How to Replace Dad 76
O'Neill connected the communication.
The voice of the Marquis flowed from the communication stone.
“Is it true?”
“...”
After a moment of silence, O'Neill glanced at Stella.
It was Baron Yopis who spoke.
“Yes.”
“Those who know the existence of the Purification Stone are...”
“Yustea, me, Stella, Baron Yopis, and Viscount Rochet.”
“Destroy the Purification Stone immediately.”
“Yes.”
“Impose a gold medal on Stella.”
“Father!”
Stella cried out in surprise, but the Marquis’s words did not change.
The communication ended as is.
Viscount Rochet said.
“How does Lady Yustea know about the Purification Stone?”
Baron Yopis shook his head.
“If it becomes known, it will be a problem for Esgard as well. They do not want to lose their credentials as benefactors. They do not want to bear the wrath of the temple and the imperial family either.”
So he must have dropped it right below the cliff when he saw the Purification Stone.
Yustea’s mouth would not tell the story of the Purification Stone.
Viscount Rochet sighed.
“Lady Yustea has done a great service.”
If the Purification Stone was revealed like this, the seven houses would be in big trouble.
How much funding and time it would take to resolve it was unknown.
Baron Yopis said.
“There is another one besides this Purification Stone. We must find the location of the remaining one and destroy it.”
Viscount Rochet nodded.
“The lord said he discussed with the lords of the seven houses and secretly found the location. You will assist the lord as his aide.”
“Yes.”
O'Neill, the viscount, and the baron discussed the Purification Stone.
No one looked at Stella.
Stella left the tent with a bewildered face.
In a shady place around the campsite, Stella sat down under a rock.
“It’s okay. I can handle this much.”
“Calm down.”
“As long as Yustea doesn’t turn his heart and return to Andres, the Marquis can’t abandon you. He’ll forgive you soon.”
Seeing the window pop up, Stella bit her lip hard.
“Why did he tell me to go look for the Purification Stone?”
It should not be revealed to the world.
The family might be in trouble.
“If not, you might not have gone looking.”
GM knew Stella’s personality.
She valued public image over the progress of things.
If told, she would have hesitated.
She did not want the people to be disappointed in Andres.
She would have missed the timing for such a reason.
“You because of you, father and uncle...!”
“If you hadn’t failed, it wouldn’t have been a problem.”
“If you quietly found the Purification Stone and used it, you could have been another saint.”
Stella covered her face with both hands.
Why did things turn out like this.
If she had not been caught by bandits while searching the mountain.
If Yustea and O'Neill had dealt with the bandits.
Then the bandits would not have told Yustea about the cave, and she would have quietly found the Purification Stone.
“Don’t worry too much.”
“An event is coming soon.”
“Then you could flip the board at once.”
“Yustea, how do you know about your existence?”
Stella thought that, but the window did not pop up for a while.
Stella frowned at the empty air.
“GM?”
The window that had been quiet for a while popped up.
“We were once ‘friends,’ you know.”
A special friend who brought what could not be obtained even after restarting the world dozens of times right in front of my eyes.
The window popped up again.
“But right now, the most important thing to me is you, Stella.”
“My lovely and kind friend.”
Stella let out a deep breath.
“Yeah, I have a friend.”
A friend gives perfect answers to anything.
A friend who is there even when everyone disappoints me.
“I trust you.”
Stella muttered.
***
In the tent given as my share at Andres.
Yuis looked at me, who was drinking tea, with a furrowed brow.
“Why so calm?”
“What?”
“About GM. It’s weird.”
Yes.
It was too sloppy.
If GM really wanted to find the Purification Stone, he would not have proceeded like this.
The moment I suspected I could approach the Purification Stone, he should have done something.
He should have told me to pretend to collapse in front of Stella.
But he revealed the Purification Stone to me too easily.
I put down the teacup and said.
“Nothing special.”
“Not nothing special?”
“To isolate Stella.”
“Why?”
“To turn her into a well-behaved dog.”
GM said such things in the dream where dad saw.
“Stop worrying about your mom. The flowers you gave are always thrown in the trash.”
“Poor child. Came to save the world but abandoned by the world.”
“Even parents are strangers. No need to try. Better to fulfill your mission.”
“Your mom won’t come in even on your birthday this time. Good. Shall we have a birthday party with me.”
By seducing and isolating her like that.
As if the only ally in the world is GM.
That was how he made her listen to him.
“The important thing is why we need to make Stella into a well-behaved dog.”
“What is that.”
“We’re doing the opposite of Stella’s personality.”
“What kind of thing...”
“There is a guess.”
I put my clasped hands on my knees and said.
“An event will happen soon.”
Yuis frowned.
What is it.
I opened my mouth.
“The encounter event with the Old Empire Reconstruction Society.”
“...!”
The Old Empire Reconstruction Society.
The largest power that ruled the continent before the Avalon Empire was founded.
The power that the founding emperor of Avalon destroyed existed underground.
The Old Empire Reconstruction Society is gearing up for invasion targeting the Avalon Empire.
There was an event where we would meet the Reconstruction Society soon.
“Originally, Stella was supposed to be the first to notice the existence of the Old Empire Reconstruction Society.”
“So, report to the empire?”
Yes.
Stella, who loves the empire’s friends so much, is furious that the Reconstruction Society is plotting to take this land.
Therefore, she does not see the Reconstruction Society as an enemy.
