Chapter Volume 1 16: Maid 1
The air in the royal castle was tense―― that was how Tiana, a maid working at the castle felt today.
She was tall. Her arms that were stretching out from the padded shoulders were long and slender, and the neckline peeking out from the collar was free of excess flesh. Her body, wrapped in a black dress made of thick fabric, was graceful, and her glossy appearance was eye-catching. Her hips were well-shaped and upturned, and she had little flesh in places, but not entirely absent. However, her breasts, which were most likely to be perceived as sexually attractive by men, were modest and looked like those of a girl.
She was tall and had a slender body. Her eyes were sharp, and she seemed to be cold-hearted.
Her hair, tucked behind her neck with a barrette, was a slightly dull gray, almost white.
She was wearing leather boots on her feet, and although peeking at it would not be able to see her beautiful legs hidden by the long flared skirt, anyone could easily imagine how thin and beautiful her legs were from the slimness of her waist. Rather, by not being able to see them, it was because they were hidden, it was able to arouse a man's imagination and stimulate their desire.
Tiana stood upright and immovable in a corner of the room without shaking the white brim above her head. Six people were standing by in the room.
Four of them were dressed in the same black dress and white apron as Tiana―― in maid clothes, waiting inside Queen Leticia's room.
The other two were wearing steel armor all over their bodies and also have a steel spear in their hands.
Leticia, the owner of the room, was looking down on the royal capital through the window on the wall of the room without being aware of the existence of these six people.
It was dusk. The royal capital, where thousands of people live, a large inn with room for dozens of people to stay, and an entertainment district that shone brightly at night.
Orphanages and churches.
There was a school for children without parents and an academy for the children of noble families.
There was an industrial district where blacksmiths gather, and a market where goods made in the industrial district and vegetables brought by villagers from the countryside were sold.
They were divided into sections, where people gather according to their respective jobs.
All of this was part of the nation-building plan of Leticia's husband, the hero who had been summoned from another world and had already returned.
What should be done to improve the lives of the people and make the country prosperous? A black-haired boy ――remembering the hero who had grown to an adult by the time he returned, Leticia smiled.
The queen of the magic country "Fonteau" was Leticia, but it was the hero's achievement that had made such a big development.
Some people were saying that this country was not a magic country but a hero country.
But that was the same for the other two countries.
In every country, the will and thoughts of the hero were pervasive. It was not only Fonteau.
That was why Leticia rebuked the ministers even if they wanted to call it the "Land of the Hero".
The other two countries would laugh at her if she said that, the two people who traveled with her would approve, but the hero himself would not.
He wanted equal peace. Three nations on an equal footing. A relationship where no one was above the other, but could work hand in hand.
That was his dream.
The dream of the hero.
And it was because of him that Leticia, a half-elf, fell in love.
She fell in love with him and entrusted him with her country.
In the beginning, the ministers were opposed to the idea, but when they saw the country had changed so much in just over half a year, they couldn't say anything, and by the time a year had passed, they were nodding their heads in agreement with the hero's opinion.
Leticia hid her mouth with her right hand as she was starting to laugh.
The beautiful queen, dressed in a pure white dress, looked out the window with a gentle smile on her face. The scene seemed like a painting, captivating the hearts of all who saw it.
Her lustrous silver hair glimmered in the sunlight and small lips. Her ears were pointed, though not as pronounced as an elf's, and her red eyes were unusual for an elf. Proof that she was a half-elf. Her red eyes reflected lightly in the window.
Leticia's appearance, which had half the blood of an elf, was far from human, and although she was a mother of two children, her body was slim without breaking even a little.
It was easy to see this from the bulge and neckline of the dress she was wearing. Her bosom, which looked as though it held two pieces of fruit, was opened wide to reveal her cleavage. The waist was thin and could easily break if a strong man put a little effort into hugging it. However, the buttocks that could be seen on the lower part of her body were so rich that even Tiana, who was in the same room, could not help but admire them.
Her breasts and buttocks were fleshy but other than that, there was not a trace of unwanted fat.
Her motherly glamour was evident in her face as she had given birth to a child, and she could charm a man with just her slightest gesture.
