Dense forest.

Tie’s song echoed along the quiet mountain path.

"Let’s go through the green forest! Slowly riding on a horse! And if magic crystals appear~ a pack of monsters {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} comes out! A pack of monsters!"

At her voice, a bird fluttered off a branch.

Tie’s eyes immediately lit up.

"Uncle Basto, there’s a spotted bird there!"

"That’s a Daurian redstart, Tie. It’s autumn."

"Redstart?"

Tie turned her gaze forward again.

Ahead, led by Leonardo, twenty Holy Knights moved in a line.

Behind them were Papa and the Association Chair princess, following after Tie and Basto.

Suddenly, a conversation reached her.

"Why didn’t you finish? So what happened."

"What happened. Just fought a duel."

"Are you insane! Starting a feud with the Order over a single weapon?"

"As if it’s my first time clashing with the Order. By the way, Chair, looks like you handle a sword too?"

Confusion flickered across Ardiana’s face.

"How do you—"

Murmuring that, she suddenly looked at the hand holding Tesetan’s waist.

On the outer side of her palm, not covered by her glove, were calluses.

"...!"

Ardiana quickly pulled her hand away and, losing her balance, wobbled in the saddle.

"Hahaha!"

Tesetan laughed loudly and supported her by the back.

Looking at the frozen Ardiana, he smirked.

"Want to sit in front?"

Ardiana’s face instantly flushed.

"N-no need! Stop talking nonsense and watch ahead."

The atmosphere turned strange again, and Tie tilted her head.

"...Good for them."

Basto’s voice sounded.

Looking up, Tie saw a faint smile on his lips.

"What’s good?"

Basto stroked her head.

"Them. Eve and I were like that too."

Something strange flickered in Tie’s eyes.

Eve was Basto’s wife who had died.

"No matter how much they argue, you can’t hide that kind of expression. Honestly, it’s unexpected."

Chuckling quietly, Basto continued:

"If Tesetan and the Chair really grow closer. It’ll be good for Agavert, Tie."

"Grow closer...?"

"Yeah. Like what Jen suggested to you at Kaldenbein Ridge."

"By the way, ahem! Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Ah."

Tie abruptly turned back, remembering that moment.

And saw the two still bickering.

A boy, a girl.

"Papa and the princess...?"

Her lips parted.

Honestly, she had never imagined Papa with a woman.

Or Papa as someone’s boyfriend.

"But this is before Tie was born."

At this time, Papa was just over twenty.

As the neighbors from the Gold house used to say, an age when people date and throw themselves into the fire of love...

For some reason, Tie felt strange and looked forward again.

To the chirping of the redstart, she sank deep into thought.

"I wonder if Papa and Tie’s mom were also in fiery love like that?"

There were still seven years until Tie would be born in this world.

So the person Papa was dating back then... was that Tie’s mom?

At that moment—

"Don’t like carrots?"

Papa’s voice came from behind again.

Tie pricked up her ears.

Ardiana sighed and replied:

"Yes. I don’t like carrots. And I don’t really like spinach either."

"Childish tastes."

"...I have nothing to say. I’ve disliked them since I was little."

"Even if you don’t like them, you should eat them. You need to consume fiber regularly, don’t you know?"

"What problems? What problems."

Tesetan snorted.

"If I say it, you’ll call me a barbarian again."

"...I won’t. Say it. Better than not knowing."

Tesetan looked at her and said mockingly:

"Fine. I’ll just say that in Tregava there was someone who ate only meat and paid for it with blood later."

"Blood? What is that—"

Ardiana seemed to realize something and parted her lips.

Soon, she hit Tesetan on the back.

"I-I don’t have that problem! Barbarian!"

Tie blinked.

Suddenly, memories from Korea overlapped before her eyes.

"Daughter, you need to eat fiber. Here, Papa cut you two more pieces of carrot."

"But Tie doesn’t like carrots!"

"Hey. If you’re picky, later there’ll be blood when you poop. You saw Uncle Choi from the alley who can’t even sit down?"

"I saw..."

"Want to be like that? Then you won’t watch TV at Grandma’s, and you won’t be able to go to kindergarten either."

That day, Tie had to eat all the carrots.

After that, she corrected her habits a little and even ate carrot soup in this world that Basto made...

"But that’s strange."

The princess also doesn’t like carrots, just like Tie.

"And spinach too, just like Tie?"

Her heart started pounding.

The girl kept glancing back at Ardiana, fidgeting with her fingers.

"I wonder if the princess likes fish in water?"

Tie only liked fried fish.

She thought that and immediately shook her head.

Several hours later, at noon, when the sun reached its peak—

"...Waa!"

Tie, having climbed down from the horse, opened her mouth wide.

Before the gates of an ancient palace.

On both sides of the endlessly high stone steps stretched ancient stone arches.

And beyond them, in the distance, the roof of a massive palace could be seen.

"From this point, we begin the fortress investigation."

At Leonardo’s words, the Holy Knights spread out to their positions.

Leonardo approached Basto and Tie.

"This is the palace layout."

The others gathered as well, watching with interest.

"This is the main entrance. After climbing these steps, we’ll reach the southern part of the plaza. Agavert will handle the chapel. We meet here at the designated time." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Basto nodded and looked at Tesetan.

"Deputy leader. Move out."

Tesetan calmly began climbing the steps.

But after about five steps, he stopped.

Looking down, he muttered:

"...Slippery."

He crushed the moss on the steps with the tip of his foot.

Then turned around.

"King of the Dead."

Tie, who had been preparing for Basto to carry her, widened her eyes.

"Come here. On my back."

Tie parted her lips in confusion.

Tesetan sighed and came down himself.

And, as if to show Basto, picked Tie up in his arms.

"Don’t fall again. If it’s hard to hold on, hold like this."

As he started walking, Tie’s eyes grew even wider.

For a long time, she couldn’t move.

"..."

And then she tightly wrapped her arms around his neck.

Tesetan glanced at her and sighed again.

Tie had already buried her face in his shoulder, her eyes filling with tears.

"Papa... is holding Tie."

At that moment, everything was exactly the same as in Korea.

Warm body.

Arms holding her tightly.

Breathing and heartbeat close by.

Tie sniffled.

Tesetan said awkwardly:

"...Hey. Don’t cry."

Tie raised her tearful face to him.

Papa frowned, looking at the snot running from her nose.

"What are you crying over something like this for. Stop."

Without hesitation, he wiped her nose.

But Tie couldn’t stop.

So he added:

"...Fine. I’ll carry you like this tomorrow too, just stop."

Tie suddenly sucked in a breath.

Pressing her lips together, she wiped her eyes.

And hugged him tightly again.

"Okay!"

"Seriously."

Tesetan let out a quiet laugh and continued forward.

But at that moment—

"Waa— buaa—"

A blurred vision suddenly surfaced before his eyes.

"Pa! Maa...!"

A baby wrapped in white cloth.

Small lips smiling at him.

Tesetan frowned and stopped in place.