The Baby Villain Dreams of Conquering the World

Chapter 36

Episode 36

'If I do this well, I might not only deal a great blow to that monster but even kill it.'

If she couldn't take the monster's life as compensation for destroying the vessel she had painstakingly built, her pride would be hurt.

A wind slowly began to blow behind Flora.

Through his blurring vision, Basilian stared blankly at the bright light enveloping Flora.

'Why aren't you running away?'

Despite being a kid four years younger than him, her brave stance against the monster shone like a hero who had come to save him.

The black, round sphere forming in Flora's hand slowly began to grow. If she threw it into the monster's mouth, the compressed demonic energy would receive an impact and explode.

Flora stood up with a wicked smile to throw the demonic energy, and at that moment, she discovered a small hand grabbing the hem of her clothes.

"Da, dangerous."

"It's okay. I'll protect you."

Why did this lisping kid feel so reliable?

A smile that didn't suit the situation bloomed on Basilian's lips.

'It's the first time.'

Someone stepping forward to protect him like this. It felt better than he had imagined.

But at the same time, remembering the cold treatment, contemptuous glances, and fearful faces always directed at him made his previously refreshed heart feel stuffy.

'If it ends like this, I think I'd have no regrets even if I died.'

How wonderful it would be if they could stay together a little longer.

Thinking that Flora would be horrified if she heard, Basilian widened his eyes. And he tightly grasped his fading consciousness.

'Since this might be the last, should I use that power?'

But the moment he used the forbidden power, Basilian would lose his reason and become a madman.

Even though he was used to being despised by everyone, he didn't want to meet death without his sanity.

'Somehow, this seems to be the end.'

So Basilian closed his eyes, and at the same moment Flora was about to throw the black sphere.

"Waaaah!"

The fierce battle cries of knights echoed from afar like waves.

As an unusual energy spread widely around, light slowly began to spread over the darkened earth.

Flora instantly realized what the sacred energy visible to her eyes was and hid her hands behind her back.

At the same time, the sound of fierce running was heard, and someone holding a sword leaped high into the air and sliced the giant monster from head to toe in one stroke.

"Gr, grgle..."

The monster let out a pitiful, small moan, unable to offer any resistance, and ended its life with its torso split in half.

It was the appearance of Duke Lucifer.

Those around cheered at Duke Lucifer's appearance, and when he felled the monster, they shouted to defeat them all together.

Athanas, as if accustomed to it, shook the black blood off his sword, then suddenly turned his head as if sensing something strange.

"...Flora?"

He had encountered his daughter, who should not be here.

"Ah, hello. Dad."

Flora awkwardly averted her eyes and raised her hand.

At least she seemed aware she had done wrong, as she couldn't meet his eyes boldly.

Athanas blinked several times, then struck his own cheek with his fist.

"Gasp! Dad!"

Even as a startled Flora tried to stop him, Athanas's self-assault didn't cease.

Only when she ran over, grabbed his leg, and told him to stop immediately did his violent act cease.

"Flora, why are you here?"

"Be, because..."

Flora rolled her eyes.

It was good that she ambitiously hid in the baggage pile, but eventually, one gets caught.

Still, she had an excuse prepared for such a time.

"I, I was playing hide-and-seek and then..."

As tears began to well up in her eyes, Athanas flustered and hurriedly picked Flora up.

"I fell asleep and... when I woke up, there was no one..."

"...It's my fault for not watching carefully."

Athanas held Flora in his arms and patted her back.

"I shouldn't have forgotten how mischievous you are."

"I was so scared. I'm sorry."

Showing weakness to a Lucifer was quite a blow to her pride, but to avoid immediate scolding, she had to endure this much.

"Da...d?"

Just then, Basilian, whom she had momentarily forgotten, opened his closed eyes and muttered with a horrified face.

"Ah, that's right! Dad! Basi is hurt! You have to treat him!"

"I'm fine, ugh."

Basilian tried to get up but grabbed his chest and slumped back down.

"Basi!"

When Flora reached her hand towards Basilian, worried she might topple forward, Athanas hurriedly held her tight.

"Dad, Basi!"

The unexpected appearance of a high-level monster, his daughter appearing in this chaos, and even a young boy trying to protect his daughter.

Unexpected situations kept occurring one after another, but he couldn't sigh in front of his daughter.

'Fortunately, we've dealt with all the monsters that came down near the village, so that's something.'

Athanas ordered a nearby knight to take care of the boy who appeared to be the mercenary band's errand boy.

The small flower-like Young Lady in the arms of the man cold as winter was thus imprinted on the Lucifer Knight Order with her sudden appearance.

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

Athanas, who had temporarily halted the subjugation that began with an unexpected attack, moved his suddenly appearing daughter to the safe Lucifer tent and then set out for the subjugation again.

"Troublemaker."

"I'm not a troublemaker."

"You are a troublemaker."

When Benio, who had stayed behind as Flora's guardian while dealing with monsters, spoke firmly, Flora also closed her mouth, mindful of her weak conscience.

This was because the urgent message sent after belatedly realizing Flora's absence at the ducal residence had caught her eye.

'Maybe it's a good thing I was caught before he opened the message.'

If Athanas had encountered this message without meeting Flora, he might have abandoned his mission and run around frantically searching for her.

'That's just my guess, though. Surely he wouldn't do that for a money-related matter?'

Something worse had happened.

Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed the residence had been in an uproar. It seemed she wouldn't be free for a while.

"You're thinking about something else because you don't want to be scolded."

"No. I'm reflecting."

"Okay, I'll believe you just this once."

Benio applied ointment to the scratches on Flora's cheek and the back of her hand and sighed.

"Is this what a Lucifer raised outside is like?"

"You told me not to sigh, but you're doing it."

"Somehow, I think you're just special."

Benio unknowingly let out another sigh.

Somehow, he was convinced that being with Flora from now on might increase his sighing.

Benio, who had been checking Flora's wounds, turned towards Basilian, who was sitting quietly beside her.

"No matter how urgent, for a mercenary band to use such a young child as an errand boy..."

"Oppa, you said you did this kind of thing from a young age too."

"My duties were..."

As it seemed the same repertoire from the bedroom was about to start, Flora turned her head away as if uninterested.

"Are you okay, Basi?"

"...You weren't a knight's daughter?"

"Huh, but a knight is a knight, right?"

At her pleading look, Benio supported her opinion.

"Since we pledge loyalty to the imperial family and take the knight's oath, both Father and I are indeed knights."

"He's right!"

"......"

Strangely, Basilian's expression looked truly complicated.

'But he doesn't seem scared or anything?'

Well, if he's lived with a mercenary band, his view of the Lucifers would inevitably become similar to theirs.

"Basi protected me, right?"

"Yes, that's why he's so badly injured. You're a very brave and cool friend for your age."

At Benio's praise, Basilian turned his head away sharply, perhaps out of embarrassment.

It was an insolent attitude that shouldn't be shown to a noble, but instead of scolding him, Benio smiled and handed him an antibiotic.

"Take this."

Waaah!

Just then, cheers began to sound consecutively from outside.

"If we just defeat all the monsters that approached the villages near the Count's territory, we can go back."

"When will that be?"

"Even though unexpected high-level monsters appeared in unexpected places, since Father has stepped in personally, it won't take long. A few hours at the shortest, a day at the longest."

Saying he would check just in case, Benio lifted the tent flap at the entrance and went outside.