novelraw Chapter 42 : Chapter 42
Chapter 42 : Chapter 42
Chapter 42. Anonymous (5)
When I returned home, everyone rushed out to greet me.
“Father!”
“Daddyy!”
However, the first one to help me dismount from the Pegasus was the Head Butler, Elliot.
“You’ve worked hard. Are you injured anywhere?”
“I’m fine.”
He also helped Rude get down before quietly stepping aside.
Elliot was probably the calmest person in our house right now.
A competent secretary is truly convenient.
Unlike Elliot.
The others were fidgeting, just waiting for me to speak.
“What on earth happened? A tremendous flash of light was visible all the way here!”
This was Adel's remark, and, “Did you perhaps use Mega Explosion?”
This was Noemi's question.
After briefly explaining the situation, I looked for Anonymous.
“Where is Anonymous?”
“Master is waiting in the basement.”
“Bring her here.”
“Did you defeat all the enemies?”
“Yes. There are no more threats now.”
Adel wore a bright expression and soon brought Anonymous from the basement.
She asked with a complex and subtle look on her face.
“Did you have a safe trip?”
“Yes. I have eliminated all the enemies and brought back these two Magic devices.”
When I held out the Magic Potion and the Magic device that puts dragons to sleep, she frowned.
From her perspective, both were as good as her natural enemies.
“The Magic Potion is one thing, but this is a truly unpleasant object.”
“I suppose so. It’s a Magic device that can put dragons to sleep.”
“Where on earth did those bastards get something like this?”
I was about to open my mouth, but Rude beat me to it.
“They were all from the Demon Tribe. And they were disguised as human mages.”
“What? Demon Tribe?”
At the mention of the Demon Tribe, everyone wore a shocked expression.
It was only natural.
After I defeated the Demon King, the remaining members of the Demon Tribe hadn't taken a single step out of the Demon Territory.
They weren't a race that easily joined forces without a central figure like the Demon King.
“The Demon Tribe. You didn't see it wrong, did you?”
“No way. He was even hit directly by my trump card magic, Mega Explosion, and was still breathing. Even the Demon King would have had a hard time blocking that.”
Noemi raised her voice, saying it was impossible.
“Mega Explosion is an 8th-tier magic! And he was still alive after being hit by it?”
“Yes. Of course, he was on the verge of death, but in any case, the fellow survived that explosion.”
“What happened to him now?”
“Frank killed him.”
“Whaat? Dad did?”
Everyone’s gaze shifted from Rude to me.
Rude explained this himself as well.
“It seems the Demon King’s curse was broken thanks to the Magic Potion.”
“How could that be? Wasn’t that a potion to make dragons obey?”
“A potion powerful enough to make dragons obey might have also been effective in breaking the Demon King’s curse. Haha. Anyway, I can rest easy now. Frank’s power has returned.”
On everyone’s faces, there was both the joy of me regaining my power, and the fear from the appearance of the unidentifiable Demon Tribe.
Adel was the first to speak.
“If Father has regained his power, then it doesn't matter who the enemy is! Father is the Hero who defeated the Demon King!”
I felt a little sorry for pouring cold water on her, but I slowly shook my head.
“There’s no telling how long this will be effective. Let’s wait and see for a while.”
“Haha. How could that be? If that were true, it would only have a temporary effect on dragons too.”
“But I’m not a dragon.”
At my words, Rude gave a bitter smile and nodded.
“I suppose we can't completely rule out that possibility. I really can't win against you.”
Despite saying that, the fact that he immediately accepted my opinion showed he was worthy of being called a sage.
It would be best to remain calm at times like this.
‘This way, I can make the case that the potion is only half-effective.’
If I reveal here that I've regained all my power, Adel and Noemi might stop pouring their efforts into training and start relying on me.
The purpose of Princess Produce is to raise the daughters to defeat the Demon King.
It’s not about me, the dad, getting stronger.
Of course, me becoming stronger is quite meaningful in itself, but if that were the case, how could this be called a daughter-raising game? It would be a hero-raising game.
I quickly changed the subject.
“Those guys were carrying the crest of the Lombard Kingdom.”
“The Lombard Kingdom?”
“That’s right, Adel. You’re well aware of what a great military power they are, aren’t you.”
“I know that, but... does that mean they’ve joined hands with the Demon Tribe?”
“That, I don’t know. Whether they joined hands with the Demon Tribe, or are simply being used. Or even if the Demon Tribe disguised themselves to confuse us, we can’t know yet.”
The best way would have been to capture one of the Demon Tribe members as a prisoner, but that seemed next to impossible.
‘Not only is it difficult to capture them alive, but high-ranking members of the Demon Tribe are tight-lipped, so their value as prisoners is significantly low.’
The conversation about the identity of the enemies continued for a while, until Anonymous pointed to the Magic device in my hand that puts dragons to sleep and asked.
“As I understand it, that object has been stored in the underground warehouse of the Durani Empire for generations. Surely the Durani Empire isn’t on their side as well, is it?”
“That’s not likely.”
“What’s the reason?”
I didn't have the chance to explain in the heat of the moment, but my other daughter, Iris, is there.”
When I gestured to Rude with my chin, he quickly explained the situation as if he were Speedwagon.
Adel and Anonymous were so dumbfounded they couldn't close their mouths.
“To think that Iris became the leader of the Unseen Ones.”
