Chapter 22

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Inside her heart, Tie apologized to the owners of the graves.

‘Later, when Tie becomes rich, I’ll repay the kindness……!’

First she had to find Daddy, and later, if she got jewels again, she’d bury them back.

Basto had said there was still a little money he had saved up at the central bank of the imperial capital, so for the time being they would be able to hold out with that.

“Tie, I have no face.”

Just then Basto said that.

Tie stopped walking and opened her eyes round.

“Even though I’m an adult, I keep doing nothing but burdening others……”

“At least you know it.”

Veil sneered, but Tie hurriedly stuck out her palm toward Basto and waved it hard.

“No, Mister Basto! Everybody lives like that!”

Nordix, Basto, and Veil looked at Tie.

“When there isn’t anywhere money can come from, they say there just isn’t any even if you beat it to death.”

That was something Grandma in 107 and Grandma in 203 used to say over and over.

And was that all?

“Just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you have to have a lot of money. When you send your kids off to marry and scrape and struggle through life, people get into debt and that’s how everybody lives.”

When Tie wiped her nose with a swipe, everyone looked a little dazed.

“……Right. I see.”

Basto started walking again with a somewhat creaking air.

As Tie hurried after her, she fell into thought.

‘If only there had been jewels in Jongno District too.’

If Tie had had jewels back then, she would’ve given all of them to Daddy.

Because Daddy in the Republic of Korea had worked all day long and it had been very hard on him.

Even so, Daddy was the kind of person who never let Tie see that she was having a hard time.

‘Instead, he smiled all the time.’

In the summer she fanned her until Tie fell asleep, and in the winter she covered Tie with her own blanket.

‘Those twisted doughnuts and old-style fried chicken Daddy used to buy when he came home from work…… they were really good.’

Thinking of Daddy made the tip of her nose ache.

Tie lowered her head for no reason.

There was something she had naturally come to realize after coming to this world.

‘Falling into a strange world all of a sudden is scary and sad.’

Actually, it had been that way for Tie too.

When she crossed into this other world in order to meet Daddy.

And then, when she ended up alone in the forest, it had been terribly scary and sad.

If he hadn’t been lucky enough to meet Basto, wouldn’t he still be wandering the forest alone even now?

‘Maybe I already would’ve gotten attacked by a tyrannosaurus……’

If you really thought about it, getting this far had all ultimately been thanks to Daddy.

Because Daddy had told her stories about this world every single day in the Republic of Korea, Tie had been able to stay safe until now.

If she had known nothing at all about this world.

Would she still have been able to make a mercenary company like this?

‘No. Tie couldn’t have done it.’

That naturally made her wonder how Daddy must have felt.

When Daddy had first fallen into the Republic of Korea, he had known nothing at all.

‘It was an accident.’

‘An accident?’

‘Yeah. Actually, even now I still don’t know exactly what happened. But if I keep looking, eventually I’ll find a way back.’

‘Mm-hm! Daddy can do it! Daddy can go home!’

‘I have to. Daddy is definitely going to go back. Together with my pretty daughter.’

In Tie’s memories, Daddy had worked ever since she was very little.

Sometimes he came home with bruises on his face, and sometimes he stayed awake alone late at night, blankly staring out the window.

‘It must’ve been really hard……?’

Even though Daddy never showed it, Tie had naturally known.

That Daddy was very exhausted.

“Tie, climb on. At night, it’s easier to move faster when you’re on my back.”

At that moment Basto said that.

Tie quickly climbed onto Basto’s back and stared far beyond the horizon.

‘Daddy…… wait for Tie.’

After stopping by Pearl City, then stopping by the Populosa Weapons District.

Tie was going to come find Daddy.

And when she met Daddy,

‘Even if you meet your daddy, that man won’t know who you are.’

Kkamangi’s words suddenly came to mind, but she shook her head hard.

‘It’s okay. Even if Daddy doesn’t recognize Tie.’

