Ch#6
That night, at the campsite.
Basto muttered while pulling out a waterproof tarp from his gear.
“This area’s dangerous. Still two Mana Stones around. Better stay alert at night.”
He planned to keep watch all night, but worried since Tiye was so young.
Tiye, who’d been listening, shot her hand up.
“Tiye!”
“……?”
The child flapped her hand around.
“Uncle Basto has to say ‘Tiye, child’ or something, right?”
Basto flustered but managed to reply.
“R-right. Speak, Tiye child.”
“The monsters from Mana Stones, how strong are mana beasts?”
“Monsters? You mean mana beasts.”
A perfectly four-year-old question.
Basto stroked his bushy beard and answered softly.
“Depends on the individual, really.”
Mana beasts’ combat power varied by specimen.
Still, not entirely unpredictable.
Usually, lower-grade Mana Stones meant weaker mana beasts.
Actually, beasts poured from cracks around the Mana Stone, not the stone itself.
Low-grade stones had shallow cracks.
Beasts emerging were often small fry.
Higher-grade stones with bigger cracks brought proportionally stronger beasts.
That’s why they classified Mana Stones as small, medium, large.
“Mana beasts from large Mana Stones are super strong. Just look at ‘Actis’s Fall.’”
Actis was a small duchy inland across the western sea.
The duke mobilized his entire army to siege a large Mana Stone on the hill behind the castle.
‘The duke and his entire knight order wiped out.’
A nation—and humanity’s—horrific defeat.
Actis’s fall spread across the continent in a flash via rumors.
The event terrified everyone that much.
“That said, we’re not helpless every day.”
“Then what?”
“In this mercenary era, top talents from across the continent gather. Unlike before when large Mana Stones were impossible to siege. And no matter how strong, mana beasts can’t move freely during the day.”
Even strong mana beasts weakened at dawn.
And rushed back to their cracks.
The problem: a few times a year, days they could move even in daylight.
Mercenaries called those their slang for “Day of Ruin.”
But the cause of Day of Ruin remained unknown.
“Five days to the Capital. Means four more nights in the forest even skipping tonight. Stay alert, Tiye.”
He didn’t expect much from the kid.
But better than doing nothing.
“Not trying to scare you. All for your safety.”
Worried the tiny, suspicious kid might get frightened prematurely.
“Uncle. Tiye’s not a dummy, okay?”
Instead, she puffed her cheeks and sat up straight, chest out.
“Tiye’s going to the Capital to find Dad! Mana beasts don’t scare me at all!”
A smirk tugged at Basto’s lips.
He tied the waterproof tarp to a thick tree for shelter.
Then folded spare blankets thrice and laid them underneath.
Space for Tiye to sleep alone formed.
“Come sleep here.”
“What about Uncle?”
“Grown-ups sleep late. You’re a kid, so early bedtime.”
Tiye nodded and obediently rose from the rock.
Pink bag secured tightly, she lay on the blankets.
Staring at the canopy, she whispered softly.
“But Uncle, the blanket smells like a rain-soaked puppy.”
Basto draped his relatively clean outer garment over Tiye.
“……Just sleep tonight. I’ll wash the blankets tomorrow.”
Tiye nodded and closed her eyes.
Long shadows fell beneath her lowered lashes.
Tired, soon the forest filled with her steady, peaceful breaths.
The next day.
Tiye woke very early.
And was shocked.
“Gasp! Uncle Basto isn’t sleeping!”
Because Basto was already up.
‘Grown-ups really are amazing.’
Sleeping so late and waking early.
Come to think, Dad did the same as Uncle Basto.
All to earn money for Tiye.
‘Uncle Basto too, because of Tiye……’
Feeling like a burden, her brows drooped.
No, can’t have that.
Filial massage rejected by Kkamangi, but must do for Uncle Basto.
But the moment Tiye bounced up from the blankets.
“If you’re awake, eat this first.”
A steaming wooden bowl appeared before her nose.
“What’s this?”
“Carrot soup.”
A huge boulder crashed atop Tiye’s head.
“Ca, carrot……”
To Tiye, carrots and spinach were nightmare foods.
Friends said they tasted good, but honestly, they tasted like roadside grass.
“Eat up quick. If you’re low-energy, traveling’s tough.”
Tiye gulped.
Kindergarten mealtime songs swirled in her head.
‘Okay, Quail Class, let’s sing together?’
‘Yeees—’
‘Chew chew well~ Eat everything~ No picky eating~’
‘Everything~ Chew chew~ Spinach carrots black beans!’
Good kids don’t picky eat.
Sit proper, chew well, eat everything.
“Spinach, carrots, black beans……”
Tiye took the bowl with a glum face.
Shut her eyes tight and gulped—then paused.
Sweet broth with perfectly cooked carrots.
Not too hard or mushy—like jelly texture.
“Good eater.”
Basto quickly ladled more into her bowl.
Tiye finished even that cleanly, then burped softly.
Warm tummy felt nice.
“I ate well—!”
But handing back the bowl, Tiye paused.
Tiny black letters on the wooden surface.
“Dad, love, you?”
Basto froze.
“W-wow—”
Tiye was shocked too.
‘How’d Tiye read that?’
The letters weren’t Hangul.
Yet staring, they read like familiar ones.
Tiye whipped to Basto.
“Uncle Basto!”
“……What. More?”
She hadn’t noticed till now, but speech too.
Tiye understood and spoke a language she’d never learned.
Hand unconsciously went to pink bag.
‘Tani Pang—no, Puppetmon power!’
Kkamangi back in stone form must’ve cast a spell!
Tiye’s heart raced as she took Basto’s offered cup and drank.
‘Kkamangi’s amazing after all.’
Missed him already.
“Time to head out.”
Soon Basto packed the pot and fire.
Tiye helped excitedly fold blankets and tarp.
Basto shouldered huge pack and scooped Tiye up.
“Let’s go.”
“Let’s go—!”
Birds still flew freely overhead.
Tiye beamed at them.
‘Tiye’ll be free soon too!’
Once in Capital, find Dad quick.
But four days later.
Tiye, having eaten carrot soup three meals a day twelve times, finally reached Capital Gate 1.
“Can’t enter? What’s that supposed to mean.”
Basto holding Tiye scowled.
Opposite, the guarding Holy Knight replied indifferently.
“Just told you, Basto Paerix. Your mercenary ID is revoked.”
