How to Replace Dad 24
The basement prison.
The guards stared at me with incredulous eyes.
“The person who looks like this inside the cell is the first time I’ve seen.”
“So, you see…”
They had expressions of seeing something unbelievable, but I just smiled gently.
Because it was truly like home.
‘Our house is also underground.’
Still, it wasn’t completely underground; it was semi-underground.
I forced it a bit thinking about Mom.
After all, Mom needs to get some sunlight.
Just as I was thinking that.
Creak, the prison door opened, and the sound of footsteps came.
The soldiers who had been staring at me blankly immediately prostrated themselves.
Because, as long as he has a foot in the north, he is a man who can never be crossed.
It was the one called the northern conqueror, Duke Esgard.
“Sintes.”
When the duke opened his mouth, the man who came with him bowed his head.
Looking at the name, the muscular, burly man was probably Viscount Sintes, Aslan's father.
Viscount Sintes bowed his head and immediately signaled to the surroundings.
Everyone around, including Sintes, quickly left like a receding tide.
The basement prison became quiet in an instant.
Only the duke and my breathing filled the space.
The duke quietly looked at me inside the cell.
“So, what is the reason you called me here with a threat?”
I swallowed dryly and said.
“There is… something to say.”
“It must be a great matter that is bold enough to call me out.”
“That is…”
“If it’s that the leader of the Irregular, Aslan, is my son, it will be disappointing.”
“…”
My heart felt like it was plummeting to the floor.
It felt like the blood in my body was freezing.
‘Does he know about the leader’s existence?’
When I turned pale and stiffened, the duke smiled faintly.
“Rather, I’m curious why you thought I wouldn’t know.”
I stared at him without even breathing.
His other alias came to mind.
The evil of the winter land.
…A man without blood or tears.
* * *
This was the first time I had encountered such a terrifying man.
When I met the leader, I was afraid, but the emotion I felt facing the duke was pure fear.
‘Is there anyone I can face?’
The only thing the duke knew about me was that I had confessed to destroying the camellia.
With that alone, he accurately guessed my intentions.
At fifteen, the possibility that I accidentally hurt the camellia out of fear and surrendered was completely ruled out.
He had accurately identified the person and reached a perfect conclusion.
Just by briefly facing him.
Moreover, the information power to accurately know the leader.
He would have known everything about the Irregular.
“Even though you know, why did you leave the leader alone…”
“There is no reason not to leave him alone.”
“…”
He let out a sigh.
“It’s not very pleasing to the heart, but I have another son who inherited the bloodline.”
“…”
“If there’s no one to replace, still, do I need to find and bring him?”
“…”
“Any other questions?”
“…”
There were none.
The duke smiled faintly.
“This part is different from my expectations. Wouldn’t you ask how I can abandon my child?”
“…”
“Why?”
“A father who abandons his child is not just the duke.”
I was also a child abandoned by my father.
He opened his mouth again.
“Good, now it’s time to explain how excellent and clever a son Aslan is and beg.”
“No.”
“Hmm, that’s also unexpected. What is the reason for that?”
“Because I don’t want to tell the duke the wonderful points of the leader.”
“…”
The duke’s eyes widened a bit.
He stared at me, then laughed loudly.
How funny it was, for a long time.
“Where did that courage come from in a child who was trembling in fear?”
…Still scary, though.
I decided to change my attitude.
Because I knew that showing off and begging wouldn’t work.
And if that doesn’t work at all, then…
“I want to make a deal.”
“You want to trade with me?”
“Yes.”
“Interesting. What great thing are you putting on the scale?”
“It’s a very great thing that the fate of Esgard is hanging on.”
“What is it?”
I tilted my head and said.
“The duke’s life.”
“I will purify it, so please let the leader into the castle.”
* * *
A few hours later.
The duke’s study.
Viscount Sintes, who had met the doctor and the shaman separately, entered.
He immediately handed over the documents to the duke, who was sitting quietly on the chair.
“The test results. It was true that the duke was poisoned. Also, as Yustea said, everyone who came into contact with the camellia was in a poisoned state.”
“What kind of poison?”
“I apologize. It was an unknown poison that couldn’t be found in any records.”
The duke smiled faintly.
“It’s usable.”
“Yes?”
“That child. He knows things that even Esgard doesn’t know.”
The duke’s eyes shone sharply.
The incident in the prison was also like that.
The boy was clearly terrified.
