Chapter 34

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: The Scrawny Kid is Looking for Dad Chapter 130

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Tiye froze midway through peeling the paper stuck to her cheek.

Two photo-like images were clipped to the front of the paper with thin clips.

"......Uh, wh-what?"

A flustered sound escaped Tiye's lips as she examined the photos.

The butler approached and checked her complexion.

"Are you alright?"

But Tiye kept her gaze fixed straight ahead.

It was only after a long while that the child finally spoke in a dazed voice.

"Is this... Mom?"

The butler replied with an awkward expression.

"I'm afraid I can't say. It's a family document, so......"

At that moment, Valentis raised a hand.

"It's fine. That's something called a magic photo, which has started replacing paintings lately."

He helped Tiye to her feet as she clutched the magic photo and continued.

"It's a device that reproduces objects more vividly than a portrait when used under light with a special tool."

But Tiye gave no response.

She just kept staring at the magic photo as if entranced.

Soon, Tiye hesitantly lifted her head.

She pointed at the magic photo with her index finger and asked.

"Then... who is this person......?"

Valentis fell silent.

The figure in the magic photo Tiye was looking at was Theseus.

His son, whose safety he was confirming from afar after much effort to place someone near him.

Yet Valentis answered politely.

"He's known as Tesetan Veronika. The leader of the currently highest-ranked mercenary band."

In truth, keeping tabs on mercenary movements was part of his duty as Grand Commander of the Holy Knight Order.

Meanwhile, the name 'Tesetan' echoed heavily in Tiye's ears.

"Tesetan......"

At first, it had been a tiny suspicion, no bigger than a chickpea.

But when Basto said he would never become a holy knight no matter what.

Tiye had resolved herself inwardly.

'Just one more time. I'll look one more time.'

What if Dad wasn't a holy knight but a mercenary?

So this would be the last.

Back at the outpost, she would check the faces of the mercenaries one by one this time, not the holy knights.

But, but!

'Dad really was a mercenary......?'

Seeing her dad's clear face in the magic photo made the tears stop falling instead.

The hand holding the paper didn't move, and her lips barely parted.

Only then did Tiye realize she had stopped breathing.

The child consciously started gasping for air.

Seeing this, Veil rushed over with a serious face.

"Kiddo! You okay?"

But Tiye swallowed hard and reflexively examined the documents behind the photo.

Difficult words flew into her trembling vision and stuck haphazardly.

Talochium Mercenary Band.

Activities in the Northern Continent.

Rising value. Expanding influence.

Unprecedented moves. Excellence.

Prestige, atmosphere, ranking, return, budget, achievements, magic stones, response......

Her breathing grew more and more ragged.

Tiye blinked very slowly once.

Then, after one final deep breath, she collapsed into Veil's arms and fainted.

"No other issues. She just lost consciousness due to a momentary disruption in her breathing."

Valentis finally exhaled the breath he'd been holding at Alexander's words.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead—sweat that rarely appeared even on the battlefield.

Raoul, standing on the opposite side of the bed, muttered.

"......How great must the sense of loss be to make her faint?"

He gazed down at the sleeping Tiye with a complicated expression.

"What kind of shock was it......"

"Damn it! I'm stumped now."

Veil ruffled his hair roughly as he muttered.

"I thought we'd find him. Why isn't he showing up no matter how much we comb through every holy knight on the continent? At this point, shouldn't he show up with some tact?!"

The day before arriving at the Lumen estate.

Veil and Basto had received a telegram from Marquis Wavebrill, who flew to the Agaveert outpost.

The marquis had continued investigating, but no one suspected to be Astie's father had been found.

"It's only natural, perhaps."

Nordics muttered.

"We have no accurate name, age, nothing. At least Astie remembers his appearance, but......"

Even that was just black hair, height 'this much' as Tiye said, and greenish-brown eyes.

"In truth, we could keep searching for Astie's father indefinitely. Even with no results."

Basto said in a cracked voice.

"But seeing Tiye suffer in the process... it's too hard to watch......"

Basto's eyes were bloodshot.

Lukarion silently held the sleeping Tiye's hand.

Ppu Ppu drooped its nose and curled up by Tiye's head.

Behind the silent Valentis and his three sons.

A heavy silence filled the room for a while.

Tiye opened her eyes after sunset.

But as she tried to sit up, she froze in place.

Raoul and Enzo were hunched over on either side of the bed, snoring.

On the opposite sofa, Basto and Veil slept leaning against each other,

and next to them, Nordics squatted on the floor.

That was when.

"Awake?"

Lukarion's voice came from beside her.

Startled, she whipped her head around, and Lukarion snapped his fingers briefly.

A transparent barrier instantly formed around Tiye, Ppu Ppu, and Lukarion, blocking outside sounds.

"Speak freely."

Tiye bit her lip hard before speaking in a deflated voice.

"Blackie, Tiye... found Dad."

Lukarion frowned.

He hadn't expected Tiye's words at all.

But Tiye continued glumly.

"Our dad's real name is Tesetan. Leader of that super strong number one mercenary band. But......"

"......"

"Everyone says Dad has a rotten personality. Hates people, a monstrous brute with only strength. They said that in Per City."

Lukarion blinked blankly.

'That man's identity was the leader of Trebaga?'

It was a bit surprising, but if true, Tiye's words made sense.

Tesetan, leader of Trebaga, generally had negative evaluations.

"And in the Weaponless District, the old uncles said Dad has no blood or tears. If he wants something, he charges like a wild boar, and obstacles... he just clears them all away."

Tiye bowed her head.

A moment later, Astie's raised gaze met Lukarion's in midair.

Tiye sniffled as if on the verge of tears.

"Blackie. Remember when we first became friends?"

"I remember."

"You said then that Tiye had to leave everything behind here. So Tiye really threw away all memories of Dad, right?"

"Yeah."

"But now that I've found Dad, we have to become a family again from the start......"

Tears welled in Tiye's eyes.

"No matter what, this Dad here probably won't like Tiye much, right?"

Lukarion didn't answer.

Probably because Tiye's guess was spot on.

Tiye knew it too and continued alone.

"If some strange uncle suddenly showed up one day saying he's Tiye's dad, it'd be scary and I wouldn't like it."

"......"

"So Dad's the same. If Tiye went to him and suddenly said she's his daughter...... Dad would be scared and hate it too."

The child's eyes turned to the members sleeping around her.

"Plus, the members don't like seeing Tiye upset."

Lukarion's lips parted slightly.

She must have overheard the members' conversation while pretending to sleep.

"Veil bro, Nordics grandpa, Raoul and Enzo bros... they all feel heartbroken when Tiye is sad."

Tiye remembered the day she received her dad's relic box.

When Tiye didn't know what to do, Grandma 107 and Auntie 203 were even sadder than her.

Tiye lifted her head.

And with teary eyes, she forced a smile and said.

"Blackie. Tiye doesn't have much left, but I have one more favor to ask."

Lukarion clenched his fist without realizing it.

Then he hugged the drooping Tiye tight and replied.

"Tell me. I'll do whatever you want."