Perfect beauty.
Leticia was that much of a beautiful queen.
The queen was unaware that the soldiers, her guard in the room were fascinated by her profile. For her, a man was certainly a man, but the one person she liked to be her husband was the hero who was no longer with them. Even now that he had left this world, her feelings were not clouded in the slightest.
She could still remember his shiny black hair and his eyes filled with a strong will. He had a dignified expression on his face, but when he smiled, she know he was as cute as his age. That was Leticia's treasure. Treasured memory.
As she was carefully recalling this memory from deep within her heart, there was a light knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
It was not Leticia, but Tiana, who was close to the door, who answered.
"Excuse me, my queen. It's me, Druid."
At the sound of the voice, Tiana let out a slight sigh without moving her expression, but inwardly.
She remembered the appearance of the man who called himself Druid and felt uncomfortable.
Druid Dean. He was a nobleman who lived in this country but was also the Minister of Finance at the Royal Castle.
He was not a person who would cause much trouble, and although he would deny it, even he had ambition in his heart, he didn't have the motivation to put it into action though. He may act tough, but inside he trembled, flattering the strong and oppressing the weak.
Those who were weak were not the only ones who were out of his reach. They were slaves, or women bought at a brothel.
Working at the royal castle meant that one's background was fully investigated. Druid was a man who had known not to do crimes while on top.
That was why he held the position of Minister of Finance in this kingdom and was trusted as such.
It was because he would not touch anything that was out of his control.
It was injustice―― embezzlement of wealth or touch the women who were working in the royal castle. At best, he could just enjoy watching them. If he did those, he would have gone beyond his means. When the fraud was discovered, there was nothing he could do about it. He was in this position because he was a man who understood this area.
And it was this reason why Tiana couldn't do anything about it.
Even if someone were to apply as a maid, they could not work as a maid in this castle. It would be overwhelming for the village girls when they work while surrounded by lustful nobles like Druids.
Royal Castle: Especially when it came to working for Leticia, they have to be good at swordsmanship or assassination.
The soldier who was watching Leticia earlier was a fierce man who won a tournament held in the arena in the royal capital, and Tiana had a throwing knife in her flared skirt and a needle in the sleeve of her apron dress. She was a maid who had become an assassin, with weapons inside her clothes.
The six people inside the room were strong enough to fight against a dozen humans who were trying to harm the Queen.
Tiana opened the door.
What appeared was an overweight man. His belly was chock full of flesh, and his fatty chin was hard to distinguish from his neck.
He was dressed in a luxurious nobleman's uniform, but the buttons were so taut that they looked as though they would jump off at any moment, and when Druid walked, they could almost hear a thudding sound.
Seeing such a man, Tiana's gaze, which was originally expressionless, turned even more to absolute zero.
Druid who had visited the queen's room was sweating unnaturally, even though he had just come to the queen's room.
It was because he was nervous.
He knew how fierce the people in the room were. Druid, who loved women and fantasized about bringing strong women to their knees, but he could not even touch these beautiful maids and these soldiers were looking at him coldly.
He could not help but feel suffocated by the obviously unwelcoming atmosphere.
Sensing Leticia's mood as she looked away from the window, Tiana took a few steps back and returned to the place where she had been standing.
This chapter upload first at NovelUsb.Com
Then, Druid's vision cleared.
When he recognized Leticia was looking at him from the corner of her eye, he hurriedly bowed her head.
"Good day to you, Queen Leticia..."
"Thank you, Lord Druid. It is unusual for you to visit me."
As was mentioned earlier, Druid was not welcomed in the room. The fragrant scent of flowers and the beautiful queen were certainly Druid's favorite, but the unwelcome atmosphere was only painful, and could not enjoy it.
He looked away from Leticia and opened his mouth, looking slightly at the floor.
"Does the Queen know about Fiana-sama who went out to exterminate the bandits a few days ago?"
"Yes, of course"
Fiana was one of the top knights in the country, a master of sword and magic.
Even Tiana, whose main focus was assassination, had heard the heroic name. About 20 days ago, she heard that the bandits who appeared in the now-abandoned mine, which was located further north of the royal capital, were sent to exterminate them.
