Ch#223
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"......There are a lot of people."
Tie, who had been gripping Tese tan's hand tightly, turned her head at Basto's mutter.
The child pressed her nose against the carriage window.
"Wowww!"
The plaza in front of the Imperial Palace was displaying its usual grandeur.
Immensely large in size.
Even the large Clock Tower in the center.
The difference was,
"Ugh...... All these humans swarming around look like monsters. Guess I've seen too many disgusting sights at the Old Palace."
As Veil said, unlike usual, the plaza was packed with countless people.
"Hey, the Clock Tower reminds me of something. It's just like the one at the Old Palace!"
"That's because of what the Imperial Princess—no, the Association President told you before, Tie."
Basto explained.
"A long time ago, when the Imperial Palace was moved here, the Emperor of that time copied the style of the original Old Palace exactly."
"Yes! That's amazing!"
Tie's eyes sparkled.
The child stared for a long time at the Clock Tower where people were gathered, laughing and chatting.
Tese tan only realized the reason after Tie turned around.
"Dad, this is where we first met for real, right?"
Tese tan let out a small sigh.
Tie continued.
"Dad didn't recognize Tie and got mad! Yelling about manners and threatening to kill me...... Sniff."
"When did Dad ever."
Tese tan covered the child's mouth and retorted.
He sighed in resignation and grumbled.
"Princess, why say such things with a smile? Dad feels sorry and heartbroken just hearing it."
"Sniff, pfft!"
Tie shook off Tese tan's hand and tilted her head.
"Why? Tie isn't sad or upset at all anymore?"
The child wrapped her arms around Tese tan's neck and showered his cheek with kisses, just as he always did to her.
"We're getting along great now, so it's good! We love each other like before, so it's good! Super duper happy!"
In the end, laughter burst from Tese tan's lips.
Watching the scene, Veil burst into laughter too.
Veil asked.
"Kid. With how much you like Dad, what are you gonna do during the whole Glorious Send-Off Ceremony?"
Tie's face fell.
"At the send-off ceremony, I'll have to act like the Necromancer King and won't be able to hold Dad's hand or hug him."
Veil said slyly.
"See? That's why I told you to reveal it."
"Reveal what......?"
"That you're actually four."
Tie shut her mouth.
As the child's expression grew complicated, Veil continued.
"Back then, the mercenary group was small, and there weren't enough people to protect you, so we hid your real age."
Now, Agavert was a mercenary group powerful enough that no one in the Empire could challenge it.
And not just that?
"Right. Veil's correct. Anyway, since we're heading to the Central Continent, there's a limit to deceiving the Church."
As Basto said, it was already too late to avoid the Church's scrutiny.
"Who knows? If we reveal you're just a normal kid, the Church might lower their guard."
"No, it's dangerous."
At that moment, Tese tan cut off Basto and Veil decisively.
"It'd be fortunate if their guard lowers, but they might see Tie as an easier target instead."
"......"
"For now, maintaining the status quo is the best choice. Got it, princess?"
Tie reluctantly nodded at Tese tan, who spoke while holding her hands.
But her small lips were already slightly pouting.
"Tie, pretending to be the Necromancer King is a little hard, but......"
Even sneaking to the academy every few days.
Not being able to act spoiled outside.
'Tie handled it fine alone without Dad.'
For some reason, now that Dad was by her side, she couldn't muster her old spirited resolve.
She wanted to ask Dad to carry her instead of walking alone.
When she fell while running and scraped her knee, she wanted to go to Dad and have him blow on it.
"It's okay, daughter. It's just half a day."
Tese tan soothed the sullen Tie, hugging her gently.
"And you won't be far from Dad anyway."
"......"
"Our daughter is the leader. Dad is the vice leader. The vice leader is supposed to stick right by the leader's side. You just can't hold hands or kiss, but Dad will be by Tie's side the whole time."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Really really?"
"Yes."
