Chapter 166

The day after Selina left for the North Continent.

“Ehu, a morning without Selina is too lonely……”

Tie rose from bed with a sullen face.

But soon he boldly raised both arms.

“Still, today’s the day I see Grand Commander, so fighting!”

Ppuppu, awakened from sleep, spun his nose in circles as well.

Lucarion had already gone off somewhere, and Marbas, whom he had left on the side table, was still sleeping soundly.

Tie put on the cloak Auntie Marshall had placed on the chair last night and left the room.

“Gasp!”

And then he smiled brightly.

“For all that, he came without being late. Even though it would’ve been fine if he hadn’t come.”

Dad had already arrived downstairs before anyone knew it.

Though he was already having a staring contest with Veil.

“Wow, your grudge really is long too. Since we’ve merged, if you get along a little, will somewhere swell up? How long are you going to stay desperate to eat our little commander, no, vice-captain alive, huh?”

“……Ha, get the title straight. And I wasn’t talking to you, guts-for-hair, so go wherever you’re going?”

Lately Veil had been like a fighting rooster.

Whenever he saw members who had come over from Trevaga, he opened his eyes fiercely and growled.

“Shut it. I don’t know where we’re going, but let’s leave quickly.”

From between them, Tesetan said as if he were tired of it.

Tie hurried down and stood in front of Tesetan.

“Yup! Let’s go quickly! If we go, you’ll be super surprised~?”

Though he did not show it, Tie felt a certain proud emotion that he was acquainted with House Luminen.

‘They said mercenaries can’t just become close with holy knights.’

Tie not only was close, but was even on terms where he ate with Luminen’s Grand Commander every week.

And the fact that their friendship was outwardly a secret also made Tie’s heart beat somehow.

‘Grand Commander and Tie are secret friends!’

It felt like secretly being friends with the owner of a kids cafe who monopolized power.

Like the owner secretly and subtly setting aside chocolate only for Tie, and setting aside candy only for Tie.

Snorting in pride, Tie moved first.

As soon as she opened the door, Tie first placed a barrier around the base area.

Tie had recently told Leonardo that he no longer had to come pick Tie up.

That was because now Tie could place the barrier himself without Leonardo.

When Tie saw Tesetan, Livia, and Aleric getting into the second carriage, he quickly ran over there too.

“Hey! Where are you going!”

Veil shouted from the first carriage, but Tie pretended not to hear and quietly turned his head away.

And he sat stuck right beside Dad.

“……Ha.”

Of course, Dad still avoided Tie’s gaze as if she was dying of discomfort.

Then she subtly moved toward the window side, but Tie did not yield and moved even closer toward Dad too.

Through the window came the sound of Veil and Nordix bickering in the front carriage.

“Hey, brat, seriously, come over here!”

“It’s fine, just leave him.”

The carriage began to move.

Livia, with her legs crossed, asked Tie,

“Commander. By the way, where are we going?”

Tie stopped grinning and answered.

“A super good place! They give food, and we talk together too.”

“Talk? What talk? Is it someplace like a restaurant?”

Aleric let out a sigh.

“Can’t you see the anti-tracking barrier spread over us, Livia. There’s no way we’d go to a restaurant with something like this on.”

Livia made an “Ah……” sound and tilted her head.

“Come to think of it, that’s true. Just like Aleric said, where are we going with even something like this on?”

Instead of answering, Tie laughed quietly.

How surprised would everyone be if they found out that Luminen’s Grand Commander and Agabert were secret friends?

At that moment.

Tesetan, who had been looking outside with his chin propped up, paused.

He furrowed his brow slightly, then pulled the curtain by the window all the way aside.

And he began examining the scenery visible outside more closely.

“Vice-Captain. What’s wrong?”

Livia, having noticed that his expression was not ordinary, asked.

But Tesetan gave no answer.

He only kept his eyes on the passing street scenery without stopping for a moment.

Then his complexion gradually turned pale.

Tesetan turned her head and stared at Tie.

“No way.”

“Ung?”

“The destination isn’t House Luminen, is it.”

Tie’s eyes grew round.

