Tie answered as if she hadn’t looked depressed at all just moments ago.

"Nooo."

And immediately continued with a bright, beaming face:

"This time, the bracelet rested even better than before!"

Tie recalled the memory erasing magic she had used on Valentis.

When she used it before, at the moment she touched the target, something like a white snowy field would unfold before her eyes.

'And then the memories would float up like soap bubbles, blub blub.'

But this time, it was different.

That night, when she activated the artifact,

what appeared before her eyes was not a snowy field, but a huge princess castle.

Fairies appeared from somewhere, flying through the sky, and rings of memories floated around them...

The scene looked just like something from a Disney movie, and her heart started beating faster.

'How did he know Tie likes fairies?'

At that moment, Enzo asked:

"Did you make sure that Totlen’s memory was erased?"

Tie tilted her head.

"I didn’t check that."

"What? Then how—"

"But Totlen didn’t say anything for five whole minutes, so it definitely disappeared!"

"Five minutes?"

"Yes! Tie said she was sorry and that she was guilty, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) but he didn’t even ask why and stayed silent for five minutes!"

As if he had overloaded.

And then, when the silence dragged on and Tie began to feel awkward, Totlen spoke again.

'When do you want to see the organizational chart.'

Hearing that, Tie let out a sigh of relief.

She had been afraid that along with the memories, the promise to show the chart had also disappeared.

Tie immediately answered:

'If Tie goes to the capital, can she see it?'

'When are you going to the capital?'

'We’ll just stop by the weapons district and then leave right away, so soon!'

Valentis Luminel nodded as if that suited him.

'Then we will meet soon.'

'Yaaay, then let’s meet at the Holy Knights headquarters?'

'There are too many eyes at the headquarters. We will meet at my estate.'

At his estate?

That was a bit unexpected.

Since it was about the Holy Knights’ organizational chart, Tie had thought it would be kept at headquarters.

'But Totlen uncle invited Tie to his home!'

Just as she was feeling happy about the invitation, she met the eyes of Bale and Basto, who had rushed into the corridor. Then Nordix approached as well.

Bale muttered:

"...The kid’s words alone aren’t enough not to worry."

Enzo nodded as well:

"I think so too. But if the memory erasing magic hadn’t worked, wouldn’t Totlen have taken the artifact?"

"Why?"

"Totlen Luminel possesses ‘Awakened Sacred Sight.’"

Bale let out a quiet breath.

"Ah, right."

The ‘Awakened Sacred Sight’ possessed by Valentis Luminel

was, in a way, what made him Totlen.

"He can sense almost any kind of energy. If the squad leader’s magic hadn’t worked, he would have noticed immediately and taken interest in the artifact."

He wouldn’t have stayed silent for five minutes like Tie said.

"That’s true... maybe."

"Yes. And...."

Enzo gestured toward Tie with his chin.

The child, comfortably settled in his arms, was already nodding off.

Standing beside them, Raul deliberately spoke in more complex terms so Tie wouldn’t understand:

"Totlen is definitely not biologically... well, not that."

Bale nodded.

"Yeah. If he were her real father, the kid would have recognized it."

"Then who is he? Really not from the Luminel family?"

The casual conversation gradually turned serious.

Once they started, there were too many things that needed to be shared.

And when Nordix mentioned Pupu from Tie’s bag, the atmosphere grew even heavier.

Because the moment Pupu appeared strangely coincided with the disappearance of Krazar’s core.

Which meant...

Outside the window, where it had been dark not long ago, a faint light began to appear.

Meanwhile, Tie sank deeper and deeper into sleep.

Through her closed eyelids, she faintly saw the dawn outside the window.

And over it overlapped the memory of a dawn on Inwang Mountain that she had once seen with her father.

That day had been just like this.

The high sky—dark blue, the lower sky—pink, as if mixed with grapefruit juice.

Half asleep, Tie recalled that happy past.

Her father’s voice echoed in her ears.

"My daughter, Dad loves you. Very, very much, truly."

In her dream.

Standing high among the clouds, Tie saw the one she missed so much—her father.

She ran and hugged him tightly.

"Dad, I missed you...!"

Tears welled up again in her reddened eyes.

Enzo, looking down at her, gently wiped a tear from her cheek.

And at the same time—

[Valentis. Have you found out anything about the one called the King of the Dead?]

In Valentis’s room.

At the voice coming from the communication artifact, he answered:

"Yes."

[Is that so... nothing unusual?]

His gaze lowered.

After a brief pause, he answered calmly:

"No. Nothing."

The next day.

A new morning came to the weapons district.

"...Haaah!"

And for the first time in a long while, Astie overslept.

"T, this is bad."

Seeing no one around, Tie jumped up.

Today was the day Totlen Luminel was going to search the entire weapons district.

They had said there would be a gathering in the morning—so why hadn’t anyone woken her up?!

In a hurry, she was pulling on her shoes when a quiet sound came from behind.

"Kyuu! Kyukyut!"

Turning around, she saw Pupu peeking out from her bag.

Tie shook her head, signaling they would talk later.

"Pupu, mom is busy."

And, putting her shoes on the wrong feet, she jumped up.

As soon as she stepped out of the room, she squeezed her eyes shut from the bright light.

"Uu..."

Covering her face, Tie barely opened one eye.

"King of the Dead!"

A familiar voice sounded from the left.

Turning, she saw Berugon standing at the end of the corridor.

"Uncle blacksmith?"

"Yeah, over here. Just woke up? You’re lazier than you look."

At his gesture, Tie hurried over.

And, widening her eyes, looked around.

All the room doors, except the one she had come out of, were wide open.

"Surprised? Me too. Everyone left just as noisily as they came."

"Everyone left...?"

"Yeah. Totlen Luminel and the other two squads left right after the morning search. Yours are inspecting the Weapon Pavilion now." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Tie’s eyes widened.

'Totlen uncle left?'

She had wanted to at least thank him before he left.

"By the way. Is it true you arranged to meet Totlen in the capital?"

Tie nodded gloomily.

"Nooo. Totlen invited Tie to his home."

Berugon clicked his tongue.

"So he moved faster. Anyway, here."

He held out an object.

Tie’s eyes widened, and Berugon continued enthusiastically:

"Recognize it? Of course you do. It’s the very thing you showed me in the subspace. So, how’s my work? Faster than you expected, right?"