Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: 15. Adding Insult to Injury? (4)
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After Ellis's Kkoko hatched, I ended up falling ill.
"It's snowing quite a bit. Could it be that the god of winter is about to descend upon this land?"
"No way."
"Hmm. It's cold... Could it be that someone cast a freezing spell around the village to keep the princess from getting out of bed?"
"Of course not."
"Hmm... That snowdrift over there looks suspicious... I bet there's an ambusher hiding in it. Probably around swordmaster level, give or take."
"Why the hell would you bury a swordmaster in the snow!"
Whack!
The iron bat snatched the blanket I'd wrapped myself in and yelled.
"It's cold by the window..."
I shivered from the slight draft, but the iron bat showed no mercy.
"Master, Master, you've been acting crazy lately!"
Far from sympathetic, she was yelling sharply, but I had no choice but to nod.
"Yeah. I've got suspicion-itis. Everything in this world looks shady."
"Back in the day, your suspicions at least had some basis. Lately, you're just slapping reasons on everything!"
The iron bat was right.
Lately, everything in the world seemed suspicious.
"But..."
I turned my head slightly and spotted my daughter roasting potatoes by the fireplace a short distance away.
In the glow of the campfire, her pink hair shimmered beautifully, and on her lap curled a suspiciously golden cat, fast asleep.
And then,
"Mommy, is this yummy?"
"Yes, roasted potatoes are a super tasty food!"
Right beside her, watching the potatoes, was a winged, intelligent lizard—the pinnacle of reptilian species in this world, plain as day.
"You just gonna call it a dragon? Why the long-winded explanation?"
"I just don't want to admit it..."
Sigh.
Staring out at the snowy field, I felt the strength drain from my entire body.
"I mean, in life, you're bound to see a dragon pop out of an egg once or... no, never mind."
"Of course not."
Even the iron bat, trying to cheer me up, couldn't spit out her usual bold reassurance.
It'd be weird even to her.
The neighboring village might be big—for this viscount's territory, anyway.
But this kingdom was tiny compared to others.
Smaller than even an imperial duchy in land and military might.
Yet it stayed peaceful thanks to the weather.
No value in invading, and if you did, winter would freeze your army solid. Neighboring kingdoms had no reason to bother.
Russia had power to back it up, but this place? Not a single swordmaster ever produced.
That's why it lived in peace.
"Master, this country does have a swordmaster now, right?"
"Does it?"
A kingdom where magic advanced for survival in the cold, but swordsmanship lagged...
Come to think of it, there was one.
"Right next door, even..."
The former Sword Saint, most famous among swordmasters.
"Hey, at this point, it's not me who's crazy—it's everything around me, right?"
Yeah, I wasn't sick.
These were all perfectly rational suspicions.
"Hey, be honest. Does it make sense that the old man next door turns out to be the former Sword Saint, in the tiniest kingdom on the continent, in a puny viscount's domain no less—in a village that's only 'big' relative to that tiny domain—selling dragon eggs at the market? And my daughter buys one to make fried chicken! What are the odds!"
"Uh... sounds insane?"
"Exactly! So it's not me who's crazy—the world's crazy!"
"What is this feeling... Normally you'd never admit that, but given the situation, it kinda rings true..."
Not my imagination.
The old man next door wasn't just any old man—he was the former Sword Saint. And everything after that was too suspicious.
"There has to be some massive cliché tying this all together. I need to escape it..."
Former Sword Saint, beastkin cat suspected, and now a dragon.
In game terms, main scenario kicking off.
"What the hell's next?"
"Hmm... Maybe a demon king sealed nearby?"
Common in novels: smash a no-name kingdom, demon king revives.
Not just isekai—local stories too.
"No, even so, a demon king descending out of nowhere is overkill, right Master?"
"Isn't a dragon hatching from an egg out of nowhere overkill too?"
The iron bat shut her mouth, unable to defend the world anymore.
How ridiculous.
Some goddess raises what she thinks is a dragon, gets a chick. My daughter wants a chick, gets a dragon.
"Wait... could it be?"
A horrifying possibility flashed in my mind.
Shouldn't happen, but somehow plausible.
"Is Ellis... the protagonist?"
Everything started with Ellis.
Old man next door reveals he's Sword Saint because of her.
She found the shady golden cat first, became its keeper.
And out of tons of eggs, she picks the dragon egg exactly—and gets treated like its mom!
"No way..."
My daughter, the protagonist...
Of some hectic, incident-packed story!
"No, that might be a stretch..."
"No, our little girl is definitely the protagonist!"
Look at that innocent face.
Classic pure, innocent heroine type.
Every action so cute?
Grow a bit more, she'll toy with a little kingdom prince's heart effortlessly.
Plus shady cat butler and dragon owner!
