Chapter 86

Lilith ran over, her eyes brimming with tears, and Enoch, who had been standing there in a daze, picked her up and moved his lips.

"Our, our princess…."

"Da-da!"

"Yes, our princess…."

Her beautiful face, which he hadn't seen in a while.

He wanted to gaze at her without taking his eyes off her, but Lilith was busy checking if her father was hurt, wriggling her small body.

"Stay still. Let me see your face."

"Da-da, are you hurt anywhere?!"

"Huh? I'm not hurt anywhere."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, of course."

"Uu, uuuaaang…!!!"

Enoch's eyes widened.

Lilith, having confirmed that her father was unharmed, started to cry as if she were about to die from relief.

"Princess, why!"

Shocked, Enoch finally looked around.

The family members who had come to meet her instead of him were all looking at the father and daughter with eyes that said they couldn't do anything.

Enoch found his brother-in-law, Aleksei Antres, among them.

They communicated with their mouths.

'What? Did you tell the kid?'

'It's because the brother-in-law came late!'

That was true. How shocked the child must have been, not seeing her father who should have been there to meet her from the early morning.

If she asked where her father was and was told he went to slay a monster, of course she would be shocked.

He kept it a secret that he was going on a hunt to avoid her worrying….

"Uu, uuuaaang!!!"

"Princess, but, wait a moment."

Seeing his daughter crying and making a fuss out of worry, Enoch felt awkward.

"Da-da…."

"Ku, kuuaaang!"

"Ha."

Enoch Rubinstein. He—

became a Swordmaster at fourteen.

At sixteen, he was officially appointed as the head of the knights.

When was the last time he had to worry about getting hurt?

He couldn't remember.

In the battlefield where life and death hung in the balance every second, the one thing he could be sure of was his own safety.

This was something that Enoch and everyone who knew him acknowledged.

So, Enoch felt awkward.

"Hic. Ku."

Holding this small being who was worried that he might be hurt, he felt awkward.

"Princess? Da-da is really fine. I'm okay. Were you worried?"

"Ku. Yes… Da-da went to slay a monster and didn't come back…."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, princess. Da-da didn't get hurt while slaying the monster and that's why I was late."

Enoch comforted Lilith, who had cried herself out.

"Then, why were you late…."

"Yes, the warp gate broke down, so I was late. My princess, I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to come pick you up."

"Ku. No, it's okay. If Da-da is not hurt, it's fine."

"Ah."

Enoch felt like crying. No, he did a little.

"Lilith, it's been a while! Wow, you really graduated in a month? You've grown so much since I last saw you?"

"Why are you crying and sniffling like this…."

"Wow! Uncle Philip! Uncle Axiom!"

Lilith waved to Philip and Axiom, who had just arrived.

Seeing the child greet them happily while sniffing, Enoch was amazed.

"Ha."

A small, fragile child who couldn't even speak.

A child who seemed more like a living being than a person….

"Da-da, are you crying? Are you hurt?"

"No, Da-da is not crying."

"Liar!"

When did she grow so much.

She could speak, cry, laugh, and even attend the training facility without her father.

"Da-da! Hehe."

"Uh-huh."

"I'm back!"

Lilith, who had sniffled and smiled, snuggled into Enoch's arms.

And she said,

"I missed you."

Enoch, choked up, tightly hugged his daughter's small body.

"Uh-huh, Da-da too."

* * *

Coming from the central region to the island, waiting at the temple to see Da-da sooner, and then coming home after meeting Da-da….

During that half day.

'Really, no one asks?'

I was speechless.

No one asked me.

What didn't they ask?

'Why isn't anyone curious about my rank…?'

My rank.

I thought it would be the most curious issue for my family when I returned from the training facility.

I asked my uncle if he had told them, but—

"I didn't have time to tell them."

Everyone was shocked when they heard Cheshire's rank.

"Thirteenth?! Wow, you're serious? That's amazing?"

"Congratulations! But I thought Cheshire would be special. Uncle wouldn't have taught him for nothing, right?"

"Really, it's amazing. Such a case is rare. He will be highly regarded in the future?"

"Good job. Keep it up."

I missed the chance to reveal my rank.

I realized that no one was curious about my rank.

'They must think it's obvious that I'm a thirteenth, so there's no need to ask…'

That was it.

And the same went for Da-da.

"Ah, my princess. Who's this pretty girl? Uh?"

Before bedtime. Da-da, who had even helped me wash my face, wiped my face with a towel and kissed me.

"Okay, we've done the bedtime routine and made your face smooth, so let's go to bed now!"

I lay down in bed next to Da-da, both of us in our pajamas.

"Before bed, do you want to tell Da-da about the friends you made?"

"Da-da."

"Uh-huh."

"Why didn't you ask?"

"Huh? Ask what?"

"What rank I got!"

