Tilea's Worries

**TITLE -- Episode 40: "Miless and the Reunion with Ortissio (Part 2)"**

The war axe of Sebastian came crashing down on Ortissio with a thunderous clang. I instinctively shut my eyes. 

Ah… this is terrible… 

"Mana deficiency" is just an excuse. This is… it’s my fault. Why didn’t I warn him better? Ortissio...

He was stupid, arrogant, rough… I had my fair share of trouble because of him. And yet, his death is painful. Ortissio was my comrade, someone who cared deeply about Timu-chan and Tilea-san, just like I do.

He was my ally, and because of my mistake, he’s dead. I must avenge him, even if I can’t defeat Sebastian. I clenched my resolve and nervously opened my eyes.

Huh?! There’s no blood! No body?!

I thought Ortissio’s head would have been smashed open by Sebastian, leaving a grisly scene. Instead…

Ortissio was just standing there, completely unharmed, sporting an audacious grin.

“Ortissio-san, are you alright?”

“Naturally. That attack was far too feeble to be of any concern!”

“Impossible…” Sebastian was trembling.

Understandably so. He’d swung his war axe with precision, yet Ortissio remained unscathed, unfazed even.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Ortissio-san.”

“Enough with the useless worrying, puppet. That hunk of junk’s blow can’t even scratch me.”

Junk iron…? The weapon Sebastian wields is a masterwork, forged from indomitable kongou steel, likely worth millions of gold coins. Any professional soldier like Ortissio would understand that.

Why does he have to say things like this? If he’d just keep his mouth shut, Ortissio would be hailed as a top-notch soldier. He likely predicted the path of Sebastian ’s strike, channeling his battle aura precisely to the point of impact. A miscalculation, though, would have split him in two. His senses are truly extraordinary.

Ortissio’s strength and reflexes matched and even exceeded Sebastian’s, showing remarkable skill and battle instinct. He truly is worthy of his position as Second Guard Captain of the Eastern Kingdom.

“Ortissio-san, your skill was incredible!”

“Hmph, it’s hardly worth boasting about. Stopping a blow from a weakling is nothing.”

No, Sebastian isn’t weak at all—he’s an elite soldier. It’s a shame Ortissio can only express himself like this. 

“Ortissio-san…”

“What? You have complaints?”

“No, not really. I’m just glad you’re okay, that’s all.”

“Stop fooling around, puppet! It’s only natural I’m fine. Such an attack is nothing against my steel body!”

Ortissio thumped his chest. He’s like a big child. 

Well, maybe it’s a slight exaggeration, though… Hmm? Looking closer, I noticed blood was seeping from Ortissio’s forehead. So much for “unscathed”—he was nicked enough that blood could trickle down.

“Ortissio-san, you’re bleeding. Here, take this.”

I offered him the handkerchief I always carry.

“Bleeding, you say? Don’t be ridiculous!”

“It’s on your forehead,” I said, pointing.

“Nu?!” Ortissio, seemingly only just realizing it, touched his forehead and examined his hand.

For the first time, he acknowledged the blood on his hand.

“But no, it’s not what you think! This is different,” he protested vehemently.

“What’s different? It’s just a small cut, but it’s bleeding.”

“Don’t misunderstand. This is from an old wound. The other day, Tilea-sama gave me a light tap on the forehead. It has nothing to do with some little insect’s hit!”

Oh dear, what on earth is he going on about now?

He seems oddly invested in his pride… but honestly, that’s just embarrassing.

“Understood, just… wipe it up.”

“Ugh… You don’t believe me, do you? I’m telling you, this is—”

“You monster!”

Huh?!

Sebastian roared suddenly, attacking again from behind. His war axe came swinging down for a second blow.

“Behind you! Behind you!”

Ortissio only replied, “What’s all this ruckus? What about behind?”

This time, I was able to shout and move clearly. With a loud warning and frantic gestures, I alerted Ortissio to the danger. Ortissio turned, just as Sebastian was swinging his axe horizontally, aiming for Ortissio’s neck. The blow was brimming with Sebastian’s battle aura—a ferocious, desperate strike.

