The Peaceful Life Of A Maid Who Hides Her Power And Enjoys It - Chapter 113

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 113

Mephistopheles’ heart.

The man who heard those words swallowed dry saliva.

The fact that the terrible demon’s heart was in the Royal Court’s possession was a top secret known only to the core members of the Royal Court.

“Staying here any longer is dangerous. I’ll return to Ragal immediately, so seal this space.”

-Good. Before that, let me ask one more thing. What do you plan to do about ‘Berid Ret’?

Berid Ret.

Known to the world as a cruel information guild, but among those who know its true identity, it’s called ‘the Royal Court’s basement’.

Berid Ret is an assassin’s guild organized around Natasha and Dummy’s master.

Its main purpose is intelligence theft related to rogues within the Northern Continent and magical research, and it was a guild that couldn’t have been established without Mephistopheles’ heart.

When Natasha looked at him with eyes asking what he meant, Dummy calmly continued.

-It’s a guild that has grown much faster and larger than we intended. When something gets unnecessarily big, it only draws attention. It would be better to cut away everything except the necessary parts.

“By necessary parts, you mean?”

-You know what I’m talking about. At least all those pathetic branches scattered throughout the Empire should be completely…

“No.”

Natasha, who refused immediately, closed her tired eyes deeply and opened them again.

“It’s still too early. I haven’t found what I need to find. …So no.”

That thing Natasha is searching for.

The man who knew its identity let out a small sigh inwardly.

She hadn’t found it for a whole four years. If it were an object with an intact form, it might be different, but ‘that thing’ would be fortunate if it hadn’t rotted away somewhere.

But he couldn’t bring himself to tell her to give up. He knew how important ‘that thing’… no, that person’s existence was to Natasha.

-I understand. Come up to Ragal for now. How long will it take?

“Ten days, generously speaking.”

-My beloved sibling, then I’ll see you then.

“Yes.”

As Dummy’s mouth closed, the cozy space was enveloped in endless silence.

Natasha, who covered her face with her hood again, passed by Dummy and stepped outside.

To return to her hometown, Ragal.

* * *

On a night when darkness hung heavily.

I was looking up at the thick fog, organizing my thoughts.

The time given to me was short. I only had leisure until the Magic Alliance’s reconnaissance team that had surveyed the canyon returned to their base, so from now on, just…

‘About 3 minutes.’

Three minutes until infiltrating Grand Sorcerer Mephistopheles’ castle.

The surroundings were quiet. The situation just moments ago when I was being pestered by my companions felt like a dream.

No one approached me as I remained alone behind the barracks.

I had already said my farewells.

To the one who desperately tried to dissuade me, saying infiltration was a suicidal act.

To the one who wanted to postpone the schedule, saying we should observe a little longer before deciding.

To the one who couldn’t bring themselves to tell me to stop, and only patted my shoulder silently.

…However.

“Andert.”

Just as I was about to fall into contemplation. A shadow that quickly approached grabbed my ear. It was Natasha.

But for some reason, Natasha’s complexion was darker than a corpse.

“Stay still. I’ll put this on your ear. This is a highly sensitive magic detector. Since it’s deep into the night and you’re moving alone, it’ll be difficult to fully grasp the surrounding situation. Wearing this will be beneficial.”

“…Is your face in that state because of this thing?”

Magic tools contain the magic of their creator.

However, since magic tools like detectors aren’t disposable, they need to be periodically recharged with the user’s magic to continue functioning.

Charging a magic tool is no ordinary task. Especially magic tools with excellent sensitivity like the one Natasha brought could cause significant physical damage if one rushed the charging process.

Natasha seemed to have hastily charged the detector magic tool for the suddenly decided infiltration plan.

Her bloodshot eyes and faintly trembling fingertips were pitifully heartbreaking.

“Thank you. It feels quite reassuring.”

When I smiled while touching the earring, Natasha nodded drowsily with an extremely tired face.

I sent her away before my heart could soften further.

“Go now. Men sometimes need time alone for contemplation.”

Natasha gracefully moved away.

To just ten steps beyond.

“…What are you doing not leaving?”

“Waiting.”

