248 – The Weakened Sorcerer-2-

When I first came to the Desmont family, Darvab said to me.

‘Is it you? The kid who beat my daughter with his fists.’

‘…’

‘You seem to know how to fight. There’s no one among your peers who can beat Olivia.’

At that time, I was terrified.

Not just a sorcerer, but a great sorcerer. Moreover, an antagonist who had made an enemy of the empire due to Olivia’s death. It wasn’t a lie; seeing a monster with the power to behead me just for the reason of having beaten his daughter, the intimidation was beyond imagination.

Now, he seems nothing but a doting father, but back then, I was overwhelmed by the aura that Darvab exuded.

‘Gulp.’

However.

‘You’ve passed as a guard. I’ll have to keep an eye on the butler. It’s tough for a child to handle Olivia alone, after all.’

Darvab Desmont was more magnanimous than I thought. His only flaw was being a severe daddy’s girl. Otherwise, he was a nobleman of excellent appearance and ability.

‘I want to be hit too.’

‘What?’

‘I guess I shouldn’t give you a snack today. Then I might get hit.’

‘…?’

Darvab said to me.

When serving a young lady, there is one important thing to remember, Darbav told me as I sat on the office sofa, even if it’s not a young lady, when serving nobility, there is a point that must be carefully heeded.

“What did you say your name was?”

“It’s Ricardo.”

“That seems like quite an irreverent name.”

“The young lady named me.”

“A splendid name indeed. I wish she would give me one too…”

-Sigh…

“Yes, Ricardo. Not Olivia, but nobility, you see.”

“Yes.”

“A noble is someone who fulfills their spoken word. Even if it’s not true, they can make it so if they set their mind to it.”

“Then, are you suggesting the head of the household should change their name?”

“…I misspoke.”

Darbav’s advice was not wrong.

The young lady.

“Jerk!”

She was someone who always kept her word.

“Who’s your daddy!”

*

The young lady’s voice inquiring politely about the unknown child’s parents echoed through the alleyway.

The child, dressed in expensive-looking clothes, kept his mouth firmly shut in response to the young lady’s question.

Apparently moved by the question about his parents’ well-being, the child’s eyes widened and soon became moist.

The young lady kept talking.

Being a child herself, she proudly hurled abuse at the little one.

“Jerk! Where’s your daddy!”

“He’s here!”

“Bring him here then!”

“He is here!”

“So bring him here, jerk!!”

“Ugh…”

Don’t cry, little one. It makes me more embarrassed.

I watched the child excitedly boasting about their father and forced an awkward smile. It was problematic, after all.

Feeling like I had done something an adult with a proper mind shouldn’t, I placed my hand on the head of the young lady engaged in a high-level debate and said with an ambiguous expression,

“Miss.”

“Hmm?”

“It really seems like there’s none.”

“Huh?”

“Look at that child.”

-..But you said there is! Daddy’s just too busy to come!

The young lady looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Huh? Ricardo, that child is crying.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“Why are they crying?”

“You said their daddy isn’t here.”

“Yeah.”

“So, if there really isn’t one, they must be crying.”

“No, that child was bragging a lot about their dad, right? I was scared, thinking I was dealing with an emperor.”

“Is that what scared you?”

“Yeah.”

“What if it was a regular noble?”

“I’d have them eradicated.”

“Oh… You’ve matured quite a bit.”

“Hmm.”

“Anyway, it seems like those who have nothing brag the most, and that’s why they cry.”

The young lady stared intently into my eyes and asked,

“Ricardo, you have nothing, but you didn’t brag.”

‘Damn it.’

Having unintentionally received a harsh word from the young lady, I looked at her with a teary expression, like the child before me.

“I’m getting upset.”

“No, you can’t. If Ricardo isn’t here, I’ll starve to death.”

“Then I won’t get upset.”

“Uhm.”

Definitely.

I nodded, dispelling the sourness in my mood. It wasn’t because I was thinking about the size of the treasure pouch that it was dangerous for the young lady to starve. I ruffled the young lady’s hair as I nodded again.

-Sniffle.

So… why is that little one crying now?

I asked the little leader, who was shivering and bowing his head, kindly for the reason.

“Hey, kid.”

“…”

“Do you not have a father?”

I couldn’t contain my curiosity. I politely asked the boy who had boasted about having a father first.

“It’s not like that…!”

“But why are you crying?”

“You said I don’t have a dad!”

“But, why are your words so short?”

“How dare you, a commoner, be so noisy!”

“Oh really?”

I rolled up my sleeves and took a step towards the child. It seemed that a lesson in love was necessary.