But this time is different.
“She seems to think of taking over the Old Empire Reconstruction Society.”
“GM and the Old Empire Reconstruction Society would be troublesome. The forces would not be easy to deal with.”
“So, we have to stop it.”
We cannot let it be as GM wants.
I lit up my eyes.
“Let’s gain one more benefit from Andres.”
The Old Empire Reconstruction Society.
We have to take it.
***
A few days later.
After purifying, I patted my waist and thought.
“The purification is almost done.”
In about four days, everything will be resolved.
Andres eventually chose to burn all the animals.
The food problem was to be resolved by selling the mana stone mine.
Thanks to that, I was roaming the control zone, just purifying the ground.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
The priests smiled brightly and handed me handkerchiefs.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the handkerchief I received from them and said.
“Then, may I return for now?”
“Of course. But if you’re okay, could I ask for a lecture?”
The priests looked at me with sparkling eyes.
Full of respect.
Of course, since I became a saint, it’s like a proof of holiness...
“Not today.”
“Sorry. I have a schedule today.”
“Is that so...”
The priests had regretful faces but stepped aside.
Even the young priest looked dejected and lowered his shoulders.
Sorry, but no choice.
Today, I have to meet the Old Empire Reconstruction Society.
...Andres Castle.
“Quickly, quickly.”
“Yeah.”
As I urged, Yuis closed the carriage door.
I was in a hurry.
In case I could not meet the Old Empire Reconstruction Society people.
The carriage rushed and arrived at Andres Castle.
I quickly got out of the carriage and looked around the carriage waiting area.
“They haven’t come yet.”
Fortunately, I arrived at the right time.
I quickly headed to the destination.
The destination was the garden.
There was someone who came first in the garden.
“What?”
O'Neill.
He frowned and looked at me.
I glanced at him and said.
“I was told I can go anywhere in Andres.”
“So?”
“I came to see the garden.”
“...”
O'Neill frowned and looked at me.
“Will he kick me out?”
Thinking that, O'Neill sighed and said.
“Stay quiet. Guests are coming soon.”
At that moment.
Footsteps were heard.
And the steward led several men, three or so.
“Long time no see, O'Neill.”
“Long time...”
“Next time meet in the middle. How far is Andres?”
All were O'Neill’s age.
O'Neill’s academic peers.
Second sons of the seven houses.
Foreign royalty.
The pope’s nephew.
All huge people.
Among them, only one I knew.
Benjamin, son of Duke Becker of one of the seven houses.
He saw me and said “Oh.” and acknowledged.
“I didn’t expect to see you here again, lark.”
Then Yuis’s face crumpled.
What kind of disgusting nickname could he give.
Benjamin lightly pinched my cheek.
“Still tempting cheek flesh.”
“...!”
Yuis looked like he was about to jump out.
I quickly blocked Yuis with one arm.
“If hit, won’t it hurt, Benjamin?”
“Same as when hit before.”
“Then you should be careful.”
“Still, there’s something you can’t give up. Like the lark’s cheek flesh.”
He chuckled.
Benjamin was the most popular boy in the academy.
No, now it is not a boy.
Nineteen.
He was the same age as O'Neill, in my memory a milky boy with leftover milk, but now a tall man with broad shoulders.
“If can’t give up, have to hit again.”
At the moment I said that.
Puck.
“Here.”
O'Neill pushed Benjamin’s face away.
Benjamin made a sound “Ugh,” rubbed his face.
But soon looked at O'Neill with an incredulous expression.
I also found O'Neill’s behavior strange.
“Why like this?”
“Why like this?”
I thought, and Benjamin said.
Even if Benjamin acted like this, O'Neill had never stopped him once.
O'Neill said with a blank face.
“...Guest of the castle. Show manners, Benjamin.”
“Showing manners to a guest does not seem like an action.”
“No unnecessary words.”
O'Neill said that and turned his back.
“Let’s go.”
Benjamin shrugged.
And smiled at me with a grin.
“Looks like you two have gotten closer?”
People stared at the day I was asked.
I blinked.
“Not at all. No way.”
Firmly, people became quiet.
O'Neill walked silently.
But soon.
“Hurry up, a bit.”
He frowned and turned.
People followed behind saying “He’s getting angry for no reason.”
Yuis laughed.
“What is that.”
“Yeah? I don’t know either.”
“Yeah. Why suddenly that rant...”
“Don’t know who the Old Empire Reconstruction Society is.”
At least Benjamin probably not.
Then, one of the two.
Foreign prince or pope’s nephew.
“Probably not a foreign prince, right?”
“...”
“Why would a foreign royalty rebuild the Old Empire.”
“...”
“So, let’s approach the pope’s nephew side.”
“...”
Yuis said nothing.
I looked at him.
“Why.”
“...You’re doing well.”
Yuis put his hand on my head with a tap.
“If pope’s nephew, is it Igis?”
The platinum blonde man with blue light.
The man who looked a bit boyish and deflated.
Thinking that, I watched the backs of the three.
***
I walked back and forth in the corridor.
Because I wanted to encounter the three as if by chance.
Especially Igis.
While walking like that, someone appeared in front of me.
Stella with a tray.
Stella glanced at me.
“Why you...”
But soon looked at the door.
“To meet him?”
“Who are you talking about.”
At that moment.
“Don’t say anything, Stella.”
...Eh?