“So that’s why this guy is all dressed up.”
Horas snickered, asking Ekision if he was a peacock.
“Of course. This is my first outing with the rookie. Shouldn’t I commemorate it?”
“Commemorating is fine, but make sure you write the report today. Ugh, I guess they’re assigning it to me now.”
Horas rolled his eyes, recalling how he had to come in on his days off twice after delegating work to Ekision.
“What report?”
Ekision asked innocently, seemingly unbothered by the pointed look.
Padrid, who had been listening quietly, sighed.
“Mr. Ekision has missed two reports this month alone. I handled one of them.”
“Ugh, I’ll do it when I get back this afternoon.”
Ekision flinched and made a gloomy face.
“You two are becoming more alike. One doesn’t do homework, the other misses reports.”
At that, Ekision and Rodi simultaneously glared at Horas with identical expressions.
Horas chuckled and easily deflected their glares.
“By the way, rookie, aren’t you working too hard? I might lose my position soon. Take it easy.”
“I’m going to be the best.”
“Sure, go ahead and do it all. Be careful out there. If someone offers you something tasty, don’t follow them—kick them instead. He’ll clean up the mess.”
Horas pointed at Ekision matter-of-factly.
“Okay!”
“Me what?”
Ekision, who had been talking with Padrid, turned his head sharply and asked.
“Nothing, just saying you’re handsome.”
When Horas shrugged, Ekision smiled so widely his dimples showed.
“I’m naturally handsome.”
“Yeah, sure. Just get going. Rookie, take these at least.”
Rummaging through his pocket, Horas held out three candies wrapped in black shells.
“Candy!”
“Don’t eat them yourself.”
“Why?”
“They’re weapons.”
“Weapons?”
They just look like regular candy?
“Mr. Horas. Please don’t give her dangerous things.”
“They’re not dangerous. They’re for self-defense. The outside world is too dangerous.”
“It’s not dangerous at all.”
Despite Padrid’s concerned voice, Rodi eagerly accepted them when she heard they were for self-defense.
Ever since learning a few self-defense techniques from Jin, she had been collecting anything that seemed useful.
“Hold onto them and feed them when absolutely necessary.”
“Feed them?”
“Yes, to bad guys. Only when you can’t rely on him and have no other choice. Got it?”
Horas winked at Rodi, sending her a signal.
“Yes!”
Rodi waved goodbye to Horas and Padrid, then took Ekision’s hand and left.
She already attracted attention whenever she walked around headquarters, but with Ekision beside her, the gazes doubled.
“Rookie, is there anything you want to do when we go out?”
“Hmmmm…”
Rodi fell into deep thought for a moment.
“What did you use to do when you were at the orphanage?”
“Begging… and just sitting in alleys watching people pass by.”
“Huh? What?”
Ekision, who had been matching his pace to Rodi’s while asking, was greatly taken aback.
“Sometimes when I was tired and sat at the entrance of an alley, adults would give me Dena even without me begging, and some days they’d give me shillings—those were really lucky days.”
As Rodi cheerfully explained in detail, Ekision’s face turned increasingly ashen.
Suddenly exhausted, Ekision ran his hand over his face.
This seemed to have happened recently, too. Déjà vu?
“No, rookie… Don’t tell such sad stories so cheerfully.”
Rodi nodded enthusiastically again.
“Okay. But it’s fine. I wasn’t sad at all. I was just hungry.”
“You’re not bothered by it?”
“Nope. And now the boss said he’ll protect me, so it’s okay! He said I can visit my friends whenever I want.”
Ekision grinned and patted Rodi’s small head.
“Well, if we finish early, would you like to go see them?”
Rodi’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s.
“Can I really?”
“Why not? Of course you can. Should we buy some gifts too?”
At that, an excited light filled Rodi’s eyes.
Soon her eyes sparkled with a pop.
“I want to buy something delicious.”
Rodi took out the gold coin she had kept in her pocket.
Ekision paused for a moment.
“For your younger siblings?”
“Yes!”
“Wow, that’s kind of you. Shall we get in now?”
While chatting, they had already arrived at the carriage.
“Up we go.”
When the staff member who prepared the carriage opened the door, Ekision lifted Rodi up and placed her inside.
Then, climbing in after her, he asked.
“Now, what’s our mission today?”
“Supervision!”