It’s too late. I warned him too late.

Ah… how could we have been so careless? Sebastian recovered from his shock with remarkable speed and renewed his assault. Yet we had been standing here, defenseless, chatting away. What a blunder.

Sebastian’s war axe struck Ortissio once more with a deafening clang. 

I closed my eyes briefly but opened them much sooner this time. I see it now…

Ortissio was standing there again, unscathed. Sebastian’s eyes widened in shock. He couldn’t hide his disbelief.

This was the second time now.

It’s pointless to worry about him—Ortissio isn’t even remotely hurt.

Though… now there’s blood dripping from his neck. So he did take at least a little scratch.

“Ortissio-san, here.”

I pointed out the blood trickling from his neck, much like before with his forehead.

“Nu?! N-no, it’s different! This time, Camilla-sama almost beheaded me with a hand chop. That’s what caused this to open!”

This time, he claimed Timu-chan was responsible…

A first-rate warrior like Sebastian couldn’t break through Ortissio’s neck. But Timu-chan’s hand chop could injure it? Was Timu-chan’s hand made of orichalcum or something?

Ortissio’s excuses are exhausting. 

Logically, it shouldn’t be possible, yet… I guess if it’s Timu-chan, I can believe it more than the story about Tilea’s finger flick.

Ortissio continued yelling, “No pathetic bug can hurt me!”

What is he so stubborn about? 

“Ortissio-san, calm down.”

“Listen well! This is not a wound from this insect. Got it?”

“Yes, I understand, but you don’t need to make excuses. Just getting away with a scratch from Sebastian is something to be proud of.”

“Fool! Pride is one thing, but being humiliated is another! You’d better keep quiet about this—especially to him.”

Who would mock him for this?

Nielsen-san, his superior? 

No, Nielsen-san is a wise man who would understand Sebastian’s skill and commend Ortissio’s feat.

Ah, maybe Dryas-san?

Yes, it must be him. Though I haven’t met him, I’ve heard Ortissio and Dryas aren’t on the best terms.

“Yes, I won’t tell anyone. Especially not Dryas-san.”

“Oh, you do understand! Yes, indeed, that insolent fool would find a way to twist this.”

Haha… they really don’t get along. Even in the Eastern Kingdom, faction conflicts exist.

I’d like to hear more about it—wait, now isn’t the time for that!

I glanced over at Sebastian, who still seemed dumbfounded. 

He couldn’t quite process that his best efforts had failed, twice over.

With a faint tremble, Sebastian looked on, saying, “This can’t be… For him to suffer only a scratch from not one, but two of my best attacks…”

And then—

“I already told you, this isn’t even a scratch!” Ortissio shouted, delivering a fierce uppercut to Sebastian’s jaw. 

With a pathetic grunt, Sebastian slammed into the wall, crumpling to the ground, motionless.

“Humph. ‘Only a scratch,’ he says. Ridiculous.”

Haha…

Sebastian, the formidable fighter, was easily bested by Ortissio.

And look around… Numerous guards lay sprawled, felled by Ortissio, no doubt. 

I can only marvel at Ortissio’s strength.

Oh! I nearly forgot to thank him.

“Ortissio-san.”

“What is it?”

“Thank you so much. Without you, I’d have been killed.”

“Of course. It’s the duty of a vassal to protect his lord’s property.”

Ortissio replied, looking slightly bashful.

I had almost lost hope when I was captured by Ebeanz, but somehow, I’d survived. 

Relief washed over me, and as my tense state finally unraveled, I began to feel faint. 

I’d reached my limit—every muscle felt exhausted, and I was ready to collapse.

“Hmm?! Puppet, you’re wobbling! Here, drink this!” Ortissio said, supporting me as he poured a potion down my throat.

