How to Replace Dad 4
We arrived at the San Miguel territory earlier than expected.
There was an underground passage not far from where we had lunch.
It seemed the members were using this to secretly enter and exit the territory.
The path was short, but we heard various stories.
1. Only the lord and the viscount know the Irregulars' identities in the San Miguel territory. The vassals and servants don't know.
2. So the members use fake identities in the San Miguel castle.
3. Among them, the elite squad is knights, and the vice-master pretends to be a military advisor.
And the last one, number 4...
"So this is all Tikari-made weapons. Look, it's written here. 'Tikari.'"
The members each held up their weapons and boasted with smug grins.
I said quietly.
"...Head."
"What?"
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"...It's written 'head'."
Instantly, the members fell silent.
And before long, even while coming to the territory, they were glaring at the weapons they had been treating like precious treasures with murderous eyes.
"This damn old blacksmith..."
"How dare you lie to us?"
"We'll get you!"
The members threw down their loads and ran like the wind.
That's it.
This is the last one.
The members' literacy rate is high.
That's why I had no choice but to entrust the ledgers to Antonio.
Among them, Antonio was the only one who could write letters.
Even Antonio was ready to dash off to find that blacksmith old man and carve him up, grumbling.
Tikari is a difficult word.
Especially since he used a foreign word instead of a plain one to look fancy.
At that moment.
As soon as we arrived at the castle, the member who had taken the vice-master and the San Miguel viscount somewhere returned.
"The vice-master is looking for you."
Antonio froze.
He clicked his tongue and said to me.
"Wait a minute. I'll go see the vice-master first, carve up that old blacksmith, and show you the real Tikari-made weapon."
Then the member said.
"The order is to have the lady come too."
"Yustea? Why?"
"I didn't hear the reason."
Antonio shrugged.
"It's because they're paying salary."
At that, I recalled my situation again.
I was supposed to accompany as a day laborer.
But why is the vice-master calling me directly?
If it's salary, they could send another employee to deliver it.
Thinking that, I followed the member with Antonio.
While going, we chatted.
"That damned old man. How dare he cheat?"
"If you learn the letters, how about it? Then you won't be cheated anymore."
"Imperial language is hard. Plain, rigid, foreign... What kind of letters are there?"
"Just memorize the 'Te' character. The foreign is made of pictographs, so it looks hard, but actually it's taken from pictures."
"Pictures?"
"Tikari means 'to forge with a typhoon.' 'Te' means typhoon, and it's like this..."
I took out the notebook I had put in my bag and wrote the 'Te' character.
"This part is house. This part is wind. If you look at it, it looks like the house is blown away by the wind, right?"
"Yeah."
After talking like that, we arrived at the knight commander's room.
The vice-master's fake identity was that of the knight commander.
When the member knocked, a low voice came from the door.
"Come in."
Soon, Antonio and I entered the knight commander's room.
And facing the vice-master sitting at the desk, I was startled.
Did they pick all the elite squad because of their looks?
It was a man with an intense beauty that could make such a voice.
With horizontally long eyes and a prominent nose bridge, an aristocratic handsome man with a mask-like face.
Black hair and gray eyes.
A pure and ascetic feel like a sample of a knight.
If a stranger sees him, they'll never guess he's an assassin.
The vice-master fixed his gaze on the documents and asked.
"The daughter chased from the Andres family."
It seemed he had heard my story from the members in advance.
His gaze was sharp.
At this point, I understand why the vice-master is personally paying the salary.
He's suspicious of the day laborer who suddenly joined the members from the Marquis family.
So he wants to check me directly.
I clasped my hands with a nervous face.
"I'm Yustea. Nice to meet you. I, although it's embarrassing for a first meeting, perhaps I can find a job in the castle instead of salary..."
"Foolish."
"...!"
The vice-master looked at me.
A cold gray gaze pierced like an arrow.
"The daughter chased from the Marquis family. If you're not a person who desperately wants to stand out, who would hire you?"
I lost my words.
After all, in a place as security-sensitive as the Irregulars' headquarters, they wouldn't hire me.
I thought maybe the members liked me and gave me a chance.
When I became quiet, Antonio hardened his face.
"Information control is the vice-master's specialty. If you do that..."
"Information control for day laborers? It's wasting money."
"This kid does well. He's a good kid."
But the vice-master stood up from his seat without any emotion.
And approached me with quick steps.
"I know you have good wits. You tamed Antonio well."
