say them. Even if it’s not true, if they set their mind to it, they can make it happen.”
“Then, are you planning to change your name, sir?”
“…That was a slip of the tongue.”
Darbav’s advice wasn’t wrong.
The lady…
“Chipal!”
…was someone who always kept her word.
“Who’s your dad?!”
The lady’s voice echoed through the alley as she politely inquired about the well-being of some unknown child’s parents.
The child, dressed in expensive-looking clothes, pursed his lips tightly, seemingly moved by the question about his parents’ well-being. His eyes widened for a moment, then his eyes began to well up with tears.
The lady continued to speak without pausing.
Since she was also a child, she poured out insults to the boy with a sense of righteousness.
“Chipal! Where’s your dad?!”
“He’s here!”
“Bring him here!”
“I said he’s here!”
“Then bring him here, chipal!!”
“Sniff…”
Hey, kid, don’t cry. You’re making me more uncomfortable.
I gave an awkward smile as I looked at the boy who had been proudly boasting about his father. This was getting troublesome.
As a somewhat responsible adult, I felt like I had done something I shouldn’t have, so I placed my hand on the top of the lady’s head, who was engaged in a high-level debate, and spoke.
“My lady.”
“Yes?”
“I don’t think he really has one.”
“Huh?”
“Look at him.”
-…I told you! My dad’s just too busy to come!
The lady looked at me, bewildered.
“Huh? Ricardo, he’s crying.”
“Exactly.”
“Why is he crying?”
“Because you said he doesn’t have a dad, my lady.”
“Yeah.”
“He’s probably crying because he really doesn’t have one.”
“No way. He bragged about his dad so much. I was scared, thinking his dad might be the Emperor.”
“Is that what scared you?”
“Yeah.”
“What if he’s just a regular noble?”
“I’ll wipe out his entire family.”
“Oh… You’ve matured quite a bit.”
“Yes.”
“Anyway, people who don’t have something tend to brag about it more, which is probably why he’s crying.”
The lady stared into my eyes and asked.
“Ricardo, you don’t have one, but you didn’t brag.”
‘Chipal.’
Unintentionally hit with a low blow, I looked at the lady with teary eyes, just like the boy in front of me.
“I’m going to sulk.”
“No, don’t. If you sulk, I’ll starve to death.”
“Then I won’t sulk.”
“Good.”
Indeed.
I nodded and let go of my hurt feelings. It wasn’t because I was thinking about the size of the treasure pouch, but because the lady starving would be dangerous. I nodded again and ruffled her hair.
*Sniff.*
So… why is this kid crying now?
I kindly asked the boy, who was trembling with his head down.
“Hey, kid.”
“…”
“Do you really not have a dad?”
I couldn’t hold back my curiosity, so I politely asked the kid who had been bragging about his dad.
“I do…!”
“Then why are you crying?”
“Because you said I don’t have a dad!”
“But, you’re speaking so informally?”
“You’re just a commoner, so shut up!”
“Oh?”
I rolled up my sleeves and took a step toward the boy. It seemed like a little bit of tough love was in order.
Just as I was about to teach the child the harsh realities of life…
“Ricardo.”
The lady, with a serious expression, grabbed my sleeve and stopped me.
Her unexpected action made me tilt my head in confusion. The lady’s temper was usually much worse than mine, so it was strange for her to hold me back.
Normally…
“Chipal! Let goooo!”
“My lady! Please calm down!”
“Aaahhh! Eeeek! Hiiii!”
She would have lost her temper and gone on a rampage.
But now, the lady, who was holding onto my sleeve, looked at me with a serious expression and said something to clear my confusion.
“Ricardo.”
“Yes.”
“Maybe what he’s saying is true.”
“What do you mean?”
“We could just get rid of him.”
“Who?”
“His dad.”
“Ah!”
I flicked the lady’s forehead lightly and nodded. Her novel solution was clever, but since this situation could be resolved with a simple apology, I didn’t want to escalate things unnecessarily.
“I’m going to tell my dad on you! Waaah!”
Should I kill him?
I’m still young at heart, too.
I felt like I might start thinking bad thoughts.
I spoke to the lady, doing my best to suppress my emotions. The lady always valued efficiency above all else.
“My lady.”
“Yes?”
“You should tell your dad too.”
“Yes.”
The lady, not wanting to lose, plopped down on the ground and started crying as well.
“Waaah! Daaaad! Daaaad!”
As if to prove that her backer was the strongest in the world, the lady displayed a performance beyond that of a Sword Master.
For today, I was proud to be a Desmond.
“Waaah!”
After about 10 minutes of a crying contest, the boy, overwhelmed by the lady’s superior skills, finally gave up with an “Uh…uh…” and the battle that had been assaulting my eardrums came to an end.
I clapped my hands in admiration as I walked between the two. I figured the lady had enjoyed herself enough by now.
Her hobbies were picking fights, brawling, and extortion, so I thought she would be satisfied after fulfilling all three.
“My lady.”
“Yes?”
“Shall we head back now?”
“But I still don’t know who his dad is.”
“He’s probably not saying anything because he doesn’t have one.”
“Oh…!”
The lady nodded and approached the boy with her short legs. The children who had been following the boy had already realized that the lady was no ordinary person and had backed away, looking dejected.
The lady pointed her finger at the boy.
“Hey!”
“…”
At her call, the boy trembled and nodded.
“Don’t be too upset just because you don’t have a dad.”
“…I do.”
The lady pointed at me and nodded.
“Ricardo doesn’t have one either.”
“…?”
“So cheer up.”
Was she making fun of me again?
I felt a sense of betrayal from the lady.
Still, seeing her mature enough to offer words of encouragement to the boy, I decided not to scold her. After all, she wasn’t wrong.
In the past, she would have said, “Bring everything you have, and I’ll let you go,” while shaking down their pockets. Compared to that, this was nothing. I was moved to tears by how much she had grown.
“Just give me money for ice cream.”
The lady was truly an adult.
The boy clenched his fists and glared at us. He didn’t seem touched by the lady’s kindness and looked like he wanted to kill us.
“…You don’t have any money, do you?”
“…”
“Ricardo, what should we do?”
“Indeed.”
The boy’s lips trembled.
He seemed to be trying to say a name he shouldn’t, taking deep breaths as he finally opened his mouth.
“Do you know who my dad is?”
“How would I know? I can’t even remember my own dad’s name.”
“Really?”
“No.”
The boy gritted his teeth and spoke to us.
“My dad is…”
“…”
“Wolf…”
Just as the boy was about to say his father’s name.
“Young master!”
From the entrance of the alley, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed. An elderly man’s voice rang out, accompanied by the footsteps of three young knights.
I cautiously hid the lady behind me and whispered softly.
“My lady.”
“Yes?”
“It seems that boy really does have a dad.”
“Huh?”
I pointed at the old man running toward us.
“Do you recognize that emblem?”
The eagle crest symbolizing one of the prominent families of the West. The lady nodded as she looked at the badge on the old man’s chest pocket.
“Yes. The eagle.”
“That’s right.”
I glanced at the boy and muttered quietly.
“So, you’re his son.”
‘Wolfgang.’
I smiled bitterly, marveling at the strange twists of fate.
‘Wolfgang Louis.’
The biological father of Michail.
The man who killed Michail’s mother.
And now, I had met the son of that power-hungry man.
And.
“Don’t worry. My dad’s stronger.”
The lady showed no sign of fear.
End of Chapter