In the end…the crying and whining goddess was finally pacified by Ilea with extra afternoon tea and a promise to help her find a “suitable talent.”
It was, indeed…not a simple matter.
Thinking of the goddess with reddened eyes, a blank face, drooling at the mouth (imagined), and stupidly crouching in a corner (slander!)…
Ilea instinctively rubbed her forehead.
Why on earth did she agree to something like that?
Sigh…
She was already starting to feel a headache.
Knock knock knock —
Just as Ilea was thinking about all this, someone knocked on her door.
“Come in.”
“Milady!”
Amisha opened the door and bowed gently to Ilea.
But beneath the crystal glasses, her gaze was slightly shocked — looking at the figure standing stiffly in the corner…a merman zombie over two meters tall, now reduced to skin and bones.
It stood there like a gray, terrifying statue, daunting and unapproachable.
Who would’ve thought that in just two days, the young lady would not only make it look like this…but also actually get it to move?
Genius might not be enough to describe her anymore.
Still shocked, Amisha quickly gave her report.
“The armor you requested — the craftsmen say it will take at least ten days to complete. So… we’ll need to use a similar set of armor for now.”
Was this considered a failure in carrying out the lady’s orders?
If so…would she be punished…?
Maybe…could it even be…?
The maid’s breath instinctively grew heavier, and a hint of anticipation flashed in her eyes.
But…
“Is that so? That’s fine too.”
Ilea, however, didn’t lose her temper — instead, she nodded slightly.
…Why?!
Ugh!
“By around dusk, the armor should be delivered to your room, milady.”
Amisha bowed without a change in expression.
“Then I must head to madam’s side. Please excuse me.”
“Mm, right. Amisha…”
Ilea nodded but then shifted the conversation, looking toward the bespectacled maid.
“Would you like to work directly for me?”
Eh?
Was this…a personal recruitment?
“To serve milady is my honor.”
Amisha bowed again.
“I see.”
Having received the answer she wanted, Ilea waved her hand, signaling that the maid could leave.
At the same time, on the third floor of the castle, in the study…
“Cough, cough, cough, cough!”
Shudrian instinctively let out a series of violent coughs.
Her body…felt slightly chilled.
Hmm?
Has the temperature dropped recently?
Why do I feel like this…
Suppressing her discomfort, Madam furrowed her brows slightly and signed her name on the scroll in front of her using a quill pen.
“Huu…Maybe I’ve just been too tired lately…” she murmured while massaging her temples.
“Madam.”
Just then, a voice came from the corner of the bookshelf.
“Come in.”
Step, step, step —
Amisha’s figure emerged from the shadows like a solidified shadow itself.
“Madam…The young lady truly is a genius,” the maid said as soon as she entered the room.
She proceeded to describe everything she had witnessed in Ilea’s room.
“Is that so? Hehe~ As expected…of my daughter.”
But…precisely because she’s her daughter, it also brought a sense of worry.
After all, she was now married off — the name “Seledon” already came after “Bartyos.”
That matter…no longer worked on Ilea.
“Cough, cough…”
At that thought, Shudrian couldn’t help but cough again.
“Madam? Are you—?”
“It’s nothing. Probably just the result of staying up too many nights lately. Have them stoke the fire a bit more…cough cough.”
She waved her hand gently.
“Yes, madam.”
“And…this time, since Yaya wants to go to Mining District No. 13, go with her.”
“…Yes, madam.”
The next morning
A rather ordinary-looking carriage slowly rolled out of the castle.
However…the one driving the carriage at this moment wasn’t Yumina, but a maid named Amisha, who had been arranged by her lady mother.
Right now, Amisha wasn’t even wearing a maid outfit, but a brown cloak that made her look like someone heading into the desert.
As for the twin-tailed maid, despite her strong protests, Ireya had left her behind in the castle.
After all, Yumina wasn’t a combatant.
If she came along, she would only be a burden.
The young lady was also afraid something might happen to her.
At the moment, inside the carriage besides Ireya…sat another presence that appeared quite terrifying.
This person had a burly figure, clad in black armor from head to toe, with not a single bit of skin exposed.
Especially the head — the terrifying helmet resembled the blade of a giant axe, making the figure look incredibly intimidating.
That was the merman zombie, now wearing temporary armor.
He resembled a silent monster that knew only slaughter.
“So…why do I have to come along too?”
Of course, aside from the merman zombie, the young goddess Miss Veil was also sitting across from Ireya, her face full of reluctance.
“Didn’t you say you were looking to find a specialty? If it’s something in combat, then now is the best time to look for it~”
Ireya shrugged.
“Or…are you planning to give up?”
Hmm…
Veil had just been about to say
“It’s fine not to look for such a dangerous specialty,” but her pride was once again provoked.
“Give up? Hah…I would never give up! Fine, I’ll go!”
Well…the real reason Ireya brought her was because she wanted to make use of Veil’s acute senses and extraordinary eyesight to perceive more in the pitch-black mine.
And also…as a normal teenage girl, how could she go far from home without bringing her power bank?
As for the other guards of the marquis’ castle…
Ireya didn’t bring them along.
First, because if she brought those knights, she likely wouldn’t get any training at all.
The amount of exercise would be no different from just strolling through the city.
Second…
After learning that her father might have betrayed her mother and even fathered an illegitimate daughter…
Perhaps influenced by her own personality, Ireya always harbored a bit of distrust toward the forces of the marquis’ castle.
Those knights, at the end of the day, were all her father’s people…and between her and that old man, they would definitely not choose her, the young lady.
That was also one of the main reasons why she was so determined to build her own faction and summon or create servants who would only obey her.
That way, if that old man really betrayed her dear mother…she could replace the gentle Lady Shudlian and give that scumbag a good beating!
(“Achoo!” — A grievance-filled sneeze from the distant old father.)
Thinking thus, the carriage was already making its way down into the city and soon arrived at the entrance of the Mercenary Guild.
From afar, Ireya, now wearing a black veil, spotted a girl standing at the entrance, surrounded by a crowd.
The girl’s smile was gentle and appropriate, her gaze pure and kind.
Her short golden hair was softly curled, and the leather armor she wore perfectly accentuated her curvaceous figure.
She was like a mermaid emerging from the sea, standing on a reef, singing with the sound of the waves.
Innocent eyes, elegant posture, yet brimming with wild charm.
That girl was the current sensation of the Crystal Capital, and privately known as the “Demon’s Follower”
— Jenny Beth.