Tesetan, looking at the squirming infant, thought.

'...small.'

How are you even supposed to hold something this tiny?

Fear, awe, and a sense of alien unfamiliarity mixed together, ringing inside his head.

"I know this is contradictory."

A voice came from the opposite side.

When he lifted his gaze, he saw Ardiana’s exhausted face.

With a hoarse, broken voice, Ardiana said:

"I was never able to hold her properly. So you......."

She could not finish. She only stared at Tesetan for a long time with cold, pale eyes.

As if she did not have the courage to meet the child’s face.

"I’ll go."

Ardiana turned away.

He did not manage to call out to her.

When he came to his senses, a small, warm child was already squirming in his arms.

The scene changed again.

"I told you! I said the Squad Leader has a woman, didn’t I!"

In front of the fireplace.

Behind Tesetan, who sat silently, Ribia shouted.

"See! In the end, all this time he was just rejected, right?! And I thought he had some unbearable story! Some past trauma or something, damn it!"

"......."

"Because things didn’t work out like everyone else with that so called love, he turned into a corpse for half a year?! And now even......!"

Ribia roughly raked her hair.

"And now he shows up with a child?! Has he completely lost his mind?! What are we supposed to do now?!"

Allerik, standing nearby, let out a heavy sigh.

"Enough, Ribia."

"Enough what?! Do you even understand what’s happening?! What kind of lunatic drags a newborn into a mercenary squad!"

"......there are situations where a child can end up with you."

"What situations, damn it! Who is going to take responsibility for this child now? Our leader is someone who just stands there like a statue in front of monsters! Whether they cut off his head or tear him apart, he just watches, do you understand?!"

"We’ll cover for him."

"Even covering has limits! How are you going to cover someone who walks around like he has no soul?! At that point, just disband the squad!"

Silence fell over the base.

Every single face grew heavy.

Ribia groaned:

"And how are we supposed to raise her? How do you even raise a child?!"

"......."

"And her mother’s not right in the head either, is she? What kind of woman in her right mind sends her child into a mercenary squad? Is our leader the only parent? Isn’t she the mother too?! Damn it, I’d at least like to see her once!"

At that moment—

"Waaaah—!"

A cry came from the chair piled with blankets.

Ribia snapped her mouth shut.

"Waaah! Waaah!"

The child cried bitterly.

With a flustered face, Ribia turned to Allerik.

"I, I was too loud?"

Allerik sighed again.

And then—

Tesetan, who had been staring only at the fire, stood up.

"......no matter what, I will raise her."

He walked to the chair.

The moment he picked up the child, the crying immediately stopped.

Tesetan looked at the others.

"My position is better than that woman’s. So I will raise her."

Ribia let out a disbelieving scoff.

"Her name is Astie."

Tesetan held the child out to her.

Ribia, looking down at the baby, slowly pressed her lips together.

"Bu... baa......."

A green universe floated before her eyes.

As if trying to engrave itself into her forever.

"Damn......"

The curse slipped out on its own.

Ribia twisted her neck, turning toward Allerik and Victor.

"A... a child... why is it this beautiful?"

"Hah, Ribia. Watch your words."

"Were children always this cute? Or is it because she’s the leader’s daughter? He’s pretty good looking, after all."

"Ribia."

"Just look! She’s seriously...!"

Hesitating, Ribia took Tie into her arms.

The baby furrowed her pale little brow, then moved her eyes left and right.

"......uu!"

And then, looking at Ribia, she burst into a bright laugh.

Ribia’s expression completely collapsed.

"Ahh... she even smells nice......"

Allerik laughed.

Victor poked Ribia curiously.

"Give her here. I want to hold her too."

But Ribia’s eyes snapped open as she glared at him.

"What do you mean give her here?! Huh?! This is Lady!"

"Since when is she a lady?"

"The leader said he’s going to raise her! That means his daughter is our superior! Show some respect if you don’t want to get hit!"

The atmosphere loosened, laughter breaking out here and there.

The scene shifted again.

Time accumulated honestly, like nothing else in the world.

"Ah! Lady spit up again!"

"......and why are you telling me that?"

"Because you’re the one who’ll clean it up?"

"Why don’t you do it yourself?"

"Should I wipe Lady’s mouth and hold her tight too?"

"Are you serious......"

"Hey, Allerik, every time I see you like this, I kind of like it."

"......."

"You know, right? My ideal is a man who can take care of children and a home."

"......."

"In moments like this, you think—what a pity you’re just a colleague."

"Nonsense."

Astie grew day by day.

Within a few weeks, her face no longer looked entirely like a newborn, and her babbling became more varied.

Astie was a child who smiled often.

She easily caught anyone’s gaze and would immediately shine with a smile.

There was not a single person in the squad who did not like that.

"Victor. What did you buy again? Is all of this for Lady?"

"Yes."

"Didn’t you hear what the leader said? The room is already bursting. Stop bringing in everything you see."

"There’s a reason. All of it is necessary."

"A street musician’s drum is necessary too?"

"She’ll play it at five. A gift for that day."

"A child saddle."

"......probably for seven years old."

"And a silver crystal pacifier. Isn’t that expensive?"

"It was the last one left. I had to take it."

The squad members began preparing gifts for Tie’s first birthday half a year in advance, some nearly ten months.

"Leader! Is it true you’re buying a house on the Elderin Plains?!"

"Yes. I can’t continue this life with Tie."

"No way, then I’ll live there too!"

"......I would prefer that you didn’t."

Tesetan was making plans as well.

He could not continue a mercenary life with a child, so he intended to settle somewhere safe. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"So first, we’ll clear the magic crystal there."

"That makes sense! If we secure it in advance, there’ll be fewer problems later! When do we move out?"

While Astie was still small.

But when she turned about one year old.

When she could speak not just babble, but words like "Papa," "uncle," "aunt."

When she began to walk.

"I want to make a yard and plant flowers! But isn’t it dangerous? Kids eat grass."

"I plan to buy the «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» entire plain. There’s no need for a yard."

"The entire Elderin Plains?!"

"Why not."

"......Leader. Seems like all that hard work you’ve been doing wasn’t for nothing."

Tesetan was clearly full of anticipation, and everyone could see it.

Which made it even more tragic.

"The weather’s good. Perfect time to assault the magic crystal."

"Lady is at the top of the ravine, right? With Victor?"

The Elderin Plains.

And the ravine stretching beneath it.

On the day they set out to assault the unclaimed mid level magic crystal—

"Leader! Daytime collapse...!"

As if on cue, the curse returned, the one that made monsters rampage even during the day.

"The ravine is collapsing! Get out!"

A storm struck immediately after, part of the ravine crumbling.

"Victor...! Why are you here!"

"There are monsters up top too! Because of the flying ones, it’s better below...!"

This day was supposed to be special.

According to the plan, Astie was meant to wait in a safe cabin above.

But—

"......Astie."

At the center of the final scene,

Tesetan regained consciousness.

The countless scenes he had been watching without a body came to an end.

"......Astie!"

All around were nothing but bodies.

Among the corpses of his comrades, he himself, his limbs pinned down by monsters, stared at a single point.

There lay a crying child wrapped in cloth.

"Kiiiiiiiek—!"

In the next moment, a dragon descended in a whirlwind before Astie.

Black body, crimson eyes.

Tesetan knew who it was.

Without a doubt—

It was Lucarion.