“For what?”

“For you.”

“Why me?”

“I’m following you.”

What? Surely she doesn’t mean Mephistopheles’ castle? I swallowed a hollow laugh and shook my head.

“It’s not necessary.”

“Not necessary? If I’m not there, who will stop your complete assimilation? Raphael, who’s collapsed and can’t even move properly? Or Duke Kalpenweber, who will brief you on that hellish situation?”

“I’ll manage and control it well myself.”

“Do you think that’s believable? I need to be by your side for your reason to be maintained. Only then will the probability of defeating Mephistopheles increase even slightly. This is quite…”

“Natasha.”

Even though her words were suddenly cut off, Natasha answered calmly without getting angry once.

“Speak.”

“…Thank you.”

She gazed at me with slightly relaxed eyes. But soon, as if noticing something, Natasha’s hand urgently reached toward me.

“Ande…”

But my body falling like a puppet with cut strings was faster than her hand, full of small wounds, touching my body.

I firmly held Natasha’s body, who had fainted from a light strike. Looking at her powerlessly drooping face, the ten years we had spent together flashed by like a panorama.

‘I’m grateful for your feelings, but.’

Everyone has their own role to play.

And Natasha, your job isn’t to follow me. It’s to rebuild Pen Rota, which has been devastated by war.

It was when I was about to move Natasha to the barracks with a short sigh. Deshero, who had been watching me all along, carefully approached.

“Andert.”

“Oh, yes. It’ll be troublesome, but please take Natasha. She’s fainted.”

Deshero held Natasha with a complicated expression.

“…Andert, Natasha, she…”

“Wants to help, right? I know.”

“…”

“But Natasha’s place isn’t beside me, but on the throne.”

I lightly patted Deshero’s arm and offered my final farewell.

“Stay healthy. I’m counting on you for what comes after.”

Someone screamed my name like a shriek.

I carried that call on my back as I advanced into the darkness.

Down that path from which I would never return.

* * *

When I dimly awakened from deep sleep.

I was lying in a room where crimson sunset light gently settled.

“…Ah.”

Condition at its worst.

I had a depressing dream, and my throat was very dry. That made sense. I had coughed up blood.

This kind of sudden health abnormality was almost the first time I’d experienced it. Could being stabbed by the sword in Westwintery still be affecting me?

‘No. …That’s probably not it.’

When I exchanged vows with Raphael, that sensation felt like my heart was being stabbed repeatedly.

‘I felt exactly the same thing when I made the blood oath at Weatherwax.’

What’s the problem? Don’t tell me it’s heart disease?

Fortunately, while my condition was poor, there was no problem moving my body. There’s only one person capable of returning a body that had even coughed up blood for unknown reasons back to half-normal.

“Lu?”

But no matter how much I looked around, Lu was nowhere to be seen.

‘…Could it be that Morian’s face I saw just before collapsing was a hallucination?’

It definitely wasn’t a hallucination though.

But if Lu had really arrived at Jenail Castle, she would have been staying by my side. Unless she didn’t come to see me, there’s no reason she would have come all the way here…

“Ugh.”

That’s when it happened. Excruciating pain shot up my spine and shook my mind.

This was the first time I’d felt such vivid pain since my recovery, so I had to curl up my limbs and tremble. Fortunately, the pain didn’t last long and disappeared within 4 seconds.

“Hah…”

This doesn’t feel good.

I got up from the bed very slowly. After confirming once again that no one was around, I quickly stripped off my winter undergarments.

And the moment I approached the mirror to check the condition of my back.

“Ha.”

A sigh escaped involuntarily.

‘…This is.’

Deep, vivid scars running across my entire back.

That wasn’t all. Below my shoulders were traces of burns, and above my pelvis were clear marks of being sewn up with more than ten stitches.

“What the hell is this…”

…

Ah, damn it.

I remember these scars. Yes, I have no choice but to remember them. They’re marks I could never forget even in death!

Wounds from the Mage War.

Scars accumulated over 10 years of fighting demons, resisting complete assimilation.

The bloody traces from my time as Andert were returning to my body.

As if they were going to tear my body apart completely.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————