I had taken the role of the adopted daughter a bit too seriously 126th chapter. No matter how much I read Bellatu’s shadows, things weren’t going as planned.

This was exactly one of those times.

“No matter how I look at it, he’s just a kid!”

A massive man charged in.

He looked like a raging bull on the loose.

‘He’s really huge.

He must be at least 2 meters and 50 centimeters tall.

He wasn’t just tall either.

I had never seen anyone with such a grand physique.

‘He’s completely a giant.

Just like the description in the story.

It wasn’t just about size.

His body looked like it was made of muscle even down to the cells.

Indeed… it could be said that even his brain was made of muscle.’

He wore a helmet with horns and sported a wild, scruffy red mustache.

On his shoulder was a giant iron mace.

‘Mercenary King Kaiser.’

Viola felt her head pounding.

Kaiser wasn’t a villain.

If anything, he leaned closer to being good.

The problem was his brain was like a flower field.

This is how it was described in the author’s notes.

[Feature 1. Likes children and animals.]

[Feature 2. Brain made of muscle. Mental world is a flower field, and he’s a terrible navigator.]

[Feature 3. Has the hardest body in the world.]

[Feature 4. A genius in strict diet management.

Only consumes chicken breast and beef, along with some low-calorie, high-protein monster fish/meat.]

That pretty much summed up his character.

“I must give him a real beating!”

Suddenly, Kaiser began to charge forward.

It felt like a rhinoceros was running.

“Zeno, can you stop that guy?”

“He already started charging. I could stop him, but I’d have to be prepared for serious injuries. Should I proceed?”

“No. Forget it.”

From the moment Kaiser appeared, the plan was thrown into disarray.

From Kaiser’s perspective, the intruder defense system of the 6th Magic Tower was an ‘enemy that bullies children.’

“Is that the Mercenary King Kaiser? Isn’t he like the head of a children’s welfare organization?”

“Yes, it seems to be the case.”

In this world, it’s common to attach honorifics like ‘Sir.’

However, Kaiser hated nobles and preferred to be called ‘Sir’ instead of ‘Lord.’

“Are you angry at the magic system right now?”

“Yes, because it bullied children.”

“You’re seriously angry at a non-living thing, right?”

“It seems so.”

Zeno smiled broadly.

As Kaiser barreled forward like a mad rhinoceros, magic bullets were fired at him, and several trap spells ensnared him.

“Humph! This stuff doesn’t even tickle!”

Kaiser was surrounded by an invisible mana barrier, and none of the Magic Tower’s defensive systems could bring him down.

“The crime of bullying children will be paid back with death!”

Whoosh!

Kaiser swung the massive mace.

A fierce wind struck the tower’s walls.

The magic circles engraved on the outer wall exploded.

At the same time, Kaiser slammed his heavy body against the wall with a bang! and struck the wall with the mace repeatedly.

Clang, clang, clang!

It sounded like thunder.

Cracks formed on the walls, and parts of it began to crumble.

Kaiser turned around with a satisfied grin.

“Everyone is dead. Dead.”

Even though the magic circles and magical weapons were inanimate, he thought he had killed them.

Viola could read Kaiser’s innermost thoughts.

‘Wow, I was so damn cool.’

There was no doubt he was thinking that.

It was fascinating.

Even without the ability to read minds, I could feel his thoughts so vividly.

“Zeno. Do I look like I’m on the same side as Kaiser?”

“From the tower’s perspective, you would be recognized as an ally.”

In essence, the number one defensive system for the outer wall was just a warning system.

Once that defensive layer crumbled, the second defense would show itself, and that was the real deal.

“I wonder if Kaiser knows about the first and second defenses?”

“I doubt he knows. Or if he does, he probably doesn’t care.”

“So we just need to run away, right?”

“Honestly, I was hoping to suggest the same.”

“Pick me up.”

Zeno lifted Viola into his arms.

No matter how fast Viola ran, she couldn’t match Zeno’s speed.

“I will ensure your safety.”

Viola nearly fainted.

‘Waaaah! You’re so fast!’

It was nothing compared to amusement rides at a theme park.

That swift and thrilling experience made Viola feel once again that she was in a fantasy world.

Only upon reaching a thicket did Zeno come to a stop.

“I will set you down.”

Viola felt her legs go weak and almost fell but desperately tried to maintain her composure on the outside.

“Probably the reason the second defense system didn’t activate right away is because I’m Princess Bellatu, right?”

“That’s highly likely.”

