Ch#117
Basto watched Tie's retreating back, deep in thought.
'Is this a good thing?'
Because she'd put on her unit uniform at the end, only Tie's face peeked out from under the black cloak.
Naturally, none of the pretty outfit she'd dressed up in for once was visible.
Of course, with info brokers tailing them everywhere, it was better to be less conspicuous...
"Whoa. Clock tower!"
Tie, sitting at the front of the cart, exclaimed softly.
The child had been curiously looking around the streets with sparkling eyes since moments ago.
There was a reason why the child was obediently riding in the cart at this moment.
Last evening.
Basto had prepared a spot for Tie to sit at the front of the cart carrying the cores.
This morning, upon seeing it, Tie had immediately asked with a worried face.
'But if the Sovereign King rides in the cart, won't it look like a baby?'
But Basto had quickly shaken his head.
'No, it'll look like a king, not a baby.'
'King...?'
'Yeah. Even back where we lived before, kings used to ride things like this. It's fine.'
At those words, Tie had immediately let her guard down and looked excited.
'Tie on a palanquin...? Then Your Highness Sovereign King?'
She didn't know what a palanquin was, but anyway, it was a relief that the child had changed her mind.
If Tie had stubbornly insisted on walking again, it would've been a hassle in many ways.
And on another note.
In Basto's view, Tie no longer needed to try so hard to act like an adult.
Because,
'Rumors about Tie have already spread far and wide.'
These days, rumors surrounding Tie were generating new rumors on their own.
Even if a relaxed Tie showed a childish side outside, most people would think something like this.
'The Sovereign King, isn't it creepy?'
'Of course! Would a normal person act like that?! A grown man pretending to be a kid!'
'But what if it's actually a real kid?'
'Hahaha, a kid sieging a large magic stone? A kid taking down the monster that even Valentis Lumenen struggled with for five days? Don't talk nonsense.'
'Right?'
'Yeah. And tons of people claim to have seen the Sovereign King's true form? Height like five times a normal person or something.'
Basto pushed the cart with a complicated expression.
'Is this going well or not?'
People firmly believed in the fabricated image of Tie as the Sovereign King.
Testimonies of people claiming to have seen Tie's true form kept emerging, for some reason.
'No way that's true.'
Blue skin, abnormally tall height.
Three arms, constantly changing appearance so no one knows the real identity.
'Tie's true form is just Tie... Maybe the Wavebrill Marquis family has been steadily working behind the scenes.'
One thing was clear: the situation was turning strange.
It was then.
"Basto uncle! Look, there's the reward bureau!"
Tie called out from ahead.
Basto ended up chuckling at the child's face full of bright smiles.
Tie looked the happiest and brightest he'd seen in a while lately.
Though she didn't say it, she seemed inwardly delighted to have arrived at the Capital and secured a place to stay.
"Yeah."
Maybe because they'd left early in the morning, there weren't many people on the streets.
Probably because the festival crowds from late last night had all gone home.
It was right when Tie and Basto stopped the cart in front of the central branch of the reward bureau.
"What's that?"
The child tilted her head.
In the distance, a group of Holy Knights was turning away from the right side of the bureau.
"Your Excellency!"
Just then, someone came running out from inside the bureau and rushed to the man at the front of the Holy Knights.
As the man turned his head, the Holy Order insignia on his chest came into view.
With so many decorations, he was undoubtedly a high-ranking knight.
"Are the cores processed?"
Cold green eyes appeared under swept-back blond hair.
"Yes! They said the tallying is a bit backed up due to the festival, but no issues!"
"Good."
The blond man let out a short sigh as if relieved of tension.
He stared blankly at the reward bureau, then brushed the dirt off his unit uniform.
"Then we'll stop by Holy Knight HQ and disband."
And he looked at the dozens of Holy Knights gathered before him.
"Must've been caught off guard by the sudden mobilization during the festival. Everyone worked hard. As of now, assembly is dismissed..."