If that cat's really beastkin nobility, she'll have power to wipe this country off the map soon!
"What is this..."
When I first met her, I scoured for flags.
Didn't expect protagonist buffs later.
"Protagonist confirmed..."
"Master's thinking..."
Hope it's a comfy romance fantasy heroine.
Smack a few evil noble ladies, live happily ever after...
"Oh no!"
"Huh? Why? If Ellis lives well, isn't that good?"
"If it's a prince, I can't confidently yell 'I oppose this marriage!'"
"Ah, my little sister's hubby is a prince now..."
I felt the iron bat's blank stare, but I was serious.
A prince husband? Hard to live together!
"Master, marry the imperial princess and it's all good? Her family's the strongest empire."
"No, not quite."
Empire's power could snag a prince as son-in-law easy.
"But before that, Ellis might get killed by the princess?"
"Right, forgot that!"
Can't send my precious girl into that mess.
For real. 60% self-preservation, but 40% genuine care!
"You dodged marriage so hard before, but bring home a cute kid and say 'marrying for her sake'—big sis might rip our little sis apart."
"Exactly. Our Ellis is too cute!"
The iron bat finally got it.
Time passes, commoner Ellis grows beautiful, captivates some noble or prince...
Jealous high noble villainess bullies her.
Prince notices, saves Ellis, punishes villainess.
They realize feelings...
"Ah, got it."
Mid-romance fantasy thoughts, realization hit.
If a god screwed me over...
"I'll screw the god right back!"
"Huh?"
To the baffled iron bat, I slowly explained the plan.
"Master's totally nuts..."
"No, world's nuts! Fight crazy with crazy!"
"Cool... Haven't seen old-school crazy Master in ages. Too dazzling, my eyes hurt..."
Over there, daughter smiling, peeling potato skins.
Face smudged with ash, oblivious, giggling as she feeds roasted potato to the dragon.
Brought her as cover at first... now she's truly my daughter.
Can't let her live that heroine life of trials and tribulations.
So first...
"First?"
"Blanket fort!"
Posed by window too long—nearly froze.
#3 Their Circumstances: Some Daughter's Circumstances
After breakfast, as I burrowed back under the blanket, Dad came back from dishes and said,
"From today, Dad's gonna teach you all sorts of things."
"Huh?"
I tilted my head, and Dad grabbed my hands with a serious face.
"Stuff that'll be super important in Ellis's life. Things you gotta learn!"
"Things I gotta learn?"
I nodded hard like Dad.
"I'll learn!"
Satisfied, our lessons began.
"Okay, repeat after Dad. If a shady-looking guy asks for help, what do you say?"
"Obvious criminal... How dare you ask me for help? Be grateful I don't report you!"
"Good, perfect! Next: ragged clothes but super handsome, or fancy items, or with tough-looking guys. Like that."
"Yeah!"
Dad taught how to handle nobles in disguise, or mysterious strangers.
"Okay, say it! If some guy claims he's a prince!"
"You've been lying to me all this time? I can't trust you! We're done!"
"Excellent!"
Dad clapped at my all-out acting.
That night, french fries—rare winter treat without chicken.
Still, so happy.
"Tasty?"
"Yeah!"
Dipping in red tomato sauce, bliss everywhere.
"Now, ready for next lesson?"
"Yeah!"
Tomatoes don't store well.
Spoils fast with other crops.
So sauce, but tiny amounts—rare treat.
Pairs perfect with fries!
Means Dad loves my study attitude!
"Okay, eat up, then next: How to Pair the Villainess with the Prince!"
"Yeah, Dad! I'll do my best!"
Wondered why help bad girl snag prince, but Dad teaches, so no asking.
Dad wouldn't teach bad stuff.
"Okay, villainess flirts with prince! What now?"
"I know my place. How could I flirt with His Highness..."
"No, that look backfires!"
"Th-then... how..."
"Not weak eyes. Big sparkling ones! Yeah, like that! Say it gazing like that!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, and if he asks why the stare, say you've always dreamed of meeting Kingdom's fairest 00 since forever!"
"That works?"
"Yeah!"
"I've admired you... most in kingdom, no continent... Sis!"
"Good! That 'sis' improv was brilliant!"
Felt Dad's praising hand ruffling my hair.
Focus more on his role, more praise.
"Good, next!"
"Yeah!"
Cold winter blanket life, but now fun with Dad!
#4 Their Circumstances: Some Cat's Circumstances
"Come on, more intense!"
"No way, do you know how much of a nuisance you are!"
Watching the lizard yelling red-faced at her savior.
"Mommy... whatcha doing?"
Sigh at the lizard endlessly seeking mommy.
These humans...
'Are totally nuts...'
Not a long-term stay.