Youngest 230

Episode 230

“Hm.”

Borrowing Liam’s glasses, I transformed into a rigorous, meticulous examiner.

“Experience is precisely one of the crucial qualities I lack. I’ll take that into consideration.”

A small cough sounded at my side. It was Mother, who had been linked arm-in-arm with me the whole time.

“Ruby, as for your mother…”

“Hing. Motherrr… Full marks for emotional appeal.”

A mother is a blessing just by her presence.

Her gentle hand stroked my hair, and her sweet voice followed.

“I’ll be sure to protect my daughter with the assassination skills I picked up for my own self-improvement.”

“Ugh, who learns assassination skills for self-improvement… Still love you, though.”

Hug.

Feeling the threat to his place between us, Void wedged himself into the magnet-like bond between mother and daughter.

“Ruby, I’m strong! Super strong!”

“Huh. Not much of a pitch.”

“Damn, then… Ah, the Festival of Spring! Seven-time consecutive champion at the Festival of Spring Swordsmanship Tournament!”

“Oh. Bonus points for awards. Now, who’s left…”

The family’s gazes swept around.

They settled on Duke Zevert, who had watched the spectacle with his arms crossed and a mocking smile.

“What are you all staring at? Obviously, I’m coming. If I’m not part of the advance party, then who—”

“The cave…”

At that, Father uncrossed his arms. The mightiest among us, now regaining modesty, broke out in a cold sweat.

“No, that was just an unavoidable situation…”

“It was surprisingly shallow.”

With a wry note, I spoke up, and this time Father uncrossed his legs.

“Roze, if that brat tells the Emperor I was caught by an illusion spell, do you think they’ll look down on our family?”

“We should be mindful of our wording. Focus on Ruby’s miraculous deeds, perhaps…”

I waved my hands in protest.

“Oh, everyone! Don’t poke me where it hurts. Of course, if I hadn’t rescued him, Father would still be sleeping, but still!”

“…”

“Yes, it was a teensy bit embarrassing for someone called the greatest hero of the continent. I know. But everyone has their vulnerabilities, don’t they? So let’s not keep bringing it up, or teasing each other! Of course, if I hadn’t rescued him, Father would still be asleep right now!”

“Father’s going to cry.”

Father covered his face, shaking his head.

“Ruby, you’re the worst.”

“Hehehe.”

I giggled for a while, then, seeing the glimmer of tears in the corner of Father’s eyes, decided it was best to stop teasing—for today.

Of course, that was only for today. There were still 23,450 days left to tease him.

Anyway, it was about time to actually begin the selection…

“But Liam, why aren’t you saying anything?”

Void abruptly posed the question.

Right—usually, my older brother would’ve jumped in first. But today, he was unusually silent.

“Sigh, at last, my chance to speak.”

Liam, who had sat in silence, glanced toward a nearby flowerpot as he spoke.

I quickly handed back his glasses.

“I’d like to start with a question.”

Oh, beginning with a question to seize attention? That was a fresh approach—I gave a satisfied nod.

Liam gulped once, then, forcing a calm over his confusion, asked gravely,

“Was the youngest fairy… truly our mother and father’s daughter?”

“Ah.”

So that’s where he’d gotten stuck.

“Why…? How…? Where am I? Who am I?”

Round and round.

The befuddled eldest’s brain whirred loudly, echoing through the room.

---

“We’ll announce the advance-party results three days before departure. Meeting adjourned!”

Rubian declared cheerily.

The expedition to the Mage Kingdom was set for roughly a week later.

Until then, everyone would prepare in their own way for the final battle.

Having lost at rock-paper-scissors, Kal watched Rubian’s retreating back, held in Balok’s arms, with some anxiety.

…What if I don’t get picked for the advance party?

He nervously licked his shapely lips, such thoughts swirling in his mind.

Arcadia was a land of tremendous magical power. Once Rubian arrived there, she’d surely be able to move far more freely than she could here.

‘All I have to offer is my mana.’

