The Baby Villain Dreams of Conquering the World

Chapter 103

Episode 103

"Stop talking nonsense and speak properly. Unless you want to end up in the same state as your knight over there!"

"Huh? My knight, what do you mean……"

Count Tassen naturally turned his head, his gaze going to the floor, where he soon discovered Sir Piet, who was in no condition to be called intact.

"Eek!"

Unlike the Count, who was lying comfortably in bed, Piet was bound on the floor, his armor long since removed, and his body a mess as if he had been beaten.

"Wh-why is Sir Piet in such a state……"

"It was merely the Executors stepping in, as it could have been a demon in disguise. One of them serves the role of a heretic inquisitor, and he demonstrated his skills."

Despite the intense, torture-like interrogation, Sir Piet had not spoken. His faith stemmed from his son's recovery and his family's safety; it was possible because he would never talk, even if it meant death.

"Listen carefully, Count Piet. The missing child from the mercenary band is none other than the Lucifer ducal daughter."

"……What?"

The Count asked again, thinking he had misheard, and upon hearing the same answer, he was speechless.

He had thought she was an orphan with only an older brother and used her as a sacrifice, only to find out she was a ducal daughter hiding her identity.

"Th-the truth is, Sir Piet brought the child from somewhere. He said he felt sorry for the child being pushed around by the mercenaries and wanted to protect her during the subjugation period."

It was news like a bolt from the blue, but that didn't mean there was no way out.

"I swear, if I had known he forcibly took her, I would have returned the child immediately! I only intended to help the child!"

He could feel Sir Piet's gaze, filled with a sense of injustice, barely maintaining consciousness, but there was no helping it.

The living must survive, must they not?

"Then, suddenly, a red smoke appeared before our eyes, and we lost consciousness. Perhaps, ah, it must be the demon's doing."

He trembled as if even speaking the words was frightening, and this time, no subtle threat came back.

Just as he thought he had safely navigated the situation...

"Wh-why is the sky turning red……?"

A panicked voice echoed from the knights guarding the front of the tent.

Soon, boom, something began falling toward where they were stationed.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · · · · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Flora busily moved about, gathering the scattered children with the help of the former leader.

"The last child will be tough for you to handle. She's very shy, easily scared, and cries a lot. She doesn't get angry, but she won't listen, so she's the most difficult one."

So the former leader patted his chest, asking to leave it to him.

Of course, Flora paid no heed and entered the room of the last child.

"Hello, Eric. I won't talk long. I came to tell you that your mother, Madam Gran, hasn't given up and is waiting for you, and that a subjugation force has gathered to send us home."

It wasn't difficult to stop the tears of the boy whose eyes were swollen from crying.

"L-Leader. H-how do you know the youngest's name? Do you know each other?"

"No, I saw Eric's mom before I was captured. She even warned me to be careful about kidnapping, and then I got kidnapped exactly like that."

Sighing as if to say you never know with people, Flora asked the frozen, seated Eric,

"Are you going to keep crying?"

"……"

As Eric sniffled without answering, Flora sighed and reached out her hand as if telling him to take it.

"You can cry, but let's cry together where everyone is gathered. It'll be easier for them to rescue us. You need to go back to your mom's arms."

"……Sniff!"

And so, even Eric, the last one, was safely gathered, and they entered the place where the children were assembled.

He seemed a little shy at first, but soon, a warm, hopeful energy radiated from him, just like the other children.

"Hmm, I feel proud."

Flora, standing at a distance with her arms crossed, nodded with a satisfied smile.

Children really do look better smiling than crying.

It felt like a heavy weight pressing on her chest had lightened, which wasn't a bad feeling.

'By now, Oppa must be back, so the subjugation force is probably in an uproar?'

Seeing Basilian, it seemed unlikely he would keep it a secret, and likewise, Benio wouldn't hold back either.

'He's probably blaming himself, thinking it's his fault.'

Being the kind bear he is, it was obvious he would think it happened because he failed in his role as protector, even though it was something Flora had done.

'...I don't want to see the same expression he had when I was kidnapped by Janet.'

Thinking about him worrying, she realized it wasn't the time to be leisurely smiling.

"Alright, children full of hope. So, where is the angel-fairy-spirit who saved you? I'd like to thank him since we received his help."

