Chapter 63: Cause You Are My Girl

Rumi’s shocking statement completely rattled my language center and thought circuits.

Was Lucia the woman who would become my mother?

Having two mothers must be nice, huh?

A mother who can deal area-of-effect damage twice in one go? 

That’s some impressive performance.

Of course, Rumi’s mental attack didn’t discriminate between friend or foe.

“Uh, um……?”

Lucia’s lifeless black eyes flickered for a moment.

Like a light turning on, a red hue washed over them, then faded, only to return again.

Rumi’s eyes were always the deepest red.

The color that now tinted Lucia’s eyes was no different.

Up to this point, I thought, “Nah, no way,” and tried to brush it off.

“Huh? Rumi? Is that you? Wait, that’s my clothes, isn’t it? Did Dad give them to you?”

The cold, machine-like face broke into a radiant smile.

I could almost understand Cao Mengde’s feelings for a moment.

“Mommy-meng!”

And then Rumi leaped.

She jumped lightly into Lucia’s arms.

No additional actions, like a royal succession or anything, just a clean and simple mother-daughter reunion.

Why does this feel so real…?

But for some reason, the atmosphere felt like it shouldn’t be interrupted.

So, I led the rest of the thieves—no, the heroes—and lined up behind them, willingly becoming the backdrop for this heartwarming scene.

“What have you been eating to grow so big? Wow, you’re even bigger than me now!”

“Meng!”

“Hey, no acting cute.”

“Hehe. Rumi grew a lot, right?”

“You sure did. I almost didn’t recognize you since you’re a doppelganger. Have you been well?”

Wait.

Rumi, were you just pretending to go “meng meng”…?

My world just crumbled.

“I’ve been good! I even met Master Jooin!”

But Master Jooin is still Master Jooin.

My world just got rebuilt.

“Hmm? Master…?”

Lucia, who had been patting Rumi’s head, looked up.

The moment our eyes met.

I saw death.

How can a human body contain such immense spiritual pressure…?!

I felt my sins crawling up my spine.

“Hmm, it really is you? I can smell Rumi on you. Quite strongly, too.”

In the blink of an eye—no, without even blinking—Lucia’s voice came from behind me.

By the time I came to my senses, Lucia, who had been patting Rumi, was gone.

“Eek.”

The cold sensation on the back of my neck made me freeze stiff.

The heroes around me were also stunned, unable to keep up with her speed.

“W-what are you doing?!”

“Let go of our master!”

“Mommy-meng!”

The heroes belatedly protested, but…

“Hmm. Rumi’s friends? Be good now, okay?”

Lucia’s dagger gleamed ominously, and everyone fell silent.

Hehe, with a satisfied smile, Lucia began to slowly trace her finger from my chin downward.

Wait, is this…

The firetruck game…?

“Your face is quite handsome.”

Past my neck.

“Hmm, no muscles on your arms.”

She drew a line from my shoulder to my arm, then moved to the side.

“But at least you don’t have a belly. Though having one could be cute too.”

Uh-oh.

Red light! Red light!

“Mommy, stop!”

Rumi, her cheeks flushed red, let out a roar worthy of a lion king.

“Geez, it’s just a little joke. Why so serious?”

Thankfully, the firetruck stopped at the red light.

But the sharp blade was still on my neck.

“Boy, what exactly is your relationship with my daughter?”

A question that could sever my carotid artery and make a fountain of blood gush out rang sweetly in my ears.

For a moment, time seemed to stop as my thought circuits accelerated.

Various options flashed through my mind.

[We’re nothing special]

[→ Then you die]

[We’re in a committed relationship]

[→ Then you die]

[I actually like you more, Mom]

[→ Then you die]

Ugh.

Think!

A boring, pedantic answer…!

“He’s my Master-meng! And he’s the Chosen One-meng!”

Fortunately, before I had to answer the subjective question that only led to death, Rumi, the earth-attribute flame girl, stood up with her tail bristling.

And she even mentioned Master Jooin before the Chosen One.

I was deeply moved.

“There, there, my daughter. Don’t get your fangs all worked up over Mommy’s little joke.”

Thankfully, Lucia seemed to be a doting mother, as she finally pulled away from me and, like the wind, returned to her original spot.

My back was drenched in sweat, forming a giant peanut-shaped stain.

Rumi’s genes seemed to lean more toward her mother’s side than her father’s.

Wait.

Lucia is clearly human.

So, if that’s the case, her father must be…

“Anyway, it’s a bit awkward to just call her my daughter. Now, kids, look over here.”

Just as I was about to dive into some rude speculation.

Lucia’s voice brought me back to reality.

The massive door behind her creaked open.

“……”

“Wow!”

“Meng!”

“Nya…!”

A mountain of gold, silver, and treasures.

The treasure chests that had given me various hidden items here and there were buried under piles of gold coins, radiating a dazzling rainbow light.

With the eyes of an eagle, I quickly estimated.

Enough wealth to build five of Ark’s general stores and still have plenty left…!

Before I could dive into all sorts of happy delusions.