Anxiety rose, tight in his throat.

‘And she didn’t seem to like my physical strength much, either.’

He tightened the laces of his tunic up to his neck, recalling how, with a hint of mischief, he’d loosened them a bit—but Rubian had recoiled in distaste, squeezing her eyes shut.

‘This is getting tricky…’

Kal walked out of the meeting room, continuing down the hallway.

She’s so difficult.

Rubian really is so difficult.

So he thought, and sighed deeply—when suddenly,

“….”

A stabbing headache made him stop in his tracks.

…Here.

His breath caught, frozen in his chest.

Now that he thought about it, ever since coming south, these headaches had struck from time to time.

The deep mana within him surged violently, as though reacting, churning toward a single direction.

Suppressing a groan, he summoned what strength he had left to forcibly tamp it down. Why?

‘Could it be because we’re getting close to the Mage Kingdom?’

“For my king.”

There were still things he hadn’t unraveled about the phrase engraved on his shackles.

Allen had once suggested that he might find clues on the Western Continent—if they went on to the Mage Kingdom, what would happen then? Would there be answers for him there?

“Sigh… Rubi, you really do have to take me with you.”

He thumped his head gently against the wall.

“In that case, I need to pull myself together.”

With that, he straightened up again and resumed walking. The stabbing headache still lingered, but Kal wiped his expression clean, as if nothing was amiss.

…Cannot have… Here.

Voices within him churned uneasily.

“Shut up.”

He muttered under his breath, grinding down the force within him. Dark desires writhed, but he had no intention of succumbing easily.

---

Departure for the Mage Kingdom.

Six days remaining.

Leviathan stood, gazing out at the blue waves of the south.

To be precise, his keen eyes were running over the exploration ship before him. Knights and workers bustled, swarming around the vessel.

He’d spent the night deep in discussion with his lieutenants about the coming battle, and as soon as dawn broke, he’d written a letter to the Emperor requesting supplies and reinforcements.

The Emperor, upon hearing Leviathan’s report, wasted no time. The war had been inevitable since the Mage Kingdom’s exclusion from the Allied Forces, and those authorized by the Emperor began arriving via portal with the requested supplies in tow.

“Duke, Marquis! Ship inspections are complete.”

One of the Marquis’s lieutenants came running.

“And the magical devices from the capital are loaded?”

To Marquis Weber’s question, the aide nodded.

“Yes. All set, for now.”

“The big issue is, how do we chart a course to the Mage Kingdom? Each time we’ve tried, the surrounding barrier has thrown us off, and we’ve wasted all our fuel and provisions wandering the sea.”

The Marquis clicked his tongue and turned.

“Your Grace, are you certain we’ll get this automatic navigation device?”

“I’ll make it happen, one way or another.”

If Rubian found it impossible, he’d search every last corner of the sea himself.

Catching the unshakable resolve in Leviathan’s eyes, the Marquis fell silent.

Just then,

“Marquis! The outpost mage has requested an audience.”

Another officer rushed up with news.

“What? The southern mage?”

The outpost mage?

Leviathan tilted his jaw.

“Been a while, Marquis.”

“Benjamin! I was looking for you everywhere!”

“Haha, feels like just yesterday I last saw you, and look at you—so grown already.”

An old man, hair completely white, approached with the help of a cane. He looked to be well past ninety.

It seemed Marquis Weber had met him as a child, and he welcomed the outpost mage warmly.

“Where have you been all this time? We truly didn’t know how to find you.”

“Haha. What use would you have for an old man whose magic’s barely worth a rat’s piss?”

“Ah—there’s a certain esteemed person who’s been asking for you, Benjamin…”

‘Esteemed person’… the mage rolled the words on his tongue, then coughed a couple of times.

“First, take this.”

From his breast pocket, the old man produced a small device.

“Found it while clearing out my home. At the end of my life, I thought perhaps it could help you, Marquis.”

“And this is…?”

“It’s an automatic navigation device for Arcadia. The coordinates are already set.”