Raising the Daughter Chapter 23 : Chapter 23

Chapter 23. Iris (3)

Adel lifted Anceps with a tense face.

Its appearance was the sa, but the aura it exuded was completely different.

‘The ominous feeling from before is completely gone. Instead, it feels like a sacred energy is flowing.’

As Adel looked at the sword with wonder, Anonymous snorted and spoke.

"The feeling is different, isn't it? It's now closer to a holy sword than a demonic sword."

"A holy sword? Do you an you changed its attribute?"

Adel wore a look of disbelief.

It was common sense that the attribute imbued in a weapon did not change.

No. In recent tis, there were hardly any craftsn who could even bestow an attribute on a weapon.

Anonymous shrugged indifferently.

"Bestowing an attribute is just the basics. Changing an attribute isn't that difficult either. The reason you don't know is because the dwarves have almost disappeared these days."

"Aren't dwarves a legendary existence that one might see once in a lifeti, if at all?"

"Hoot. At least when I learned tallurgy, dwarves were not so rare. The reason they disappeared, when you think about it, is because of you humans' desire for territory."

Adel gulped down her dry saliva, asking if that was so.

"Even so, to change a dark attribute to light. So this was really possible."

"The dark attribute isn't necessarily a bad thing. But the energy that was tempting you was the problem. So I switched it to the light attribute. Anceps will no longer sway you."

"Thank you for your consideration, Master."

At Adel's words, Anonymous nodded with a satisfied face.

"I've enhanced various other performances as well, so you can check them out during our training. By the way, what is that?"

Anonymous pointed to the dish her father had made and licked her lips.

Adel, as if she had made it herself, raised her nose and replied.

"It's a dish my father made for

himself."

"Ho-oh, the appearance and sll are not bad."

"Please try so. It's really delicious!"

However, Anonymous snorted.

"How many dishes do you think I've tasted in my ti? So re human's cooking."

"It's not like that! I guarantee you, Master, once you taste it, you'll never be able to get away from it."

At Adel's repeated requests, Anonymous nodded with a face that said she couldn't help it.

"Fine. Since it's my disciple's request, I'll indulge in just one bite."

Then she threw a aningful gaze at her father.

It was a look that said she wouldn't stand for it if he disappointed her.

***

The next morning.

For so reason, Anonymous was the first one out in the hall.

As soon as she saw , she spoke bluntly.

"That food I ate yesterday. You called it so-ya?"

"That's right, but?"

"Then bring it to

right now. It reminded

of the dishes I used to enjoy with the dwarves of old."

What do you an, a dish enjoyed by dwarves.

That's a soul food of 21st-century Koreans.

I put on a troubled expression and replied that it would be difficult.

"We've run out of ingredients, so it's difficult today, O Lofty Ancient Dragon."

"What?"

Only then did Anonymous make an expression befitting her young appearance.

With a gloomy face, she started to whine, asking if there was any way.

"I can stir-fry sausages and vegetables in oil for you, but it's difficult to make the sa sauce as yesterday."

"What's the reason?"

"As I said, we've run out of ingredients."

"Then go gather the ingredients at once. I want to eat only that all day long."

Anonymous stared at

resolutely, as if she would refuse any refusal.

‘Was Anticus like this?’ A bitter smile ford on my face.

In the ga, she was always in a position of power.

When I asked for sothing, she would either grant it or beco the Demon King herself and confront my daughters. But the only thing she says is that she wants to eat so-ya every day.

At this rate, she was no different from a 10-year-old child.

‘As expected, this isn't a ga, but reality. Not just her actions, but her usual personality and hidden lore are also very different from what I knew.’

Take Anceps, for example.

It was just a demonic sword that had no use except for the Demon King ending, but the lore that Anticus was the one who made it has been added.

‘And now it’s even beco Adel’s most cherished sword.’

If things continued this way, I couldn't rule out the possibility that even the final boss might not be the new demon tribe I knew.

‘I need a different strategy from the original.’

After barely placating Anonymous, I quietly watched Adel and Anonymous' training.

Adel didn't close her eyes like before, but now she could clearly see Anonymous' movents and responded with great speed.

Clang! Clang-clang!

Moreover, she wasn't just focusing on defense but could even launch counterattacks, and thanks to that, Anonymous was also concentrating on the training with a much more satisfied face than before.

"Not bad. Then how about this?"

"Whatever it is, I'm different from before!"

"Hoot. You'd better be prepared."

In an instant, a terrifying killing intent erupted from Anonymous' body.

At the sa ti, like the sword-ki control technique from a martial arts novel, the wooden sword in her hand floated in the air and began to move on its own.

The wooden sword flew towards Adel at the speed of light.

Nevertheless.

Adel responded with agility and nullified all of the wooden sword's attacks.

But that was all.

"You're foolishly focusing only on the wooden sword."

"Ah!"

Anonymous, who had moved behind Adel in an instant, struck Adel's nape hard with one hand.

Thud.

Adel collapsed to the floor.

Startled, I was about to run to Adel's side, but Anonymous stopped , saying the training wasn't over yet.

"You're still focusing only on the sword in front of you! Get up and grab your sword again!"

"Kuhk."

Adel, as if it didn't even hurt, imdiately got up and took her stance.

That hellish training continued for a whole hour.

After Adel left for the guard post.

I knocked on Anonymous' door.

"Co in."

