That night, at the campsite.

As Basto pulled a water-repellent tarp from his pack, he muttered:

"It’s dangerous here. There are still two Magic Stones nearby. So it’s better not to let your guard down at night."

He planned to keep watch without sleeping all night, but Astie was too small, and he was worried.

Astie, who had been listening, suddenly raised her hand.

"Tie!"

"......?"

The girl waved her hand.

"Uncle Basto has to say: ‘Yes, Tie, go ahead.’"

Basto was taken aback, but still awkwardly said:

"Y-yes. Tie, go ahead."

"And the monsters from the Magic Stones... are they very stro-ong?"

"Monsters? You mean Magical Beasts?"

It was a perfectly age-appropriate question for a four-year-old child.

Basto stroked his thick beard and answered quietly:

"It depends. They’re very different."

The combat strength of Magical Beasts varied from individual to individual.

Still, it was not completely unpredictable.

Usually, the lower the rank of the Magic Stone, the weaker the beasts.

In truth, Magical Beasts did not emerge from the stone itself, but from rifts around it.

Near low-rank stones, shallow rifts usually formed.

And the beasts that appeared from them were often minor ones.

But when the stone’s rank was high and the rift large, the beasts became proportionally stronger.

That was why Magic Stones were divided into small, medium, and large.

"Beasts from large Magic Stones are very strong. Just remember ‘The Fall of Actis.’"

Actis was a small principality across the sea, on the western continent.

The king of the principality led the entire army to suppress a large Magic Stone that had grown behind the royal castle.

"Both the king and the entire knightly order died."

It was a terrifying defeat for an entire country.

Rumors of the fall of the Principality of Actis spread instantly across the continent.

The event was brutal and frightening to everyone.

"But that doesn’t mean we’re powerless every day."

"Then what?"

"Now is the age of mercenaries. There are plenty of masters across the continent. It’s not like before, when a large Magic Stone was considered impregnable. And no matter how strong the beasts are, they aren’t free during the day."

Even powerful individuals weakened at dawn.

And they hurried back to their rifts.

The problem was that several times a year there were days when the beasts could act even in daylight.

Mercenaries called them, in their jargon, the ‘Day of Doom.’

But to this day, no one knew why such days occurred.

"It’s five days to the Capital. Even if we don’t count tonight, we still have four nights in the forest. Stay alert, Tie."

He did not expect a child to be able to do anything.

But something was better than nothing.

"I’m not trying to scare you. This is for your safety."

He feared that the small, wary girl might be frightened.

"Uncle. Tie isn’t stupid."

The girl puffed out her cheeks and straightened her back.

"Tie will go to the Capital and find Father! Magical Beasts aren’t scary to Tie at all!"

The corner of Basto’s mouth twitched involuntarily.

He tied the tarp to a thick tree, making a shelter.

Then he folded the spare blanket in thirds and spread it underneath.

It made a place where Astie could lie down alone.

"Come here. Sleep."

"And Uncle?"

"Adults go to bed late. Children go early."

Astie nodded and obediently climbed down from the rock.

Clutching her pink backpack tightly, she lay down on the blanket.

Staring up at the tarp ceiling, she whispered quietly:

"Uncle, the blanket smells like a wet dog."

Basto covered her with a relatively clean outer garment.

"...Bear with it today. I’ll wash it tomorrow."

The girl nodded and closed her eyes.

Under her lowered lashes, a long shadow from the moon fell.

She seemed tired — soon the sound of her even, calm breathing spread through the forest.

The next day.

Astie woke up very early.

And was surprised.

"Wow! Uncle Basto isn’t sleeping!"

Basto was already awake.

"Adults really are amazing."

Went to bed late and woke up early.

If she thought about it, Father had done the same.

Because because of Tie, he had to earn money.

"Uncle Basto too, because of Tie......"

At the thought that she was a burden, her brows drooped.

No, that wouldn’t do.

Kkamani hadn’t accepted her gratitude massage, but she would definitely do one for Uncle Basto.

But just as Tie jumped up from the blanket—

"Since you’re awake, eat this first."

A warm wooden bowl steaming with vapor appeared in front of her nose.

"What is it?"

"Carrot soup."

It felt as if a huge rock had fallen on Tie’s head.

"Ca, carrot......"

For Tie, carrots and spinach were foods from nightmares.

Her friends said they were tasty, but Tie honestly believed both vegetables tasted like grass from the roadside.

"Eat. If you don’t have strength, it’ll be hard to walk."

Tie swallowed.

In her head, a kindergarten song began to play.

"And now Quail Class, let’s sing together!"

"Yeaah—"

"Chew well~ eat everything~ don’t be picky~"

"Eat everything~ chew well~ spinach, carrots, black beans!"

Good children are not picky.

You have to sit still, chew well, and eat everything.

"Spinach, carrots, black beans......"

With a drooping face, Tie took the bowl.

Closing her eyes, she took one big gulp — and froze.

In the slightly sweet broth was well-boiled carrot.

Not too firm and not too soft — the texture was almost like jelly.

"Good job eating."

Basto immediately added another ladle.

Tie finished the second serving as well and let out a small hiccup.

Her stomach felt warm and pleasant.

"Thank you for the mea—"

But as she returned the bowl, she froze.

On the surface of the wooden bowl, small black letters were burned in.

"Father, I love you?"

Basto flinched.

"O, oh—"

But Tie was surprised too.

"How did Tie read this?"

The letters were not Korean.

But the moment she looked at them — they read as something familiar.

Tie abruptly looked at Basto.

"Uncle Basto!"

"...What. Want more?"

Only now did she realize — it was the same with speech.

She understood a language she had never learned. And she was speaking it.

Her hand reached for the pink backpack on its own.

"Tanifang... no, this is Puppetmon power!"

Kkamani, who had returned to the stone, must have cast magic!

Tie’s heart started to beat faster.

She took the mug of water Basto offered and drank.

"Kkamani really is amazing."

She wanted to see him again as soon as possible.

"It’s time to head out."

Basto soon packed the pot and put out the fire.

Tie enthusiastically helped fold the blanket and tarp.

Basto slung the heavy pack onto his back and easily lifted Tie into ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ his arms.

"Let’s go."

"Let’s go—!"

Birds still flew freely in the sky.

Tie watched them and smiled softly.

"Tie will be free soon too!"

In the Capital, she would quickly find Father.

But four days later.

After Tie had eaten carrot soup twelve times — three times a day — they finally reached the First Gate of the Capital.

"What do you mean — you won’t let us in."

Basto’s face darkened as he held Tie in his arms.

Opposite him, the knight guarding the gate replied indifferently:

"I just told you, Basto Paerix. Your mercenary identification number has been annulled."