Chapter 19
Calix.
He was the male lead of the second part and currently the strongest man in the empire.
According to the author, a classic overpowered character with a warm, fatherly charm—perfectly in line with current trends.
And he doesn’t even get purged later!
I beamed brightly and walked straight up to Calix.
As I got closer, the man shifted only his eyes to glance at me.
“Upsy daisy, hello there!”
Climbing up the tall chair with some effort, I casually greeted him.
The mercenaries drinking with Calix all looked bewildered.
On the table were signs of snacks already eaten and a loaf of bread that seemed untouched.
“What the—who’s this little kid?”
“This is a bar. Kids don’t belong here. Run along now.”
“Yeah, where’s your mom or dad?”
“Right here.”
I pointed my finger at Calix.
“Daddy! I missed you!”
Crack.
The bar instantly froze in silence.
Dark shadows sat under his lowered eyes, likely to conceal their sharpness.
His tired-looking face held a profound distrust of the world.
A thick, long neck.
A sharply defined jaw.
And even a deep scar visible through his loosely worn shirt over his broad chest.
Just as the story described, his body was packed with dense muscles, as if he’d never once put down a weapon in his life.
“Wha… what’s this nonsense…”
One of the rough-looking mercenaries muttered under his breath.
Calix stared at me with a bewildered look, and I boldly met his gaze.
They say confidence is key in moments like this.
…Probably.
“Um, boss? When did you have a kid?”
“Yeah! Boss, you don’t even look like the type who’d be into women—where’d you get a kid?”
“Now that I look, her sharp eyes really do look like yours…”
“And the way her lips curl kinda reminds me of your son…”
The guys were fanning the flames for me.
Lowering my gaze and twisting my body bashfully, I added a soft whine.
“Hmph.”
Naturally, I didn’t forget to sound cute.
“Daddy, why are you only coming now?”
With their support, I opened my mouth again.
“Cut the nonsense and leave.”
His chilly, blunt voice was utterly unyielding.
Tch. That didn’t work.
I thought he might like cute things.
I mean, in novels, overpowered dads always fall for their daughters.
Well, Calix isn’t a girl-dad. He’s a boy-dad.
“…Huh? You don’t?”
“Tch, this cheeky little brat—does she even know who this guy is, running her mouth like that?”
I was a little disappointed. I’d really hyped myself up for this.
Scratching my cheek, I put my hands together, sparkled my eyes, and leaned in.
“Can’t you help me out, Daddy? Please?”
“Get out.”
His wall was solid.
“Tch.”
“…No matter how I look at her, that sharp-eyed look is just like the boss’s. Isn’t she really your daughter?”
“Shut it.”
He didn’t even hesitate to curse in front of a child. What a temper.
Just the kind of personality you’d expect from the future Duke of the North.
Thinking about the future, Rogas needed a proper, powerful lord.
Someone who wouldn’t flinch before the emperor, or other nobles.
And in my eyes, Calix was the perfect candidate.
“Don’t bother me and get lost.”
That icy voice descended again.
Look at him—showing that savage personality even to a cute little girl.
Pass.
Perfect Duke material.
“I know how to cure your son.”
I drooped my eyes pitifully.
But he didn’t react.
I casually added one more thing.
“I also know where the thing you’ve been looking so hard for is…”
Still no response.
“Sigh, guess I’ll find someone else.”
I jumped off the chair and walked slowly toward the exit.
It was a classic push-pull move—as in, I’d really leave if he didn’t stop me.
Step. Step. Step.
“……”
And… nothing happened.
Even as I reached the bar door, Calix didn’t call me back.
“Ahem.”
Awkward.
I scratched my head and returned to my seat, climbing back onto the chair.
He didn’t help me even once as I struggled to climb up. Cold-hearted man.
“I told you, I can save your son.”
“Who’s your dad?”
“Daddy…?”
I winked as I pointed slyly at him.
“……”
Ignored.
“Hmph.”
So much for the warm and fuzzy vibes of typical parenting stories.
Look at that freezing glare.
“Alright, mister.”
I quickly shifted tactics.
I expected this, anyway.
“……?”
Calix looked quite taken aback at my sudden change.
“I don’t know where you heard my son is sick, but you’re not the first to try to deceive me with such nonsense.”
Deceive?
I quickly caught on to what he meant.
Yeah, Calix had been trying desperately to save his son.
Just like how my uncle once clung to a drug-based cure out of desperation, Calix must’ve trusted many people before.
I nodded.
“You got scammed, huh, mister?”
Calix’s brow twitched instantly.
“It wasn’t a scam—it was deception.”
“If you got tricked and lost money and time, it’s a scam.”
“It was deception.”
“Fine, scam-like deception.”
I nodded brightly as if agreeing with him.
He looked even more displeased.
What a petty guy.
I shook my head.
“The fruit of Arpedis.”
I rubbed my hands together from the cold and casually dropped the words.
Freeze.
The air turned tense.
Even the mercenaries who had been watching with amusement now looked serious.
Whoa. Terrifying.
I gulped and forced a bright smile.
Rough-looking men can really scare kids.
“I know where that fruit is. I’ll get it for you. If you become my dad.”
Only then did Calix show real interest in me.
“What the hell are you even talking about?”
He tilted his head in annoyance.
“I want to talk somewhere more quiet.”
“You think that fruit’s some dog’s name or something?”
“No. It’s the fruit from the World Tree.”
Freeze.
The tension in the room doubled.
Naturally.
Because almost no one knew that the fruit came from the World Tree!
“You…”
This world’s background novel is titled <Arpedis>.
The second part focuses on Calix’s desperate journey to obtain the Fruit of Arpedis to cure his terminally ill son.
And Arpedis is the name of the World Tree—the source of divine power and the sacred tree that purifies the entire continent.
All priests receive their divine power from the World Tree, and saints and high priests are charged with purifying duties.
And what is the Fruit of Arpedis?
It’s a miraculous fruit that the World Tree bears once every few decades.
It’s described as sweeter and more blissful than anything in the world, and eating just one can heal all wounds, illnesses, and even curses.
However, it doesn’t extend lifespan or alter fate, so if someone’s name is already written in the Book of the Dead, it won’t work.
In other words, it has no effect on someone with less than a year to live.
But let’s be honest—how could a mere mercenary ever obtain such a fruit?
Even the imperial family designated the few fruits gifted to them decades ago as “National Treasures.”
That year, nearly seven fruits ripened, which is why the empire got some.
Normally, only one or two ripen at best.
That’s how rare they are—almost no one’s even seen one.
But I know how to get it!
I know how to snatch that National Treasure!
Because Calix gets one in the future.
I’m just… speeding up the process a little.
In the second part, Calix goes through hell to get that fruit—so I’m just skipping all that.
Solving in one year what would take ten.
Calix will definitely thank me.
