Chapter 16

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: The Super-Strong Kid Searches for Dad 114

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“Hey, kiddo. Your leg really doesn’t hurt?”

Hoisting a massive load stuffed with all the squad members’ clothes, Veil whispered.

Tiye bobbed her head vigorously to show she was fine.

But despite her bravado, sweat was pouring down her forehead in rivulets.

In the end, Tiye lowered her voice and asked,

“Oppa, how much farther to Tiye’s house…?”

Veil glanced around before replying,

“Hmm, about an hour…?”

Tiye nearly stumbled, but she braced her wobbly legs.

Then, taking a deep breath, she hiked up her sagging pants.

“Okay! Tiye can do it.”

Tiye turned back around with fresh determination.

She spotted a few more people tailing them dart behind cover once again.

Some ducked behind nearby buildings, others behind piles of trash in the street.

“Captain. Why not just ride in this cart here?”

Enzo, who was pulling the cart loaded with monster cores, suggested once more from the side.

But Tiye shook her head firmly.

“Tiye’s gonna walk all the way.”

Once you commit to something, you’ve got to stick with it to the end.

Otherwise, people only remember the finish.

Tiye panted as she scanned her surroundings.

The path Agaveert was taking now was a mid-sized alley, quite a ways off from the main boulevard.

The main streets were packed with festival-goers, making them impassable.

“Waaah—!”

Right on cue, cheers erupted from the direction of the boulevard.

A cluster of lanterns soon floated up above the rooftops.

As Tiye stared in awe,

“Uwahn!”

she tripped, tumbling flat onto the ground.

She’d been gazing at the sky instead of watching her step and snagged on a cobblestone.

Basto rushed over, and Veil crouched down.

Lukarion looked worried as he asked,

“You okay?”

Tiye glanced back at the informants lurking behind before nodding resolutely.

“U-Unh, yeah, I’m fine.”

Truth be told, it stung enough to bring tears to her eyes.

But she couldn’t throw a tantrum with those informants watching…

As she caught her breath and stood up,

“Where are you headed?”

A luxurious carriage appeared out of nowhere, pulling up alongside the Agaveert group.

Tiye blankly stared at the face revealed as the window rolled down.

“I saw you’ve got an elderly member in your party. If you’d like, I can give you a ride to your destination.”

His hair resembled the pale moonlight.

Even his eyes were a similar shade to Tiye’s.

The man, whose face seemed to sparkle, stepped down from the carriage in his black uniform.

Tiye whispered into Veil’s ear.

“Oppa. Carriages are banned, so why’s this one on the road?”

Veil whispered back into hers.

“Can’t you tell just by looking? He’s nobility. A high-ranking one, loaded with cash.”

Tiye swallowed hard and averted her gaze.

Oh… I see.

Sure enough, she could glimpse the carriage’s interior—three times wider than Agaveert’s.

And that wasn’t all.

Red velvet seats, gold-fringed curtains.

The handsome man sitting across from her with his legs crossed—the carriage’s owner—did seem like a wealthy noble.

But still.

“Isn’t that a little unfair…?”

All the other carriages were barred from crossing the river.

Yet this one got special permission to roam freely.

Veil pressed a finger to his lips.

“We’re getting a free ride out of it anyway, so shh.”

Tiye reluctantly nodded.

Just as Veil said, Agaveert was currently hitching a ride in this stranger’s carriage.

As Tiye fidgeted with the bag clutched to her chest, having run out of retorts,

“I heard carriages are banned for the Lantern Festival.”

A gentle voice came from the man who’d been silent until now.

The carriage’s owner smiled faintly as he regarded Tiye.

“The Holy Knight Order can be so inflexible sometimes. Heavy loads are one thing, but they should make exceptions for carriages carrying the elderly or infirm.”

Veil eyed the man warily.

“Uh… yeah.”

But the man just flashed a warm, friendly smile and asked Tiye,

“How’s the spot where you fell?”

Tiye was caught off guard.

She hadn’t expected him to address her directly.

But she quickly glanced at her knee and replied brightly.

“Yup! It’s fine!”

“Mind if I take a look?”

Tiye’s eyes went wide.

