Chapter 32

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: The Kid with Hidden Strength Searches for Dad: Chapter 129

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Tiye hopped down from the chair in a flash.

She glanced back and forth between Leonardo and the notebook that had fallen away from him.

"Tiye did something bad!"

She quickly backed away and snatched up the fallen notebook in a fluster.

Tiye held the notebook out to Leonardo.

"Tiye will go out right now?"

"...No, wait a second."

But Leonardo grabbed Tiye, looking flustered.

He furrowed his brow slightly and said,

"You don't need to leave. That's not what I meant."

Tiye tilted her head.

"But Tiye just barged right in..."

"Barged in? You came in because the door was open, right? If anything, it's my fault for not locking it."

Tiye's mouth fell open wide.

The child hesitated, staring at the notebook in Leonardo's hand.

"So... it's okay that Tiye saw Uncle's secret notebook?"

Leonardo gave Tiye a strange look.

Then he answered calmly.

"It's fine. It's not mine anyway."

He walked over to the opposite sofa and sat down, gesturing for Tiye to take the seat beside him.

Tiye shuffled over shyly and sat next to Leonardo.

Ka-mang-i and Ppu Ppu were leaning against the desk up front, keeping an eye on Leonardo.

Leonardo, aware of them, spoke up.

"...To think a child your age has two eternal summons. Impressive."

A swell of pride crept across Tiye's face.

The child dropped her brief wariness and grinned.

"Bird poop Uncle is impressive too! You have tons of subordinates!"

Leonardo's face took on a faintly flustered look as he recalled the day they'd bumped into each other in front of the Compensation Bureau.

He found himself absently touching his cheek as he asked,

"...Thanks. Did that handkerchief from back then get properly washed?"

"Yeah! Aunt Marshal helped, and it got all white again!"

"Good. Glad to hear it."

"But then... whose notebook is that one from earlier?"

At the innocent question, Leonardo looked down at the notebook in his hand.

Soon, he answered slowly.

"My little brother's."

"Little brother? Uncle Alexander?"

Leonardo chuckled at the child's mangled rebirth of the name.

He shook his head gently.

"No, a different little brother."

Tiye's lips parted slightly.

Tiye had gotten a rough sense of the Lumen brothers' hierarchy over dinner the night before.

'The oldest big brother is Lantern Uncle, then Bird Poop Uncle, and the youngest is Uncle Alexander.'

Suddenly, Tiye's eyes widened.

"Ah!"

Come to think of it, the Grand Commander's sons weren't three, but four.

Tiye's face lit up as she cried out,

"It's Fourth Uncle's!"

Leonardo laughed again.

"Yeah, Fourth Uncle's."

"But why isn't Fourth Uncle at home?"

Leonardo shut his mouth.

He stroked the notebook's cover a couple times with his thumb before answering.

"He doesn't live with us anymore."

"He's family, but you don't live together?"

Leonardo nodded.

Tiye's mouth gaped open, but soon she wore a wistful expression and murmured to herself.

"I see... Fourth Uncle went independent like Tiye."

Tiye didn't know the full story behind the Lumen family's youngest son.

But to leave a magnificent house like this, with the strongest dad and brothers around... there had to be some incredibly complicated, difficult backstory.

"Uncle's life is..."

You never knew what was coming next.

To comfort Leonardo, Tiye patted his knee.

"Don't worry, Bird Poop Uncle. Fourth Uncle will come back soon."

An intrigued look crossed Leonardo's face.

"Oh? Why's that?"

Tiye flapped her hands excitedly.

"House prices are super expensive these days, right? So grown-ups say city people all turn into kangaroos. Being a kangaroo means living with mom and dad forever to save money."

Leonardo raised one eyebrow.

But a faint smile played at his lips.

"...Yeah. If it works out like that, it'd be great."

He turned his head after briefly reminiscing on old memories.

Tiye was still gazing up at him worshipfully with her bright, sparkling eyes.

