Chapter 36
Translator: RoblagDon’t self-medicate . If you don’t feel well, go to a doctor
When she wakes up, she can feel something soft and warm in her arms . Angeline opens her eyes feeling a little confused and finds a little girl with white hair in her bed . Angeline is holding the little girl in her arms .
“Right… I only have one bed in my house . ”
When Angeline tries to stretch, Charlotte turns in her arms and hugs her, pressing her little face against the adventurer’s chest .
“Hmmm…Mother…”
“Mmm… I don’t think I look like a mother…”
Still lying down, Angelina looks around . Byaku is sitting on the sofa, his arms crossed and his chin resting on his chest . He seems to be sound asleep .
After confirming that her sword is still at her bedside, Angeline hugs Charlotte again .
“It’s a very nice and soft feeling, but I have to take a shower . ”
Angeline has been enjoying the feeling of holding Charlotte in her arms, but when she sees that the sunlight is already coming in through the window, she pokes the little girl’s cheeks .
“Hmmm…Mnyaa…” Charlotte opens her eyes a little while she mumbles something . But as she focuses on Angeline, a flood of memories riddles her mind and the little girl jumps out of bed . “G-Good morning! I-I hadn’t slept in a proper bed in a long time, and I think I overslept, and…”
“Don’t be so scared . It’s not like I’m gonna eat you or anything…”
“Y-Yeah…”
“Well, first things first, breakfast . Hey, you, get up . ”
Angeline kicks Byaku’s feet, and he raises his head a little .
“… What’s going on?”
“Help us . Prepare the dishes . ”
Byaku gets up slowly and takes some dishes off the shelf . Charlotte lifts her face and looks at Angeline .
“Emm, Angeline… What am I going to do?”
“First I want you to wash your face . Then you can help us . ”
Charlotte goes to the sink in a hurry and washes her face . Then she dries it quickly with a towel and returns to Angeline .
“All set!”
“Very good . Now, come here . ”
Angeline fixes Charlotte’s hair in a ponytail and tells her to take the leaves off some vegetables . Meanwhile, Angeline places a pan on top of the flame rock and pours in some eggs and bacon to cook them . Almost immediately a delicious aroma begins to fill the room .
Angeline also reheats some bread and broth, and they eat them along with the eggs, bacon, and salad .
Byaku eats breakfast without changing her expression, but Charlotte’s eyes become teary with the first bite .
Angeline takes a sip of tea with a somewhat confused expression . “Don’t you think you’re exaggerating? Is it really that tasty?”
“Yes… Because it’s been a long time since I’ve had a hot meal . ”
Angeline remembers the moment she came across them . Charlotte could easily have used the money they had with them to buy something to eat, but she didn’t . That, at least, is a sign of true regret .
Even so, their actions led to the death of several people . Angeline is not sure what they should do as penance for all that, but at least they should go back and apologize sincerely to the people in Bordeaux . Also, Angeline is not sure what the children are planning to do .
“Well, I haven’t been back to Bordeaux yet…”
She needs to prepare for any eventuality . If something happens again, the people of Bordeaux may suffer the consequences again . And now that she thinks about it, Byaku can use teleportation magic… That could be quite useful .
“Hey, you . ”
“What?”
“You can use teleportation magic, right? How far can you go?”
Upon hearing the question, Byaku frowns . “I could go anywhere I could remember clearly… but I can’t do that anymore . They took it away from me . ”
“Did they take it away from you?”
“That magic was something they lent me, and now that I don’t work with them anymore, they took it away . ”
Angeline immediately feels confused . She’s never heard of magic that could be ‘borrowed’ before . But it’s not like Byaku is in a situation where he can lie .
“What about your three-dimensional magic circles?”
“That was something I learnt on my own . The only thing I borrowed was the teleportation magic . ”
“To lend a magic power . ”
“That’s something they can do . ” After saying that Byaku drinks a sip of tea .
Angeline gets discouraged listening to Byaku . It would have been easier to return to Tornela if Byaku could still use his magic .
“You’re a useless boy…”
“That was pretty rude, you twig . ”
But despite everything, it wouldn’t be a good time to go back to Bordeaux . Her father told her that she should always try to prepare herself for anything .
Also, more people in Orphen can support Angeline if something should happen . And if Angeline can convince Yuri or Maria to accompany them as escorts by the end of autumn, the trip will be safer . And as an added bonus, one of them might fall in love with Belgriff and marry him .
“It would be two birds with one stone,” says Angeline solemnly as she bites into a piece of bread .
After breakfast, Angeline starts to think about what to do next . She usually visits the Guild and meets with Anessa and Miriam to see if there are any quests available and if there is nothing, they take a walk around the village and rest .
It seems that the best option is to go to the Guild . If Angeline explains the situation perfectly, they may agree to help protect Charlotte .
