Ch#41
In the luxurious guest room of the Governance Hall.
Tiye set down the paper and pencil provided on the side table and sprawled out on the floor before them.
With a serious face, she carefully wrote Hangul letters one by one, but
[Fowawd pwan.]
She startled and erased it, then wrote again.
[Fowawd
pwan
Plan.]
Tiye's face lit up with immense satisfaction as she moved her fingers again.
[Fiwst goal. Meet Dad. Make Dad happy in his hometown.]
This had been Tiye's goal from the moment she first came to this world.
To meet Dad and ensure he never returned to Korea again.
Considering Kkamangi's words about the ‘Law of Fate’s Return,’ Dad could fall back into Korea at any moment.
Next,
[Second goal. Pwotect Kkamangi.]
Tiye paused midway and sank into deep thought.
Kkamangi was the benefactor and friend who had brought Tiye to this world.
Tiye had called him her summon to protect him more easily, as he seemed to be pursued by someone.
‘Yup, Tiye was doing weww.’
So she figured continuing like this would be fine.
But,
[The young spirit might show you the way.]
[If it's by your side, Lucarion will someday…….]
For some reason, it felt like there was more Tiye had to do.
Gripping the pencil tighter, Tiye continued writing.
[Find out Kkamangi's twue natuwe.]
Kkamangi was neither a Tanipang nor a puppetmon.
Even Princess Seradin, whom she'd just met, had spoken of Kkamangi as if he were a spirit like her.
‘Is Kkamangi a weal spiwit?’
If so, then the spirits of this world were somewhere…….
As Tiye pondered, she wrote the next letters.
[Thiwrd goal. Find out Mana Stone's twue natuwe too!]
As far as Tiye could tell, there seemed to be some special connection between spirits and Mana Stones.
‘When Tiye asked Pwincess Seradin why she became a Mana Stone, she gave a stwange answew.’
Seradin had said she'd lost her power for certain reasons.
Then she'd mentioned something called the ‘Mother Tree.’
[A tree with rotten roots withers from the leaves first. We have something called the ‘Mother Tree.’]
“Mommy Twee……?”
[Yes. That tree has long governed life, nature, purity, and such. The source of us spirits' power comes from there too. But…….]
Unfortunately, Seradin's explanation had ended there.
Still, Tiye racked her brains hard to piece it together.
[Anyway, thewe awe mowe than one ow two spiwits.]
Seradin had spoken as if there were other spirits besides herself.
She'd kept referring to them as ‘us.’
That naturally led to one suspicion crossing her mind.
‘Maybe the Mommy Twee got hurt, and the baby spiwits became owphans?’
If the ‘certain reasons’ Seradin mentioned meant the Mother Tree's roots rotting.
Then it made sense that the spirits had fallen into hardship because of it.
Tiye thought it over deeply, then continued writing.
[Owphan spiwits become Mana Stones?]
Seradin had lost her power and become a Mana Stone.
Were the other spirits the same?
If Lucarion was too, and by any chance all Mana Stones in the world were spirits…….
Tiye shook her head side to side.
“Eung, Tiye doesn't know yet.”
Seradin's information was limited.
So some things Tiye would have to check herself to truly understand.
“Then…….”
Tiye chewed the pencil tip and wrote at the very bottom.
[Watew, check: Wook fow Mommy Twee, see if othew Mana Stones have spiwits too.]
Setting the pencil down, she proudly lifted the paper.
“Heung.”
It had been forever since she'd written, but Tiye's letters were neat and clear.
Her kindergarten teacher surely would've praised her…….
Tiye's eyes grew wistful for a moment.
‘Tiye wants to go back to kindewgawten.’
Tiye liked Basto, Veil, and Nordix.
She liked the new people they met while traveling too.
But after all, Tiye needed friends her own age.
‘These days, if you don't go to kindewgawten, they say you get ignowed at ewementawy schoow…….’
