༺ Naru Likes Strawberries ༻
“Oh, holy shh…! Strawberry cake! Naru loves strawberry cake!”
Following the hectic Saturday in the sewers, a slow sumr afternoon followed.
Naru was extrely pleased by the strawberry cake I had purchased for her at the market.
“Strawberries…!”
Holding a fork, Naru dug into the cake with enthusiasm.
Just watching her eat made feel full.
However.
Sothing began to confuse as I continued watching her eat the strawberry cake.
“Naru, why aren’t you eating the strawberries?”
“Strawberries…taste the best! I want to save them for last…!”
So that was the case.
However, just by looking at the plump strawberry at the apex of the cake, I felt an inexplicable urge to steal and eat it.
The only strawberry present on the entire cake.
To a thief, it would be the ultimate treasure due to its scarcity.
In preparation for raiding the safes of the wealthy, I honed an ability that could be used to identify and distinguish the value of various treasures.
Because I had so much practice with the ability, it had beco a skill known as 「Treasure Evaluation」
According to my evaluation, the strawberry on top of that cake was of at least a C-grade treasure.
It ant that I would also feel that much better if I stole it.
For reference, the black lace underwear that Brigitte had in her drawer was a B grade, and the picture that Cariote keeps in her bag is an A grade.
Anyways.
Barboi Secret Style-!
「Secretly Eating a Strawberry」
Pluck—
“Ah…! Naru’s strawberry vanished…! Since when…!?”
Naru began to swerve her head in bewildernt.
Upon locking eyes with , she seed to have understood the situation and began to pout.
“Dad ate the strawberry on my cake again…! Ugh…! Naru angy…! But it’s okay since Dad was the one who bought it with his own money…!”
Again?
This was the first ti I had stolen a strawberry from her.
But it clearly wasn’t the first ti for Naru.
Was it possible that I had stolen strawberries from her in the past as well?
It was sothing that was definitely plausible.
Naru truly was my daughter.
I suppose this was another confirmation of that.
I then solemnly said to her.
“If you try saving sothing delicious, you might end up losing it. Deal with important and enjoyable matters right away instead of putting them off.”
Wouldn’t this be a good life lesson?
As I nodded with that thought in mind, Brigitte pushed open the door to the laboratory, entered the room, and dropped a large bag on the table with a thud.
“Why are you acting so wise when all you did was steal so poor kid’s strawberries? I bought lots of strawberries, so don’t worry Naru.”
“Oh, holy shh…! There are so many strawberries…! I’m certain none of the other daughters have more strawberries than Naru…!”
There was an incredible amount of strawberries in the sack.
It seed Brigitte had purchased them for Naru.
However.
There was sothing that Naru had said that was bothering .
Naly, when she spoke of the other ‘daughters’.
“Naru, I was going to ask you earlier, but the timing wasn’t right. Do you have any siblings?”
That question had been on my mind for a while.
And so ever since I noticed the clover-shaped birthmark on Cecily’s collarbone.
However.
Naru was completely engrossed in eating strawberries and was unable to register my voice.
“Naru secret style, Strawberry Munching…!
What did she just do?
Naru used a strange technique.
Naru then cramd strawberries into her mouth until her cheeks were puffed, almost like a squirrel stuffing acorns into its cheek pouch.
She was massacring the strawberries.
Whilst observing Naru, Brigitte signaled by raising her thumb in my direction.
“That’s….”
When we had infiltrated Pandemonium in order to break through to the Demon King’s Castle, we had created various signals in case we weren’t able to speak freely.
It was our version of a secret language.
What did that signal an again?
Was it the signal to watch her back because she needed to go to the bathroom?
As my face twisted in confusion, Brigitte sighed deeply before speaking.
“I have sothing to say, so co outside.”
“You should’ve said that earlier.”
* * *
Rumble—
Leaving Naru in the lab, we walked out to the balcony.
The bright Sunday warmth embraced our skin, creating a positive atmosphere, as Brigitte cautiously began to speak.
“Naru seems alright. Even though she went through sothing that should’ve been traumatic, she wasn’t surprised. She’s not just thick-skinned.”
