Ch#130
Tie paused while peeling the paper off his cheek.
A photo-like image was clipped to the front of the paper with a thin clip, two of them.
"......Uh, uh oh?"
A bewildered sound escaped Tie's lips upon checking the photo.
The butler approached and checked Tie's complexion.
"Are you alright?"
However, Tie kept his gaze fixed straight ahead.
Only after a long while did the child open his mouth in a dazed voice.
"What's this?"
But the butler replied with a troubled expression.
"I cannot say. It's a family document......"
At that moment, Valentis raised one hand.
"It's fine. That's something called a Magic Photo, which has recently started replacing paintings."
He helped Tie, who was clutching the Magic Photo tightly, to his feet and continued.
"It's a device that reproduces objects more realistically than portraits when used under light with a specific tool."
However, Tie gave no response.
He simply continued staring at the Magic Photo as if entranced.
Soon, Tie hesitantly lifted his head.
And pointing at the Magic Photo with his index finger, he asked.
"Then, who is this person......?"
Valentis closed his mouth.
The person in the Magic Photo Tie was looking at was Theseus.
His son, whose well-being he was confirming from afar at great difficulty.
However, Valentis replied politely.
"He's called Tese tan Veronica. The leader of the currently highest-ranked mercenary group."
In truth, monitoring mercenary movements was something he ought to do as the Clan Leader of the Holy Knights.
Meanwhile, the name 'Tese tan' echoed heavily in Tie's ears.
"Tese tan......"
At first, it had been a tiny suspicion, small as a chickpea.
But when Basto said he would never become a Holy Knight no matter what.
Tie had resolved himself inwardly.
‘I'll check just one more time.’
Dad might not be a Holy Knight, but a mercenary.
So, as a last resort.
He thought he'd return to base and check the faces of the mercenaries one by one this time, not the Holy Knights.
But, but!
‘Dad really was a mercenary......?’
Seeing his dad's clear face in the Magic Photo made the tears stop instead.
The hand holding the paper didn't move, and his lips barely opened.
Tie then realized he had been holding his breath.
The child consciously began gasping for air.
Seeing that, Veil rushed over with a serious face.
"Kid! You okay?"
But Tie swallowed hard and reflexively checked the document behind the photo.
Difficult words flew into his trembling vision haphazardly.
Talochioum mercenary groups.
Activities in the Northern Continent.
Rising value. Expanding influence.
Unprecedented moves. Excellent.
Status, atmosphere, ranking, return, budget, achievements, Mana Stones, response......
His breathing grew more rapid.
Tie blinked very slowly once.
Then, after inhaling one last breath, he fainted into Veil's arms.
* * *
"There are no other issues. He simply lost consciousness due to a momentary disruption in breathing."
At Alexander's words, Valentis finally exhaled the breath he'd been holding.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, something that rarely appeared even on the battlefield.
Raoul, standing on the opposite side of the bed, muttered.
"......How great must the sense of loss be to even faint?"
He looked down at the sleeping Tie's face with a complicated expression.
"What kind of shock must he have received......"
"Damn! I'm at a loss now too."
Veil ruffled his hair roughly and muttered.
"I thought we'd find him. Why doesn't he show up no matter how thoroughly we check every Holy Knight on the continent? At this point, shouldn't he appear like he has any sense?!"
The day before arriving at Luminen Mansion.
Veil and Basto had received a telegram from Marquis Wavebrill flown to Agavert's base.
The marquis had continued investigating, but still no one suspected as Astie's dad had been found.
"Perhaps it's only natural."
Nordics muttered.
"We have no accurate name or age. At least Astie remembers his appearance......"
Even that was just black hair, height 'this big' as Tie put it, and greenish-brown eyes.
"In truth, we can continue searching for Astie's father indefinitely. Even with no results."
Basto said in a cracked voice.
"But seeing Tie suffer in the process makes it hard to watch......"
Basto's eyes were bloodshot.
Lucarion silently held the sleeping Tie's hand.
Ppuppue also drooped its nose and curled up by Tie's head.
With Valentis and the three young lords silent behind them.
For a while, silence filled the room.
Tie opened his eyes after sunset.
However, the child paused in trying to sit up and froze in place.
Raoul and Enzo were snoring with their upper bodies hunched over on either side of the bed.
On the opposite sofa, Basto and Veil slept leaning on each other,
and beside them, Nordics squatting on the floor was visible too.
That was when.
"You're awake?"
Lucarion's voice came from the side.
Startled, Tie whipped his head around, and Lucarion snapped his fingers briefly.
A transparent barrier immediately formed around Tie, Ppuppue, and Lucarion, blocking outside sounds.
"Speak freely."
Tie bit his lip hard, then spoke in a dejected voice.
"Blackie, Tie...... found Dad."
Lucarion furrowed his brow.
He hadn't expected Tie's words at all.
However, Tie continued gloomily.
"Dad's real name is Tese tan. Leader of that super strong number one mercenary group. But......"
"......"
"Everyone says Dad has a nasty personality. Hates people, a monstrous brute with only strength. They said that in Pearl City."
Lucarion blinked blankly.
‘That man's identity was the leader of Trebaga?’
It was a bit disconcerting, but if true, Tie's words made sense.
Evaluations of Trebaga's leader Tese tan were generally negative.
"And in the Weaponless Zone, the captain uncles said Dad has no blood or tears. He charges like a wild boar for what he wants, and obstacles...... he just clears them all."
Tie hung his head low.
A moment later, Astie's raised gaze met Lucarion's in midair.
Tie said, somehow on the verge of tears.
"Blackie. Remember when we first became friends?"
"I remember."
"You said then that Tie had to abandon everything here. So Tie really abandoned all memories of Dad, right?"
"Yes."
"But now that I've found Dad, we have to become family again from the start......"
Tears welled in Tie's eyes.
"No matter what, this Dad here probably won't like Tie much, right?"
Lucarion didn't reply.
Probably because Tie's prediction was correct.
Tie, knowing that, continued alone.
"If some stranger uncle suddenly came one day saying he's Tie's dad, it would be scary and I wouldn't like it."
"......"
"So Dad feels the same. If Tie goes to Dad and suddenly says she's his daughter...... Dad would be scared and hate it too."
The child's eyes turned to the squad members sleeping around.
"Also, the squad members seem to hate seeing Tie upset."
Lucarion's lips parted slightly.
He thought they were asleep.
Tie must have overheard the squad members' conversation in his sleep.
"Veil bro, Nordics Grandpa, Raoul and Enzo bros all feel heartbroken when Tie is sad."
Tie remembered the day he received Dad's belonging box.
When Tie didn't know what to do, Grandma from 107 and Auntie from 203 were sadder than him.
Tie lifted his head.
And forcing a smile with teary eyes, he said.
"Blackie. Tie doesn't have any anchovies left, but has one more request."
Lucarion unconsciously clenched his fist.
Then, hugging the drooping Tie tightly, he replied.
"Tell me. I'll do whatever you want."
