Ch#221
* * *
A few days later, in the afternoon.
"Tie, an invitation came from the Imperial Palace."
Tie looked up at Basto's words.
The child set down Ppuppue, which he had been holding, and asked.
"From the palace? What kind of invitation?"
"It seems they're holding a grand event at the palace for those departing for the Central Continent in a month."
Tie clamped his mouth shut.
A grand event. Images of a lavish party puffed up in his mind like clouds.
'Come to think of it, Tie has never been to a big party!'
People in Talochioum threw parties at the drop of a hat.
The frequency increased with the host's status and wealth.
According to Selina, parties had honey-glazed pudding, cakes as big as people, and bread and snacks that never ran out no matter how much you ate...
"Eek, gross."
At that moment, someone wiped the corner of Tie's mouth.
"Drooling already just thinking about food? Huh?"
Turning his head, Veil was there, grumbling as he scooped Tie up.
Tie blinked in surprise.
'Brother Veil is done sulking now...?'
Since the shouting match in the dining hall last time, Veil had been avoiding Tie for some reason.
At first, it had hurt a lot.
He had even secretly confessed to Dad before bed.
'Dad. Brother Veil gets too angry.'
'Why?'
'Just. Every time Tie mentions Grandpa Nordics, he gets mad. No, he gets mad even if just the word "grandpa" comes up.'
'......'
'Does Brother Veil actually hate Grandpa Nordics? So he's not sad that Grandpa's gone? Right?'
'That's not it.'
'It's not?'
Tie had found Dad's story that day sad yet unexpected.
'Veil probably really liked Grandpa Nordics deep down. But Veil just doesn't know how to express that regret and sadness.'
'......Why can't he express it? He could just say he's sad. Or cry like Tie?'
'Some people can't. Actually, Dad can't either.'
'Dad can't?'
'Yeah. You know Dad's armor? The one he wears to fight monsters. People put on armor in their hearts too when they're too scared or sad. So their heart doesn't get hurt.'
'......'
'Once they wear it, they act opposite to their thoughts. They pretend to hate what they love so much, act tough when they're sad. They put on a strong front because they don't want their weak inner self exposed.'
'Tie knows that.'
'......'
'Like how Dad acted cold to Grandpa and the uncles?'
Dad's eyes had been warm yet distant upon hearing Tie's response.
'Yeah. But our daughter stripped off all the armor in Dad's heart.'
'When?!'
'A long, long time ago, when you were born.'
The words were a bit puzzling.
Tie had learned for the first time that day that Dad had worn heart-armor—and that he himself had removed it.
'But anyway, it's off now, so that's good.'
Tie quietly gazed at Veil's profile.
Veil was frowning as usual.
He asked Basto about the "grand event."
"The event name is Glorious Send-Off Ceremony? Already so flashy. What's the point? So."
"It's written here. 'A ceremony hosted to honorably send off those who have received appointments.'"
"Honorably send off? Bullshit. Since when was shoving them to the slaughterhouse like pigs honorable?"
"......Ahem."
Basto cleared his throat.
Veil finally clamped his mouth shut with a start.
Glancing at Tie's expression, fortunately the child seemed oblivious.
He had worried the kid might be shocked hearing "slaughterhouse" or "pigs."
"Anyway."
Veil, catching his breath, sharpened his gaze again.
"An invitation to the base means all the mercenaries are invited too?"
"Anyone included in the expedition force is eligible. And."
"And?"
"It allows family and close associates of invitees to attend as well. It says anyone who wishes to share the moment of departure may do so."
As Veil's eyes widened, Basto asked.
"Do you have someone else to invite?"
Veil startled and looked up, mumbling evasively.
"No, well......"
"I think you mentioned having younger siblings back home last time."
Tie's eyes sparkled.
Come to think of it, Veil occasionally talked about his siblings from his hometown, though not often.
'Ugh, those snot-nosed brats. You can tell just looking they'll never listen.'
'Brother Veil can tell who's a troublemaker just by looking?'
'No need to look. Kids that age are all troublemakers. Leave 'em alone and they'll break something for sure. My siblings were like that.'
Or such things.
'Kid, how come you act just like my little ones?'
'Little ones? Does Brother Veil have little siblings?'
'Yeah. Ones who never listen and are super loud. Just like you, kid.'
'Ugh!'
Most conversations were like that.
'But Brother Veil really likes his siblings.'
Tie had seen it a few times.
When going to Flint Cove together or passing by, Veil's gaze lingering on the children.
"Brother Veil! Let's call your siblings!"
At the bright words, Veil hesitated and turned his head.
"......My siblings?"
"Yeah! Now we have money and a house. The send-off ceremony is a big party, so lots of snacks!"
"......"
"Don't Brother Veil's siblings like snacks like Tie? And if we go to the Central Continent, we might not see them for a long time! We have to see them now."
Veil ruffled his hair as if his head hurt.
"That's true, but......"
"Tie's right, Veil."
Basto chimed in.
He glanced at Tie before continuing.
"Didn't the Vice Leader roughly tell you? There might be more to do in the Central Continent than expected."
Veil's gaze darkened.
He knew it too.
That this expedition was no simple matter.
Suddenly, he recalled a few days ago when Tese tan had gathered him, Basto, and the other members.
* * *
"Once you depart, it'll be hard to back out later."
Tese tan, who had beaten around the bush for a while, said it bluntly.
"I'm not trying to drag anyone. Just that there might be no chance to choose later, so decide now."
All Agavert members were under memory control via Oblivion's Sanctity.
In other words, anyone could leave the mercenary group safely if they wished.
Forgetting important information and memories that could burden or endanger them cleanly.
"You have to assume incidents will almost certainly arise in the Central Continent."
Tese tan's words were obvious, really.
To prevent Tie's disappearance, they needed to investigate the World Tree.
But the already insular Church wouldn't let them approach it.
The World Tree was in Roxe Forest, and even now, the Church strictly controlled the outskirts.
"Sieges are one thing, but we'll be kidnapping, infiltrating, interrogating against the Church. And that's not all."
"......"
"We need to fend off anyone approaching the kid with ill intent too."
In the end, the foreseeable conclusion was clear.
'We'll make an enemy of the Church.'
Not in Talochioum, but in the Church's home base, the Central Continent.
It was as good as saying to stake their lives on this expedition.
"Th-then I think this is where I bow out."
"Call me a coward, that's fine. But with family to consider, I can't risk that much danger......"
A few rank-and-file members indeed expressed their intent to leave right there.
Tese tan didn't condemn them at all.
He simply wished them well calmly.
"I didn't know the uncles were sick. How upset they must have been, not telling Tie all this time?"
Afterward, Tese tan took on the role of giving Tie plausible excuses too.
Thanks to that, Tie believed the members left for minor personal reasons.
Veil had plenty of chances to leave too.
But.
"Seems like you have a lot to be responsible for."
That evening.
When Basto asked casually.
For some reason, Veil couldn't readily agree.
"As you know, I have nothing to lose. At this point, the only thing I want to protect is Tie."
"......"
"But you might be different. Leave if you want. Tie might be upset at first, but she'll be fine. She found her dad now."
But at least that conversation clearly reminded Veil of his original purpose.
'......Right. I came to earn money.'
The main reason he had joined the mercenary group.
Veil glanced down at the sudden heavy weight in his pocket.
In the hand opposite the one holding Tie, he gripped a fistful of gold coins he always carried.
'......I used to starve without a penny.'
Now his room safe held dozens—no, hundreds of them.
His expression grew serious.