Chapter 11: Master
"Hmm."
Deia walked back and forth in front of the entrance with her arms linked, repeating the process several times. It was as if she was exercising inside because she couldn't go outside due to the cold weather of North Whedon.
However, that was not the case.
"How much time has passed?"
"Um, now there are only 10 minutes left." The butler, standing a little farther away, spoke hesitantly.
"Ugh!"
Deia clenched her fists and trembled with anger. It had already been 50 minutes since Deus left.
That guy - who told her to wait for only an hour - was indeed a useless idiot.
"Just 10 minutes. Wait for 10 more minutes and then request support immediately. Is the communication device ready?"
"Yes, we have prepared the crystal ball so we can contact them immediately at your orders."
“Damn, these Verdi boys!! I don’t like either of them.”
"Ah, lady."
The butler hurriedly warned her about her manner of speaking, but Deia ignored him and continued.
“Did I say something wrong? I warned him from the time the ridge post reported that unlike usual the immigrants were pushing in as a group!”
Deia and Darius had heard a report that immigrants were not coming as infrequently as usual, but that they were coming frequently with an army.
Deia had said that something was strange and that they should gather as many troops as possible and defend with all their strength. The talented mage herself offered to join, but Darius frowned and refused.
'Why would a woman recklessly go to the battlefield?' He'd said.
"That idiot is still stuck in outdated beliefs like an old geezer! If someone has the ability, then you should use them. Why does one's gender matter?"
Darius had thought that they had enough troops to win, but the troops sent several times were annihilated, and at the end, Darius personally went out and fought with the remaining soldiers, but was defeated as well.
If they had just poured in all their might from the beginning, they wouldn't have had to suffer such a tragedy.
"I thought the second idiot would stay still for a while after making such a blunder at the academy…"
"But he suddenly appears and asks for just one hour! He says he can solve everything himself!"
"What can he solve on his own?"
In an hour, Tolkin and Count Herameus' troops would have prepared and departed. Now, because of the delay of this one hour, hundreds of North Whedon's citizens could die.
"Butler, how much time do we have left?"
"W-we have five minutes left."
"Forget it! Just call for reinforcements!"
After all, she wasn't going to let people die because of that idiot's words, who had been acting as if he had suddenly become someone else.
‘Hey, don't you think your breasts are a bit big? Let’s touch them.’
'Don't you want to do it with your brother? If we do it once, you'll beg me to do it every day.'
'It's too loud at night? Why? Do you want to moan underneath me too?'
'You're not a prostitute? Come on, what's the difference?'
"F*cking bastard."
In the end, it was inevitable that curse words would come out.
Although he was better than before when both his mouth and lower parts were unrestrained, she was disgusted by his current self too which acted as if wanting to forget the past self.
"Just because you do that now, does it make all the past disappear? What about the scars you have caused to others?"
For Deia, Deus's past actions were enough to sow distrust in men. But it didn't mean she liked women either.
If she had, she might have experienced love already, but she was a severe heterosexual.
In the end, she gave up on love.
All she had was the citizens of North Whedon, who always greeted her with a bright smile and gave her bread and flowers while saying thank you, whenever she went out for inspection.
North Whedon was good.
'Just five minutes every day… give it to me.'
“Then what? What would happen in those 5 minutes?”
He must have been trying to do something weird again within 5 minutes.
If she really gave him five minutes, he would undoubtedly have stuck out his tongue and would have attempted some strange sexual harassment.
"That's who you are."
As Deia turned her body-
-Crick!
-the front door opened, and a blizzard accompanied by a cold wind rushed in. Because of that, the candles lit nearby shimmered as if in a violent dance.
-Thump, thump
Sturdy and regular footsteps approached, and a figure, alone and unfazed by the blizzard, came into view, dressed in clean clothes and carrying a smooth cane.
It was the return of Deus Verdi… followed by numerous immigrants.
"You...!"
Deia's eyes trembled in bewilderment, unable to comprehend the scene before her eyes as if her brain had frozen.
"Haah, there are only two minutes left."
It had been precisely 58 minutes since Deus had left.
"I intended to arrive five minutes early to spend time with you, but I'll settle for two minutes today."
Unable to keep up with the current situation, Deia stared blankly at Deus standing in front of her.
It was not even like her eyes were following him too intently. No, they were blank. It was just that he had entered her line of sight.
-Pat!
Deus's hand landed gently on her head. It felt warm, unlike someone who had just braved the blizzard.
"You have snow on your head."