Of course, if someone were to become a knight ――and a senior knight like Fiana, Leticia could give him/her direct instructions.
Not only Leticia but everyone inside the room knew that.
"What happened to Fiana?"
"No. Fiana has returned, but... she seems to have been in shock."
When Druid said so, everyone in the room tensed up.
Everyone knew that she was famous. This was why it was hard to believe that Fiana would be caught off guard by a single bandit.
Moreover, she was not alone. Leticia recalled that she also had knights under her command to avoid danger. Even so, she could still be wrong, she had been smiling mildly earlier, but her expression tightened.
"So, where is Fiana?"
"She's in the infirmary. With Alfira-dono."
"Alfira?"
"She was a squire who went to exterminate the bandits with Fiana."
Leticia, who could not remember the names of all the knights, asked Druid about the identity of a female knight named Alfira and was satisfied.
With that, she left the room.
The soldiers and maids, including Tiana, followed behind her as she walked slightly faster to the infirmary that Druid mentioned.
The last people left in the room were Druid and a maid.
The maid's expression was a little better than Tiana's, but she still gave Druid a cold stare.
"So, how did Druid-dono get such information?"
Normally, it was the role of soldiers and maids to convey such information to the queen. It's not something that a nobleman―― let alone a man in the position of Minister of Finance―― would pass on.
"Well, that's―― I happened to pass by. So I have to tell the Queen in a hurry..."
"I see"
Even if she heard his explanation, there was no warmth in the maid's line of sight.
Everyone knew that a knight named Fiana was a beautiful elf. She was sure he was trying to catch a glimpse of her appearance. That's what the maid concluded in her mind.
Of course, the idea was correct, and Druid tried to see Fiana's dignified appearance... but he had seen her finally arrive at the royal capital, exhausted while crawling at the city gate.
That Fiana.
Strong and noble. A woman as beautiful as a saint, but exhausted from the long journey, she looked as though she was about to lose consciousness in front of the soldiers.
What's more, she wasn't wearing any armor, and the sword she was holding was an ordinary iron sword that soldiers on the lower rank were using.
This was also the case with Alfira, but from Druid's point of view, it had a special meaning to see a woman who was far above him, who was so beautiful and strong that she could not be brought down by financial issues due to the money she had accumulated, looking so weak that she was about to lose consciousness.
Thinking that it was typical of him, even he was lusting for the queen and her entourage of maids here.
While hiding his inner thoughts, Druid left the room saying nothing.
The remaining maid exhaled and looked at the door of the Queen's private room.
"Sorry, Leticia-sama"
"It's alright, Fiana. Let's rejoice now that you and Alfira were safe."
In the infirmary, Fiana and Alfira were on their knees, rubbing their heads on the floor.
Protected in a fort not far away from the abandoned mine, and although they managed to keep their appearance clean, they were extremely tired. Both Fiana and Alfira were well-trained knights. Even though they were trained not to show some weakness, but they still looked pale and have trouble concentrating, even in front of the Queen.
Tiana thought so as she looked at their expressions and thought that they were rude, but since Leticia didn't criticize them, she didn't say anything.
She just stayed behind Leticia and observed them.
They were tired and mildly malnourished. They hadn't been drinking enough water during their trip, and they were getting dehydrated, but that was it. The doctor said that their condition was not life-threatening.
Leticia let out a sigh after asking the doctor in the infirmary about their condition.
Even though she was in a position to govern the country, she was not unmoved by the death of her friends and compatriots. She didn't act on her emotions, but that didn't mean she didn't feel anything.
"Is it okay to ask what happened?"
"……Yes"
Fiana replied, hanging her head. Alfira remained silent.
She was the lowest-ranking person in the room, aside from the maids. She was silent because she knew she was not qualified to speak.
Fiana explained. She explained that they were attacked by a monster in the abandoned mine where Mithril was once mined.
Two people were working with the monster.
These two people were magicians.
When Leticia heard the story, she opened her eyes astonishingly at first ―after a while, pretending to be calm, she put her right finger on her well-shaped chin.
