Ch#146
Basto didn't have time to stop her.
Tie naturally slipped in among the elders and took a spot right in the middle of the stall.
People soon gathered around the child who had come from outside.
"You're so tiny. Four years old? You look more like three just from your size."
At the words of a woman who seemed around sixty, Tie puffed out her cheeks right away.
"Nooo, Tie is four years old, and will be five soon!"
"Oh ho ho, such a tiny thing with a big mouth. How'd you end up coming from outside, huh?"
Tie politely raised one hand first.
"Well, that's because......"
"Tie. Get up now."
But then Basto, who had been standing off at a distance, approached.
Basto was scanning the surroundings with a wary face.
He held out his hand to Tie.
"Let's go. We don't have time to linger here."
But Tie couldn't get up right away.
Instead, she fidgeted and looked around.
"But the grown-ups asked why Tie came......?"
Going to the tutorial hall was important.
Of course, it was something Tie had been looking forward to ever since arriving in this world.
But.
'Whether it's a tutorial hall or school, home education is a hundred times more important, duh.'
Looking at the adults here, she was reminded of the grandpas who played baduk in the alley every time she waited for the kindergarten bus.
'Tie, you think so too, right? You got proper home education at home, so you greet us grandpas politely every morning. Come on, play a game until the bus comes.'
She had just greeted them politely as the adults taught her.
But the grandpas adored Tie.
Sometimes they gave her devil candy (red ginseng flavor), or handed her baduk stones to make a move for them.
Tie usually placed the stones wherever she wanted.
Like lining them up in a long row at the end, or in the corner, or completing a face shape.
'Hahaha! Brilliant move, that's a brilliant one!'
'Really! Mr. Choi might find a way out because of Tie. Haha!'
Of course, the grandpas liked wherever Tie placed the stones.
'Yeah, greet adults properly and answer politely!'
Tie looked at Basto maturely and said.
"Uncle, it's rude to leave when adults are talking to you. Home education that's more polite than kindergarten is more important!"
A few people around burst into laughter.
While Basto looked troubled, Tie gave the answer she hadn't finished earlier to the people.
"The reason Tie came is to go to the tutorial hall!"
"Tutorial hall? Here in Flint Cove?"
"Yes!"
The crowd stirred.
Two elderly folks who looked quite old stepped forward and asked with interest.
"Where's your house?"
Basto tried to push through the crowd again.
"Tie. No more answers......"
"I live in Rose Ober Alley!"
"Rose Ober...... Rosewell Street?"
A man leaning against the corner wall straightened up immediately.
He looked around at the people nearby and said.
"Isn't that where all the great nobles live? Supposedly rotten with money......"
People's gazes swept over Tie again.
But Tie didn't look like a noble no matter who saw her.
For one, her speech had no fancy words, and the dark cloak draped over her was too rough for noble attire.
'Above all.'
People muttered as if it was strange.
"A noble kid wouldn't come to a place like this and talk to us......"
"Right, right. Outsiders can't even enter the underground passage in the first place."
"Kid, you're not lying, you really live on Rosewell Street?"
"The zone chief must have approved her entry."
Tie, listening to the barrage of questions, raised one hand firmly once more.
"That's because Tie has a really complicated situation."
"Complicated situation? How complicated can a four-year-old's situation be?"
Tie let out an exaggerated sigh as if to say they wouldn't understand.
"Grandma and Grandpa don't know, that's why. Tie can't go to tutorial halls outside because there are too many eyes watching."
This time, people's gazes turned to Basto.
Basto held his forehead instead of answering.
'Ha, this is a problem.'
It had been fine getting permission from the zone chief to enter here.
But whether they could reveal Tie's identity to the people of Flint Cove hadn't been confirmed yet.
No matter how isolated from the outside this place was, there was no guarantee Tie's secret would be safe......
At that moment.
Tie added with an even more sullen face.
"Tie will probably get kicked out of the capital if caught attending a tutorial hall in Flint Cove......"
At the word "kicked out," an old man couldn't hold back his curiosity and stepped forward.
"What's that about from earlier? Why no tutorial hall outside? If you live on Rosewell Street, you could go to the imperial one."
"Tie can't go. Have to hide identity."
"Hide identity?"
"Is it perhaps......?"
As the crowd buzzed.
The young man who had perked up at "Rosewell Street" earlier slapped his knee.
"Illegitimate child! You're an illegitimate child raised by Rosewell Street nobles!"
"Illegitimate......?"
Tie tilted her head.
But the people were already excitedly agreeing with each other.
"No wonder, talking about hiding identity!"
"Rotten bastards! If you're gonna hide and raise it, don't have it in the first place! Why take it out on the kid for their own shame!"
The sighing people looked at Tie with pity.
They clicked their tongues and continued.
"Even if they hate it, it's their child. Sending it to such a remote place to hide and raise...... how heartbroken the poor thing must be......"
One grandma stroked Tie's head.
Tie blinked with a bewildered face.
She didn't know what an illegitimate child was, but now everyone in the underground passage was looking at her with pity.
"They won't let you go to tutorial hall outside? Kick you out if your identity's found?"
Tie nodded hesitantly.
"Umm, yes."
Valentis had told her.
Tie couldn't go to tutorial halls outside carelessly.
The reason was that if her identity was exposed while attending one, it would be a big problem.
If that happened, Tie wouldn't just get kicked out of the capital.
"They'll take Tie far away and hurt her a lot!"
She was talking about being dragged to the Church for interrogation, but somehow everyone's faces turned pale.
"G-G-Good heavens! This little child!"
Tie watched their reaction with a still bewildered face, then cautiously raised one hand and asked.
"But, Grandma. What's an illegitimate child? Tie isn't an illegitimate......"
"Right. An illegitimate child."
But then.
Basto interjected.
Basto let out a wistful sigh and looked around at the people.
"The child wants to learn, but we couldn't find a tutorial hall outside. That's why we came here."
A few clicked their tongues.
The elderly folks muttered "Poor thing......" as if they knew it all along.
Basto continued.
"It's a hard-won opportunity after consulting with the zone chief. She'll be coming to school this way every morning from now on, so we appreciate your cooperation."
"Sure, sure!"
People approached without hesitation and patted Basto's shoulders and back.
"Don't worry. You seem very responsible, young man. Those rotten people at least put one decent guy by the kid's side? With that build, he must chop firewood too?"
"Chop firewood, clean, childcare. All sorts of things."
"Aigoo...... how heartbreaking to watch a neglected child up close."
The people lowered their voices in case Tie heard.
Then they started whispering among themselves.
Tie blinked and looked back and forth between them and Basto.
She was curious about their conversation, but kids shouldn't butt into adults' talk.
Tie waited obediently sitting there.
A few days later.
Strange rumors began circulating in the capital.
"Heard something's up with the Necromancer King?"
"Ah, the rumor he has alcohol dependency? Goes to the tavern every day without fail?"
"Yeah! Apparently drinks till evening? And his creepy necromancy only activates when he's a bit drunk."
Agavert's ranking rose again.
Of course, the rumors spread even faster like wildfire.
Of course, Tie,
"So today at tutorial hall, what Tie did was......!"
was blissfully unaware, enjoying her super exciting tutorial hall life.
