Chapter 1211: 198. The Baby
“Big brother, big sister, let me introduce you. This is my dad!”
Daphne was extremely lively. The moment she brought Muen and Hamreign into the house, she began enthusiastically introducing her family.
“Greetings, you two.”
Her father was a refined and easygoing-looking middle-aged man. Although he showed a certain degree of vigilance just like the previous residents, he concealed it very well deep within his eyes and did not reveal it at all.
In this city where nearly everyone was innocent and sweetly naive, that was truly rare.
“This is my mom!”
“Good evening, my lords.”
Daphne’s mother was a gentle and graceful woman. She looked very young, with almost no traces of age on her face.
She respectfully served them tea and personally handed the cups to Muen and Hamreign. Even during the entire process, the hand holding the tea remained extremely steady, without spilling a single drop. It was clear that her state of mind was calm.
In this city where everyone regarded Hamreign as an evil final villain and Muen as some incarnation of Cthulhu, that was even rarer.
“Thank you.”
Muen accepted the teacup and could not help taking a few more looks at the two of them.
“My lord, are you...”
Daphne’s mother touched her face and finally revealed a little nervousness.
“Is there something dirty on my face? Or are you really, just as the rumors say...”
“No, no, no... Don’t imagine things. It is simply rare to meet people in this city who are not afraid of the two of us at all and can remain so calm, so I was surprised.”
Muen hurriedly explained, afraid that another new misunderstanding would arise.
“Also, there is no need to call me ‘my lord.’ Just call me Muen. As for this person beside me, you can call her Dra—”
“Hamreign.”
Hamreign did not even lift her eyelids. She merely drained the tea in her cup in one gulp.
“Call me by that name.”
“Right, call her Hamreign.”
Muen secretly glanced at Hamreign.
“Then... we will address you as Mr. Muen and Miss Hamreign.”
Daphne’s mother and father exchanged a glance and also let out long sighs of relief before smiling.
“As for being afraid... the child’s father and I discussed it. We both believe that if the two of you had come here to do something bad, you probably would have done it long ago. There would be no need to go through so much trouble. Therefore, what you are doing is most likely not something bad.
“Besides, Lord Morton has always worked tirelessly for this city. His decision must have his reasons as well. He would not betray us so easily. Since we trust him, there is no need for us to be overly worried about the two of you.”
“Talking to intelligent people is truly comfortable.”
Muen nearly burst into tears.
After being misunderstood so many times along the way, this was the first time he had felt his heart regain a sense of balance and comfort.
“Come, let me toast the two of you.”
“Huh? Is this some kind of special custom?”
The married couple hurriedly scrambled to imitate Muen, lifting the teacups in their hands. After making a few awkward gestures, they tilted their heads back and gulped down the tea. Since they did not possess Miss Dragon’s ability to swallow everything in one mouthful, they nearly choked.
“I want to do it too! I want to do it too!”
Daphne unsteadily raised her teacup high. The way she imitated them was quite comical and adorable, causing Muen and the couple to laugh.
“One for you too.”
Hamreign suddenly gave her a piece of candy. Daphne became overjoyed, and her calls of “big sister” grew even clearer and sweeter.
“Where did you get so much candy?”
Muen was shocked. He remembered that he had not given her that many pieces.
“What does it have to do with you?”
“...All right. It has nothing to do with me.”
Muen tactfully chose to shut his mouth. He took out the register and prepared to work.
Although he very much wanted to spend a little more time talking with Daphne and her intelligent parents, unfortunately, the pressing time did not permit him to do so.
Such an enormous city depended entirely on Muen and Hamreign walking from place to place to inspect it. Even if they spent only a very, very short amount of time in each household, completing the entire task would still take a very, very long time.
The longer it took to finish, the easier it would be for something unexpected to happen.
Therefore, they had to hurry.
“Begin the inspection, Miss Dragon.”
“You do not need to tell me.”
