Chapter 4

No one was there to explain the situation to the shocked child.

"Protect the child. Step back and wait."

The knight commander said this and quickly handed me over to the subordinate knight behind him.

The person who had bitten my hand earlier was the one who held me. Blood droplets formed over the clear bite marks on his right hand.

"Um…"

I looked up at him blankly.

He was looking at me too, with a slightly angry expression.

'This person was just diligently performing his duty.'

I felt embarrassed and apologized.

"I'm sorry. I just found out myself…."

That was when it happened.

Suddenly, I felt an immense pressure and looked up.

Whoosh—!

"Ugh."

……? What just happened?

Dad had merely swung a stick in the air.

A blue sword aura flew toward the knight commander, who barely defended himself and was pushed back about a meter.

What followed was a relentless series of attacks.

The stick continuously sliced through the air, and the knight commander seemed to struggle just to block the incoming sword auras.

"Disobeying orders means death?"

"Ugh."

"Even saying it must have been funny."

"Jen, Jen…."

"How do you plan to subdue me?"

Dad, while speaking, casually sent out sword auras, looking relaxed.

The knight commander, who had been talking confidently, was now in a difficult situation.

"Moreover."

"Ugh."

"Even daring to touch my daughter."

Indeed, the trigger for Dad's explosive anger was me.

Dad sent out sword auras every second, and the knight commander could barely defend himself.

How could he even think of attacking, let alone subduing me, when he was struggling to defend himself?

Only then did I understand why Dad had found the knight commander laughable.

"Stop! Enoch Rubinstein!"

The knight holding me shouted, apparently realizing there was no chance of winning.

At the same time, a bright light flashed before my eyes.

A knight had drawn his sword and placed it at my neck.

"Ah!"

"Lilith!"

Dad, who had stopped attacking, turned pale and hesitated to approach.

"Surrender peacefully and follow us. We will guarantee your daughter's life."

"Threatening a child is a joke. The reputation of the Holy Knights is laughable."

Dad sneered, and I silently agreed.

"We are merely carrying out the emperor's orders. His Majesty has ordered us to bring Enoch Rubinstein back by any means necessary."

The knight commander, who had been revived, continued to talk.

After a moment of silence, Dad replied.

"…I have abandoned that name."

Oh, so it turns out he did have that name at some point.

I smiled bitterly, as all hope had vanished.

Mr. James (27) was indeed the hidden protagonist, Enoch Rubinstein.

"I no longer wish to serve the imperial court. Convey this to your lord."

"That is not a choice for you."

What kind of nerve? The knight commander pointed his sword at Dad and added,

"It is an order."

"……"

A strange aura swirled around Dad, who was now truly angry.

This time, it felt like something bigger was about to happen.

The knight holding me threatened again, raising his sword.

"Enoch Rubinstein! If you want your daughter to be safe, stop!"

"Ah! Wait! Just a moment!"

I tried to calm my pounding heart, which was beating out of fear.

To summarize the situation, my dad, who I thought was just an extra, was actually the hidden protagonist, Enoch Rubinstein.

Therefore, I am, his 6th setting. That is—

6. In his youth, he lost his young daughter to the imperial court and sharpened his blade for revenge.

—I am the underlined 'young daughter' in this setting.

'Is this real? Give me back my easy extra life.'

At this point, with the facts clear, I, who knew the entire original story, had only one choice.

I gently pushed the knight's arm holding the sword and smiled.

"Of course! If it's the emperor's order, we must follow! My dad will return to the knights right away~!"

Clap, clap, clap.

Everyone, including Dad, stared at me in shock.

* * *

"Mom said I look like her! Mom said I look like her!"

Dad, who was kneeling like a criminal beside me, apologized while I lay on the ground, flailing my arms and legs.

"I'm sorry, Princess."

"Why didn't you tell me! Why! Why!"

"I'm really sorry. Even if Dad had ten mouths, there's nothing to say…."

Dad's revealed silver hair and blue eyes were exactly like mine.

