Chapter 23

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: The Super Shy Kid is Looking for Dad 120

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“What? A total of 15,000 gold?”

Tiye, who had returned to the mansion, nodded to the astonished Veil.

She then pulled a handful of gold coins from the pouch and held them out to him.

“Should I give Oppa a little?”

Veil's eyes went wide.

But he soon waved his hand dismissively.

“Nah, it's fine. I haven't done a thing in the meantime. Hit me up later if I do something worthwhile.”

“What do you mean you haven't done anything? You've been adventuring with me from the checkpoint all the way here.”

“True, but I've just been freeloading off you the whole time. And I even caused trouble back at Caldenbine Ridge.”

Tiye's mouth fell open.

'Veil Oppa... you've still been beating yourself up about it!'

Ever since he'd thrown that punch at Reginald.

Veil had been utterly deflated.

To the point where, if Reginald's name ever came up, he'd fidget while glancing at Tiye before slinking away.

“You kept telling me it was fine...”

But no matter how much she reassured him, Veil just couldn't shake it off.

Left with no choice, Tiye was slipping the gold coins back into her pouch when...

“Now our mercenary corps finally has some proper income, Astie.”

Nordics stroked her head with a kindly smile.

“We'll figure out how to spend it bit by bit. It's such a huge sum, so we should think about secure storage too...”

“Ppu!”

Right then.

Sensing something tapping at her knee, Tiye looked down.

There was Ppu Ppu at the end of her gaze, nose pointed at the air, eyes perfectly round.

“Ppyu-rung—”

“Huh?”

The next moment, an exclamation burst from Enzo's lips.

A black hole had yawned wide open right where Ppu Ppu's nose was aimed.

Tiye, figuring out what it was, cried out.

“It's a pocket dimension!”

Nordics, Veil, and Basto's eyes bulged.

In the meantime, Ppu Ppu cheerfully clambered atop the sack of gold coins, fished one out with its nose, then scampered over to the pocket dimension and tossed it inside.

“Waaah—!”

Tiye bolted to the pocket dimension that Ppu Ppu had conjured.

Her eyes sparkled as she peered within.

“Pocket dimension storage!”

“Storage?”

Only then did the members swarm around the pocket dimension.

Inside the modestly sized entrance.

Sure enough, the single gold coin Ppu Ppu had thrown in glittered on the wooden floor.

“...Ppu! Ppyu-rung.”

“It says no one can steal it if you put stuff here. And you can pull it out anytime you need it.”

Nordics's face lit up at Tiye's translation.

“For real? That's perfect. No need to rent space in the national vault, then.”

Nobles with substantial wealth typically converted portions into coin or bullion and stashed it in the national vaults.

But those came with hefty annual fees—not to mention the need for a dedicated treasurer to streamline the bureaucracy.

“It really is a Krazar...”

Veil muttered from the side.

Basto nodded gravely.

“Yeah. We had our suspicions, but seeing it up close like this...”

The Krazar, said to have gone extinct, alive and kicking.

Utterly harmless too, right beside Tiye—the girl known as the Necromancer Queen.

“Is this... really okay?”

Just as an uneasy Veil and Basto exchanged glances...

“Enough of that. Water under the bridge.”

Nordics laughed, lightening the mood.

He hefted one sack, tied it securely, and chucked it into the pocket dimension.

“Get these moved too, would you?”

Basto and Veil started hauling the remaining sacks inside.

Ppu Ppu helpfully widened the entrance, as if waiting for this.

“Hey, uh... could a person fit in there too?”

Enzo asked, watching the scene.

Tiye beamed innocently.

“Yup! It says people can go in too.”

“Oho...”

“Alright, alright. Lunchtime if you're all done!”

Right on cue, Marshal emerged from the kitchen, brandishing a large ladle.

Sweat beaded on her forehead from whatever she'd been cooking.

“Made some meat pies with homemade sauce to celebrate Agaveert's first real earnings.”

“Perfect, I was starving. Thanks!”

Raoul hopped up with a grin.

Enzo followed suit.

Tiye confirmed the pocket dimension had closed, then quickly hoisted Ppu Ppu onto her shoulder.

“Lukarion! Time to eat!”

At her shout, Lukarion slowly appeared at the top of the stairs from the second floor.

Still clutching a book covered in indecipherable ancient script.

'What book is that?'

Tiye cocked her head, then flashed a goofy grin.

She grabbed Lukarion's hand tight and headed for the kitchen.

All the while thinking how wonderful it was to have a home.

And a family to share it with.

The next day.

The Agaveert members huddled together before the fireplace.

Marshal had laid down soft carpet on the first-floor living room, giving it a wonderfully cozy vibe.

“It's tonight.”

Veil, sprawled at the end of the eight-seater sofa, murmured at the ceiling.

“Never thought I'd get invited to a Holy Knight's place—let alone the Grand Commander's...”

Raoul, sitting on the carpet, nodded.

“Tell me about it. Never happened even back in the Holy Knight Order. Who'd have guessed as mercenaries?”

“Come to think of it, the Grand Commander didn't specify an exact time, did he?”

Tiye looked up, hugging her bear doll.

“Nope. No time, but the date's today.”

The day the Grand Commander had summoned her was when the second full moon rose after they met.

“First full moon was during the Weaponless Zone. Second one's tonight, Grandpa Nordics said.”

“Then tonight it is. They've got intel—they know we've set up base here. Probably sending someone right on time?”

Right then.

Knock, knock, knock.

A clear knock echoed from the front door.

Basto and Veil straightened up from the sofa.

Marshal's eyes widened from her chair by the stairs.

But before anyone could move...

“Waa!”

Tiye shot up and dashed to the door.

She called out in an excited voice.

“This is Tiye's house! Who is it?”

Silence followed.

Then, from beyond the door, a youthful, prim reply.

“From the mansion across the street.”

“Huh?”

The door swung open.

Tiye's eyes went round as saucers across the threshold.

Small wonder—her jaw dropped at the sight of the visitor.

'She's so pretty...'

A girl her age stood there, hair tied back in a single ponytail, gazing at Tiye with a haughty expression.

Her purple eyes sparkled like jewels.

“Are you the ones who moved into this mansion yesterday?”

She'd fit right in the same duckling class at Bright Light Nursery.

“Uh, um...”

Tiye's eyes wavered at the girl's unusually prim, clear diction.

The girl continued.

“The Roswell family has an old tradition I'm here to inform you about. When moving in, it's proper etiquette to at least show your face to the neighboring mansions and offer greetings, asking nicely to get along.”

Oh no.

Did Dad's hometown have that custom of handing out rice cakes to new neighbors too?

As Tiye floundered, the girl crossed her arms.

For some reason, she asked primly.

“Are you the young lady?”

“Huh...?”

“Is the young lady the owner of this mansion?”

Tiye unwittingly shut her mouth.

Ignoring her, the girl pressed on.

“Greeting guests at the door is the owner's duty. For the young lady to come out herself...”

The girl stared straight at Tiye.

“Means the young lady is the owner of this mansion, right?”

Tiye blinked vacantly.

Then she thought.

'Who's the young lady...?'

This was Tiye's house, though?

She had no clue why the girl kept asking about some young lady.

Finally, after agonizing, Tiye hesitantly spoke up.

“Um, the owner here is Tiye.”

“Pardon?”

“Not the young lady, it's Ti-ye.”

As Tiye innocently pointed to herself, the girl's brow furrowed.