Ch#7
Basto’s gaze turned icy.
“My identification number was fine up until a fortnight ago. There’s no way it suddenly vanished.”
“Arguing with me won’t solve anything. It’s not like a revoked mercenary ID is going to magically reappear.”
The Holy Knight rummaged through papers irritably from his slouched seat on a folding chair.
Though baffled, Basto didn’t want to use harsh words in front of the child.
So he stepped forward quietly.
Only when his massive shadow loomed overhead did the Holy Knight finally look up.
“Do you know where I’m coming from?”
The Holy Knight flinched at the low, gruff voice.
Basto stared him down and continued.
“From sieging one of the three Mana Stones in Briowood—the Empire’s headache. I’m here to report it.”
At the mention of Briowood’s Mana Stone, the Holy Knight narrowed his eyes.
Then he tilted his head oddly.
“One of Briowood’s Mana Stones... the small one?”
Basto nodded.
The Holy Knight let out a hollow laugh.
“Well, look at this con artist.”
Without giving him a chance to reply, the Holy Knight stood and glared at Basto and Tiye.
“Hey. Briowood’s small Mana Stone was already reported.”
Basto’s brows furrowed.
No way.
He was the one who’d sieged Briowood’s small Mana Stone alone.
So who reported it first?
Who was it that sealed the crack six days ago, drenched in flying mana beast blood?
“A pretty well-known mercenary corps came to me two evenings ago, reported the siege, collected the reward, and entered the Capital. And now you’re claiming you sieged it?”
A certain suspicion crept into his mind.
“Death Hound Mercenary Corps’ Unit Leader said it—a nobody tailing him to steal his credit. Said you used to be under him. ‘Low-quality guy’—that’s what he meant, huh?”
As if waiting, other Holy Knights gathered around.
“Basto Paerix. Step back now.”
“Yeah. Better walk out on your own feet if you don’t wanna be dragged out!”
Basto shut his mouth.
His arm around Tiye tensed unconsciously.
He wanted to smash his fists into their faces one by one, but...
Tiye’s frightened face caught his glance.
Basto held his breath and slowly turned around.
As he barely managed to move, he heard the Holy Knights muttering.
“He’s lost it. Sieging a small Mana Stone alone without backup? You expect us to believe that?”
“No ID anyway. Gotta be out of his mind.”
“Why’d Death Hound’s Unit Leader even keep a guy like that around?”
His heart pounded with rage.
Death Hound.
That was the group he’d once belonged to before becoming a wandering mercenary.
Basto still ground his teeth at the thought.
Of that group’s Unit Leader, Karl Warben.
Of his family, who’d left this world so pointlessly because of him...
“Uncllle...”
Something cold touched his rage-heated cheek.
Turning, he met worried green eyes directed at him.
“Uncle okay...?”
A small hand gently wiped the cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Basto paused his breath briefly, then let out a long sigh.
His head gradually cooled.
‘Denied entry to the Capital.’
Alone, he might’ve tried sneaking through at night, but now he had to look after Astie.
To do that, figuring out what happened took priority.
Basto readjusted Tiye in his arms and muttered.
“...Gotta find a place to stay first.”
Tiye’s eyes widened round.
The child soon replied in a spirited voice.
“Yessir!”
* * *
“Good grief, look at this sweat!”
Tiye pursed her lips as she was forcibly washed up.
“What’ve you been doing letting a child get in this state, Basto!”
The one wiping Tiye’s face was an unfamiliar grandma.
Precisely, the landlady of the ‘Gate Inn’ where Tiye and Basto had entered.
“Child, don’t squeeze so hard—Grandma’s struggling here.”
The grandma said while rubbing Tiye’s lips.
Tiye rolled her big eyes and made a pitiful face.
“B-but it stings...”
“No whining!”
Despite her expression, the grandma ignored it and started on the spot behind Tiye’s ears.
Her body shrank instinctively, but she didn’t feel bad.
It reminded her of 107-room Grandmother washing her back in Korea.
Grandmas always called even real pain whining.
“There, face is finally clean! Pretty little thing.”
And grandmas always caressed cheeks gently like this after washing.
That expression always tickled deep inside Tiye’s heart.
“Thank you, Grandma!”
She bowed deeply, and the chuckling grandma handed her hot chocolate.
Tiye sat on the chair by the front desk and turned to the window.
“So? They really said your mercenary ID was revoked?”
“...Probably Karl’s doing. Bribed the Holy Knight Order to kick me out.”
At the window table, two men were talking.
The inn’s other owner, the grandma’s husband—the old man—and Uncle Basto.
“The day I meet that bastard again, I’ll crush him till not even bone shards remain.”
Tiye’s shoulders shrank.
S-scary.
It was the first time seeing Uncle Basto angry.
Being chased from that gate place earlier, something bad was definitely happening.
Tiye fell into thought.
‘No entering the Capital without a mercenary ID, huh.’
Come to think, Dad had mentioned something similar.
According to Dad, this world was full of monsters—no, mana beasts.
But the Capital was the safest city, so it was fine, and
‘The Capital’s full of the king and rich folks—that’s why!’
Mana Stones in the Capital were sieged the moment they appeared, as a rule.
Because precious people could get hurt—they got rid of them faster?
The problem was only Capital people could use that safe city.
“Blocking the Capital and banning civilians from entering—does that even make sense?”
Sure enough, Uncle Basto said something similar.
Tiye pretended to sip her chocolate and perked up her ears.
“Refugees who’ve lost everything outside the Capital are piling up like that. What are the nobles and His Imperial Majesty even...!”
“That’s enough, Basto.”
The old man with the pointy white beard cut Basto off with a stern face.
“You’d gone quiet for a while—why stir it up again. I’ve told you many times: know how to control your anger to stay safe.”
Uncle Basto let out a deep sigh.
“It’s frustrating. People are dying out there.”
“...You’re thinking of home. I regret Ban-Anra Village’s incident too.”
Tiye, listening, froze.
“And that Karl—he’s such a cowardly schemer. Turning a village, your family, into that state...”
“Grandpa!”
The next moment, Tiye set down her chocolate and ran to the old man.
The two men’s gazes turned to the rushing child.
“Banana—that’s it!”
“Banana?”
The old man chuckled heartily.
“You mean Ban-Anra Village?”
“Yessir! Banana Village!”
For some reason, the child was super excited.
“Uncle Basto’s from Banana Village?”
Basto unconsciously furrowed his brows.
But soon nodded.
“Yeah.”
Tiye’s chocolate-smeared mouth fell open.
Her green eyes began sparkling brightly.
‘...Now I remember.’
Why hadn’t she realized till now!
The hammer uncle from Banana Village.
Tiye knew that village, knew Basto.
Because he was the person Dad always talked about!
