Chapter 53
Iri held her breath tightly and waited.
Then, one of the maids said nonchalantly.
"Nah, no way it's Lady Iri. You think Lady Iri's an owl who wakes at night and sleeps during the day like you? Our round, plump baby always lives righteously."
"Yeah, true."
S-safe.
But it stung a little......
"Image from daily life really is important."
With Cookie muttering softly, Iri finally escaped the castle, sweat like salt dripping from her forehead.
*'Can't go far. My legs already hurt!'*
Her plump, chubby feet were protesting in pain.
Fortunately, a spot perfect for purification entered Iri's view just in time.
It was a tiny flower bed.
Cookie covered his mouth in an emotional expression.
"Purifying land—first time even for me. Heart's pounding!"
Leaving Cookie's pounding heart behind, Iri grandly extended her hand.
Iri swept her hand over the plot.
If anyone saw, it'd just look like a kid playing in the dirt.
But this was the great first step of the hero who would save the North!
*'No person—no, no land hates a polite child!'*
So Iri, in her invisible form, bowed her head politely.
*'Cool Land-nim, I've been waiting for you.'*
The struggling land had magi deeply rooted.
Suddenly, the golden ticket whirled into her hand.
"Now, rip that ticket you pulled from the gacha, and the power of purification will gather in your hand."
Iri ripped the golden ticket without hesitation.
In an instant, faint light rippled from her fingertips.
A warm energy slowly spread.
The moment she gazed at her hand with trembling heart.
What this righteous hero finally faced was pitch-black darkness.
In a moment, the land spread before Iri's eyes was different again.
Land dyed black.
A shape clutching the land like evil energy.
Yet Iri didn't back down.
Right after glaring at the land with all her desire.
The warm energy Iri barely mustered bounced off the thick darkness.
Yet Iri didn't give up.
After deep breathing diligently, new light appeared at her fingertips.
This time, pure white and intense light.
*'Feels like a fox riding a tiger!'*
The land seemed to slowly react to the light flowing from Hero Iri's hand.
Wriggle, wriggle. Black magi stain-like remnants flowed up from the ground.
As if trying to push out Iri's energy.
But Iri didn't give up.
She reached out and grabbed the black magi remnants.
The moment sweat beaded on her forehead.
Faintly, the energy of life began to rise from the land.
A small sign of life dwelled once more in the barren earth.
A blade of grass grew bit by bit.
A gentle breeze rustled her cheeks.
Finally, Iri's eyes widened hugely.
"Wow, it worked!"
"As expected, you're a genius. Not a single handful of magi left!"
Iri and Cookie faced each other and hopped around joyfully.
"B-but."
"Yeah?"
"Isn't the purified land too small?"
Cold sweat trickled down Iri's forehead.
Iri stared at the land clearly emanating clean energy.
Generously, only the size of Iri's palm.
If dug up carefully, barely enough to fill a small flowerpot.
*'Can the Spirit Beast Egg fit in here?'*
It seemed precarious?
But right then.
A pale green sprout emerged from the palm-sized land and grew in an instant......
"Th-this is grass!"
Iri tilted her head at the unfamiliar grass and picked it up.
"This is......!"
Cookie's eyes bulged.
His small round brown hand urgently plucked the grass.
Watching Cookie fiddle with the grass wordlessly, eyes round, Iri was puzzled.
"Why?"
"Th-th-this grass is!"
Cookie took a deep breath, then continued with sparkling eyes.
"It's called Life Spirit Grass! A herb!"
"Life Spirit Grass?"
"You know the wimps? Restores their energy sturdily~. Well, not really needed for North folks."
"Wow, what does it taste like?"
No way it's gross strawberry flavor.
"No taste."
"Hing."
"Probably like mugwort?"
"Heok!"
True to a child with grandmother's tastes, Iri's heart pounded wildly.
*'No wimp friends, so I'll eat it later! Mugwort best! Love mugwort!'*
On the way back, securely holding the Life Spirit Grass.
Iri chuckled um-hum-hum.
"N-now, time to show my power straight to the elder!"
"That's right. Now you're becoming a powerful child!"
"Heok."
"Hey, right. Wait. Lemme leave a note here."
"Huh?"
Cookie pulled an unknown note from her pocket and placed it down.
"What's that?"
"Kids are inherently careless. So your summon, me, has to cover for it."
Iri tilted her head hearing Cookie mutter.
*'Dunno what, but Cookie handled it?'*
With a very happy heart, she strolled with Cookie, sniffing the fresh Life Spirit Grass scent.
Up to then, Iri had no idea.
That someone had been watching her purification process from above her head!
* * *
Daspir, the mage from the Magic Tower.
He was an insomniac.
In other words, he lived the ordinary Magic Tower mage life of waking at night and sleeping during the day.
Today too, unable to sleep, he was just looking out the window.
But......
*'Wh-what, what is that.'*
The guest room he occupied overlooked the barren land directly.
But he saw it.
The scene of 'that spot,' merely barren until then, being purified in an instant.
Even the herb that bloomed there suddenly distorting and vanishing.
And a note plopping to the ground on the wind.
*'What message is it?'*
Daspir shuddered.
Worried the note might blow away in the wind, he hurriedly went down below the window.
He urgently picked up the note from the flower bed and checked it.
And the content that entered his eyes.
[Listen.
I have descended upon this land.
You fools clinging to foolish tools.
Behold.
The mark of perfect purification left by the perfect hero.]
Like a collage of letters one by one clipped from some book.
A classical method ancient mages used for secret phrases.
Daspir's expression turned serious upon confirming the note.
*'What on earth is this existence that it would......'*
Daspir turned on the purification magic tool with trembling hands.
The magic tool moved over a handful of soil the size of a palm.
A magi reading faintly appeared on the magic tool.
'Magi Level: None'
Daspir's eyes slowly widened.
