Chapter 52

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* * *

A few days before my birthday.

I received a letter with my name as the recipient.

[Notice of Admission to the Pavilion Empire Ability Training Facility - Lylis Rubinstein

You have been selected as a candidate for admission to the training facility as a great ability holder from the Empire, having received the call of Primera.

Please complete the admission procedures by the date of assembly, which is May 21, 1779, according to the Imperial Calendar.

If the candidate does not report for admission within three days from the date of assembly without a valid reason after receiving the notice, it will be considered a violation of military law...]

Was this how a boy who had to join the K-military felt when he received his enlistment notice?

Dad held me in his arms, read the notice silently for a while, and then sighed deeply.

"What's with the sigh? I'll be back soon."

"It must have come to Cheshire too. I asked for the admission dates to be the same when registering the guardian."

Oh, joint enlistment. Not bad.

"Lylis."

"Yeah."

"Should we delay it for two years? Admission notices start coming at age seven, but mandatory admission is from age nine."

"Ugh, no way! I want to go as soon as possible!"

Dad's shoulders slumped.

That's ridiculous.

I need to use my ability and consume my life force as soon as possible.

Otherwise, I won't grow much for two years and will stay in this state...

'A major disaster, a major disaster. My true identity will be exposed to everyone.'

I shivered, my spine tingling.

"Well... our daughter is smart, so it should only take a month."

"Right. Just trust me. Don't worry."

"Ha. Only a week left..."

Dad looked like he was about to die.

'The problem isn't my enlistment.'

It's Dad.

It had been a few days since he received the letter I sent, but Dad showed no reaction.

'Could he... have read and ignored it? That Enoch Rubinstein?'

I thought it was a letter that would surely stimulate the revolutionary spirit boiling inside the protagonist.

Could he have decided that his daughter would be safe, unlike in the original, and reluctantly decided to do some work for the emperor for his daughter?

I clutched my head in shock.

'No, no. I trust Dad.'

He's the righteous protagonist, Enoch Rubinstein, with keywords like 'chosen one' and 'revolutionary'!

"By the way, Princess."

"Yeah."

"Dad has to go somewhere."

"Huh? Where?"

"To buy our princess's birthday gift?"

"Huh? Where are you going to buy a birthday gift?"

"Yeah, it's a bit far. I'm thinking of going to the central region through the warp gate at the temple."

"Oh, I see!"

I let out a sigh of relief.

'Sure enough, he didn't ignore it. If he's going to the central region, he must be planning to meet Joseph Ruttman as I asked.'

The satisfaction of the plot unfolding as in the original!

"I might not be able to come back in a day. But I'll definitely be back before the princess's birthday."

"Huh? You're leaving now and coming back for my birthday? My birthday is only three days away?"

"Yeah."

Planning to get Joseph Ruttman in just three days?

I just blinked, stunned.

Joseph Ruttman.

Let me explain a bit about him...

1. The strategist of the protagonist, Enoch Rubinstein.

2. A character already in Enoch Rubinstein's possession when the original story began.

3. In his youth, he was a brilliant political figure, but after a certain incident, he disappeared and lived like a recluse.

4. In a scene where he talks to Enoch Rubinstein, he says, "Do you remember the three months of effort you put into bringing me here, sir?"

Since it's not detailed where and how Dad met Joseph and persuaded him...

I had to infer their meeting from the brief description and dialogue.

'What's certain is that Joseph didn't agree to help Dad easily from the start.'

Recalling the three months of effort, I clearly remember Enoch Rubinstein laughing and saying, "Ha ha, that's right."

'Well, you must have planned to team up with Joseph in just three days.'

And knowing the story of Joseph, who had a promising career but then disappeared...

'I will definitely be of help.'

I nodded and said,

"I want to go too."

"Huh?"

"I want to go too. I want to choose my own gift."

"Ah, that's a bit... Dad will be back soon. Actually, Dad has... a friend there. I'm going to see that friend as well..."

"Does Dad have a friend there?"

