Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Bolt from the Blue
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The curtains drawn tight, not a single ray of light was piercing the office.
In that heavy silence and near total darkness, a man quietly opened his eyes, revealing golden irises.
“Thanatos.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“I heard Carnelia has arrived.”
“Yes… that’s correct.”
“And she ultimately brought that underclassman with her?”
There was a brief silence.
Thanatos’s eyebrow twitched ever so slightly.
But with his head bowed, he revealed no emotion.
“…That’s correct.”
Tap… tap…
The duke drummed his fingers on the desk.
“It happened once before.”
“…….”
“She brought someone like that. Acting on her own judgment, her own emotions.”
It had been several years ago.
When the still-young Carnelia had brought a girl her age back to the main house.
A child whose origins and identity were unknown.
The duke had opposed it.
The name Delbar was a door that could not be opened lightly.
Yet Carnelia did not back down.
Unable to persuade him in the end, Carnelia… had tried to earn permission through her own power.
The duke had set a test.
‘Fight me and win.’
A test that was essentially a refusal.
But Carnelia had been earnest.
“I think the same this time. It won’t be much different.”
A child not even ten years old had created her unique magic right before the duke’s eyes and manifested top-grade magic in its complete form.
“Do you think that child… is dangerous, Your Grace?”
“Whether he's dangerous or not. That’s not the point.”
“…Then―”
“What matters is that Carnelia is once again letting her emotions lead her.”
Carnelia had moments when her emotions took the lead, and it was always for others, never for herself.
“So… I’ll go myself.”
“…Pardon? You yourself, Your Grace?”
“Yes. I need to confirm personally… who it is that’s making Carnelia move like this.”
***
“His Grace is… coming himself….”
“…My father?”
“Shit… we’re screwed.”
First off, this was a problem.
I know nothing about Duke Delbar.
Not his name, not his personality.
He never appeared even once in 'Aka Calamity'…
So I couldn’t make any preparations suited to him.
No, I don’t even have a clue.
Chop. Chop.
It was a familiar sound tapping against my mask.
‘Why.’
Swish.
The loach clung to my head, its round eyes wriggling as it blatantly wore an expression asking, ‘What now?’
‘Why ask me?’
It then spread its fins sideways, its face saying, ‘You’re the one who dragged us here.’
‘You’re the one who followed along.’
At that, the Loach’s mouth flapped open and shut, then it rolled its eyes with a look that said, ‘Fair point.’
“Eeng.”
In the end, it seemed to give up, flopping back down on top of my head.
‘But seriously, what do we do?’
I’m an outsider.
I’m not sure if I was formally invited… To the master of this house, I’m just a stranger.
No matter how Duke Delbar reacts, I’ll have no choice but to go along.
“Hmph, hng… What if Father comes?”
Carnel crossed her arms confidently.
But…
“Carnel… For someone saying that, you seem awfully tense?”
“W-What are you talking about, Violet.”
Ah.
We’re done for.
Seeing Carnel sweating bullets, it’s clear we’re toast.
Should I just quietly head back to the dorms and get some sleep?
But I don’t even have money for a carriage.
Going back on foot is impossible.
Chop.
“…….”
A slapping sound echoed above my forehead.
I slowly lifted my head, meeting the Loach’s round eyes.
I could read its expression perfectly.
‘You caused all this.’
And…
“His Grace is coming…!!”
The knights lined up at the front gate snapped to attention all at once.
The moment the words fell, the very air around us shifted.
“…!”
“Oh dear….”
Carnel froze solid, and Violet hunched her shoulders as if sensing something ominous.
Meanwhile, the Loach on my head flipped over entirely and began leisurely spectating the scene with an thrilled expression.
Step. Step.
The air grew cold.
More precisely… it felt like it was freezing.
I rubbed my arms for no reason, shaking off the chill creeping down my spine.
“You're causing trouble again, aren’t you, Carnelia.”
“…Father.”
A man emerged from among the knights.
I looked at him through 【Laplace’s Eye】.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
[ Kaiderion von Delbar ]
Attribute
: 「Extreme Cold」
Skills / Traits
: 【Multi-Casting】
: 【High-Speed Synthesis】
: 【Backflow】
: 【Dispel】
: 【…】
Unique Skill
: 【…】
Unique Trait
: 【…】
Stats
: Stamina : 41 (S)
: Strength : 39 (A)
: Intellect : 45 (S)
: Willpower : 35 (A)
: Mana : 39 (A)
Talents
: 【Magic(A+)】
: 【…】
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
‘…Kaiderion von Delbar.’
The current head of House Delbar.
But it was odd.
Compared to his stature… his status window was surprisingly straightforward next to Carnel’s.
The supreme concept of the ice attribute: ‘Extreme Cold.’
He possesed no flashy unique skills or traits—just clean stats centered around his attribute.
I could see why this man never appeared once in 'Aka Calamity'.
“The handling of the Estrid family… and even inviting an outsider.”
Duke Delbar slowly turned his gaze to Carnel and continued.
Am I the only one feeling it… or did his tone carry a bone-chilling aura?
“Don’t you think you’re being too willful, Carnelia?”
“…….”
Carnel clamped her mouth shut and bowed her head.
Are their family relations rocky?
Right now would be the perfect timing for Violet to lighten the mood with her usual nonchalance…
But oddly, Violet was staying silent.
“…He’s not just any outsider.”
“Indeed. You said the same back then. Several years ago, when you brought that girl named Violet, you claimed she wasn’t just any outsider.”
