Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Did I Seduce Her Before Even Meeting?
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Acid was better than anyone at begging.
But what other skills did he have?
When Sien was heading to that place called Saji—death ground—thanks to Matthias, Acid couldn't do a thing.
Truth be told, Acid didn't even know what this Saji that Leonhardt had mentioned was.
Just a clueless beggar from the streets, an idiot.
He was in a position where he could only sit still, watching for cues without knowing anything.
But...
‘I want to protect Sien, too.’
He had nothing yet.
He wasn’t an adult, and he didn’t have divine power like his brother the Holy Knight.
Should he build up some muscle, at least?
But no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t imagine having strength on par with Sien’s muscular maids who served her. Just recalling their bulging biceps made him shrink back.
If he had any advantages...
Just one: his brother Ted, the Holy Knight.
‘...Come to think of it, I heard divine power is hereditary.’
Since his brother was a Holy Knight, maybe he had the potential for divine power too.
Of course, divine power was a force that manifested early on.
If it hadn’t shown up by now, it was safe to assume his body didn’t have any.
Acid’s nails dug deep into his palm, drawing blood.
Still, just in case—should he meet his brother Ted, who had abandoned him?
That was when it happened.
As Acid sat with his head bowed to the ground, a light touch landed on his shoulder.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
It was Sien.
Acid snapped his head up to stare at Sien. Innocent, gentle eyes gazed back at him.
“I... um, that is...”
He didn’t want to be the baby Sien babied. Even if he was small and from the slums...
He wanted to protect her.
So she could live.
That meant he had no choice but to get strong to protect the Sien who had saved him.
Like his brother Ted, who had abandoned him to become a Holy Knight.
Even if it meant borrowing his help.
“I-I want to get strong!”
...For the first time, he thought he might have to face his brother.
Along with Sien’s puzzled expression, a voice guiding him in meditation whispered in his ear.
“All the world’s affairs depend on your mindset.”
“Contemplate the myriad phenomena.”
“There’s no need to get strong. Weakness has its own beauty.”
Acid shook his head inwardly.
No.
He would definitely get strong.
Stronger than even Lord Matthias, to protect Sien from anything that threatened her.
And upon hearing Acid’s words, Sien’s eyes went wide.
“Baby!”
The timid boy flinched in fear for a moment.
The warm, sunshiny Sien might fear the idea of him getting strong.
But...
“Wanting to get strong? What a genius idea!”
Sien, the ever-smiling merchant, was now beaming with pure happiness.
Behind her, Matthias stared at him with a blank expression. His face was unreadable.
So Acid just fixed his gaze on Sien like it was nailed there.
Her chubby cheeks, her huge, sparkling bead-like eyes, her tiny front teeth.
And that warm smile that seemed to reflect her kind heart—he took it all in.
Deciding to get strong was a first for him.
But since Sien liked it...
‘Best choice ever.’
Acid’s heart filled with happiness.
***
I cheered inwardly.
I could see Acid’s shadow had lightened quite a bit.
It reaffirmed my belief that feeding them well, keeping them clean, and showering them with affection was the right way.
‘If I heal his emotional wounds a little more, it should be okay to let him meet Ted. Then both Acid and Ted will be happy, and Ted becomes my knight!’
I grinned as wide as a pumpkin.
But as they say, life is full of mountains beyond mountains.
It was great that Acid had suddenly snapped awake from his dozing like a thunderbolt!
But this Sunshine Academy course just wouldn’t end.
My special measure to block Dad’s whitening? Bullshit. I couldn’t do a thing and ended up with my soul purified straight through to lunchtime.
Today it was vegetarian food in a place brimming with divine power...
“Daddy.”
“Yeah, Sien? You like veggies, right?”
Saliva pooled in my mouth. But if I said I liked it, my villain-tainted mind would be perfectly purified. I cleared my throat and continued.
“Wait before eating, Daddy! I need some kids-only time real quick!”
“...Huh?”
Dad’s eyes flickered uncertainly.
He was hurt.
“Daddy?”
It pained me... but I couldn’t back down here.
I threatened to have kids-only time away from his clingy surveillance.
“Daddy can’t be with us.”
Dad looked shocked, muttering ‘Already keeping secrets from Daddy...’ but no helping it.
Scratching his delicate heart wasn’t the priority right now.
“Wait right here! Ten minutes tops!”
I grabbed Leonhardt and Acid’s hands tight and slipped away.
Even sighing at how to teach Dad just how harsh the world was.
“What do you think of this academy course?”
“Was dozing, didn’t hear.”
Behind honest Leonhardt’s words, Acid avoided my eyes, scratching the back of his head. His red ears suggested he felt the same.
I clenched my fists and declared like a speech.
“Friends.”
“Yeah?”
“As you know, we gotta rehabilitate our Daddy.”
It was a dire situation where joining a villain family could threaten my life, but if Dad was sending me to the academy just to make me good, no choice.
My heart hurt, but I’d have to rehabilitate him harder to make him act like a proper villain.
I narrowed my eyes, lifted my chin threateningly, and asked.
“So, what do we do?”
“You, Baldy...”
“Hm?”
Leonhardt nodded solemnly, like he knew exactly how I felt.
“You’re really trying to survive, huh.”