"..."
"So I don't want to spare you even more."
"..."
I quietly lowered my head.
Seeing my appearance, Antonio got angry and blocked between me and the vice-master.
"This kid worked hard. He didn't even take a nap while coming to the headquarters. He got up early every morning to prepare meals, and even while we ate and rested, he was fawning on the vice-master and scouting."
"If it were me, that much effort is natural."
"Vice-master!"
"I know the Irregulars' headquarters and saw the members' faces. Do you not know how dangerous the information this kid has?"
"Are you going to kill her?"
"It's the most reliable and clean method."
"This guy is really..."
At the moment Antonio threw away his manners and shouted loudly.
I jerked my head up.
"Thank you!"
"...What?"
"...?"
Both looked at me at the same time.
I scratched my head with an embarrassed expression.
"If I were the vice-master, I wouldn't have called you all the way here if it was bothersome. I would have handled it right when you entered the castle."
But the reason he is arguing with Antonio in front of me is one.
"It means you want to live, so be careful with your words, right?"
Antonio had a dumbfounded expression.
"The vice-master threatened, right? What's so good about that?"
"You didn't bring up my mom."
"..."
"You know that the thing that works best on threats is hostages, right?"
Since being chased from the family, there have been countless people threatening to kill me.
Some vicious ones said they would harm my mom.
Then I stayed up nights guarding my mom.
Although dying myself was welcome, it was unbearably scary that an innocent mom would die because of me.
"Not touching the weakest point is a kind thing."
"..."
"..."
The vice-master and Antonio fell silent.
I bent my waist again and said.
"Thank you so far."
It's inevitable.
Since the vice-master is firm, I have to give up working in the castle.
Instead, I need to find a job near the castle.
***
The vice-master watched Yustea leaving the castle through the window.
Strange girl.
Thanking for not killing her but threatening?
That's ridiculous.
If she was really someone to be thanked, she would have first thanked Yustea who brought the vice-master and members comfortably to the castle.
This mission for the members wasn't easy.
It was to exterminate a prestigious family of the empire.
Yet the members who should be tired were energetic.
It must be because Yustea took good care of the members.
It would be unfair for such a kid to be threatened.
The vice-master sighed and turned his gaze.
Antonio sitting slanted on the sofa met his eyes.
A very displeased face.
"Does a person have a heart?"
"Don't say useless things, bring the ledger."
Antonio clicked his tongue and threw the ledger.
The vice-master lightly caught it with one hand and sat back at the desk.
How messy it is.
Compared to other members, it was a bit better, so he entrusted the ledger for this mission.
But it was a mess.
Yet it was strange.
Cleanly organized purchase costs, suppliers, items, quantities, amounts, purchase reasons.
Receipts and contact methods for the person in charge attached.
Even this many information neatly laid out so you can see it at a glance, well arranged and with sense.
The hand of a god-given worker?
The vice-master looked at Antonio.
"What is this?"
"The ledger."
"It's not because I don't know. It's who wrote this."
It was hard enough to teach letters, how could he suddenly have such smarts.
"Ah. Yustea wrote it."
"That kid just now...?"
Instantly, a desire to grab that kid surged up.
How hard it was to lead Irregulars who only know how to use their bodies.
Subjugated San Miguel and it improved a bit, but no talent in the small city.
Good talents all went to big families.
Calm down.
I held my throbbing head while covering the precious ledger.
And looked at Antonio.
"This is not what I asked. Learn letters so you can at least write items properly."
"That old man? No, I don't want to."
"That old man is the teacher I barely got. Do you know how many people who can teach letters among those who can be involved with the Irregulars?"
"Still, I don't like old men. I've been holding back from bending their necks because they act so high and mighty..."
Thud!
The vice-master threw a book at Antonio.
"Ouch!"
"So it was legs, not neck, that broke?"
Antonio's leg breaking incident, the 10 gold lesson fee became 20 gold.
20 gold was enough for one troop to eat and live well for two months.
"You're the elite squad. From now on, when the vice-master goes out to the noble society, you have to support the vice-master in the front."
So even if a thousand Buddhas burn inside, I wasn't paying the 20 gold lesson fee.
Antonio rubbed his head and grumbled.
"The old man doesn't teach well at all. Yustea did it in 5 minutes, but that guy..."
Where did Yustea come from again.
The vice-master looked at Antonio as if asking what he was saying.
"He says he taught even the foreign language."
