Ch#21
Finally, the bright day of the decisive battle.
With the round sun rising, Tiye firmly shouldered her kindergarten bag.
Veil poked his head out from between the second-floor railing.
“Squirt! You sure you packed everything?”
Tiye nodded maturely and checked one last time.
Inside the large bag Uncle Basto had packed for her.
She could see all her belongings neatly stacked.
“Tiye’s spare clothes, Tiye hat from the market, Tiye pajamas, Tiye tissue and Tiye water for when Tiye has to poop in the forest, Tiye snacks……”
Everything was there without missing a thing!
“Ah!”
But in that moment, she remembered one thing she’d forgotten and quickly turned to check behind her.
“Kkamangi!”
Fortunately, Lucarion was right there, behaving himself.
Inside the Hanbit Kindergarten bag, head sticking out with a bored expression.
Only then did Tiye smile and raise her hand high to Veil.
“Tiye packed everything!”
Veil nodded.
Then came down to the first floor of the inn with his luggage.
Basto, sitting by the window, stood up.
“What about the weapons you left for repair?”
“As if you’d forget when I picked them up.”
Gruff tone, but Basto took it in stride.
They hadn’t been together long, but he’d already figured out Veil’s personality.
“Have you finished your preparations, old timer?”
Nordix, chatting with the innkeeper couple in the kitchen, turned around.
He didn’t have much luggage.
Just one old backpack, a staff, and a celestial telescope strapped to his waist.
“I finished long ago. We can leave whenever you’re ready.”
Basto stood from his seat.
He slung the huge bag containing Tiye’s and his own luggage over one shoulder.
“Then let’s go.”
Tiye nodded quickly.
Her face was half tense, half excited and buzzing.
The innkeeper grandma came out from the kitchen and hugged Tiye tight.
“See you again, kid. If you pass the gate, come visit Grandma anytime, got it?”
“Yesss, thank you for everything……”
Tiye hugged Grandma tight and took a big breath.
Then bowed deeply to the innkeeper grandpa too.
Soon Basto opened the door, and cool wind blew in under the pouring sunlight.
‘Strict mode!’
Reciting it, Tiye stepped forward bravely.
From the moment she left the inn, Tiye had to become ‘Necrolord’ again.
‘I can do it. I prepared my heart super super hard.’
……However, Tiye soon had no choice but to realize once more.
That life wasn’t easy.
“Huh? Necrolord’s dozing off.”
A few hours later.
Tiye snapped open her eyes that had been drooping shut.
The same scenery stretched around her still.
Veil teased from beside her.
“Necrolord’s sleepy? Necrolord? Napping in broad daylight?”
“Tiye’s not sleepy!”
“Not sleepy my foot. Then what’s that on Basto’s shoulder~”
Tiye startled.
Drool soaked the shoulder she’d been leaning on.
“Th-this is……”
“It’s fine, Tiye. Sleep more. Still half a day to Pearl City.”
Tiye mumbled her mouth shut.
Then wiped the drool off Basto’s shoulder with her sleeve, hesitated a bit, and raised her hand high.
“Uncle, Tiye’ll walk now!”
Everyone else was walking hard; Tiye couldn’t just sleep.
Not when she was Necrolord, after all.
Sliding down from Basto’s back, rough sand crunched under her feet.
‘Thought big buildings like Jongno-gu would appear right after the gate.’
Even after passing the gate, the surroundings were barren.
The few buildings looked questionable if anyone lived there, and the constant sand gusts stung her eyes.
If not for the scarf Veil tied around her nose, she’d definitely be coughing.
“Uncle, is Pearl City like this too?”
Tiye couldn’t hold back her curiosity and asked.
Basto shook his head.
“Not this barren. Pearl City’s a port town.”
Port town……?
TV shows she’d watched with 203-room Auntie flashed in her mind: .
Cute houses, blue sea.
Fish rippling silver as nets were pulled up, sailors in shiny aprons hauling ropes…….
Tiye’s eyes sparkled.
‘Must be so cool for real.’
The seaside village Tiye had seen was pure fantasy.
“Uncle, how many nights in Pearl City?”
“Hmm. Just stopping by before Populosa Armory District, so no more than two days planned.”
Until this morning, Tiye and Agabert members had been at Capital Gate 1.
Passing the gate into the Capital had been fun at first.
A bustling district inside the gate for those permitted entry and Holy Knights only.
But Tiye and the group had no time to leisurely tour it.
‘Gotta reach Pearl City today. Stay two days there, then straight to Populosa Armory District.’
The Capital was much bigger than thought.
Passing the gate didn’t mean reaching the central area with the palace and Holy Knight Order HQ right away.
‘Ha, told you to just leave it with the gate blacksmith. When are we detouring to Populosa Armory District then back to central Capital? All for one hammer, seriously…….’
‘This War Hammer’s a custom weapon, Veil. Can’t restore durability without a proper weaponsmith. You didn’t forget? Last siege, without it, you’d be dead already.’
While Basto and Veil bickered, Tiye sketched a map in her head.
‘To Pearl City port town first, then Populosa Armory District!’
After that, to central Capital where Dad was.
The problem: the road from the gate to Pearl City port was pretty rough.
Tiye realized why only after passing the bustling district inside Gate 1.
A vast wasteland spread inside the district.
Basto, Veil, and Nordix said it had formed just a few years ago.
‘Several large Mana Stones, that’s why.’
Usually large Mana Stones in the Capital got removed immediately, so she wondered why this wasteland was left alone.
Anyway, Tiye and the group decided to bypass the wasteland.
‘Hey, Basto. You know why bother? Takes at least half a day to Pearl City since the wasteland. Why not rent a carriage?’
Ahead of the wasteland was a place renting or selling carriages to those in a hurry.
But.
‘N-no way……! Tiye has no money now! Gave too much bribe to bad Holy Knights, mmph.’
Veil covered her mouth, so she couldn’t finish, but Tiye’s group really had no money left.
Tiye had used all her jewels to restore Basto’s ID number.
The rest’s money got spent on uniforms and various purchases.
Basto seemed to feel huge guilt over it, but Tiye didn’t mind.
‘Can collect more jewels later anyway?’
Bone Friends said so.
Tons of jewels in graves.
‘Graves?’
‘Yesss! Can’t here with no graves, but where graves many, they’ll find more!’
Still, one thing made Tiye uneasy.
‘Found stuff on road should go to police station to find owner.’
Worried if it was okay to use jewels from others’ graves freely.
But then.
Words 107-room Grandmother said long ago flashed.
‘Why bury gold in dirt? No need Africa or other countries. Just this neighborhood, how many kids suffering without parents wandering. Better donate for them…….’
Tiye tilted her head.
Thinking about it…….
‘Suffering without parents wandering…… that’s Tiye?’
Right now, Tiye was exactly the ‘poor kids’ 107-room Grandmother mentioned.
