Chapter 199 - Taming the Maid

"... I will make arrangements so you can withdraw from the expedition, as you requested..."

"I'm sorry. I know these are difficult times..."

"Not at all. Our circumstances are not so difficult that you need to take them into consideration, Lady Valdrova."

"Blancaros warned me."

"Lord Blancaros did?"

Erica could not help being surprised.

Since she had attended the Grand Council consistently as Iorga's representative, she had met Blancaros more than anyone else.

She prided herself on knowing what sort of person he was.

"If it were him, I would think he would want the Land of Demons conquered, so why would he object to you entering it, Lady Valdrova...?"

"I suppose I frighten him more than that."

"Ah..."

She felt like a fool for having asked.

A dragon who had played the greatest role in the Dragon-Demon War 150 years ago, and at the same time gained a vicious reputation.

Between Godwin's death and Silverwind's death, there had been the intermediary known as Valdrova.

Many people had died, and many spawns had died.

When dragon spawns experienced death, they never forgot the opponent who had earned their grudge.

Even the relationships between Guardian Dragons could hardly be called good, and she had been hated by everyone regardless of side.

Erica, too, had hated her for a long time.

Now that she recalled it, she almost felt awkward again.

"How is Iorga?"

Erica flinched.

"She is doing well."

"She is having a hard time, isn't she?"

"..."

What was with this person?

Even if Erica tried to deceive her, she could not.

Those innocent-looking golden eyes were merely staring quietly at her, yet it felt as if they made everything inside her plainly visible.

"... As you said, Lady Iorga's condition is not good."

In the end, Erica told her the truth.

"Godwin's energy, similar to yours, Lady Valdrova, tried to encroach upon Lady Iorga, so she chose to enter hibernation."

"I see..."

Valdrova's expression was heavy.

It was plain to see that she was sincerely worried about Iorga.

"There is one thing I am curious about. May I ask?"

The question of whether she could ask sounded terribly awkward.

"Please ask."

"... Can you tell me why Iorga killed her fiancé...?"

She knew that Iorga had killed her fiancé.

All dragons knew that, but they did not know the circumstances.

Erica hesitated for a moment.

Iorga was no different from her parent.

Children who spoke ill of their parents were bound to be struck by divine punishment.

Erica told her carefully.

"As you know, Lady Iorga is the Aspect of Magic. The magic brought forth by her hand is closer to purity than anything else."

"Yes. That's true."

"Because she was such a person, she wished for the one who would become her spouse to live long and become a noble being. So she took one of the high elves as her partner."

"Yes."

"... But that partner could not resist the temptation of magic and committed a taboo. He laid his hands on Lady Iorga's magic. So Lady Iorga was enraged and killed her fiancé with her own hands."

"..."

"And because of that incident, she fell out with the high elves. They claimed that Lady Iorga had trapped him and refused to hand over the body."

She told her everything that had happened.

Valdrova kept her head lowered, picturing it all in her mind.

"... How was Iorga?"

"What do you mean by how...?"

"Did she cry?"

Erica could not hide her bewilderment as she answered.

"Lady Iorga is always the same. She is one who bears her mission heavily, so she does not spend emotion on such trivial matters."

"Really? Yes, I suppose so..."

As if hastily trying to smooth things over, Valdrova's answer lacked force.

Iorga crying?

To say that Iorga, armed with cold and rational judgment, had been swept up in emotion was akin to a terrible insult.

If Storeus had said such a thing, Erica would have protested even at the risk of death.

But Valdrova was different.

It felt as if she were an old sister, asking in concern about a younger sister's situation.

Perhaps.

Perhaps Valdrova knew more than Erica did.

She was curious.

But she did not ask.

Simply facing another dragon like this was not an easy thing.

Instead, she turned to another subject.

"Then, Lady Valdrova, do you intend to continue acting as the armor knight...?"

"I don't think I can."

"Pardon? Why...?"