The moment to teach a child brimming with innocence the fears of reality.

“Ricardo.”

The young lady, with a serious expression, grabbed my collar and held me back.

I tilted my head at her unexpected action. It was strange for her to stop me, given that her temper was fiercer than mine.

Normally…

– Let go of me!

– Miss, please restrain yourself!

– Waaah!!!! Eeeek! Eeeeek!

She would have thrown a fit, unable to contain her anger…

The young lady holding my sleeve spoke to me with a serious expression, to satisfy her curiosity.

“Ricardo.”

“Yes.”

“Maybe what he’s saying could be right.”

“What does that mean?”

“Just get rid of it.”

“Who?”

“Her dad.”

“Aha!”

I flicked the lady’s forehead in response to her novel answer and nodded. Her clever remark, offering the best solution, was smart and to my liking, but since a simple apology could end this incident, I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it…

“Waaah! I’m going to tell my dad on you guys.”

Should I kill them?

I’m still young at heart, too.

I feel like I’m about to get mean.

I said to the lady, suppressing my emotions as much as possible. After all, she always valued efficiency above all else.

“Lady.”

“Hmm?”

“You should say it too.”

“Hmm.”

The lady nodded and, not to be outdone, flopped down on the floor and started crying.

“Waaah! Daddy! Daddy!”

The lady, with a performance surpassing that of a Sword Master, seemed to prove that her backing was the strongest in the world.

Today, I was proud to be Deathmont.

“Waaah!”

After about 10 minutes of seeing whose cry was louder, the overwhelmed kid finally gave in with a disgusted “Uh…uhhh…!” and the ear-splitting battle came to an end.

I walked between them, clapping in awe, as if I had witnessed a Sword Master’s duel. I thought the lady must have enjoyed herself enough by now.

Her hobbies were quarreling, fighting, and plundering, so I figured she must be satisfied now, having indulged in all three.

“Lady.”

“Huh?”

“Shall we go now?”

“We still don’t know who her dad is.”

“He’s not here. Isn’t that why she’s not talking?”

“Oh…!”

The lady nodded and approached the little kid with her short legs. The children following the kid realized that the lady was no ordinary crazy person and kept their distance, looking deflated.

The young lady pointed her finger at the child.

“Hey!”

“…”

At the lady’s call, the nameless child fluttered his eyelids and nodded.

“Don’t be too heartbroken that you don’t have a dad.”

“…I do.”

The lady pointed at me with her finger and nodded.

“Ricardo’s gone too.”

“…?”

“So, cheer up.”

Is this a second helping?

I felt betrayed by the lady.

Still, I decided not to scold her for encouraging the child to be brave. After all, she wasn’t wrong.

In the past, the lady would have said, ‘Bring everything you have, and I’ll consider it,’ while emptying her pockets. But now, I shed tears of admiration for the grown-up lady, thinking this was a small indulgence.

“Just give me the price of an autograph cream.”

Indeed, the lady is an adult.

The child clenched his fist and glared at us. Unmoved by the lady’s consideration, he glared as if he wanted to kill us.

“…Got no money?”

“…”

“What should we do, Riccardo?”

“Exactly.”

The child’s mouth twitched.

He seemed about to say the name of someone he shouldn’t, taking dry breaths in and out, then slowly began to speak.

“Do you know who my dad is?”

“How would I know your dad? I even forget my own father’s name.”

“Is that true?”

“No.”

The child gritted his teeth and said to us,

“My dad is…”

“…”

“Wolfe…”

Just as the child’s lips parted to call out his father’s name.

“Young master!”

From the entrance of the alley, the urgent footsteps of a man began to sound. The voice of an elderly man, aged beyond measure, echoed, accompanied by the footsteps of three young knights.

I carefully hid the young lady behind me and whispered softly.

“Lady.”

“Mhm.”

“It seems that friend’s father is here.”

“Mhm?”

I looked at the approaching elder and asked.

“Do you recognize this emblem?”

The eagle insignia, symbolizing a prominent family from the west. The young lady nodded as she looked at the badge pinned on the old man’s chest pocket.

“Mhm. Eagle.”

“That’s right.”

I glanced at the child’s face and murmured softly.

‘So it was you. The son of that man.’

‘Wolfgang.’

I smiled bitterly, marveling at the cruel twist of fate.

‘Wolfgang Louis.’

The biological father of Mikhail.

And the man who killed Mikhail’s mother.

I had met the son of a man crazed with power.

And then.

“It’s okay. Our father is stronger.”

The young lady was not frightened.