Hamreign’s golden pupils swiftly swept across the surroundings. They first paused briefly on the married couple before finally landing on Daphne.
Her gaze flickered.
When speaking with ordinary people, she completely suppressed the draconic pressure within her eyes. From a purely aesthetic perspective, they were nothing more than an exceptionally beautiful pair of eyes.
But merely seeing Hamreign’s gaze linger for a brief moment caused Muen’s heart to rise instinctively into his throat.
For Miss Dragon to stare at her for so long, could it be...
“Could it be that Daphne is actually...”
“There is nothing wrong with her.”
“I...”
Muen nearly failed to catch his breath.
“Then why were you staring at her for so long? You scared me to death!”
“You are simply too stupid. Have you forgotten that I already touched her before? If there were something wrong with her, could she have remained hidden until now?”
Hamreign gave Muen a disdainful sideways glance.
“...”
Muen had no response.
It seemed that was indeed the case...
When they had first arrived in this city, Daphne had been the first person they encountered. Miss Dragon had already come into contact with her at that time, and it had not been ordinary contact either.
Back then, the sight of this rebuilt yet familiar city had enraged her, and she had nearly killed Daphne... until she confirmed that the girl was not Polluted.
After things had already reached that point, there was naturally no possibility that Daphne was one of the survivors in disguise.
“As for why I stared at her for so long, I merely... forget it.”
Hamreign shook her head and said nothing more.
She could not possibly tell that annoying human that she had remembered that previous, improper “vision,” causing ripples to appear within her heart.
With that human’s fearless nature and love of interfering in other people’s affairs, he would most likely insist on digging until he reached the bottom of it again.
How irritating.
“There is nothing wrong with the two of them either.”
Hamreign drove the irritation from her heart and casually pointed at the married couple.
“Oh.”
Muen was completely baffled by Hamreign’s inexplicable reaction. He kept feeling that ever since he had fainted once, something about her had become strange.
But he could not say exactly what was strange, so he could only suppress this abnormality for the time being and mark their names in the register.
Mm. The inspection of the family of three was complete.
Muen let out a breath of relief. He quite liked this family, so it was best that they had passed.
“Very good. The inspection here is complete. Let us go to the next household.”
Muen waved goodbye to the couple. The happy appearance of this family of three caused a smile to appear on his face as well.
“I hope everything afterward can proceed this smoothly too.”
Muen could not help sighing.
“That would be troublesome. If we inspect everyone in the entire city and still fail to find those rats, it means their abilities have already exceeded our imagination.”
Hamreign said coldly,
“When that happens, I will be the one preparing to run away.”
“...That is true.”
Muen nodded.
“Miss Dragon, remember to take me with you.”
“I will.”
Hamreign turned around.
“If necessary, I can also throw you out as bait.”
“...”
He had not expected this person to occasionally possess quite a sense of humor.
Muen rubbed the corner of his mouth.
But no matter what, just as Miss Dragon had said, although nothing happening seemed wonderful, for them, the best development would be to drag those survivors out as soon as possible.
Just like what had happened with Kran before, as long as the survivors remained hidden among these people, tragedies would continue to occur within this city.
And the best possible result was to confine the tragedy to the smallest possible area as early as possible.
Therefore, at this moment, Muen even felt slightly fortunate.
Almost everyone in this city was a stranger to him. Even if some tragedies occurred, it would not be excessively painful for him...
“Huh? Big brother, big sister, are you leaving already?”
Daphne suddenly grabbed the corner of Muen’s clothes. Tilting her adorable little head, she was clearly reluctant to see them leave so quickly.
“Stay and play with Daphne a little longer. Mom and Dad said I cannot go outside right now, so Daphne is very bored.”
“Sorry.”
Muen bent down and vigorously rubbed Daphne’s little cheeks, gently explaining,
“Big brother and big sister have already finished inspecting all of you. We need to go help inspect the others, so we have to leave first. We will come play with you another time.”
