Ch#128
"Flint Cove, I've heard of it too."
As Nordics chimed in, the squad members' expressions turned serious.
"It's a rundown area, but it has decent security on its own, and as Your Excellency says, it seems like the perfect place for Tie to attend a childcare center."
Flint Cove was a small district inside the Isera River.
It was separated from the shopping district by just one street, and for a rundown area, the crime rate was low.
"So really, no one in that Flint Cove or whatever will recognize the little kid?"
Nordics nodded at Veil's question.
"The chances are high. In the capital—no, in a central area like this—they don't talk much about mercenaries."
The commoners living in Flint Cove were, in a word, the working class.
Short-term contract laborers who built buildings in the capital, laid roads, or fixed broken sewers.
And naturally, the beneficiaries of their work were mostly nobles.
"You can tell just from the newspapers published in Flint Cove. They mostly cover the feats of Holy Knights, with no mention of mercenaries. They have to emphasize how great and magnificent the upper class is to make the commoners more obedient, don't they?"
Veil's face crumpled at the absurd statement.
But Nordics wasn't done.
"On the other hand, it's the complete opposite for mercenaries."
The Imperial Family believed that the more mercenaries were needed, the more the honor of the Holy Knights was dragged through the mud.
Unlike Holy Knights, anyone—a commoner—could become a mercenary.
Though it required risking one's life, mercenaries could siege Mana Stones and accumulate more wealth than nobles.
They could even earn greater honor.
The Imperial Family hoped such facts wouldn't reach the ears of Flint Cove residents.
Pointless hope sometimes made laborers rebellious.
This was why news about mercenaries was downplayed in the central capital.
"Of course, the nobles hear about it through back channels. Everyone has their sources. Some even discreetly place personal requests..."
But the commoners in Flint Cove didn't hear mercenary news.
No one told them, and no one openly talked about mercenaries in front of them.
Moreover, they believed the world beyond the ancient gods' borders was enormously dangerous due to Mana Stones.
In such circumstances, the information they got was at best one-dimensional gossip like which mercenary group visited the central Reward Office branch.
"In summary."
Nordics added after wetting his throat with water.
"No matter what, in Flint Cove at least, Astie won't have to worry about prying eyes. At least not as much as outside."
Silence fell over the banquet hall.
As Veil reluctantly picked up his utensils again.
Valentis spoke to Tie.
"If you want, I can look into it. Whether there's a suitable tutorial hall in Flint Cove for you to attend."
Tie's eyes widened round, and everyone's gazes focused on him.
The child set down his bread and fell deep into thought.
"Flint Cove...."
A place where people who build buildings, make roads, and fix clogged sewers lived together.
A neighborhood where they got low pay and were only scorned by the bad nobles living in the capital.
‘...Even back in the neighborhood where I lived in Korea, it was sometimes like that.’
‘Aigoo! Uncle Park, what's with your face again?!’
‘It's nothing, I went all the way to Pyeongtaek and they wouldn't pay the proxy fee. When I asked for it, they came at me...’
He recalled the time Uncle from 103 had a huge bruise on his face.
Auntie from 203 had stomped her feet in pity.
‘They were drunk and spewing all sorts of abuse. Aigoo, that's why he's running proxies... Don't even start. They only quieted down when the police came.’
‘Hey, there's no high or low in professions. There are so many crazy people out there!’
‘Exactly. Now he's thinking of quitting proxies and going back to construction sites. His back's gotten better too...’
‘It's not fully healed, I tell you? The doctor said not to push it till the end. You could get in real trouble!’
‘I can't beg my kids when I'm old. Auntie, you're in a similar spot.’
Tie was young, but he could feel the resentment in the adults' conversation.
There were all sorts of jobs in the world, and as long as they weren't bad or illegal, everyone should be respected.
The reason his dad, who had a ‘live day to day’ job, was always the proudest person in the world to Tie was because of that.
"Tie, go to Flint!"
Finally deciding, he shouted, and everyone looked surprised.
Tie gulped down his milk and added.
"Go to Flint and make friends with the people there. Like friends with Housekeeper Grandpa, Construction Grandpa, and Adeling Sis! Play with kindergarten friends too...."
A faint smile spread once more across Valentis's lips, which had been momentarily stunned.
Soon, he replied.
"Good. I'll think of the specifics step by step."
* * *
After the meal.
Tie and the squad members holed up in the conference hall again.
Tie began reading the second volume of the Imperial organization chart, while the squad members reviewed materials mainly from other continents.
But again, there was no significant harvest until sunset.
Tie skimmed about two-thirds of the second volume, then said he'd go rest in his room for a bit.
As he trudged toward his room, Ppuppue, who had climbed onto his shoulder unnoticed, comforted him.
"Kyuu...."
Even Lucarion, who had been quietly following since entering the ducal residence, spoke up.
"It's okay. It'll turn up in the remaining volumes."
But Tie couldn't shake off his uneasy feeling.
"Blackie, Tie now suddenly has a super scary thought."
"What thought?"
"A super scary thought that Dad might not be in the whole organization chart...."
Lucarion couldn't bring himself to reply.
He too couldn't guarantee that the man would really appear in the full organization chart.
Meanwhile, Tie sighed and opened his room door.
But his eyes immediately widened round.
"Huh? This isn't Tie's room?"
The scene inside the door wasn't where Tie had slept yesterday.
A faint wooden scent wafted from the antique but aged furniture.
Out of curiosity, Tie stepped further inside.
Passing the soft carpet on the floor, a desk appeared that even Tie could sit at.
"Waaah."
Tie pulled out the chair and climbed onto the desk.
The wood grain shone glossy, especially where hands had touched often.
"Lucarion, look at this. The desk is super pretty!"
Tie giggled and opened the drawer in front, letting out a "Huh?"
A thick leather notebook had come out.
Tie picked it up and turned it this way and that.
The notebook had thick leather covering a bundle of parchment pages.
And in the bottom right of the front, the small letters ‘Theseus’ were written.
"It has a clasp! Just like Tani Pang sticker book."
Excitedly unfastening the buckle, the notebook flipped open in half.
Tie naturally began reading the writing inside.
I hate seeing my family's pain.
But I'm numb to enduring the pain too.
Maybe I shouldn't have come back alive from there.
I'll only be a stumbling block to my family forever.
I don't want to think about how much more I'll ruin them going forward.
If only I could stop all thoughts....
"Wha, super bad words....!"
It was when Tie, having finished one page, panicked in his seat.
"What are you doing here?"
Someone gently grabbed Tie's wrist.
Lifting his head in surprise, Tie dropped the notebook from his hand.
Before his eyes stood Bird Poop Uncle, Leonardo, with his back to the door.