Even though he said I look like Mom.

Dad is a liar!

"But our daughter."

Dad, who was grinning, tightly held me and kissed my cheek.

"Who do you take after to be so smart? Huh? To think of such quick thinking in that situation?"

Dad smiled, glancing at the six knights waiting outside.

When I said I would return, Dad nodded, pretending to have no choice, and said he would tidy up and leave.

That's how we bought some time.

"Ha ha ha…. Those fools. They believe this and release the hostage? As long as our princess is safe, I have nothing to fear. Come, pack quickly and let's run."

I looked at Dad, who was giggling while checking outside, with disdain.

No, is this really him?

The cold-blooded, expressionless Enoch Rubinstein who always ended his sentences with '…gun.'?

He looks like just a neighborhood fool.

'Well, he must have changed after he thought I was dead.'

I nodded, trying to understand Dad's current, ridiculous behavior.

"Dad, I have something to say."

"What is it?"

Dad, who was quickly packing, answered casually.

"Let's not run. Let's go back to the capital. Return to the knights too."

"Huh?"

Dad looked at me with wide eyes, then wiped his nose and smiled.

"Ah, don't worry. When our princess was taken hostage, Dad couldn't do anything, but not now. Those guys outside? I can beat them all with a stick."

"Uh-huh, I saw the stick earlier. But… I just want Dad to go back."

Dad, who had paused, stopped packing and looked at me, now more serious.

"Why?"

"And I want to go with Dad to the capital. I'll go to the ability training center and get an ability badge too. I'm an ability user too."

Dad's eyes widened.

"What do you mean? How do you know about the training center and all that?"

"Uncle Joe told me."

"What?"

Dad frowned.

"How does Uncle Joe know about such things? Even if he does, what kind of talk is he giving to a child…."

In fact, Uncle Joe knows nothing, but I decided to use him as an excuse.

"If we run, we'll be chased for life. Scary uncles might come again, and I might even die…."

"No, Lilith. No. I'm sorry. This time, Dad was careless. From now on, our princess will be safe. I won't let such things happen."

"That's not the issue. I don't want to run around for the rest of my life. I want to live with dignity."

Dad's eyes wavered at my words.

"Lilith."

After calling my name, Dad hesitated for a few minutes.

"Listen carefully."

Then, as if making a decision, he firmly grabbed my shoulder.

"Actually… I always thought that such a day might come, that those scary uncles might come for me…."

"Uh-huh."

"But even knowing that, I ran away. Because I didn't want to raise you… as an ability user."

The words about not wanting to raise a precious child as an ability user.

I, who knew this world better than anyone, could naturally understand Dad's feelings.

The reason I felt relieved when I thought I was a non-ability user was because the life of an ability user is far from beautiful.

"Being an ability user and a noble might seem good. But it's not all it seems."

In this Pavilion Empire, ability users receive the highest treatment.

They receive noble titles, numerous estates, and gold coins, and gain the loyalty and obedience of all.

However, these benefits come with obligations.

To serve as the emperor's sword, shield, and staff, living as a member of the 'Imperial Elite Army' for life.

In this empire, where 365 days a year are spent on conquest wars and monster exterminations, the elite army, which frequently receives mobilization orders, is no different from combat slaves.

"Ability users are also nobles and soldiers. As warriors and mages… they almost spend their entire lives on the battlefield."

"……"

"And the battlefield is… a very, very terrible place."

Dad paused for a moment, then spoke with great difficulty.

"Yesterday, a friend I greeted… died and returned to me. I think about who will die tomorrow, and how long I can survive…."

Dad looked at me with deep eyes.

In those eyes, the terrifying memories that had not faded even after seven years away were still present.

The sounds of explosions, screams, and death….

"Dad…"

"Seven years ago, the day I first saw you, the day you were born."

Dad, struggling to continue, pulled me into a hug and said,

"That day, you became my whole world."

His voice was choked.

"I don't… want to lose you…."