Youngest 020

Episode 20
[Looks like they’ve sent trackers to the continent, so be careful for now. Of course, I’ll arrive before that… Master? Ruby?]

A faint panic crept in. If my identity were discovered, it would all be over.

[Get a hold of yourself.]

‘Khalid, I’m scared. I don’t want to be dragged off to the kingdom…’

Khalid was silent for a moment.

[You’re with Duke Zevert, aren’t you?]

‘How did you know that?’

[He’s at least competent, so stick close to him for now.]

‘I’m already doing that…’

That’s the problem—it’s not easy.

As I hesitated, Khalid gave a long sigh.

[That’s why you shouldn’t have left me behind in the first place.]

‘Don’t be mad. I’m already feeling down…’

At that, Khalid let out a snort.

[How could I possibly be angry with you… Never mind, don’t worry too much. You know how far it is from Arcadia to Babylon.]

I know very well.

The Mage Kingdom of Arcadia is an island rising in the middle of the sea. To get from there to the Empire, you’d have to cross the sea and traverse countless mountains and gorges as well.

[Besides, mages can’t use their full powers on Babylonian soil. It might actually work in your favor.]

He was right. This land is the worst for mages.

So even if a tracker mage does come, it will take some time.

Which means…

I’ll have some time to prepare as well.

‘I can’t just sit around like this.’

My eyes shone with determination as I made up my mind.

---

Meanwhile, in the drawing room.

“……”

With the child gone, the room fell into a deep silence.

Duke Zevert, Balok, stood with his mouth agape, groping at the spot where Rubian had been moments before.

“She said her stomach hurt?”

So suddenly?

“Are children always like this?”

“I’m not sure…”

Balok’s eyes swirled in confusion. He was bewildered.

If the child was truly ill, there was no time to waste. He needed to call for a physician…

Just then, the maid who’d followed after Rubian returned.

“D-did you manage to catch up with her?”

“Yes, but instead of the restroom, she locked herself away in her room.”

All at once, he felt stinging gazes fall upon him.

Balok, clueless as to the reason, burst out,

“Does she not know where the restroom is?”

“No, Your Grace, I don’t think that’s it.”

“Eh?”

The answer came from his longtime butler, Morris.

Morris, his gray hair slicked back neatly, let out a sigh.

“Lady Rubian is upset.”

“Upset…?”

“That’s right, isn’t it? She pleaded with you not to send her away, but Your Grace insisted on threatening to make her leave.”

Nodding heads. The servants nearby all agreed with subtle bows.

Balok was flustered.

Threatening? He’d only been thinking to send the tiny thing back before it got into any trouble here!

In the North, children joined the Order as pages from a young age, enduring strict discipline before growing into stalwart knights to guard these lands.

So, when Leviathan said he’d bring the child, Balok had naturally assumed it was in that context.

This was the Empire’s front line, and Zevert bore the crucial duty of defending the border.

‘But what on earth is that squishy little thing supposed to be!’

He couldn’t accept it. If he had any conscience, he ought to have sent her away before she formed any bad memories.

That was the extent of Balok’s view…

“That little one must have been terrified! That’s why I’ve told you thousands of times to control that temper of yours.”

“So… she ran out because she can’t stand the sight of me?”

“Regrettably.”

“…Huh.”

Balok exhaled helplessly.

He pictured the little silver figure as she hurried from the room.

No, no.

On second thought, wasn’t she rather impertinent?

How dare she run off without permission from Balok himself!

“Wh-what’s the worst that tiny thing can do if she’s angry anyway? M-m-maybe it’s for the best! If she just rolls away out of here—”

“Your lips are quivering, Your Grace.”

Balok clamped his mouth shut.

“You could have just told her to take it easy. Why were you so insistent?”

“She’s just so small! She looks like she’ll blow away at the slightest breeze—how could she possibly endure it here? What if a magical beast appears? Hmm?”

“But you found her cute.”

“She was cute! I nearly bit her!”

Gasping, Balok snapped his mouth shut again. His true feelings were spilling out before he even realized it.

Morris let out a deep, knowing sigh. He’d served the old duke for decades.

He’d long known the man had a soft spot for small, adorable things. …Only Balok himself seemed unaware.

“In my opinion… Lady Rubian seems as brave as the young masters.”