‘Gasp, how did he know?’

As expected, Dad knew everything.

To think she could figure out Tie’s destination just by looking at the road!

Tie scratched the back of her head and smiled shyly.

“Well, actually Grand Commander Luminen and Tie are secret frieeends, so…… uah!”

At that moment Tesetan sprang to his feet, and the carriage rocked greatly.

“Stop.”

At the sight of Tesetan sticking his head out the window and speaking, the member driving the horses stopped the carriage.

Tesetan turned his body toward the entrance.

“What, where are you going?”

Tie froze in surprise, and Livia reflexively grabbed her wrist.

But Tesetan lightly pulled his wrist free from Livia, then undid the latch.

“I’m not going. I’m getting off.”

Tie’s lips parted.

He could not understand at all why Dad was suddenly acting like that.

And Dad’s complexion even looked somehow bad.

Until now he had seen angry faces, irritated faces, and sullen faces.

It meant this was the first time he had seen an expression that looked frightened like that.

“But……!”

Tie, who had risen from her seat, hurried over toward Dad.

It was just when the child was trying to grab the hem of Tesetan’s clothes as he went to open the door and get out.

“Just stay put.”

Before Tesetan could even push the handle.

The carriage door suddenly opened from the outside.

Seeing the one who revealed herself, Tie’s eyes grew round.

“Gasp, Uncle Edmung?”

The one stepping into the carriage was Edmund.

Tesetan, seeing him, faltered back from his place.

Edmund, after smiling first at Tie, looked at Tesetan.

Then, in a strangely sunken voice, he said,

“There are many eyes watching here. Vice-Captain.”

A short curse leaked from Tesetan’s stiff lips.

He, who had kept his mouth tightly shut, soon turned sharply around in front of Edmund.

Then he returned and sat in his original seat.

Having confirmed that sight, Edmund smiled kindly and sat beside Tie.

“Tie. I came to meet you just in case, and that’s nice, right?”

A bright smile spread across Tie’s face.

The child quickly hugged Edmund’s arm and laughed hehehe.

Then, as if he had remembered something, he made an “Achacha!” sound and stood on the chair.

Tie put yet another barrier only around Edmund and himself, and as if even that was not enough, whispered very, very quietly into Edmund’s ear.

“But, Uncle, I still couldn’t tell these people Tie’s secret.”

Edmund widened his eyes roundly and whispered back just the same.

“What secret?”

“You know, that thing, that thing. That Tie is a child.”

“Really? Didn’t all the newly joined members already know? Leonardo said you even used a holy relic.”

“Yup. But I couldn’t tell the people who came from Trevaga.”

Edmund looked around at Tesetan, Livia, and Aleric.

“Why didn’t you tell them. Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

“It’s just……”

Tie answered with a sullen face.

“I was worried they might say they’d leave again if I said Tie is a child……”

Edmund closed his mouth, then laughed softly.

Then he put on a serious expression and raised his thumb.

“All right. Uncle will keep the secret strictly, so don’t worry. I’ll tell the other uncles and the Grand Commander too.”

Tie smiled brightly.

“Really?!”

And he flung himself around Edmund’s neck.

“Uncle Edmung is the best!”

Edmund laughed haha.

Even so, she quietly examined Tesetan’s profile visible beyond Tie.

Meanwhile.

Looking at the Luminen estate drawing gradually closer, Tie felt good.

‘Hehe, this is so nice.’

Mercenary life together with Dad.

Although Dad was prickly toward Tie, Tie was happy just looking at Dad all day.

‘It’s a shame I can’t hug him and kiss him though……’

Tie wanted to show Dad everything.

What Tie had done all this time after coming to this world to find Dad.

How many friends he had made and how many amazing things he had accomplished.

‘Grand Commander Luminen and the uncles look like Dad too, so they’ll become friends quickly, right?!’

However, the smile hanging at the corners of Tie’s mouth faded the moment the carriage stopped in front of the estate.

“……Let go of this.”

“Please don’t do this. Tesetan.”

Tie blinked at the unexpected scene unfolding before her eyes.