An arrogant attitude as if she were the master of this place.

I carefully opened the door and went inside.

"What is it?"

Anonymous looked

up and down and tilted her head.

"I have sothing to tell you."

Her gaze changed in an instant.

"Have you already found all the ingredients for so-ya?"

"That's not it."

She imdiately put on a sullen face.

If I didn't find the sauce soon, sothing really big might happen.

I cleared my throat and got to the point.

"What do you think of Adel's current skills?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I am her father and guardian."

She seed to think for a mont and then said this.

"For a human, she's not bad. Being a child of God, she certainly learns quickly."

My shoulders straightened on their own.

It was praise for my daughter, but it sounded like she was praising .

But that wasn't what I wanted to hear.

"If she were to fight the Demon King, what do you think her chances of winning would be?"

"Ha? The Demon King? Are you kidding ?"

But she saw my serious gaze and dropped her smile.

"Less than five percent. It might be a different story if it were one of the Four Heavenly Kings."

As soon as I heard her answer, I smiled.

"I see. It's just as I expected."

Anonymous stared at

for a mont and tilted her head.

"Is it so joyful to hear that your daughter's chances of winning against the Demon King are less than five percent?"

I deliberately nodded my head slowly and said.

"I'm quite satisfied with this rate of growth. To already be on par with the Four Heavenly Kings, isn't that amazing?"

She wore a puzzled expression but didn't ask any further.

‘She’s definitely showing a much faster growth rate compared to when I played the ga.’

We were only about halfway through, and yet she was already on par with the Four Heavenly Kings.

It ant that defeating Bern, the Knight Commander, was by no ans a coincidence.

‘Sothing’s strange. At a normal pace, she shouldn’t have reached that level already. Is it the effect of skipping the five-year developnt process?’

In the original version where skipping wasn't possible, the best one could do at this point was to imbue a sword with magical power.

Barely enough to defeat one high-ranking demon, you could say? But to be at the level of a Heavenly King already.

I strongly felt that this world was different in many ways from the PP I knew.

‘I think it’s best to completely revise my plan. The final boss might not be the one I knew either.’

That's how DLCs are.

Not only are characters and episodes added in large numbers, but the final boss is also bound to be stronger than before.

Adel's growth rate was surprisingly fast, but this alone might not be enough.

Having hardened my resolve, I subtly made a suggestion.

"I'd like to start teaching Adel about real combat."

"Real combat?"

"Yes. She's excellent now, but it's not a battlefield where you kill or be killed."

Anonymous chuckled and retorted.

"Are you asking

to increase the intensity of the training even more? If I do that, Adel might really die."

"No. That's not what I'm talking about. I an we should change the enemy and the location."

"The enemy and the location?"

"I think we need to visit the demon territory."

The tension that had been absent from Anonymous' face, which had been cynical throughout except when talking about food, finally began to show.

***

In a high tower with a panoramic view of the outside of the castle.

From there, Iris silently watched Rude and Noemi leave.

She had wanted the two of them to stay here a little longer, but they left in just four days.

Suddenly, a dull voice ca from behind.

"Are you sad?"

It was Number 1.

Iris, without even turning her back, quietly shook her head.

"Not at all."

"Your words and actions are different."

"It was my decision."

Number 1's voice continued.

"Do you hate your father?"

Only then did Iris look at Number 1.

With sharp eyes, as if she would eat him alive.

"Don't even ntion the 'f' in father in front of ."

But Number 1 was confident.

"You are lucky."

"What do you an?"

"I don't even know who my parents are. When I ca to my senses, I had beco a killing machine and was killing people."

"Hmph. I don't want to know about your past."

"But you at least had soone to put you to bed and feed you. Don't you think that alone is a blessing?"

Iris knew too.

That many children in this world lived as orphans without parents, or even if they had parents, they lived under harsh violence.

But Frank was harsh to her in a different sense.

‘He never once showed

a gentle smile. He didn’t think of

as a daughter.’

He just taught her lessons to beco a rchant.

It was a far cry from being a parent and child.

Those words were still unforgettable in her mind.

‘He told

to earn a lot of money and support Adel and Noemi. He said it wouldn't be long before the kingdom's support funds were cut off.’

Iris hated Frank.

He would occasionally give Adel and Noemi various pieces of advice, but not only did he not exchange a single word with her, he told her to just support the two of them.

For the proud Iris, it was a huge wound.

Iris showed her disgust as if she didn't even want to recall Frank's face.

"You're annoying , so would you please leave?"

But Number 1 was strange today.

Normally, he would have disappeared by now, but he was still standing right in front of her.

Then he brought up an unexpected topic.

"Who do you think is the mastermind of this world?"

"What's that supposed to an?"

"I will not leave until I hear an answer."

At Number 1's firm attitude, Iris' anger flared up, but she suppressed it and slowly opened her mouth.

"It's obviously the Demon King."

"One-dinsional."

"Tsk. Then, it's you guys. You guys are the true masterminds of this world, aren't you?"

"That's also wrong."

"What on earth do you want to hear from my mouth?"

At Iris' frustration, Number 1 whispered lowly.

"The real enemy is soone else. A person who cannot be compared to the likes of the Demon King. It's also the reason why we chose you as our master."

"Aish. I can't understand you, so can you please explain it kindly?"

"Primus. We were organized to stop him."

"What did you say?"

Iris' eyes widened as if they would burst.