“These are the treasures I was promised in exchange for guarding this place. Even if it’s my lovely daughter, we arbiters must uphold our contracts, right?”

But Lucia’s next words brought us back to reality.

“So, decide. The contract expires in thirty days. You can come back then, or you can fight me now. I’m fine with either.”

“Can we have a moment to think?”

“Hmm. Sure. Rumi? Let’s have a little chat with Mommy.”

“Ok……?”

Fighting her is clearly disadvantageous.

As the Chosen One, I could see her approximate stats: Level 130.

A single casual swing from her could barely leave the heroes alive.

The good news is that this is just a doppelganger, not her true form.

But even so, the gap in power isn’t easily bridged.

“Thwack!”

“Hey, little girl, huh? I told you not to bare your fangs at Mommy. Are you going to bite me like when you were little?”

“……!”

Even a ‘love-filled, restrained’ spanking from her took away 5% of Rumi’s health with each hit.

If that had been a serious punch…

Ugh, I don’t even want to think about it.

But as the Chosen One, I must engrave this painful scene of our hero being tortured by the evil minion into my heart.

“Ark, you’re drooling…………….”

“Ah.”

Slurp.

I quickly wiped away the reaction that escaped against my will.

But thirty days is too long.

If I don’t recruit Neb, I can’t improve the performance of my Miracle-Hair Defense-Potion (temporary).

It will take time for the beastmen’s tail fur to grow back, and if the supply of anti-balding medicine runs out due to a lack of materials?

Even in 21st-century Earth, there would be immediate terrorism and riots targeting pharmaceutical companies.

There must be a way, there must be.

***

Lucia was not satisfied with her potential son-in-law.

I admit he’s good-looking.

But his face is all shiny, and his mouth is like a mountain.

He looks like the type to cleverly deceive people, charm women, and then drain their fortunes on gambling.

Of course, it’s wrong to judge based on first impressions, and since I’m seeing him through a doppelganger, there might be some distortion.

But despite that, he’s managed to enchant my lovely daughter.

And when I looked into his heart with my ability, the ‘Eyes of Truth,’ his feelings were more like affection for a puppy than love.

Though it seems my daughter has been putting in some effort, as she’s marked him quite heavily, and it looks like she might pounce on him soon.

Finally, it seemed the discussion had concluded.

The parasite brother-in-law candidate stepped forward.

His first words were.

“I have a proposal.”

An attempt at negotiation.

“Go on.”

Lucia nodded, curious to hear what he had to say.

Ark’s tongue began to wag like a flowing river.

“This might be an impertinent question, but did you make the contract because of those treasures?”

“Yes, so I can’t give them up.”

“Then, please lose to us.”

“Hmm……?”

“If we defeat you, we will gain rightful ownership of those treasures. We’ll transfer them to you immediately. That way, you won’t have to guard this place for thirty days, and you’ll still get the treasures. Doesn’t that sound good?”

“Hmm……?”

At first, I thought, “What is he talking about?”

But as I listened, it started to sound somewhat plausible.

Lucia began to find the proposal a bit appealing.

But since she held the upper hand in the negotiation.

“Well, you know I’m just a doppelganger. Unless I manifest directly like this, I’m not bound by time.”

Seeing the parasite’s face momentarily falter, Lucia smiled.

Hehe, if that’s the extent of your cunning, I’m a bit disappointed.

But Ark didn’t give up.

He pulled out a strange stone slab and, with a few taps, various potions appeared in mid-air.

After carefully collecting them into a prepared bag, Ark hesitantly approached Lucia and handed it to her.

“Hmm?”

Inside the bag were various potions, sloshing around.

“T-these are really expensive……………..”

With a voice lacking confidence, the parasite quickly scampered away.

If it weren’t for my daughter clinging to him, worried that I might harm him, I would have tripped him right there.

They say raising a daughter is pointless.

Lucia sighed and examined the potions.

“…?”

They were stamina potions.

And not just any—these were top-grade, made with the finest ingredients.

Effective with no side effects.

What kind of scoundrel carries these around?

Is this trash asking to be killed?

Lucia’s expression twisted.

Seeing her daughter wagging her tail happily beside him, she couldn’t bring herself to throw the dagger.

Instead, she activated her ‘Eyes of Truth’ again.

And the shocking truth was revealed.

‘……………Is he impotent? Or does he not even need these potions?’

This parasite.

He genuinely thought the items he gave her were ‘expensive gifts.’

Rather than feeling regret, he felt refreshed and relieved.

Lucia felt sorry for her daughter.

At the same time.

She remembered her husband, who had been acting weak and making excuses no one would believe ever since their daughter kicked him in the groin in a recent dream.

In the end.

“……For my daughter’s sake, I’ll let it slide this time.”

Lucia decided to be a good mother.

It’s not like she was thinking of quickly returning her doppelganger and pouring the potions down her husband’s throat before wringing his neck.

***

And watching all of this through the Magical-CCTV was the slothful demon, Neb.

“…..”

Plop.

Unable to continue speaking, the bag of potato chips slipped from her hand and spilled onto the bed.