Ch#170
Tese tan perched obliquely on the windowsill.
The Necromancer King, half-buried in the bed, gaped in shock.
"Th-through the window......! How......?!"
Tese tan shrugged with a dry expression.
"What, like it's new."
He had decided that afternoon to talk alone with the Necromancer King.
To figure out what was really inside that childlike exterior, he left Luminen Mansion right after the meal ended.
Unlike expected, his father and brothers didn't stop him.
Instead, they straightened his clothes and spoke affectionately.
'See you again.'
Like that.
After interrogating(?) Rio, he waited alone in the Necromancer King's room and suddenly remembered.
'That viper-like guy will make a fuss if he sees me here.'
Would someone like Veil or whatever just stand by seeing him in the Necromancer King's room?
He didn't know why they served their leader that way, but Agavert members overprotected the Necromancer King like crazy.
Someone who summoned the dead and made summoned beasts cast meteor showers—what were they protecting so fiercely?
Anyway, he changed plans.
Instead of waiting inside, he sighed and decided to lie in wait behind the mansion.
He figured running into someone inside would cause trouble.
When he heard the Necromancer King's presence and climbed the wall, he honestly wondered what he was doing.
But who could he blame?
He had started all this himself.
The duel happened because of his twisted competitive spirit insisting first, and he was the one saved from near-death.
Now he regretted not knowing the Necromancer King's identity, so he had no choice but to do this.
"You."
He said.
The Necromancer King had already hugged a pillow and was staring at him intently.
"Y-yeah......?"
"What's your identity?"
The Necromancer King's eyes widened round.
"M-me, id-identity......?"
"Only me and my subordinates don't know. Everyone else knows your identity."
The Necromancer King began rolling his eyes around.
His fidgeting hands showed how flustered he was.
Tese tan's eyes narrowed.
'As expected. Deliberately hiding it only from me.'
But why?
He soon shut his mouth.
Because his past misdeeds toward the Necromancer King naturally came to mind again.
Of course, despite that, the Necromancer King had always been favorable toward him.
Even saying something corny like,
'Tie...... likes Uncle.'
Tese tan let out a short sigh.
"I know there've been various unpleasant incidents between us. No......"
"......"
"Yeah. I unilaterally caused the unpleasantness. I admit it."
The Necromancer King still kept his mouth firmly shut, staring at him.
"But anyway. Now I'm Agavert's Vice Leader."
"......"
"You think it makes sense for the Vice Leader not to know the leader's true form?"
The sound of the Necromancer King gulping echoed in the quiet room.
Tese tan patiently waited for an answer.
But as expected, after a long pause, the Necromancer King shook his head side to side.
"C-can't."
"What?"
"Tie can't answer even if killed!"
Tese tan's eyebrow twitched slightly.
As expected. The Necromancer King had no intention of revealing his identity easily.
But Tese tan had no time.
Agavert members could barge in anytime.
With a third party involved, getting the answer he wanted would be harder.
The Necromancer King would just slip away as if waiting.
Tese tan finally rose from the leaning windowsill.
He dragged over a chair, placed it before the Necromancer King's bed, and sat.
"Everyone else knows. You just don't want to tell me."
The Necromancer King nodded.
Tese tan paused his breath briefly.
Then sighed dramatically.
"......Hurtful."
The Necromancer King's eyes rounded.
"Of course, I acted like a jerk. Still, I thought you made me Vice Leader because you trusted me."
"Y-yeah......?"
"I've had no idea what my family was doing for years. But you seem close to them."
"Th-that's......!"
"Not wanting to reveal your identity only to me means you don't trust me, right? Even as family, you saw original members and me differently deep down. Well, expected."
"N-no?! Not that!"
Tese tan smiled bitterly.
"I know. Who in the world would like me. Unless they're crazy."
"......!"
The Necromancer King jumped up and rushed to Tese tan.
But he staggered greatly at the bed's edge.
Tese tan reflexively stood and caught him.
An awkward atmosphere filled the room.
The green eyes looking up at Tese tan shook fiercely.
"Tie didn't do it 'cause dislikes Vice Leader Uncle......!"
At the Necromancer King's shout, Tese tan unwittingly parted his lips.
But regaining composure, he smiled bitterly again.
"Enough. The more you say, the more pathetic I feel."
"R-really not!"
The Necromancer King fidgeted, scanning Tese tan's face.
He thought amid the intense gaze.
'As expected. This works on him.'
It was impossible not to know the Necromancer King favored him.
Not only saved the Tese tan who tried to kill him, but even put him in the mercenary group.
As leader and Vice Leader, he'd been jumping the fence next door nonstop those past days just to see him.
"If Tie says......"
Then, the Necromancer King spoke in a creeping voice.
A glint flashed in Tese tan's eyes.
"Says?"
"Won't leave Agavert?"
Perfect.
Tese tan suppressed a smile and managed his expression.
Then answered calmly.
"No plans to leave the mercenary group. That was my decision to fulfill the oath on the Ring of Covenant. Unrelated to this."
The Necromancer King hesitated, then nodded.
But that was Tese tan's true feeling too.
With Trebaga disbanded, he had no desire to form a new group.
Life without being leader wasn't as bad as thought.
Following the Necromancer King was okay too, and meeting family today was......
"Ahem, anyway, not leaving."
The Necromancer King nodded and slowly backed away.
Only then did Tese tan realize he still held the Necromancer King's arm.
As the Necromancer King sat solemnly on the bed, Tese tan hesitated and sat back in the chair.
How much time passed?
The Necromancer King opened his mouth in a barely audible voice.
"Actually...... a baby."
Tese tan furrowed his brow.
He had waited tensely for what would come from those lips.
Expecting either that or the Necromancer King's body growing to reveal his true form.
But the Necromancer King just scratched his head with a deflated face, glancing at him before continuing.
"Actually...... Tie didn't disguise at all. Just a baby. Four years old."
"Hahaha."
Tese tan burst out laughing unwittingly.
He had still underestimated the Necromancer King.
Pretending to fall for his scheme to tease him instead......
"Tie came to find Daddy, but suddenly got powers......"
The Necromancer King's lips pursed.
He stared at Tese tan, then suddenly teared up with a sad expression.
"They said if powers too strong, Church takes away. And people just use Tie."
"......"
The Necromancer King sniffled more.
"So Nordics grandpa, Veil brother, Basto uncle hid the powers. Now gotta live here, but if found out just a kid, Tie in big trouble......"
Tese tan blinked slowly.
At that moment, it felt like time slowed only around him.
'Crazy?! How could you hide something like this!'
'If I kill you today, I reclaim top employment ranking, right?'
'Bastard, trash, gonna kill you-!'
Scenes from the duel flashed quickly through his mind.
Putting the Ring of Covenant on that tiny wrist.
The slash he aimed at the terrified, rushing Necromancer King. And,
"......"
The disguise that didn't release even after injuring the arm and losing consciousness.
Tese tan slowly rose from his seat.
He stared piercingly at Tie before barely turning away.
He staggered out the door.
"You crazy bastard, why're you coming out here!"
Veil passing by pointed accusingly, but Tese tan went down the stairs.
He trudged to his house, and
"Leader! Wh-what?!"
Slammed his head into the first wall he saw.
