She's Not Our Daughter! Ch 100

Counter Strategy

Philoes fell into deep thought. Uncovering the dark truths of his past would reveal that he, a noble of high standing, actually came from an orphan background.

Absolutely no one in this room, including the Crown Prince, knew this secret. Every record of his past had been systematically erased after his adoption into a grand noble family. Furthermore, no one knew that he secretly searched for his biological parents. Yet Amille not only possessed that knowledge but held the vital clue to their location.

She might be the only link I have to find my parents. She must not die......

Should he choose loyalty to his master or duty to his family?

Because he failed to find an immediate answer, the imperial faction began to crack from its very center. However, absolutely no one else realized this truth yet.

Philoes's pupils shook with anxiety, mirroring the dark fate of the Crown Prince's faction.

[Prince] "I must root out the cause."

He tightened his fists, firm determination marking his face.

[Prince] "First, drag Amille out of the dungeon. We are heading directly to the site where the gate is closing."

The setup felt entirely like a trap laid by Duke Ideos, but the Crown Prince possessed a Great Archmage whose magical power ranked among the absolute finest in this world.

The Great Archmage would undoubtedly prove worth the heavy investment he had made in her since childhood. He needed to deploy his firm brainwashing technique once more.

[Philoes] "......Understood."

Philoes nodded. The Crown Prince stole a glance at him before looking away.

While the prince trusted absolutely no one, the thought that Philoes might betray him at this exact moment never crossed his mind.

Contrary to the prince's assumptions, however, Philoes stood thoroughly flustered, wavering between loyalty to the Crown Prince and his personal objective to rescue his parents. The desperate need to extract Amille from the dungeon and keep her alive consumed his thoughts.

Regardless of his current inner turmoil, Philoes faithfully escorted Amille before the Crown Prince. Yet, right before entering the reception hall, he hesitated for a long moment in the completely deserted corridor of the palace.

Just as Amille grew irritated by the wasted time, he pressed a small fruit into her hand, his face pale with panic.

[Amille] "What is this?"

As a bewildered Amille questioned him, he whispered in an incredibly low tone, audible only to her.

[Philoes] "Just take it. If you don't eat this, His Highness will brainwash you, and you will surely die this time."

It was a Peston fruit—a substance capable of suppressing mana and clearing the mind to break the effects of a brainwashing curse. Though it resembled a bright red cherry, sharp thorns covered its skin.

Amille skillfully accepted and concealed the fruit, thinking to herself.

The brainwashing curse already has very little effect on me.

While the original curse cast during her early childhood remained deeply rooted, Amille had successfully blocked every subsequent brainwashing attempt the Crown Prince made. Her initial purpose in joining his faction was to thwart his conspiracy, so enduring a certain amount of physical agony mattered little. Yet she couldn't understand why this man suddenly acted this way.

[Amille] "Is it a problem for you if I die?"

[Philoes] "You claimed to know where my parents are."

She let out a hollow laugh at the words Philoes let slip like a passing breeze.

If things had only smoothed out this easily in the past, how wonderful would it have been.

But the past was gone. Amille chewed and swallowed the Peston fruit he provided. True to its cherry-like appearance, the juice tasted sweet, almost as if signaling that her plan would achieve success.

Is this the ultimate example of patience being bitter but the fruit being sweet?

Indulging in useless thoughts right before a massive operation was uncalled for. She needed to sharpen her focus now more than ever.

Eradicating every distraction cluttering her mind, Amille forced her face to harden into a rigid mask, feigning distress. Soon after, she slowly opened the door to the secret chamber where the Crown Prince waited.

[Prince] "You have arrived."

He looked impatient, yet a smile touched his lips. It was a clean smile, a sight she had not witnessed in a very long time. Though she mirrored his smile, utter disgust washed over her.

When an ordinary person smiled so brightly, it appeared beautiful; why then did this man look so hideous?

It was because she understood every vile action he had committed and every piece of garbage behavior he intended to execute in the future.

Naturally, Amille was a professional, enabling her to suppress the wretched emotions swirling within her chest. Masterfully concealing her contempt, she bowed low before the Crown Prince.

[Amille] "I greet Your Imperial Highness."

He studied Amille with a calculated display of warmth and affection. Stroking the hand that had absorbed the blue mana, he whispered with deep satisfaction.

[Prince] "We are heading to the monster gate. There is a task I need you to perform."

[Amille] "If it is a task I can perform for you."

[Prince] "That bastard closed the monster gate. It will likely shut completely very soon."

Hearing the Crown Prince grind his teeth, Amille nearly lost her composure for a split second.

Under normal circumstances, the gate never closes.

It was highly strange. Hanael, Sierra, and Cassius were making different choices from the timeline she knew.

Had her own actions caused the shift, or were they changing on their own?

Did this represent a positive turn, or stood as a direct train to a tragic end?

She could determine nothing, yet one fact remained absolute.

[Amille] "We must head there immediately."

[Prince] "Yes. You need to summon the monsters using your power."

[Amille] "......Everything will unfold according to your will, Your Highness."

She held onto one clear truth that flashed like a brilliant light in her mind: this time, nothing would unfold according to the Crown Prince's desires.

---

Meanwhile, at that exact moment, the companions stood before the monster gate.

According to Cassius, the monster gate served as a gateway allowing the creatures of the underworld to crawl up into the human realm. While the precise cause remained a mystery, these gates usually materialized inside caves or along coastlines. This instance proved no exception. The gate, which the Crown Prince had presumably opened using the blue mana, occupied a large cave inside a low mountain.

