Chapter 69 – Kanade the Maid, Fakes With Her Needles and Goes for a Jumping Knee Strike!
After breakfast the next morning.
When I returned to my room with the others, I presented the strategy I had developed over the night.
“—Huh? We’re going to raid the bedrooms of commanders in each city and abduct them?”
“What do you mean, Nii-san?”
It’s no wonder they look at me strangely, so I’ll walk them through it step by step.
“I found out by accident when I was talking to Kanade that she can bring information from the ceiling of any house. So I’m going to make use of that.”
“Nii-san, how can a single maid have such skills…?”
“I don’t think that’s information you can get unless you’re one of the top people of the assassination guild, and even then, not unless you’re the ace there…?”
Suzuha and even Yuzuriha-san were tilting their heads with a difficult look on their faces.
I guess that’s how good maid Kanade is.
After all, even Yuzuriha-san, who knows all about the Duke’s excellent maids, is skeptical.
“…Well, if that story is true, then the operation you described would be possible.”
“That’s right. Ordinarily, it would be impossible to break in even if you had information about the ceiling, but if it’s Nii-san…”
“After all, you’re the guy who snuck into the sewers of the royal castle and rescued the princess from captivity. Compared to that, kidnapping the commander of a city is a piece of cake.
“Yes. If your brother were to be found, he could just beat all the witnesses to death.”
“I wouldn’t do that!”
The way they reacted was a bit tricky, but they seemed to agree on the plan itself.
“Then—”
“…Master.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Kanadew will do her best to get the information. So Kanade wants a special reward.”
Well, it’s no surprise that Kanade wants a reward.
This case, by all accounts, is far beyond the scope of a normal maid’s duties.
And she has brought me information on occupied cities.
“Okay. What do you want?”
“…I want to fight Master seriously. Without holding back. With all my heart.”
The moment I heard Kanade’s wish…
“Hmm…” *slicing sound*
“Heh…” *cracking sound*
Yuzuriha-san pulled out her sword with a flickering killing intent, and Suzuha snapped her finger bones with a ferocious smile.
What are you two doing to a younger maid?
“Wait a moment, both of you, stay put. And Kanade, is it really okay with you? I’m just an amateur who isn’t even a proper soldier.”
“Kanade’s new master tells very funny jokes.”
“No, I’m not joking… Well, if Kanade is fine with that, I’m fine with it too.”
I’m an amateur, but Kanade is also a maid.
At first, I was surprised by her assassin-like footwork, but if her martial skills are that of an amateur, then it works out just fine.
While I reluctantly accepted that, Suzuha and Yuzuriha-san were whispering to each other in a hushed tone.
“…To sense the aura of absolute strength that Nii-san has, this maid is no ordinary person…!”
“…But it would be a bad idea to challenge Suzuha-kun’s older brother to a fight. He’ll beat you up one-sidedly, tear you to shreds until your pride is shattered, and then he’ll pound it into your soul that you’re nothing but a weak little kid. After all, even the pinnacle of the Amazons faced the same fate…!”
“…Come to think of it, Yuzuriha-san also challenged Nii-san to a fight at first, right…?”
“…T-That couldn’t be helped! How could I keep silent after finding a man who seemed so strong?! And I couldn’t even imagine how strong he must be…!”
“…Ni-san doesn’t look strong at all, so at first glance, you can’t help but underestimate his fighting power. That’s why everyone gets beaten up…”
I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I could tell from their demeanor that they were talking bad about me.
＊＊＊＊
After that, I fought Kanade as much as she wanted until the sun went down on the plains outside the city.
Kanade was so strong that it was hard to believe she was a maid.
If she were fighting Suzuha or Yuzuriha-san from a little while ago, she might actually have a chance of winning against them, I think.
“…Wha… What the…!”
“By the way, have you ever thought that the idea of a maid swearing loyalty to their master after fighting could be similar to the bond formed between friends after a battle? Well, it’s just something that crossed my mind.”
“Why can’t I…land a hit…!”
“Well, Kanade’s needles are coated with poison, right? If they hit, it could be lethal.”
Kanade’s most dangerous attack is with incredibly thin needles that are difficult to see.
She throws it with great speed and precision at the vital point.
While I was avoiding them, I remembered somewhere when Yuzuriha-san was targeted by an assassin at a party before. The needle at that time was as thin and sharp as this.
If Kanade is capable of delivering such precise and deadly attacks, then she’s an exceptional maid, indeed.
Then, I looked to the side.
Suzuha and Yuzuriha-san were sitting on the grassy field, drinking tea in nodate style and watching us fight.
“—So, Miss Commentator Yuzuriha-san. That would generally fall under the category of an assassin-style approach, wouldn’t it…?”
“That’s right. It’s a rare occurrence for maids to acquire self-defense and assassination techniques. Although I’ve never heard of a maid with such high combat abilities as Kanade’s…”
“Ooh! Kanade the maid, fakes with her needles and goes for a jumping knee strike!”
“And a spinning kick combo… Against an average knight, this attack would be an instant double kill. The jumping knee strike would create a hole in the chest, and the spinning kick would blow the head off.”
“But it has no effect on Nii-san! He takes it all while maintaining an unguarded smile!”
“It’s disheartening when your full-power attack feels like nothing more than a bug bite, causing no damage… Ahhhhhhhh!”
“Yuzuriha-san? Don’t be bummed out during the commentary, okay?”
…They seemed like they were having fun, so I thought I’d leave them alone.
And Kanade, who seemed to be satisfied with our fight until the sun went down, had a twinkle in her eye,
“There is no doubt—Kanade has finally found her true master.”
She must have been satisfied, because she came rubbing up against me like a cat after muttering that.
