Ch#147
Tie loved the tutorial hall.
Just as Valentis had said it was run by 'trustworthy people,' the teacher was truly kind.
Tie clasped her hands together and giggled.
'Teacher Lil is as great as Teacher Isol Jae.'
Her friends were the same.
In just two weeks of attending the tutorial hall, Tie had won over all nine of her classmates.
How did she make friends so quickly?
"...Here. I brought it. That pink worm doll."
Right on cue, Veil set down three large boxes in front of the first-floor entrance.
Tie tumbled off the sofa and rushed over to the boxes.
"Waaah! It's really Tani Pang!"
The result of waiting desperately for the past week.
Tie had finally gotten a slightly squished Tani Pang doll made in this world.
Nordics and Marshal had helped Tie with the pattern, and the Luminen Mansion's seamstress had completed it.
"It's so pretty, cute Posil Pang and Ttona Pang!"
"It finally arrived?!"
Selina, who had come over to play, dashed through the entrance.
Tie held out one doll to Selina with emotional eyes.
"Yeah! This one's for Selina!"
"Wow! My favorite Hacho Pang!"
Selina hugged the doll Tie offered tightly to her chest.
By now, Selina had memorized all forty-two Tani Pang names while hanging out with Tie.
Tie giggled and pulled nine more dolls out of the box.
Then she stuffed them into her Hanbit Kindergarten bag with grunts of effort.
The bag looked ready to burst once everything was inside, but she didn't care.
"Gotta take them tomorrow and give to my friends!"
That was right.
The reason Tie had so quickly monopolized her tutorial hall friends' affection was this Tani Pang.
The tutorial hall kids had shown interest in the Tani Pang embroidered on Tie's uniform from day one.
To be precise, the girls couldn't take their eyes off the embroidery from the start, and the boys gradually got drawn in.
A few had tried to act aloof toward Tie until the end, but
'In the end, they all followed Tie around wanting to play with her!'
Eventually, they even fought over who got to play with Tie.
"Captain. Did you do that again today? The marriage play."
Raoul, sitting on the central staircase, asked.
Tie nodded with a bright smile.
"Yeah! Tie was the girlfriend role."
"Girlfriend? In marriage play, why...?"
"Husband's girlfriend role. So the wife role pulled a bit of Tie's hair."
Basto, who had overheard, rushed over.
He inspected the back of Tie's crown, then pressed his forehead and closed his eyes.
"Tie. You lost some hair. There's a bald spot."
But Tie just indifferently played with her dolls.
"It's fine!"
"Fine? You should've told your friend not to pull your hair!"
"But the husband's girlfriend role is supposed to get her hair pulled..."
Basto was at a loss for words.
From over there, Selina chattered to Tie.
"Adults don't get it. Marriage play is only fun if it's realistic."
"Yeah, exactly."
Basto finally gave up persuading and sat next to Raoul.
Dinner had ended a little while ago, and the clock now pointed to 7 p.m.
"Maybe because it's a rare day off, but it feels nice."
Raoul murmured sleepily from the side.
Basto nodded instead of replying.
As Raoul said, today was a day off from sieges for Agavert.
Siege rest days came twice a week total.
Marbas, who made the teleportation circles, needed periodic mana recharges too, so reorganization time was essential.
Basto looked at Raoul and asked.
"Sir Leonardo is coming tomorrow?"
"Yes. He said he'd pick her up early in the morning. Told us not to have breakfast. They'll prepare it there."
Basto nodded.
Spending one day a week with the Luminen family had become Agavert's routine.
It wasn't so much the other members' opinions as Tie's wish.
'Tie likes Grandpa Valentis! And Uncle Edmung, Uncle Leo, and Uncle Alex Thunder too!'
At first, Basto had been puzzled by Tie's affection for the Luminens.
They had helped in various ways, sure, but Tie had only seen them once or twice.
But he soon accepted it.
'Kids are like that.'
Understanding why kids like something isn't easy anyway.
Of course, Tie had her own solid reason that Basto didn't know.
Tie saw the Luminens as her benefactors.
Precious benefactors who had helped her find clues about the father she'd so desperately sought.
"...Peaceful."
With the kids' chatter as background, Basto gently closed his eyes.
Agavert's current rank was 4th.
Their siege speed was faster than any other mercenary group out there.
Mana stones were disappearing at a rapid pace, inside and outside the capital alike.
Still, new ones kept spawning, so the damage never fully stopped.
Of course, the sacks of gold coins in Ppuppue's subspace were piling up like mountains now too.
Yesterday was the first time the reward office refused a core.
Ornel had sent the members back, saying they were out of rewards to give and to come again next week.
'Good thing.'
Basto thought.
But at the same time, he couldn't shake a nagging unease.
Going too fast always leads to accidents.
It looked good now that Agavert was making a name and money, but...
Bang bang bang!
Basto's eyes snapped open.
He wasn't the only startled one.
Selina and Tie playing near the entrance.
Veil and Nordics on the sofa.
Even Marshal who had just run out from the kitchen.
All stared at the door in shock.
With the crude banging came a raspy voice from outside.
"I know you're all in there, so open the damn door!"
For some reason, it was a familiar voice.
* * *
Tie lay flat under the second-floor railing with Selina.
Basto's voice came from below.
"...So that's why you came. To pass on the news while stopping by the capital?"
On the first floor, Basto was talking with an uninvited guest at the mansion.
The guest was alone, huge, and even indoors wore an outrageously large gauntlet.
"That's right. I'm not too hung up on rankings myself, but you guys are different."
He was Reaper.
Reaper, leader of the rank 2 <Grim Reaper> group, whom they'd met once in the Weaponless Zone.
He slowly looked around the mansion.
"Strictly speaking, you've ruined Tese tan's plans."
At the name Tese tan, Tie unconsciously swallowed hard.
Selina shot her a curious glance from the side, but Tie was too focused on the floor below to notice.
"Trebaga went to the northern continent for that reason in the first place. The association wasn't giving national requests, so as a warning."
"...Warning?"
"Yeah. Like, 'Keep treating us like this and we won't take the dirty jobs anymore.' It worked to some extent, actually."
Tie quietly inhaled.
Even though it was all complicated talk, her head spun clearly for some reason.
It had to be superhuman power from it involving her dad.
Reaper continued.
"Proof is, the emperor—who used to ignore and neglect Trebaga—recently changed his mind. You know that?"
As Basto made an odd face, Reaper explained.
"The foreign currency Trebaga earns from the northern continent isn't pocket change. The emperor finally started paying attention to them because of that, but."
"...?"
"Your group's been sieging at that insane speed lately, burying it quick."
Tie's heart pounded.
Meanwhile, Reaper added.
"Long story short. Word is, Tese tan will come find you guys soon because of that. Still just a rumor, though."
