Ch#162
"This bastard, you think you can just barge in here?!"
Veil froze upon seeing Tese tan.
From the second floor, Basto, Raoul, and Enzo came rushing down.
The recently recruited members peered down from the second-floor railing with curious faces.
"Libia told me."
But Tese tan ignored the stares and strode straight toward Tie.
Raoul and Enzo tried to block his path, but Nordics held them back.
Tese tan, standing before Tie, slowly scanned the weapons on the table.
"I won't ask for my greatsword back. But the members' weapons......"
"Hold on!"
But Tie cut him off abruptly.
She blinked, feeling her heart pounding.
'Conversation, have a good conversation.'
Libia's voice emphasizing talking with Dad echoed in her mind.
Tie swallowed, then pulled a crumpled sheet of paper from her dress pocket.
Tese tan furrowed his brow.
"What's that?"
Tie unfolded the paper and held it out to Dad.
Dad read the crooked writing on it.
"Rules for kind and healthy conversation?"
Rules for kind and healthy conversation—three of them, no less!
It was a list Tie had written herself that morning.
'Because Dad here gets mad and throws tantrums whenever he talks to Tie.'
If she didn't set rules beforehand, Dad would just say his piece and leave.
So Tie decided to establish rules outright.
'Auntie Libia said Dad's coming for the weapons.'
In other words, right now, Tie had the upper hand over Dad.
Tie jumped down from the sofa and rummaged through her Hanbit Kindergarten bag in the corner.
She pulled out her favorite Ttona Pang doll.
"Number one! Speak in turns."
Tese tan looked up at Tie.
"From now on, only the person holding this doll speaks! No interrupting, no backtalk, no tuning out if you don't have the doll!"
Tese tan's lips parted slightly.
Still, Tie continued bravely.
"Number two, always make eye contact. Number three, use pretty words. If you break the rules......"
Tie, glancing back and forth between the weapons and Dad, added timidly.
"Negotiation breakdown!"
Silence fell.
Tese tan let out a long sigh.
"......Do whatever you want."
"Great!"
Tie held the doll in one hand and raised the other.
Following what she'd learned at kindergarten, she eagerly stated her position first.
"Tie bought these weapons from Auntie Libia with lots of gold. So they're Tie's now. Can't just give them back to Uncle."
The child thrust the doll toward Tese tan.
Tese tan looked at Tie, then the doll, and closed his eyes tightly.
He gritted his teeth and took the Tani Pang doll.
"......Ha."
Tese tan steadied his breath and opened his eyes.
It was because of the Necromancer King's rule about making eye contact.
"I."
But he struggled to continue.
Right before him, green eyes sparkled.
Every time the Necromancer King blinked, his pupils slowly expanded and contracted.
Tese tan cleared his throat and barely parted his lips.
"......My greatsword aside, I'd like the members' weapons back. I'll pay somehow."
The Necromancer King reached toward the table again.
Tese tan reflexively shielded the greatsword's blade with his arm.
But Tie just snatched the doll back and replied.
"But Tie doesn't do refunds?"
"......"
Thud.
The doll was thrust back into Tese tan's arms.
Tese tan suppressed a sigh and set the greatsword down on the table.
He felt uneasy with the Necromancer King constantly reaching toward the sharp edge.
Holding the doll's ear between thumb and forefinger, he said.
"Can't you make an exception just this once?"
The Necromancer King shook her head firmly.
This time, she didn't even take the doll, as if it wasn't worth responding to.
Tese tan shifted uncomfortably in frustration.
After hesitating for a long time, he voiced the question swirling in his mind.
"Why are you trying to take me in?"
The Necromancer King's eyes widened slightly.
"I nearly killed you. You know that."
The entire first floor fell silent.
The Agavert members chuckling on the second floor held their breath.
Veil's growl of 'that bastard really......' reached his ears.
But then, the Necromancer King extended her hand to Tese tan.
Tese tan hesitated before placing the doll in her hand.
The Necromancer King clutched it tightly to her chest.
Then, looking into Tese tan's eyes with a somewhat dejected voice, she said.
"Tie...... likes Uncle."
"Cough!"
Basto, gulping cold water from the kitchen, choked.
Tese tan stared blankly at the Necromancer King.
'Likes me?'
That was the reason for her goodwill?
"Tie likes Uncle, so just wants to be on the same side."
Tese tan forgot to take back the doll and asked.
"Why?"
Could someone like someone without reason?
Unless they were blood family.
But the Necromancer King answered straightforwardly.
"Dunno. Can just like someone."
She added.
"If we unify...... will make Uncle Vice Leader."
"Hey, kid!"
Several Agavert members rushed over immediately.
But Tie didn't even glance their way, gathering mana around them.
At the same time, a small barrier formed enclosing only Tese tan and Tie.
'Barrier?'
Tese tan doubted his eyes.
Until the duel, the Necromancer King couldn't cast a barrier herself.
She had only used summons for it, devoting her focus to commanding skeletons and wraiths.
But now.
The Necromancer King deployed a barrier around them without incantation or gesture.
The outside had gone quiet, so it seemed to block sound too.
'Trained in that short time?'
As he thought, the Necromancer King spoke.
"Tie will protect you."
It was then.
'Mom will protect you.'
His mother's green eyes overlapped with the Necromancer King's pupils.
Tese tan unwittingly clenched his fist.
The Necromancer King stared piercingly at him, still hugging the doll.
"Tie will make Uncle number one like you want, give lots of food, won't beg for meat side dishes."
Moisture gathered over the green eyes resembling his mother's.
"Won't throw tantrums, won't be annoying. Will give tons of vacation so no work every day."
"......"
"Won't ask for sticker books...... Tie will obey Uncle."
Tese tan drew a short breath.
Suddenly, unexpected tears trickled down his cheek.
He wiped under his eyes in confusion.
'Why am I......?'
He stared blankly at the moisture on his palm.
Tears without reason—it was wondrous.
Seeing him like that, the Necromancer King teared up too and said.
"So, can't we be together with Tie?"
She sniffled, forcing a smile.
"......Please......"
Tese tan's wrist, bound by the Ring of Covenant, was now touched by the Necromancer King's hand.
Tese tan said nothing for a long time.
* * *
That noon.
Tese tan returned to Trebaga's base carrying all the lost weapons.
It was just next door, but Libia greeted him with a beaming face.
"Leader, how'd it go? Huh? Yes?!"
Tese tan silently handed the curved moon sword to Libia.
Then gave the orb to Aleric too.
"We're not moving the base right away."
As he ascended the stairs, greatsword at his waist, he said.
"But your executive positions might be gone."
Libia's face lit up.
She hugged Aleric and Victor tightly.
"Waaah! So we don't have to split up?! No disbanding?! Yay!"
Tese tan chuckled and turned the second-floor corner.
The Ring of Covenant on his wrist had cleanly vanished.