“Your daughters are truly amazing. The Unseen Ones are a group that even I find tricky to deal with, yet she became their leader. Anyway, if she is in that position, we can assume the Durani Empire is unrelated to this matter. The Unseen Ones are practically the real power moving the Durani Empire from behind the scenes.”
“Yes. In that sense, it would be best to view this incident as being related to the Lombard Kingdom or as an independent move by the Demon Tribe.”
“It must be related to Primus as well. Things are getting complicated.”
Anonymous slowly nodded and took the Magic device that puts dragons to sleep from my hand with both of hers.
“It is truly an unsettling object. This is the first time I’ve seen it in person.”
“Is it okay to touch it?”
“As long as you don't infuse it with magical power, it’s nothing more than a metal staff. However.”
“However?”
“If you infuse it with magical power, even I would fall asleep in an instant.”
I chuckled and shook my head.
“That won't happen anymore. I’ll hide this well in the mansion’s treasury.”
Anonymous blushed and said.
“Thank you.”
“And there is one more thing I must tell you.”
“What is it?”
I bowed 90 degrees and apologized.
“Unintentionally, a few dragons were burned to death by flames.”
“……”
“It was not an intended result, but in any case, it is the act of killing your people. I ask for your forgiveness.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Rude flinched and turned his head away.
After all, it wasn't me who killed the dragons, but his extreme flame magic.
But Anonymous said it was fine, grabbing my waist and helping me stand up straight.
“Even without seeing it with my own eyes, I can roughly guess what the situation was like. That's just how battles are. Don't worry about it too much.”
“Thank you.”
“My kind will understand that level of damage. Frank. I am proud of you.”
Then she started caressing my face all over with her small hands, which was quite troublesome.
I didn't know what she was doing with all my daughters watching.
I subtly distanced myself from her and shook my head.
“I just did what I had to do as the lord of this land.”
“Huhu. If all lords were like you, humans wouldn't have waged wars for so long.”
Anonymous sent a peculiar gaze.
Thanks to that, an awkward atmosphere lingered for a while.
Rude suddenly broke the mood with a cough.
“Ahem. Anyway, what are you going to do with that potion?”
“What do you mean?”
“In the future Noemi saw, didn't Anonymous drink that potion?”
He glared at Anonymous and continued speaking.
“If we leave the potion as it is, there’s no guarantee something like this won’t happen again. Anticus falling under the command of the Demon Tribe. If that really comes to pass, no one will be able to stop them.”
Everyone was speechless, just looking back and forth between Rude and Anonymous.
He wasn't wrong.
Of course, if it were stored in the underground warehouse along with the Magic device that puts dragons to sleep, there would be no risk of it leaking out, but,‘There’s always a one in a million chance. Besides, those guys might have another Magic Potion.”
As far as I knew, there was only one Magic Potion.
It was a rare item found only in the ancient ruins of the Beiseun Desert.
Nevertheless.
There was a second Magic Potion around my neck right now.
‘There are too many things I don’t know. It would be best to reduce the risks as much as possible.’
The problem was how to persuade Anonymous.
If she drank this, she would immediately be reduced to the other party’s slave.
A slave who unconditionally obeys their master’s words.
Would Anonymous, not just some ordinary person but the queen of dragons, really be able to accept such a decision?
But what was this?
Without even asking for my permission, she snatched the Magic Potion from my neck and gulped it down.
“M-Master!”
A surprised Adel tried to stop her belatedly, but it was already too late.
For me, this was also something I hadn't expected. Of course, in the current situation, it was for the best that Anonymous drank it, but on the other hand, if I had drunk it, all my seals might have been released.
To think she would use it just like that.
At Anonymous' sudden action, everyone froze with stiff faces, not knowing what to do.
***
‘I can’t be a burden to Frank anymore.’
The moment she looked at Frank, her heart no longer allowed any room for hesitation.
Anonymous steeled her resolve and immediately put her thoughts into action.
She had decided to drink the Magic Potion hanging around his neck.
Gulp, gulp.
Keuk. It felt like my throat was on fire.
I couldn't think straight, and the world was spinning before my eyes. This was a new experience.
‘Still, if it’s this man…… surely he can lead me and the dragons to a new world.’
I didn't know the reason, but hadn't he broken even the Demon King's curse?
Perhaps he had regained a power comparable to that of the first Hero, Arus.
After drinking the potion without leaving a single drop, my mind gradually returned.
But it was strange.
‘It doesn't feel like much has changed?’
As I thought that and lifted my head to look at Frank, ‘Huh? Why does he look so handsome?’
I was already seeing him through rose-tinted glasses to some extent, but it wasn't this much.
Strangely, he looked incredibly reliable, and I felt like I had to unconditionally obey his words.
I was about to call his name, but these words suddenly popped out.
“Master.”
“……?!”
Surprised even by her own words, Anonymous covered her mouth with both hands.
‘Wh-what is this?’
Master.
She didn't remember ever using such an expression, not even for Arus.
Everyone was looking at her with dumbfounded faces, but for some reason.
Anonymous didn't feel bad about it at all.
‘It's a strange feeling. I called him Master, but it feels so natural on my tongue.’
Anonymous wore the face of a shy girl and slowly opened her mouth.
“It seems the potion’s power is real.”
“……”
“I will be in your care from now on, Master.”
Frank nodded with an awkward face.
Anonymous found the corners of her mouth rising without her realizing it as she savored the current situation.
Despite having become a slave who served a man as her master from being the queen of dragons.
She was quite pleased with this situation.