While they hadn’t granted her entry, they probably knew of Viola’s existence.

The magic of the tower automatically recognized Viola, and they must have delayed the activation of the second defensive system just in case something went wrong.

“What about Kaiser?”

“So far, I don’t think he’s dead.”

Heavy footsteps echoed.

A man, completely scorched from head to toe, appeared.

“Are you alright?”

“You don’t look okay, Uncle.”

I wanted to just smack Kaiser right on the head!

But he was way too tall.

“This is nothing to me.”

His dark skin contrasted with his bright white teeth.

“How was it? Was I cool?”

Viola suddenly felt very tired.

Now that he was recognized as an intruder, entering the Magic Tower had become even more challenging.

“If I hadn’t been Princess Bellatu, you would’ve been dead, Uncle?”

“Hmph, the Magic Tower’s magic is nothing much. Huh? Wait, what? Are you a noble?”

“You can tell just by looking.”

An unusual dress.

Clean skin not tanned by sunlight.

Silky hair.

All these were luxuries that only a noble could enjoy.

“How can you tell just by looking? I’m no god.”

Just then, there was a loud growl from his stomach.

Even that sound was incredibly loud.

“By the way, do you have chicken breast?”

*

For the time being, we decided to make a campfire and spend the night.

After listening to Kaiser’s explanation, it was just as expected from the character in the novel.

“…So, you got lost?”

“It’s a common incident for adventurers.”

Kaiser said he had gotten lost and, while searching for food, discovered Viola.

“There are no monsters or animals suitable for food around the Magic Tower. It’s a magically managed area.”

“Still, there has to be at least one!”

“Honestly, you didn’t know it was the tower’s territory?”

Kaiser fluffed his ears as if he didn’t care much about it.

“Territory? Please! Wherever I stretch my legs is my land.”

The place I go is the way, and wherever I sleep is my home.

Kaiser lived his life that way.

Such concepts as the tower’s territory were for goblins.

“I might be misunderstood as your companion.”

“Wanna be my comrade?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Ah! You want me to autograph it?”

Looking at Kaiser mutter, “Ah, I don’t have a pen today,” Viola felt conflicted inside.

“Zeno, are there any pursuers from the Magic Tower?”

“None. However, I suspect that there will be a compensation claim flying towards Bellatu’s side.”

Ugh.

Viola felt a headache coming on.

Having a migraine at 13 years old.

I felt like I had been through too much in this world.

“Hey. They attacked first, so why do we have to pay them?”

Kaiser was seriously angry.

“If you’re too nice, they think you’re a pushover! You just have to go and smash everything!”

“Uncle, get a grip. The opponent is the Magic Tower.”

“And what’s that? I’m way stronger.”

Viola was at a loss for words.

In some ways, he was a more challenging opponent than Heron.

“I told you, if it weren’t for my status, the mages of the tower would have tracked us and killed us.”

“Why would I die? They will.”

His face, which had regained its original color, was now beet red.

He looked angrier than before.

“Wait, but you’re saying they also kill kids?

They really are the worst!”

Hurting children isn’t something even a god could forgive.

He mumbled.

“Are you not scared of the tower?”

“Not a bit! Are you scared of the tower?”

Then I’ll smash a tower like that.

Viola sighed at the thought that he might actually just charge into it alone.

“Is there nothing that scares you, Uncle?”

“Of course not.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely.”

Kaiser was full of confidence.

Viola turned her gaze to Zeno.

“Location snack storage.”

“Understood.”

Zeno pulled out the mobile snack storage from the pocket dimension.

A specially crafted snack pouch.

This pouch contained various snacks, including egg tarts and puddings, that Viola loved.

Viola picked up a pancake piled high with whipped cream and a mango juice rich in sugar syrup.

“Not scared, huh?”

Kaiser started sweating profusely.

He had been seated, yet in the blink of an eye, he had stepped back several paces.

“G-get that away from me!”

High-calorie.

High-carb.

High-fat.

High-sugar.

That was the scariest thing in the world for Kaiser.

Viola took a bite of the pancake and said,

“See? Uncle, you actually have something you’re scared of.”

Seeing Kaiser gulp down real drool, Viola sighed.

“Why not learn something about consideration?

The way you care for children is too one-sided. Not everyone is like you, you know.”

Deciding to teach the good but somewhat (very) lacking Mercenary King, Viola, a devoted reader of Bellatu’s shadows, didn’t know what results this would lead to at that time.