"If you look here, the armor is cracked a little. If I put even a little more strength into it, I think it will break..."

She showed Erica the gauntlet.

As she said, there was an unnatural crack in its otherwise ordinary-looking appearance.

Erica suddenly recalled how she had clenched her fist as she stepped forward earlier.

'The armor made by Lord Phrontesis broke just because she clenched her fist once?'

The Bronze Dragon, Phrontesis.

On the Serdes Continent, he was the only one who could handle the strongest metal, a being like a god of smiths.

Dwarves worshiped him as a god, and half the treasured arms that appeared in countless tales of valor were things he had made.

'Wait a moment...'

The armor knight's true identity was Valdrova.

The parts Erica had not wanted to understand all this time suddenly began to make sense.

"Um..."

"Yes?"

"By any chance, in the Yin-Yang Room...?"

"Yin-Yang Room?"

"You know, the place where you went underground with Regent Ferda?"

"Ah, yes."

"Could it be that you were able to escape from there because you shared affection...?"

"H-Huh??"

Valdrova recalled the moment when she had been trapped in that sealed room.

What came to mind were moist eyes and lips.

But what they had actually done was tug on her cheeks.

'... Or is that how humans share affection?'

Affection between a man and a woman.

They were words that made her heart flutter terribly, but perhaps that too was something she could not understand from a dragon's point of view.

Once she thought of it that way, even having her cheeks pulled felt like something terribly embarrassing.

Valdrova's face flushed bright red.

"Maybe... so?"

Seeing that expression, Erica was certain.

'They did it. They definitely did it.'

Even in human society, sharing intimacy with one's fiancé was not much of a problem.

It was extremely reassuring that nothing strange had happened to Ferda.

"Ah."

But Erica herself was the only one who knew that fact.

"What is it?"

"Um... Are you going to publicly announce that the armor knight is you, Lady Valdrova?"

"Hm? Ah, I can't do that."

Valdrova timidly stammered.

In truth, even facing Erica like this was something she should not have done.

The face of Luri, who had glared with her eyes practically lit on fire as she told Valdrova never to be caught by Erica or Isabella, was frightening.

"If that fact remains hidden, then Regent Ferda may be a little..."

"Will there be a problem?"

There would be a problem, of course.

The fact that he had gone into the Yin-Yang Room with the armor knight and come out was a serious disgrace.

Erica had made the expedition members keep their mouths shut, but even that had its limits.

Rumors traveled fast, and there was no doubt it would spread in an instant.

"... It is nothing."

Erica hid that fact.

Nothing would happen.

In any case, even back then, it had ended as a simple happening, so there was no need to explain anything.

That was what Erica thought.

Luri was tidying Ferda's office.

Since Ferda always managed his office himself, it was always kept clean.

Calling it tidying was generous; she only had to wipe a bit of dust from the window frame and leave, and it took less than three minutes.

Even so, Luri had gone out of her way to enter the place.

There was no way at all for her to relieve the stress she had received from Storeus's pressure.

When she had lived as a warrior, she had replaced that anxiety by killing Frost Giants, and when she had lived as a peaceful maid, she had relieved it by eating.

But there were limits to such methods.

The new way she found to relieve stress was Ferda.

Just loitering around him made her feel at ease.

Of course, Luri herself did not properly realize that fact.

She simply thought it was no different from usual.

'I only intend to greet him and go back.'

While she was at it, they might exchange a bit of trivial chatter, but was that not something they always did?

Ferda would have gone to bring Mori so he could translate the books, and once he returned, Luri could grumble that he was trying to translate strange books.

There was nothing to be nervous about.

'If it's something I can read, perhaps I could talk to him about something like this...?'

Without thinking, she picked up one of the books he had brought.

Just then, the sound of the office door opening pierced Luri's ears.

She composed herself, turned her head, and was about to greet him politely...

"Hello, Miss Maid!!"

"... It's you?"

The one who had entered was Penelope.

