NOVEL ONLINE FREE My Daddy Hides His Power
Chapter 255
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On the way to work. The capital in the early morning is bustling with people who are eager to start their day. So the carriage was a bit of a nuisance, and since the Wizard Tower was a 20-minute walk away, I usually walked to work. “Dad, are you going to take me home today?” “Of course.” Dad’s workplace is where the old Imperial Palace used to be. It’s now the Legislative Hall, where noble representatives gather every day to discuss official matters. To dismantle the monarchy that had dominated the country for over 18 centuries and establish a new foundation, it was, of course, necessary to invest a great deal of time and effort. It has been three years of many changes, but there’s still a long way to go. Should I call it a transitional period? “Ah! Princess, good morning! It looks like you’re heading to work. And hello, Duke!” On the way, a familiar face greeted Dad and me. It’s Elman, the vice guild leader of the mercenary guild <Lilith’s Wild Dogs>/ “Hello, Elman! Yes, I’m on my way to work. Please tell Jem that I’m sorry I can’t attend the group meeting today because I’m working overtime.” “Oh dear, it seems like Brother was looking forward to it. I’ll make sure to let her know.” Although ranks have completely disappeared, noble titles still remain. In the now-fallen empire, the title of ‘noble’ was a symbol earned by those with abilities who sacrificed on the battlefield. That, at least, was something that needed to be respected. However, the inheritance of titles was abolished, and while titles such as Duke and Princess remain, they no longer serve as a measure of social status. “Princess, are you working late today? Does that mean we can’t have dinner together afterward?” Dad asked with regret after hearing the conversation with Elman. “Mhm, I’m working overtime…” Thinking back, I quickly became tired. “I got my test rejected by the Lord of the Wizard Tower yesterday. Apparently, it was too easy, so he wants me to redo it and bring it by tomorrow.” “Eh? You mean… the test for hiring new researchers? The math problems you made?” “Mhm.” Half a year ago, the Wizard Tower elected its representative through a very peaceful and democratic secret vote. The final candidates, chosen based on their contributions and genius, were Hans and I. I lost by just one vote. Exactly, one vote. It was because I used Hans’ name for that one vote! And I deeply regret using Hans’ name back then! Why? “He’s a real dictator, Dad!” Hans Weaver! The guy who often made us work overtime without caring about the well-being of the researchers was Oscar Manuel II! As the number of ability users decreases now… Slowly, magic will disappear, and under normal circumstances, the Wizard Tower would be on the path to collapse, but no. For us, the important task was to develop medicine before healing magic completely disappeared. Based on the many magic formulas left behind by Oscar, the Wizard Tower was expanding its scope into a research institution focused on physical medicine. So, as time goes by, the Wizard Tower researchers will probably become doctors. The power of the Wizard Tower will continue, and the tyranny of the Wizard Tower’s tyrant, the Lord of the Wizard Tower Hans Weaver, will continue… “Lilith, if you’re born a genius, you have a responsibility to act on it. In the end, it’s all about saving people—don’t you think you can put in at least that much effort?” I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut when Hans said that while forcing me to work overtime. It was a strangely self-sacrificial and righteous tyranny, so whenever I tried to argue, for some reason, I ended up looking like the bad person… “Well, how tough of a problem do you need to create to make us work overtime? If you make it that difficult, will anyone even pass? I heard there was a lot of talk about how all twenty people who took the researcher exam last month failed.” Seeing his hard-working daughter, Dad couldn’t help but get upset. The Tower gives anyone who is “smart enough” the opportunity to join, but the difficulty of getting in has become even harsher than it was during Oscar’s time as the Lord of the Wizard Tower. Well, it couldn’t be helped. ‘If anyone can become a doctor, it would be a big problem.’ I fully agreed with the point that the entrance exam should be very strict, so I just let out a sigh. Ah, but working overtime really sucks. “I should be the Lord of the Wizard Tower!” Today, I couldn’t even go to the alumni reunion of the training center where Jem, Rom, Gerard, and Cheshire were all in one place. “Hans Weaver, you dictator! Are you some kind of Oscar Manuel, or something!” When we arrived at the Wizard Tower, Dad, who had been patting my shoulder as I vented my frustration, suddenly paused. “Um, now that you mention it, it was today, right?” “What do you mean?” “The day the taboo on the Lord of the Wizard Tower is broken.” “Aah, mhm.” September 4, 1789. It was the day Oscar cast the time-reversal spell, and also the day he would have to pay the price for it. “…Will he come back?” “Of course.” “It’s a big problem. They probably don’t know the exact date. Since they might think the Lord of the Wizard Tower could return, they’ll probably start paying extra attention to unfamiliar faces.” “Don’t do that. Then Master will die.” “Mhm.” “Still, when the Master returns, we’ll be able to see with our own eyes just how serious the restriction is. I’ll find a way, no matter what!” Dad smiled at me as I clenched my fists and spoke hopefully, but he still looked worried. “Dad, should I make it so you don’t have to be too conscious of it? Something as simple as that…” I looked at the bracelet. 