While the other knights remained at the camp, Sierra and Cassius stood directly before the gate where the monsters emerged. They had easily shaken off the Crown Prince's inner circle and dismissed their own attendants.

Perched on the back of Sierra's hand, Hanael flapped her wings enthusiastically, lining up the creatures.

[Hanael] "Cheep! (Get inside!)"

The monsters entered the gate in an orderly, disciplined fashion. Large and small creatures alike slipped into the gateway smoothly at her command. To witness monsters entering the gate so easily without a single strike to their necks was incredible.

[Hanael] "Cheep! (Hide your presence, and don't even breathe!)"

Ensuring they left no trace to avoid detection by humans was an astonishing sight. It felt deeply moving to watch this tiny baby bird command the entire force. Yet, deep within Sierra's chest, a slight worry lingered.

[Sierra] "Cassius."

[Cassius] "Yes."

To guard against any sudden incident, Cassius kept his sword drawn. Sierra stole an anxious glance at him and Hanael, questioning him softly.

[Sierra] "Hanael isn't in any danger, right?"

She feared that releasing mana might harm Hanael, or that interacting with the monsters would cause physical strain.

Naturally, Sierra had secured repeated assurances regarding the child's safety from the mage who attended her when she nearly collapsed. The mage confirmed that while the monsters naturally obeyed Hanael, the child's body suffered no ill effects.

As her mother, I can't help but worry.

Despite the reassurances, the slim margin of a potential risk left a mother's heart full of anxiety. Yet, as the thought of a mother's love crossed her mind, Sierra bit her lip. The realization felt unfamiliar, yet it filled a corner of her heart with warmth.

The truth isn't even fully confirmed, so why do I naturally view myself as her mother?

Sierra stared at Hanael's snowy white feathers, narrowing her brow in worry. Fortunately, Cassius offered a firm answer.

[Cassius] "Yes. The creatures are drawn inside of their own accord. Furthermore......"

[Hanael] "Cheep! (I feel great!)"

[Cassius] "She looks incredibly excited."

Hanael flapped her white wings happily. The child clearly enjoyed commanding the monsters and watching them obey so submissively. Observing her joy, Sierra felt a complex mixture of relief and sorrow.

Our strategy is working flawlessly.

The plan they devised centered on turning the blue mana against the enemy. The strategy arose from a simple hypothesis: if the Crown Prince's faction could use blue mana to open the gate, it had to be possible to use blue mana to close it.

By borrowing a tiny portion of strength from Hanael, who possessed the absolute purest mana, the gate closed at a speed the Crown Prince could never anticipate.

A proud expression touched Sierra's face. However, Cassius continued to scan the area with a serious look, whispering in a low voice.

[Cassius] "Stay alert."

[Sierra] "Huh?"

[Cassius] "The danger runs deepest when everything appears perfectly still beneath the surface."

Naturally, the current Crown Prince looked like a minor villain driven mad by jealousy. Yet Cassius spoke the truth. Sierra nodded.

[Sierra] "Then we just need to drive him to greater desperation."

People of the Crown Prince's character always crumbled under such pressure.

They exited the cave alongside Hanael. Walking away from the gate, Sierra looked down blankly at a single white feather Hanael had dropped on the ground.

For now, I will leave this feather here. And...…

---

The Crown Prince arrived late, standing before the cave that sheltered the gate.

Staring into the empty cavern, his face twisted with rage. He turned a freezing glare toward Amille, firmly believing his brainwashing curse held her in absolute submission.

[Prince] "Amille."

Amille found the situation thoroughly amusing since she feigned submission while remaining completely free of the curse, yet she masterfully guarded her emotions before replying.

[Amille] "Yes, Your Highness."

[Prince] "The gate has closed completely...... Can you still summon the monsters?"

[Amille] "I can't say for certain."

He scowled. He stood conflicted, wondering whether deploying Amille to summon the monsters immediately served his interests better than retaining her as a long-term asset for his forces. He crossed his arms and leaned his back against the cave wall.

Clatter.

A few pebbles rolled down the stone floor, but the sound failed to disrupt his thoughts.

The gate is shut far too tightly. Should I order a search of the cave first?

The volatile prince managed to regain a shard of composure, grinding his teeth.

After the search consumed a portion of their time, the Crown Prince discovered an anomalous object inside the cave. A tiny feather lay on the dirt floor. Under normal circumstances, he would have dismissed a bird feather in a cave as nothing, yet......

It is brilliantly white. Such a bird is rare, typically utilized as a messenger.

And......

The moment he picked up the fallen feather with his index finger, an intense sensation resembling an electric shock rushed through his body, causing him to flinch.

[Prince] "This is……"

A faint realization touched his face. Having absorbed blue mana to turn himself into a monster, he recognized the sheer purity of the power contained within the feather.

Perhaps this object held the vital clue to destroying Cassius Ideos.

[Prince] "Amille."

He glared at her, then paused.

[Prince] "……No, never mind. I must investigate this personally."

The snowy white feather undoubtedly belonged to a messenger bird. And for the power of the blue mana to radiate from it meant......

[Prince] "Can an animal actually possess mana?"

Even as he voiced the question, he rejected the idea instantly. No, animals could never harbor mana. This meant such a powerful and pure energy could belong only to a human.

His bloodshot eyes rolled wildly as a dark plot formed in his mind.

---

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