Only then did the child's expression brighten.
Veil raked his hair back in exasperation at the sight of her covering her mouth and giggling.
"Now that she found Dad, we're total leftovers."
"It's nice to see, why complain, Veil."
"Can't leftovers be called leftovers?"
"Leftover" was an expression Tie had taught him directly.
Rice was supposed to be hot, but when it cooled, it got ignored and pushed aside.
"Uh, uh. That's exactly our situation, leftovers."
Tie, who had been tilting her head, suddenly exclaimed "Ah!"
Then, lightly ignoring Veil, she said to Tese tan again.
"Daddyy, Tie wants nurungji."
"Nurungji?"
"Yes!"
Veil and Basto quietly exchanged glances.
What was nurungji now.
Since Tese tan regained his memories.
The father and daughter chattered nonstop about things only they understood.
For example,
'Dad! This cat's ear is hurt this much! Did it get neutered too?'
'Looks like it. Probably fought with other cats. But they don't have neutering here.'
'Gasp, no neutering?!'
Or,
'So, Dangun grandpa turned the bear into a woman.'
'......Ha, I'm going crazy. Who the hell is Dangun grandpa.'
'Daddyy! Brother Veil doesn't know Dangun grandpa! Tie kept telling him!'
'Really? Call him once more. He'll get it then.'
'Yes! Watch closely, Brother Veil? In this beautiful land of gold mountains and rivers~ Dangun grandpa......'
Things like that.
"They don't even give us a chance to butt in."
Veil clicked his tongue and crossed his legs.
But a pleased smile spread across his lips.
"As long as Tie's happy."
Basto grinned too.
As Veil said, they might be "leftovers" now.
But the bright, lively Tie was far better than the one who cried every day missing her dad.
It was then.
"Leader! We've arrived!"
The carriage, having passed the entire plaza, stopped at the Imperial Palace's main gate.
Tie got down from Tese tan's lap with a reluctant face.
As the child stood in front, Tese tan straightened her clothes.
"Whose daughter is this? You're extra cute today."
"Really? Is Tie pretty?"
"Super pretty."
Dressed up for the first time in a while, Tie looked just like a cute doll.
The braids Marshal had done hung swinging behind her back.
"Shall we go?"
Tie nodded tensely at Tese tan's words.
"Fighting!"
The child bravely jumped out of the carriage, but
"Okay, let's gooo....... Ah."
stiffened in place at the gazes already fixed on her.
Tie hesitated and looked around.
Dozens of carriages were lined up horizontally in front of the Imperial Palace's main gate.
And countless people who had alighted from them were all staring at Tie.
In the silence.
Tie began hearing noble ladies unfolding fans and whispering.
"......That's the one, right?"
"Never thought the day would come when I'd attend the same banquet as mercenaries."
"They're supporting the Luminen family on the expedition, after all."
"Still, having them here is a bit...... They could've separated the entrances."
Tie's shoulders shrank.
Though difficult, she knew not all those words were welcoming.
"But you know, the rumors say......"
It was then.
She felt someone approach and stand beside her.
The child hesitated and looked up.
Dad, dressed in his white uniform, stood like a sturdy pillar beside her.
"Long time no see, Duchess Mayfield."
The whispering noble ladies stopped abruptly at Dad's voice.
"L-Luminen Young Lord?"
One of them hurried over and stared at Dad in disbelief.
"N-No. I thought you were resting in the borderlands? How is the Young Lord......"
Dad gestured toward the carriage behind.
"I've been doing mercenary work for a while."
"Mercenary?! No, why......!"
Tese tan raised one eyebrow slightly and wore a bored expression.
"It suits me. Better than attending events like this every day while tied to the Church."
Silence fell instantly around them.
Only then did Tese tan go "Ah" and add,
"Oops. My manners must have gotten rough from roaming battlefields. To put it politely."
"......"
"Selling your life on the battlefield is better than posturing with a three-inch tongue."