Alexander was holding Papa’s hand, his face pale and frozen.

For some reason, large tears were streaming down Alexander’s eyes.

"Just let go already......!"

"Please, do not do this. Just this once, let us talk. Father is waiting......"

Father?

At those incomprehensible words, not only Tie parted her lips.

Allerik, Victor, Ribia, even Bale—all of them, eyes wide, turned toward Basto.

"What is this? What is even going on?"

But Basto, like them, understood nothing.

At that moment.

The main gates of the Luminel mansion burst open with a crash, and Leonardo appeared.

With a stiff face, he walked up to Tesetan and Alexander and spoke:

"Theseos."

The unfamiliar yet somehow familiar name stunned everyone for a moment.

"Forgive me in advance."

Leonardo removed the fencing glove from his hand.

Then, gathering holy power, he sharply struck the back of Tesetan’s neck with the edge of his palm.

Tesetan, who had not yet fully recovered from the wound he received in the duel with Tie, staggered heavily.

"Ah?!"

Shocked, Tie immediately rushed forward.

But Edmund, who had approached, wrapped his arms around her and held her back.

Tie struggled and looked at him.

"U, uncle! Uncle Leonar... no, he hit Tie... no, the deputy leader!!"

Tesetan had already lost consciousness.

Edmund nodded apologetically.

"Indeed. Your deputy leader has been beaten."

Tie nodded with hurt eyes.

Edmund continued:

"But otherwise, we would not have been able to bring him inside."

Tie’s lips tightened slightly.

Edmund smiled sadly.

"Could you just turn a blind eye to it today. He is my younger brother... who once cut off all ties and disappeared. This time, I cannot let him run away again before my eyes."

'Younger brother......?'

Tie froze, watching Leonardo carry Papa on his back into the mansion.

Younger brother... younger brother......?

Edmund’s words echoed again and again in her head.

Tie stared at him blankly.

"Ha......"

In the spacious living room, Allerik ran his fingers through his hair.

Victor, looking at him, clicked his tongue.

Allerik raised his head and stared at him.

"You knew?"

Victor lazily crossed his leg.

"Knew what?"

"That the squad leader is... I ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) mean... Luminel......!"

He himself got tangled in his words.

Stammering, Allerik spent a few seconds and finally shouted:

"You knew that the squad leader is the fourth prince of Luminel?!"

Victor shrugged.

"No. I did not know. But now that I do, I cannot say I am very surprised."

Allerik exhaled:

"Ha......"

Victor continued:

"We all suspected at least once that the squad leader might be a noble."

Allerik lowered his gaze.

As Victor said, even in swordsmanship, Tesetan looked like a noble.

Restrained techniques without unnecessary movement.

Refined and precise strikes.

And the way he thrust—just like the Holy Knights.

That meant his foundation was different from ordinary swordsmen who learned roughly while wandering.

"I have suspected it for a long time. The appearance of the fourth prince of Luminel and the squad leader matched too much. Black hair and green eyes with a brown tint."

"If you noticed that, you could have told me...... forget it."

Allerik fell silent.

Beside him, Ribia also sat quietly, as if lost in thought.

Bale, watching them with interest, said:

"So then. Tesetan is the fourth in that family, right?"

A satisfied smile spread across his face.

"I should have learned that back when I was trading information. People must have been racking their brains wondering where that fourth prince disappeared to."

Bale leaned toward Tie, who had been silent all this time.

"By the way, brat, as always! I admit it!"

Tie hesitantly raised her head.

Bale chuckled:

"You felt something, right? That is why you set up the duel and swallowed all of Tregava. Looks like it was Tesetan avoiding the Commander in Chief, not the other way around."

"......"

"Damn, I cannot believe it. His father is the Commander in Chief, and his brothers are the three Luminel princes. Though... with that personality, it could not have been otherwise. He has something to rely on...... huh? Hey, brat!"

At that moment, Tie suddenly stood up.

And hurriedly ran out of the living room.

"Tie is going to the bathroom!"

Hearing that, Bale started to get up, but then sat back down.

Closing the door, Tie looked around the huge mansion, feeling her heart pound.

The Luminel mansion, as always, was empty—without servants.

The Commander in Chief always cleared the house of people when Tie came, so there would be fewer prying eyes.

'Papa.......'

With lowered brows, Tie went up the stairs.

If Papa was really the son of the Commander in Chief.

If he really was the uncles’ brother—then she roughly knew where he would be.

'That room I accidentally entered when I was looking for the organizational chart.'

Tie’s steps became faster and faster.

Finally, breathing heavily, she stopped in front of the room of the fourth prince of Luminel.

And quietly pressed her ear to the door.

As expected, there were voices inside.

"......I do not intend to interfere in your life. I do not intend to ask how you live. But."

"......"

"I think you should keep in touch. It is not that difficult."

"Ha......"

There was no mistake.

The deep voice of the Commander in Chief.

And Papa’s heavy sigh.

"......It is my fault."

Valentis’s voice became dull.

"After you left, I thought a lot. Why you made that choice. Why you always turn the blade toward yourself."

Tie pressed her lips together.

She did not understand anything, but Valentis’s voice was very sad.

So sad that she herself wanted to cry.

"Tesetan. Today I will say it directly. It was not your fault. It was my foolishness."

"......"

"I was a pathetic father and did not notice how you were rotting from the inside. I did not understand how much it hurt you. I...... was an idiot."

"Enough."

Papa interrupted him hoarsely.

Tie swallowed and leaned a little closer to the door.

Silence fell, then Valentis’s voice sounded again.

"......I understand that today is difficult for you. In fact, I have a personal connection with Agavert. I will tell you more later, but the Church was hunting the King of the Dead."

"The Church? Why would they need the King of the Dead?"

"You have seen that power yourself. It is unprecedented. Naturally, the Church became interested."

"Ha, those bastards, then and now......."

"You are worried about her?"

Tie froze.

Behind the door, Valentis quietly chuckled.

"She is hard to hate. I thought you would like her."

Tie involuntarily stepped back.

"I......"

Papa began to answer.

But Tie got scared and suddenly turned around, running back down the corridor.

'I......'

That girl annoys me.

I am never going to start liking her.

She was afraid she would hear exactly those words.

Reaching the end of the corridor, Tie stopped in front of a large wardrobe.

There was a narrow gap between the wardrobe and the wall.

Tie squeezed into it with difficulty, hugged her knees, and curled into a ball.

Dust scattered around, but there was only one thought in her head.

'The Commander in Chief...... was Papa’s father.'

And not only that.

Papa had three more brothers.

Suddenly, an old memory surfaced.

'You know, Tie does not have any family at all except Papa. Strange, right?'

'What? How is that—no family at all? Not even a mother?'

'I do not know. But in the family drawing, she drew only herself and Papa.'

The small hand clutching the edge of her clothes trembled.