“Gah! Huff, huff… that was too much, too fast!” I choked a bit, struggling to catch my breath. True to form, Ortissio’s approach was still as rough as ever, but the potion was as high-quality as ever. It was a royal-grade, concentrated potion, the kind usually reserved for the Eastern Kingdom’s nobility.

As I swallowed, I could feel the extreme fatigue easing. It was remarkable; though still tired, I felt like I could manage for now.

“Phew, thank you. I feel a lot better.”

“Puppet, you’re delicate, so it’s a good thing I brought extra.” Ortissio opened his bag, showing a stash of potions—over ten high-quality bottles. 

Did he think I was that weak?

One sip of a potion this potent would have been enough to help me recover. But… wait. Even after all that, I’m still not fully recovered. Deep down, I still feel exhausted, like the fatigue has settled into my very core. My mana hasn’t recovered, either.

Could it be that all of this took a greater toll on my body than I realized? After all, I almost ended up being tortured…

"Anyway, well done, Puppet. For someone as fragile as you, you did a fine job felling this many guards. You’ve exceeded expectations.”

“Wha– I did?”

“What’s with that surprise? You may not have found the vault yet, but you played your part in drawing the guards’ attention. Thanks to you luring so many away, infiltration was easy. Though ideally, you would have eliminated them all, but as you’re so weak, it’s forgivable that you nearly got yourself killed at the end.”

“Um… what exactly are you talking about? Didn’t you take these guards down?”

“What? Are you daft? When I arrived, they were already unconscious, save one.”

“Eh? Then… who took them down?”

“Puppet, it was you. Don’t be ridiculous. I can even see the lingering traces of your mana.”

“No way…”

“Yes, indeed. Look down there—you froze the floor. It’s clear evidence that you used water magic in combat.”

I looked where Ortissio pointed, and sure enough, the ground was frozen, a clear remnant of my Ice Stop spell. Judging by the traces, it did look like my magic.

“So… I really did all this?”

“Why the doubt? You should know best. You’re stumbling around with fatigue because you fought to your limit.”

“Y-yes, I guess…”

The situation seemed to indicate that I had fought. But I have no memory of it. I defeated Ebeanz, escaped the basement, and took down dozens of guards in a grand melee as I went…?

Could I really have done that?

Sure, taking down regular soldiers isn’t impossible, but these guards were the elite stationed at Elizabeth’s main mansion. And to have incapacitated all of them without a scratch?

That’s harder than simply killing them. I can hardly believe it myself.

Perhaps… some hidden talent within me erupted in a burst of latent power? A “moment of adrenaline-fueled strength,” as they say?

Or… huh? Who’s that girl over there?

As I surveyed the defeated guards, deep in thought, I noticed an oddity among them—a small girl, soundly sleeping. She looked completely out of place among the guards.

Who was she?

Could she be another captive, like me, captured by Elizabeth? Maybe she was hidden somewhere in that torture room, and when I defeated Ebeanz, she managed to escape along with me.

Or… perhaps she’s a formidable warrior herself who helped me?

I have no memory of any of this, so I can’t say for sure.

Well, when she wakes up, I’ll ask her. She should know what happened better than I do.

For now, at least we’re safe. I can figure out the truth later; first, I have to focus on what needs to be done.

…Something important… there’s something crucial I’m forgetting. The horror of the torture room must’ve blurred my memory.

Ah! Tilea-san is still here, in enemy territory!

How could I forget something so important?!

I hurriedly picked up the sleeping girl and prepared to leave the room when…

“Hmm! Puppet, you…” Ortissio’s stern gaze met mine, his expression laced with an unusual hint of irritation.

W-what now? Why is he angry?

With him, you never know… “Puppet, what’s with those markings on your hands and legs? Why are you so filthy?”

My sleeve had slid up, exposing the lines drawn on my arms, which Ortissio had noticed.

“Oh, these… it’s a long story.”

“Tch. Just when I was about to praise you. You need to start acting like a proper puppet!” Ortissio pulled out a cloth from his bag—a pristine, white, clean cloth—and without warning, he grabbed my arm and began scrubbing at the lines.