“On what basis?”

“She wasn’t afraid of Your Grace or Lord Leviathan at all. Normally, a child would cry under such pressure.”

“…That’s true.”

Balok slumped into a chair, recalling Rubian’s face.

Even when he kicked open the main door in a rush, the child simply stared wide-eyed—she didn’t cry.

Void and Liam had both bawled their eyes out… And to this day, they still hadn’t forgiven him for it.

“She’s just a little brat, but she glared up at me with those round eyes, chattering on without ever tiring, always talking back…”

“But now she resents you.”

“….”

Ah, why was he so aggravating today of all days?

Balok shot a glare at his lieutenant’s face.

Now an ex-knight whose butler’s uniform suited him better than ever, the man simply turned his gaze aside.

“Bah! Tsk! Why did she leave without even finishing her milk?”

He vented his frustration out on the mug abandoned on the table.

A mint-green mug! He hadn’t even known such a cute thing existed in his house!

“She eats so little, she’s smaller than a ground goblin!”

“She’s actually taller than… Ahem, besides, please refrain from comparing her to magical beasts.”

Balok stiffened again.

“…Was that wrong too?”

“What child would like to be compared to a magical beast?”

“You…”

At length, the old duke exploded.

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?!”

Waaagh! Roaring like a lion, Balok’s outburst prompted Morris to pull out his handkerchief.

“Do I really need to tell you something that obvious?!”

He wasn’t about to back down, though.

Morris was tired.

Ah, monster-hunting would be easier than this. Serving as a butler was a far harsher task than being a knight.

These insufferable Zevert people!

“I’m resigning—no, retiring for the day!”

---

I spent the whole afternoon agonizing over how to overcome this crisis.

Khalid said the Mage King probably didn’t know I was in Duke Zevert’s territories yet.

‘I was planning to get moving soon anyway.’

Figuring out why Mister Leviathan dies.

My leading hypothesis was magical beasts.

‘That’s just like that author.’

In any case, the story’s ending was an utter train wreck with no sense of logic or narrative flow.

Still, it hadn’t devolved into something as ridiculous as ‘A meteor suddenly fell and killed the hero. The End.’ So the most plausible scenario was the protagonist’s death at the hands of invading magical beasts.

‘If not that, there’s nothing else in this northern region that could pose as Mister’s enemy.’

Monsters forever scheming to claim his lands.

After spending a few days here, it was clear to me that they were the only serious threat to the peace and safety of this place.

‘So what about the timing?’

In the first part of the original story, the author briefly showed the daily lives of people as they regained peace after the war.

Void reconciling with Mister, and the blond one becoming the crown prince—they were details revealed later on.

‘And after making everyone happy, to end it that way… That author really has issues.’

So, if I think about it, I can probably deduce the approximate time of Mister’s death from events involving the other characters.

I pushed up nonexistent glasses and folded my arms.

‘Void’s relationship with his father improves when he’s twelve…’

So that means Mister is safe for at least another year, doesn’t it?

‘As for the rest… I don’t remember.’

What did this man even do after the war?

Either way, no matter what or when something might happen, it was essential to be prepared.

‘Once spring arrives, the magical beasts will go wild… And I need to be ready in case a tracker mage shows up, too.’

I sat on the floor, quietly thinking.

“I can’t just sit here doing nothing.”

Refocusing, I straightened up and closed my eyes.

It felt as if I were plunging into deep water. Within that sea, countless magical sigils and formulas twisted and intertwined.

Need a method?

I’d known every magic circle in existence since the day I was born.

It was called wisdom, some said truth, others called it order, or the grace of Wizeria.

What do you want?

Swimming through those depths, I reached for what I needed, assembled and rearranged it.

It was second nature.

Though I was not born with great magical power, it was this knowledge alone that allowed me to live as a mage.

Found it.

“Good.”

I opened my eyes with a snap. Glancing up, I caught my reflection in the mirror.

A pink flash was slowly fading from my blue eyes.

“Whew, that’s tiring…”

I shook my head.

Peering into Wizeria’s wisdom was a draining effort.

Fortunately, with all the good food and rest over the past several weeks, I recovered quickly.

‘The old duke said we’d be going out together tomorrow, didn’t he?’

It was just the opportunity I needed.