I'm Searching for the Villainous Dad's Memories!

Episode 16

“Is there any useful information?”

It was true that I felt a bit overwhelmed thinking about rescuing Eliza on my own.

I didn’t have the strength to stop a collapsing building, nor could I use magic freely.

‘Let’s sort things out.’

There were two things I needed to do:

1. Identify the march route and gather information about collapsing buildings.

2. Find a way to protect Eliza.

Of course, changing the march route to avoid danger was an option.

But since this route was historically significant and used for various ceremonies, the chances of altering it were almost zero unless a serious issue was uncovered.

Moreover, there wasn’t enough time to overturn the march route anyway.

So, the best option for me right now was to figure out which building would collapse and prepare accordingly.

‘I don’t know the exact location, but it was definitely a building with blue windows.’

I recalled the information from my dream.

Then, carefully rising on my toes, I scanned my dad’s desk.

‘There it is, the march route and the map of the capital!’

But the problem was, just looking at a flat map wouldn’t tell me which one was the building with blue windows.

‘It seems I’ll need to walk the route through the capital once.’

This would be a preliminary inspection!

The building had a rather distinctive exterior, so I should be able to recognize it easily when I saw it in person.

‘I should ask the maids to let me tag along when they go out on errands!’

With that decision, I quickly memorized the march route.

Fortunately, I had a good memory. In fact, it was a straight path that cut through the center of the capital, so it was easy to remember.

“Great. Next!”

Step two, finding a way to protect Eliza…

As I continued to frantically search my dad’s desk, my eyes widened.

“Huh? This is…”

It was a document written by Ruska.

It was the escort plan for the march, and I overheard earlier that he got scolded by my dad for writing the numbers incorrectly.

It seemed like he had finally written it correctly this time.

Wintervalt Knights Dispatched — 20 escort knights, 50 soldiers … (omitted) … Support from the Imperial Knights … (omitted) … 30 protective magical devices within the mansion.

‘There are protective magical devices in the mansion!’

It felt like I had discovered a ray of hope.

‘What if we increased the number of these protective devices and placed them on Eliza’s carriage?’

I eagerly picked up a pen and was about to add a ‘0’ when I hesitated.

“Ugh!”

It was because the signature line for my dad was completely blank.

“He went out without finishing his work!”

Ugh.

‘Since Secretary Ruska got scolded over this document, Dad will review it with even sharper eyes, won’t he?’

If I tampered with it now, there was a 100% chance I’d get caught and a 100% chance it would be rejected. Ruska’s overtime and tears would also be guaranteed.

‘Besides, there might not even be 300 magical devices left in the mansion.’

Even if I increased the number, without knowing the specific danger Elisa would face, there was no guarantee they would be used for her carriage.

In conclusion, altering the document seemed impossible.

What should I do?

After a brief moment of pondering, I closed the document and quickly dashed out of the office.

‘What should I do? What else!’

I’ll just have to find the magical devices myself and install them!

If I can’t solve the problem on paper, I’ll fix it by moving my body!

By the way…

‘Where did Dad go, anyway?’

As I sprinted down the empty hallway, my head tilted slightly in curiosity.

At that moment.

Kalec was sitting in the center of the imperial palace, in the Emperor’s audience chamber.

“It’s been a while, Sir Kalec.”

The emperor of the empire, Bizet Etherion, spoke as he leaned deeply into the back of his chair.

“These five years seem like nothing. You haven’t changed at all.”

It was Kalec’s first meeting with the emperor since his return, after recovering from his injury.

Though the emperor’s face showed rare warmth, Kalec, who had lost his memory, remained indifferent.

“Ah… perhaps not entirely unchanged.”

The emperor placed his teacup down and glanced briefly at Kallek.

“It’s the side effect from the Great Southern Labyrinth, isn’t it? Your hair.”

Kalec slowly sipped his tea, savoring the taste, swallowing, and enjoying the lingering aftertaste on his tongue before he curled his lips into a smile.

It was a relaxed gesture, showing that even in the emperor’s presence, there was no need for haste.

“Has such a trivial rumor already reached your precious throne?”

His low voice flowed languidly.

“It seems the lower ranks have been talking recklessly without understanding the gravity of the situation. All of this, I assume, is because of Your Majesty’s boundless generosity.”

“Hahaha!”

The emperor let out a hearty laugh.

“How could your affairs be considered trivial? The noble protector of the empire, you are far too modest.”

The emperor’s sharp, deep crimson eyes bore into Kalec. Resting his chin on his arm, the emperor casually asked,

“So? When do you plan to tell me about the events of the past five years? It just so happens that I have a fine Carbeta wine. What do you say?”

“Well, you see… I’m still recovering from my injuries.”

He had been skirting around the issue, but this was the crux of it.

He wanted Kalec to talk about what had happened over the past five years.

‘How can I tell him anything when I don’t even know the full story?’

Kalec sneered inwardly, though he didn’t let it show.

He had already officially locked down the narrative.

“You can rest assured that my magic is completely stable. I secluded myself only to avoid causing harm to the empire and my family.”

“Destruction and death… The magic of Wintervalt is a double-edged sword. If one fails to control it, it can bring great disaster.”

Some forms of magic are inherited through bloodlines, such as the magic passed down to the heads of the four great ducal houses of the empire.

That magic, far beyond what ordinary people could fathom, represented the unique characteristics of each family.

Kalec’s Wintervalt magic was no exception.

It was the power of a harsh winter that allowed no life to survive, a magic of destruction and death that embodied that extreme nature.

It was perfect for annihilating enemies and earning the title of the strongest on the continent… but, as the emperor had mentioned, it came with a risk.

The power was exceptionally vast and highly aggressive, sometimes causing internal conflict within its wielder, leading to dangerous outbursts.

Kalec had used that to his advantage.

He had told the emperor that over the past five years, he had stabilized his volatile power by staying in places where the magic flow was weaker.

“But to disappear and even hide it from Eliza was too much. Well, knowing how much you care for your family, I suppose you were even prepared to die rather than cause them harm. If that had happened, the power would have passed to another member of Wintervalt.”

Not quite.

Kalec hid his smirk behind his teacup.

‘He never seemed like the kind to die heroically for the family’s sake. That bastard.’

Maybe if it were for that little brat, he’d give up everything.

He silently mocked Alec, whom he had seen through the vision stone.

“Then, is your power fully stabilized now? …Ah, that was a foolish question.”

The emperor rubbed his brow and laughed awkwardly.

After all, the man who had singlehandedly subdued the Great Southern Labyrinth and returned in triumph was standing right before him.

Sensing the overwhelming presence emanating from the man, the emperor subtly shifted the conversation.

“Speaking of which, I’ve heard that some adorable guests have arrived at the duke’s estate.”

Kalec chuckled.

“They’re children who helped me recover something I lost in the south. They were caught in the monster labyrinth and lost their guardian, so I’m letting them stay for a while.”

“I see. Children at Wintervalt, you say.”

That’s quite a rare occurrence.

The emperor mumbled as if to himself, barely audible.

At that moment—

“Your Highness! Prince Argen! Oh dear, what are you doing here again?”

A commotion erupted outside the door.

The emperor frowned and asked,

“What’s going on?”

“My apologies! It’s… it’s the prince outside…”

“Father!”

The door burst open.

At that same moment, a young boy came running in, his face beaming.

“I brought you a present! I caught a frog!”

The boy appeared to be around nine years old.

He had the same black hair and gleaming red eyes as the emperor.

However, his shirt was oddly worn, and his pant legs were a bit short. His hair was also a complete mess.