A monster.
An abominable enemy. An existence that must be eradicated. ――The Demon King's vanguard.
Their number was decreasing day by day, and it was rare to see it now. That should be the case, monsters were born from the Demon King.
To put it the other way around, only the Demon King could create monsters.
Because of this knowledge, Leticia thought that it was probably a stray monster that had escaped the adventurers and knights that were searching for the remaining ones. The demon king had been defeated nearly twenty years ago.
If it was a monster that had lived since that time, it was no wonder that Fiana was defeated. With that in mind, she shook her head only once.
"That's right... So what was the monster?"
"...It was a slime."
"Slime, is it so fearful that Fiana-sama and the others were easily defeated...?"
It was one of the maids behind her, not Leticia. Leticia raised her hand to control her words.
She wasn't mocking her or anything, the question was asked out of pure astonishment, but Fiana bit her lip at that comment.
She couldn't blame her for saying that.
No matter how unexpected it was, the enemy was the weakest monster, a slime. A monster that would not even put a fight if they could use fire magic.
They were lured into the abandoned mine, her fire magic was restrained, and they were surrounded by slimes mimicking the rocks and wall. Even if they hadn't expected it to be a monster, she was sure there were plenty of other ways they could have done it.
She was thinking about it until they returned to the capital.
And then―― the humiliation and fear that she had suffered at the bottom of the abandoned mine. Fiana bit her lip to the point that it bled as she hung her head in front of the Queen.
It's been a few days since they had escaped from the abandoned mine. Her mana was still recovering, and her body was feeling tired, but it would recover after a few days of rest.
But... She didn't regret the fact that she let go of her sword.
"Leticia-sama"
"What is it, Fiana?"
Leticia, who was thinking about how to deal with the monsters, was called by her name and looked at Fiana.
Her head was still hanging down but bowed deeper.
"That monster, I wish you could give me a chance to subjugate it"
"...With your body's condition?"
"If that was possible, I'd like to do it right now..."
Recognizing that determination, Leticia took a step back and opened her mouth. Tiana listened to the Queen's words.
"How many knights can move right now?"
"About fifty, I think"
The Knights of Fonteau. The total number reached 2,000. However, that number could not move immediately. To move a lot of people, they would need that much equipment, food for the expedition, horses, and so on.
Slime―― well, they probably don't have to dispatch all of their knights to subjugate the lowest rank monsters, even though they were strong enough to defeat Fiana.
Fifty, if they could just move them immediately. Furthermore, when it came to equipping them, twenty knights would immediately be dispatched.
That was no different from the number Fiana had when she went to subdue the slime.
"Fiana, Alfira"
"Yes!"
"Ha!"
When Leticia called their names, they both gave a sharp reply. There was no sign of anger from their defeat or fatigue from their journey.
"Rest your body for a few days. In the meantime, have the Knights ready to move."
"……Yes"
Fiana's voice became weaker. Feeling that, Leticia loosened her mouth.
"You are an excellent knight. I believe you will subdue the monsters the next time."
"Yes"
The two of them bowed deeply once more. Then, their body leaned slightly.
"Well, excuse me... Tiana, look after them."
"Understood"
Leticia tried to leave the infirmary when the discussion was over.
However, Fiana called out to her again and stopped.
"Is there still something?"
"...Please, could we clear out the people in the room?"
"――?"
"I'm not sure how valuable this information is, but I'd like Leticia-sama to hear it first."
That being said, Leticia turned her eyes to the maids. When they left the room without saying anything, there were only three people in the infirmary: Leticia, Fiana, and Alfira.
"Speak"
"The monster that we confronted... It's..."
Even though she had decided to speak, Fiana hesitated to open her mouth.
That would be normal. That slime ――The Black Ooze was violating a woman. Violating a woman and impregnating them with a child.
By the time Alfira and Fiana returned to the royal capital... Remembering that they washed their vagina with shame, she still felt like her tears were coming down.
However, Leticia, who knew nothing of such things, hurried on, wondering.
Talk quickly.
Leticia mysteriously watched Fiana, who had been confused when she said she would speak to her.
