A Secretly Capable Child Is Seeking For Her Dad - Chapter 7
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
A Powerful Child Searches for Dad Episode 7
Basto’s gaze turned cold.
“It was a perfectly valid identification number just two weeks ago, so how could it suddenly disappear?”
“Complaining to me won’t solve anything. It’s not like a non-existent mercenary identification number will magically appear.”
The paladin sat slouched in a folding chair, flipping through documents with an annoyed expression.
Though it was absurd, Basto didn’t want to use harsh language in front of the child.
So he quietly stepped forward.
When a massive shadow fell over his head, the paladin finally looked up.
“Do you know where I’m coming from right now?”
The paladin flinched at the low, thick voice.
Basto looked straight at him and continued speaking.
“I’m returning from conquering one of the three magic stones in Briowood that was troubling the imperial family. To make my report.”
At the mention of Briowood’s magic stone, the paladin narrowed his eyes.
Then he tilted his head as if finding it strange.
“One of Briowood’s magic stones… the small magic stone?”
Basto nodded.
Then the paladin burst into a hollow laugh.
“What a complete fraud.”
Without giving him a chance to respond, the paladin stood up and glared at Basto and Tie.
“Listen here. Briowood’s small magic stone has already been reported.”
Basto’s brow furrowed.
That couldn’t be right.
It was Basto who had conquered Briowood’s small magic stone single-handedly.
So who could have made the report first?
Who was it that closed the rift six days ago while covered in flying monster blood?
“It was quite a famous mercenary group, so I remember it well. They came to me two evenings ago to report the conquest, received their reward, and entered Jedo. What? You conquered that magic stone?”
A terrible thought began to consume his mind.
“The leader of the Death Hounds mercenary group told me. He said there was some little punk following behind trying to steal his achievements. Said he used to work under him. I guess this is what he meant by being a low-quality bastard?”
As if they’d been waiting, other paladins gathered around.
“Basto Paerix. Step back immediately.”
“Right. If you don’t want to be forcibly expelled, you’d better leave on your own feet!”
Basto closed his mouth.
Without realizing it, strength entered the arm holding Tie.
He wanted nothing more than to punch each of their faces in a row right now, but…
When he glanced at Tie’s face, she looked terrified.
Basto held his breath and slowly turned his body around.
As he barely managed to start walking, he could hear the paladins muttering.
“He’s completely insane. Conquered a small magic stone without any companions? Does he expect us to believe that?”
“He didn’t even have an identification number. Obviously something’s wrong with his head.”
“Why did the Death Hounds leader keep someone like that around?”
His heart pounded with rage.
Death Hounds.
That was the place he had once belonged to before becoming a wandering mercenary.
Even now, Basto’s teeth clenched.
When he thought of that place’s leader, Cal Worben.
When he thought of his family members who had died meaninglessly because of that bastard…
“Mister…”
Suddenly, something cold touched his cheek that had grown hot with anger.
When he turned his head, he saw worried green eyes looking at him.
“Mister, are you okay…?”
Small hands carefully wiped away the cold sweat that had formed on his forehead.
Basto stopped breathing for a moment, then let out a long exhale.
Gradually, his head cooled down.
‘Entry to Jedo has been denied.’
If he were alone, he might try to cross the gateway at night, but now he was responsible for Astie.
To do that, the priority was understanding what had happened.
Basto adjusted his hold on Tie and muttered.
“…We need to find a place to stay first.”
Tie’s eyes widened.
The child soon answered in a spirited voice.
“Yes!”
“Good heavens, look at all this grime!”
Tie pursed her lips as she was forced to wash her face.
“What on earth were you doing to let the child get into this state, Basto!”
The person washing Tie’s face was a grandmother she was meeting for the first time.
More precisely, the proprietress of the ‘Gwanmun Inn’ that Tie and Basto had entered.
“Child, if you tense up like that, it makes it hard for grandma.”
The grandmother said while scrubbing Tie’s lips.
Tie rolled her big eyes and made a tearful expression.
“B-but it hurts…”
“Stop being dramatic!”
Despite her pitiful expression, the grandmother paid no attention and began washing behind Tie’s ears.
Her body naturally shrank, but she didn’t feel bad about it.
It reminded her of 107 Grandmother who used to wash her when she was in Korea.
Grandmothers always say you’re being dramatic even when it really hurts.
“Good heavens, now your face looks clean! You pretty little thing.”
And grandmothers, after the washing is done, gently touch your cheeks with kind faces like this.
Whenever she saw such expressions, Tie always felt ticklish inside her heart.
“Thank you, Grandmother!”
When she bowed at the waist, the chuckling grandmother offered her warm chocolate.
Tie sat in a chair in front of the reception desk and turned her gaze to the window.
“Really? They really said your mercenary identification number was deleted?”
“…It seems like Cal’s doing. He probably paid the Paladins under the table to have me expelled.”
At the window table, two people were having a conversation.
It was the grandfather, who was another owner of the inn and the grandmother’s husband, and Mister Basto.
“The day I meet that bastard again, I’ll crush him without leaving a single bone fragment.”
Tie’s shoulders shrank.
S-scary.
This was the first time she’d seen Mister Basto angry.
Being kicked out of that place called the gateway earlier, and now this – something bad was definitely happening.
Tie fell into thought.
‘I guess you can’t enter Jedo without a mercenary identification number.’
Come to think of it, she remembered Father telling her something similar.
According to Father, there were many monsters – no, magic beasts – in this world.
But he also said Jedo was the safest city, so it was okay.
‘He said it’s because the king and lots of rich people live in Jedo!’
The principle was that magic stones inside Jedo were conquered as soon as they appeared.
Something about getting rid of them faster because precious people might get hurt?
The problem was that only people from Jedo could use such a safe city.
“Does it even make sense to block off Jedo and prohibit civilian access in the first place?”
Sure enough, Uncle Basto was talking about similar things.
Tie pricked up her ears while pretending to drink the chocolate Grandmother had given her.
“There are so many refugees who lost their homes outside Jedo. What on earth are those nobles and His Majesty the Emperor thinking…!”
“That’s enough, Basto.”
The owner Grandfather with his pointy white beard cut off Basto’s words with a deliberately stern face.
“You were quiet for a while, so why are you at it again? I’ve told you countless times that you must learn to control your anger to stay out of trouble.”
Uncle Basto let out a deep sigh.
“It’s frustrating. People are dying out there.”
“…You’re thinking of your hometown. I too regret what happened to Ban-Anra Village.”
Tie, who had been listening, froze.
“That Karl fellow is truly cowardly and cunning. To reduce a village, your family, to such a state…”
“Grandfather!”
The next moment, Tie put down her chocolate and ran to Grandfather.
Both men’s gazes focused on the child who had come running.
“Banana, that place!”
“Banana?”
The Elder chuckled.
“You mean Ban-Anra Village?”
“Yes! Banana Village!”
For some reason, the child was in a state of great excitement.
“Is Uncle Basto’s hometown Banana Village?”
Basto unconsciously furrowed his brow.
But soon he nodded.
“That’s right.”
Tie’s chocolate-covered mouth fell wide open.
Her green eyes began to sparkle brightly.
‘…I finally remembered.’
Why didn’t I realize it until now!
The hammer uncle from Banana Village.
Tie knew that village, knew Basto.
Because he was someone Father always talked about!
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————