Volume 1 Chapter 7: The Encircling Maids

“Wha—what, why…!?”

When something this out of the ordinary happens, words hardly come out.

Yorda was learning that firsthand.

Just moments ago, his companions—who had been chatting with him as usual—were instantly mummified.

No one could possibly make sense of such a phenomenon.

“Ah… that’s why I said not to mess with Izun…”

“Y–you did this to him… turned him into that!?”

Izun lowered her brows, looking dejected. From her demeanor, it was clear she’d done something.

“Eek, eek!? Nobody said there’d be a monster like this! Waaahhh!!”

“A-ah, wait!”

Two of his companions, whose resolve was even weaker than Yorda’s, sprinted away at once.

They were shouting so loudly that any hope of a stealthy assassination was gone.

Clicking his tongue, Yorda tried to figure out how to escape this mess when—

“Nya.”

The men who had been running suddenly collapsed. Their heads were severed, blood gushing like a fountain.

Another woman in a maid uniform appeared from out of nowhere.

“That’s right, nya. If we don’t give our guest proper attention, we’ll be in trouble, nya. Welcome.”

Her black hair was so dark it seemed to melt into the night. It was cut short and lightly wavy.

Her golden eyes glinted in a way distinctly different from Izun’s albino eyes.

As usual, she wore a long, apron-style dress, marking her as another maid in Balor’s service.

What stood out most were the cat ears and tail peeking from her bouncy black hair—she was clearly a beastman, a race despised in this country.

She clutched two blood-soaked daggers, the obvious cause of the decapitations.

“Huh, huh…?”

Yorda couldn’t comprehend what was happening. His companions had just been massacred in seconds—by a mere maid, no less.

“Ordinarily, one wouldn’t call something like this a ‘welcome,’ Artemis.”

“Nya?”

The voice made Yorda jerk in alarm.

It belonged to the woman who had instilled such fear in him that he’d resolved to raid the lord’s mansion: the foreign maid—Ashvin.

“By the way, what are the other two up to, nya?”

“Nanashi is asleep. I have no idea where Konoha might be.”

“How do we maids not know where they are, nya…?”

“Isn’t Izun asleep, too? She’s always so drowsy.”

“Please bear with it just a bit longer.”

A casual conversation among three maids. They were far too relaxed, completely off their guard—or so it seemed. One might think to launch a sneak attack or try to flee.

Yet Yorda held back. Instinct told him that whichever move he made, he’d be killed.

Then Ashvin’s gaze fell upon him.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“You bastard…! You knew we were coming, didn’t you…!?”

“No? But when there’s such a ruckus in front of the mansion, one naturally takes notice.”

Ashvin giggled softly with delight. She was elegant and beautiful—qualities that made her all the more terrifying.

Amidst the strewn corpses and pools of blood, she exuded refined grace.

“Is that Balor’s command? Ha! Being protected by a maid like you is pathetic!”

That might have been Yorda’s futile outburst, dripping with cold sweat as he badgered Balor. Perhaps it was a bluff to bolster his courage. But it turned out to be the worst possible strategy.

“…………”

The three maids—each once so full of emotion—now stared at Yorda with utterly blank, inorganic eyes. Their gaze wasn’t human at all; it was as if they were looking at worthless pebbles scattered along the road.

All three fixed their unexpressive stares on his face—even Ashvin, who had been smiling sweetly moments before; Izun, whose expressions had shifted repeatedly like rolling stones; and Artemis, who had been grinning mischievously.

They all regarded Yorda with lifeless, doll-like expressions, completely devoid of emotion. It sent a shiver down his spine, as if his heart were being caressed by a monstrous hand.

“Balor-sama is exceedingly busy. To be bothered with trivial matters like you would only cause unnecessary strain. That is why we are taking care of everything while you rest.”

“Although it’s a bit suspicious that Master hasn’t noticed, nya.”

“Suspicious indeed!”

Yet in the very next moment, the three maids returned, their expressive faces intact. However, no one would take their expressions at face value.

It had been decided—even when they attempted to harm Balor—that Yorda’s life was already forfeit by those words.

“So you can think of it as Balor-sama entrusting us with this task. Betraying his trust and disappointing him… now that is truly terrifying. So, let’s finish this quickly.”

“W-wait! I’m Marcel-sama’s bodyguard, you know!? If you lay a hand on me, an all-out civil war will break out in this territory…! Innocent subjects will get caught up in it—a full-blown civil war! And yet, you want to kill me!?”

Yorda fell on his rear and staggered backward, shouting. That was right.

Although Balor had secured an almost unassailable position as the lord, that didn’t mean Marcel was without influence. He, too, possessed the qualifications of a lord.

Should he and Balor clash, it would undoubtedly spark a great war—not only within the territory but beyond its borders, perhaps even prompting the central government to take action.

That would be far more troublesome for Balor—the ruling side—than for Marcel’s faction. If Balor failed to maintain peace within his lands, his reputation would suffer. In the worst case, he might even be deposed or eliminated. So, do not kill me.

Do not escalate the situation.

In response to Yorda’s pleas, Ashvin beamed a broad smile.

“Indeed, let’s have a war.”

“――――――!?”

Yorda couldn’t comprehend what she had just said. A war… you actually desire one…?

“Frankly, Marcel’s presence in the Apophis territory is nothing but a hindrance. With Balor-sama around, that is all that matters. So let’s spark a war—one that will turn the Apophis territory completely over to Balor-sama.”

To Ashvin, Marcel was nothing more than an obstacle. This Apophis territory belonged to Balor. No, confining Balor’s might to such a small domain would be a waste. With his prestige, seizing this country… no, this entire world would be effortless.

And yet, are those who hinder him even necessary in this world? No, they aren’t.

They should be eliminated without delay.

As Ashvin maintained her gentle smile, she thought exactly that.

“T-that’s… do you really think you can get away with such a thing!? Even the central government isn’t just going to sit by…!”

“It will be fine. We shall support Balor-sama. So…”

The smile on Ashvin’s face was as cold and expressionless as before, filling Yorda with terror.

“You, without any worries, will set off the trigger for war.”

“U-uaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

Yorda’s scream rang out loudly into the dark night.

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“Zzz…” “Mmnya, mmnya… stealing the wealth…”

Meanwhile, Balor and Nanashi, having indulged in deep drinking, slept soundly.