Chapter 36

“Ten bottles of whiskey, bought. Three barrels of wine, bought. Five shirts, bought. Now all I need to buy are dried fruits and six kinds of sausages.”

Rudi checked her list as she walked through the capital’s streets.

Most of the items were ordered for delivery by a kid working part-time at the store, so her hands were free.

Valenciaunos had suggested going out together since it was his vacation anyway, claiming that the food and drink were all for him, but Rudi shook her head, saying it was fine.

Maidservants were meant to be comfortable while serving, but accompanying a member of the royal family to the market in the capital would disqualify her as a maid.

‘I should be the one protecting him.’

Who was protecting whom?

Rudi let out a small sigh.

Unbeknownst to her, this was also a dilemma shared by the knights of the Silver Knight Order regarding Jeilliris.

Valenciaunos liked dried fruits from the southern mountain and in a world where self-sufficiency was the norm in provinces, it was a considerable luxury.

If he hadn’t pocketed money from places like the casino, he wouldn’t have even dared to dream of it on his royal income.

Rudi shifted her steps towards the area where the southern merchants gathered to buy dried fruits.

At that moment, several pairs of eyes followed her.

“Right.”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go.”

The maid uniform, made of stiff black fabric with white lace and ribbons, attracted attention for various reasons wherever she went.

Especially if it was worn by a maid with soft brown hair and spring-green eyes that sparkled like freshly blossomed trees.

No matter how dull the Crimson Crescent Palace might appear, a palace maid was still a good candidate for a bride.

If she wanted, she could have had several opportunities to marry a bourgeois in the capital.

However, those who followed her now seemed far removed from any romantic notions of love or courtship.

Pat, pat, pat, pat!

Rudi quickened her steps as if frightened.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

The sounds behind her became louder, almost mocking her.

“!”

Rudi slowly came to a stop.

The road ahead was blocked by a high wall.

* * *

In a dead-end alley, the men who followed her let out a smirk.

“Are you Rudi, miss?”

“Actually, it wouldn’t matter if you weren’t.”

She turned around slowly.

Five men, all of them large and appearing agile.

Their arms were thick, but their stomachs were flat, and their beards were neatly groomed, revealing well-aligned teeth when they smiled.

They were not the sort of low-lifes who just rolled in from the streets.

“Who are you? Why are you looking for me?”

The men answered her question.

“We used to work near the red-light district, but we got fired because of the person you serve.”

“That’s impressive. You’re skilled with a sword and a good fighter. When did such a noble person learn those skills?”

“That guy smashed our shop to pieces. But do you think we could possibly get revenge against someone like him? We just have to endure.”

“I thought so too, but it turns out there’s a way to get revenge.”

Clack.

The men pulled out clubs and daggers.

“We’ll cut your limbs and sell you at the slave market. We won’t get much for you, but it doesn’t matter.”

Rudi didn’t even consider the idea of screaming for help.

Objectively, the capital of the empire was a fairly safe place.

However, in this world, safe meant that murders didn’t happen in broad daylight.

Especially when the opponents hailed from the red-light district casino, even the average guards or vigilantes would be easily toyed with.

“Not even a scream?”

“Look at her eyes. No joke.”

“Judging by her ferocity, she’s just like her master.”

“Hey, grab her. You said you’d do it.”

“I was already planning to.”

The men approached one by one.

Rudi stepped back with a frightened expression.

Tap.

“Looks like there’s nowhere left to retreat?”

As her back touched the wall, she raised her head and said,

“That’s right. Thankfully, there’s nowhere left to retreat.”

“What?”

“Are you crazy?”

“Aren’t you too scared to think straight? We’ve seen plenty of kids just like you in the shops, all smiling after losing everything.”

She hesitated, then continued.

“This is my first time in a situation like this. I’m scared. But if my limbs are cut off, I won’t be able to serve Lord Valen anymore. So…”

Her hands slid to the side of her skirt.

“I’m sure I can shoot without hesitation. There’s no other choice. Yeah, that’s right. There’s no other choice.”

Her green eyes gleamed, and two six-shot magical rifles appeared in her hands.

The former priestesses, seeing an unusual tool they’d never seen before, frowned in confusion.

“What is that?”

“Nowadays, maidservants carry all sorts of things.”

Rudi lightly shook her head.

“Please go back quickly. I’ll give you one last chance. Unlike Lord Valen, I’m not used to this sort of thing.”

“Ha.”

One man stepped forward.

“Talking about chances, huh?”

“Well, this is all your fault.”

Rudi pulled the trigger and fired.

Until the very end, she kept her eyes on her opponent’s face.

Bang!

The rifle in her right hand erupted.

The magic tool, having lain silent since its creation, fulfilled its purpose for the first time at the command of its master.

It spat out a projectile at a speed faster than any arrow.

The basic magic bullets, inscribed with enhancement and acceleration spells, darted through the air for the first and last time.

The expensive magic bullet crossed five meters with greater speed than a sound, shattering a human skull like crispy fries.

Thud-!

A mingled mass of flowing red and sticky white splattered all around.

“What the…?”

“Wha-what?”

“What’s this!”

The remaining ex-priestesses gritted their teeth and charged forward.

It was courage born out of ignorance of what was happening.

Rudi shone her green eyes on each of them, one by one.

“This is the world that Lord Valen has lived in.”

Bang-!

“How have I lived so comfortably until now?”

Bang-!

“Have you been so lonely all this time?”

Bang-!

“I’ll follow you until I die. Because I’m the maid of a gambling bandit and murderer.”

Bang-!