"What is that look for! Why are you looking at me like I'm a cockroach!?"

"You are below that. Cockroaches at least die."

"Wow, what a terrifying insult. Calling a demon a cockroach."

Luri waved her hand at Penelope with a pathetic look on her face.

"Stop wandering around and get out of here at once. Everyone else is working right now."

"Oh, don't say such hurtful things. I'm working too, you know?"

"You are spewing lies that won't work on me in the slightest."

"No, really! Didn't you know? Believe it or not, I am! The head of product planning for the Hestia trading company!"

That company was doomed.

If she could breathe fire, Luri would have liked to let it out to her heart's content.

But all that came out was a sigh, so that was all she could release.

"In any case, as head of product planning, I prepared a wonderful gift for Regent Ferda!"

"What is it?"

"Ta-da!"

She had made a banner.

Written on the banner was this:

-Congratulations on the opening.

Luri tilted her head as she looked at the phrase.

"Did someone open a tunnel somewhere?"

"Yes, I hear it got opened up, and the rumors spread all over the place."

Where on earth was that?

For some reason, the smile on that impudent face began to bother her.

It was definitely not in a good way.

"I need to show this to the Regent first. Where did the Regent go?"

"He had to translate some books, so he went to call the scribe."

"Ah, that cute blond girl with two mothers?"

"Two mothers?"

She meant Isabella and Echidna.

"Whenever I tried to approach her, the two mothers came and threatened to murder me. Was I allowed to approach her?"

"Do not assume everyone is like you, lowly demon."

"Oh, that's mean. I can be useful toooo."

Penelope stuck out her lips, spoke in a nasal whine, and pretended to wipe away tears with her fists.

Luri was tempted to hit her.

Penelope crept closer and glanced at Ferda's desk.

On his desk lay the books brought from the East.

"Huh?"

Penelope recognized the characters.

"These are Eastern characters, aren't they?"

"Do you know about Eastern characters?"

"Yes, well, when I had nothing particular to do, my job was to hole up and read human novels... Huh?"

Penelope, who had been reading the title of the book, was rendered speechless.

"What? Why is this here... Huh? Wait, don't tell me this one too?"

"What is it?"

"No, how should I put this? It's a little shocking?"

Penelope noticed that Luri was also holding a book.

"Don't tell me that book is also...?"

Penelope glanced over its title, looked back and forth between the book and Luri, then grinned.

That expression finally pushed Luri past the point of tolerance.

"Why are you making that damned face?"

"No, I can't help it, you know? How should I put it? Seeing a dragon spawn more vicious than any demon holding a book like that really suits you? Maybe because you have such a girlish body, you look like a girl right in the middle of puberty?"

"Should I take that to mean you want your spine folded?"

"Ah! That's not it~ Oh my, should I say this? If I say it, there'll be no going back~"

Penelope's sinister smile did not stop.

When Luri approached, truly intending to fold her spine, Penelope opened her mouth.

"Stop, stop! You don't know what Eastern characters are, do you?"

"If I knew, would I be doing this?"

"And you don't know what the book you're holding is about?"

"No."

"Mm-hmm, yes, of course. So, ack! Ah, I'll talk! Please let go of this hand! My neck is going to break! It'll crumble like a hollow pastry!"

She would only listen when force was used.

Luri loosened her grip.

"... So, first, what this is, is a novel."

"A novel?"

"Yes. You see this book here?"

She showed her the book on the desk.

"The title is The Cloud Dream of the Nine. You still don't know what that means, right?"

"What is it?"

"If you spell out the title, it reads, 'The story of how I, a mere third-rate scholar, reincarnated as an invincible general and slept with forty-nine beauties.'"

"He became a general and... did what?"

"He slept with forty-nine women."

"And slept means..."

"So, this."

Penelope made a filthy gesture.

Luri barely held on to her reeling mind, to the point that it would not have been strange to say she had suffered a mental attack from a demon.

