Ch#127
Tie shyly looked up at Alexander, who had opened his arms to him.
"Tie can walk too......"
But Alexander chuckled lowly and effortlessly scooped Tie up, perching him on one shoulder.
"Waa-!"
Tie's mouth burst into giggles at the heightened view.
Seeing the child stretch his arms toward the ceiling, Alexander teased.
"Not crying when you fell the other day, and now this. Young Lady Tie is incredibly brave. Heights don't scare you?"
Tie ducked his head to help Alexander pass through the doorway into the corridor and shook his head.
"Not at all! When Uncle Basto gives me a piggyback ride, it's high enough to touch the trees, and Tie thinks it's super duper fun!"
Alexander let out an "Ah."
"You mean that wild bear of a squad member?"
"Wild bear? Uhahaha!"
Tie burst into laughter again.
In the child's mind, images puffed up of Basto wearing a bear mask and growling 'Grrr!'
Then Alexander spoke in a listless voice.
"That squad member was enormously tall. Compared to him, my piggyback must be pathetic. Too low."
Tie startled and ducked his head.
"Nooo...... Whoa!"
But that shifted his center of gravity, tilting his upper body forward.
Even so, Alexander leisurely flipped Tie around and held him properly in front.
"No?"
At Alexander's questioning look, Tie—who had unconsciously clung tightly to his shoulder—shook his head vigorously.
"Yes! That's not it at all! Tie thinks Coachman's piggyback is way way more fun! More fun than Uncle Basto's!"
At that moment, a 'Pfft!' sounded from behind.
Turning his head, Basto was approaching with the squad members, his face ashen as if dead.
"Basto, what are you gonna do now? You got completely ditched by a kid you only met yesterday."
At Veil's jab, Basto retorted coldly.
"What're you saying. You're ditched too."
"What, ditched?!"
At the two bickering, Tie sneakily gauged Alexander's reaction.
But Alexander just smiled gently at Tie.
"Then that's fortunate. If Young Lady Tie wants, I could carry you to the banquet hall every morning."
"Really......?"
"Of course. Checking the documents will take at least a few more days anyway. How about it—shall I escort you to the banquet hall every morning from now on?"
Tie's face flushed pink as he pressed his lips together.
"Then......"
It was then that the hesitating child finally nodded shyly.
"Well, if it isn't the Necromancer King child."
In front of the banquet hall.
Someone who had been about to enter stopped at the door.
Waving brightly was Edmund, with messy hair and in pajamas.
Tie, still in Alexander's arms, bowed deeply from the waist in a navel greeting.
"Rich Lantern Uncle, did you sleep well?"
But Edmund playfully shook his head.
"Unfortunately, I didn't sleep well. Skeletons showed up in my dream?"
Tie's eyes widened.
"Skel'tons? Bone friends appeared in your dream?"
Edmund sighed exaggeratedly.
"Yeah. Am I not as brave as the Necromancer King? Seeing the bone friends made my body tremble. It was scary."
At Edmund rubbing his arms, a goofy grin spread across Tie's face.
The child quickly replied with a proud expression.
"......Ahem, Tie is four years old, and bone friends aren't scary at all."
"Really? Wow, how can you be so brave? I'm twenty-eight, and bone friends terrify me. No wonder the world calls the Necromancer King a legend these days."
"Legend......?"
"Yeah. I'm a high-ranking Holy Knight in the Central Division, but I don't get called a legend. Makes me a bit jealous?"
The corners of the child's mouth went all soft and melty.
Legend meant, like, total legend level.
"Tie becoming a legend-level Tani Pang already......"
Tie chuckled like the supreme being he was and tapped Alexander's shoulder.
"Put Tie down!"
Alexander set him down, and Tie scampered over to Edmund.
Overexcited, he grabbed Edmund's hand tight.
"Lantern Uncle, wanna sit next to Tie when eating?"
Edmund exchanged a slightly surprised glance with Alexander.
But he soon smiled warmly.
"Of course, it'd be an honor. When else would I get to sit next to the Necromancer King? Right, Alex?"
Alexander teased as if he'd been waiting.
"Jealous, bro."
Tie's mouth corners melted again.
Unknowingly, the child straightened his shoulders and turned.
Then announced to the squad members standing off to the side.
"Hey, today Tie is eating breakfast with Coachman Uncle and Rich Lantern Uncle!"
Veil looked dumbfounded.
"What?! Kid. Aren't you going too far since yesterday? How can you ignore us like this?"
Tie sighed and wagged his head.
"Veil bro. This isn't ignoring, it's bizmizz."
"......What?"
"Didn't you hear yesterday? Clan Leader said we're all bear hats now."
Edmund pressed his lips together.
He was using all his strength to hold back bursting laughter.
"Bear hats means we all wear bear hats and become friends."
"Who?"
"Tie thought of it in his head."
"No, what......"
"Look, Tie is the boss leading Agavert. Bosses always do bizmizz and eat with new friends. To build bonds!"
"Not bonds, camaraderie."
"......Same thing!"
Unable to stop him, Veil finally sighed.
He chuckled and replied.
"Fine, do as you like. You're the leader, so leader's call."
Tie put on a mature expression.
"Yeah! I learned in kindergarten, friends aren't something you keep all to yourself. You gotta share and play with other friends too."
After that, the child giggled and turned around.
Edmund opened the door, revealing the banquet hall set for breakfast.
Valentis sat in the head seat as always, with Leonardo eating beside him.
Tie held Edmund's hand and trotted up to stand before Valentis.
"Clan Leader, did you sleep well!"
Valentis looked surprised at Tie, along with Edmund and Alexander who came with him.
But he soon smiled and replied.
"Yes. I hope your bed was comfortable."
"Tie slept great! Even dreamed of going back to kindergarten."
"Kindergarten? You mean the tutorial hall?"
Tie, climbing onto a chair, nodded.
"Yesss. Kindergarten has friends and is fun, but Tie can't go anymore."
Valentis set down his utensils.
After a moment's thought, he asked back.
"Because of your status?"
The Necromancer King was known to be a child only in appearance, not truly a child.
With such rumors rampant, it was practically impossible for the child to attend a tutorial hall freely.
"Yesss...... It's 'cause we're mercenaries, so no choice."
As Tie pouted, a small piece of bread slathered with strawberry jam was placed before him.
Edmund had cut and spread it himself for easy eating.
Tie popped it in his mouth and mumbled.
"But when Agavert grows super super big."
Then swallowed and took a sip of milk before continuing.
"Grandpa Nordics said Tie might be able to go back to kindergarten then!"
Valentis gazed at the Agavert squad members.
Then wiped the milk stain from Tie's mouth with a napkin and said.
"That's one way. But I think there's an even faster method."
All eyes turned to Valentis at his words.
Tie paused picking up his second piece of bread and widened his eyes.
"Really?"
Valentis nodded.
"Inside the eastern border of the Imperial Capital, there's a place called Flint Cove. A rundown area where commoners working in the capital gather."
"Rundown area......?"
"From what I've looked into, the area itself is quite closed-off. Most residents are ignorant of outside news, and there's virtually no information spread about mercenaries."
As Tie tilted his head, Alexander let out an "Ah."
"Come to think of it, I remember. Every time we went for medical support, I saw some pretty good childcare facilities there."
