The Guild Master Whose Hobby Was Helping People Found Himself Surrounded by the Strongest, Overly Attached Members - 4

Chapter 4: The Expressionless Maid’s Overbearing Love 2

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“…And yet, he did not abandon me. He risked his life to fight the Minotaur, for the sake of a pitiful, utterly useless girl like me.”

“That’s…”

This time, I was speechless for a completely different reason.

There was no way I could tell her the truth: “Yeah, well, back then I was really excited. The Minotaur was right at the edge of what I could take down, and on top of that I had the restriction of protecting a girl. It was the perfect setup for a true death match.”

By the way, I did barely win. And that night I was so worked up I couldn’t sleep.

“After defeating the Minotaur, that man carried me to the guild in the nearest town…And then departed without a word.”

Well, of course. I was in the middle of gathering herbs. I still needed two more kinds for the recovery potion. I remembered handing her over to the guild, waving my hand, and heading right back to the forest.

But for her, that became the moment that changed her entire life.

“I never even managed to thank him for saving me. But at that moment… For the first time in my life, I felt I was being treated not as someone’s tool, but as a person.”

Lisette’s hands came to a quiet stop. I could hear her taking a steady breath.

“Afterward, I registered as an adventurer. I sought only strength, so that I might find him again and tell him these feelings.”

Uh, isn’t this starting to sound a little scary? Couldn’t she have just lived peacefully while carrying a normal sense of gratitude?

“But all I ever uncovered was the title ‘Bloodstained.’ No one knew his face. And my trail of clues ran cold.”

Right. I did have that badass title, “Bloodstained.” The reason, though, was ridiculously stupid. Before even reaching the guild I’d often end up blood-soaked from incidents or falls. I was always bloodstained in battle too. Thanks to my own twisted preferences, I always pushed fights to the edge and got covered in blood again. My face would be in tatters. So no one ever really knew what I looked like.

On the other hand, that was also a blessing in disguise. When I started relying on the loophole—uh, I mean the “subsidy system”—at the guild, no one who knew me could get in the way.

Even after founding White Lamp Pavilion, I made sure to hide my identity as much as possible. It was meant to be a cover guild. If someone like Lisette showed up asking to join, that would be a huge problem.

“But one day, in a guild called White Lamp… I saw a back I had seen somewhere before.”

That was the moment her fate began to move. For me, it was the moment everything ended.

“That is why I am here. To repay the debt of that day. To devote myself to you, in whatever way you desire. That alone is the very meaning of my life.”

…Heavy. Way too heavy. And yet, that was exactly why I couldn’t turn her down. Because if I did, it felt like I would be denying the joy she found in “being treated as a person.” Even if I tried to refuse, she was SS-rank. If she wanted, she could make me obey by force. She wouldn’t even need to try hard—a single blow would do it.

The moment she realized it was me, I was finished.

“…I see.”

I laughed. There was nothing else I could do. Not because I was happy, or grateful, or moved. It was just the smile of someone thinking, “I really screwed up.”

“And so—”

Lisette suddenly pulled the chair I was sitting on forward, circling around to face me. Then she gently embraced me, pressing my face into the chest that already filled my vision.

“—W-what the hell are you doing!?”

Though in reality, all that came out was a muffled mumble.

Even through the maid uniform, the softness was unbelievable. Coupled with human warmth, it soothed me in spite of myself, betraying my frantic protests.

This was dangerous. My spirit was starting to calm down. This wasn’t about kinks anymore.

At this rate, I was going to fall—heart and all.

Whether she knew my thoughts or not, Lisette softly whispered in my ear:

“You may do whatever you like with me, Shin-sama. No matter how abnormal your desires, I will accept them.”

A shiver ran down my spine. Her voice was calm as ever, but the content was devastatingly powerful.

“F-for now, I think I’m… Okay.”

My voice sounded downright pathetic, but that was all I could manage. Anyone who could resolutely reject her in this situation would have to be either a saint or a corpse.

At the very least, I had to put some distance between us. My reason was hitting critical danger levels. I gently placed my hands on her waist and, trying not to use too much strength, pushed her away.

“…Nnh.”

Why the hell did she make that kind of sound!?

Instinctively, I looked into her eyes. Perhaps embarrassed that I had seen her like that, she turned away with her cheeks faintly flushed.

I never thought the first time I’d see a human-like expression on Lisette would be now.

She had just been on the verge of pushing me down without being ordered to, and now she was acting all maidenly? What the hell?

“By the way, Shin-sama, do you have any other troubles?”

“Troubles?”

Ah, her expression was already back to normal.

If I had to name one… It’d be the fact that the guild members were increasing. I was too scared to refuse an SS-rank applicant. The interview process had become meaningless.

“For example, is there anyone troublesome you’d like me to dispose of?”

“…Did you really think I was that kind of dangerous person?”

Lisette shook her head slightly.

“No. But if Shin-sama wished it, I could erase anyone, even the ruler of a nation.”

“That’s really not necessary!”

This isn’t like erasing photobombers from the background of a picture!

“Think about it. If people found out I was giving you instructions, what do you think would happen?”

She paused in thought, then spoke.

“Eventually… This city would come under Shin-sama’s control, would it not?”

So basically: people find out I’m the mastermind → everyone in the city comes to take me down → Lisette crushes them → and I end up ruling everything…?

“Hey, listen… Even if you’re SS-rank, don’t you think numbers will still overwhelm you?”

“I can win. Love is the power that overturns numbers.”

“…That would be a great line if this weren’t the situation.”

The “power of love” was not supposed to be used for conquering cities.

“A-and what if I got hit by a stray attack and died? What would you do then?”

“I would kill everyone. Then, after carefully laying Shin-sama to rest, I would build a grave beside yours…And die.”

“…Ah. I see.”

Wow, that reply came in an instant. How terrifying.

As I was thinking that, a loud noise came from behind me.

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