Basto was the first to break the silence.

"W-wait, what are you talking about, Master?"

Bale forced a strained smile and hurriedly cut in.

"Exactly. What do you mean, not a disguise? What nonsense are you spouting?"

He quickly swept his gaze over the team members.

"It’s already an established fact that our captain walks around in the form of a child. And now you suddenly—"

"In over seventy years of living, this is the first time I’ve seen something like this."

"Seen what?"

"A grown man who’s supposedly disguising himself as a child smiling so peacefully while looking at a teddy bear."

Bale fell silent.

After a pause, he looked away from Berugon.

"No, that’s just because our captain is very good at acting..."

"I’ll be honest. If it were people who had only seen the King of the Dead in passing, sure, they might be fooled."

"..."

"But if someone observed him even a little up close, it would be different. If a person has eyes, isn’t it obvious as day?"

In Berugon’s mind—

The image surfaced of the King of the Dead, flustered, stuffing teddy bear orbs into his pocket.

And not only that.

Before that, there had been the King of the Dead repeatedly asking about difficult words.

'And in the subspace, that peculiar clumsiness of his showed through as well.'

"Master, you’re not at fault!"

It seemed the King of the Dead didn’t know about the Hederdel catastrophe.

The very Hederdel catastrophe almost every citizen of the Empire knew about.

And then, after all the talk had ended, he had tightly grasped Berugon’s hand and said:

"That journalist is bad!"

Just one sentence.

Short, but filled with a clear desire to somehow comfort Berugon.

From that single short phrase, Berugon felt the festering pain long buried in his chest ease just a little.

It had been awkward, and therefore strangely warm, comfort.

Like a wildflower plucked by a child who didn’t understand anything and offered it clumsily.

'Childlike purity is visible everywhere.'

Nothing asserts its presence so quietly and yet so powerfully at the same time.

Seeing the certainty on Berugon’s face, Basto’s Adam’s apple slowly bobbed.

But just as he was about to deny it again—

"Enough. That’s enough, Basto."

An arm blocked him.

It was Nordix, who had been silently listening from the back.

Stepping forward in front of the team, he looked straight at Berugon.

"You’re right. Astie’s appearance is not a disguise."

Berugon clicked his tongue as if he had expected that answer.

Frowning, Nordix continued:

"This child’s abilities awakened too early. There were many things that worried us, so we had no choice but to spread the rumor that her appearance was a disguise."

One of Berugon’s brows twitched.

With visible irritation, he continued:

"Fine, let’s say that’s the case. But from a common-sense perspective, how can a child possibly pretend to be an adult? And how well do you think she could do it?"

He glanced at the others.

"Whose idea was this? Don’t tell me it was yours."

Letting out a heavy sigh, Bale shook his head.

"...No. It was the little one’s idea."

Berugon clicked his tongue again.

"Now at least that makes some sense. But even if it was the girl’s idea, you still made a mistake. How is this any different from shackling a child so tightly that she can’t even throw a tantrum in front of others?"

Bale’s lips parted slightly.

Because Berugon had struck precisely at what had vaguely troubled him all this time.

"If you had seen the King of the Dead in the subspace, at yesterday’s meeting. He had the face of a frightened rabbit, and his eyes were darting so fast..."

Once he had begun suspecting it, Berugon’s eyes started noticing everything.

The child’s fingers clenching from tension in front of someone who must never learn her secret.

The waist held stiffly, as if trying to look even a little bigger.

"You’ve placed a heavy burden on a child, and on top of that, you’ve given her the position of captain."

"As soon as the mercenary squad grows larger, we were planning to resolve that."

Nordix interjected.

"First of all, if the squad grows, that alone will become the most reliable shield to protect the child. And there’s something else you don’t know, Berugon."

"And what is it that I don’t know?"

"Let’s just say it has to do with the child’s real father."

Berugon’s eyes widened slightly.

After muttering "I see..." a few times, he looked at Nordix.

"And how do you plan to grow the mercenary squad?"

"Nothing concrete yet. We have several fighters strong in combat, so most likely after visiting the capital, we’ll spend some time taking on magic stone siege missions."

"...And the child’s safety will truly be ensured?"

"No matter what, this is a child capable of protecting herself. You saw that in the subspace yourself, Master."

Berugon nodded.

Nordix continued:

"But you’ve changed a great deal too, Berugon. Didn’t you prepare those orbs because you were worried about Astie?"

At those words, Berugon coughed as if he had choked.

"...N-not at all."

"For someone who says ‘not at all,’ this is a first, isn’t it? You personally handing over equipment you crafted yourself to a mercenary ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) without payment or reward."

With a displeased look, Berugon turned away.

After a moment of silence, he added quietly:

"Even if the times truly have grown harsher."

"..."

"A child should still be protected first and foremost, shouldn’t they?"

Berugon waved his hand as if to brush it off.

"That’s enough, enough! I made it, so I’ll give it—why are you meddling?!"

After that, he put on his usual stern expression.

"When I look at the King of the Dead, it’s not like this... but when I look at you lot, my eyes suddenly start to ache. If you’ve finished inspecting the Weapon Pavilion, then pack up! I’ve got plenty to do as well."

With that, he strode past the team members and went down the stairs.

Meanwhile, after reaching her room, Tie unzipped the bag with a pounding heart.

Immediately, Pupu nimbly leapt out and climbed onto her lap.

"Kyu! Kyuu!"

"Mm-hm, Pupu. Wait a little."

"Kyukyut...!"

Pupu wobbled like a devoted creature.

But Tie ignored him and pulled out the black stone from the bag.

Clutching it tightly in her palm, she whispered:

"Lucarion, Kkamani, come out."

It was obvious that even inside the stone, Lucarion could understand what was happening outside.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t come out from time to time in emergencies to help Tie.

Which meant he had certainly heard this voice too.

"Hurry and come out! Tie has a present for you!"

She lightly stroked the surface of the stone as if urging him, and almost immediately felt a strange vibration.

The next moment, Tie cried out:

"Ack!"

And dropped her hand to the floor.

Sitting on her palm was no longer a stone, but Lucarion.

With a sour expression, Lucarion stared at Pupu.

"...You still haven’t thrown that thing away?"

"Kyut!!"

Pupu immediately flared up indignantly.

Tie hurriedly wedged herself between them.

Then she held out the donut-shaped device she had just received—the one Berugon had called a battery.

"Don’t fight, it’s a present!"

Extreme astonishment appeared on Lucarion’s face.

"You want me to wear a dog collar?"

Tie’s mouth fell open.

'I didn’t think of that, but now that he says it...!'

The donut-shaped device really did resemble a dog collar a little.

"N-no, that’s not it."

Panting, Tie tried to recall everything Berugon had said about the device.

Then she reduced the explanation to the bare minimum.

"It’s a very good thing!"

"What?"

"Just try it once, okay?"

"I don’t want to."

"Just once, just once, please?"

"I said I don’t want to."

There was no helping it, so Tie pulled Lucarion close and hugged him tightly.

Then, ignoring his heavy sigh, she slipped the elastic device over his head.

It snagged once on his small horns and nose bridge, but eventually settled around his neck.

"Kyu! Kyut!!"

Pupu jumped in place, consumed by an explosion of jealousy.

But at that very moment—

"Tie, it’s about time to pack—"

Basto, who had entered the room, noticed Pupu and froze on the spot.