Inside the carriage.

Lucarion sat with a sulky expression, staring at Tie across from him.

For some time now, she had been leaning against the wall, humming to herself.

“Love is a fro-o-ozen door~”

At the incomprehensible lyrics, Bale muttered,

“What are you freezing all the time? Little one, do you even know what love is?”

“Mm-hm!”

Seeing her bright smile, Bale snorted.

“You do not know a thing. Play house a couple of times and suddenly you are saying you are going to get married, huh?”

Tie’s green eyes, which had been shining just a moment ago, immediately widened.

“Tie really will get married!”

“Ha ha ha!”

Nordix, who had been listening, burst out laughing.

With a good-natured smile, he asked,

“Astie. When you grow up, do you want to get married?”

“Nooo!”

At her lively answer, Raul and Enzo turned their heads with curiosity.

Hugging the teddy bear Orb in her arms, Tie puffed out her chest and replied,

“When Tie gets married later, she will wear a princess dress.”

“A princess dress?”

“Yes! And even two! For walking in procession—one that goes fwoosh-fwoosh at the bottom. And when bowing to people—a mammoth dress!”

“A mam-moth... what?”

“A mammoth dress!”

Looking at the squad’s puzzled faces, Tie tilted her head to the side inwardly.

Was it not mammoth?

In any case—

Her eyes sparkled again.

“And then live very, very long together with husband.”

For a four-year-old, it was quite a concrete plan.

Exchanging glances with the others, Raul asked, 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

“Commander, where did you learn all of that?”

Tie instantly put on a serious expression.

“The moms at the playground talked about it. And weddings are in fairy tales, and on TV too.”

“On TV?”

“Yes! But...”

Tie unconsciously closed her mouth.

Several wedding scenes she had seen on television flashed through her mind.

Weddings on TV were, how to say it—

Not at all like fairy tales or animations.

Tie lowered her voice gravely.

“If the groom cheats and they divorce, then they marry again. And the first wife cries.”

Everyone’s eyes widened, but Tie shrugged and continued,

“Then they grab each other’s hair—Hey! You stole my husband! Oh-ho-ho! You should have guarded him better!—and they fight.”

Raul coughed.

Bale added in disbelief,

“W-what kind of TV shows you that sort of dirty love story, huh?”

Tie looked at him as if he did not understand anything.

“Oppa. They did not tell it, they showed it. And TV has more than one or two problems.”

Then, imitating the grandmother from apartment 107, she drawled,

“The world, you see...”

Shrugging, Tie resumed humming.

The squad members fell silent.

The child was already gazing out the window with a carefree expression.

The sky was flawlessly clear.

‘When we came to Adeline noona’s village, it was raining.’

Now the cold had eased, and even with the window open, it was not chilly.

‘Just three more nights—and the capital!’

At that thought, Tie giggled with delight.

Before leaving Caldenbein Lidge, Basto had said,

‘Food and water. Almost everything is prepared. Bale has recovered, so we depart immediately.’

‘Waa—!’

‘If we do not stop, we will arrive in four days.’

Hearing that, Tie had nearly choked from how hard her heart pounded.

It had already been quite some time since she had come to this world with Kkamani’s help.

She had stopped counting the days, but certainly more than thirty, perhaps even forty nights had passed.

‘Now I just need to reach the capital, go to the residence of the Commander in Chief, and check the organizational chart of the Holy Knight Order.’

Then she would finally learn Father’s real name.

And find out where he was now.

‘When I meet Father again... he will not recognize Tie.’

But that was all right.

With the Father of this world, she could start everything anew.

Tie promised herself not to be upset about that anymore.

All relationships needed time.

Even making friends in kindergarten required time.

Her heart thumped.

‘The grandmother from 107 said, if you take it one step at a time, everything will work out.’

So Tie would live bravely.

Caring for the squad members as a mercenary, until one day she could tell Father the whole truth.

The child hugged the teddy bear tightly and rested her chin on the edge of the window.

Her cheeks burned with anticipation.

Meanwhile, at the Central Branch of the Capital Reward Bureau—

“What is this?”

Director Ornel, reviewing the documents that had arrived from the east, frowned.

In his hand was a sheet labeled “Agavert.”

“Who are they that their projected ranking jumped like this? From thirty-ninth to twelfth?”

Such a sharp rise in a mercenary squad’s ranking was rare.

Even Trevaga had not experienced that in its prime.

Ornel finally stubbed out his cigar against the base of a flowerpot stand.

Then he shook the document above his head.

“Remi. If there are accompanying papers, bring them.”

From between the bookshelves opposite, a head popped out.

A young woman with dark circles under her eyes and disheveled hair.

“The accompanying documents for Agavert... one moment, where did I put them.”

After rummaging across desks, she cried ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) out,

“Ah!”

Finding the papers, she placed them in a folder and brought them to Ornel.

“They came directly from headquarters this morning. They must have gotten mixed in.”

A large seal of the Order was stamped prominently on the page.

That meant the document had been verified by Luminen himself, Commander in Chief of the Order.

“Let us see. Official letter from headquarters. Number 3393...”

Ornel’s gaze grew serious.

So that was it.

The document concerned Agavert’s ranking adjustment.

But one word in particular stood out.

“Krazar?”

Was that not the ancient monster even Valentis Luminel had struggled with for five days?

Yet that monster had been revived—

“And the King of the Dead eliminated it alone...?”

At those words, the employee who had been about to leave froze.

Not only Remi.

Everyone in the central branch stared at Ornel.

He calmly continued reading.

“H-headquarters, based on thorough analysis and reports from relevant institutions, has reached a decision regarding the ‘subspace occurrence’ and ‘reappearance of an ancient monster’...”

[Headquarters defines this case as the ‘revival of the ancient monster Krazar.’

The elimination and resolution of the case were carried out by the King of the Dead (alias) of ‘Agavert,’ and this action is classified as a solo siege of a large magic crystal.

The Reward Bureau (Central Branch), in accordance with headquarters’ directive, is required to adjust the ranking of ‘Agavert.’]

Ornel swallowed.

Hesitantly, he lifted Agavert’s documents again.

Next to the line reading “Current Quarter Ranking Adjustment,” a number was clearly written.

“From thirty-ninth to twelfth.”

He stared at the paper.

Was that even possible?

If so, their growth was faster than even Trevaga’s had been.

Only after some time did Ornel, still stunned, raise his seal.

Soon, a dull thud echoed through the hall as the stamp struck the signature line.

At that moment, the “new mercenary squad” Agavert Astie secured its position at twelfth place in the continent-wide ranking.

And four days later—

Under the bright moon in the night sky over the capital’s center—

Agavert’s carriage, racing along the cobbled road, jolted violently.