"I'm sorry for being presumptuous, but may I speak first?"
"Alfira..."
"Excuse me then."
"Thank you"
And so, Alfira explained... It was abnormal for Leticia ――It was something that was out of the ordinary.
A slime that violated a woman. A monster that gave birth and bred.
――Queen Leticia, who was also a woman, held her upper arms with her hands while listening to Alfira's explanation, a frightening thought. When she fold your arms under your chest, her rich chest was emphasized, showing a heavy sway.
"Fiana"
"……Yes"
"Is that story true?"
"...I and Alfira were both raped by the slime."
She confessed as her voice seemed to tremble.
Her voice did not contain any lies, nor did it feel like a plot against Leticia.
"I'm sorry"
"Don't be, Leticia-sama"
Leticia apologized for making her confess that she was raped, and turned her gaze toward the window.
"Then, the two humans I heard earlier ――adventurers, I presume? Those two are..."
"When we went to the abandoned mine, several slimes were mimicking the rocks and walls. Perhaps some of them... or most of them were born of those adventurers."
"――I see"
Leticia made a heavy voice. Her beautiful face expressed disdain, and her voice was bitter.
A mass outbreak of monsters.
That was a problem, but what's even more troublesome was that they could increase. Moreover, although it was abominable, the mother was a woman. If she were to believe in Fiana's words, Leticia thought that those two adventurers... Frederica and Satia had already given birth and slimes were increasing.
In reality, that was true, and at the depths of that abandoned mine, they were still giving birth to Black Oozes.
With that in mind, the Queen thought there was no time to spare. She had never heard of monsters that increased through the use of female humans as its mother, and she didn't think she should keep such shameless monsters alive for as long as a minute or two.
"I understand"
"――"
"I'll move the Order as soon as possible. Fiana, you have to be ready to move in a few days."
"Yes"
As she said that, the strength drained from both of their bodies. They were about to collapse from exhaustion and were careful not to look like fools in front of the queen.
Leticia, who tried saying "good work" to both of them, stopped.
"By the way."
"Yes?"
"It's hard to answer, but... are you two okay?"
It wasn't that Fiana and Alfira didn't know what she meant. It was a question without touching that subject ――both nodded firmly.
"Before returning to the royal capital, we both took care of it."
"……I see"
When she heard that, Leticia left the infirmary.
The question was ――Are Fiana and Alfira going to give birth to monsters?
They had washed in the spring they had found before arriving at the capital. Of course, they were very careful about the pubic area where they had been violated. They washed each other in places that their fingers couldn't reach, something that they would never forget.
In particular, Fiana, who had a memory of being made good by Frederica, who was an adventurer on top of her, had a lot of memories that she didn't want to remember.
When Leticia left the infirmary, doctors and maids entered the room in turn.
Tiana, a gray-haired maid.
She told them a few words about their current condition, and they rest their bodies. They must have been very tired, and soon fell asleep.
Queen Leticia, who had been worried about Fiana, was on her way to the throne room, where she would gather the noble lords and knights in important positions to discuss what needed to be done, Tiana thought.
It may not be as important as it seemed, but when a bandit could defeat a knight of Fiana's caliber, it was a problem to leave them alone. Tiana, who hadn't been told of what had happened to Fiana and the others, still thought that they had been defeated by bandits.
Leticia didn't tell her due to her also being a woman. It was because she was at a loss whether to tell a third party that they were violated by a monster. It would be a natural consideration for a woman, but in this case, she should have at least told Tiana, who had been assigned to watch over them.
The sky, which had been dyed madder red just a few moments ago, soon turned into the darkness of night.
When the doctor lit a lantern in the infirmary, a soft light illuminated the room.
"Jeez. Adventurers or not... it was a troublesome story."
In a world where the threat of monsters was decreasing rapidly, it was not uncommon for adventurers who couldn't get any work to turn themselves into bandits or brigands. They may be bandits who have lost their jobs as adventurers.
At least, Fiana and some knights were the ones who were aware of the situation. Tiana thought that the Queen wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible.
Besides, the fact that a knight who was protecting the country was defeated by bandits was unpleasant.
