Chapter 12
## Episode 12
* * *
Meanwhile, the returned Iri was serious in her own way.
She had strongly appealed that she was a hero, but hadn't even gotten within 5 meters of him.
"Then send that bean... no, the child back safely."
"El, Elder Duke! I have something to say...!"
But he had vanished long ago!
No chance to grab him. 5 meters away!
Even if Iri had been a cheetah instead of a child, she couldn't have caught him.
*'The days I have left in the North are down to just a few nights.'*
As she worried, Cookie spoke up.
"Come on, Iri. Let's use 'that' map to appeal strongly."
"Huh? That map?"
"Yeah! The map the elder gave us! What if we use it to meet him and persuade him?"
Cookie narrowed its chocolate eyes as it looked down at the map Iri handed over.
Its white-pen-drawn mouth closed tight.
Then Cookie said,
"Wait, what is up with this guy? This isn't an ordinary map."
"Huh?"
"It shows all the secret passages in the castle! It's practically handing you full control of the castle!"
"Gasp......"
"So why on earth won't he get close to you? You two are both super weird!"
Neither Cookie's tiny head nor Iri's little head could comprehend it.
At that moment, Cookie said solemnly,
"Well, at least it's good. Now that we have the map, I have a job to do."
"What job?"
The palm-sized ginger cookie, so crispy it would shatter if stepped on, declared,
"I'll use my great power to check on Grand Duke Ortejo's movements. With 'that' map, I can sneak through 'those' passages on 'that' map. I'll secretly gauge 'that' guy's mental state. Kuhuhuhu......"
"Gasp, really? B-but."
"Yeah?"
"What if you get stepped on while scurrying around?"
At those words, the child-palm-sized Cookie muttered solemnly.
"If that happens, then that's my fate."
True to being the hero's best friend, the ginger cookie had guts.
In that instant, tears welled up in Iri's eyes.
"Cookieee!"
"Iri!"
After hugging tightly, Cookie—wrapped head to toe in a chocolate cape—declared solemnly.
"Wait for me, Iri. I'll be back."
"Okay!"
"That Grand Duke Ortejo who completely ignored you, completely scolded you, and super super bullied you!"
Was that it?
"I'll find out what he's doing right now and where he is!"
Cookie marched solemnly toward the door.
But perhaps due to its short stride.
It took over 5 minutes to walk from the bed to the door.
* * *
At the same time, in the Training Hall's VIP reception room.
Schultz's mother, Viscountess Deira, had rushed into Ortejo Grand Castle.
"It seems... you need to have a parent-teacher conference with Duke Your Highness."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Master Schultz laid hands on Lady Iri...... Duke Your Highness is returning from the war front right now."
She looked down anxiously at her nail-biting son.
*'Even at the Training Hall, they said he's dead last and causing accidents!'*
Viscountess Deira muttered coldly as she gazed at Schultz.
"Schultz, were you out of your mind? When Duke Your Highness arrives, kneel and beg forgiveness."
"Ugh, whatever. And anyway, even if she's an Ortejo princess, she's been stuck in the South, right?"
"......You can't say things like that!"
"Why! My friends said she's a nobody. No abilities, so she got chased to the South, and Duke Your Highness doesn't even care about her?"
Viscountess Deira knew the rumors swirling around Iri too.
*'Well, yeah. That makes sense.'*
Grand Duke Declan Ortejo's nickname was Monster Slayer.
He roamed blood-soaked battlefields and didn't seem to cherish his own daughter.
"And Mom knows too! When I grow up, I'll be drafted for the monster war!"
That's why.
That's why they had to overlook these delinquent kids constantly causing trouble.
Without these children, the North had no next generation, and even the capital would be overrun by magi.
*'So if we apologize and pledge loyalty, he might let it slide......'*
But right then.
"There are times to recite rumors and times not to."
Was the door open?
As the flustered Viscountess Deira stared at the doorway.
Grand Duke Ortejo appeared.
Unusually tall stature.
Blood-red eyes.
