Chapter 11
## Episode 11
Declan stared intently at Iri's face from 5 meters away.
*'What nonsense is this? Do kids these days dream of being heroes or something?'*
He recalled Raspin's earnest plea.
"You really have to treat her well. She's still just a baby, and it's your first meeting with her."
......As kindly as possible. Treat her really well, he'd said.
In that case, his line was set.
Declan tried to smile as kindly as he could.
But it only looked like his lip curled up wickedly.
"What hero?"
Iri stuck out her belly proudly and declared.
"Ah! But before that, there's something I need to tell you."
"......What is it."
Were the carefully chosen words as cold as frost to the child?
Was she finally hurt?
He saw Iri flinch dramatically.
Declan unwittingly started to rise but stopped himself.
*'Can't get closer.'*
Getting any nearer might let the murky magi cloaking his body harm her.
At that moment, Iri struck a pose flexing her nonexistent muscles toward him and said.
"I'm super duper strong and tough-nimida! And an immune too!"
"To start with, non-immunes don't become immunes."
"I did-nimida! So, I don't hafta wear this bread-cake suit-nimida."
The moment she said 'this bread-cake suit,' he looked at the dejected-seeming Iri.
Yeah.
She did look exactly like a round, puffy bread.
"You have to wear it. It's dangerous otherwise."
For Declan, that was pretty kind, but Iri didn't reply.
Growing a bit anxious, he observed her face from 5 meters away.
Meanwhile, Iri could tell his expression without even looking.
Because Cookie in her pocket kept muttering nonstop.
"That guy, crammed full of magi. He doesn't believe you. Obvious from his face."
Iri clenched her fist tight.
Pondering how to make him believe her, Iri opened her mouth again.
"Um, I heawd you like tasty food and handle the Ego Sword well-nimida!"
"Ego Sword, probably."
"......"
"And everyone likes tasty food."
Meanwhile, Iri endured her inner frustration and thought.
*'Th-that's it?'*
Iri clenched her fist.
But it wasn't time to despair yet.
Iri quickly pulled out the answer sheet and flipped through it eagerly.
[7. Hobby: Walks. Likes strolling while beating monsters. A maid overheard him muttering about maybe raising a pet monster to walk with.]
*'P-pet monster must be a mistake.'*
Iri imagined as she read 'likes walks.'
While walking together, his heart would soften. Then she'd reveal her ability and say she'd stay in the North longer than a week.
Once permitted, Hero Iri's cool exploits would begin!
After fantasizing all the way to the distant future, Iri said slyly.
"Yesh, shoo, um, I wanna tour the Grand Castle-nimida!"
"Yeah, I get what you mean."
Declan nodded toward Raspin beside him.
"Hand over 'that' map."
"Pardon? 'That' map? Something so precious?"
"Yeah."
Iri blinked in confusion.
*'Sudden map?'*
But 'that' map quickly made its way into Iri's hands.
*'......Wh-what's this?'*
Iri blinked rapidly.
"Curiosity satisfied now, right."
Declan felt inwardly proud for granting the child's request.
Unaware of his feelings, Iri despaired with all her might.
This couldn't be. Not like this!
The plan was to soften his heart, then reveal her identity and plant herself in the family.
But this elder was as ironclad as the magi.
*'As expected, the trials a hero must overcome are immense.'*
No helping it then.
She had no choice but to reveal her identity head-on!
But the current five-year-old, former nine-year-old child hit another snag.
*'Wh-what do I even call him?'*
He was Iri's father, sure.
But the adults from her past life were...
Hammuni was a woman.
Teacher was a woman.
The master was...
Just master.
Instructors were...
Just instructors.
Anyway, she wasn't used to dealing with adult men.
Plus, Iri felt massive aversion to the term 'dad.'
After serious deliberation, Iri decided on the most polite title she could think of.
"Shorry for the inconvenience-nimida. But I have a wequest-nimida, Duke-nim."
"......Duke-nim?"
Declan pointed at himself and said.
"You mean me?"
Grand Duke Declan Ortejo's face turned ashen.
Iri tilted her head in confusion.
Polite? Plenty.
Good personality? Plenty.
Since they were distant, a cool title too.
Then why?
Pondering deeply, Iri's eyes widened hugely.