After a gentle pat, he passed by Deia and spoke:
“Butler, take them to the drawing room.”
"Um, yes?"
Even the experienced butler couldn't quite grasp the situation, so Deus took a breath before continuing.
"They are new servants of our family."
It seemed he didn't stop at simply stopping the immigrants, he also took them as servants.
* * *
Of course, no one welcomed the announcement that the members of the 'Gocheolsang' guild would be hired as new personnel for the Verdi family.
Even Darius… the moment he saw Finden Ai, he jumped up and threatened to kill her.
But now, I was the strongest one in this mansion.
Darius and Deia failed to do what I alone was able to accomplish with the immigrant group.
Moreover, by hiring them, we had to pay only half the amount compared to other servants, so the cost aspect was also a good deal.
Of course, not all of the gocheolsang guild's members could work as servants for the Verdi family.
Most of them were given separate accommodations in North Whedon and made to be helpers of the citizens, such as moving heavy luggage, starting farming, sweeping the streets, and clearing the snow.
Deia, of course, refused, saying it was too risky.
But after I said I would take full responsibility, she didn't have any choice but to agree.
If Finden Ai and the Gocheolsang guild were like what I saw in the game, they weren't necessarily bad people from the start.
Rather, it was possible to see them as people who dreamed of living an ordinary life in North Whedon.
They were struggling for freedom, after all.
Naturally, that alone might not be enough, so I made a separate contract with Finden Ai.
"Hmm."
Sitting in my room's chair, I reached out my hand, and a white 'flame-orb' floated up.
This was a part of Fenden Ai's soul extracted through magic, and I obtained it with her own agreement based on the contract.
For the next five years working under me, if Finden Ai and the gocheolsang guild betrayed me, I would destroy this soul without mercy.
It was only a part, but even that alone would reduce Finden Ai to a half-broken doll.
"Quite satisfying."
Leaning back on the chair with my hands in my pockets, I closed my eyes.
The situation had become quite complicated several times, fortunately, I achieved excellent results.
It all started with using souls roaming in the mansion to cast magic, which worked quite well in practice.
And the biggest gain was Finden Ai.
At one point, Finden Ai had acquired power that was close to the pinnacle of human beings on the continent.
She was not at that level yet. Since she came out as a villain when the protagonist was in 3rd grade, the current year was 3 years before she appeared in the game.
Moreover, the equipment she used at that time was also not available.
"Still, it's enough."
Didn’t I already get the cotyledon? I just had to provide water, and sunshine, and nurture it to grow.
-Thump!
Just then, a harsh knock sounded from outside the door.
Deia took Finden Ai saying she was going to attend maid training, but I was informed later that she would start working today, and seeing how rough it was from the knock, it seemed like Finden Ai had come.
"Come in."
I said calmly, and the door opened, revealing a white-haired woman with an annoyed expression on her face, clenched fists, and a determined breathing pattern.
I immediately realized that the reason why she was expressing dissatisfaction was because of the shameful outfit;
She was wearing a black one-piece dress with a fancy white frilled apron on top.
Her skirt was shorter than expected, and she wore black stockings and a white frilled hairband on her head.
Yes, it was a maid outfit and a very revealing one at that.
"...What is this joke?"
I was surprised.
No, I was quite shocked.
I had never imagined that the beast-like Finden Ai would ever wear such an outfit.
In response to my question, Finden Ai blushed and snapped irritably.
“Your exclusive maids say they always wear this! You bastard!”
"..."
It was absurd.
However, it was unlikely that Deia would force her to wear such an outfit as a joke, so it was probably the original Deus' taste.
"Haah."
My head was pounding.
Just thinking about what this guy might have done to his maids was making me dizzy already.
"First of all, mind your manners. You should be speaking politely. You must have learned that, right?"
"M-m-mast..."
“…”
As if her mouth wasn’t forming words properly, Finden Ai frowned and shouted as if screaming.
"Hey, master! If you're going to give me work, do it quickly!"
"...Yes, that's good enough."
What idiot would give orders to a wild animal?
Just praise them for coming to eat when food was served.
So, this was enough for Finden Ai as well.
Her manner of speaking won’t interfere with her work, anyway.
"Why don't you look that happy about my dress?"
Finden Ai knew she was being ignored, and grumbled as she took out a cigarette from her pocket and put it in her mouth.
And then I reached out and completely burned it.
"What the hell! If you're going to light it, be gentle!"
"I have a no-smoking policy in front of me."
“…That… that wasn’t in the terms of my employment contract, master.”
