Chapter 48

“Dаd!!!”

Fоr thе first timе in his life, Kаil didn’t wаnt tо hеаr his daughter’s voiсе.

‘Maуa should dеfinitеlу bе hеld bаck by Dеlion, why оn еarth did shе арреar hеre!’

If it bеcamе knоwn tо Кhan that Кail’s dаughter was Mауa, the situation wоuld bеcome truly seriоus.

‘If thе things Maya did reасh the eаrs of Visсоunt Вuttnеr, in the worst casе, I could еvеn bе strippеd оf mу mayоral qualifiсations…!’

Right now, Selеnаd was in a mоrе difficult situаtion than еver beforе.

Sincе mоst of Eldrida’s resourсes саmе from Sеlenad’s Маnа Crystаl Minе, it wаsn’t just Sеlеnаd’s prоblеm but а difficult situаtiоn for all of Eldrida.

If the Cerberus continued to hold out in the Mana Crystal Mine like this, in a year the entire city would be buried in debt or completely ruined.

‘What if… upon seeing Maya, he suddenly says he won’t defeat the Cerberus?’

Kail’s mind began to fill with increasing anxiety.

“Dad! Look here! I heard precious Guests were coming today, so I put in some special effort!”

Kail, sweating profusely, silently mouthed words at Maya.

‘Go… back… home…!’

He moved his mouth like a goldfish, mouthing ‘go back,’ but Maya didn’t catch on to Kail’s intention.

Before he knew it, Maya had come right up to Kail’s eyes, looked at the party sitting together, and bowed politely.

“Hello? I’m Maya, my father’s daughter… Wha, what!”

The moment Maya was greeting them, she could see the faces of those sitting with Kail.

That guy who not only humiliated her but also spoke arrogantly for a Commoner.

That Mage guy who looked weak to anyone, pale-skinned, looking like he’d collapse if poked, was sitting right before Maya’s eyes.

“…Ma, Maya! Go back for now!”

Ultimately, the thing he absolutely didn’t want to happen, happened.

Kail urgently shouted and pushed Maya’s back.

“Dad! The one who tried to kill me is this guy!! So why are you with such a…!”

“Maya…! He is Sir Mage who has come for our city! Watch your tongue!!”

“No, Dad! Is the Mage who came for the city important, or am I more important?! Huh?! I almost died because of that bastard!”

“Maya!”

Slap!

When Kail slapped Maya’s cheek, for a moment, only a sharp impact sound echoed through the Banquet Hall.

A very brief silence.

But the other participants at the Banquet instantly averted their gaze from where Kail was.

Most participants at the Banquet were Selenad’s public officials, and if they caught Kail’s eye, sparks might fly their way.

“Go back right now!”

“You, you hit me now……”

“Princess Maya!!”

Maya’s right cheek was swollen red.

As she was about to say something to Kail, sniffling, Delion ran over just in time.

Seeing him sweating profusely, it seemed he had been looking for where Maya was for quite a while.

“I’m truly sorry for interrupting your enjoyment of the Banquet! Then, please enjoy the rest of your time comfortably!”

Delion swiftly grabbed the red-swollen Maya and instantly left the Banquet Hall.

Considering how much Kail cherished his daughter, it was a truly shocking situation, but the public officials enjoying the Banquet ate food and drank alcohol, chatting as if nothing had happened.

“I’m sorry! Truly sorry! As a father, it seems I’ve failed in educating my daughter until now. Being a child who grew up without a mother, I probably spoiled her too much…!”

“Hmm, I never would have guessed that the arrogant girl I saw during the day was the Mayor’s daughter.”

Byutek said that while subtly rolling his eyes to check Khan’s expression.

And Sharin, cutting steak beside Byutek, was also cautiously sending glances toward Khan.

What decision would Khan make?

If it were a normal Mage, they wouldn’t have hesitated for a second and would have killed Sharin right there earlier.

‘No, they would have just killed her at the restaurant.’

Most Mages, with high pride and dry emotions, would definitely have made that choice.

Of course, Byutek also thought that if the same thing had happened to him as to Khan, he would have killed that girl with a single stroke at the restaurant during the day.

Byutek didn’t have a kind enough heart to tolerate the sight of an arrogant country Noble acting recklessly without fear.

“Sir Khan, I’m truly sorry! I will properly admonish and educate my daughter, so please, just this once, show mercy, won’t you?”

Thud!

Kail, the master of Selenad, was a man with stronger pride than anyone.

The sight of such a man bowing his head in a Banquet Hall with many eyes on him was something hard to even imagine.

As he planted his head on the ground, a fairly loud sound echoed.

Blood had formed on Kail’s forehead, which had slammed into the floor with a loud noise.

Slice slice…

Meanwhile, Khan was cutting steak with a knife without even looking at Kail.

To others, Khan’s appearance like that seemed even more angry.

Pale skin and an expressionless face that seemed devoid of emotion.

Khan put the steak he had cut for easy eating into his mouth and began to chew.

At the same time, Khan slowly turned his gaze, looked at Kail bowing his head on the floor, and opened his mouth.

“The food is truly delicious.”

“…Huh?”

