Ch#23
Tesetan?
Veil stared at the man in surprise.
Floating hair as if he hadn't fully woken up, a languid expression and slow gait.
But his broad shoulders and sturdy build exuded a sharp aura, and his cool eyes harbored a strange intensity.
Veil tensed up without realizing it.
‘A monster is still a monster, huh?’
The energy radiating from Tesetan was truly overwhelming.
His presence alone seemed to crush the surroundings—no, the entire inn.
“Overslept, damn it.”
Tesetan muttered with a yawn.
He leisurely scanned the first floor before his gaze locked onto one spot.
The counter.
Where Nordics, Veil, and Basto sat.
Tesetan narrowed his eyes and muttered.
“What’s this, Rudy? No customers, so you jacked up the rates. Business looks pretty good, though?”
The innkeeper hurriedly waved his hands and stepped forward.
“Booming? Nah, just a little seasonal rush lately. Anyway, should we deduct from the prepayment?”
Tesetan, who had gone quiet, nodded indifferently.
His face said he didn’t care either way.
But as he slowly turned, his eyes suddenly stopped on one place.
Basto’s shoulder.
Where Astie’s head was, covered in black cloth.
Tesetan furrowed his brow slightly at the bulging fabric.
“That’s……”
At that moment.
“Captain! Ship’s here! Oh, it just arrived now!”
A red-haired woman burst into the inn out of nowhere.
The curiosity on Tesetan’s face vanished.
He groaned like it was a headache, then turned and left.
Passing Basto’s group with lazy steps, he slammed the door shut behind him.
A few seconds of silence followed, then Veil muttered.
“That’s him, right? Trebaga’s captain.”
Basto and Nordics nodded.
“Yeah.”
The captain of the great mercenary group Trebaga, Tesetan.
Blood-calling demon, beast slayer, ghost, destroyer…
No one in the Empire was unaware of those fearsome titles.
“His presence is something else.”
“Yeah. Heard he uses some weird sword style?”
“Oh, I heard that too. Something noble yet vulgar? What even is that? Guy’s probably just spouting crap to sound cool.”
Rudy, the innkeeper who’d been listening, burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! Rumors like that about Trebaga’s captain?”
All eyes turned to Rudy.
“Not entirely off-base. Fits Tesetan to a T.”
Basto narrowed his eyes.
“You know something more about him?”
But Rudy just waved it off.
“Whoa, even if I did, can’t say. Gotta keep my regulars happy.”
He clapped to change the mood, looking over the group.
“Anyway, first things first—rooms?”
That’s when Astie, freshly awake, poked her head out from under the cloth.
Rudy’s eyes went wide.
Astie’s pupils dilated too, but
“Wh-what, Basto! If we’re all here, wake me up!”
The kid quickly sized up the situation and put on a sassy face, smacking Basto’s shoulder.
She hopped down and craned her neck up to stare right at Rudy.
“Ahem! Two nights. On credit.”
Rudy’s face went blank at the brazen demand.
Astie proudly flashed a steaming Mercenary Badge.
“Me, Sovereign Commander, captain of Agavert, will pay back triple later.”
Oblivious to the red crease stamped on her forehead.
* * *
Rudy heard the full story from Basto and assigned Agavert a room.
He was visibly shocked to hear Astie had summoned a skeleton at the checkpoint.
“Hm hm~”
Astie hummed, recalling Rudy’s jaw-dropping reaction.
The room was clean and spacious.
Two beds lined against opposite walls, crisp white sheets gleaming.
“You can roll around to your heart’s content, Astie.”
Astie nodded eagerly.
“Yep!”
The bed Basto gave her was right by the window.
Astie clambered up and peered outside.
Beyond the bustling square, an endless sea stretched out.
“Perl City……”
After trudging dirt roads forever, a dazzling ocean right here.
Daddy’s hometown kept astonishing her at every turn.
Astie recalled the dream from being piggybacked on Basto’s back.
‘Astie, business looks pretty good, huh?’
For some reason, Daddy had been playing pretend with her in the dream.
Daddy as the customer, her as the innkeeper?
She kinda felt like she’d glimpsed his face.
“Astie, stay put here for a bit. Veil and I have business downstairs.”
Basto said after setting down the bags.
They planned to head to the basement tavern for a quick probe on Astie’s parents.
Astie slung her bag to the front and saluted briskly.
“Yessir! Astie’ll stay put in the room!”
Basto smiled and ruffled her hair a couple times.
Once he was gone, Astie double-checked the door was shut, then hopped back on the bed.
Bed against the wall made it easy to perch by the window.
“Men to the sea! Ladies to the port~”
She found herself humming Aunt 203’s favorite tune when
“Huh?”
Her lips froze shut.
The crowded inn street.
In the throng heading to the harbor, a familiar back snagged her gaze.
“Hu-huh……?!”
Astie shot up, gripping the sill.
No mistake.
Gray robe amid the crowd.
The man leading the pack.
Astie tumbled off the bed and bolted to the door.
Fumbled the knob open and dashed down the nearest stairs she’d spotted on the way up.
The back door exit.
Outside, head spinning, Astie stumbled through the alleys.
‘Blue roof, blue roof……!’
This way.
That’s where he went.
Dodging folks around a corner, the path split.
Astie’s panicked eyes darted wildly.
Then—end of the right fork, a man climbing pier steps.
“Daddy!”
The cry escaped before she knew it.
Even his nape screamed Daddy.
Hands shaking unnoticed, Astie sprinted on.
Pier crowd blocked her every step.
“S-sorry! Excuse me……!”
Weaving past a burly grandpa.
Side-stepping a young mom loaded with groceries.
She pushed hard, gaining inches—only for him to pull farther ahead.
Detouring the mob at last, he boarded a massive ship.
“Daddy! Daddyyy—!!!”
Desperate, Astie forgot all about Sovereign Commander poise and bellowed.
But the horn’s buuuu- devoured her voice,
“What the—?”
She slammed into someone’s bag, sprawling backward.
Nose throbbing, but Astie popped up like a weeble.
Staggering to the pier’s edge.
Too late—the ship sailed off remorselessly.
“Daddyyy……”
Tears spilled unbidden.
Stomping, peering down: black waves only.
Barnacle-crusted pilings, drifting dead kelp...
Astie balled her fists and screamed till her throat tore.
“Daddy! Daddyyy—!!”
That instant.
Had her plea pierced through?
The man turned toward her for a split second.
Astie, shock-frozen, met his eyes.
Soon she knew.
‘……It’s Daddy.’
Not just some lookalike.
The real deal.
But the Daddy she’d scoured the world for,
The one she yearned for most,
“……”
Glanced at her briefly, then looked away, utterly disinterested.
