Meanwhile, in the Mercy region. Matthias opened the gate between the demon realm and this world. Monsters could be seen pouring out from within.

If it were Axel Mirmod, he would charge madly at the monsters. As would the crazed troops who follow Axel and enjoy slaughter.

But they wouldn’t know that those monsters are just the beginning.

The moment all the monsters die, the gate to the demon realm will open.

And Axel Mirmod will be dragged inside.

Even if he survives in the demon realm, he’ll be stuck in the muck for about ten years, unable to return. Even if he came back having lost all his abilities, he could be easily crushed.

Matthias smirked as he rested his chin on his hand.

It could be called a cruel tactic. But…

The image of a tiny child wrapped in swaddling clothes, Sien, flashed through his mind.

Not like now when she babbles well, but five years ago.

That small baby who couldn’t even cry easily and held back her tears.

And Axel Mirmod who mocked Sien cradled in his arms.

‘Why don’t you just abandon that useless little thing?’

‘Shut up.’

‘It’s a cursed bloodline. You’ll die if you get close.’

He wanted to crush Axel Mirmod, but having just returned from trial, he had to focus solely on taking care of Sien.

It was because of the request of that woman who had been accused of being a witch and executed at the trial.

The woman who was branded with the infamy of summoning a demon to the empire and called an evil woman.

Sien’s mother, Yuella.

Now no one knows her name, but Matthias still hadn’t forgotten.

Matthias recalled the last words of Yuella, whose pink hair and green eyes were identical to Sien’s.

This child’s name is Sien, she had said.

Even if she died, please raise her to be a kind and gentle child, she had said.

Until he heard those words, Matthias hadn’t said anything.

He didn’t particularly have much affection for Sien, after all.

But the moment he met Sien’s innocent green eyes staring at him intently, he abandoned his successor position as if drawn by a predetermined fate.

After killing the judge who had summoned and insulted him and accused Yuella of being a witch. He left behind his rightful place as successor for Sien’s happy life.

But all this time, he had been mulling over what Yuella had said.

That there were people who had plotted to kill Yuella and Matthias, that it was unjust… those long stories.

The moment he recalled that story, Matthias’s expression twisted.

He had been lying low for five years to take revenge, and now it was time to really draw his sword.

Matthias gritted his teeth and asked quietly.

“Take care of it as quickly as possible.”

The day to throw Axel Mirmod into the pit of the demon realm was not far off. Seeing his cold expression, an aide cautiously spoke up.

“Yes, but there’s a more important matter.”

“What is it?”

There could only be one thing more important than that.

“Lady Sien has established a merchant guild, they say.”

Right, Sien.

“What?”

That five-year-old, country bumpkin?

My adorable daughter?

“Is someone trying to take advantage of Sien?”

The unexpected news about Sien made him puzzled for a moment.

“Yes. Moreover, it seems some not-so-good things have happened…”

The aide began to whisper in Matthias’s ear.

His expression distorted mercilessly.

There was no doubt that the merchant guild his daughter had created with her tiny hands had fallen into a trap.

[This is the timeline separator]

“A guardian is needed to oversee the merchant guild. Your father Matthias can’t do it, and they say direct family members are difficult.”

“Guardian…?”

In response to my question, elder sister Dedri let out a deep sigh.

“It’s originally a nominal system, but anonymous reports have been pouring into the imperial palace. Saying how can a 5-year-old create a merchant guild, isn’t it child exploitation?”

The imperial deputy minister, scared to enter the Mirmod family mansion, sent a written notification instead of coming in person. I looked at the fluttering notification in the air and let out a long sigh.

“If there’s no guardian within a week, the business will be shut down.”

“Gasp.”

“Eek.”

The exclamations didn’t come from my side.

I just scratched my cheek with a very stiff potato cake-like expression.

“Hmm.”

“They’re saying it’s unfair child labor exploitation. There are actually cases of tax evasion by pretending to run a guild under a child’s name.”

“It’s a good law.”

Not good for me though.

Anyway, more important is that someone has set a trap targeting me.

Since Axel Mirmod is busy quelling the unrest now, the culprit can be narrowed down.

I looked towards Ted, the knight who was standing there stoically, and said.

“Ted.”

“Yes?”

I looked at him and asked innocently.

“Gabrielle hates me, right?”

“Ah…”

“The people of the temple hate our family too, right?”

Ted bit his lip as if unable to continue speaking.

“…I’m sorry.”

That word alone was enough to convey his thoughts.

I shook my head and waved my hand.

“What are you sorry for, Ted? It’s okay.”

‘I’m the kind of person who absolutely detests collective responsibility.’

Let’s think carefully. The person who plotted this is probably from the temple side.

To be precise, Gabrielle who sees me as a thorn in her side. And Saint Melodia who is backing her.

Tomorrow or so, there was talk of her being enthroned as a saint.

