A Secretly Capable Child Is Seeking For Her Dad - Chapter 261
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A Powerful Child Searches for Dad Episode 261
“…Tesetan.”
Valentis barely managed to open his mouth after several seconds of silence had passed.
“My son is part of the mercenary group led by the Commander King, Your Holiness.”
He meant that it was natural for him to be close to the Commander King, given that he had entrusted his youngest son to him.
However, the suspicion dwelling in Luciano’s eyes did not disappear.
“Are you saying that’s the reason?”
“What other reason could there be?”
His heart pounded thump- thump-.
For the past few months, Valentis had not deliberately kept his distance from Astie.
At the memorial service, he had even gone to greet his granddaughter first.
Of course, for safety’s sake, it would have been better to pretend not to know her.
‘But how could I do that when that bright child was so withdrawn?’
At the memorial service, Tie had been completely shrunk in on herself.
Tie had grown up not in Talochium, but in a place where she didn’t have to experience the strict class system of this place.
The situation she was experiencing for the first time must have been confusing and unfamiliar.
That day, he had compromised with himself by going to the child first and acknowledging her to that extent.
Though he would have liked to sit the child on his knee and chat with her, Tie had far too many secrets that needed to be hidden.
Valentis wanted to lift that burden from Tie once this matter was concluded.
If only Luciano’s matter could be resolved, the child could buy herself several years until she faced the time paradox.
If Ardiana could handle the Imperial Palace affairs well in the meantime, that would be even better.
‘Astie will become a princess.’
The child could become the ‘princess’ she had always longed to be and enjoy warm, peaceful days.
Finally setting aside unnecessary worries and anxieties for a while.
He had thought she would be able to spend tranquil days with the people she loved.
“Valentis. How about we be honest with each other.”
It seemed he could hear the sound of cracks forming in the future he had envisioned.
“I know you well.”
Luciano’s eyes flashed right before his face.
“You found that boy Theseus difficult, didn’t you?”
Valentis unconsciously fingered his sword sheath.
“How difficult must it have been that you couldn’t immediately bring him back when that child left the family. And yet.”
“….”
“That same you suddenly reconciled with your son one day, and even became close to the Commander King, who is nothing more than a mercenary.”
Luciano lowered his gaze.
Blue veins showed through his pale eyelids.
“I find it hard to understand, you see.”
Valentis’s Adam’s apple moved slowly.
Even if Luciano suspected Tie, he had thought the man wouldn’t be wary of the Paladins at least.
Because Valentis had never once gone against the Order’s will until now.
He had even complied when they demanded he hand over his youngest son who was only four years old, so how much more so now.
“I heard he’s a mage with tremendous skill. I also heard he’s someone whose identity is veiled and difficult to know. Is all of that true?”
Luciano raised his gaze again.
The corners of his mouth turned upward, drawing the same gentle smile as usual.
“By any chance, have you heard any other stories that I don’t know about?”
The air gradually grew heavier.
Luciano’s power was incomparably greater than Valentis’s.
He could feel Luciano’s concentrated power pressing down on his body.
A drop of cold sweat trickled down his temple.
‘This isn’t a question.’
This was a threat.
An obsession to hear whatever information there was about Astie, no matter what it might be.
“The Commander King is….”
As he parted his lips, Valentis put even more strength into the hand that had been fumbling with his sword sheath.
He hadn’t expected things to proceed according to plan from the beginning.
However, he hadn’t known the situation would go awry from the very start.
Valentis’s eyes swept over Luciano’s vital points.
It didn’t seem like he could inflict a fatal wound.
Because to Valentis, who wielded holy power, the transparent yet solid barrier covering Luciano’s body was visible.
However, buying some time would be….
That’s when it happened.
“Grandfather!”
An unexpected voice pierced his ears.
Valentis froze in place.
Not having sensed Tie’s presence at all, Luciano’s pupils also moved slowly.
“Grandfather?”
As Luciano muttered, Tie grabbed Valentis’s right hand firmly.
“Grandfather! Waaah, what am I supposed to do if you leave Tie behind?”
The child with a tearful expression stuck out her lips.