A man radiating chilling cold, with dark energy creeping in.
Schultz gulped and looked at him.
"I see Duke Your Highness."
So he was......
"Oh, right. So that's what you were thinking."
A being steeped in magi to an extreme degree.
He squatted down in front of Schultz.
"It's the adults' responsibility that you ended up thinking that way, right?"
"Pardon?"
Schultz's eyes shook.
His breathing was already labored from Grand Duke Ortejo's magi alone......
But his words were even more shocking.
Declan looked at the viscountess, who could barely breathe.
"I know your viscount family leads a cavalry unit."
"Yes......"
"I'll take that. Today."
She never imagined a mere kids' fight would steal her rice bowl.
The viscountess's gaze wavered.
"Y-Your Excellency. Forgive us. I will personally apologize to Lady Iri. So......"
"No, why should you apologize? Isn't it my sin for failing to rule the castle properly?"
"Y-Your Excellency. That is......"
"Ah, it must be because I was handling border monsters, letting Northern discipline slack. So from now on, I'll lead the cavalry properly myself."
"Forgive us."
His sullen lips twisted viciously.
"You're slow on the uptake. I said no need for useless apologies."
No one dared rebel after words like that.
The viscountess twisted her facial muscles.
To a family, the most important thing was military strength.
Losing the cavalry meant losing all real power in the family.
To lose the family's power over a damn kid!
Behind her, clueless Schultz just rolled his wide eyes.
And Grand Duke Ortejo, who left the room, didn't have a particularly calm face either.
*'What is this.'*
He frowned at the cookie crumb roughly squished on the floor.
*'Not cleaning it up?'*
It seemed to twitch the moment his gaze landed on it.
In the Ghost Castle, bizarre things moving around was fairly common.
Still, it was a bit annoying to care.
More importantly, he had other business.
* * *
Iri waited for her hero friend Cookie, half worried, half excited.
And......
"Iri! Big trouble!"
Cookie slipped on round white chocolate-framed glasses and said,
"Look, I stuck super close to that guy. Thought I was gonna die."
"Y-you okay?"
"Not okay. But it was an epic scene. Listen to this!"
Cookie trembled as it relayed everything it had seen to Iri.
After battle-like description of the three-way confrontation and what happened.
Cookie quietly opened its mouth.
"I thought that elder was a total bad guy. But he seems to care about you more than expected."
"Huh?"
Iri's eyes, listening intently, shook violently.
*'No way. The elder was cold to me.'*
Not as much as her past-life parents, but still, he didn't seem to like Iri.
"No. Probably not?"
"Come on. What do you mean probably not?"
"......"
"I don't know why he won't get close to you, but treat him well. He looks like he's gonna die soon."
"Huh?"
"Up close, it's a miracle he's not dead despite being that corrupted by magi. He can barely use 10% of his power right now."
If Grand Duke Ortejo, the North's last hero, died, the world would end.
*'And Hammuni and I would die.'*
And......
"Your body."
"Yup?"
"Is it okay?"
Iri remembered the elder's voice trembling when they met.
He didn't seem to like her much.
Wouldn't even let her get close.
But still......
*'I don't want him to die.'*
As she looked at Cookie with that tiny wish.
"It'd be nice if you two could talk up close. 5 meters is the max right now, though. Sigh."
As Cookie sighed deeply, Iri said maturely,
"No need to get close."
"Huh?"
"While you were gone, I studied the map the elder gave me!"
Iri pulled out the crumpled paper from her pocket.
"Look, Cookie! There are this many people in the castle! So, get friendly with them, purify their magi, and become a 5-star Purification Sorcerer! Then, next......"
"Next?"
"Next, save the elder!"
As she lifted her chin proudly, Cookie clapped its brown hands: clap clap.
"Then let's pick a spot worth purifying from this."
Iri pointed to one spot on the map with her index finger.
"Right here, let's start from here."
Cookie saw where her fingertip landed and let out a dumb sound.
"......Huh? For real?"