The people trying to revive the Demon Kings and Inquisitors of the Church of Vienna . If it were only one of them, Angeline might be able to handle things on her own, but since it is these two organizations, she needs the support of the Guild . Everything will be easier if Anessa and Miriam help her .
After cleaning the dishes, Angeline takes a shower, changes her clothes and puts the sword on her waist .
“What are we going to do?” asks Charlotte as she stares at Angeline .
“You guys are coming with me . We’re going to the Guild . ”
Hearing that, Byaku frowns . “I don’t think it’s a good idea . ”
“Why?”
“We’ve already had a meeting with the Guild Master of this place . ”
Angeline lets out a sigh . “That will be a problem…”
“Umm… Sorry…” says Charlotte looking down .
Angeline gives her a gentle pat on the head . “Well, never mind . The Guild of this city owes me a few favors…”
“Who are you really?”
Angeline laughs at Byaku’s question . “I am an S Rank adventurer . My identity is not a secret, unlike you… …but I will hear your story later . ”
Angeline takes Charlotte’s hand and leaves the room . Byaku follows shortly after .
There is a grey cloud covering part of the sky, but other than that, the weather is quite pleasant . Still, Charlotte seems quite nervous even though she’s walking next to Angeline . Apparently, she’s still worried that they might be attacked at any moment .
Angeline shakes her head and squeezes Charlotte’s hand . When the girl looks up, the adventurer girl smiles confidently .
“It’s all right . I’m here . ”
“Yes!” . Charlotte smiles happily as she squeezes Angeline’s hand . This seems to please Angeline . It is almost like she has a younger sister .
A younger sister . The sound of that makes Angeline quite happy . Unlike a mother, a younger sister is someone Angeline can pamper and, even more so, protect .
Angeline turns to see Charlotte . “Can I call you Lottie?”
“Huh? Oh, right!”
“You can call me big sister . ”
“Umm… Big sister?” asks Charlotte with a confused look
“Yes . ” Angeline keeps walking around with a happy smile on her face and a strange sense of satisfaction on her chest .
Byaku follows them silently, but he scowls as if he does not understand what is happening .
“Hey, you . How old are you?” Angeline asks unexpectedly .
“What?”
“How old are you?”
“Fifteen, I think… Why do you ask?”
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“You can call me big sister too,” says Angeline with a smile .
Byaku’s expression immediately becomes tense . “You must be joking…”
“Fufu~, so you’re shy, right?”
“Who are you calling shy!” shouts Byaku somewhat angrily .
Angeline runs away with a big smile on her face, Charlotte also smiles and runs after Angeline .
Byaku looks at them with an annoyed expression, but he still runs after the girls .
As usual, the Guild is overcrowded . Trade has increased now that autumn is approaching and there are several quests for escorts . For this reason, several wandering adventurers have come from other cities .
Anessa and Miriam had already arrived at the Guild and are now at the reception talking to Yuri . When Angeline calls them, they immediately turn around .
“Good morning, Angie . The scouting quests look good today…” Anessa stops talking and squints . “Who is that child?”
“My little sister . ”
“Huh?”
“It’s a joke . ”
“Really?”
Miriam starts laughing as Anessa opens and closes her mouth like a fish out of water . But then, Anessa looks closely at Charlotte .
“Hmm, I think I’ve seen her somewhere… but I don’t remember exactly where…”
“Oh~! It was in Bordeaux-~!”
When Anessa finally remembers what happened back then, she stares at Charlotte and the girl cannot help but tremble .
“Don’t scare her…” Angeline intervenes .
“But, she is responsible for what happened in Bordeaux, right? What is she doing here?”
“That’s what we’re here to talk about . Miss Yuri . ”
“Yes~?”
“Is the Guild Master here?”
“Yes, he’s here . Wasting his time as usual . ”
Yuri opens the back door to the counter and invites Angeline in . Anessa and Miriam follow right away . They go through the door behind the counter and down the hall to the Guild Master’s office .
The old Guild Master decided to expand the Guild’s main building and that space was being wasted, now they’re using it as a meeting room .
In the past, the office looked like Lionel’s bedroom, with only a bed, a desk, a couch, and a table . But now it’s full of documents . When they enter the office, they find Lionel sitting at his desk reading various documents . Dortos is next to him, catching carefully over him .
Chebolg is sitting on the couch, but because he hates office work, he has his hands behind his back and his eyes closed . The couch can barely support the weight of the huge man .
“Good morning . ”
Hearing Angeline’s voice, Lionel looks up and Chebolg smiles brightly .
“Hahahaha! How unusual to see you here, Angie!”
“General Musclehead . You look in good shape . ”
“I’m not exactly well! I have too much time on my hands!”
Dortos gets up with a tired expression and scolds Chebolg . “Chebolg, you’re being too noisy… Angie, what do you need?”
