I Raised the Northern Grand Duke as a Farmer Behind My Father’s Back Chapter 51

Chapter 51

What in the world was that supposed to mean?

Basil’s brows furrowed deeply.

“That’s not what I mean.”

He let out a long sigh.

“I’m saying I don’t want to put too much responsibility on you.”

“I don’t understand what you mean at all.”

“……Brat. Why didn’t you tell me you were sick during the river survey?”

“That’s……”

Haniel fidgeted with her fingers.

“The village was already having a hard time. If the plan got messed up because of me, that’d be kind of bad.”

“……”

“I-I went along because I wanted to help, so if I just became a burden instead…… that’d be bad.”

“What exactly is bad about that?”

Haniel didn’t answer.

But Basil could tell she hadn’t changed her mind.

He roughly swept a hand through his hair.

“I know you have a special power. And it’s true that I’ve relied on you a lot because of it.”

“……”

“But that doesn’t mean I want to develop this territory by sacrificing you. If this territory can only survive by doing that, then it’d be better if the damn place just fell apart.”

Basil meant every word.

A child carrying too many expectations and responsibilities was bound to break eventually.

Haniel had a special ability.

And she was smart.

Because of that, she cared more about developing the territory than she did about herself.

She tried to take on responsibilities that belonged to adults.

Basil had realized that painfully clearly when Haniel collapsed.

If he didn’t put a stop to it now, something truly serious might happen.

Something worse than simply collapsing with a cold.

He didn’t even want to imagine it, but if something like that happened to her……

It was horrifying.

Remembering how completely he had lost his reason when Haniel collapsed, Basil rubbed his brow with a troubled expression.

“But…… divine power, and purifying the pillars…… I’m the only one who can do that.”

“I’m looking for another way, so wait. At least until I can confirm that it’s safe for you.”

“I’m fine! Really!”

“No. From now on, I’m only going to believe about half of your ‘I’m fine.’”

His tone was firm.

“……Because I never want to go through that again.”

Running while carrying her limp body.

Watching each shallow breath, terrified that it might be her last.

For the first time, Basil truly understood what people meant when they said their blood ran cold with fear.

What if this child died like that?

What if she never opened her eyes again?

……He didn’t think he could bear it.

The existence of this tiny brat had already grown far too large inside him.

Haniel bit her lip.

“But…… how are you even going to check whether purifying the pillars is safe for me? How are you—”

Then Haniel spotted the papers scattered across the table.

Her eyes widened.

“……!!”

She urgently grabbed Basil’s clothes.

“Y-you’re not writing a l-letter to the Temple, are you?”

“I thought about it. It’s actually pretty simple.”

Basil spoke calmly.

“Now that we’ve made money, if I donate enough, they should send us at least one high-ranking priest.”

He gently patted Haniel, who had started trembling.

“Don’t worry. I’m not saying I’ll send you to the Temple. I just want to properly observe how those bastards use divine power and make my own judgment.”

“B-but Your Grace hates the Temple!”

“Who cares about my pride?”

He snorted lightly.

“Compared to my brat, I can sell off something that useless as many times as I want.”

Haniel’s eyes widened in surprise.

Seeing her look like a startled rabbit made him want to hug her tightly again.

Honestly, it was something he could never have said before.

Back then, he had been wrapped tightly in pride and inferiority.

He still was, to some extent.

But now, at least, he could put those things aside when necessary.

If the reason was the child in front of him.

He muttered casually,

“Well, even after all that, they might refuse to send a high-ranking priest. If that happens, I suppose I’ll send Dantelion that bastard a begging letter.”

“……!!”

“I heard monsters appeared in the West, so he’s probably off killing them right now. Anyway, if I tell that control freak something’s wrong with one of his pillars, he’ll come charging over and squeeze out purification power he didn’t even know he had—”

“No!!!”

Haniel suddenly shouted.

“I’ll purify it!”

“I told you I won’t allow it.”

“Why?! Using divine power really doesn’t hurt me at all! I only got sick because, um, after selling barley and doing all that stuff, I’d overworked myself and it all caught up with me at once!”

“And you’re sure all the divine power you used before didn’t strain your body too?”

“N-no!”

“How do you know?”

“That’s…… But Your Grace doesn’t know either!”

“Right. I don’t. Which is exactly why we’re choosing the safest option.”

“……!”

“Whether that means donating money and asking the Temple to handle the purification, or at least learning exactly how purification affects a priest’s body.”

He’s serious.

Haniel picked anxiously at her fingertips.

Basil looked more determined than ever.

