Translator: Nox

Ch#14

Veil narrowed his eyes at Tiye, who was whining while fitting the skull’s jaw back on.

Why on earth was the proverb “Blood is thicker than water” coming up here?

But he soon figured out the reason.

“Actually, Tiye’s dad……”

The whispering child added,

“Is super strong.”

As if it were some enormous secret, the child kept glancing warily around.

“He’s the world’s strongest. A super strong Holy Knight!”

Basto’s face hardened.

He recalled Tiye’s words from the day they met—that her dad was in the Capital.

At first, he’d thought she’d just gotten separated from her family near the gate.

But somehow,

“Tiye inherited her dad’s blood, so she has amazing powers too! Like father, like daughter!”

Listening to her, the thought crossed his mind that it might not be such a simple situation.

Meanwhile, Veil’s expression darkened just the same.

‘If the kid’s dad really is the strongest Holy Knight……’

Something didn’t add up.

There were two main types of abilities that could awaken in this world.

Holy power and mana.

Holy Knights awakened holy power among them and wielded their swords with that strength.

But Tiye had awakened mana just moments ago.

‘Of course, I know it happens sometimes.’

Cases where a mage was born to parents who’d awakened holy power, or a holy power awakener to a mage family.

But those were as rare as legends or myths, and above all, the perception was poor.

There were even superstitions that a child born with the opposite power from their parents brought ruin and destruction to those around them.

‘And besides……’

The part about her ‘strongest Holy Knight’ dad also bothered him.

If there was a family in the Empire with someone worthy of being called the ‘strongest Holy Knight,’ there was only one.

House Luminen.

A house that had produced knights with pure holy power for generations, with noses so high they pierced the heavens.

They were nobles who had truly never experienced the depths of hardship even once.

As if sharing the same thought, Veil and Basto’s gazes met.

Basto nodded and quickly lowered himself to match Tiye’s eye level.

“You’re sure your dad’s a Holy Knight?”

“Yup! A super strong Holy Knight! The world’s strongest!”

The two men’s expressions darkened even further.

Assuming the child’s words were true, there was only one conclusion.

House Luminen, which had produced Holy Knights for generations.

And from there, Astie—Tiye—had been born with mana powerful enough to activate Necromancy.

“Actually, I wasn’t gonna say this, but……”

Just then, Astie opened her lips with a sullen expression.

“Tiye was living with Dad until just a while ago, in a small but cozy house, but……”

“The house was small?”

Veil cut in, and Tiye nodded.

“Yup! Just one room~”

The space Tiye pointed to was barely big enough for two adult men to lie down in.

“The bathroom was at the end here, but ugh.”

Tiye suddenly shrank back.

As they shot her questioning looks, the child hesitated before answering.

“It was super cold in winter. Warm water didn’t come out well……”

Veil’s eyebrow twitched, but Tiye kept going.

“Still, Tiye loved it a ton. Even just with Dad, it felt like having a hundred family members. It was really, really great.”

But the child’s bright eyes soon misted over faintly.

“……But Dad left.”

Basto and Veil froze.

“That’s why Tiye was alone. In the forest, with Kkamangi……”

“Kkamangi?”

Tiye opened her bag to show them.

A black stone lay inside.

“He’s sleeping in here, but Kkamangi’s super strong? So together, we can find Dad.”

Veil and Basto’s gazes met again.

Tiye, who activated Necromancy, and the being she called ‘Kkamangi.’

And the black stone where that being was sleeping.

‘It’s obviously an eternal summon.’

Tiye seemed to have unknowingly summoned a summon in the past but didn’t realize what it was.

“Once Kkamangi wakes up, Tiye can find Dad! If Uncle Basto takes Tiye to the Capital. Of course, Dad won’t remember Tiye……”

“Won’t remember you? What does that mean?”

Veil cut in again.

Tiye rolled her eyes.

“It’s hard to explain……”

She pondered for a moment, then hesitantly continued.

“There are circumstances……”

“What nonsense. It doesn’t make sense. What father wouldn’t remember his own daughter?”

Tiye’s expression turned sullen again.

This time, even more heartbroken than before.

Soon, a defeated voice slipped from her small mouth.

“……Dad doesn’t want to. It’s not that.”

“……”

“Dad must miss Tiye too. But because of magic, Tiye got erased from Dad’s mind……”

Veil stiffened.

Basto and Nordix did the same.

Tiye was talking about Kkamangi’s time magic.

Meaning since they’d returned to before her birth, her dad wouldn’t recognize her.

But absurdly, to Basto and Veil, it sounded entirely different.

‘Magic erased the kid from her dad’s mind, right?’

‘Such a brutal act……’

In the three men’s heads, the situation grew ever clearer.

The noble, exalted, great Holy Knight house of Luminen.

A child born there overflowing with mana.

‘Tiye was living with Dad until just a while ago, in a small but cozy house.’

Her father had probably fled the house with young Tiye.

Given they’d hidden in a small house fit for livestock, he must have been raising her in secret.

But,

‘Because of magic, Tiye got erased from Dad’s mind……’

Someone had erased Tiye from her father’s mind.

And four-year-old Astie had been left alone in the forest.

Silence stretched through the cave.

Soon, a low curse slipped from Veil’s lips.

“Have you ever seen such beastly bastards……?”

* * *

“Is it possible? Erasing someone from their mind?”

Veil’s whisper echoed between the three men.

Basto silently clenched his fist, while Diviner Nordix maintained a solemn silence.

“It’s obvious! They must’ve tried to get rid of the kid ‘cause she was an eyesore!”

He’d once worked as an assassin and thought he’d seen every scum in the world.

But stealing a child from her dad?

And even erasing her existence from his mind?

“You crazy Luminen bastards. Think money and power let you do anything? Even filthy acts beasts wouldn’t touch.”

“Calm down, Veil.”

Basto cut Veil off.

He continued calmly toward the fuming Veil.

“Nothing’s certain yet. We can’t jump to conclusions based on what she just said. There could be a misunderstanding, and above all, Tiye’s still young.”

“What jumping to conclusions! Just look at Empire legends—mages born in Holy Knight families are branded ill omens! It fits perfectly!”

“Veil. Basto’s right. Calm down first.”

Even Nordix stepped in, and Veil shut his mouth, though still huffing in anger.

Seeing the kid from afar only fueled his rage more.

For some reason, she looked even more pitiful and forlorn than before!

“For now, we need to meet someone from House Luminen.”

Then Basto sorted the situation.

“And to prepare in case they really did something like that, we should hide Tiye’s identity for the time being.”

“What obvious talk. Those guys definitely tried to kill the kid before. She was alone in the forest when we first met her!”