“Is that so...”
Daphne adorably bit her finger, looking extremely regretful.
“Be good. Go back to your mom and dad.”
“Okay.”
Daphne reluctantly walked toward her parents.
But after taking only two steps, she suddenly remembered something. She turned around and asked in confusion,
“But big brother, you still have not inspected my little brother.”
“Little brother? Haha... Daphne, you are already learning how to joke at such a young age? The register clearly says there are only three people in your family. Where would this little—”
The smile on Muen’s face gradually disappeared.
In the end, only solemnity remained.
He stared fixedly at Daphne and asked, word by word,
“What did you say? Little brother?”
“That’s right.”
Daphne replied in her clear, childish voice,
“I also have a little brother!”
“...”
Wait.
Little brother?
Where had this little brother come from?
The register recorded it very clearly. Daphne’s family... had consisted of only three people from beginning to end!
Could Daphne be deliberately lying because she wanted to make them stay?
No!
Muen’s pupils suddenly contracted.
He remembered.
When he had previously walked around the city with Daphne, he had also heard her mention... that she had a little brother.
And after she had said it, the stall owners who were familiar with Daphne had not shown any abnormal reaction.
In other words... she was not joking, nor was she lying.
She truly had a little brother.
But in the register, as well as within his and Miss Dragon’s perception...
Muen and Hamreign exchanged a glance. The latter’s expression abruptly darkened.
“I was careless.”
“He is really here?”
“Because she was the first person I encountered, I instinctively lowered my guard here and did not pay excessive attention to the surroundings. Looking at it now, perhaps the fact that she was the first person we met was not a coincidence.”
Her fiery-red long hair began moving without wind.
Muen could clearly sense that this short-tempered person... had been completely enraged.
“But no matter what, at such a close distance, I failed to immediately discover that another living person was present. Those rats’ abilities have indeed improved. They did not possess this level of skill in the past.”
“With the power of Brother Withering, that is not surprising.”
Muen hurriedly comforted her.
“Hmph.”
Hamreign was still furious. Without another word, she thrust an empty palm toward a room at the side.
Boom!
The room suddenly shattered into debris and scattered outward within the violent gale.
Only a single crib remained intact within the entire room.
Inside the crib, a baby only a few months old was startled awake by the disturbance and began crying loudly.
“My baby!”
Daphne’s mother completely lost her previous calmness. Although her consciousness was still in a state of confusion, driven by instinct, she cried out and threw herself onto the crib, using her own body to shield the child inside.
“Move.”
“W-what are you two doing? We did not resist. We have been obediently cooperating with the inspection. Why... why are you trying to harm my child?”
“He is not your child.”
A terrifying divine light gradually condensed within Hamreign’s golden pupils.
Previously, her attention had been spread across the surroundings. Now that it had completely focused on the baby, she no longer even needed to touch him. She had already fully confirmed that she had found the correct person.
Because the complex concealment magic arrays still surrounding the crib, as well as the faint inhuman aura emanating from the baby himself, were all telling her his true identity.
Only the body was that of a baby.
The soul could not be falsified.
“He is one of the targets I am searching for. Move.”
“W-what do you mean, he is not my child?”
Daphne’s mother was stunned. She firmly protected the baby in her arms and cried out helplessly,
“I carried him for ten months and gave birth to him. He is a piece of flesh that fell from my own body. Every second of that time is clearly engraved in my mind. How could he not be my child?”
“Then why is there no information about him in the register?”
Muen was not as direct as Hamreign. He opened the register and tried to explain.
“Daphne’s mother, think carefully. According to New Tars’s regulations, even newborn babies must be entered into the register, correct? Then why is he not listed?”
“Huh... that truly is strange. Why did I not take him to be registered?”
A trace of confusion appeared on Daphne’s mother’s face as well.
She instinctively exchanged a glance with Daphne’s father, attempting to find an answer.