*'Ah! Maybe...... I need to be even more respectful?'*
Yeah, he's a scary adult!
Like her instructor taught—be super respectful?
"Then, E-Elder Duke......?"
"What?"
Calling him elder made her feel his focus sharpen on her.
Like a child seizing an opportunity, Iri asserted herself strongly.
"Me, I'm weally an immune-nimida. And I purify too-nimida! Shoo let me shtay in the North long long time-nimida!"
At those words, Ortejo Grand Duke made a dumbfounded face.
Iri pleaded earnestly once more.
"I'm a hero-nimida! Came to purify the North-nimida! Shoo pwese, Elder Duke!"
Ortejo Grand Duke thought.
Setting aside all the talk of immune, purifying the North, hero, whatever...
*'Elder?'*
Was this some new trend in kid bullying?
* * *
"......Duke Your Highness, is something wrong?"
He'd expected him to come back beaming after meeting his daughter.
Instead, his bizarre expression made Raspin puzzled.
"My daughter."
"Yes......"
Raspin quickly hardened his face too. He braced for the worst.
The Grand Duke's youngest daughter was said to be extremely frail.
Couldn't endure the North's magi for long.
*'Ah, did the baby collapse after meeting Duke Your Highness?'*
Then, Declan buried his face in his hands and muttered.
"My daughter called me...... an elder."
For a moment, Raspin turned to stone, freezing solid.
"That......"
"What."
"Well, um, that is......"
"......That is, what."
"Wow, Lady Iri is really polite."
"Again."
His narrowed eyes felt even more threatening. Raspin asked cautiously.
"Uh, uh, uh......"
"What."
"Uh...... isn't it actually good?"
"Good how."
"Well, you have to part with the baby anyway. It's right to distance emotions! Elder—such a detached title!"
"......"
"Ah, this is really lucky? You should like it! Ahahaha!"
In the silent space, only Raspin's hollow laughter echoed.
"Whatever, yeah. You're right. Staying with me long would be trouble anyway."
So...
Raspin's words were logically correct.
"But you, get out."
"Pardon?"
"Go run 1000 laps in the training grounds or something."
"1000 laps how...... Ah, hahaha!"
"......"
His gaze was cold.
Suddenly, Raspin's laughter cut off.
"You're serious?"
"Yeah, out."
Yes.
Even correct words can earn you a beating depending on timing.
After chasing out his sweating aide to the training grounds, Declan sank back into thought.
In the past, when he'd left the castle, he'd received observation reports on the child.
But everyone who'd measured her power said the same.
"She's a non-immune. No special abilities."
"Lady Iri won't live much longer. Breathing now is a miracle."
That's why he'd sent her South.
Couldn't lose his daughter after his wife too.
Declan planned to send Iri back. But sending her off immediately felt off after her claims today.
*'Became an immune, and a purification sorcerer.'*
Normally, he'd dismiss it as nonsense. He didn't believe it either.
But even so, an old promise surfaced.
"When our daughter is born, I'll do anything she wants."
"Yeah, me more."
"What, so childish."
His dead wife's voice seemed to echo in his ear.
*'Confirming immunity is simple.'*
One way: Verification via ancient stone from the imperial palace.
The other: Opening the Ortejo Family's ability measurement room.
Ortejo's ability measurement room.
A space created by the founding patriarch with his summon, opened only by injecting massive mana.
When Iri was born, that place had been completely destroyed for some reason.
So they'd requested the imperial palace's ancient stone to check her immunity.
*'Already checked with the palace's ancient stone, so only the ability room left.'*
[Prepare to open the ability measurement room. One day enough?]
After jotting the note lightly.
He recalled the sensation of meeting Iri from 5 meters away.
*'Probably the last time.'*
Thinking that dried his lips.
The faint memory of the child surfacing now was...
"Declan, raise our child well even without me. If you can't......"
"......Why talk like you're dying? I'm gonna save you."
"If, just if. Our child will grow up fine, right? Lovable and pretty, untouched by magi."
"......Yeah, probably."
......A conversation with his dead wife.
And finally.
"Shoo pwese, Elder Duke!"
Ah, but still, elder was a bit much, wasn't it?
......The note crumpled in his hand.