I grew increasingly uncomfortable.
This bizarre position, caught right in the middle of a family quarrel.
‘Why am I even here?’
But soon, an even more uncomfortable realization followed.
The fact that I was the cause of this family quarrel.
Chop.
The loach slapped my mask once more.
I looked up.
It stared down at me, its face saying, ‘Frontal assault.’
It covered its mouth with a fin and began chuckling.
“Eeng…?”
Then it lost its balance and slid off my head.
Whoosh.
I grabbed the Loach’s body and placed it back on my head.
‘What frontal assault? You’re telling me to die of discomfort?’
But it couldn’t care less, flopping down on my head again.
It was amusing itself.
“In the end, Violet earned Delbar’s permission.”
When Duke Delbar gestured to the knights, they bowed their heads in unison and stepped back.
“There was only one reason. Carnelia, you proved your responsibility yourself.”
“…So you want to fight again to prove it?”
I doubted my ears for a moment.
Did father and daughter really exchange blows?
What kind of shattered family bond is this?
“Yes… If you can prove it once more like that, then do so.”
“…You’re no match for me, Father.”
At those words, the duke smiled coldly.
At the same time, he turned his gaze toward me.
“That’s not it, Carnelia.”
“…Pardon?”
“My opponent isn’t you… it’s the outsider.”
“…?”
Did I hear wrong?
Who?
I pointed a finger at my face—no, the white mask covering it.
[Me?]
“H-Ha… but Father…!”
“Didn’t you think it was strange from the start, Carnelia?”
“…….”
“The proof must come from the person themselves. Back then, it was merely me indulging your whims.”
As those words ended, Violet beside him suddenly flinched and spoke up.
“Uh, um… I-I’ll head inside first….”
With that, she bolted toward the mansion incredibly swiftly.
…I grew even more uncomfortable.
Let me sort this out for a second.
Carnel said she’d prove her responsibility to let me into this massive mansion.
But… that proof has to come from me?
To sum it up more simply…
I’m about to throw down with Duke Delbar.
…What kind of bolt from the blue is this?
“Pfft….”
I felt a certain fish on my head stifling laughter.
***
“…….”
The room was bathed in the red glow of the setting sun.
“Thanatos.”
The woman called to him without turning her gaze from the window.
“Yes, Madam.”
“Carnel’s back, isn’t she?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“And with some boy, too?”
“Yes… that’s correct.”
The woman’s lips curved up ever so slightly.
Thanatos felt a twinge of unease.
“Hmm… I’m looking forward to it. What kind of boy could he be?”
“…Madam?”
“Since Carnel brought him herself… and he’s a ‘boy’….”
Those words carried clear intent.
An ominous premonition crept up Thanatos’s neck.
“Shall we sneak a peek?”
The woman clasped her hands lightly together and smiled innocently.
Yet that smile was what unnerved Thanatos the most.
“Madam… His Grace will be troubled.”
He said as much, but Thanatos knew full well that once she’d made up her mind, no one could stop her.
“Hm… Just kidding.”
Thanatos had nearly lost his head over that one joke.
“What kind of boy is he… Could Carnel be secretly dating…?”
“Madam, if His Grace hears that, nine times out of ten, someone’s heart will freeze over.”
“Oh dear, how scary… So who’s that ‘someone’? Our darling Carnel? Or the boy? Or….”
She twirled her finger and pointed at Thanatos.
“…Thanatos?”
“…….”
“…What’s with that reaction? Don’t tell me you know from experience that you’d be first in line?”
“…From experience, yes.”
“Puhuhu….”
The woman covered her mouth and laughed.
Her laugh was innocent yet somehow wicked.
And…
Bang bang bang bang!
The door was pounded furiously.
No, “pounded” didn’t do it justice.
It was practically being smashed.
“Mother…!!”
Thanatos cautiously opened the door.
“Oh? Violet?”
Bursting through the gap was none other than Violet.
Unlike usual, her hair was a mess, and she was panting heavily.
“Mother…!! It’s bad… really bad!!”
“Calm down, Violet. Catch your breath first….”
The woman smiled gently as always and sat on the bed, arms open wide.
Violet threw herself into the embrace, crying out almost tearfully.
“His Grace… is about to fight my little bro!”
“Hm…? Your little bro?”
“Ah… no. I mean… the boy Carnel brought!”
“Pfft… Is that boy still alive?”
“Y-Yeah…? Maybe…?”
Seeing Violet like this, the woman smiled innocently.
She looked thrilled, as if some entertaining spectacle had appeared.
“Hehe… It’s obvious he can’t win, so he’s going to fight the boy instead.”
“Madam… That remark does little justice to His Grace’s stature….”
“Thanatos, what do you think? My husband fighting an outsider again?”
“…I am always on His Grace’s side.”
“How hurtful, Thanatos.”
“…….”
“Just kidding.”
The woman struggled to rise.
Violet hurriedly grabbed her arm and carefully supported her.
“Shall we go help, then?”
“…Madam, His Grace will be troubled.”
“Oh, Thanatos.”
The woman whipped her head around to look at him.
Her lips still curved up, but her eyes had turned mischievous.
“Would you rather get a harsh scolding from him… or deal with Carnel sulking for a whole month?”
“…….”
Either way, they were different extremes.
If neither could be avoided… he had no choice but to pick the lesser pain.
After a very brief but profoundly deep deliberation, Thanatos bowed his head.
“…I shall escort you, Madam.”
“Hehe… Good choice.”