Tie jumped down from the chair.

Her gaze darted between Leonardo and the notebook that had fallen.

“Tie is sorry!”

Quickly stepping back, she hurriedly picked up the notebook from the floor.

Holding it out to Leonardo, she said:

“Tie will leave right away?”

“...No, wait.”

But Leonardo seemed momentarily flustered and held her back.

Frowning slightly, he said:

“You don’t need to leave. That’s not what I meant.”

Tie tilted her head.

“But Tie just went in without asking...”

“Without asking? The door was open, so you went in. If anything, it’s my fault for not locking it.”

Tie’s mouth parted slightly.

She hesitated, glancing at the notebook in Leonardo’s hands.

“Then Tie looked at Uncle’s secret notebook. Is that okay?”

Leonardo looked at her strangely.

And calmly replied:

“It’s fine. In any case, it’s not mine.”

With that, he walked to the opposite sofa and sat down, gesturing for Tie to sit beside him.

After a brief hesitation, Tie approached and settled next to him.

Kkamani and Pupu, leaning near the desk, watched Leonardo warily.

Sensing their gaze, he said:

“...At that age, having two permanent summons is impressive.”

A pleased smile spread across Tie’s face.

Her wariness quickly melted away.

“Uncle Bird Droppings is impressive too! You have so many subordinates!”

A flicker of mild confusion crossed Leonardo’s face — he recalled their meeting in front of the Rewards Bureau.

He unconsciously touched his cheek and asked:

“...Thank you. And that handkerchief — did you wash it well?”

“Yes! Aunt Marshal helped, it became white again!”

“That’s good.”

“Then whose was that notebook?”

At the innocent question, Leonardo lowered his gaze to the notebook in his hand.

And answered slowly:

“My younger brother’s.”

“Younger? Uncle Alexander?”

At the oddly distorted name, Leonardo chuckled.

And gently shook his head.

“No. Another younger one.”

Tie’s lips parted slightly.

During yesterday’s dinner, she had roughly figured out the order of the three Luminel brothers.

‘Oldest is Uncle Lantern, then Uncle Bird Droppings. Youngest is Uncle Alexander.’

Suddenly her eyes widened.

“Ah!”

The Commander had not three, but four sons.

Tie exclaimed brightly:

“It’s Uncle Number Four!”

Leonardo smiled again.

“Yes. Uncle Number Four.”

“Why doesn’t Uncle Number Four live at home?”

Leonardo fell silent.

He ran his thumb across the notebook cover a few times and answered:

“He lives separately now.”

“But he’s family, and they don’t live together?”

Leonardo nodded.

Tie opened her mouth, then muttered thoughtfully:

“I see. So Uncle Number Four, like Tie, started independent life.”

Tie did not know the details about the youngest Luminel son.

But if he had left such a beautiful home, with such a strong father and brothers, then he surely had very difficult reasons.

“Life really is...”

You never know what lies ahead.

To comfort Leonardo, Tie gently patted his knee.

“Uncle Bird Droppings, don’t worry. Uncle Number Four will come back soon.”

A spark of interest flashed across Leonardo’s face.

“Really? Why do you think so?”

Tie waved her hands.

“Right now housing is very expensive. Adults said people in the city become kangaroos. Kangaroo means, to save money, you keep living with Mom and Dad.”

Leonardo raised one eyebrow.

But a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

“...Well. That wouldn’t be bad.”

After sinking briefly into memories, he turned his head.

Beside him, Tie was still looking at him with clear eyes.

Leonardo unconsciously stroked her head.

“Thank you. For trying to comfort me.”

Just that morning, he had thought all of this was madness.

But now, it seemed, he was beginning to understand.

‘So this is what Edmund and Alexander felt this morning.’

The warmth of the small head beneath his fingers made something in his chest tighten softly.

Every night.

Dozens, hundreds of times, he had entered this small room.

And spent meaningless hours at the desk where young Theseos had once sat.

Leonardo looked at Astie for a while longer.

The child’s smile somehow soothed his long-standing pain.

The next day.

Tie and Agavert quickened their pace.

After dinner, the three Luminel princes, having returned from their duties, joined them as well.

Thanks to that, the review of materials ended sooner than expected, but—

“...Little one, are you alright?”

Large tears were already gathering in Tie’s eyes.

“Squad Leader...”

Without responding to the calls, Tie slid unsteadily off her chair.

And, passing everyone, disappeared behind the curtain in the corner.

“Astie.”

Nordix called, but Tie only hunched her shoulders and sniffled.

“Tie... wants to be alone a little.”

At her lifeless voice, the fighters exchanged bewildered looks.

Bale had already taken a step toward the curtain, but—

“...Leave her. Even a child needs time to deal with feelings.”

Nordix stopped him.

With a serious face, he addressed the others:

“Let only Basto stay. The rest should step outside.”

In the end, the fighters nodded reluctantly.

Soon only Basto remained in the conference hall.

When the door closed, Tie’s sobbing grew louder.

She buried her face between her knees.

‘...No.’

She had searched through the organizational charts of the Holy Knight Orders of Tallocium — no, of the entire world.

But Papa was not there.

Then where was he?

She had come this far only for him...

And suddenly—

A brief thought flashed through her mind.

‘No. Papa was there.’

At the port of Pearlcity, Tie had seen him with her own eyes.

A quiet whisper slipped from her lips.

“That dream...”

The dream she had the night she lost Papa.

Though much time had passed, it still stood vividly before her.

‘In the dream, people called Papa squad leader.’

At that time, Tie had only just arrived in this world.

She did not know the difference between Holy Knights and mercenaries.

And she believed Papa’s words.

That he was a Holy Knight. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

But now Tie knew for certain.

First, Papa was not in any Holy Knight Order.

She had checked the entire general chart.

Second, “squad leader” was not a Holy Knight title.

That was what they called the head of a mercenary group.

‘And also...’

In that dream, Basto had been there.

And in the dream, he had been Papa’s subordinate.

If Papa were truly a Holy Knight, Basto should have been one too.

Tie suddenly sprang to her feet.

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

“Uncle Basto!”

Seeing her tear-streaked face, Basto quickly wiped her cheeks.

“Yes, yes. Tie.”

“Have you ever wanted to become a Holy Knight?”

The unexpected question brought confusion to his face.

But soon he shook his head.

“Never.”

“Why? If you could now, you still wouldn’t?”

“I wouldn’t.”

“Why?”

“Because a Holy Knight, no matter how much better it looks compared to a mercenary, lacks the most important thing. Freedom.”

Tie fell silent.

“Unlike a mercenary, a Holy Knight must serve the Order and the Imperial Court. And I don’t want to be bound by something I can’t accept. I’d rather become a Holy Knight than...”

He cut himself off, about to say “die.”

And at that moment—

“Tie!”

Tie suddenly flung open the door and ran out of the conference hall.

She immediately collided with Valentis’s butler standing outside the door and fell.

“Ouch... huh?”

A sheet of paper that had slipped from the butler’s hands slapped directly onto the child’s tear-streaked face.