Khan had been eating steak continuously since Maya came earlier.

He was feeling a small happiness after a long time.

‘If I clear the game, can I return to reality?’

He was even having various thoughts after a long time, and the food was really good.

That the girl who made him frown during the day was actually the Mayor’s daughter didn’t really matter much now.

“Kail.”

“Yes!!”

When Khan looked down at Kail and called his name, Kail answered with a very tense demeanor.

“Then let’s do it like this. That child’s name was… Maya, right? I’ll have Maya receive separate education from me later.”

“Edu… education, you say? What kind of education might that be……”

“Ah, I have absolutely no intention of harming your daughter. If she grows up like this, her manners will only get worse, so I’ll take care of her separately later.”

“Ah, understood…! I sincerely thank you for your mercy!”

“Good.”

Slice slice.

Khan continued eating steak as if nothing had happened.

And Byutek, hearing Khan’s answer beside him, smiled inwardly.

‘As expected… Sir Khan isn’t as cold as he looks. I never thought he’d let it pass like this. But what kind of education does he mean to give?’

He even wondered if he might use mental-type Magic used by Mages to turn Maya completely into a wreck.

‘But that probably isn’t it…’

As Byutek was having such thoughts, Kail, getting up from the floor and sitting down, was having similar thoughts.

‘I must protect Maya somehow!’

In fact, Khan had spoken without much thought, but Kail’s insides were burning hot.

* * *

Khan, Byutek, and Sharin gathered in Kail’s room after enjoying the Banquet.

They were planning to now specifically plan how to defeat the Cerberus.

Kail spoke first.

“First, can we proceed with the Cerberus Subjugation exactly three days from now? Viscount Buttner sent Sir Bist, Eldrida’s top Mage, a few days ago.”

“Bist?”

“Yes. Do you know him too, Sir Khan? I heard he’s a Mage from the Green Magic Tower, and seems to be an incredibly skilled person.”

“Isn’t he here now?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then why are you saying you’ll proceed with the Subjugation three days later?”

Khan was a bit dumbfounded as soon as he suddenly heard the name Bist.

‘How does a guy who’s only level 13 plan to defeat a Cerberus?’

Bist should know too.

Especially as a Mage from the Magic Tower, he should know well about Monsters, so he couldn’t not know.

That the moment you meet the Cerberus’s eyes, you die in 0.1 seconds.

A level 13 Mage facing a level 40 Cerberus was that nonsensical.

“First… since the Cerberus is such a powerful Monster, I heard Sir Bist asked a close Seonbae Mage from the Green Magic Tower for support. Since that person arrives the day after tomorrow, we’ve planned the Cerberus Subjugation for three days from now.”

“Hmm, I see. Understood for now.”

Khan was a bit bothered as Bist’s name kept coming up, but it wasn’t a big concern.

Defeating the Cerberus immediately wasn’t urgent, and Khan also felt like staying in Selenad a bit longer.

‘Since Lilia said she’ll make Scrolls again, I should buy more Scrolls.’

The Scrolls Lilia made were Intermediate Scrolls, no less.

If a level 10 Mage uses an Intermediate Scroll, they can momentarily wield power equivalent to levels 25 to 30.

Of course, they’re only good at low levels; as levels increase, they aren’t this efficient.

Still, they have the advantage of convenience, so they’re usually expensive.

But, for Khan now, money was overflowing.

‘Still, Scrolls are overpowered in the early game.’

The very reason Khan was relaxing now was all thanks to Lilia’s Scrolls.

Because if he used the 10 Intermediate Agility Scrolls he bought from her, he could somehow defeat the Cerberus.

‘If she makes Mana increase Scrolls or Strength Scrolls, I could defeat it even more easily.’

For the remaining time, he could just go outside Selenad’s City Walls and defeat Monsters.

With the 8th-grade Hidden Skill ‘Growth Acceleration,’ he was thinking of raising his Level a bit more during this opportunity.

“Then I will serve you comfortably during your stay here.”

“Good. I’ll be in your care.”

Khan extended his hand to Kail, and he carefully took Khan’s hand with both hands.

* * *

At the same time, Bist, Eldrida’s only Mage, was grinding his teeth inside his mansion.

“When on earth does Seonbae plan to come!”

Bist, having heard the news that Khan, who gave him humiliation and pain a few days ago, was coming here, had been waiting only for the time to take revenge on him.

‘I don’t care what happens to the Cerberus or whatever. If Seonbae comes and kills that guy…!’

Bist lowered his head and looked at the scars on his stomach and chest.

They were scars from being hit by Khan’s Arrow Skill.

“That guy… his Mana was nothing special. If Seonbae helps, someone like him can be killed easily. Hehe…”

He was a half-baked Mage who barely got in by bribing money and only completed the Green Magic Tower’s one-year course.

But the Seonbae Mage he called now was currently a researcher at the Green Magic Tower.

Meaning a Mage of such great skill that he would have absolutely no match in this country city.

“Just wait a little. I’ll make you suffer several times more than what I suffered!”

Bist smiled sinisterly, waiting eagerly for the Green Magic Tower’s Seonbae to arrive as soon as possible.