"Dad has friends too?"

"Ugh, no! Take me too! I don't want to be alone! I don't want to be alone without Dad!"

"No, Princess..."

"Ugh!"

I clung to Dad's neck, tilting my head back, and cried without shedding a single tear.

"Can't... really can't."

"Ugh!"

"Ha, our princess."

Dad held me, who was struggling, and muttered,

"How can you not want to be separated from Dad? Dad should take you for life, but it's not possible."

"I want to go too! I'm going!"

Dad looked at me with a troubled expression.

* * *

As always, it was my victory.

Dad announced to the household that he was going to buy my birthday gift and took me to the temple.

It took exactly one hour to reach the central region via the warp gate at the temple.

'Magic is the best.'

I recalled the day it took half a day to reach the capital and felt the greatness of magic anew.

"Nice place, isn't it? It reminds me of the old days, doesn't it?"

"Sure does."

Central Baltelac was larger than my hometown, Zeon, but it had a similar feel.

Familiar buildings, bustling commoners, leisurely laughter, and a serene landscape.

A place where everyone lived comfortably without nobles except for the lord.

"Really nice..."

"Sure is..."

No one recognized Mr. James in disguise or me in commoner's clothes.

The freedom I was enjoying after a long time...

Dad asked for directions and headed to a back alley in the city.

The largest casino in Baltelac was there.

"Wow, this isn't a place to bring a kid."

It was a legal casino, but like all casinos, the atmosphere was rough.

People with sunken eyes smoking heavily.

People grabbing the guards' pants and crying and shouting...

"I must be crazy."

Dad stood at a distance, observing the scene, and sighed, looking at me.

"Really crazy. Really."

Dad, who was muttering, tapped my forehead.

'Huh?'

Then I felt a cool sensation, like eating a mint candy.

It felt magical.

"Huh?"

"Our daughter shouldn't be exposed to cigarette smoke. Dad made it so you can't smell or feel the smoke."

"Oh, thanks."

Dad held my hand and headed for the casino.

Two large guards were standing at the entrance.

At that moment, I had a question.

'Hmm, Dad is a smart, perceptive, and sensible protagonist who can do anything, so why did it take him three months to persuade Joseph?'

Was Joseph an impenetrable fortress?

...I soon found the answer to my question.

"You're new here, aren't you? It's your first time? The entrance fee is one gold coin. You'll get a ticket inside."

Dad shook his head at the guard's words.

"I'm not here to play. I'm looking for someone. Is there a guest named Joseph Ruttman among the patrons?"

I opened my mouth wide at Dad's confident question.

The two guards blinked and then looked at each other, with an expression of 'What's this guy talking about?'

* * *

Of course, we were kicked out.

Dad scratched his head, sitting a distance away.

I crouched next to him, watching him pitifully.

'Now I understand why it took so long to persuade Joseph.'

Our innocent Dad, who had never been to such a place...

Our Dad, who had never touched gambling...

In the original, it must have been difficult even to see Joseph's face, who lived in the casino 24/7, 365 days a year.

"I can't do this. Just..."

"Wait, wait."

I grabbed Dad.

"Undo the disguise? I'm a duke, so open the door and let me meet my friend?"

"That's the only way. They said we can't just go in."

"Hmm, didn't Dad have a reason for disguising himself as Mr. James to meet his friend?"

Dad slumped again at my question.

"Yeah. Well, the friend... Dad thinks... if he knows who Dad is, he won't like Dad. It would be hard to have a comfortable conversation."

"Yet you call him a friend?"

"It's a lie. He's not really a friend. I want to be friends with him."

"Got it."

"Anyway, that's why I tried to approach him as naturally as possible."

"Approach him?"

"Right."

"Then you can't reveal that you're a duke. Dad, you're a fool."

"But there's no other way."

"Dad, casinos... are always open to people who want to gamble."

I crouched and wiggled my finger at Dad.

"How much money do you have? Show me."

"Money?"

Dad opened the money pouch at his waist.

About twenty gold coins.