She asked ambitiously, but the children all shook their heads, saying they didn't know.

"The angel never showed himself after the first time he rescued us."

"That's right. The fairy said we could roam the cave freely and eat whatever we want, but told us not to look for him."

"He's a spirit, so he definitely can't show himself in front of humans!"

The number of heads had increased, but there was no progress.

'Do I have to find him myself after all?'

Just as she was worried it might take a long time...

"I, I know where he is."

Eric, the last one rescued, shyly raised his clenched fist.

"I-it's embarrassing, but I cried day and night, so I think he was worried. He told me where he stays, saying I could come find him if it got too hard to bear."

At this new information, the children's eyes widened.

The children stood up, saying they also wanted to express their gratitude, but Flora shook her head.

"You've all seen his face at least once, right? You probably thanked him then."

"I, I didn't do it properly."

The seventh rescued child shyly raised his hand like Eric, but Flora shook her head again.

"I'll deliver the thanks on behalf of you all as the leader."

"B-but……"

"Sigh... You're not going to disobey your leader, are you?"

Seeing the child hesitate, Flora put on what she thought was a scary face and looked at him.

"If the subjugation force comes while I'm gone, it might take even longer to get home. You might see your mom even later. Is that okay?"

At the suggestion that she would take them home, the child slowly lowered his hand.

"Then what about me? Should I come with you?"

At Eric's question, Flora again said no.

"Just telling me the location is enough. I can find it by myself, so don't worry."

Having a guide would be easier on her head and body, but to properly reunite with Pascal after so long, there couldn't be a third party present.

Then the former leader asked,

"Then what about you, Leader? Don't you want to go back to your mom quickly too?"

"I'm fine. I don't have a mom."

As soon as the words left her mouth, a heavy silence fell over the previously excited children.

As it became quiet, as if water had been poured on them, Flora asked, puzzled,

"What? Why is everyone's mood like this?"

"I, I'm sorry."

In stark contrast to her energetic question, the former leader apologized in a sullen voice.

'Are they worried that I might miss my mom?'

Thinking they were sensitive children, Flora added an explanation with an unconcerned face.

"I'm fine. Anyway, she left me at an orphanage and left, so I've never seen my mom."

It was the truth, but saying it out loud made her seem like a pitiful child.

'Now that I think about it... Why did that woman abandon me?'

Looking at Athanas and Benio, she didn't seem like a bad spouse or mother, so why did she give birth to Flora outside and just abandon her at an orphanage?

'She's already dead, so I can't even ask.'

Feeling strangely unsettled, she frowned, and the former leader apologized again in an even more deflated voice.

"......I'm really sorry."

"I said it's fine?"

"No, no matter how many times I think about it, I'm sorry."

The inexplicable apologies continued, and it only ended when Flora finally got angry and told them to stop.

"Anyway, I'm going to go thank the angel-fairy-spirit, so no matter what happens, don't leave this place. Everyone stay together. Absolutely do not scatter. Understood?"

At the serious warning, the children all nodded vigorously in response.

Flora bestowed the title of 'Vice-Leader' upon the former leader, and only after making the children promise multiple times was she able to set off to meet Pascal.

"So, from the room Eric was staying in, go left, then just go straight ahead, right?"

She went to where Eric had been staying and moved as he instructed, eventually finding an endless corridor.

'It's just like an underground fortress.'

The place where she first woke up seemed like a room decorated inside a cave, but this place was smoothly polished, without any bumps, like the inside of a fortress.

Even the doors were made of stone, but contrary to their appearance, they opened lightly.

It seemed a weight-reducing magic had been applied to make it easier for the children to use.

'Janet said she built a castle to live in because I said I wanted to see an ice castle. What about Pascal? Did he just decorate it like this without much thought, being simple?'

Giving a rather stingy evaluation of his complex taste, she arrived at the room Eric had told her about.

'He really is simple and dumb, alright.'

There was no need to worry about finding the wrong room.

Unlike the other doors, this room's door was made of white marble, with a handle decorated in gold.

'It's exactly the same as the door to the room Mors stayed in.'

A small bell was attached to the doorknob. She picked it up, and sure enough, a familiar name was inscribed on it.

"Pascal……"

The memory surfaced vividly of how he had gladly accepted the name she gave him, had it engraved on the bell, and told her to ring it whenever she needed him.