Chapter 198
Chapter 198
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 198
Chapter Title: Kidnapping Escape Game
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"Dia, try this on."
Nihil held out the small pajamas he'd received from Noah to the little one. Like most baby clothes, they were cute and frilly.
Thud-
The little one snatched the pajamas with a face like he'd bitten into a bug, gripping them so tightly it seemed like he might rip them to shreds.
"Don't you like matching outfits with me?"
At those words, the little one's hand froze in place. The fabric stretched a little, but thankfully didn't tear.
"You'll wear them, right?"
"......"
Or should I dress you myself? At that, the obedient little one irritably got to his feet.
Squeak. A sound came from his shoes. The reason he'd been staying so still up until now was those shoes, of all things.
I'd thought civilization had regressed five hundred years, but discovering those ingenious shoes had been a real shock. Humans truly were creatures of progress.
'...A bet..., then. What should I stake?'
'I don't want much. Just wear the clothes I pick and spend the day with me.'
'Clothes...? I could just wear them.'
'Really?'
But the face he'd made upon seeing the baby outfit...
Squeak! Squeak! Squeak! Squeak! Slam, bang-!
The furious stomping echoed all the way to the next room before the door slammed shut with a racket.
"That kid's really... spirited, huh..."
Lianus's wry remark drew a soft chuckle from Nihil. Even if the little one threw a fit, he still did most of what was asked. He'd come here in baby form from the start, after all.
"By the way, Nil. Where exactly did you find that kid?"
"Grand Duke's."
"...Not the Grand Duke's kid?"
"Not the Grand Duke's kid."
The Grand Duke himself.
Lianus stared at Nihil's meaningful smile, plunging into confusion. In the meantime, the little one returned, changed into the pajamas. His outfit was now adorably cute, but his face was even more sullen than before.
That's when Riven, oblivious to the little one's circumstances, spoke up seriously.
"Bro, you think the kid's been frowning 'cause he's gotta poop or something?"
"......Guh!"
Nihil clamped his mouth shut to hold back the laugh, but it was too late—the little one had frozen solid.
"Aw, looks like he already did."
Did Riven have any idea he'd just branded a grand duke a pooper?
Is this what pure evil looks like? Kids these days are terrifying.
Nihil felt a twinge of pity for the misunderstood little one, but teasing kids had always been his hobby, past and present. He scooped up the shocked child and patted his bottom.
"Dia, want me to change your diaper...? Ugh, Dia, sorry, sorry! Don't pull my hair!"
In the end, his hair got yanked.
"Ack, Nil!"
"Hey, baby, that's not allowed!"
"Waaah, your hair's gonna get ripped out, friend!"
"Young master, be good! You can't pull on that. Here, Kara will give you this!"
The kids frantically tried to pry him off, but if even knights couldn't handle the little one's strength, there was no way children could.
Only after ripping out a fistful of Nihil's hair did the little one finally calm down.
"Dia..., that was just a joke. Wasn't that too much...?"
Whether Nihil protested or not, the little one gazed at the white trophy in his hand and smiled contentedly for the first time.
That seemed to lift his mood, and afterward, he behaved quite well.
"So anyway, Nil, don't follow strangers..."
Firmly convinced he'd been kidnapped by the Grand Duke, Lianus kept nagging about avoiding abductions even while huddled around playing a card game.
Thanks to that, Lianus—who couldn't hide his expressions—was unintentionally dominating the psychological warfare.
"Rian, I wasn't kidnapped."
"If I can't see you, it's kidnapping."
"Got it."
Nihil nodded readily and slid the Old Maid card toward Lianus. Lost in thought, Lianus accepted every card without resistance, and naturally, he ended up losing.
"...Why is this in my hand?"
Lianus tilted his head at the Old Maid in his grip. Seeing the kid lose repeatedly was starting to irk the watching fathers.
Looks like I need to include Father's playtime too.
"Want me to teach you how to pick locks?"
"Huh? Yeah?"
The abrupt topic shift puzzled the guardians, but Nihil pressed on steadfastly.
"I'll teach you what to do if you're kidnapped."
He pulled out a lock and rope from his pocket, turning the guardians' faces subtly wary. The kids, however, lit up with interest.
"If your eyes are covered, don't rush to uncover them—use your other senses to grasp the surroundings first... Ah, Dia, I said don't cut the rope."
The problem was the kidnapping target snapping the rope like twine.
"Isn't the rope rotten?"
Noah hurried over, insisting Allie Trading Company's ropes were sturdy, and tugged on it. Naturally, it didn't break. Nihil seized the chance, grabbing the new volunteer hostage and binding her tightly.
"Wh-what?"
By the time Noah realized, she was tied to a chair.
"Noah, kids like you are prime targets."
"...What's that supposed to mean, kids like me?"
Noah's face fell a bit as she asked.
"'Cause I'm dumb and slow?"
"No. It's because you're a merchant lord's son—easy pickings for ransom."
Nihil shook his head and drew a dagger, pressing it to Noah's throat.
"Noah!"
The merchant lord, who'd been smiling amiably, cried out in alarm. It was a real edged blade, so even his guard knight, Michael, tensed up visibly.
"Put the sword down—it's dangerous...!"
