YOWV~35

Chapter 35

If Aisha passed the second test as well, the next candidate would be decided by the vassals’ vote.

Judging by the way those who adored that brat treated her like gold and jade—

‘She’s going to win.’

It was unfair.

Just because she was from the direct lineage, right?

What was the use of having an ability if no one praised him because he was from a collateral branch!

“…So unfair… seriously…”

Tex’s clenched fist trembled.

Meanwhile.

Aisha was blocking the wound so the monster would not feel unnecessary pain until the werewolf left.

Fortunately, after some time, the bleeding had slowed.

“Phew! Uncle! Did you see?!”

Her eyes sparkled with joy.

Ever since being adopted into the direct line, she thought she had to be worth at least one person’s share.

The positive reactions around her made her mouth stretch all the way to her ears.

“Kid. The match isn’t over yet.”

“Your Excellency is smiling much more widely than usual.”

Calypse tried to calm the child, but Knox, who had been watching the two from the side, spoke up.

Now that he thought about it, Calypse was smiling without realizing it.

In the end, the duke leaned his upper body against the chair back and let out a low laugh.

“You wouldn’t understand since you have no children.”

“Yes, well. I do find the young princess charming and lovable, but I don’t smile like Your Excellency does.”

Knox shrugged.

“And there is a biological reason why young children look cute… to protect their relatively weak bodies…”

“Your mouth.”

“Hmph.”

‘I can’t talk with this guy for more than a minute.’

Shaking his head with a tired expression, Calypse turned his gaze back to Aisha.

“…?”

Something was strange.

There were no werewolves around Aisha, who had been happily hopping around.

Just a moment ago, it had been whining while unable to walk.

“Knox. The werewolf handling?”

“We were planning to proceed with it now.”

“Then why is the werewolf…”

Calypse stopped speaking mid-sentence and stood up with an agitated expression.

“Aisha!”

“Why, uncle… huh?”

The monster that should not have moved was moving.

It had leaped above Aisha’s crown and opened its huge mouth.

* * *

Characteristics of werewolves?

This wasn’t something I knew just because I was a spy.

From several days ago, I had been studying the characteristics of monsters that appeared in past heir tests.

Pack habits. Cruelty toward those not considered allies.

Yet its relatively weak hind legs made it a monster that was somewhat advantageous to me.

“Okay! If I handle five monsters like this somehow, then I’ll win!”

You don’t know what I mean?

Then I’m sorry to say you’ve been marked for this test!

Hehe… I’m going to win. I’ll win and become the golden seed.

I pulled out the wire I had prepared in my pocket.

Since any weapon was allowed in the test ground, I had prepared many things.

But then—

“Aisha!”

Suddenly, uncle called me with a pale face.

He had been smiling warmly just a moment ago.

Something was wrong.

“Why, uncle… huh?”

It felt like the world was suddenly darkening.

And I felt a sticky gaze.

“…?”

I reflexively looked upward.

Under the sky, a large gaping mouth, foaming at the corners, was pouring down toward me.

Tap-tat—

I managed to dodge, but perhaps because I had applied too much force to my ankle.

“…Ouch.”

With a cracking sound, my left ankle twisted and swelled thickly and red.

Now I could not run or jump.

Maybe I should try throwing the dagger.

But the werewolf, which had become much more excited than before for some reason, was too fast.

Uncle was right. It wasn’t even victory yet, and I was getting too excited.

Reflect, self.

Pursing my lips slightly, I surveyed the front.

No matter how I looked at it, that werewolf was abnormal.

First, it was standing straight, ignoring the muscular structure of the hind leg that should have been unusable.

Moreover, foam like waves was bubbling inside its mouth.

Guaaek—

Judging from the purple eyes without black pupils, something was seriously wrong.

“Look! That huge brute won’t collapse from just one dagger!”

At that moment, clapping sounds burst out.

The owner of the clapping was Tex, who had stood up as if deeply moved.

“It’s not passed yet, right? Right, assistant officer?”

“…Doesn’t something seem strange?”

“To my eyes, it just looks a little angry. Monsters are always a little strange anyway, aren’t they?”

Murmuring voices of the surrounding people.

Flustered Knox.

Even Calypse, who rushed down from the spectator seats to enter the training ground.

“Capture the werewolf immediately!”

When the uncle gave the order, the knights nearby prepared to throw iron chains.

But—

“Then the heir will naturally be Tex.”

A voice mixed with a sneer cut through the surrounding noise.

“If the test is stopped because the werewolf is dangerous, it sounds to me like the child doesn’t have heir qualifications.”

“I don’t care, just protect the child quickly!”

Despite Marquis Lilis’ reproach, the uncle did not stop.

The problem was that I froze because of the marquis’s words.

If it ends like this, Tex will become the heir.

No.

“No! The test will continue!”

As I shouted with all my strength while stepping backward, the knights who had been about to stop the werewolf halted their steps.

Calypse did the same.

“Uncle, if you take one more step from there, I will cancel the direct-line adoption!”

“Do you think adoption cancellation is easy? You are in danger right now, Aisha!”

“Try stopping the test!”

One simple point in life.

“Aisha, you!”

Reality is different from fiction.

Even if a magical girl transforms, even if the protagonist is in an important conversation, the enemy can suddenly burst in.

Accidents happen fast.

While my gaze, which was anxious that the match might be stopped, turned away—

“No!”

The crimson eyes that were watching me suddenly widened.

Realizing something was wrong, I turned my head—

And right in front of me was a mouth full of foam and sharp fangs.

Ah.

I’m going to die.

I don’t want to die. Uncle worked so hard to save me.

Then—

“Dandelion.”

A familiar voice was heard from somewhere.

It was Lucas.

To hear Lucas’ voice at the threshold of death.

Though I was close with Lucas, I didn’t think we were that emotionally close.

Fear made my clenched fist tremble.

But something was strange.

Now that I thought about it, I couldn’t feel the pain of being torn by the sharp fangs, nor the people’s screams.

“…?”

Feeling that something was strange, I slowly lifted my eyelids—

“The authority of the Crost ducal family must have weakened quite a bit.”

Black hair fluttering in the wind was visible.

“Using this kind of nonsense poison to drive a monster mad and try to kill a five-year-old kid?”

An angry, familiar high-pitched voice.

A boy who was a head taller than me, standing with his back to me.

And beyond him, a huge ice pillar imprisoned the monster as if time had stopped.

“…Wait, that person… looks too similar to Your Excellency…”

“Could it be the Crost direct-line young master?”

“Weren’t the young masters said to be missing?”

People murmured.

Among them, several people alternated their gaze between Calypse and Lucas, their faces turning pale as if they had realized something.

“Could it be… could it be that he is…”

“Why can’t you say he looks like the duke’s son? Is there a taboo on that word?”

Thud—

Lucas lightly kicked a pebble, clearing people’s curiosity.

The vassals who were sitting stood up reflexively.

“…What?”

“Then is that the young master Lucas who went missing at age three?”

“…Lucas.”

At that moment, a deep voice echoed above my head.

“?”

I raised my head.

Not sure when he came, the uncle had approached and was holding me in his arms.