"……"

Da-da blinked silently.

Then he laughed.

"Ahaha, do I really need to ask? My princess is a genius, so you must have gotten the best rank, right?"

"Best? Thirteenth?"

"Uh-huh. That's right. Our daughter is smart."

"Ku, that's the best."

Pretending to be dejected, I noticed that Da-da sensed something was off and sat up.

"Princess?"

"Uh-huh."

"Where's your badge?"

"Do you want to see it?"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay!"

I jumped up and opened the teddy bear bag I had put in a corner of the room.

I put on the green rank slit on my arm and brought the badge to Da-da.

"Ta-da!"

"……"

Da-da, who had been looking at it silently, blinked for a while and then tilted his head.

"Whose is this?"

As expected. The reaction I had anticipated.

"Mine!"

"…What?"

"Really. I guess I'm not a genius. Are you disappointed that I'm not the same as you?"

"No, it's not that."

Da-da stared at my 4th rank, Octava badge in his hand.

For about five minutes.

Then he started to tremble.

His mouth slowly opened, and after a while, he met my eyes.

"Octava…, you?"

"Uh-huh, sorry. It's not a good rank."

"No! Oh, damn!"

Da-da jumped up.

Then, startled, he covered his mouth.

"Sorry, princess. Da-da was so surprised that I said a bad word."

"It's okay."

"Unbelievable. This. This, how…."

Da-da, looking confused, grabbed his head tightly.

Then, as if all the strength had left his body, he collapsed onto the bed and burst into a hollow laugh.

"Wow, no. Wow."

A person can be this happy….

That was the expression on his face.

'Ha. If he knew it was actually a Primera, he would be even more worried.'

So, I had to worry and suffer alone.

"Princess."

Da-da, choked up, hugged me.

"Good job. You did a great job. Our princess, congratulations on graduating and getting your rank."

"Did I do well? They said it's fourth…."

"Ah, of course! You did well! Princess, you did the best in the world! What's fourth? To Da-da, you're number one!"

"Hehe."

Da-da, still not believing it, kept looking at my badge, hugging and kissing me, and was lost in emotion for a long time.

Then, I noticed his eyes sharpen.

'Oh, he's thinking something scary.'

Now, Da-da has no weaknesses.

I am a 4th rank, who is not obligated to join the royal elite army.

Even the emperor cannot force a low-rank ability user to enlist.

It's like an unwritten agreement between the emperor and the ability users.

'If he starts making exceptions, the nobles will complain.'

There are already many noble parents who shed tears over their children being sent to war due to the forced conscription.

I suddenly thought of Duke Schmidt, who had cried when Gerard left the facility.

Both of his sons had died in battle….

'Bad emperor, I'll seduce him.'

What can a Primera, who can do anything, not do?

There are many more ability users.

If they all unite, even the emperor can't do much.

That's why the rebellion in the original story succeeded.

'Ah, right!'

Thinking about the rebellion made me remember something I had forgotten.

How could I forget something so important? I grabbed my head in shock.

"Da-da, Da-da, Da-da!"

"Uh-huh?"

"I saw Uncle Joseph!"

"Really?"

For some reason, Da-da was calm, but I was too anxious to notice his reaction.

In the original story, Joseph was Da-da's irreplaceable strategist.

If he had a change of heart, it would be a disaster!

"Yes. Da-da, listen. I had a friend at the training facility, right?"

"Huh? Why did you fight with a friend?"

"He was a very, very bad friend! He bullied the commoner friends and made them bring bread?"

"Really? Then you did well to fight him. What did you say to him, princess?"

"Yes, I did! Anyway, he was a very bad kid, right? He must have learned that from his father."

"Right. He had a bad upbringing. What's his name?"

"Bruce! Bruce Chamber!"

Da-da's face stiffened slightly when he heard the Chamber name.

I continued talking.

"But, but. Uncle Joseph is going to be friends with that kid's father!"

"……"

Da-da stared at me.

I tried to explain as subtly as possible, but Da-da is smart, so he must have understood.

The strategist he was trying to seduce seemed to be aligning with someone else, so I was urging him to check it out quickly.

Please!

"Da-da! What if Uncle Joseph doesn't be friends with Da-da and befriends another uncle?"

"Princess."

Da-da called me.

For some reason, with a strange look, Da-da stared into my eyes.

At that moment,

I felt something was wrong from the protagonist's sharp gaze.

"Uncle Joseph is not to worry about. In fact, Uncle Joseph came to see Da-da first."

"Ah."

"But Da-da has a question. Can I ask one thing?"

No, don't ask.

My heart was pounding.

"Did you write the letter to Da-da?"

"Huh? Letter? What letter…?"

Da-da, chuckling, punched the air and said,

"Listen, Duke Enoch Rubinstein!"

Wow.

"—And, the letter that starts with."