“Yes . I want to discuss something with all of you…”
“This could be problematic, don’t you think, Miss Angie? I think I recognize those kids…” Lionel looks directly at Byaku and Charlotte .
Apparently, Charlotte also recognizes Lionel and Chebolg and immediately looks down . “Sorry, about the speech and everything…”
Chebolg gets up the couch with a huge smile . “It’s the naughty children of that time! Hahaha! This time I won’t let my guard down! Come on!”
“Hiiii!” Charlotte hides behind Angeline as she hears Chebolg’s thunderous voice .
“General Musclehead . It’s not about that,” says Angeline as she shakes her head .
“What?! What did you say, Angie?!”
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“Mr . Chebolg, please be quiet and sit down . I don’t know the circumstances, but you’ve come to talk to me, right?”
“Yeah . By the way, where are Ed and Gill?”
“They had to take care of some business… Fufufu~… That way they’ll feel some of the stress I feel everyday~ . ” Lionel smiles mischievously .
Lionel and Dortos move some documents to create enough space for everyone to sit at the desk . But as there are not enough chairs the girls sit on the sofa while Byaku is leaning his back against the wall .
Lionel takes a deep breath and looks at Angeline with a serious expression . “So…? What’s the story?”
“These children are being pursued . ”
“What? What are you talking about?”
Angeline tells the whole story . Byaku and Charlotte intervene from time to time to explain the details . The existence of a group that seeks to revive the Demon Kings, the Inquisitors working under the orders of the Church of Vienna and the conspiracy to frame Charlotte .
“Well, we can conclude that it would be bad if these children were killed, right…?”
“Hmmm…” Dortos strokes his moustache . “I heard about the coup d’état in Lucressia . You are Lord Balmunk’s daughter . ”
“…Yes . ” Charlotte starts to cry when she hears her father’s name after all this time .
Lionel crosses his arms . He has a very serious expression . “In other words, the Pope and his people are concerned about the attention little Charlotte is receiving . People don’t know it yet, but the coup d’état was dismissed in a private audience shortly after the event . You are Lord Balmuk’s daughter, right? What would you like to do? If the people who are fighting for power find out about you, they would surely do anything to have you join them… or maybe they just want to take you out of the picture . ”
“Gahaha! So, since things got complicated they’ve decided to eliminate you! Those bastards aren’t playing around!”
“That’s not all . As the information has been leaked, people who want to use Charlotte’s influence may start moving in the shadows . ” Says Anessa .
Dortos nods and continues to stroke his beard . “But we can’t trust them either . They may just want a puppet they can easily control . ”
Angeline looks at Charlotte . “Is there anyone you can trust in Lucressia?”
Charlotte shakes her head . “All the people who ever helped or supported me have surely been arrested and tried as heretics . I don’t think there’s anyone in all of Lucressia who can help me . ”
Lionel lets out a sigh . “The Inquisitors…? I’d heard rumors, but I never thought they were real… I wish I didn’t have to get involved with the Pope and his people…”
“I don’t think that problem will ever affect us here in Orphen, Guild Master . ”
Lionel sighs again when he hears Anessa’s words . “I truly hope so, but people in power often do stupid and daring things . And I don’t know what kind of individual would think of trying to revive the Demon Kings… They seem like the kind of guys we can’t leave alone . What a drag…”
“Hmm… Will they aim to overthrow the government and the noble families or do they want to conquer the continent? Whatever the reason, the result would not be good . ”
“Gahahaha! But from what I’ve heard, those guys aren’t that good! They don’t seem worth the trouble! Although it sounds like fun!”
“About the problem in Lucressia~ . The people involved in the power struggle are slowly destroying each other, aren’t they~? We could just leave them alone . ” says Miriam .
“It’s true . That turned out to be a very beneficial thing . ” Says Anessa nodding her head .
“Sadly, we cannot wait too long, as those who seek to end Charlotte’s life might achieve their goal before they destroy each other . ”
“That’s right . But at least it’s a relief to know something about our enemies . Haaa~, this will be as complicated as the problem with the Demon King, I don’t know if my old body can handle it…”
Charlotte can’t help but interrupt the adults’ conversation . “Y-You’re really gonna help me? After everything I did…?”
“Hahaha! Children shouldn’t worry about things like this! If you behave yourself and stay calm, everything will be fine!” Says Chebolg laughing out loud .
“But, people died…I’m afraid they’ll decide to execute me for my crimes…I don’t think there’s any way I’ll be forgiven…”
Angeline scowls and holds Charlotte’s face with her two hands . “Do you have some kind of death wish?”
Charlotte opens her eyes and shakes her head .
“So don’t talk about your execution so lightly… because even if you were to die, what’s done is done . ”
“Yes…”
“For now, it’s enough that you understand that you did something horrible, we’ll think about the appropriate punishment later on . We just need to focus on preventing you from being kidnapped or killed, okay?”