With that in mind, Tiana looked down at Fiana and Alfira lying on a white bed.
She wondered why only the two women were saved. Normally, a woman would be caught and raped then sold when they got tired of her.
But this time, the male knights were sacrificed and the females, Fiana and Alfira survived and returned to the royal capital.
Fiana looked beautiful, Tiana thought, and Alfira looks pretty. How much would it cost if they were to be sold?
Should she praise Fiana and Alfira's skill who had escaped, or should she criticize the bandits for letting them go?
She stood at the entrance of the infirmary, thinking about it while showing an expressionless face.
Leticia had told her to keep an eye on Fiana and Alfira.
It was a strange command to keep an eye on two people who were asleep from the exhaustion of running back from bandits, but as a maid, Tiana had no right to refuse. And it wasn't hard to spend a night doing nothing.
It had been several years ago, but before she was hired by Leticia, Tiana had spent her time as a human assassin. She was well known in her own right and confident in her skills. Above all, what made her feared was her concentration. She had the courage to lurk for days at a time in places where her target would pass and wait until her opponent was caught off guard. That was her strength.
Just one night. It was so much easier than her job as an assassin to just sit and watch them sleep.
She stood by the entrance of the infirmary, motionless, and after a while, the doctor left the room. He was an elf, and although he looked young, he was already very old. He was also married.
He told Tiana to visit his house if she had any problems and gave her some medicine to stabilize their mind in case they had a fever or if they woke up and couldn't sleep. It wasn't strong enough to make someone addicted to it, but it was the kind of medicine sold in the castle town. Enough to quell their excited emotions and make them feel sleepy. The drowsiness was not a problem as long as they keep their mind clear.
Tiana just received the medicine as she was told, and did not make any further movements.
Her beautiful face was tightened with dignity, and she stood erect, looking at the two sleeping faces.
However, in her mind, she had a prediction of what would happen in the future.
Perhaps the extermination of bandits―― that could be done like that of a mountain hunt. These were the bandits who had defeated Fiana, who was skilled in swords and magic, and destroyed a band of knights. There was no reason to leave them alive.
Would the knights move as she mentioned earlier? Or does Leticia herself would move...?
Leticia was now known for being a cool queen, but she was famous for being quite a passionate person when she was still traveling with the hero.
She had a talent for magic and also had the ability to take action herself if needed be. Both qualities were due to her being of a mixed-race between elves and humans. A woman with strengths and weaknesses.
She seemed to have settled down after having a child, but Tiana thought that she was suited better at moving around than sitting at her desk working.
She thought that her appearance of looking down on the cityscape of the royal capital from the window was that of a beautiful ruler overseeing them, but she also thought that her profile was somewhat unsatisfactory.
......When she was thinking about such things while expressionless, she felt a slight breeze flowing.
She looked over and saw that there was an opened window. The doctor who had just returned home must have opened it to let in some fresh air. Tiana wondered for a moment what she should do, then looked away from the two women to close the window without thinking anything. She didn't think that anything would happen in such a short time.
As she walked over to the opened window, she saw that the sun had just set and a few stars were beginning to twinkle in the sky. Looking up at the sky, she closed the window.
With that, the infirmary was once again filled with silence.
Then she suddenly wondered what she should do for dinner.
When she thought about it, she was told to keep an eye on the two of them, but she hadn't been told that a replacement would come. So, would she have to spend the night like this?
It wasn't the first time for Tiana, but she wondered if it would be a good idea to skip dinner when she wasn't particularly busy.
She looked around the infirmary, but there was nothing she could eat.
"Haah..."
She let out a blatant sigh and walked back to the entrance where she had just been standing. If Leticia noticed, she would definitely order someone to replace her. With a faint hope.
After that, It was quiet for a while.
The only sounds in the infirmary were Tiana, Fiana, and Alfira's breathing.
She wondered how much time had passed.
A change had occurred in the infirmary illuminated by the light of the lantern.
It was a slight change.
Alfira's breathing became a little more erratic and ragged. Tiana walked over to the bed where Alfira was sleeping and looked into the female knight's sleeping face.