Ch#49
* * *
Tiye grunted as she stuffed the jewels into her Hanbit kindergarten bag.
"Two gold bars and......"
But the gold was so heavy she couldn't lift it at all.
"I'll carry that for you."
Basto, who had been watching, put Tiye's two gold bars into the leather pouch hanging from his waist.
Only after confirming Basto had securely tied the pouch did Tiye start filling the rest with jewels.
"This one and this one......"
She didn't know how many poison needle bombs she'd buy, but she couldn't run short on money anyway.
"Done!"
Finally finished packing the bag, Tiye let out a "Phew" and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.
'Good thing I grabbed the treasure chest from the Ghost Sail Ship.'
The wrecked ship Tiye had summoned in Pearl City was full of treasure chests.
Tiye had picked only the most valuable-looking ones, and she planned to use some of them today at the Armory Hall.
Tiye looked at her bulging bag and said generously,
"Tiye decided. Today, Tiye's treat!"
At her words, the members preparing to head out turned to look at Tiye.
Tiye proudly stuck out her tummy.
"Enzo oppa and Nordix grandpa and Veil oppa's swords—Tiye will buy them! Tiye's the Unit Leader!"
Veil burst into laughter.
The approaching Veil scooped Tiye up and teased,
"Suits me fine. Unlike those rich young masters over there, I'm dirt poor."
Enzo and Raoul gave awkward smiles.
Nordix standing nearby also chuckled heartily.
"I won't refuse either."
Tiye hugged Veil's neck and declared spiritedly,
"Veil oppa. If Tiye buys poison needle bombs, Tiye'll protect Veil oppa from now on!"
Veil made a nonchalant face.
"Like you haven't been protecting me already. How many times have I survived thanks to you?"
"Still, as Necrolord, Tiye has to be an even sturdier Unit Leader!"
Veil and the other members exchanged glances.
They all shrugged, not understanding.
Veil casually set Tiye down.
"Kiddo. But why'd you think that?"
Tiye paused for a moment, then hesitantly continued,
"Well, just. I want everyone not to get hurt or sick......"
"Worried we'll get hurt?"
"Yeah."
Tiye lifted her somewhat downcast face.
"This place is nice, but there are lots of monsters too......"
And there were plenty who had lost loved ones to those monsters.
'And Tiye knows.'
What it felt like to lose a loved one.
Because Tiye had lost her dad once too.
The child's eyes sank strangely.
"Now everyone's Tiye's family...... so I want no one getting hurt anywhere."
The unexpected word made everyone freeze.
Basto stopped midway through putting on his coat and looked at Tiye, while Veil fell silent.
Raoul and Enzo also stared at the child in surprise.
"Family?"
Tiye nodded.
"Yeah. Not just blood family, but heart family too."
It was what 107-room Grandmother had said every day when they lived at Gold Apartment.
Grandmother wasn't Tiye's real grandma, but she loved Tiye like a real one every moment.
Likewise, Tiye loved 107-room Grandmother like a real granddaughter.
"Tiye super loves everyone here."
Basto's expression went blank.
Veil, Raoul, and Enzo were the same.
"So no one can get hurt, okay? If the people Tiye loves get hurt, Tiye gets sad......"
"What're you saying!"
At that moment, Veil shouted.
For some reason, her face was flushed red.
"Kiddo, you idiot?! We're mercenaries—how could we not get hurt?! You almost got us all killed last time with that map!"
Tiye's cheeks puffed out instantly at the loud voice, as if startled.
The child widened her eyes and shot back,
"Tiye won't get hurt as much as Veil oppa!"
"Yeah! You stay safe! If you get hurt, then what?! Tiny thing! What?! It'll bug me too, so don't get hurt!"
"I won't get hurt! Whoever gets hurt first is the dummy!"
"Oh~ then it's obviously you! 'Cause even if I die and come back, I won't get hurt!"
"Eek......"
Tiye huffed and stormed out the lodging door.
"Where you going alone! Gonna get hurt? Huh?!"
Veil chased after her in a fluster, leaving four behind in the lodging.
"Strange."
Enzo was the first to murmur.
Raoul followed.
"Yeah. The Unit Leader...... is way kinder than I thought."
Thinking of them as family.
Loving them.
The words carried such weight that no one had heard them easily in life.
"Let's go."
Then Basto, who had been silent, murmured.
Raoul and Enzo nodded and followed Basto out of the lodging.
Left alone, Nordix's gaze turned to the floor.
For some reason, he stood silently for a moment before opening the door and leaving.
Tiye was already far ahead.
* * *
The central blast furnace area of the massive furnace.
Sparks flew before Berugon, the Factory Chief of Populosa Armory district.
"Elder. Um...... I looked into what you mentioned."
His hammer, pounding the anvil, stopped abruptly at his prized apprentice's words.
"Basto Paerix went to the Armory Hall with the Agabert members, as confirmed."
Berugon's brow furrowed deeply as he turned.
Behind him, molten iron glowed red-hot.
"I clearly said two months minimum."
The apprentice nodded.
"Yes. But since it's two months, he might be looking for a temporary weapon......"
"Damn bastard."
Despite his smaller-than-average build, when Berugon slammed his hammer onto the anvil, the ground shook.
"Discarding his old weapon for a new one? What kind of trash is that?!"
The apprentice approached to calm Berugon's agitation.
"Come on, he wouldn't throw away the War Hammer! He's probably just finding something to use meantime."
But Berugon's expression didn't settle easily.
Gnashing his teeth at the rippling iron, he muttered,
"Go tell the Armory Hall smiths. Kick those guys out of my exhibition area right now."
Perplexity crossed the apprentice's face.
"But Elder. Again?! We've lost important customers this way before......"
"Customers be damned—I won't forgive anyone mishandling my weapons!"
The apprentice shut his mouth.
He started to reply but met Berugon's fierce glare and reluctantly turned away.
As he exited the central blast furnace area, waiting fellow smiths swarmed him.
"What'd he say?"
"Mad? He wants them kicked out again?!"
The apprentice nodded with a troubled face.
Everyone staggered in shock, then drooped their eyebrows solemnly.
"This is bad...... Basto looks like a mountain—no way he's easy to toss out......"
Berugon Gregor.
Known as the Iron Blood Smith, he was always a legend among smiths.
He was the district's overseer and Factory Chief, and his weapons symbolized raw power, never mere tools.
But as seen, the problem was......
"Ha! The more I think, the more troubling! Even if he's the Elder, if he keeps this up, what are we supposed to do? Huh?"
His temperament had turned strange at some point.
"Weapons are great, but you gotta consider people and situations. Who'd twiddle thumbs waiting two months for forging?!"
"Right. I'd shop for a temp weapon too!"
Berugon valued weapons above all else in the world.
To the smiths, he seemed to converse more with weapons than people.
"And lately, he banishes everyone left and right...... Forgot he almost got executed last time?"
Two months ago.
Just look at how he'd raged at the Emperor for breaking one of his swords, nearly facing execution.
