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Early BBYW Vol. 4 Chapter 73 (WN)
🕑 Added 2025-02-04 03:04:45 +0000 UTCFull title: I’m a Bastard But You’re Worse!
Note: This chapter has not been TLCed yet, and might slightly differ from the public version. If you found any typos/mistakes, pls write them in the comment. Thanks.
Translator: Dario
Note 2: This is the web novel version
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Chapter 73 - The End of The War — And the Greatest Defeat
Several days after the bath time rumble and Mist’s tempting incursion, the day of my departure from the western province arrived.
I wasn’t going back to the Maxwell province by horse, as Vert Sphinx had prepared a horse carriage for us. I was thus sitting in the luxuriously decorated vehicle, with Sakuya next to me and Nefertina on the seats across from us.
The carriage was escorted by soldiers, among whom were the adventurers from the platoon I had commanded. They had only come to the western province because of the rewards offered by House Sphinx in the first place, so they agreed to be hired and come in the service of House Maxwell.
(I trained them all this time, so it’d be a waste if I just let them go like that.)
It was time to leave, but the only person who came to see us off at the gates of the capital of Thebes was Naam; Vert or Mist were nowhere to be seen.
“Thank you so much for everything, Lord Dyngir.”
I got in the carriage, looked out of the window and saw Naam, bowing deeply. I raised my right hand and smiled.
“Hey, Naam. Sorry to make you come all this way.”
“Oh, please don’t mention it! You came all the way to the western province for my sake, it is only natural that I come to send you off!”
Naam was waving with both hands, all flustered.
She was wearing an immaculate white dress today, making her look like an adorable fairy of some flower field. The size of the dress was a bit too big, however, so she was dragging it against the ground as she walked. I guessed it was still a bit too much for her to wear.
(Did she borrow it from Mist, maybe? I guess she wanted to look her best to see me off…you’re making me cry, dear!)
I smiled wryly, reached out from the carriage and gave a pat on her blonde hair.
“Ah…”
Naam happily received the physical contact and smiled broadly.
“I have gained a lot from this battle too. So you don’t have to worry so much, all right?”
“Aah…yes…it is precisely because you are such a person, that I…”
“Hm? That you…?”
“Oh, nothing…this is not the time.”
Naam grabbed my hand, put it on her face and rubbed her cheek against it, like a cat would.
Her cheeks felt soft and bouncy, as expected from a child, making them pleasant to the touch.
(It’s a kind of softness different from breasts or buttocks…not bad at all. She’s going to grow up to be a damn fine woman, isn’t she.)
She was definitely going to become a beauty in a few years. I tried imagining Naam, grown enough for me to lay my hands on, and sighed.
(What kind of man was she going to get with? Or rather, when she gets a boyfriend or husband, will I be able to accept it?)
Just imagining this adorable little squirrel of a girl being taken by a man made something boil inside me.
(I’m not sure I could hold back from cutting the man in two…heh, I can’t laugh at Valon, can I. I’m getting a sister complex too at this rate…)
“I will write to you again soon, Lord Dyngir. Please, take good care of yourself.”
Naam could never imagine that I was already forming the plan to kill her future lover in my head. She looked at me with a warm smile.
“Yeah…you too stay healthy, Naam. I’m looking forward to the next time we meet.”
“By then, you’ll be surprised by how pretty I’ve become!”
“Haha, all the more reason to look forward to it.”
I patted her head one more time, then pulled my hand back inside the carriage.
Naam was probably dissatisfied to see me react to her declaration so casually, as she pouted.
“Mph! You don’t believe me, do you! I really am going to become an incredible beauty!”
“Of course, of course I believe you. If you become so pretty to make me want to take you, I’ll do anything you say.”
“Ah! Don’t forget those words! No taking them back either, promise!”
Naam raised her hands high in the air, expressing her righteous indignation.
I was gazing at her adorable little tantrum, when Sakuya pulled my sleeve.
“Lord Dyngir, it’s time to go…”
“Ah, right…”
I felt a prick of regret, but we were going to stay there until night at that rate.
“Okay then, goodbye. Please send my regards to your father.”
“Yes, of course. Thank you so much…Lord Dyngir.”
Naam took another deep bow, and I gave the coachman the order to leave.
The carriage slowly advanced on the same road I had crossed in a silver flash.
Gradually, Thebes became smaller and smaller.
“Lord Dyngir!”
“Hm…?”
I was going to close the carriage’s window, when I heard Naam’s voice from far away and stopped.
“I am really, definitely going to become a beauty! So pretty that you’ll fall for me!! Prettier than Mist!!”
“I got you, I got you already. Honestly, that girl…”
Laughing wryly, I poked my head out of the window to take a last look at Naam, already pretty far away.
“....wait, what?”
I couldn’t believe what I saw.
Naam was standing next to the Thebes city gates, waving in my direction.
Was that really Naam, though?
“See? Next time we meet, I am going to be this beautiful!! And I’ll make you my husband!!”
“Ha…haha…”
The woman standing in Naam’s spot was the beauty I had met during the royal martial tournament, one year before. She was wearing the same white dress Naam had been wearing.
“So…this is why I couldn’t find her anywhere…”
A dry smile formed on my lips. I put my right hand over my face and slowly shook my head.
Seriously…
I had no idea how she managed to look like that, but she was indeed pretty enough for me to want to take her.
“She sure got me…real good…”
Once Naam was too far to be seen, I plopped back on the seat, holding my head with my hands.
“I lost. I surrender…Naam.”
This defeat stung even more than having Benamis Saverne slip away from me.
I couldn’t treat her like a child anymore. She had managed to fool me completely: how could I?
“You are a proper woman, through and through…and next time we meet, I’ll make you mine. I’m going to seduce you thoroughly, and take you — body and soul.”
I quietly made my resolve and took a long, deep breath.
A gust of dry wind from the still open window came in and blew my hair up.
Thus the curtain lowered on the conflict enveloping the western province, and another adventure reached its epilogue.
This time, the greatest foe I faced was not the evil deity, nor Benamis.
No, it turned out to be a young girl — Naam Sphinx.