But going to kindergarten like this was pretty much a joke anyway.
Tiye was currently acting as the Necrolord.
Tiye got up from her spot first.
She put the paper with her plan in her bag and headed to the door.
The moment she grabbed the doorknob, her stomach rumbled.
Gurgle- groooowl-
Actually, her stomach had been growling since she woke up.
She'd held it in to reorganize her plans.
Hurrying out, a splendid hallway unfolded before her.
“……Wight, Tiye came to the Governance Haww!”
Pride swelled in her heart.
She'd forgotten she'd moved lodgings thanks to Marianne.
‘The Governance Haww food'll be even yummiew.’
Skipping down the central stairs excitedly, a familiar face in the lobby waved.
“Unit Leader. Sleep well?”
“Veil oppa!”
Tiye ran over happily, pouncing into Veil's arms.
Then grinning, she tugged at Veil's clothes.
“Oppa hewe! Tiye was thinking of you, and hewe you awe! The Mana Stones……!”
But she sensed something off and shut her mouth.
Veil's face looked sullen for some reason.
And Veil wasn't looking at Tiye, but somewhere behind her.
Tiye froze, then slowly turned.
And startled with a jump.
“G-Govewnow's sons……?!”
Right beside the central stairs.
The governor's two sons she'd rescued last night stood side by side.
With quite shocked faces too.
“Ah, Necrolord. So, um……”
The one called Enzo stammered, and a rock thudded onto Tiye's head.
‘Idiot, idiot.’
She'd completely forgotten.
That inside Pearl City, she always had to act like the ‘Necrolord.’
Tiye fidgeted anxiously, replaying her actions.
What had Tiye done?
Ran down the stairs calling Veil ‘oppa,’ acting totally like a little kid…….
“V-Veil o……”
The moment she looked to Veil, unsure what to do.
“You two, don't move a muscle and wait right here. The second you go anywhere, you're done—no group, no nothing.”
Veil spoke quickly, hoisted Tiye onto his back in a flash, and strode off somewhere swiftly.
In her shaking vision.
Raoul and Enzo stood frozen in place just as Veil said.
Still staring at Tiye with shocked faces.
* * *
“Tiye messed up!”
Tiye bowed her head deeply before Basto, Nordix, and Veil.
Tears welled in her eyes.
“Tiye was gonna act pewfect, but bwinked fow a second and……”
The members listening tried to hide their awkward expressions.
In truth, Tiye's acting hadn't been that perfect up till now either.
What Tiye had to do boiled down to acting like an ‘adult.’
But no matter how well she acted, four-year-old Tiye couldn't fully behave like one.
“What now? The govewnow's sons found out Tiye's secwet……”
Meanwhile, dark imaginations bubbled up in Tiye's head.
Raoul and Enzo spreading word after leaving the Governance Hall that Tiye was really a four-year-old kid.
Villagers disappointed in Tiye upon hearing.
Eventually the rumors reaching the governor's ears…….
‘Sorry, but Tiye? The Pearl City Governance Hall is a no-kids zone. Please leave.’
Tiye getting kicked out on her butt with her luggage……!
“Big twouble. What to do.”
Tiye started pacing in circles anxiously.
The moment Basto, unable to watch, opened his mouth.
“Ah!”
Something flashed through Tiye's mind.
Her eyes sparkled, and her gaze dropped downward.
A pretty bracelet dangled from her wrist that hadn't been there yesterday.
The gift from Princess Spirit, sea god Seradin.
“Puwity Bwacewet!”
[Touching a target with the hand wearing the Purity Bracelet should let you erase any memory you desire from them.]
Tiye whipped around to her members and said.
“Shouwd Tiye ewase it?”
Everyone flinched, but Tiye continued unconcerned.
“Shouwd Tiye just ewase both the govewnow's sons?”
Of course, it meant erasing their memories.
But the three men's faces paled in an instant.