“...Yup! Super duper trying!”
“I’ll help.”
Leonhardt nodded.
As expected of Leonhardt. His face said he knew all about this villain family.
Acid, who’d been staring at me, cautiously spoke up.
“I-I’ll help rehabilitate him too.”
“Hm?”
“Maybe if I cultivate divine power and use it.”
“Divine power can do that?”
“...Gonna find out.”
‘Gotta talk to Ted.’
Anyway, both Acid and Leonhardt helping villain-ize my Daddy? Total unexpected win.
From now on, instead of demanding direct action, I’d show them villains and praise how cool they were, brainwashing indirectly that being evil and bad was great.
If I kept drilling that doing bad things every day brings good results, maybe Daddy would snap into villain mode.
I clapped brightly.
“Great, super duper mercy!”
Leonhardt jumped in without missing a beat.
“I...”
“Hm?”
“Will go beyond rehabilitating Lord Matthias. I’ll become a villain surpassing everyone.”
I said carefully to Leonhardt.
“Th-that means becoming a villain on my side, right...? W-we’re friends!”
I made the facts crystal clear to him.
Leonhardt shrugged and nodded.
“Obviously, Baldy. And you’re a genius.”
“...Huh?”
He stared at me like it was obvious.
“No way I can surpass you. Plus, I’m gonna be a righteous villain who doesn’t bully friends.”
In the original story, Leonhardt was a villain among villains who massacred without sides.
But I’d trust him this once.
Everything he’d shown me so far felt 100% sincere.
I balled my fists plumply and thrust them out with a snap.
“Then c’mon, fists up!”
“Huh...?”
“Why?”
“Promise to do Daddy rehab project together!”
We clenched our fists tight and bumped in the middle.
Already felt solid.
I was still just a puny kid with no presence, but it felt like I already had my retainers.
“Hit.”
I hummed as I pulled my fist back.
We faced each other with resolute gazes and nodded hard.
Right then, Leonhardt lowered his voice.
“Baldy.”
“Hm?”
“Already sensing weird vibes around us.”
“Wha...?!”
I tilted my head and looked around. Sure enough, there was this odd unease...
“...What’s with that vicious-looking bird?”
...The source was a tiny bird hiding near the bushes. One-eyed, with a bright yellow beak.
“Something’s off...”
I rolled my suspicious eyes. Leonhardt narrowed his brows.
“Not a normal bird—feels like strong power.”
I edged back warily.
A bird radiating strong power. Looked so vicious, I wanted to tame it.
I clenched my fist tight and glared at the bird.
Perfect for a villain like me.
Better than some tiny sparrow-fist-sized thing—this intimidating beast scarier than an eagle!
“Wanna catch it?”
“Could be dan—”
I agreed with Leonhardt, but if it meant to attack us, it would’ve by now.
I flailed my stubby legs to charge the bird. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t move.
“...Huh?”
After pointless flailing, I realized.
...Someone’s thick hand was holding me back.
“Sien.”
I turned.
It was Daddy.
“Daddy!”
I called him Daddy, but his face didn’t soften. That dry, indifferent look—not like my sunny Daddy...
‘That’s the face he makes when bad guys take his money!’
Scared of that vicious bird? I reached to pat Daddy.
But his mutter came first.
“Gone.”
Looks like Daddy saw the bird too.
Where it had been was just a faint scorch mark.
I gaped tiny at the sight, then closed my mouth.
Daddy murmured quietly.
“Sien, time to go home now.”
“Hm?”
Daddy smiled warmly like sunshine.
“Practice is over.”
“Hm?”
“If they’re provoking me like this, guess I gotta face them properly.”
Cryptic words.
From afar, seemed like Leonhardt muttered ‘Already caught on to our plan...?’, ‘Villain of villains after all,’ but I chalked it up to hallucination.
***
What Matthias noticed but Sien didn’t.
That bird was a messenger orb conjured by Delphia’s illusion magic.
The messenger orb was an entity born from Delphia’s mana.
It acted as her eyes, moving freely where her immobile body couldn’t reach, without affecting her main form.
Thanks to Matthias blocking fast, he didn’t see it clearly—but.
“Seems like one of those three has divine power.”
Delphia furrowed her brow.
The Mirmod family generally antagonized the temple. But among them, the one most opposed to divine power was Delphia Mirmod herself.
Her illusion summoning ability clashed head-on with divine power.
Thanks to that, Delphia could faintly detect those with divine power.
With an unpleasant look, Delphia slightly frowned.
“Weirdly, special ability users keep gathering around that kid.”
At Delphia’s mutter, her nearby retainer cautiously offered an opinion.
“You’re right. Sien Mirmod—that child. We shouldn’t underestimate her.”
Delphia’s life so far had been driven by whims.
Even vying for family heir and ducal title was for that reason.
But now, something more fun than becoming duke had appeared.
“Wanna get friendly.”
Observing the sudden pint-sized Sien Mirmod.
She grinned.
“Before Axel arrives next month and ends everything.”
“Ah...”
“If it’s just a kid who’ll wither away anyway, wanna have fun before that.”
Her heart raced.
Did that kid seduce me before we even met?
This could be tricky.
Delphia kept her smile, brushing back her white hair.