Chapter 1

Translator: Nox

## Episode 1

The Ortejo Grand Castle in the North was known as the Ghost Castle.

A castle that let in not a single ray of sunlight, gloomy and filled with dust.

It was the influence of the magi that had filled it due to the long wars with monsters.

Was it because the sinister energy of the monsters had corroded the land of the North?

One of the Ghost Castle's specialties was...

"Uwahahahaha! You're so stupid! Try to catch me!"

...children who were worse than monsters—utter lunatics.

The blood relatives of the Ortejo Family gathered in the North were divided into two categories.

"Immunes."

Those who were largely unaffected by the magi, the invisible evil fog that enveloped the entire North.

They were often called "Ability Users" because they possessed various abilities.

On the other hand, ordinary people who could not withstand the magi were collectively called "non-immunes."

In the Ortejo Family, all immunes—direct and collateral lines combined—were kept within the castle for education, while non-immunes were sent outside.

Immunes children, who could endure the magi and even possessed abilities, were granted numerous privileges.

But here lay the problem.

"Ability and character are inversely proportional."

The children of the North were delinquents in every conceivable way.

The Head Maid and her subordinate maids were also immunes with minor abilities.

However, there were clear limits to handling these rough-edged child ability users.

"That's the founding patriarch's treasured possession!"

"Yeah? So what. You can't catch me anyway, right?"

Maids and manservants over 2 meters tall with muscular builds were running down the corridors trying to catch several children.

But in terms of status and ability, the children had the upper hand.

A seven-year-old child running wildly lifted a decorative piece from the corridor.

It was none other than a glass ornament.

"Please, please put that down!"

"It's dangerous!"

A tense standoff between the maids, manservants, and the child!

But.

Disregarding their pleas, the boy cackled and stomped his foot.

Crash!

The glass doll shattered and scattered across the floor.

A 190cm-tall maid raised her sturdy fist and shouted.

"A glass doll has broken in the corridor! Watch your step!"

"Yeah, I'm not watching my step? It's a hassle? Even if I do... Aaaah!"

In the end, another accident occurred today.

Blood dripped from the boy's foot after stepping on the broken glass.

The Head Maid sighed as she cleaned up the shards and examined the child's foot.

One more accident tallied today.

At least it ended at this level. No one died...

As she treated the boy's foot with such thoughts.

"Hey, what are you staring at? Lower your eyes."

It was a familiar outburst.

The evil magi enveloping the entire North particularly gnawed at children's minds.

So the servants fully understood the children's antics. Under normal circumstances.

But today's ordeal was not over.

The boy abruptly stood up and shouted.

"Ahahahaha! You idiots!"

Even the bandage wrapped around the child's foot unraveled completely, fluttering in the corridor.

The boy fleeing with blood streaming from his foot looked like a veritable demon.

The Head Maid, towering like a mountain in the middle of the corridor, muttered.

"That damn monster spawn..."

The servants and maids of the North suffered from all sorts of outrageous delinquency and power trips.

It was at that moment, amid 120% stress levels.

"Emergency."

Several guards appeared in the corridor. Even they, who rarely showed agitation, were different today.

Behind them walked a small child.

"Hm?"

"......?"

The servants' eyes, filled with bewilderment, caught sight of the person.

A lovely child with near-silver hair and purple eyes.

The North was land thick with monster energy.

It was conventional wisdom that the hair and eye colors of Northerners darkened under the influence of magi.

Thus, this child was an utterly alien presence, standing out excessively from the North in appearance.

At that moment, the child—bundled snugly in a wool sweater covered in floral patterns—bowed her head politely.

A courteous greeting.

Even the Head Maid, unflappable in most situations, muttered softly.

"Ex, excuse me, but who...?"

The guard looked flustered before speaking.

"She is the family's youngest princess. She came directly from her maternal family, requesting a one-week visit."

"Youngest princess? H-how did she get here?"

"She came via scroll."

"......"

That wasn't what she meant—how did she come alone?

The Head Maid hurriedly spoke.

"Sh-she's not an immune, so how did she come to the family... Is your body alright?"

The Head Maid scanned Iri with concern.

I've heard she's a frail non-immune, sent to her southern maternal family right after birth because she couldn't stay in the North.

But Iri replied briskly.

"Yup! I'm fine!"

Unaware of everyone's worried gazes.

With sunny kindness filling her round eyes, Iri bowed again.

"Hello! I'm five-year-old Iri Ortejo!"

Introducing herself so politely and courteously?

The average Northern child started with "Get lost."

Everyone was stunned, waiting for Iri's next words.

Then Iri made an "oh no" face.

Is she finally about to cause trouble? What's in the corridor?

As everyone gripped their hands in suspense at every move of the round, flat-faced child!

Iri lifted the hem of her long skirt and bowed once more.

A 90-degree bow.

"Please take good care of me from now on!"

Her bright, chirpy voice was something unheard of in the North.

The first to regain her senses was the Head Maid.

"May I ask the reason for your visit? Where is your guardian...?"

Realizing midway that she'd phrased it as if blaming the youngest princess in her fluster, the Head Maid bit her tongue.

But Iri remained impeccably polite.

"I came alone. That said, do you happen to know where the family head is?"

So polite, yet using "head" like a child would. She really was a kid.

The Head Maid looked at Iri with slightly eased tension before finally replying.

"Due to the monster war issues, Duke Your Highness Ortejo, along with the previous Duke and Duchess, are all away on business. Ah, meaning they've gone outside."

"Wha..."

Iri looked flustered.

Normally, flustered Northern children would roll on the floor throwing tantrums.

Yet here was Iri responding courteously?

"This is unexpected, but it's okay. I'll wait then."

All the maids and manservants in the corridor—even the battle-hardened guards—swallowed hard.

A radiant eye smile.

Sparkling eyes.

A lovable, kind demeanor.

Rosy cheeks warmed with warmth.

It was the arrival of an unprecedented new human species in the North.