His hands were trembling, and he couldn’t even breathe properly.
Even in that state, his eyes were shining.
To accurately distinguish between unusable packages and usable ones by understanding the situation and people.
The duke, who had been lost in thought, asked.
“On the way to the north, the child said that he promoted the alliance between Prince Luciarno and Prince Ain.”
“Yes.”
“Then, did the child figure out that Prince Ain is not mad first?”
“Given the circumstances, it wouldn’t be.”
“Then, how did you find out about the administrative official’s collusion? You said you hit a big nose at the child in San Miguel.”
“I couldn’t find that out either.”
Yustea’s words lightly went back and forth.
If something happened in the north, the duke’s eyes and ears were everywhere.
Viscount Sintes asked.
“Shall I attach a direct unit?”
A direct unit comparable to the Irregular elite unit.
Since it was older in formation than the Irregular and could use the duke’s authority, in some aspects it surpassed the elite unit.
The duke sighed.
“Okay. I’m curious what interesting thing you’re going to do next.”
“It’s an affair that hangs on the duke’s life.”
“It’s not like only that child has my life in his hands.”
That was also true.
Dealing with Yustea was easier than snapping fingers.
Viscount Sintes swallowed a sigh.
“How much are you enjoying it?”
“I haven’t had this kind of fun for the last few years. Rather than that, let’s hear more about that child. How did you catch the daughter?”
“I don’t know the daughter’s taste well…”
“You seem to be on good terms with the daughter.”
“Nowadays, kids don’t live well with their parents.”
“That child said that I am pitiful to my adoptive father?”
“I envy you…”
Viscount Sintes let out a hot sigh.
* * *
That afternoon.
I, who had safely been released from the prison, immediately headed to the intended place.
Not to the steward… but to Luciarno.
Luciarno looked at me with an awkward smile on his face outside the door.
“After dealing with the Death Servant, there was a fun message waiting.”
“Hehe…”
“The news that the steward I recommended caused an accident.”
“…I’m truly sorry.”
“So, what did you come to me for?”
“Can I tell you inside?”
Luciarno, who had been staring at me, soon entered the room.
It was a signal that I could come in.
I quickly entered the room and closed the door tightly.
And then approached Luciarno, who was sitting at the table first.
I clasped my hands together and said.
“The apology is sincere.”
“Yes. But?”
“If I’m going to apologize anyway, can I add one more? An impudent request.”
“…”
I could tell without looking up.
How ridiculous Luciarno’s face was.
A deep gaze pierced my forehead.
It was unbelievable to suddenly come to the prince and ask for a trade.
‘But I have no other way…’
To purify the duke, I need mana, but I’m in a mana depletion state right now.
Thanks to Viscount Sintes, I could see people poisoned by Ingu.
However, the poisoning symptoms of people I often met were significantly reduced.
It seemed that I unconsciously purified them without knowing how to control mana.
It was almost like an air purifier.
‘I’m a mana wanderer, so I have to get it from elsewhere…’
I can’t bring the leader to Esgard Castle.
Then there was only one way.
To borrow the strongest power of Luciarno, the strongest in Esgard Castle.
Luciarno, who had been lost in thought, opened his mouth.
“First, tell me what kind of deal it is.”
I lifted my waist then.
Luciarno signaled towards the opposite seat.
It meant to sit down.
I sat down cautiously.
“Um, Your Highness. At this point, you would have noticed intuitively…”
“That it’s hard to find the saintess.”
As expected, a person who speaks well.
I quickly nodded.
“The tracking orb can exert its ability for at most two weeks. After that, it can’t be used. Because it starves to death.”
For tracking, the tracking orb doesn’t eat anything.
It endures due to the strange magic tool used to make the tracking orb.
And that period is two weeks.
‘The Death Servant of Prince Ain, Yeppi, will soon have no use.’
Luciarno said, crossing his arms.
“I know that too from Ain.”
“Although Prince Gaspar was caught like this, the saintess didn’t come out with a single strand of hair.”
“So, what’s the point?”
“The saintess is to please the eyes of His Majesty the Emperor. So, if there’s something that can make His Majesty happy even if it’s not the saintess, it would be fine, right?”
“Can you give me such a thing?”
“Yes!”
Luciarno smiled faintly.
“Not bad. So, what are you trying to get from me by handing over that great thing?”
“Before that, there is something I want to ask.”
“Yes.”
I smiled as innocently as possible and showed both hands.
