The Adored Daughter of the Disliked Duke's House: My Magic Power Increases Every Time I'm Praised, So I've Been Perfecting Cuteness Since Infancy! - Episode 18

“When I give the signal, I’ll take over as the shield.

Then, Lily, you jump out and attack that thing. How about that?”

Leo had just been asleep moments ago, yet he didn’t ask unnecessary questions.

He understood that this was a crisis.

With that alone, Leo quickly proposed a way to break through.

I nodded without hesitation at his suggestion.

Since he spoke with such confidence, he must be sure of his shield magic…

“I think I can hold off this sludge for about three seconds at most.”

…or maybe not.

“The first magic that royals learn is always shield magic. Of course, I was taught it too, but…”

Leo looked at my shield with an impressed expression.

“As expected of you, Lily. Even my father couldn’t make a shield this strong.”

I had no intention of competing with the royal family, but it still felt good to be praised.

“So? Can you manage in three seconds?”

After a brief hesitation, I nodded at Leo’s question.

“I don’t think I can defeat it, but I should be able to stop this sludge magic.”

“What should I do?”

Al leaned forward. He probably didn’t want to just be a support beam in this battle.

“Al, help me jump out of the shield.”

“Got it.”

“Alright. Then it’s decided.”

Leo clapped his hands.

“Let’s do this!”

The three of us nodded at each other and quickly adjusted our positions.

Leo squeezed himself between me and the shield, placing both hands on it.

Al interlocked his fingers beneath my feet.

I stepped onto his hands, maintaining the shield with one hand while using the other to balance on Leo’s shoulder.

“Alright, here we go. One, two, three!”

At Leo’s signal, Al threw me upward with all his strength.

One.

My body was launched above the point where the shield clashed with the sludge.

Two.

I gathered magic within my core.

Water, water, water cascading down from a cliff.

That was all I envisioned.

Three.

I released all the magic at once!

──BOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A torrent of water surged from my body, pouring over the floating garden.

The overwhelming flood pushed the sludge back.

Leo and Al were nearly swept away, but I quickly caught them with direct magic.

“Guh… ugh!”

The sludge was purified by the water and faded like mist.

Even a part of Mukrain’s sludge-formed body was cleansed, forcing it to retreat with a howl.

I landed with a splash and immediately regrouped with Leo and Al.

Both were soaked, but at least they weren’t hurt.

“Lily!”

“Well done!”

The two of them tackled me from both sides in a hug.

“Fugh!?”

A strange sound escaped my mouth.

But the lighthearted moment was quickly overshadowed by an ominous presence.

“Damn youuuuuuu!”

Mukrain stood up, surging with magic.

Sludge dripped from its body in globs.

“You brats!”

From within the sludge emerged a skeletal, emaciated figure.

“You saw my body, didn’t you!!!”

Mukrain let out a furious roar.

Dark magic leaked from its form, swirling like a storm.

“Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!!”

I instinctively grabbed Leo and Al’s arms.

If that amount of magic were unleashed on us, we wouldn’t survive.

In response, Leo and Al held onto me as well.

“It’s okay, Lily.”

“We’ll do this together.”

Without any prior agreement, they both began gathering magic.

(Light magic…)

The miracle magic said to be the first creation of the gods.

Light cuts through darkness and brings hope.

“Yeah!”

I followed their lead and poured all my magic into light energy.

Noticing this, Mukrain’s face twisted with rage.

“Brats! Humans!”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“And look where underestimating us has gotten you.”

Mukrain’s face twitched at my words.

“Humans aren’t as weak as you think!”

At that moment, from above the dome-shaped barrier…

──CRACKLE!

Bolts of lightning rained down.

──CRASH!

The barrier shattered with a sound like breaking glass, and the remaining lightning bolts struck Mukrain’s sludge.

“GYAAAAAAH!”

With a death cry, the sludge was burned black and evaporated with a sickening hiss.

“Curse youuuuuu!”

What remained was a grotesque, withered hag-like creature.

Mukrain’s bloodshot eyes tried to fix on us, but she could no longer see us.

Because standing in front of us now were numerous mages.

The King, the Queen, the princes, knights, and robed mages in white.

And at the very front, of course…

“Father!”

“Lilietta! You were reckless again!”

Despite his scolding, my father looked relieved.

The King wore a similar expression, though the Queen and my mother beside him glared at their husbands.

(There’s no escaping a lecture now…)

I chuckled wryly. Leo shrank his neck, while Al grinned mischievously at him.

It was over.

I let out a breath of relief.

But then, something stirred in the shadows of the floating garden.

Another monster!

“Father! There’s another one!”

I shouted.

At the same moment, my mother moved.

──SWOOSH!

Her shadow slithered through the garden, twisting and turning.

In an instant, it captured the target.

“Got it!”

My mother’s shadow had snared a small, childlike figure.

A hood covered its face, making its features unclear.

Suspended upside-down, it crossed its arms in irritation.

“Barzemir-sama!”

Mukrain cried out.

So this was the one who had maintained the barrier.

“Hmph. Mukrain, you blundered.”

“Please, forgive me…!”

“Fool.

Do you think you deserve forgiveness?”

Mukrain was speechless, trembling as she collapsed in despair.

“No… No… No…”

She began sobbing, and everyone watched in disbelief.

“How troublesome.”

Barzemir sighed.

And then—

In the blink of an eye, he was beside Mukrain.

“What?!”

He had escaped my mother’s shadow bindings in an instant.

“Hmph. Such a weak shadow constraint.”

Indeed, my mother’s shadow magic was weaker at night, as darkness made shadows thinner.

That realization struck me suddenly.

(Thin shadows…?)

Then, my mother’s magic was…

Barzemir grabbed Mukrain by the collar.

“Well then, humans. Until we meet again.”

He smirked.

(He’s getting away!)

Everyone thought so.

But my mother did not.

“I won’t let you escape!”

She reinforced her magic, restraining them once more.

But Barzemir remained unfazed, calmly channeling magic.

“Al! Leo! Help me!”

I grabbed their hands and poured all our magic into light.

Without hesitation, they followed my lead.

With all our might, we unleashed it.

The floating garden was enveloped in blinding light.

The shadows grew darker—.