Indeed.
I felt the sa way.
For a child, it must have been quite shocking.
Truth was, many of the children that Cariote had saved from the sewers were undergoing psychological therapy at nearby churches or clinics.
They had been kidnapped by undead thieves and nearly beca sacrifices for so necromancy ritual.
It wouldn’t be strange for those mories to leave them traumatized for life.
If I had experienced sothing like that when I was young, I would have peed my pants and cried like nobody had done before.
In fact, it wouldn’t have even taken a second to piss my pants.
However, Naru was perfectly fine.
Not only was she sleeping well, but she was eating well too.
It was a massive relief.
Brigitte spoke.
“Seeing her reaction, it looked like Naru was used to situations like that. I don’t think it’s the first ti that she’s been kidnapped.”
“Really?”
“Truthfully, Judas, there’s probably many villains that are after your daughter. Just off the top of my head, there are at least ten. Tragic as it is, it’s probably likely that Naru hasn’t been able to live a normal life…”
Brigitte gazed at Naru through the glass of the balcony door with an expression of pity.
Indeed. If Brigitte’s words were true, Naru was pitiful.
“That’s why I’m thinking of giving Naru a familiar. Since you’re her father, I wanted to get your approval.”
“A familiar?”
“Yeah. Sothing like this could happen to Naru again, so we’re giving her a bodyguard.”
Hmm.
I was well aware of the potential of a magician’s familiar.
I myself have had my fair share of troubles while fighting against magicians because of their familiars.
Therefore, Brigitte’s suggestion was both reasonable and wise.
Naru having a familiar would be reassuring.
Aside from Naru though…
“How is Cecily doing?”
I discreetly asked a question.
Brigitte cocked her head in response.
“The little brat from the Ragdoll family? Now that I think about it, she was kidnapped along with Naru. Since she’s such a pampered little child, she’s probably in shock. What about her?”
Crumple—
Brigitte’s eyes narrowed as she spoke.
“Don’t tell you’re thinking about kidnapping her and demanding a ransom, are you? You always give those sinister looks to those noble princesses. You were going to do what you did to the princess of Ordor, weren’t you?”
“Why would you bring up Ordor? Even though it might be true that I might have given those noble girls sinister looks…”
I was only looking because they were pretty.
The nobles of this world seed generally beautiful.
Was it because they ate well and wore nice clothes?
The fact that they could ‘bathe every day’ in a world where perfus and soaps were a luxury was likely a big factor.
Anyway.
It was difficult to tell Brigitte that Cecily could potentially be my daughter.
A montary silence fell on the balcony.
“Sorry for getting angry at you.”
Brigitte apologized.
To think she was apologizing just for getting angry at .
“Are you talking about the ti when you punched in the face after you caught trying to pickpocket you?”
“No, not that.”
“Or are you talking about the ti when you caught raiding your underwear drawer?”
“No, not that either. By the way, you raided my underwear drawer??”
…She didn’t catch .
As I pretended to be clueless, Brigitte let out a sigh.
Then she broke out into a giggle.
“I guess I was foolish for worrying about it, to begin with. I was apologizing for getting angry at you when I heard you were investigating my background.”
“Did sothing like that happen?”
I shrugged casually.
As I did so, Brigitte casually brushed her hair back by utilizing her fingers like a comb.
“The Walpurgis family has been famous for producing magicians with ‘color’ over many generations and originated from an ancient past. Still, we’ve declined over the last few years.”
“Is that so? As I thought, Brigitte, you were the daughter of a noble house.”
“That’s right. While places like Central Freesia or the Ordor Kingdom of the West might not recognize my bloodline, we’re quite famous towards the eastern part of the continent. Almost everyone knows the 「Colorless Walpurgis」”
“The Colorless Walpurgis…”
I couldn’t recall if I had ever heard the title.
Just as I began to suspect sothing was off, Brigitte spoke.
“The descendants of our bloodline have been gifted with an affinity for light-colored magic. That’s why they tend to have lighter features in their hair and eyebrows. I’m different though. I’m even suspected to have been born out of wedlock.”
I see.