“Ow, ow! That hurts! Stop it, Ortissio-san!”

“Eeei, stubborn dirt!”

Ignoring my complaints, he kept scrubbing, determined. Once he finished with my hands, he lifted my skirt to clean my legs.

“Eek! Stop, what are you doing?!”

“Ugh, there’s scribbling on your legs, too. What a mess.”

A p-pervert… Just handling a maiden’s skin like this without permission… though it seems his only focus is on getting rid of the dirt. He doesn’t seem to have any other intentions as he inspects for any missed spots.

It’s not like I’m worried he’ll attack me or anything, but… sigh, this is exhausting.

“Fine. I’ll clean it myself later. Now isn’t the time for this. We’re still in enemy territory.”

“Have you looked at yourself in a mirror, Puppet? It’s disgraceful that you’ve gotten so dirty. And what’s that smell? It reeks.”

Ortissio sniffed at the air, unfiltered, and commented openly. Of course, I know it’s unpleasant. I was stuck in the torture room.

But could he be any less tactful?

“I know I’m dirty and smelly. I want a bath too—wait, no! That’s not the priority right now! Tilea-sama is here, in the enemy’s lair. We need to help her!”

“What nonsense are you talking about? Tilea-sama has already returned.”

“What?!” 

No way… Tilea-san had been so determined about the cooking showdown… I was certain she’d be at Elizabeth’s mansion, preparing dishes.

But… if she managed to escape, then that’s fine.

Although… what exactly happened? With Ortissio, you never know what’s true. I needed more information.

Holding the girl close, I stepped out of the storage room, only to be greeted by…

Wha–what?!

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Guests of the party were fleeing in terror, shouts and screams filling the air. Sand and dust fell from the ceiling, and there were sporadic flames everywhere. Elizabeth’s guards were running back and forth to respond to the chaos.

It was practically a war zone.

“W-what happened here?!”

“Hmph. Tilea-sama gave us the green light, so the Second Division has launched a raid.”

“Huh?”

A raid?

The guards of the Elizabeth estate were defending against intruders. Many of the intruders looked familiar; I recognized several as patrons from Tilea-san’s restaurant.

Yes, they were Ortissio’s men!

Did Tilea-san really order such chaos?

“Um, Ortissio-san… did Tilea-sama really…”

“Reporting in!” My question was interrupted as one of Ortissio’s men knelt before him.

“What is it?”

“Sir, we’ve found it!”

“Excellent! Well done.”

Found it? 

Ortissio took off in a sprint, following the messenger outside. I hurried after them.

W-whoa! He’s fast! Ortissio and his men were putting so much distance between us that I was rapidly falling behind.

W-wait up…

Ortissio noticed I was being left behind and quickly returned to help. Thank goodness. For a moment, I thought I’d be stranded here in enemy territory with the girl.

And so, after some scrambling…

We arrived at a storage warehouse a bit away from the main mansion. The warehouse was secured with a giant padlock and layered with protective magical seals.

“Is this Elizabeth’s vault?” 

“Yes, undoubtedly. This is where her wealth is stored. Haha, I’ll meet this month’s quota!”

Without waiting, Ortissio charged forward toward the warehouse.

“W-wait! It’s too dangerous to go in alone!”

If this is where Elizabeth’s fortune is kept, it’ll be the most heavily guarded area. Who knows what traps could be lying in wait…

But Ortissio charged in, mowing down guards left and right. He even seized a spiked iron ball from one of them, smashing it against the warehouse door.

With raw brute force, Ortissio kept battering the door until, finally…

With a deafening crash, the door swung open.

“Kuahahaha! Ortissio, first one in!”

He laughed triumphantly and rushed inside. Soon after, his men arrived, hauling in a massive cart. The commotion was escalating beyond control—this was more like a daytime raid than anything stealthy.

Did Tilea-san truly approve this?

I need to find out what’s really going on

. Ortissio is out of the question, and his men are just as wild. My only option is to ask Gil-san.

But… where is Gil-san?