But this confusion was soon replaced by her maternal instinct.
“No matter what you say, he is my child. I will absolutely not allow you to do anything to him!”
“Move.”
Hamreign’s tone grew increasingly cold.
“Do not force me to use violence.”
“Please... please!”
Daphne’s father wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and hurriedly approached.
“You must have made a mistake. I do not know what you are searching for, but my child... he is only an ordinary baby. How could he have anything to do with what the two of you are looking for?”
“Could an ordinary baby nearly conceal himself from Miss Dragon’s eyes?”
Muen asked,
“Or are you saying that you created all those magic arrays surrounding him?”
“Magic arrays? What magic arrays?”
Daphne’s father was equally confused.
Even though he was very intelligent, when faced with something completely beyond the limits of his understanding, he momentarily panicked as well.
“My wife and I are both ordinary people. Things like magic...”
“That proves it. You are only ordinary people, which is precisely why you could be deceived so easily. He is definitely not your child.”
Without another word, Hamreign began walking toward the baby.
Her fiery-red hair fluttered, and killing intent gradually began spreading outward...
“N-no! Big sister is not allowed to hurt my little brother!”
Daphne suddenly rushed over, hugged Hamreign’s leg, and raised her little head.
“Big sister is doing this because Daphne has been naughty, right? Daphne will become very, very good from now on. Please, big sister, do not hurt my little brother.”
“He is not your little brother! Nor is he your parents’ child!”
Muen sighed and hurriedly explained,
“There are only two possible situations. The first is that you have suffered some kind of deception on the cognitive level, and the entire matter of giving birth to this child was false from beginning to end. The second is...”
The child was real.
Daphne’s mother had truly carried him for ten difficult months and given birth to him.
But just like Kran before, he had suffered a form of spiritual...
Possession.
Muen opened his mouth, but found the cruel second half difficult to say aloud.
“Nonsense!”
Daphne’s mother tightly shielded the child in her arms and shook her head with all her strength.
The woman who had been gentle and graceful only moments ago now had disheveled hair and looked exactly like a madwoman.
“I do not care what you say! He is my child! He is my child connected to me by blood! You are not allowed to hurt him! You are not allowed to hurt him!”
“Please, I beg you! You can take me away instead. Do not hurt my child. He is still a child. He is still only a pitiful baby!”
With a thud, Daphne’s father knelt before Hamreign and repeatedly slammed his forehead against the floor.
Soon, the ground was stained crimson with the blood from his forehead.
“Waaah—”
The baby’s cries grew even louder, intertwining with Daphne’s helpless sobs.
He truly seemed ignorant and innocent, and every cry tugged at the most fragile part of the human heart.
At this moment, Muen understood.
No explanation would be useful.
Hamreign, however, was even more direct and continued walking forward.
“Get away! Get away from us!”
Daphne’s mother roared with bloodshot eyes.
“Liars! I even thought you were good people... The stories were right. Evil dragon... you really are an evil dragon!”
“You are not allowed to hurt my wife and child! Die, evil dragon!”
Daphne’s father no longer continued kowtowing. He grabbed a shovel and smashed it toward Hamreign’s head.
Hamreign offered no unnecessary words.
She merely lowered her gaze slightly.
Then she casually waved her hand.
Daphne and both of her parents were directly knocked unconscious by the violent impact.
Hamreign walked to the crib, seized the baby by the neck, and lifted him into the air.
“Waaah—”
The baby was still crying miserably. As Hamreign’s hand gradually tightened, his little face turned purplish-red.
But gradually, that miserable, heart-wrenching crying transformed into giggling laughter.
The laughter was filled with mockery.
“How heartless...”
The baby opened his eyes and looked at Hamreign.
Yet the voice that emerged from that soft, chubby little mouth was completely unlike a baby’s. It was aged and weathered.
“They... are friends you only recently met, aren’t they?”