There was no sign he would give in easily.

Wh-what do I do?

No book had ever explained what she was supposed to do in a situation like this.

In her previous life, the adults had only told her to endure sickness quietly.

So she endured.

Then why am I getting scolded for it?!

“I don’t like it anyway!!”

Haniel hopped down from the desk.

She bit her lip and thought desperately—

then snatched the letter and shoved it into her pocket.

She knew it was bad behavior.

But she was cornered.

“Haniel.”

“If you keep writing l-letters like that……!”

She looked between Basil and the desk, then clenched her little fists.

A certain resolve flashed through her pink eyes.

“I…… I’m not going to live with Your Grace anymore!!”

“Hah.”

“I mean it! One hundred percent!!”

Even then, Basil didn’t move an inch.

“Hng!”

Haniel stormed out.

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

One hour into running away from home.

Is this how the boy who cried wolf felt?

What do I do……

Peep, peep.

I stroked a yellow chick and buried my face in my knees.

Purifying the pillar with divine power really is fine…… but he doesn’t believe me.

Of course, during the first purification, I had collapsed with blood coming from my nose and mouth.

But that had been because I used my life force.

Now I had collected all the divine power I needed, so nothing like that would happen.

I shouldn’t have gotten sick for no reason……

The Grand Duke seemed to have completely made up his mind.

I felt miserable.

I had never resented my weak body this much before.

What if he really calls a priest? What if Dad comes……?

A sudden sense of crisis surged through me.

Should I hide?

I hugged the toddling baby pig tightly and sank into thought.

The baby pig’s weight made me plop down onto my bottom, knocking over the bag beside me.

A bulging hippo bag.

My running-away bag.

“I’m not going to live with Your Grace anymore!!”

Since I had declared that, I had packed my things and left.

……As far as the Grand Duke’s front yard.

Now that I think about it, I have nowhere to go!

The village was still busy dealing with the aftermath of the fire.

And Slan and Noah’s cottage was already over capacity.

“Huuung……”

I had no idea what to do.

Should I just sweet-talk Sir Luden like before and sneak off to the mountain where the Mad Dragon is?

If I purified the pillar and proved I was perfectly fine, maybe His Grace would finally admit it was safe.

My eyes lit up.

Then immediately dimmed again.

But…… I don’t think he was angry only because of that.

Adults were too hard to understand.

If I actually did something like that……

this time he really might kick me straight out of the North.

I couldn’t move forward or backward.

I had tried so hard not to cause trouble this time……

I stared gloomily at the ground.

That was when—

“Hm? Haniel! Baby, why are you sitting here like this?”

A huge shadow fell over me.

“Sir Brad! You’re back from the gate?”

“Mhm. I caught a few monsters.”

A huge sack hung behind his enormous frame.

M-monsters?

I swallowed.

“Hahaha! No need to look so frightened. They were a species I hadn’t seen before, but if a fellow like me could catch them, they must’ve been small fry.”

“W-wow……”

They were definitely boss-class monsters.

“So you were catching monsters at the gate toooo……”

“It’s about the only thing an ordinary old man like me can do for our territory.”

Ordinary old men do not shyly swing steel hammers one-handed……

“What are you going to do with all of that?”

“Separate the usable parts and sell them.”

“Oh!”

My eyes widened.

In fact, one of the North’s main sources of income until now had been selling monster materials obtained from hunts.

Sir Brad smiled.

“As luck would have it, there’s apparently a western monster-material merchant staying in Northon Village. So I came to get permission to go out. Sir Luden is busy preparing farming tools for the autumn planting, isn’t he?”

“……Ah-ha!”

“And while I’m at it, I’ll pick up the rye seed Duke Rowain said he would send.”

Northon Village.

Permission to go outside.

Normally, I never would’ve considered leaving the North at all……

But then Basil’s stubborn face, harder than rock, floated into my mind.

I feel so suffocated!

Doing something—anything—felt a hundred times better than just sitting here.

And he said the Temple’s holy knights went west to hunt monsters.

Nothing should happen if I go out!

Besides, Northon Village was right outside the gate.

I raised my hand high.

“Me too!”

“Hm?”

“Can I come with you?”

I needed a change of mood.

And since I ran away from home and had nowhere to go anyway……

Perfect.

“Hmm.”

Sir Brad seemed to think for a moment.

Then he nodded cheerfully.

“All right. Let’s go together!”

“Yaaay!”

And so, carrying my huge bag, I went with Sir Brad to Northon Village.

……Without even dreaming of who I would meet there.

To Be Continued…