“I kept waiting but you didn’t come, so Tie came looking for you!”
The child turned her head.
Sparkling green eyes turned toward the Pope.
“Hello, Your Popeness.”
An expression as if seeing something curious and unfamiliar spread across Luciano’s face.
“I’m Astie.”
The child smiled innocently.
Several dozen minutes earlier.
“…What? They’re only taking the Commander separately?”
At the entrance of the Grand Cathedral.
Veil whispered from among the Agavert members gathered in a circle.
Tie blinked with a tense expression.
Tie could see it too.
Between the adults’ legs, Cardinal Mel guiding Valentis inside the sanctuary.
“Father.”
Tie grabbed and shook the hem of Tesetan’s pants.
“Is it okay? Grandfather….”
Tesetan hesitated and looked down, but soon smiled broadly.
“It’s okay.”
He soon turned around and asked Aleric.
“How many priests have entered the sanctuary so far?”
“Six.”
“What about the knights who accompanied Father?”
“I did see two, but….”
Aleric trailed off.
Because just then, the two Paladins who had accompanied Valentis were coming back out of the sanctuary.
Veil’s eyes widened.
“Why are only those two coming out? What about the Commander?”
Silence descended among the members.
“We weren’t first after all.”
Basto muttered.
Agavert had thought Luciano would try to verify them first.
But to have a private meeting with Valentis first.
“It would be nice if we could at least know what the situation is.”
Raul and Enzo’s eyes gleamed with anxiety.
At that moment, Tie, who had been pondering something, raised her head.
“Tie knows.”
The child suddenly crouched down on the ground and placed both palms on the dirt floor.
“There are tons of subordinates down here.”
Tesetan furrowed his brow.
He lowered his body following Tie.
“What do you mean? There are subordinates below?”
Tie’s eyes lit up.
“From here to way over there, I can hear the bone friends’ voices. Even where Grandfather is…”
Tie closed her mouth.
The child’s white brow furrowed.
A few seconds later, Tie raised her head with a tense expression.
“Grandfather met the Pope. But… the Pope keeps asking about Tie’s secrets.”
Tesetan’s expression darkened.
Tie stood up from her spot.
“What should I do…?”
Through the subordinates’ voices, the conversation between Luciano and Grandfather was vividly transmitted.
The words she had exchanged with the members in the past also circled in her mind.
‘We need to find Luciano’s weakness.’
‘To find a weakness, we need to make him let his guard down, but how…’
‘It will be difficult unless his suspicions about the leader are resolved.’
Like sinking into deep water, the surrounding sounds subsided.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind.
‘Tie wanted to look really strong, so she became a powerful Commander King.’
When she first arrived in Talochium.
Tie couldn’t afford to be looked down upon by people.
Back then, she had no Father, no Mother, no Grandfather, so it was hard to protect herself.
‘But now…’
She raised her head.
Everyone was staring at Tie with puzzled expressions.
However, Tie began running toward the sanctuary without hesitation.
“Astie!”
[M-Master?]
From behind, Father called out, and from inside the bag on her back, Marbas called for Tie.
She could also feel Lucalion’s gaze, who must be hiding somewhere watching.
But Tie was certain.
‘Now it’s the opposite!’
She had been hiding her age, hiding that she was a child.
But now the situation was different, and this was exactly when some change was needed.
“Grandfather!”
She could see Valentis’s back in the distance.
Tie ran over and grabbed Valentis’s hand without hesitation.
“Hiiing, how could you leave Tie behind!”
She could feel Luciano’s piercing gaze studying her face.
However, Tie deliberately put on an even more innocent expression and pouted her lips.
“I kept waiting but you didn’t come, so Tie came looking for you!”
She had to appear insignificant.
She had to look easy to handle.
Tie looked at Luciano.
“Hello, Pope.”
A skilled person who hides their power is someone everyone fears.
But what if the opponent was a child who couldn’t even control her own strength?
A child who always needed the members’ help and had even earned the sympathy of Valentis, who had devoted his entire life to the Empire?
“I’m Astie.”
She could only hope that Luciano wouldn’t notice the slight tremor in her voice.
A strange expression crossed Luciano’s face.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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