Grandma in 107 said there was nothing you couldn’t do if you did it one thing at a time.

Tie’s goal was only one, anyway.

To make sure Daddy never fell into the Republic of Korea again.

‘Astie. There is something in this world called “the law of fated return.”‘

The law of fated return.

It was something Kkamangi had told her the day before they set out.

Apparently, no matter what situation or what life they lived again, most humans eventually arrived at the same result.

Put simply, Daddy might fall into the Republic of Korea again in this life too.

Because in another timeline he had once fallen into the Republic of Korea.

‘But this time Tie will stop it.’

Tie had no intention of just sitting back and watching that happen.

‘I’ll find the reason why Daddy ended up going to the Republic of Korea, and make sure it doesn’t happen like that!’

Daddy had to be happy here, in this world that was his hometown.

Once again Daddy in the Republic of Korea flashed through Tie’s head.

Daddy staring at the streetlamp outside the window with a tired face.

Daddy playing with Tie while making funny expressions even though she had bruises on her face.

And then in the end…… Daddy, who came back as a box of belongings soaked by the rain.

She clenched her fists tightly.

‘I’m definitely going to find Daddy and make him live until he becomes a hundred-year-old grandpa!’

This time she was determined to make that happen, absolutely, no matter what.

* * *

The next day.

Dawn broke over the dazzling sea.

“This place hasn’t changed at all.”

Nordix smiled in front of the giant pearl clam statue that was Pearl City’s symbol.

Veil, on the other hand, must have lost the strength in his legs, because he collapsed to the ground and clutched his forehead.

“Are you seriously over seventy? What kind of old man has more stamina than me!”

Nordix laughed ho ho and turned his gaze toward Basto.

On Basto’s back was Astie, completely fast asleep.

Her familiar, who had occasionally come out of the bag to look around, had also disappeared somewhere.

“I think finding an inn should come first. It’ll take at least a week to get to the Populosa Weapons District, so first let’s make sure our preparations are solid.”

“Then we’ll have to go to the Red Glove Inn. Isn’t it the only place that allows credit?”

The Red Glove Inn.

That was a fairly large inn opened in Pearl City by an old mercenary who had retired.

It did have the drawback of always being crowded with mercenaries because it had plenty of rooms and allowed credit,

“but it’s the perfect place to investigate information about the child’s parents while we’re staying there.”

Basto nodded.

Before long, Veil, who had finally caught his breath, stood up too.

The three of them carefully draped a black cloth over Tie’s head.

It was a problem that the fearsome Necromancer King was sleeping soundly, but Tie’s appearance also stood out too much anywhere they went.

The hair that shone like afternoon sunlight, and even the sparkling green eyes.

To prevent annoying trouble, just in case, this was the best option.

They passed the clam statue and the huge square and entered the inn district.

Once they went farther in, an inn bigger than the surrounding buildings revealed itself.

It was the Red Glove Inn, the place Tie’s group had been looking for.

“I’ll go check whether they have a room available.”

Nordix disappeared inside the door first.

After a while, Basto adjusted Tie on his back and said,

“……He’s taking a while.”

But even after several more minutes, Nordix didn’t come back.

Watching while rubbing his temple, Veil opened his mouth.

“Shouldn’t we just go in too? I want to sit down somewhere.”

Basto nodded reluctantly.

When they opened the inn door, they saw Nordix’s back standing at the counter.

“What do you mean, there isn’t a room now, but there’ll probably be one soon?”

Nordix was talking with the innkeeper.

The innkeeper kept glancing upstairs as he answered.

“Just what I said. One guest definitely said he was checking out early today.”

“Early?”

“That’s right. He said he was taking the morning ship to the imperial capital and would be checking out around now, but……”

“Heeey, Rudy.”

Just then, as if on cue, someone appeared from beyond the staircase.

Black hair swept back from his forehead.

Both hands casually tucked into his pockets.

The innkeeper’s face brightened.

“Oh, Tesetan! Are you checking out now?”