As the cylinder spun and the trigger pulled, magic bullets were fired each time the circuits connected.

“Hah, hah, hah.”

After firing three rounds with the rifle in her right hand and two with the rifle in her left, Rudi leaned back against the wall, taking a deep breath.

The recoil made her wrist throb.

But she kept her eyes open, staring at the scene unfolding before her.

It was a scene she had created.

Perhaps she could have shot only one or two as an example and scared the rest into fleeing.

She could have opted to just graze their hands.

But she didn’t do that.

Though she was now twenty years old, she was different from the typical twenty-year-old just graduating from the academy.

She had entered the imperial palace at ten years old and had served Duke Valen since he was seven, experiencing the faction battles of the palace maids, known as the “Wicked Witch’s Den,” from a young age.

Having lived for ten years in that cutthroat environment, she had learned something.

You shouldn’t maintain an uncomfortable relationship with your opponents.

If you are going to show a smiling face, keep smiling until the end, and if you fight, don’t give them a chance to counterattack.

In her everyday life, she might move slowly, but when it came to hunting, she struck like a snake sinking its fangs in swiftly.

“You, you… what kind of magic tool is that?”

There were those who weren’t killed because they had only been hit in the legs.

Of course, that one was also left with only stumps below the knees.

“The masterpiece of the magicians and their worst shame. That’s what I’ve heard anyway.”

Of course, she had no intention of showing mercy.

She kept one alive for just one question.

“Are there others besides you who are targeting me and Lord Valen?”

“I-I don’t know. I didn’t even choose to target you. We were just following his orders.”

He pointed at a particularly large man.

That man lay dead with a hole in his abdomen, his body crumpled.

“!”

At that moment, the large man opened his eyes wide.

His black eyes were devoid of whites.

Hands that shouldn’t have moved began to move, and he grasped the remaining leg of his fallen comrade beside him.

“Hey, hey!”

The man with the hole in his abdomen grabbed the ankle of the legless man.

Bulging veins appeared on his forearms as the legless man trembled and screamed.

“AAHH!”

Suddenly, Rudi thought he looked like he was eating a person with his hands.

The unreal scene was hard to comprehend.

The legless man and the man with the hole in his abdomen intertwined, and blood and flesh melted into one, flowing through the bulging veins.

She watched the sight, feeling faint as if she might pass out.

In church, she had heard explanations about such beings.

Abomination.

They were a type of undead like zombies but could grow to massive sizes depending on the individual.

“Hah, haha.”

She trembled with fear, tears streaming down her face.

Just a morning ago, she had woken the duke from sleep after praying to God and preparing meals, and now she was facing a transformed monster that had just killed five people.

“Lord Valen must have seen such things all his life, right?”

Once again aiming her gun, she murmured.

* * *

I’d taken time off, but I was heading to the main palace.

The first reason was that the main palace, managed by court magicians, was warm in winter and cool in summer, and the second was my fear that Jeilliris might impulsively decide to start a war, so I wanted to keep an eye on her.

There was a third reason, too.

“Duke Valen. Even though you are on vacation, you have returned to my side, so I must ask you. There’s consistent intelligence that Marquis Purioaito is gathering troops under the pretext of the Magical Realms. How should we respond? I believe it might be best for you to venture out.”

I had to plead, beg, and implore her not to start a war within a year of her ascension.

“Although the marquis is suspected of wrongdoing, there is a distance between him and the imperial territory, equal to that of several nations, and there are loyal barons surrounding the imperial territory. If Your Majesty were to launch a preemptive strike against the high nobles so soon after your ascension, it would put excessive pressure on the other high nobles…”

Fighting would guarantee victory.

But in the grand scheme of things, you could win without fighting, so there was no need to instigate a war.

At least, no foolish noble would advance on a city with a Swordmaster and a Sixth Circle Archmage, and as time passed, stability would eventually be restored.

“Your words are too lengthy. So, can you behead the marquis?”

“If it is your command, I shall obey. But please understand that I may not be able to kill the marquis even if I sacrifice my life…”

“Did I not clearly command you to train in swordsmanship? Why have your skills not improved?”

I let out a sigh of relief internally.

At least now, I wouldn’t be suspected of abruptly improving.

“I became a Swordmaster at fifteen. Why is it that you, my twin, have only just reached the threshold of being a Sword Expert at seventeen?”

Huh?

I felt as if my heart stopped.

“Your Majesty, why do you think I’m a Sword Expert? I’m still merely a Sword User…”

“Enough.”

She cut me off firmly.

I was doomed.

“I can see how much mana my opponent has just by looking at them and know how adept they are.”

“Impressive.”

“Wait, Duke. Were you trying to hide your proficiency from me? What ulterior motives did you have by hiding your power? Surely you don’t wish to covet this position for yourself?”

Jeilliris’ eyes narrowed.

Today, she wore a sleeveless black silk dress, and suddenly the hem of the dress bunched together at various points, turning into long black thorns.

Seeing that bizarre sight, I could only let out a fake laugh.

“Your Majesty, just hear me out for a moment…”

“Your Majesty!”

At that moment, a steward rushed in, interrupting me.

“We’ve found remnants of an abomination in the alley behind the market.”

Whatever had created it, an abomination should not emerge from the alley behind the market.

Given the shocking nature of the news, Jeilliris immediately stood up.

“Is there a witness to the situation?”

“Yes. It appears to be… the maid Rudi from the Crimson Crescent Palace.”

“?!”

Now it was my turn to jump up.

“Your Majesty, she is my maid! I will hear her account!”

And before an answer could be given, I dashed out.