Chapter 5
## Episode 5
Ten seconds passed.
Contrary to her expectations, nothing appeared.
From afar came the voices shouting, "Baby, we've all hidden!"
*'It was definitely supposed to be here!'*
She'd seen it in the book.
*'If the maids come back, I'm in big trouble!'*
Her impatience grew by the second.
Before long, the pounding of her heart was audible even to her own ears.
At that moment, what flashed into Iri's mind was...
*'A magic spell!'*
You needed incantations to summon friends!
Iri recited the spells she'd seen in animations as best she could.
"Key of the darkness...?"
But nothing happened.
Iri clenched her fists and pondered deeply.
The memories of her dream—or rather, her past life as 'Arin'—were still vivid.
And right then, a major crisis struck Iri.
"Baby, tagger! Aren't you coming to find us?!"
"Roundy-Roundy-nim! Did you bump into a tree stump and get hurt?!"
Unbelievable.
The impatient Northern maids were showing signs of returning to Iri at any moment.
The little warrior faced a dire crisis.
And at that instant.
Thanks to her vast experience with countless animations, a perfect magic spell sparkled in her mind.
"Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo. Moon Prism Power. Avada Kedavra!"
Iri clasped her hands in prayer, peering into the knothole and waiting.
*'Come out already!'*
*Dudung, dududung.*
The background music from 『Hero of Justice Regent』 in Iri's head built toward its climax.
And finally...
*Plop, patter.*
Time froze, leaving only Iri and the tree behind.
In an instant, a massive fog shimmered across the entire tree.
Iri's eyes widened round as she stared into the air.
[The Ortejo Family's greatest summon was sealed together with the spirit of the Persimmon Tree.
They had longed to gain physical form through a contract with a human.]
*'So it's gaining a body and appearing now...!'*
[The Ortejo Family's summon was a powerful ally that would turn its contractor into the ultimate powerhouse.]
Strangely, she remembered this part word for word.
At that moment.
The fog began to thicken.
Was it finally appearing?
That great summon?!
Iri gripped her fists tightly.
"You've finally been freed from your seal! Kuhahaha!"
From within the thick, dense fog came a voice that sounded like a profoundly evil villain.
Suddenly, a bizarre mass of fog disrupted the tree.
Iri stared at the tree, sweating into her clenched fists.
Her heart raced a little more with each passing second, it was true.
*'It was described as a completely terrifying monster, right?'*
What kind of monster would it be? Horns jutting sharply from its forehead?
If so, maybe she should discipline it with 'Taekwondo Form 3'?
But even after waiting ages, the fog lingered.
With time frozen, endlessly waiting while staring into the knothole made her stomach growl.
*'I... I want to eat Hammuni's ginger cookie.'*
Thinking of the cookie made saliva pool in her mouth automatically.
If she'd known the summoning would take this long, she would've brought it to munch on while waiting!
*'I have to endure the hunger and keep waiting. I'm not just an ordinary five-year-old—I'm a brave nine-year-old who remembers her past life!'*
And so she waited diligently and obediently some more.
A few seconds later.
As if reflecting her faith, the fog slowly cleared.
And...
"H-Huh...?"
From the parted fog emerged an extraordinary being.
A round head, round arms and hands, round body, round legs!
A hand-sized ginger cookie-shaped summon, with chocolate chip eyes dotted on, took form.
A mouth drawn with white chocolate pen curved into existence.
*'It appeared! The summon!'*
Iri finally beamed brightly.
"Hello!"
"...Kukuku, hero who shall save the world with the great me...!"
"Nice to meet you!"
The cookie, sinisterly extending both hands toward Iri, made a puzzled face.
"Kuku, nice to... No, what, what is this? Why are my arms so short?"
"I don't know!"
As Iri tilted her head, Cookie rubbed its chocolate eyes.
Then it burst out in frustration with all its might.
"You made me into a cookie!"
"Me? I d-didn't do anything!"
As Iri looked flustered, Cookie stomped its foot.
It seemed to be trying its utmost to look dignified, but the motion was rather pathetic.
"A summon manifests in the form desired by its contractor!"
"Huh?"
Difficult words, no idea.
"You wished for me to appear as a cookie!"
Well...
Iri was starving right now and craving her grandma's ginger cookie.
That was all.
Explaining the situation made Cookie's chocolate chip eyes shake violently.
"This great body became cookie crumbs just because of a moment's hunger?!"
Gazing at the shocked ginger cookie's round body, Iri muttered puzzledly.
"Huh, why cookie?"
Cookie kicked its round feet wildly and yelled.
"I was once summoned by the founding patriarch of the Ortejo Family! Back then, I was the world's strongest dragon!"
"Wow! So cool!"
"Right! I'm cool! And after that day! I was summoned once by a ninety-year-old swordmaster hailed as an unparalleled hero. I manifested as a phoenix that everyone revered!"
"Wow! Phoenix is cool too!"
"But, but...!"
"But?"
Cookie made a despairing face and plopped down on the ground.
"These crispy brown arms!"
"Perfectly baked!"
"Chocolate eyes! My vision's all blurry!"
"Eek, so cute!"
"And, and... this bald head!"
"......"
Cookie let out a *sob* and slumped down.
"This great body! Became a pathetic hand-sized cookie!"
Iri carefully scooped up the frantically flopping Cookie into her hand.
It seemed overly despondent, damp like a cookie dunked in milk.
But to Iri, it was a precious warrior friend.
"Not bad at all. Cookies are suuuper tasty. Crispy and crunchy. Sweet with chocolate, salty with salt!"
"......"
With Cookie silent, Iri added one more thing.
"Sweet-salty-sweet-salty!"
The 'sweet-salty-sweet-salty' Cookie drooped its shoulders.
As if thinking they could never see eye to eye with Iri, it seemed ready to change the subject.
"So, why did you summon me?"
"Well... to save the world... together with you!"
A whoosh of wind blew across the barren ground.
"...You?"
"Yup!"
"What's your ability?"
Iri proudly thrust out her fist.
"I can do Forms and spar too!"
"...?"
"I'm super duper strong!"
As Iri pumped her fist high, Cookie sighed.
"How did I, eternal ally to the strongest, end up as a babysitter for a kid...?"
But what could it do?
Cookie extended its round brown hand toward Iri.
"...Anyway, since you summoned me, we're contracted."
The moment the brown round hand touched the white round pinky...
A pure white glow enveloped them briefly, like a solemn vow.
"We'll journey together to save the world."
Iri squeezed Cookie's hand tight and took a step forward.
Between one cookie and one child, the contract was sealed.
This was a rather humble but great first step toward saving the world.
* * *
Shortly after pretending to play a few rounds of hide-and-seek with the maids.
Iri returned to her room with Cookie.
"......"
"......"
Where had that earlier grand resolve gone?
Silence hung between Cookie and Iri.
And for good reason...
"...So you're saying you have no idea how to use your ability?"
"Yup! It definitely said I'm the 'Purifier' who'll save the world! But I don't know how to 'purify'!"
Cookie eyed Iri with deep distrust.
"Hm, then shall we check your ability stats?"
"Wow! Amazing! You can see that too?"
"Since my ability is to help my contractor become the ultimate powerhouse, of course."
Cookie squeezed its chocolate eyes shut then open.
At that instant.
A scoop of bead-like ice cream formed on Cookie's forehead.
Iri gripped her sweaty hands, staring at Cookie.
Finally, Cookie's mouth opened grandly.
