Rather Than The Son, I’ll Take The Father

The desert where Gilbert had lived for 12 years was an isolated world.

His biological father was the king and the most diligent worker there.

Gilbert’s memory of his father was fading in his mind because they seldom spoke face to face.

At one time, his biological father went to the hatchery and brought him a child that looked like he had been knocked out.

To Gilbert, he was like his brother.

One per year. Or sometimes there were two.

But they did not all survive that winter.

The children slowly withered like a tree deprived of moisture and died complaining of pain.

Only Gilbert survived one year, two years, and twelve years.

Thus, Gilbert was recognized as a successful work.

…… He thought he was recognized, and he thought that he would be the only one who succeeded and was to his father’s liking in the future.

In those days of reassurance, Regen and another child were created.

Even when he saw Regen for the first time, Gilbert had no particular emotions.

He never spared a glance at him because Regen would become a corpse like the tragic end that the other children had had to face.

But before Regen became like that, his biological father suddenly talked about the outside world.

There, his brother was living very well, enjoying the eternal youth and immortality that he had bestowed upon him.

He said that he became the lord of the castle because he had no reason to be locked up in the desert like himself.

So, he was worried.

一There is no way he can be as good as it seems. There must be a problem. Of course. He was raised so that he couldn’t do anything without it. As soon as he was born, I made him a sick person and took care of him with utmost sincerity. That’s impossible.

It was the voice of a devil with a face as gentle as an angel.

He spoke as if he would do what he thought would be good or evil, as he could not understand the feelings of beings who were like others in the end, even if they were related by blood.

―Isn’t it true that he was still angry about what happened 500 years ago? After I calm him down by giving him a chance to properly express his anger, he will recognize my sincerity.

After thinking for a while, he said he would hand the children over to his brother.

‘The children’ also included Gilbert.

一Why do I have to go, too?

一Because you are a success. It’s a waste to leave you to rot in the desert.

Gilbert at the time believed it straight up.

As his biological father said, Gilbert took it as an opportunity to prove himself.

But now that he reconsidered, his father’s voice was very different when he spoke to himself and when he recalled his brother.

No, even so, he couldn’t accept it now.

He had already come a long way to turn back.

Gilbert felt a presence and stopped thinking.

Moments later, a man staggered toward Gilbert.

His face was bluish as if he had drowned.

“Oh, don’t worry about the skin. It’s not really me, I picked it up when I came. I need to pat my child’s head.”

The corpse waved his hand in a humorous way, making a sound of bones clashing.

“Aren’t you glad that I didn’t come personally to you? You dared to make me walk in vain and save your life? Huh?”

The body giggled.

He spoke as if he had noticed that Gilbert had lost his aura, even though he had not explained it.

Gilbert pleaded as he felt a chilling rage stab his lungs.

“Please give me a chance. I’ll prove that I’m better than Regen. It is not certain, but I have useful information, so please check it yourself.

The corpse’s head was bent.

“Regen? Who is that? Guy”

“….”

The name.

He can’t even remember the name.

Gilbert felt his stomach churn strangely.

Regen is a failure.

It’s not worth remembering because it’s worthless.

So it was fine. There was no need to be surprised at all by this.

Anyway, Gilbert was different from Regen.

This unpleasant incongruity was only an illusion.

Seeing Gilbert’s eyes contorted, the body shrugged its shoulders.

“Ah, you don’t have to explain it. I just remember.”

“Is that so?”

“Is Regen in the castle? Take me for a moment.”

“That…… It is difficult.”

The body clicked its tongue.

“So pathetic. So, where did you leave the aura?”

“After being attacked by a man, I can no longer use it. No, rather than that.”

“Huh, you’re pathetic and even dull? It’s not like it was sealed. It’s completely gone.”

He pinpointed what Gilbert was feeling vaguely.

“Someone with strange abilities is running around. Did I come out after such a long time?”

Gilbert recalled the presence who called out Maevia’s nickname without hesitation.

“He had the power to manipulate fire.”

“Don’t tell me, show me.”

The corpse grabbed Gilbert’s head.