“Yes…” Charlotte nods shyly .
Seeing that the girl has finally accepted to be protected and that she is willing to atone for her wrongdoings, Angeline smiles happily .
“Well, don’t worry too much, now you have an older sister who can protect you “
Charlotte smiles shyly as she listens to Angeline’s words .
Angeline is relieved that the members of Orphen’s Guild have agreed to protect Charlotte . At first, they were somewhat dismayed and worried about having to oppose the Pope, but they are all good people, so in the end, they decided to take action .
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Orphen’s guild is quite large, so not every adventurer will be able to help . However, Angeline is reassured to know that her best friends, the Guild Master and a couple of former S Rank adventurers are on her side . Besides, with a small group, it will be easier to handle things more discreetly .
After the meeting, Angeline leaves the Guild accompanied by Charlotte, Byaku and her friends . Angeline’s party has decided to take the day off so that they can take care of the children’s needs .
“First, a bath . You both are a little dirty… “
“So that’s what I smelled a little while ago~ . Remember little one, girls should always be clean . ” Miriam says as she strokes her hair . Miriam, being a woman-beast, can smell Charlotte quite easily .
“Good heavens… This situation has become very strange . “Anessa says with a dismayed expression .
Anessa does not seem comfortable with what is happening and stares at Charlotte, who walks with Miriam on one side and Angeline on the other while holding their hands . The girl seems to be extremely happy .
On the other hand, Byaku follows the girls around without saying a word . Even during the meeting, the boy barely opened his mouth to explain a little about the organization he had worked for .
Angeline separates from Miriam and Charlotte and lines up next to Byaku .
“There are still some things I want to ask you . ”
“Wasn’t it enough what I said at the meeting?”
Angeline laughs at the boy’s response . “You and Lottie are different, aren’t you? Lottie is an ordinary human, but you haven’t revealed much about your true identity…”
“Wow… I thought your brain was only good for swinging your sword, but it seems I was wrong . ”
“That’s obvious . I’m the daughter of the ‘Red Ogre’ Belgriff . I didn’t become an S Rank adventurer just because of my sword skills . ”
“Someone’s daughter… Hey… “Byaku has an expression of displeasure . “You are too carefree . ”
“On the contrary, I think you’re too serious . My daddy always says that if you don’t broaden your horizons when you’re young, the real world will end up kicking your butt when you’re older…”
“What kind of nonsense does your father say?” Byaku sighs deeply and remains silent for a while, but finally, he begins to speak . “A Demon King is residing within me . The Demon King Caim . ”
“Hmmm . ” Angeline noticed something strange during their fight in Bordeaux, but this confirmed it . “But your presence is somewhat different from the one I felt when I fought the Demon King in Orphen . ”
“Demon Kings are homunculi originally created by Solomon . They are immortal, have enormous magical power and incredible fighting ability . But if they are unable to find their master, the homunculi simply fall into madness .
“That’s the first time I’ve heard something like that… Why do you have that homunculus inside you?”
“It was an experiment, to allow a homunculus to be born with the appearance of a human child . ”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know all the details… But the purpose was to get rid of the madness the homunculi felt while maintaining the fighting skills and magic power… I was the result of one of those experiments . But I was considered a failure because some of the homunculus’ madness still resides within my mind . ”
“Hmm~… That means you’re weird . ”
“Shut up . Besides, I’m not the only one in this situation . ” Byaku looks directly at Angeline . “You may be the product of one of those experiments, too . ”
“Huh? “Angeline widens her eyes, but then she laughs . “A Demon King, me? Hahaha!”
“Don’t you think your strength is something out of the ordinary?”
Angeline blows and then hits her chest . “It’s because of my Daddy . ”
“Think again, more carefully . Your strength and ability are due to the influence of a homunculus . “
“If that’s true, then why did my Daddy find me abandoned at Tornela?”
“…I don’t know . ”
“In your story, you were in the Imperial City, right? Tornela is far from the Imperial City and my Daddy found me when I was still a baby . It doesn’t make sense . ”
Byaku sighs again as if he were giving up . “You’ll have to figure it out for yourself . I did not know about the homunculus inside me until I felt its madness invading my entire being . I can’t tell you more about it . ”
“I see… Well, it’s not like it’s really going to affect me . ”
“Tsk…”
Seeing Byaku’s expression, Angeline laughs again and puts her hand on the boy’s shoulder .
“You’re alone too, aren’t you? But you’ll be fine now because you have a big sister to take care of you . ”
“What nonsense are you saying?”
“Don’t be shy~ . Hahaha! I’ll take you to Tornela soon . ”
“You’re a really cumbersome woman . “
At that time, the rest of the group arrives at the bathhouse and urge Byaku and Angeline to hurry .