"... So you mean it is an obscene book?"

"It's smut."

"... All of them?"

"Yes."

Her mind went blank.

Ferda had gone to bring Mori so he could read these smut books?

He was going to make a blond little girl translate filthy content?

'He must not know.'

Ferda had common sense.

No matter how little sense of self Mori had, would he make such a young girl do something so terrible?

Her instincts refused to understand, but her head kept trying to understand, creating a discord within her.

"And do you know the reeeal reason I laughed?"

"... What is it?"

"The title of that book is..."

Penelope carefully whispered.

The moment Luri heard the book's title, her businesslike expression broke.

"... Do not joke."

"I'm not joking, though? No matter how I look at it, doesn't it feel like fate??"

"Shut up!"

"Ack!"

Luri lost her reason and grabbed Penelope by the neck.

"You damned demon! How dare you mock a dragon spawn? I will kill you right here and now and set everything right!"

"Ack, gag! Help! Help me! Zed! Ferda! Lady Valdrova! Save m-gurk!"

"... What are you two doing?"

She failed to kill her.

The ones who had suddenly entered were Ferda and Mori.

His voice shook Luri, and Penelope used that opening to escape.

Luri stood with her back turned, and Penelope found a path to safety and trotted over toward Ferda.

"O-Oh, you're here! My savior?"

"Speak from a distance. What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean! I'm working as the head of planning for the Hestia trading company!"

"What work?"

"Let's say I came to look for some inspiration?"

Ferda understood.

It meant she had been lazing around exactly as she appeared.

"If you have no business here, go back."

"Yes, I was about to. You are about to have a veeeery important matter to attend to from now on, so, niha-hack!"

Penelope, who had been trying to leave with a sly laugh, was sent flying sideways.

Luri had kicked her hard in the side and launched her away.

"You are more violent than usual."

"..."

Luri said nothing with her back turned.

"Luri?"

"!!"

Luri raised her head and looked at Ferda.

Ferda, who was facing her, was even more surprised.

There was no dragon spawn there wearing a businesslike expression.

There was only an innocent girl in a maid uniform, looking terribly flustered.

Her silver eyes trembled as if an earthquake had struck, and her face was flushed bright red like a carrot.

From her lips came the breath rising from her startled heart.

Looking at her, Ferda came to a realization.

"Have you caught a cold?"

"..."

"It seems dragon spawns can catch colds too. Wouldn't it be better for you to rest today?"

"..."

"Isn't that my book in your hands?"

"!!"

Luri reflexively hugged the book tightly to her chest.

In her mind, the cursed words Penelope had uttered swirled.

The title of that book was,

"Give that book back."

Forty-Nine Ways to Tame an Insolent Maid.

Ferda was as polite as ever.

That polite appearance shook Luri's emotions even further.

Even though she knew how gentle those hands were, they looked terribly rough and large.

Luri's heart pounded just as violently.

"I-I refwuse...!"

Her pronunciation slipped like a fool's.

"I have to read that book."

Forty-Nine Ways to Tame an Insolent Maid.

"No!"

"No or not, that is mine."

"I belong to Lady Valdrova!"

"...?"

He wondered what the hell she was suddenly talking about.

"I brought that here, and the ownership rights belong to—"

"I said I don't want to!!"

Luri shrieked.

She was so flustered that the horns and tail she had hidden appeared and threatened Ferda.

Wondering what on earth this situation was, Ferda took a slight step back.

In that opening, Luri scooped up every book on the desk in her arms.

Her face could be seen through her fluttering hair.

"You...!"

With a face that looked as if she might cry, she said this.

"You perverted masochist!"

With that sudden insult, Luri shot away.

She vanished like the wind, leaving him no chance to say anything.

Left awkwardly behind, Ferda and Mori looked at each other.

"It seems there is nothing for us to do now."

"..."

Mori looked terribly dejected.

Ferda quietly patted her head.