“Ugh……!”

Soon, he felt pain as if he had been hit with an ax dozens of times.

But the father warned him in a voice full of pity.

“If you can’t stand this much, I will be really mad?”

He rummaged through Gilbert’s memories as if he were turning the pages of a book, finding the part that Gilbert mentioned, and twisted his lips.

“That’s not a person.”

His hand fell.

Gilbert let out the breath he had been holding back.

“Co, cough!”

“The Grand Duchess…… So, my sister-in-law must have good abilities. How did you get such a pet?”

Slowly feeling his mind clearing again, Gilbert asked.

“You said…… it’s not a person?”

What came back was not an answer, but a murmur with gloomy meaning.

“As expected, it’s a waste to go back like this.”

“If you want to enter the castle, I will guide you.”

He thought that the moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived, but his father only sneered at him.

“I can’t go in. Even if I attacked it with a little bit of magical power from the main body, the result would be obvious.”

“But……”

“You go and get Regen out.”

Gilbert said again.

“As I said, as I am now…..”

“Why? You don’t have an aura?”

“….”

“It’s okay, I’ll do something for you. That’s what I came here for.”

“Really?”

Unknowingly, Gilbert gave a doubtful look.

It was an opportunity he wanted to get even by sacrificing himself, but he was so reluctant that he wanted to lose it.

The corpse had a pale face and smiled with its mouth open.

“Then. But it may not be the shape you want? I don’t have the talent to bring back the aura that has completely disappeared.”

“What if……”

“Hmm. A big guy would be better if you want to break through the castle.”

“Please explain so I can understand what you mean.”

“Anyway, you’ll realize it naturally soon, so why are you bothering me? You just make a big fuss and get Regen out.”

Gilbert could barely stand the desire to grind his teeth.

“Why do you need Regen?”

“You are no longer useful.”

It was a light and plain word like a feather. With the worst assumption imaginable, Gilbert didn’t completely lose patience.

“I swore to give my body to Father. And I think it was still worth using.”

Then the body of the corpse twisted greatly.

There was a limit to dealing with the magical power that had been forced into the body.

Eventually, the pale face of the corpse melted, and the damp hair was dyed silver.

The magical power that appeared as the body disappeared was similar to the form of a human.

The eyes were as gentle as an angel, and they had a beautiful but twisted face.

Lifeless red eyes looked down at Gilbert.

“Even if you don’t emphasize it that much, I plan to use your body well. I can use it as bait.”

Shrookk.

Black blood flowed from Gilbert’s mouth.

His biological father laughed pitilessly.

“Did I give you too much? But what to do? Isn’t it you who asked first? In the first place, there are side effects when you want to get stronger quickly~”

Gilbert’s body began to swell, not knowing the limits.

He whistled as he watched his son transform into a beast.

“Oh, I did it without any preparation process, but it holds up pretty well, right? Well, your body is strong, so you haven’t died yet. I meant to use it for this purpose.”

And then there it was.

He completely turned away from Gilbert and focused his attention to what Gilbert had referred to as ‘useful information.’

“Where is our sister-in-law, who has a special pet and special abilities? Is it that room with the lights on over there?”

He was completely unaware that the sister-in-law he was looking for was always watching.

***

“XXXX XXXX.”

As I furrowed my eyebrows and watched the situation, I couldn’t stand it anymore

“Calling me sister-in-law, sister-in-law makes me feel dirty.”

Currently, Aedis and I were watching the reunion between father and son, hiding under the roof of the castle.

Gilbert’s biological father kindly informed us when and where he would appear a week ago, so we didn’t have to wait long. The problem is that for 500 years in the desert, the only thing he learned was how to keep barking.

And Gilbert…… there’s no real answer.

He said not to touch Maevia yet he sold me in less than a week.

No, of course, at the time when his aura, the biggest reason for such momentum, disappeared, I knew that would be the case.

“Aedis, I am strangely not angry. Rather, I feel something beyond scorn.”

I observed the situation with my eyes wide open.

And Aedis……,

“Huh? Aedis?”