Chapter 79
My plan was this:
Since I was young, Dad was anxious about even me going to the city for a breath of fresh air, let alone traveling.
Of course he won’t allow me to leave the Rolls Empire.
So shock therapy was necessary.
‘If I declare that I’m going to leave home, I might be allowed to change the word to ‘travel.’’
And as expected, Dad was very disappointed.
But to this extent…
‘I didn’t know he could break down the wall.’
Whiingㅡ
A gust of wind blew in through the broken wall.
Fine black hair fluttered in all directions.
“…Independence.”
I flinched at the scary bass sound.
Behind the purple eyes staring at me, black Magi was shaking.
If Magi that was usually hidden was visible to the naked eye, Dad’s current emotions were almost at the level of imminent war.
“A child who just started walking?”’
It’s been over 10 years since I started walking…
Although I gasped like a goldfish, I kept my mouth shut.
My survival took priority over correcting a mistake.
I, who was sweating profusely out of his scary love for his child, explained with a smile.
“I-I said it wrong. It’s not leaving home, but outside the Rolls Empire…”
Boom!
“Hiiik! I-I want to t-travel!”
Until all misunderstandings were resolved, Dad destroyed all the walls of the Duke’s castle.
After a while.
“If you wanted to travel and not leave home, you should have told me sooner. Dad was surprised, you know.”
He belatedly understood what I meant, picked me up and patted me.
“Y-Yeah. I meant travel.”
I looked at the broken pieces with rabbit eyes.
He clearly poured out his sad and confused feelings into Magi.
The vast plains of Vallois spread out between the collapsed castle exterior.
***
“Now, let me explain my travel plans for the week.”
After barely calming down Cassis, I went up to the stage, leaving Dad and Agasa seated.
The podium was my handmade work made by layering eight thick books.
When I opened the sketchbook, a rather colorful crayon handwriting was revealed.
There were traces of articles from the Rolls Empire and the Free State cut out and pasted here and there.
“Little Miss. Are you starting?”
Agasa showed interest in the thorough preparation, and Cassis, resting his chin, quietly smiled like a father.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Of course, my trip didn’t mean that I would just leave the Rolls Empire.
I tapped the baton I borrowed from Agasa onto the sketchbook.
“Seven years ago. Dad gave me the Twin Axes Guild as compensation for my labor at the Eillian Mansion, right?”
“It seems like you’ve really become an adult since you use polite language.”
“I don’t like it.”
Unfortunately, the two people reacted to my tone rather than to a school performance-like presentation.
‘They need to focus on the presentation!’
“Ahem, ahem!”
I cleared my throat to tell them to be more careful.
“If you look at the current hierarchy of the Twin Axes Guild, the guild leader is Billishia. Below me is the mercenary king. Under us are executives in charge of noble requests, contracts, and finances.”
“…”
“The Twin Axes Guild is usually operated directly by the mercenary king at the headquarters, and as the guild leader, I only received important news. So, I didn’t go to the Free State for 7 years and only reviewed the documents sent by the mercenary king. But now.”
I turned the pages of my sketchbook with difficulty.
The headline of the article was one that would make anyone look at it with shock.
[Twin Axes Guild, ranked 20th in popularity, has had its workforce reduced by 45% since the last quarter.]
“The Free State newspaper clearly says there has been a 45% reduction in manpower.”
After checking accurately, I handed out another document to the desk.
“However, the documents sent by the Twin Axes Guild indicated that the number of personnel had steadily increased in the last quarter. Up 1% in the last quarter. It says there was a 0.5% increase last quarter.”
“…Agasa.”
“Yes, that’s strange.”
It was from this time that Cassis and Agasa’s eyes changed.
In fact, the Vallois side had no interest in the Twin Axes Guild.
In the first place, Viscount Eillian’s property was given to me as a gift, so it was clear that they thought it was nothing more than a toy.
I also hadn’t paid much attention to it until now.
The guild leader receives about 1,000 gold along with ledger documents once a month, so I thought it was a way to earn pocket money.
But the Twin Axes Guild was neither a toy nor a gift.
It was a serious business.
A business that appears on the front page of the Free State newspaper.
“The Twin Axes Guild is now giving me a false report? As the guild leader, I have to check it out myself.”
“Let’s go together.”
It was when Dad nodded seriously after confirming the false report.
“Your Grace. I’m sorry about this important matter, but there are a lot of official schedules within the Rolls Empire that are currently behind schedule.”
“I can finish it quickly and go.”
Agasa, who was watching, answered.
“…It was delayed by 6 months.”
“What?”
He flagged down an absurd number at the same time.
Cassis swallowed hard as if he was troubled and narrowed his eyes.
…No way.
Surely he won’t say I can’t go, will he.
I looked at his expression to see if anything could happen, but just as I expected, a sigh fell from Cassis’ mouth.
“…If it’s difficult for me to accompany you, no. You’re still young.”
No!
Those words made me jump like a frog.
“I’m 12 years old, though?”
“Billie, how tall are you?”
Talking about height has crossed the line.
I didn’t want to answer, so I bit down on my lip. He rested his chin and his eyes narrowed.
In the end, I confessed.
“I’m 150 cm.”
