Ch#158
"Disband?!"
At that moment, Libia burst into the tent.
Aleric and Victor, who had been eavesdropping at the door and lost their balance, stumbled in after her.
"Disband? Disband?!"
Libia rushed over in a fluster and wedged herself between Basto and Tese tan.
Her face was uncharacteristically filled with fear.
"No disbanding! No matter how badly our leader got beaten, no disbanding!"
Tese tan clutched his forehead.
Basto looked down at Libia without a change in expression.
Libia spun around in a panic and went to Nordics, who was sitting at the makeshift desk.
"Old man. You're the real power over there, right? Say something, no disbanding! How could Trebaga come this far just to disband!"
When Nordics didn't reply, Libia ran back to Basto.
"H-How about a temporary activity suspension? We won't do anything in the meantime! You finish your missions, take the top ranking, we won't complain, okay?!"
"Libia. Enough."
"Let go!"
Aleric tried to intervene, but Libia shook him off.
Tears were already welling up in her eyes.
"I can't go anywhere without Trebaga. You know that, Aleric! You know what this place means to me!"
"......Libia."
"I can't go. After how I've lived. How I've......"
Tears began dropping from Libia's eyes as she collapsed to the floor.
Tese tan silently closed his eyes.
Basto's cold voice echoed through the tent.
"If the mercenary group was that precious, your leader should have stopped this recklessness before it started."
Libia looked up.
Basto's face, lit by the torchlight, was utterly frigid.
"Our leader staked her life on your group's childish whims. She even ignored the principles of the duel of honor. And yet our leader......"
Basto glared at Tese tan again.
"Protected you with her injured body. Showed you mercy."
Nordics nodded as he stood.
"He's right. I regret the dissolution of your group as well, but since you staked conditions on the duel of honor, shouldn't you honor your word?"
"No!"
Libia shot to her feet.
"Still, no disbanding. If Trebaga disappears......!"
"We can't listen anymore. We've conveyed our will, so settle your own matters."
Basto turned away. Nordics followed.
As Libia slumped again, Aleric rushed over to support her.
At that moment.
The tent flap rustled.
"No disbanding!"
The loose canvas flap fell slowly, covering Tie's head completely.
"Eeng."
The child groaned as she pushed the canvas off and looked at Tese tan.
"U-Unification......?"
"Kid!"
Veil, with a bewildered expression, followed behind.
Tie dodged Veil and scampered over, standing before Libia and Tese tan.
"No disbanding, unify instead? Then we don't have to part."
Libia's face went blank.
She asked slowly.
"......Unify? You mean merge?"
Tie nodded urgently.
"Yes! Merge! Two become one!"
Libia's eyes sparkled for a moment.
'Right. A merger.'
Trebaga wouldn't have to scatter and break apart.
And Agavert wasn't some incompetent group, so no burden there.
Honestly, it was baffling why they were offering this—it was the best option for Trebaga in every way.
"You serious?"
"Yes!"
"Kid, you crazy?"
Veil rushed over and carefully scooped Tie up.
Veil looked at Tie's arm as if his insides were bursting.
"You'll take the guy who did this to your arm as a subordinate? You know what merging means? It means we all become one family with them!"
Tie averted her eyes from Veil and mumbled.
"But......"
"......"
"Why can't we be family? That can happen."
"Wh-What?"
"Teacher said friends can get hurt playing together sometimes......"
"Ridiculous."
Tese tan interjected.
Tie widened her eyes and stared at Tese tan.
Tese tan quelled the inexplicable surge of emotion and met the Necromancer King's gaze.
'That face again.'
The Necromancer King was looking at him with the same harmless expression.
Before the duel, during it, and now.
Even with bandages wrapped around her shoulder, as if harboring no hostility toward him at all......
"You. Do you pity me or something?"
Tie's eyebrows drooped slightly at his stiff voice.
"Pity......?"
"I'm asking if you feel sorry for me."
The child's pale brow furrowed.
Muttering 'pity......', Tie suddenly looked up.
"N-No, not that!"
"Then what? Think I'd be grateful for the merger offer? That I'd grovel and accept right away?"
"No. Tie just......"
"Even if my wrist gets cut off, I won't crawl under you."
Tese tan spoke coldly and unwrapped the bandage on his hand that had been bothering him, tossing it to the floor.
"We'll disband on our own, so don't worry."
Then he left the tent without giving anyone a chance to stop him.
"Leader, heyy...... Hey! Leader!"
Libia hurried after him.
Tie, held in Veil's arms, stared blankly at the exit where Tese tan had vanished.
Veil shook his head with a laugh.
"Knew it. A bastard who fed his humanity to monsters."
Tie's expression slowly darkened.
Tie stayed rigid for a while, then slumped her shoulders and buried her face in Veil's chest.
* * *
"We'll reconvene the assembly soon."
Back at the capital's central plaza via Teleportation Circle.
Ardiana said to Tie.
Tie nodded listlessly.
"Yes......"
Tie forced a smile at Ardiana.
"Then goodbye, Princess—no, Association President. See you later."
Ardiana silently watched Tie turn away.
Her adjutant approached and whispered.
"First time seeing something like this while handling association affairs."
But Ardiana still couldn't tear her eyes from Tie.
She overheard Agavert members speaking to the departing Necromancer King.
"Let's go, leader."
"Yeah. Let's go rest. Came for the assembly and this happens."
"Shall I carry you? Do your legs hurt?"
The members all seemed restless toward their leader, who had accepted an unplanned duel of honor.
But the Necromancer King just sadly shook her head.
"......It's fine. The Necromancer King walks alone bravely anyway."
Ardiana's eyes sank strangely. She murmured to herself.
"Will they really merge?"
"Pardon?"
"Agavert and Trebaga."
The adjutant made an 'er......' sound.
Then pondered before replying.
"Hard to say. From the mood, it seemed like Trebaga would just disband."
"......"
"It's a loss for the association, but now we have Agavert......"
Ardiana let out a small sigh.
Necromancer King.
Adelin had called him 'sincere and pure.'
She fell into deep thought without realizing.
'Disguised as a child......'
Then she watched Astie's figure until it disappeared.
* * *
Back home, Tie staggered toward the first-floor sofa.
Veil fetched firewood and started a fire in the fireplace.
The members, watching Tie's mood, gradually gathered nearby.
Why she accepted the duel, whether Tese tan's rampage was contained with no side effects.
They had many questions, but the child's complex expression left them unable to speak.
Even Marshal, bringing warm milk, froze awkwardly in the kitchen.
At that moment. Breaking the silence, Tie mumbled.
"Why doesn't he want to unify......?"
The members startled and looked at Tie.
Tie pursed her lips, deep in serious thought.
"Unifying with Tie is way better than Trebaga disappearing......"
Basto sighed.
He carefully sat beside Tie.
"Tie. That's......"
"Agavert is much smaller, right? That's why."
At that instant, a bright voice came from the doorway.
Selina, who had arrived unnoticed, scampered over to Tie.
"Think about it. You have two huge cakes, and I have just one candy. But I suddenly say let's combine snacks. Would you like that?"
Tie's mouth fell open.
Soon the child shook her head vigorously.
With an expression of great realization.