"Merchant Lord, I've kidnapped your son somewhere."
"......?"
"I don't know the location, but I'm demanding money."
Morris imagined the scenario and paled, opening his mouth.
"H-how much do you need?"
"......"
"I'll prepare as much as I can."
"...Yeah, you're done for too."
Nihil shook his head and sheathed the dagger. Looked like the guardians needed training first.
"When your kid's kidnapped, pretend to meet the demands while stalling for time and extracting info—that's key."
Sedes was listening intently by now. He'd never realized a kids' pajama party could be this useful.
Is this normal?
A flicker of doubt arose, but watching his son dramatically snap ropes and demonstrate escapes dispelled it instantly.
My boy's first at picking locks too. Good job.
Wonder if there'd be a chance to praise him later. If he'd known, he would've shown his face from the start. Would taking off the hood now surprise him?
Lost in thought for a moment, he felt someone tugging his robe.
"Alright, good luck then, Kidnapper No. 3."
"......?"
How had things progressed to him being Kidnapper No. 3? And if he was 3, who were 1 and 2...?
"No. 1's me. No. 2's my little guy. No. 4's the doggy, No. 5's the kitty."
Sedes felt even more awkward realizing he was the only human kidnapper.
His son's friend handed him a small note with orders.
-Floors 3~5, hallways only. 5 minutes per floor. Don't hide your presence. Chase if big noise or hostage in sight. Return to 'exit' every 10 minutes.
Surprised by the detailed instructions, Sedes peeked at Kidnapper No. 4's note. No. 4 flinched at his gaze but obligingly unfurled it.
-Floors 3~5, search rooms randomly. Stay 30+ sec per room. If chased kids hide in room, follow but don't stay 3+ min if undiscovered. No more than 10 min per floor. Move only with lights on. Chase at smallest sounds.
These orders are tougher.
"Playing with kids was never easy to begin with."
"......?"
Did I mutter out loud?
His son's friend replied so naturally that Sedes glanced at his son, half-expecting he'd been caught and could relax. But his son was beaming, waving a yellow paper.
"Noah and Riven are on my team!"
Seemed like coincidence after all.
"Not a coincidence."
"......?!"
Sedes froze at the perfectly timed response.
Does he have mind-reading powers?
He stared at his son's friend with trembling eyes, and the answer came promptly.
"No. Just predicting hard for the speechless Kidnapper No. 3."
"......"
"Have fun. Kids grow up fast."
With that, his son's friend tied a bell to his ankle and handed a lantern to the suspicious baby.
"Dia, walk loudly so the kids aren't startled."
The baby nodded reluctantly, then demonstrated with deliberate marching in place.
Squeak, squeak, squeak.
"Welcome back, Your Majesty."
Returning to the 'exit' per the orders, Marquis Allie greeted him halfheartedly before turning back to the crystal orb.
"You're focused, I see."
"Join us, Your Majesty. Riven got recaptured by Sir Evan, and Noah with the prince just barely escaped."
Forgetting his role, Kidnapper No. 3 hurried to the orb. Lianus's tense face was utterly adorable.
Another orb showed the Tarandrus heir and the young marquis's youngest sibling. The Francesca siblings pressed close, peering in as if entering themselves, making it hard to watch.
Seeing a child's head swaying in the windowless hall suggested spirit magic.
Such power from a child that young...
"Spirit arts feel kinda cheat-y."
Amazed by the unchildlike prowess, Sedes sipped his wine as Abel grumbled.
"Mages start with mana circulation, barely form circles, memorize magic circles over and over, then barely complete one spell..."
Ting. Abel flicked his wine glass.
"Spirit mages just contract a spirit with talent and summon—they do everything."
"But manifesting that talent's hard, right?"
"I know, but it still feels unfair."
Abel muttered, tried operating a circle, then quickly stopped. He'd get scolded by Nil if he misused mana again.
Then Karus, nose-deep in an orb, looked up.
"Prime Minister, not quite."
He summoned a low-grade spirit—a tiny girl who circled him before perching on his shoulder.
"Spirit arts guzzle mana. For summoning, maintaining, manipulating wind—everything."
Swoosh. Karus's pale turquoise hair fluttered.
"Communication's tricky too. No need to voice it, but without precise imagery, spirits wander or waste mana inefficiently."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Kara's young, so her application is limited. High affinity, but new to mana training—summoning one low-grade spirit is her limit. Even that's just minutes. She'll release soon after using power."
As if on cue, Kara in the orb flopped down amid the Francesca siblings' groans.
Sergio nearby scooped her up and tried fleeing the cat, but with his years-unused leg and a child in arms, outrunning it was impossible.
"Aigoo, Kara got caught again..."
"Bella, watch the rascal."
"If I do, your friend'll show up and snatch her."
Abel watched the lamenting, then turned to Sedes.
"Anyway, Sedi, aren't you showing up too often?"
"Just following orders."
"Your son's watching you now."
"Oh."
Sedes chuckled.
"He finally caught on, huh."
His son's friend had made him shuttle to the exit room to shift hostages' focus from escape to observation.
"I'll head out."
That way, his son could find the exit. Just then, he spotted Lianus hiding from the baby.