Chapter 58

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: The Kid Hiding Her Tremendous Power Searches for Daddy 152

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Tiye shuddered without even realizing it.

Cold sweat trickled down beneath her uniform.

"Honestly, I was wondering when I'd finally get to see you."

The voice of her long-missed daddy echoed in her ears.

Right now, daddy was just a few steps away.

If she ran to him, she could touch him in an instant.

A distance where she could throw her arms around him and bury her face in his chest, if she only willed it.

"Still wearing that same bland expression."

But daddy wasn't her daddy.

His face was different from the one Tiye remembered, and so was his outfit.

Tiye drew in a deep breath.

'I mustn't cry.'

She regulated her breathing over and over, desperately holding back the tears that surged up.

Even so, her hands trembled uncontrollably beneath her uniform.

"Have you always been this rude since the day you were born?"

His voice was utterly icy.

The gaze that met hers was as cold as a stranger's.

Tiye's eyes slowly drooped downward.

Her eyes reddened, and in that moment, the tears she couldn't hold back finally welled up.

"Tiye."

Lukarion quietly took her hand.

Tiye swallowed the cold breath that had risen to her chin and turned her head toward Lukarion.

Lukarion spoke with his eyes.

'It'll be okay. We expected something like this.'

Her heart pounded wildly.

'...Blackie's right.'

Meeting her daddy didn't mean everything was finished.

Tiye's plan was only halfway done now.

Truth be told, what came next was even more crucial.

She had finally reconnected the bond with her daddy that had been severed.

From here on, she had to tie it into a firm knot so that fragile thread wouldn't come loose.

Tesetan sneered.

"After cutting off everyone's rice bowl, you've got quite the shameless look on your face, Commander."

Tiye looked up at her daddy.

Daddy stood with his chin slightly raised, his lips pressed tightly together.

He looked furious. But,

'This is a good thing.'

The plan to cut off daddy's rice bowl had succeeded, after all. It was truly great news.

And that's why daddy had come looking for Tiye on his own two feet!

Of course...

"Just so we're clear, I have no intention of handing this national commission over to you. It was mine from the beginning."

...it had left a bit of backlash.

"Excuse me."

At that moment, the Frost Association's office manager, who had been watching quietly, stepped forward.

She stared at Tesetan in disbelief.

"What do you think you're doing? The delegation is already complete. This is interfering with state affairs—a serious crime."

But Tesetan didn't so much as twitch. Instead, he let out a smirk and casually glanced around.

His gaze landed on the Lumen family standing off at a distance.

His eyebrow twitched faintly, but Tesetan wiped the expression from his face as if it had never been there.

"Interfering with state affairs? That's rich. I haven't done a thing yet."

The office manager let out an incredulous scoff.

Tesetan slowly took in his surroundings, piecing together the situation before him.

'I had no idea this was a joint operation with the Lumen family.'

The national commission Agaveert had snatched away appeared to be a collaborative mission with the Lumen family.

If he'd known that ahead of time, he never would've chased them all the way here.

Or he would've contacted the association and had the Lumen family removed.

But now that he was here,

'I can't just let Agaveert off the hook.'

Strictly speaking, it wasn't just the national commission.

Lately, Agaveert was strangling Trebaga for real.

Stealing away their personal commission clients.

Monopolizing magic stones across the empire, provoking Trebaga at every turn.

Tesetan's gaze drifted downward.

'With that innocent face like she knows nothing about it.'

The pitiful childlike expression he'd seen at Pearlsity Dock overlaid the Commander's face.

Why had that look stuck with him back then?

The Commander had clearly orchestrated this whole mess to toy with him.

"The association just needs to answer one thing. Was this mission originally meant to be delegated to me, yes or no?"

The office manager glanced back in bewilderment. There stood Ardiana, her figure concealed by a blue cloak.

In the end, Ardiana stepped forward.

"Why should the association answer to you?"

Tesetan curled his lips upward.

"Hiding your face by wrapping yourself up like that—you must be the Guildmaster. Good timing, actually. I'll spell it out right here."

"... ."

"If you don't answer, Trebaga withdraws from the association today."

Ardiana's pupils widened.

She swallowed dryly beneath her mask.

It was true they hadn't assigned any national commissions to Trebaga lately.

But that was only because Trebaga had been operating just fine without the association.

Ardiana had founded the association to stabilize the unbalanced mercenary market ecosystem.

Only a stable mercenary market would allow more mercenaries to thrive, ensuring safety for the empire—and for them.

But she hadn't anticipated Trebaga harboring such deep resentment toward her management policies.

"...I'll line up a good national commission for Trebaga soon. As for today..."

"Anyone can talk big. Easier than just spouting it and waiting to see."

Ardiana was speechless.

Right.

Another reason they'd held back on national commissions for Trebaga came to mind.

"...Insolent fool. I've made an effort to respect you, yet you show me none."

Tesetan burst out laughing.

He took a step closer to Ardiana.

"We're not exactly the type to respect each other, are we? You're not my lover or anything."

"...What?"

Ardiana let out a hollow laugh.

She glared silently at Tesetan.

She didn't appreciate him tossing out jokes in such a grave situation.

And that crude, biting grin of his.

'The complete opposite of Agaveert's Commander.'

Unlike Tesetan, the Commander was refined and magnanimous.

Even after learning her true identity, he hadn't once tried to bargain or threaten her.

Ardiana let out a sigh, then closed and opened her eyes.

"...First off, as Guildmaster, I won't permit Trebaga's withdrawal. Not yet, anyway—Trebaga still holds the empire's top spot."

She put deliberate emphasis on "not yet," causing Tesetan's eyebrow to twitch.

Ardiana pressed on before he could respond.

"And answering your question is no trouble at all. Was this mission originally assigned to Trebaga?"

She smiled beneath her mask.

"Yes, it was. Though it got bumped to second priority in the final meeting."

Silence descended between them.

How much time passed? Tesetan's crooked smile sliced through the razor-sharp tension.

"Knew it. But second priority... that means there's still an opening, right?"

Ardiana flinched, her eyes widening.

"An opening? What are you..."

"Sword duel, Commander."

But Tesetan had already turned away from her.

He now loomed squarely before the Commander.

"This is getting tedious. One decisive match. Loser drops the job and bows out."

Ardiana rushed toward the two of them.

"Hold on—a sword duel?"

She shot Tesetan an incredulous look, then turned to Tiye.

"No need to accept. You absolutely shouldn't!"

Sword duels were an ancient knightly tradition.

Why on earth challenge a mage to one?

"He's provoking the Captain. And the stakes—loser quits? That's absurd."

Ardiana glared fiercely at Tesetan.

"He's trying to goad the Commander into dropping this commission. Sorry, but that will never happen..."

"Haven't I been getting under your skin too?"

Tesetan brushed Ardiana off dismissively.

He was now bent at the waist, staring the Commander straight in the eye.

"Your chance to take me out. Pass it up now, and it'll never come again. Duel winner claims anything from the loser. Tempted?"

As the situation veered dangerously, Veil came running.

"Kid—no, Captain. He's insane. Don't bite."

"Exactly!"

The other members' faces drained white.

But at that moment,

"Okay!"

Tiye replied.

Veil grabbed her shoulder in shock.

"Hey, Ca-Captain, what're you doing?"

But Tiye stared at Tesetan as if entranced, unblinking.

"Let's duel swords. Tiye and you."

She added to Tesetan, who eyed the child with intrigued amusement.

"But."

"... ."

"Loser grants winner anything. ...Like old times."