Chapter 80

“The demon race? Pfft, that’s just an old tale.”

It may sound cool, but nowadays, demons are more like bedtime stories. Back in the days of barely scraping by with iron tools, they were so weak you could hardly slice through anything with a soft blade. Yet somehow, with divine help, they whipped up a Sacred Sword, and with a street-smart hero wielding it, they were chased back to the demon realm. You know, the classic tale.

Demon folk typically sport tails, wings, and horns, with a knack for black vital energy. They juggle this weird ether called magic, which is totally different from magical power, like it’s nothing. Met a demon at the church once; they had this awkward vibe going on.

Old stories and ancient texts show that demons survive off despair. It’s no surprise they set up shop at the church in the back alleys, finding a buffet of despair from all the folks who die in the streets. Based on the way they set up the inverted crosses, I’d say it’s almost 100% likely.

Without their little despair buffet, demons aren’t much different from humans. But the whole eating despair thing is where the real trouble lies. So, a relatively small number of demons managed to provoke humans and stir up chaos. Think wars and plagues, you know, typical fun stuff.

When wars or plagues hit, people drop like flies, which only cranks up the desperation that demons gobble up, making their ether grow even stronger. So, honestly, it’s a no-brainer for them. They’d question why they’re being hunted when they’re just doing what they do to survive.

But for these demons, there’s a whole demon world crafted by their god where they can chill and stack up their ether without a care in the world, free from squabbles with other races. Scholars studying them scratched their heads in confusion: why stir up trouble in the Middle Realm when they have such a sweet deal?

The answer was simple. Stirring the pot in the Middle Realm meant racking up ether even faster. They have the same desires as humans. So, greedy demons crossing over to cause a ruckus led to the Midrealm’s deities eventually handing down a Sacred Sword to smite them.

And just like that, I was starting to feel like this old story was about to unfold right before my eyes. Could it be that the hero of the story is me? I’m just a maid, though. But then again, I’ve never seen anyone else awaken magical powers other than me… How troublesome.

The reason I wasn’t jumping into the action despite awakening magical powers? Simple—I’m a maid serving Lilian. Sure, I could receive noble status after proving my powers and become her retainer. But honestly, I’d rather live my life as a maid.

I imagined a life where I’d serve Lilian for a while, then, after she gets married, I’d retire to some cottage by the sea and fish peacefully. Life’s short, and there’s not enough time to enjoy it. Work hard while young and then just swap letters about how things are going once she’s hitched, right?

“…Good thing there was a vacant room at the inn.”

“Only one room, though.”

Finally arriving at the nearest village, we quickly sent a letter to the castle saying both Lilian and I were safe. It’s only about a three-hour trip back to the main estate, but Lilian looked utterly exhausted, so getting a room at the inn was our only option.

Sure, there was the small issue of only having one room. And we just had to pick the season of the local festival for that, of course! Not like I could just ask everyone to clear out because a Duchess needs the room. Luckily, it was the best room available, or we would’ve had to tough it out and search for another inn despite being tired.

“Well, it’s just girls, so it should be fine.”

“That’s one way to look at it, but as a maid, sharing a bed is not really acceptable.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“What’s wrong is exactly it, Young Lady.”

Yawning, Lilian looked so sleepy, and I let out a sigh as I stepped into the inn room. It was surprisingly well-kept, likely because it’s close to the Duke’s residence. Just to be safe, I opened the window and dusted everything off, then laid Lilian down on the bed.

“Ugh…”

As soon as her head hit the pillow, Lilian was out like a light, snoring softly. I sat on the edge of the bed, wishing there was a sofa or even just a chair to plop down on, but nope—nothing. Staying awake for a night isn’t too tough, so I thought about pulling an all-nighter. After all, who could sleep soundly in a place like this?

Plus, we got attacked in the afternoon. If it was definitely a demon’s doing, fine, but if it was humans behind it, that raises the chance of assassins lurking around now.

Couldn’t say for sure if they were assassins or just folks with other jobs, though. They could be sneaky thieves or even spies gathering info, so I didn’t jump the gun and draw my sword.

“Crap.”

It was not cool when someone tried to break in through the window. I locked eyes with the would-be assassin, smoothly drew my sword, and—

Shink!

With a tiny noise, I pierced the assassin’s neck as their body flopped to the floor. I quietly scanned the surrounding trees and saw a bunch more guys in dark outfits rushing toward me, swords swinging. Ugh, so inconvenient.

Though I wished I had my twin swords, I could easily handle this with one hand and keep it all neat so the Young Lady wouldn’t wake up. Swinging my weapon, I dispatched the assassins quickly, wiping the blood off my blade. Five assassins down in just 30 seconds, and I brushed away a drop of blood from my face.

“Tsk.”

Was that it? That blood was from one of them charging in recklessly, ignoring their own life. Seriously, they were rather sloppy for assassins. They had awful skills at hiding their presence, and I’d give them a pass on their tactics, but their swordsmanship? Yikes. Didn’t seem like they were from any respectable assassin guild.

They didn’t even look skilled enough to be the ones who ambushed us earlier. Different group? I pondered while gazing up at the brilliantly bright moon.

“…Hmm. Lilian and Catherine are both safe, they say.”

“Who sent the letter?”

“Catherine.”

Portus’s Marquis murmured his maid’s name as he set the letter down. It arrived in the wee hours, so Lilian was probably deep in slumber at this point. It was good to know she was safe, but who the heck was targeting her? Portus’s Marquis still had no clue. He thought about probing the House of Duke Elpeltain’s involvement but instinctively felt they weren’t behind this.

The Elpeltains aren’t that foolish. They’re all about the political game—there’s no reason for them to mess with the Marquis’s daughter now. Sure, they might have wanted to stir the pot if a prince from Endain was in the picture. But that ship has sailed; their engagement was long gone.

“It’s a mystery.”

Besides, early morning reports from their scouts hinted that the House of Elpeltain couldn’t possibly be the criminals. There were numerous disturbances in the Elpeltain territory, and their Duke was reportedly overworked trying to quell the unrest.

A minor duke from Elpeltain got a suspicious vibe, but he had no real beef with Lilian. Even the scouts who infiltrated their territory reported nothing of note.

The scouts who spent the early morning checking out Elpeltain territory were worn out and taking a break, so to go back and suggest probing the minor duke’s area seemed pointless.

“How about we just wait for the Young Lady to return?”

“Hmm, that makes sense. Got it.”

Portus’s Marquis nodded at his secretary’s response, then refocused on the paperwork. Of course, that didn’t mean the content was sinking in. About 30 minutes through their sluggish paperwork progress—

“Your Excellency! The Young Lady has returned!”

“Huh.”

At the sound from the servant knocking at the door, Portus’s Marquis popped up before sitting back down. Should I go out? Or not? As he wrestled with that thought, the door swung open, and in walked Lilian, wide-eyed and glaring at the Marquis.