Basto, looking at Tie’s back, fell into thought.

"Is this for the best?"

In the {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} end, she had still put on her uniform, so only her face peeked out from beneath the black cloak.

Naturally, none of the carefully chosen outfit she had dressed up in was visible.

Of course, in a situation where informants followed them wherever they went, it was better not to draw attention...

"Waa. Clock tower!"

Tie, seated at the front of the cart, exclaimed softly.

From the very start of the journey, she had been curiously observing the streets.

There was a reason she was calmly sitting in the cart right now.

The previous evening,

Basto had arranged a seat for Tie at the front of the cart, where the cores were stacked.

When she saw it in the morning, Tie immediately asked with a worried look,

"But if King of the Dead rides on cart, won’t it look like baby?"

Basto hurriedly shook his head.

"No. Not a baby. A king."

"King......?"

"Yes. In old times, and in the place where you lived, kings rode like this too. It’s fine."

Hearing that, Tie instantly relaxed and beamed.

"Tie ride in palanquin...... then His Majesty King of the Dead?"

She did not know what a palanquin was, but the important thing was that she had changed her mind.

If Tie stubbornly insisted on walking again, it would only create trouble.

And besides.

In Basto’s opinion, Tie no longer needed to desperately pretend to be an adult.

Because—

"Rumors about Tie have already spread like a raging torrent."

Lately, the rumors surrounding Tie were generating new rumors on their own.

Even if Tie now behaved like an ordinary child in public, most people thought like this:

"The King of the Dead is terrifying, right?"

"Of course! Would a normal person act like that?! A grown man pretending to be a child—no way!"

"But maybe he really is a child?"

"Ha-ha, a child besieges a massive magic crystal? A child defeats a monster that Valentis Luminel struggled with for five days? Don’t talk nonsense."

"True?"

"Yes. And they say many people have seen the true form of the King of the Dead. Five times taller than an ordinary person."

Basto pushed the cart with a heavy expression.

"Is this going as planned or not."

People believed firmly in the fabricated image of the King of the Dead.

For some reason, even eyewitness accounts were appearing, claiming someone had seen Tie’s true form.

"That’s impossible."

Sometimes blue skin, sometimes an abnormally tall body.

Sometimes three arms, sometimes changing form every time, so no one knew the true essence.

"And Tie’s true essence is just Tie...... Or perhaps the Marquis of Weybril is working behind the scenes."

He did not know the details, but one thing was clear—everything was developing strangely.

And then—

"Uncle Basto! Over there, the Compensation Bureau!"

Tie shouted from the front.

Seeing her shining face, Basto finally smiled.

Recently, she had not looked this happy even once.

She had not said anything, but deep down she seemed glad that they had a home in the capital.

"Yes."

Because of the early hour, there were few people on the street.

It seemed the crowd that had celebrated the festival late into the night had already gone home.

When Tie and Basto stopped the cart in front of the central branch of the Compensation Bureau—

"What’s that?"

Tie tilted her head.

In the distance, to the right of the building, a group of paladins appeared.

"Your Excellency!"

Someone ran out of the bureau toward the man leading the squad.

When the man turned his head, the seal of the Order glinted on his chest.

From the numerous decorations, it was clear he held a high position.

"The cores processed?"

Cold green eyes flashed beneath slicked-back blond hair.

"Yes! The count was slightly delayed due to the festival, but there will be no problems!"

"Good."

The blond man exhaled shortly, as if relieved.

He looked thoughtfully at the Bureau building and brushed dust from his uniform.

"Then let’s go to the main headquarters of the Order and dismiss the unit."

He shifted his gaze to the dozens of paladins before him.

"You were mobilized unexpectedly during the festival. You’ve all worked hard. From this moment, assembly is lifted—"

And at that moment—

plop—

With a soft yet distinct sound, something whitish fell onto his right cheek.

The paladins only had time to realize that it was—

"Uncle Basto! That uncle got pooped on by bird!"

Tie’s voice rang across the quiet courtyard.

She pointed sympathetically at the paladin.

"Tie saw, magpie pooped on that uncle’s head, bad magpie."

Of course, Tie tried to speak more quietly.

But her voice was naturally clear, and in the prevailing silence everything carried sharply.

"Y, Your Excellency."

The paladins turned pale.

Their commander had just been reminded of it by a child.

"......Is there something to wipe with?"

The commander said in a stiff voice.

His subordinates hurriedly searched their pockets.

"Commander! Perhaps this...!"

One of them pulled a handkerchief from beneath his tunic.

But—

"Oh. Blood......."

Just as Tie had said, the handkerchief was covered in blood.

Dark red, with a black sheen at the edges—clearly the blood of a magical monster.

"Tie, shh."

Basto could not help himself and admonished her.

Then he averted his gaze from the frozen paladin commander.

"Let’s go inside...... Tie?"

But she was no longer beside him.

He turned and saw her small back moving away.

The two carefully braided pigtails swayed before the bewildered paladin.

"Uncle, here, take Tie’s!"

The commander flinched and turned.

He looked down at the child, who was half his height.

"Who are you......"

"Here, use Tie’s handkerchief!"

Tie stubbornly held out her handkerchief.

"The same one Tie gave to Lord Commander!"

The handkerchief with the deer was a treasure Tie had brought from Korea.

"It clean! Tie wiped nose, but yesterday washed!"

The paladin’s gaze wavered.

If she said it was clean, why mention the nose?

But at that moment the child’s eyes widened.

"Oh-oh? It dripping!"

In the end, he hurriedly took the handkerchief.

And slowly wiped his cheek.

"Uuu......."

Tie watched with a frown.

Her lips were puffed out.

She herself felt a little sorry that bird droppings had gotten on her handkerchief.

The paladin commander, Leonardo, sighed.

He folded the handkerchief in half, wiped his cheek once more, and said,

"......Thank you. A reward—"

He was about to put the handkerchief into his belt pouch when—

"Oh! That Tie’s!"

The child ran up and grabbed his wrist.

With lowered brows, she looked back and forth between him and the handkerchief.

"Uncle, give back. Tie not gift, only lend."

Leonardo froze.

Frowning, he asked slowly,

"It’s dirty. You’ll still take it?"

The child nodded vigorously.

"Mm."

And deftly pulled the handkerchief from his hand.

"It okay. At home wash, become clean!"

For a moment, Leonardo silently stared at her.

Tie put the handkerchief into her bag and, as if finishing a task, bowed politely.

"Then bye-bye, be healthy!"

Leonardo watched her without hesitation.

"Your Excellency, are you all right?"

The adjutant asked anxiously.

Leonardo closed his mouth, opened it again, and nodded belatedly.

"......Yes. I am fine."

He looked once more at the child entering the Bureau, then turned around.

"Prepare the carriage. We’re going to the estate."

At his waist swayed a small token chain.

On it was engraved the name of the second son of the Luminel family.

"Leonardo Luminel."