She glanced at Veil and Basto before casually replying,

“Sure.”

The man leaned forward as if he’d been waiting for that.

He examined her knee closely, then furrowed his brow.

“There’s some blood seeping through your pants.”

He was right.

When she rolled up the pant leg on the injured side, a scraped wound on her little knee came into view.

“Ow ow…”

The sting hit as soon as air touched the scrape.

As Tiye winced, the man frowned.

He lifted the empty seat beside him.

A neatly organized storage compartment lay beneath.

He pulled out a bottle of ointment, antiseptic, and clean gauze, then said,

“May I clean it for you?”

Tiye hesitated before nodding.

“Just in case, make sure to disinfect it again once you get home. Disinfectant is key for any wound, big or small.”

“Disinfectant, got it!”

The man chuckled at her response and soaked a gauze pad in antiseptic.

He gently dabbed at the wound without causing pain, applied ointment, and covered it with fresh gauze.

“All done.”

Tiye’s jaw dropped at the swift, expert treatment.

In the meantime, the man was carefully rolling her pant leg back down.

With such tender, cautious hands.

Tiye found herself staring openly at his face.

This uncle’s a really nice guy!

She’d thought he was some selfish jerk riding alone in his fancy carriage.

And not just that.

He even looked a bit like Daddy when he smiled.

Daddy used to treat Tiye’s scrapes just as gently.

As Tiye sneaked peeks at him, feeling oddly emotional,

“Commander, we’ve arrived.”

The coachman’s voice came from up front.

At the same time, Enzo by the window pointed outside.

“This is it!”

Tiye jumped up and rushed to the window.

Sure enough, a brilliantly lit mansion stood right by where the carriage had stopped.

“This is Tiye’s house…?”

The garden was like combining ten playgrounds from in front of Bright Light Kindergarten.

And the grand building at the end of the stone path through it.

“Not a princess castle…?”

Honestly, she’d imagined something like the luxury apartments across from Gold Complex.

But this place exuded elegant charm.

Ivy climbed the white stone walls in gentle curls, and the pretty blue roof came to sharp points.

It’s so pretty…!

And that wasn’t all.

The large arched windows on every floor were spotless and huge.

She could even glimpse the warm interior furnished with luxurious pieces.

“This way, please.”

The coachman opened the door just then, so Tiye hopped down to the street.

She gawked through the grand gates.

“Thank you. We arrived comfortably thanks to you.”

Behind her, the squad members were disembarking and gathering their luggage.

Nordics bowed politely to the man in the carriage.

“Much appreciated.”

The man smiled amiably, waving it off.

“Have a pleasant night.”

As the coachman went to close the door,

“Ah! Wait!”

Tiye, who’d been engrossed in the mansion, dashed back to the carriage.

Grunting with effort, she opened her bag and pulled something out.

“Mister, here’s something from Tiye.”

It was a local specialty from Caldenbine Ridge.

Specifically, handmade candies the innkeeper grandma had made with honey—ones Tiye had saved for four whole days without eating.

“Caldenbine special! I’ve got three, and I’m giving you one.”

The smiling girl grabbed the man’s hand and placed the candy in his palm without hesitation.

“Bye-bye!”

With that, she spun around without a second thought.

As the excited girl ran toward the mansion, the gates swung open as if on cue.

“Goodness, you’re finally here! Lady Adelin told me to expect you!”

A woman who seemed to be the mansion’s steward welcomed the girl and her group with a joyful face.

“Commander, shall we depart?”

the coachman asked.

Only then did the man tear his gaze away from Tiye.

He unconsciously gripped the candy in his hand as he replied,

“…Ah, yes.”

“Yes. Will you be dining at the estate tonight?”

“Ah… Take me to Medical Division HQ. I’ve got some documents to review.”

“Understood. We’re off.”

The carriage wheels began to turn again.

The man rolled the candy around in his palm as he gazed out the window.

He could see the girl’s back as she dashed across the garden in the distance.

“…Off running again. Right after scraping her knee.”

The man’s name was Alexander.

Commander of the Central Medical Division of the Imperial Holy Knight Order,

and the third son of House Lumen.