Chapter 48
* * *
The next morning.
The etiquette teacher looked worried seeing the dark circles under Iri's eyes.
The book Karhen had brought yesterday, 『Disciplina Morum: Ars Provecta』, had been extremely difficult.
So she had come straight to the teacher.
"Honestly, I don't know it well either. Sorry, Lady Iri."
"Heok......"
"Truthfully, there's nothing more for me to teach you in terms of etiquette. You could even graduate."
No way.
She even received the miserable notice that there was nothing more to teach.
It was when dejected Iri came out of the Training Hall holding the ancient tome.
She planned to go find Karhen again.
*'Is he at the knight order with his friends again?'*
As if to prove his future greatness wasn't a lie, Karhen's magi beast hybrid friends often watched swords and spears being used.
Thus, on the way to the knight order, step by step, a bit less energetically.
Iri's footsteps suddenly stopped.
Iri stood right in front of the sign near the training grounds where the knight orders were located.
[Blue Knight Order: Naval Order]
[White Knight Order: Land Army Order]
[Black Knight Order: Spear Knight Order]
This family had a total of three knight orders.
Currently, only the 'Black Knight Order' directly led by Declan had returned.
But the area in front of the knight order was bustling differently from yesterday.
Karhen, whom she wanted to see, wasn't there, only servants who had come to watch filled the place.
"Wh-why are there so many people?"
Knights entering in formation, dressed neatly in blue uniforms, came into view.
Their procession chanting the family name seemed endless.
In that instant, Iri's eyes spun round and round.
"Ah, Milligan-nim, who was in the northern seas, has returned today."
She glanced at the newspaper in the Head Maid's hand.
「Breaking News」 'Sea King' Milligan and naval forces return to Ortejo Castle after a whopping 10 years!
"What's Sea King-nimikka?"
"Ah! Sea region, meaning the king who protects the ocean. And Milligan-nim is the former grand duke. Father of the current duke Declan-nim, and your grandfather, Lady Iri."
"Heo, heok."
Iri took the newspaper and read it carefully.
It said Milligan Ortejo and the navy he led were returning.
And the reason for Milligan's return was...
「No one knows the exact reason for the return. But news spreads that maritime monsters, quiet until now, are rampaging due to Milligan's return.」
"He's not one to leave the seas he's guarded for over 10 years. Makes me wonder if something happened."
It was when Iri, listening to the Head Maid's worried words, nodded with a serious expression.
The knight order captain spotted Iri from afar and shouted loudly.
"Everyone, attention!"
"Salute to Lady Iri Ortejo, the youngest princess of the Ortejo family!"
"We pledge our utmost loyalty, Princess!"
Kneeling on one knee and bowing neatly.
For this family, this was tremendous gentlemanly behavior!
"Ah, those people look super polite?"
"Yes! Super super!"
"I heard Milligan-nim beat them for 10 years straight. Must be why they've reached that level."
"Heok. Be, beat them......"
"Still, roots run deep. If the mood sours, old habits come right back."
"Aah......"
Sure enough, mutterings like "XX." started coming from their mouths!
*'Of course. No matter how much beating, with magi, it was all for naught.'*
But even so, they were the most polite among the people she'd seen here.
"Ah, come to think of it, Baby-nim wouldn't know? Milligan-nim's personality is just so......"
"So, so, what-nimikka?"
"He values etiquette highly. Originally lived wildly, but one day got his head bashed by a monster on the ship and became obsessed with the family's etiquette, or so I heard."
"Heo, heok."
"Fortunately got bashed on the ship, so our castle hasn't been stifled by rigid etiquette."
No, not fortunate!
Only one thought filled Iri's head.
"Mi-Milligan-nim must be an amazing person-nimida! Super excellent in etiquette-nimida!"
"Ah, yes. Milligan-nim isn't a kohn...... no, sorry. Anyway, aside from loving etiquette, he's no slouch in martial prowess either. Truly great."
Iri's eyes sparkled brightly.
*'Super super curious!'*
The 'existence with both character and strength' that Iri knew was only one.
Solely her mighty instructor at Kyung Hye Taekwondo.
An existence she'd never seen once since coming north!
Iri forgot her original purpose and grinned widely.
*'Maybe I'll get a new master instructor!'*
Iri hugged the etiquette ancient tome tightly to her chest.
Truthfully, while purifying this place's delinquents, she needed an adult to teach etiquette alongside her hero self.
*'Super super perfect!'*
Iri nodded vigorously, extremely excited.
"Th-then, where is Milligan-nim right now?"
"Probably at the main castle."
"Heok, then I'll go to the main castle too-nimida!"
Iri gripped the book tucked under her arm even tighter.
Her heart pounded at the thought of meeting the (prospective) master instructor.
It felt just like heading to a new taekwondo dojo!
* * *
'Sea King' Milligan Madrid Ortejo, the former grand duke (55 years old), had returned to the family!
Snow-white hair streaked with age.
Crimson eyes identical to the current duke's.
The grumpy old man with a sour expression slashed his sword through the air.
With a sparkling halo of light, ancient runes were engraved in the air.
A man of powerful strength.
One with the special ability to never be tainted by magi even against countless monsters.
Milligan Ortejo had returned.
"This descendant personally comes to pay respects to the great ancestors guarding the family."
He was the one who dealt with maritime monsters.
Always staying only at sea and coasts, he rarely visited this Ghost Castle.
But upon entering the family lands, there was something he must do first.
Greeting the family ancestors and checking on the servants' well-being.
"Is everything peaceful within the household?"
"Yes, all are working diligently as usual. The head chefs, Head Maid, head butler too."
"Good, the servants must be at ease. Discipline in the family can't slacken."
With the Ghost Castle in sight, he grumbled "Hrrm."
"But still, full of things that displease me."
"Pardon?"
"As I recall, just 20 years ago, we held ceremonies honoring the ancestors' spirits year-round."
"Ancestors' faces? Were they handsome?"
"Ancestors' spirits, I said. You irreverent fool!"
Milligan's maritime advisor, Kalben, looked aggrieved at the sudden reprimand.
"That troll was hung on the wall with the ancestors' name written on it. Everyone prayed every morning, revering the ancestors while gazing at it. It's in a 200-year-old ancient text!"
Kalben's eyes lost light and turned to anchovy paste.
"Moreover, the plaque with character education quotes is gone too! Truly lamentable."
"What quote was it?"
"Youth is short. Show respect to the elderly."
*Better off gone,* no matter how he thought.
Kalben narrowed his eyes and stared at the Ghost Castle walls.
The Ghost Castle walls had one with a troll head hung.
Not the real preserved troll head, but a replica cast from it.
"Made personally by the 29th generation ancestor head to show the feat of slaying the troll king. And even dust has gathered?"
"I see no dust at all......"
"Can't do. I must handle it myself!"
Yes.
No one could complain about his old-man actions.
Because he always led by example to revive past traditions.
Grumbling like that, yet with a gesture, he brushed off all the dust.
"Mi-Milligan-nim. Let's enter first. You need rest."
"Rest? Have you forgotten why I returned to the castle?"