“Have you been eating well lately? Is there no place you’re sick? There won’t be anything to fight in the future, right? You’re not tired, are you?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“If everything is fine, can you shoot a hot magic spell at me?”
“…”
The prince looked at me like I was crazy.
I turned my eyes away.
‘I think I look a bit weird too.’
But there’s no other way.
Even so, I need to absorb mana.
Luciarno let out a dry laugh.
“I’m going crazy.”
I have exactly that feeling too….
“Why are you thinking such crazy thoughts?”
“Um… I admired high-purity mana… I thought maybe magic using such powerful power…”
Luciarno quietly watched me, sweating and making excuses.
He stared at me intently, then sighed.
And stood up from his seat.
‘Is he going to kick me out thinking I’m crazy?’
While looking at him with an anxious expression, Luciarno took out something.
Upon closer look, I understood what it was.
‘Botella!’
It’s an item to store and transfer mana.
Luciarno immediately blew mana into the Botella.
High-purity mana filled the Botella like water.
When I blinked, Luciarno shook the Botella.
“With this, I can use magic directly, right?”
“If you do that, I will remember the favor for life…”
“What is the item you are offering?”
“Ah.”
I quickly stood up.
And started explaining.
“It’s Ingu.”
“Ingu?”
“It’s a highly toxic poison that can contaminate plants or animals.”
“Just poison?”
“It’s not just that. The toxicity spreads. Even if you go near it.”
“…”
I smiled faintly.
“Is there any such powerful thing for monster hunting?”
I also threw Ingu at monster packs in the game.
Then any powerful monster pack would be exterminated at once.
“The eastern region where dragon tribes are rampant and taken away. It can be recovered without military damage.”
“…”
Luciarno threw the Botella towards me.
I hurriedly caught it.
“No need to return the Botella.”
“Really?”
I gave Ingu, which was just a nuisance, and got something huge.
‘The Botella will be useful in emergencies.’
I stroked the Botella with a dazed expression.
Then, “Ah.” looking at Luciarno.
“But is there a postscript?”
“…”
“I don’t have Ingu in my hands yet.”
“…”
“Bring it before I leave.”
“Neng.”
I smiled brightly.
* * *
Without hesitation, the condition improved as I absorbed mana from the Botella.
As expected, I did well to come to Luciarno.
‘Well, now the mana is solved…’
Now it was the duke’s turn.
I packed the preparations and headed to the ducal residence where the duke and his blood relatives lived.
The housekeeper, having heard my story in advance, guided me without a word.
The housekeeper led me to a certain room in the corner of the ducal residence.
‘It doesn’t look like a study…’
While tilting my head, the steward opened the door after getting permission to enter.
But it was strange.
As soon as the door opened, a whiff of iron smell came to my nose.
‘Iron smell? No, this is the smell of blood.’
While startled, the duke standing there turned to me and said “Ah.”
But before the duke, another scene caught my eye.
…Men tied to chairs, hanging limply.
‘Dead?!’
I muttered unconsciously.
The duke smiled faintly.
“Not yet.”
“…”
“Why are you so surprised?”
“Can you read minds too…?”
Then, the sound of clinking came.
It was a burly man like a bear in front of the men tied to the chairs.
‘Ah, it’s Viscount Sintes.’
It was the father of Aslan.
When I talked about others being poisoned in the basement prison, I saw him.
Viscount Sintes was probably smiling unconsciously, clearing his expression with a cough.
The duke also chuckled.
“You weren’t making that expression.”
“Um, then what about those people…”
“They are those who failed to fulfill their roles.”
“Ah.”
I understood who they were.
Probably those who failed to prevent the import of Ingu, those who couldn’t find Ingu in the castle, those who missed that Ingu had poisoned the camellia.
My spine chilled.
‘Wow…’
I swallowed dryly, and the duke approached.
“Let’s see if you can fulfill your role.”
I gulped down the dry saliva.
“Before that, there is one thing I need to confirm.”
“What is it?”
I firmly said while hugging the box I brought.
“Can I stay glued to the duke for three days?”
“…”
I had never played a priest in the game.
So, I didn’t know much about the next step of the priest, ‘Purifier’.
That is, I didn’t know how to purify.
‘I hadn’t consciously purified anyone.’
Always, my body purified itself, so I couldn’t learn the technique.
So, there was only one way.
‘To become an air purifier like I did to others.’
Wait glued and wait for natural purification.