Ch#172
"Vice Leader!"
Tie, who had come out the front door, ran breathlessly to Dad.
Dad, who was pulling out the remaining fences, slowly lifted his head.
Tie's gaze went to Dad and the dozens of fences scattered behind him.
Tie looked at Tese tan with panicked eyes.
"Wh-what... are you doing?"
Tese tan clamped his mouth shut before answering with a stiff expression.
"Can't you tell by looking? Pulling out the fences."
"Fences? Why......?"
Tese tan's eyebrow twitched slightly.
He let out a short sigh and looked at Tie's right ankle.
Someone had already found it and treated it, as a large gauze was stuck there.
Tese tan tried to manage his expression and suppress his rising anger.
'......Fine. As long as it's treated.'
He raised his gaze and answered curtly.
"They're an eyesore."
Tie's eyes immediately widened round.
But the child soon nodded timidly.
"Un."
Then, for some reason glancing at Tese tan's expression, she crept closer,
"Nngh...... Heave! Uh, super heavy!"
She tried lifting one fence before quickly stepping back.
Tese tan, hand on his forehead, looked down at Tie.
"Go inside. Unless you want to get hurt."
Tie nodded with an awkward expression.
"Yeah! Tie was gonna help, but can't......"
Tese tan watched Tie sit alone on the grass.
Then sighed and began pulling out the remaining fences.
That was when.
"You bastard, what the hell are you doing?!"
Veil appeared from behind Tie.
He glared at Tese tan in disbelief while chewing on the half-eaten apple.
"Why pull out perfectly fine fences and make a mess. These are ours too!"
Tie grabbed Veil's clothes and shook them.
"Don't do that, Veil bro. Just pulling them out 'cause they're an eyesore."
"What?! That makes even less sense! Who pulls out someone else's fences just 'cause they're an eyesore?! You gonna let this punk get away with it? Huh?!"
Tese tan flung the fence he was holding toward the empty lot behind him.
The fence clanged against a landscaping stone and tumbled onto the dirt.
Tese tan's eyes gleamed menacingly.
"......Can't you see your Leader's ankle?"
Veil froze.
Only then did Veil lower his gaze to Tie.
And after checking the child's ankle, his eyes widened round.
"What, kid? When'd you get hurt!"
Tie scratched the back of her head while glancing at Veil and Tese tan.
"Well, got caught in the fence this morning......"
"What?! You should've said something!"
"It's fine! Basto uncle treated it!"
Veil, who had opened and closed his mouth several times, lifted his head.
He glared piercingly at Tese tan before picking up Tie.
"Don't leave a single one. Pull them all out. Got it?"
Tese tan ground his teeth watching Veil turn away.
Beyond Veil's shoulder, Tie looked back at him several times.
Soon, the child's innocent voice came from afar.
"But why's Veil bro so rude?"
"What?"
"Veil bro's an executive, and Tese tan uncle's Vice Leader. Libia auntie said it's rude for an executive to talk back to the Vice Leader."
"Why does that guts-brain keep teaching you weird stuff? Listen up, kid. Every group has a hidden power player. In your terms, the real boss."
"Gasp! Shadow boss?!"
"Yeah. Agavert's shadow boss is me. So I can say whatever to the Vice Leader. 'Cause I'm the invisible power holder."
"......Doesn't seem right."
"What do you know. If I, the real boss, say it is, it is."
The front door slammed shut.
Tese tan glared at the closed door for a while before turning away.
A long time later, he muttered.
"......Like gauze is enough."
If she got hurt on the fence, shouldn't it be wrapped thick with bandages!
At least the whole lower body, no, up to the navel!
"Can't even do it myself......!"
Tese tan held back his boiling frustration and began pulling out the rest of the fences.
Just pulling fences, yet his body felt as heavy as after days of sieges without sleep.
* * *
A little later, in Tie's room.
"So that's why, seems like Dad's pulling out the fences 'cause Tie got hurt!"
"Kyut!"
Ppuppue spread his ears wide in surprise at the new info Tie shared.
Tie placed Ppuppue on her palm and lowered her voice further.
"And know what else? Dad keeps glaring at Tie, but......!"
"Kyuu?"
"He doesn't say mean stuff!"
Ppuppue gave an awkward smile at Tie's beaming face.
'Poor, pitiful mother......'
Happy that her birth father no longer showered curses—what a situation.
As Ppuppue wiped invisible tears inside,
"But why hasn't Lucarion been around lately?"
Ppuppue lifted his head.
He pointed his nose out the window.
"Kyu, kyurung......!"
Tie's eyes widened round.
"Really? Lucarion can even go to the imperial library?"
Ppuppue nodded and fell into thought.
'Curious lizard.'
Lately, Lucarion had been engrossed in scouring every book in Talochioum.
Recently infiltrating the imperial library, he'd been leaving at dawn and returning late at night for days.
Lucarion always came to see Tie late at night and woke Ppuppue.
[Monster. How was Astie today.]
[......Damn lizard. Gotta wake me from deep sleep at this hour? If you're so curious, serve her yourself!]
[Unlike you with nothing to do, I have mountains of work.]
[You, you......!]
He got angry, but Ppuppue vaguely knew why Lucarion was away.
[Found anything on the lost memories?]
[......Who knows. Kinda fruitful, kinda not.]
Lucarion was gathering fragments of lost memories.
And investigating side effects from crossing dimensions with Astie.
[Heard humans talking. Astie's not growing taller.]
[......Mother's growth stopped?]
[Yeah. More precisely, gradually slowing to a stop.]
According to Lucarion, after coming to this world, Tie's growth slowed rapidly and recently halted completely.
Lucarion suspected it was a side effect from crossing dimensions against time.
Ppuppue scolded the pitiful Lucarion.
[Fool. Don't you even know the nature of the magic you cast? Should've predicted future events when twisting the timeline.]
[......Couldn't predict even then. Just gave in 'cause Astie wanted it so badly. My own memories hazy, think magic ones are intact?]
[Why seek memories?]
Ppuppue found Lucarion odd.
His memories were hazy too.
But Ppuppue had no desire to recover lost ones.
Being by Astie's side now was happiness enough.
Yet Lucarion gave an answer that pierced Ppuppue.
[To protect Astie more safely, I need my memories back.]
Ppuppue spun his nose in annoyance.
'Arrogant thing. Tiny lizard acting big.'
But spotting Tie staring, he quickly made an innocent smile.
"......Kyut!"
At the harmless expression, Tie smooched Ppuppue's forehead.
"Our Ppuppue, sooo pretty!"
"Kyut!"
As Ppuppue melted into hearts for eyes,
Black smoke gathered outside the window and formed a human shape inside.
Ppuppue scowled.
'They say in Mother's homeland, speak of the lizard and he appears.'
Lucarion, arriving right on cue, said,
"I'm back, Tie."
Tie tossed Ppuppue onto the bed and ran to Lucarion.
"Blackie!"
Tie hugged Lucarion tight and bounced a few times.
"Where'd you go? Tie missed you tons! Got something to ask!"
Lucarion smiled faintly and fixed Tie's messy hair.
"What do you wanna ask?"
Tie turned to check the door before lowering her voice.
"Y'know, Dad naturally remembering Tie......"
"......"
"Is it really impossible......?"