“You’re 146 cm.”
“…If you round up, it’s 150 cm.”
“Whether you’re 146 cm or 150 cm, the Free State will be full of people over 170cm. And I’m sending you there alone?”
He leaned against the backrest and touched his narrowed eyebrows.
I already understood.
Dad emphasized once again, as if he had seen my grim expression.
“I can never send you alone.”
My mouth opened at his firm tone.
It was an emergency.
In this situation, all I could do was manage the guild, but if I remained in the Rolls Empire, there was nothing I could do other than play and eat.
“It’s safe if I go together with Lisa and the knights. Agasa will come with me, right?”
“…Me? I’m in charge of financial management, so I’m bad at escorting, though.”
Dad’s eyes became fierce.
“In the case of the Twin Axes Guild, you can send Agasa to resolve it.”
“…I’m in charge of financial management, you know?”
I pleaded, ignoring Agasa who was between us.
“What does Agasa know? It’s my business, so I have to go there myself.”
“…Ha.”
Finally, Cassis let out a tired sigh and paused the conversation.
Soon his closed eyes slowly opened.
Did he expect this fight to end with me losing?
Dad nodded his head as if he was going to take a step back.
“…Then, I will send you when you reach 150 cm without rounding up.”
“…Thank y, what?”
I was about to lower my head when I opened my mouth wide.
I was almost disappointed by my own naivety in almost falling for it.
Cassis chuckled, appreciating my blank expression with satisfaction.
“Look. You were fooled, just now?”
“…”
“If you go to the Free State, it will be full of scammers like this.”
What he gave as a test seemed good on the surface, but in reality, it meant I needed to wait another year.
…Fraud against your daughter?
In the end, angry to the core, I refuted.
“At the age of 12, it has usually been more than two years since I made my debut, and in two years I’m at the age where I create a business or participate in two regular meetings.”
“That’s when you’re in the Rolls Empire.”
“What about the brothers? My brothers also went to the Free State when they were 10 years old.”
“They went straight to the Free State Academy. They can study there while being protected.”
“…Then, I will also be protected by the knights…”
“Billie.”
Dad, who had rarely cut my words, sighed.
“I said no.”
“!”
My eyes trembled slightly at the firm answer.
His gaze was straight and unwavering, and a confidence that had never been seen before was imbued with it.
It seemed like no matter what I said in response from now on, he would say no.
“…But.”
I can’t do anything in the Rolls Empire.
Suddenly, I felt anxious as I imagined the empty year ahead.
It took a week to create the presentation materials.
There are even a lot of announcements that haven’t been shown yet.
I was wandering around with a sad face and screamed.
“I hate you, Dad!”
Then, out of frustration, I threw my sketchbook in the air, glanced at him, and quickly ran away.
***
“They say puberty starts at 15.”
Thus, an emergency meeting of Vallois was held.
“…By any chance, has the Princess entered puberty?”
“Ah, the Princess is in puberty… . It seems like just yesterday that she was active in all directions of the Duke’s castle with her radish-like legs…”
Bamㅡ!
Cassis’ eyes flashed as he hit the desk as if it would break.
“My daughter is still radish-like legs.”
The vassals, frightened by his declaration, nodded.
It was an emergency.
Billishia didn’t even eat with him for a week after that.
In the midst of all this, he didn’t have time to listen to the vassals’ parenting reviews.
He sighed, trying to fix his sore chin.
Even if he got angry, nothing would change.
“Anyway, she hasn’t eaten with me in a week and doesn’t talk to me when she sees me. What did everyone do when raising their children at that age?”
“…She’s really in puberty.”
“I’m so distraught to death.”
There was even a dark cloud over the emergency meeting out of nowhere.
The vassals swallowed dry saliva as they realized their master’s condition.
They always tried not to offend the head of the family, whose direction to go they never knew.
However, Cassis was sincere enough to throw away his honor and family when it came to talking about his family.
‘It’s better to be honest.’
After finishing his thoughts, a vassal opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.
“…There was definitely an argument.”
“She suddenly said she was going abroad. But it’s dangerous.”
“Yes. But there is a difference between a dangerous path and a wrong path.”
“…What does it mean?”
Cassis raised his gaze at the earnest advice.
“If it’s a wrong path, guide her to the right path, and if it’s a right yet dangerous path, you can trim the path so that even if she falls, it won’t be a big deal. And watch over her while she walks.”
After hesitating for a moment, the vassal continued speaking.
“…Is she going down the wrong path now?”
“…”
“Or is she trying to create her own life, even though it’s risky?”
Cassis could not easily respond to advice that was more serious than expected.
In fact, the answer was already decided.
***
Knock, knockㅡ
After reaching a conclusion, Cassis knocked on his daughter’s bedroom.
After a heavy silence, he heard small footsteps approaching the door.
And then.
“There is no Billishia.”
As expected, the same pattern.
“Then please pass this on to my daughter who isn’t in the bedroom.”
“…?”
Surprised by the unexpected answer, he felt Billie leaning her ear against the door.
“J-Just say something.”
“…Billie.”
Cassis, who had been trying to keep his voice quiet for a while, solemnly opened his eyes and declared.
“I will accept your puberty.”