Having been briefed by Ekision yesterday, Rodi confidently shouted without forgetting.
Today was the day they were going to supervise the branch that Ekision was managing.
“That’s right. You need to follow me closely.”
“Okay.”
As Cheiles grew in size, there were various businesses operating in the capital, and two guild branches had been established in the capital alone.
Like the east and west wings of the headquarters, one in the east and one in the west.
Since all important matters were handled at headquarters, the two branches mainly received information requests.
Or they served as hideouts where guild members could stay when they were in the area.
Branch 1 was managed by Ekision, and Branch 2 by Jin. Branch 1, in particular, was the beginning of Cheiles and could be considered the predecessor of the headquarters before it was built.
But the branch manager, whom Ekision had personally appointed, had finally caused trouble.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes!”
Rodi nodded and held out her fist to Ekision.
Ekision tilted his head, then realized what the gesture meant and grinned.
“Who taught you that?”
“Gemvil!”
Then, just as Rodi had done, he made a fist and bumped it lightly against hers.
Rodi and Ekision looked at each other and grinned.
The carriage departed quickly and soon passed through the guild’s main gate.
Using Ekision’s arm—which was braced against the wall to prevent her from falling—as a safety support, Rodi stuck herself to the window to watch the rapidly passing scenery.
Then she glanced back.
With one arm against the wall to protect Rodi and looking out the opposite window, Ekision let out a short sigh.
‘He did that earlier, too.’
Now she remembered the conversation between Ekision and Padrid.
“He’s not that kind of person. Anyway, I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize, Mr. Ekision. It’s not a large amount, but it’s noticeable. I’ve only reported it briefly to Mr. Eclise for now. Please just make sure to handle it properly today.”
She hadn’t heard everything because she was joking around with Horas, but they seemed to be discussing today’s task.
Padrid’s voice sounded calm and rigid as usual, but also somewhat warm at the same time.
Glancing repeatedly, Rodi looked at Ekision again.
“Ekision.”
“Yes?”
“Are you feeling bad right now?”
“Huh? Why?”
“You just sighed.”
That’s the fourth time if I count from earlier-.
When Rodi asked honestly, Ekision hesitated for a moment, then pushed his lips out.
“I’m not?”
“You went ‘huff’ like this, briefly.”
As Rodi narrowed her brow and exhaled shortly through her small mouth, just as Ekision had done, his eyes widened before he burst into laughter.
“Puhah! Did I really do that?”
“Yes.”
“Our rookie is like a ghost.”
Ekision chuckled and gently rubbed Rodi’s furrowed brow with his thumb.
“Why are you upset? Is the person we’re meeting today a bad person?”
“How did you know that, too?”
“I heard you talking with Padrid earlier.”
Rodi took out a small paper bag tied with a pretty ribbon from the small bag she had brought.
She untied the ribbon, popped one of the fruit-flavored jellies into her mouth, and then held out another one to Ekision.
It was a long, worm-shaped jelly that the chef had personally made for Rodi.
“Hmm?”
“Sweet stuff. Eat it.”
Because eating sweets makes you feel better.
When Rodi urged him to open his mouth quickly, Ekision reluctantly accepted the jelly.
Both of them munched with identical expressions, and for a brief moment, it became quiet, with only the clear sound of the carriage wheels rolling.
Although Rodi had been a leader at the orphanage without being intimidated, that didn’t mean she hadn’t been observant.
She had to be most attentive to the director’s moods, and the same went for the teachers, so she had seen how adults’ expressions changed frequently according to their emotions.
Faces forcibly holding back anger.
Faces covering sadness with smiles.
Faces hardening to hide happiness.
Usually, adults make such contradictory expressions.
The teachers did too.
Nevertheless, hardening eyes and angry pupils always showed slight signs.
Ekision looked a little angry right now. Or maybe not.
“It’s not really like that. Hmm…”
“Hmm-.”
When Rodi mimicked him, Ekision laughed again.
“It’s just that someone I cared about caused some trouble.”
“Did they do something really bad? Did they betray you?”
Ekision stared at the curious Rodi for a moment before his lips moved.
“I guess so.”
“Huh?”
“…Well, yes. Since I trusted him, I do feel a bit betrayed.”
He smiled with both corners of his mouth turned upward, but Ekision’s eyes remained hardened.
“Should I scold him for you? I’m good at fighting.”