Chapter 79 – The Maid’s Will (Part 2)

The maid started laughing, “What’s so funny?” I asked her.

“Her highness is a wonderful person.” She replied… Is she just saying random things now? Though I suppose it’s fine like this too, “<Absolute Loyalty – Royal Guard>” She shouted.

“… This isn’t interesting.” I replied.

Why does that child love and trust this woman so much? Why did this woman try fighting when she knew it was impossible to win? And why does that child adore her father?

“You seem troubled.” The maid said… I didn’t reply. Instead, I grabbed her arm, twisted it, and then kicked it, completely breaking it down. She held back her voice, but she was obviously in pain.

I kicked her chin, and then her neck, making her fly into the wall. She made a small moan of pain this time around.

I grabbed her by her ponytail, kicked her abdomen, then stabbed her broken arm. She now shouted from pain.

I held her open mouth with my fingers and slammed her head into the ground by pulling her lower jaw down. She could barely make a sound this time around.

Then, I put my foot on her head and started putting more and more pressure in it. Her pained shout was pretty loud this time around.

Her head started sinking into the ground, cracking it, “So, have you given up now?” I asked her.

She tried saying something, but what came out was unintelligible. I eased the pressure on her head a bit to let her speak.

She panted for a bit before replying, “Just who will… Give up?”

“That’s a pity. Though you’re aware I can just run after the princess and kill her once I’m done with you, right?” I told her… She started laughing. I wondered why, so I kicked her head with enough strength to send her flying.

“What’s so funny?” I asked her again.

“Th-that is…” She slowly got up, somehow with a fearless smile on her face, and continued, “Because her highness is smart. She surely noticed there was something amiss in our last conversation.”

“What about it?” I asked her, though I already knew where she was going.

“Her highness must have already found an excuse to move away from your companions and ran away. Even if you kill me, she should already be in one of the multiple secret passages that only the royal family know of.” She explained.

“So, you were laughing because you succeeded in buying time for her?” I said.

“That’s pretty much- Gah!” She started saying, but I kicked her belly with my knee to interrupt her.

“Well, then here are some good news for you.” Her pained face seemed suspicious of me, but she’s probably happy inside as she is in theory buying more time with this conversation, “I actually had no plans of killing your precious princess.”

She opened her eyes wide. That seemed to surprise her… But it was true, I did think the princess was going to run away, especially after I discovered the hidden passage that led to the royal castle, she seemed to be smart for her age after all. Moreover, differently from her mostly expressionless maid, the princess was very expressive. It was easy to notice when she started getting wary.

“Now here are some bad news for you.” I said while showing her a thread that was connected to my finger, “What do you think this strand is connected to?”

“I-it can’t be…” She finally started panicking. There was no way I would have left the princess without preparing anything. I couldn’t simply leave her with Yuu and Maria after all, the former is unreliable, and I can’t trust the latter one just yet… Moreover, this was more convenient than explaining the plan to them.

“Correct, it’s attached to the princess. And now, she’ll guide me directly to the insides of the royal castle by showing me how to traverse the secret passage. Thank you for your time.

“Such a pity, isn’t it? That her highness, the princess, will lose her father and will have none but herself to blame.” I told her.

The maid started screaming in despair, I kicked her belly again and made her fly away. “Well, what are you going to do now? Buy more time?” I asked her.

She took a deep breath and started saying, “<Oath, I am the one with absolute>“

“I won’t let you.” I said as I kicked her belly again, taking the air out of her lungs. Seems like she decided to try a desperate move now that she realized that buying time is worthless, but that’s still futile.

“<Oath, I> Gah!” She tried continuing, but I kicked her again.

“You should give up.” I said. I wonder how long will it take for the princess to arrive at the castle… I’d like it if she moved directly towards the king.

“<I am the one with absolute loyalty> Geh!” She tried to say, but I stopped her again.

“Really now?” I told her.

The hidden passage seems to be a complicated maze, the princess has been moved around the same area for a while now…

“<and devotion>!” She shouted.

“Oh?” That was surprising. To think one can keep chanting an oath even after being interrupted multiple times. That’s a new discovery. Not that it matters though.

“<Oath, I’m the one who, without expecting any compensation> Aah!” She was starting to annoy me, so I tied a thread around her ankle and used it to throw her at the wall… Can she give up now?

She spit some blood and said, “<Oath, I’m the one who, without expecting any compensation> Gah!” Why is that girl loved by someone who is not her mother? Why does she adore her father? Why is this maid… So motherly? This is somehow… Very… “Aaaah!” Annoying.