"Foreign language? Plain language, he can't even do that."
"Really?"
Antonio, who had been circling around angrily, pointed to the vice-master's shield on the wall.
"'Te', that's it."
"...!"
The vice-master flinched and looked at the shield.
And turned his stiff neck back to Antonio.
"...You know it's Tikari and saying it?"
Antonio stood up with a grumble.
Then searched the documents on the desk and found one letter.
"This is 'Basa'. Means tiger."
"..."
"When talking about a man like me."
Antonio raised his chin with a proud expression.
The vice-master checked the letter with trembling eyes.
Indeed, it was the 'Basa' character.
"This... did that kid really teach this...?"
"I told you."
If you teach well, I learned very well.
Up until now, changing 11 teachers because they couldn't teach.
Antonio smiled arrogantly.
The vice-master stayed there frozen, recalling the process until the teachers resigned.
Levels of language rising in order of plain, rigid, foreign.
The teachers who came to the Irregulars' information sources with burning eyes were blocked at the plain language.
And treated like bugs when they didn't follow as thought, and got hit.
And when the vice-master went to fix it...
"Heek!"
"Please spare me. Please spare me."
They were scared and shouting to accept the resignation letter.
But not plain, not rigid, teaching foreign?
In that short moment?
It was the moment his thoughts went that far.
Thud!
Immediately, the vice-master jumped out.
And shouted with a fervent voice.
"Where is the teacher!"
Information control is hard?
I'll do it.
Only Yustea-sensei can teach that idiot.
***
...Is it a dream?
I looked at the San Miguel territory's employees with a dazed smile.
Just an hour ago, I was clearly chased out.
Of course, I didn't give up.
If I can't work in the castle, I was going to find a job in the nearby village.
But...
Summoned back to the castle.
Also, employees who looked like they had a high rank were holding out dresses.
"The knight commander sent it."
The vice-master?
I was dazed, but the employee extended their hand again, so I took the clothes.
Wow, nice clothes.
Light and soft material.
A lovely design that young girls my age would cheer for.
Why are they giving me such good clothes?
Instead of salary?
But it's too much for salary.
Is it that if I take this, they'll let me leave the city?
I got scared and asked the employee.
"Did the director say anything?"
"He received an urgent call and has to leave his seat for a while, so treat the guests well until he returns."
At that, more anxiety pushed in.
But then.
"The director prepared the dress."
A bright and clear voice came.
It was a girl with curly blonde hair, with an excited expression.
The kid who had come in excitedly stopped.
Looking at the dress in my hand.
"Why are you holding that dress."
"Ah, that..."
Before I could answer, the girl strode over and snatched the dress.
Then shouted at the employees.
"Why are you making me hold this precious clothes with such dirty hands?"
My hands were full of wounds and wet from chopping food ingredients.
So it looked very dirty.
It's not like it's clean, I washed it.
The girl glared at the employees with irritated eyes.
"Be grateful for my good mood. If not, I would have told uncle and beaten you up."
Then she tried the clothes on herself.
"The director is so impulsive. Preparing such clothes, I don't know if it's my gift or not?"
And laughed "Uhu" and hugged the clothes.
"Pretending not to, but actually, the lord's nephew was worrying."
At that, I realized the girl's identity.
That kid is the viscount of San Miguel's niece.
The kid who said the viscount recommended her as the vice-master's adopted daughter.
But...
Hmm.
This dress was given to me by the vice-master.
The employees clearly extended it to me and said 'The knight commander sent it.'
But from the situation, it seems that kid thinks the clothes are hers.
And judging by the look, she seems to know Irregulars.
After all, she's trying to become the vice-master's adopted daughter with the lord's niece identity.
If I just let it be, it would be embarrassing.
The viscount's niece smiled brightly and said.
"I have to try it on."
I thought she might trip over the blanket and not be able to get up, so I cautiously approached her and whispered.
"That's the clothes I received from the director."
The viscount's niece looked at me.
I added to make her not feel more embarrassed.
"It seems the director was preparing similar clothes for you too. You might misunderstand..."
At that moment.
Thud!
The viscount's niece pushed my shoulder hard.
Because of that, I fell with a thud.
Especially hitting the tailbone on the floor, it hurt with a twinge of tears.
"U..."
"You filthy thing. Thinking it suits you to cheat someone. What do you think this clothes is for?"
At the moment the viscount's niece shouted loudly, the employees flinched.
"What's going on."
The vice-master's voice came.