It was questionable how Melodia, who had gained power, would act in the future.

‘Will she try to touch Mirmod around the time of her enthronement as a saint?’

I rested my chin on my small hand.

As I fell silent, the concerned voices of the maid sisters began to reach my ears.

“As for the guardian… I’m not sure if it’s possible given how late it is.”

“It would be difficult, but should our family step up?”

“Your family wouldn’t be bad. You have quite a connection with the information guild after all.”

The maid sisters nodded at those words.

As they said, it would certainly be good if the Puth family stepped up, but I was planning to refuse.

“No. It’s okay.”

At my firm words, the maid sisters all stopped moving.

They had now reached the point where they would believe me even if I said beans were peas. Their crystal-like sparkling eyes stared at me.

“Do you… have a way?”

Instead of answering that question, I stuck out my small front teeth and smiled like a rabbit.

“I have a way.”

At my words, the maids’ mouths fell open.

What’s with those expressions, as if they had believed in me!

“As expected!”

“We believed in you!”

Flinch.

I blinked and thought.

‘Our thoughts aren’t being shared, are they?’

While having such a useless thought for a moment, their sparkling gazes collided with me.

Just as I was flinching from the even more burdensome stares, Ted cautiously asked me.

“So, what kind of method is it?”

I quietly opened my mouth.

“We just need to find one. A guardian.”

“Do you have someone in mind? Perhaps a famous socialite you know?”

“Heh, just… we need a strong person, right?”

I had a good idea.

A good idea that would surprise even the villains trying to trap me.

‘If we do it well, it could be good publicity for our guild too.’

I always think this, but the best opportunity comes when you’re backed into a corner.

The updraft you ride after enduring adversity can’t easily be blocked by manpower.

I patted the still broad shoulders of the gloomy maid sisters.

Oh my, their shoulders are so hard it hurts my hand.

[This is the timeline separator]

A week later. I was still holed up in the Mirmod family mansion.

I played rabbit hunting with the maid sisters, took poison studies lessons with Leonhart and grandmother – still filled with desperate words that my body had no mana – and learned about holy power with Acid and Ted.

I also endured Delphia’s snuggling…

Meanwhile, reminders kept flying in from the imperial palace.

Letters demanding that I register a guardian immediately or register the guild as a business.

After those letters flew in several times, aggressive messages started appearing in the newspapers two days ago.

Perhaps because both the Mirmod family and I had remained silent in the face of the closure threats disguised as reminders.

People seemed to think I had now been abandoned by Mirmod.

——————————————————————————————————————————

[Front Page] Will Sien Mirmod’s Guild Sink Like This?

The magic tool guild ambitiously launched by Miss Sien Mirmod (age 5) of the Mirmod family is facing crisis before it even begins.

She has failed to find an adult guardian to be a strong backing for the guild.

It is known that Miss Sien Mirmod has no deep connections with the social world or direct blood relatives of the family, having spent her early childhood in the countryside.

Moreover, the conditions for a guardian are quite strict.

An adult of the same gender as the child who will be guild master, not a direct blood relative, at least 2 people, and an authoritative woman.

Since her father Matthias Mirmod has also been out of the social world, it is expected that there will be considerable crisis in finding a guardian.

——————————————————————————————————————————

It was such detailed news that even my eyes almost popped out.

When there was no particular response from the Mirmod family even at this level, gossip magazines that had been watching the Mirmod family’s reaction also quietly joined in on ‘Attacking Sien’s Guild’.

Thanks to that, not a single magician applied for a job at my magic tool guild.

But despite all that, the atmosphere in the Mirmod mansion where I was staying was very calm and quiet.

Just one anxious letter from Dad arrived.

[Sien, Dad will send a few guardians. Dad knows some people. Why did you establish a guild anyway? Did someone tell you to establish a guild? Contact Dad right away. Or should Dad come right now?]

It was so messily scrawled that I had to squint to see it.

“I think I’m going to get presbyopia.”

After decoding, no, reading Dad’s incoherent letter, I couldn’t help but sigh.

“You’ll reply, won’t you, Lady Sien?”

“You should find a guardian soon too…”

“Don’t worry. Lady Sien has it all planned out.”

The maid sisters chimed in from the side. I nodded and replied.

“Yeah, that’s right. And I have to send a letter.”

I wrote diligently to Dad. Filled with precious feelings.

[Dad I don’t wanna see you. Don’t come! Go away!]

When I wrote this and had the maid sisters check it, their complexions turned as pale as dawn. I tilted my head in puzzlement.

“If, if you write like this…”

“He’ll go berserk.”

“The Mercy region might be reduced to dust! Please reconsider!”

“Hmm, I understand…”

I prettily decorated myself and fluttered about. My hair waved gently with every move I made.

And there was a gaze watching this scene distantly from afar.

“Honeybun.”

…It was grandmother, who was part of my plan.