1sec “It only takes 1 second.” “Y, yeah, then please.” “Red Sun!” Exactly—! When I flicked my finger at his face, Dad flinched. “Hihi, Mr. James.” I kissed Dad on the cheek as a greeting. “I love you. Have a good day.” * * * The Duchy of Primera, capital city of Romwell. The Public Affairs Bureau handling all the various petitions in the capital. A man stands at the immigration report management office window. The man was from the southern continent, the Kingdom of Carta, but now he was waiting for his citizenship card from the Duchy, after undergoing a strict immigration screening. “Mr. James Gray?” As the staff member called out a name, James Gray, the man flinched, holding several documents and his identification card at the counter. ‘Tsk, should I have just used a different name?’ Since he couldn’t let anyone know my identity even a little bit, it was honestly crazy to choose the name ‘James Gray.’ Because the name ‘James,’ which was her father’s alias, would sound special to her. However, ironically… It was also a name chosen because it sounded special in some way. ‘It’s okay. There are more than one or two Jameses. Nine out of ten people walking down the street are Jameses.’ The man even thought of returning to the top. Yeah, so he could say that he had already decided long ago to boldly roll around in the minefield. The man, James, thought like that and received a new identity. “Mr. James Gray, welcome to the Romwell citizenship!” “Welcome!” “Welcome!” “….?” Even the staff at the other counters waved their hands and laughed in unison. What is this? It looks like some kind of manual welcoming immigrants who have received their citizenship. ‘What the heck, clown? This isn’t some kind of playground, and if you’re a civil servant, let’s just quietly focus on your official duties like civil servants.’ …He almost said that. James shut his mouth tightly. Didn’t he work hard for three years to fix this sharp speech that was just like his fingerprint? “…Thank you.” In the end, James answered calmly. “We at Romwell have a very well-established immigrant residence support policy. You can go to Counter 3 for consultation.” “Oh, that’s fine.” “Yes? Have you already found a place to live?” “No. Don’t the researchers at the Wizard Tower get provided with accommodation? I believe the regular recruitment test for the Wizard Tower researchers is in four days. If I pass that, I won’t need a place to stay.” “….?” The employee blinked his big eyes. Then he tilted his head in confusion. “Uh, well… the Wizard Tower, hmm, is that a place you can, uh, get into just by taking a test?” “….” “Ah! Yes, of course! If you ever need housing support in the future, please make sure to visit us again and take advantage of the services!” “Yes, thank you. Thank you for your hard work.” After gathering his documents and ID, James left the administration office. The bustling capital. In the three years he had been away, many things had changed here. He had heard that it was changing drastically, but it was surprising to see it in person. The most surprising thing was, despite the clearly noble attire of some passersby, the once-common sight of people kneeling and bowing to them on the streets was nowhere to be seen. ‘How strange.’ James walked, pulling the hood of his white robe up to look for a temporary inn. No one would recognize him, but he was scared for no reason. Tuk—. After walking for a while, he bumped into someone in the bustling capital. “Oh my!” A high-pitched female voice. James looked down and saw an expensive-looking dress hem. It was clearly an aristocratic outfit. ‘Do you have eyes on the soles of your feet? If you can’t even avoid someone after seeing them, maybe you should just walk around without your eyes.’ …He almost said that. “…I’m sorry.” James gritted his teeth and apologized. The one who bumped into him without looking ahead was from that side, but still, they were a noble. He had heard that things had changed a lot, but it had only been 3 years. The absurd thing for a noble to apologize to a commoner… “I’m sorry!” …It’s getting up, huh? “Are you okay?” Only then did James raise his gaze, which had been down, to look at the woman’s face. And then, when his gaze inadvertently reached the face of the man the woman was linking arms with. ‘Ah, tsk!’ He turned his head away in surprise. A handsome man with gorgeous blond hair. He was definitely one of Lilith’s cousins, the twins of Antrase. They had faces that were so absurdly similar that it was hard to tell which one it was, but he was certain. ‘I, it’s okay. Calm down.’ James took a deep breath. His heart pounded because he hadn’t thought he would meet a familiar face as soon as he arrived at the capital. ‘That guy won’t recognize me anyway.’ He roughly understood the principle of the restriction. Unless he says, ‘Take a good look at my face,’ even if he runs into people he knows, they won’t recognize James’ face. It just feels like the face of an ordinary person they’re meeting for the first time. James, who had calmed down, slowly turned his head again. “Are you hurt somewhere?” Despite making direct eye contact, Young Master Antrase still looked nothing more than usual, except for the worried expression. “No, it’s okay. Go ahead.” “I’m sorry.” “I’m sorry.” The two turned their backs and walked away. “Erika, I told you to look ahead. You keep looking at my face, so we keep bumping into each other.” “What should I do? You’re so handsome, I just want to keep looking at you!” James continued to watch the two of them moving away, chattering away, until they disappeared. ‘They’re dating. It’s a good time.’ Their steps were much lighter than before. ‘I was nervous for nothing. It’s nothing?’ After meeting someone he knew, it seemed like rolling around in a minefield wouldn’t be so hard. James grinned― No, Oscar Manuel confidently took off his robe hood. ‘Wait! Your Master is coming!’ Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and
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