Without thinking, Leonardo patted Tiye's head.

"Thanks. For the comfort."

Just that morning, he'd still thought the whole thing was insane.

But now, he had a vague sense of it.

'Was Edmund or Alexander feeling this in the morning too?'

The warmth of the child under his fingertips made his heart stir oddly.

Every night.

He'd visit this small room dozens, hundreds of times.

And pass the time idly at the desk where a young Theseus had once sat alone.

Leonardo watched Astie a while longer.

The smile on the child's face seemed to soothe his long-held pain.

The next day.

Tiye and the Agaveert Mercenary Corps picked up even more speed.

After dinner, the three Lumen brothers joined in once they'd finished their own work.

Thanks to them, the document review wrapped up faster than expected, but

"...Kid, you okay?"

Tears were already welling up in Tiye's eyes, on the verge of spilling over.

"Captain..."

Ignoring the members' calls, Tiye staggered down from her chair.

She pushed past everyone and slipped behind the curtain in the corner.

"Astie."

Nordics called out, but Tiye hunched her small shoulders and sniffled.

"Tiye... wants to play alone for a bit."

The squad members exchanged worried glances at her utterly listless voice.

Just as Veil moved to approach Tiye, unable to stand it,

"...Leave her be. Even a child needs time to sort out her feelings."

Nordics held him back.

Nordics turned to the squad with a grave expression.

"Let's step out for a bit, leaving just Basto behind."

In the end, the members nodded hesitantly.

Soon, only Basto remained as everyone else left the conference hall.

Once the door shut, Astie's sniffling grew louder.

Tiye buried her face between her knees.

'...He's not here.'

They'd scoured the Holy Knight Order org charts from every nation in the world, including Talochium, but Dad wasn't there.

So where the heck was Dad?

She'd come all this way for no other reason than to find him...

But in that moment.

A fleeting thought crossed her mind.

'No, it's not that Dad isn't there.'

Dad was definitely there.

She'd seen him with her own two eyes at Pearl City's harbor.

A soft murmur escaped Tiye's lips.

"That dream..."

The dream from the night she'd missed Dad.

It was from ages ago, but it lingered vividly in her mind.

'In the dream, people called Dad "Captain."'

Back then, Tiye had only just arrived in this world.

She wasn't familiar with titles for Holy Knights or mercenaries, and above all, she believed what Dad had told her.

That he was a Holy Knight.

But now Tiye knew for sure.

First, Dad wasn't in the Holy Knight Order.

The full org chart hadn't turned him up.

Second, "Captain" wasn't a term for Holy Knights.

It was what you called the leader of a mercenary corps.

'And...'

Third. Basto had appeared in that dream too.

In the dream, Basto was Dad's subordinate.

If Dad were really a Holy Knight, Basto would have been one too.

Tiye shot to her feet.

She darted out from behind the curtain and ran to Basto.

"Uncle Basto!"

Basto hurriedly wiped the child's tear-streaked cheeks at the sight of her glistening eyes.

"There, there, Tiye."

"Have you ever wanted to become a Holy Knight?"

Basto's face flashed with bewilderment at the out-of-left-field question.

But he soon shook his head.

"Never once."

"Why not? What if, hypothetically, you could become one in the future?"

"I wouldn't."

"Why not?"

"Holy Knights might look like a better gig than mercenaries at first glance, but they're missing the most important thing. Freedom."

Tiye fell silent.

"Unlike mercenaries, Holy Knights are obligated to serve the Church and the Imperial Family. Me? I can't stand being tied to something I don't respect. I'd rather..."

Basto trailed off before saying he'd choose death.

He glanced at Tiye, wondering if the harsh word was too much for a kid.

"Tiye!"

Suddenly, Tiye flung open the door and bolted from the conference hall.

She promptly collided with Valentis Lumen's butler standing outside and tumbled over,

"Owow... Huh?"

A sheet of paper the butler had dropped stuck fast to the child's tear-dampened face.