After having a child, they found that the child shared no resemblance to the father.
Therefore, they suspected that the child had been born out of wedlock.
“You know what’s funny? Even my mother who gave birth to disliked . It seed that she felt it was unjust that she was demoted to a concubine because of .”
I had never heard of this story before.
Although we had invaded the Demon King’s Castle together.
We weren’t the type to spill our life stories to each other.
Brigitte was actually a lot closer to the soldiers.
Well, since they bathed together and even slept together, it was only natural.
On the other hand, I was closer to the cleric.
Co to think of it, she ntioned that a cleric was coming to this city.
Just when that thought ca to mind, Brigitte spoke.
“How’s your body doing?”
“My body? It’s fine for now. The dicine you gave seems to be quite effective.”
“I created it by following the recipe our party’s cleric used to use. Still, it’s probably better if you get proper treatnt from a cleric. That guy, even though he had a shitty personality, he was definitely skilled…”
“That’s true. His skills were always top class.”
“Maybe he’ll even be able to give us a solution to Naru’s problem.”
Just as I was processing Brigitte’s optimism, I heard a knock.
Knock— Knock—
Soone began to pound on the door to the laboratory.
When I opened the balcony door, I found that Naru had sprinted to the entrance and had begun opening it to let the guest in.
“A guest is here! Naru likes this guest! Naru knows these footsteps…!”
Clack—
Naru opened the door without even asking who it was.
Wouldn’t she get kidnapped at this rate?
What if so bad person was waiting behind the door?
Still.
The person who was standing at the entrance was far from a ‘kidnapper’.
‘Sage’ would be a better word to describe him.
…No, perhaps he might be better described as a monster.
“Greetings. I heard this was the laboratory of Brigitte von Walpurgis and have co to see her.”
He was bald.
His ears were long and pointy.
He had a beard.
And his eyes were golden.
It was a bald elf monk.
He is 25 years old.
Or so he claims, but it was clearly a lie.
It wasn’t my place to say sothing like this, but how on earth could he claim to be twenty-five with a face like that…?
“Oh holy shh, it’s Uncle Baldy…!”
Naru stretched her arms in excitent.
In response, the man placed his palms together in prayer towards Naru.
“Little lady, my na is not ‘baldy’. This little monk is from the Sect of the Ascending Sunlight nad Enkidus. My bald head is ant to symbolize the radiant sun. If you have any interest in my craft–.
“Uncle Baldy!”
“Enkidus.”
“Naru likes Uncle Baldy…! Dad always said that even if he wasn’t able to trust anyone else in the entire world, he could definitely trust Uncle Baldy…!”
“Is that so? Who is your father, little lady?”
“Naru is Judas’ daughter! My na is Naru Barjudas!”
“Ho.. to think you’re the daughter of Judas. I’ve never heard of such a cute little lady ever being associated with Judas. The timing…doesn’t make sense. Did you steal this child from sowhere?”
“Yeah! Dad said he stole Naru from underneath Mom’s legs!”
“May the blessings of God be with this girl who was stolen from her parents—. I’m afraid our fate will continue to be intertwined, Judas.”
The monk was soone who was calm and always spoke in riddles.
There was no point in saying anything now, but this man was the priest who had accompanied us in our expedition to the Demon King’s Castle.
Wasn’t it a common rule that the priest of a party on the way to defeat the Demon King was a beautiful and big-hearted Saint? Wouldn’t traveling with a Saint also cleanse one’s heart?
However, this wasn’t the case within the continent of Pangea.
I only found out later that the Saint of the continent had been relegated to rank two in the party candidate list because of him.
His skills were far too good.
Fuck.
Wanna read ahead? Buy coinsYou can unlock chapters with coins or rather “genesis orbs”
Wanna unlock all premium chapters? Check the mbershipChapters will seamlessly unlock no need to bother buying coins anymore.
You can also support us by becoming an exclusive mberhere
You can rate this serieshere
You can check our dɨşçöŕd for illustrationshere
We are Recruiting!
『We are looking for more Korean Translators, for more details please join our discord server—』 71
Reviews
All reviews (0)