But it was then.
Splat-
With a small but clear sound, something white and watery fell on the man's right cheek.
The Holy Knights who confirmed what it was fell silent for a moment.
"Basto uncle! That uncle got hit by bird poop!"
Tie's voice echoed softly in the quiet front yard of the bureau.
Tie was pointing at the Holy Knight hit by bird poop with a pitying look.
"Tie saw it. A magpie pooped on that uncle's head. Bad magpie."
Of course, Tie was doing her best to lower her voice in her own way.
But the child's voice was inherently high-pitched, and the surrounding silence made it carry even more.
"Y-Your Excellency."
Meanwhile, the Holy Knights seeing their superior hit by bird poop went pale.
And their superior was even having the fact pointed out to him by a child at this moment.
"...Do we have nothing to wipe it with?"
The Holy Knight commander said in a stiff, rigid voice.
His subordinates fumbled through their pockets in a panic.
"Commander! Maybe this...!"
Soon, one knight pulled a handkerchief from inside his tunic and handed it over.
But,
"Eek. It's bloody..."
As Tie said, the handkerchief was completely stained with blood.
Dark red with blackened, glistening edges—it was unmistakably monster blood.
"Tie, shh."
Unable to stand it any longer, Basto finally warned Tie.
Then he averted his gaze from the frozen Holy Knight commander.
"Let's go in... Tie?"
But Tie was already gone from the spot.
Turning his head, he saw the child's back receding into the distance.
Her elaborately braided pigtails swung back and forth in front of the unidentified Holy Knight commander.
"Uncle, use Tie's!"
The Holy Knight commander paused and turned his body.
His gaze looking down at the child, not even half his size, held a hint of bewilderment.
"Who are you..."
"Here! Use Tie's handkerchief!"
But Tie unflinchingly held out her own handkerchief to the Holy Knight commander.
'The one I even lent to the Grand Commander!'
That deer-patterned handkerchief was a precious item Tie had brought from South Korea.
"It's clean! Tie blew her nose with it and washed it yesterday!"
The knight's eyes shook slightly.
If you're gonna say it's clean, why mention blowing your nose?
Making people feel grossed out.
But then the child widened her eyes and said.
"Uh-oh? The bird poop is dripping!"
In the end, he hurriedly took the handkerchief.
And slowly wiped his cheek where something was indeed flowing.
"Ugh..."
Watching that, the child furrowed her brows deeply.
Her small mouth was pursed tightly forward.
She seemed a bit grossed out herself that her lent handkerchief had bird poop on it.
Holy Knight commander Leonardo Lumenen finally let out a sigh.
Then he folded the handkerchief in half, wiped his cheek once more, and opened his mouth.
"...Thanks. As for repayment..."
As he tried to put the handkerchief into the pouch on his belt,
"Eek! That's Tie's!"
The child approached and grabbed Leonardo's wrist in a flash.
Tie looked back and forth between Leonardo and the handkerchief with drooping eyebrows.
"Uncle, give it back. Tie didn't give it, she lent it."
Leonardo froze momentarily.
Narrowing his brows, he asked slowly.
"It's got stuff on it now? You want it back?"
The child nodded vigorously.
"Yeees."
Then she swiftly snatched the handkerchief from Leonardo's hand.
"It's okay. Wash it at home and it'll be clean!"
Leonardo stared blankly at the child in absurdity.
The child, having put the handkerchief in her bag as if her business was done, bowed her head.
"Then bye-bye!"
Leonardo stared intently at the retreating back without the slightest hesitation.
"Your Excellency, are you alright?"
His adjutant asked in a flustered voice.
Leonardo closed his mouth, opened it again, and belatedly nodded.
"...Yeah. I'm fine."
He watched the child entering the bureau, then turned away.
"Have the carriage wait. I'm going to the mansion."
A small dog tag dangled from his waist.
Engraved clearly on it was the name of Lumenen Duke's second son.
'Leonardo Lumenen.'
