7 Melarue's Secrets

This was one week ago, before Rudy begin his assault.

Baron Draco Arthur has returned back with a new girl under one of his arms.

"Her name's Slyph, and you know what to do." The Baron walked towards Melarue and toss her the little girl that was under his arm.

"Yes. My lord." Melarue caught the little girl and begin heading off in her own direction.

The Baron on the other hand head straight towards his office. Sighing about all the paperwork he has to do by his deadline. The Baron was no slacker nor was he irresponsible. He fulfills his duty as the noble who owned this territory.

Merely kidnapping girls is just a hobby to vent off his frustration. The Baron has no lust for them. So he tends to throw all of them at Linley or his head maid. And let them deal with it.

Melarue was the head maid. Something that past Linley didn't even know... because he was a training maniac to begin with, who originally didn't pay attention to what year it was. Therefore clearly was unable to know that Melarue was the head maid after all since it was a minor detail begin with.

Melarue who carried the new girl could tell by her keen senses, that this Slyph girl was not a elf, but rather a human girl with a bloodline of a fairy flowing through her veins.

There were rumors that Elves were descendant of fairies. Although both races are heavily involved with mother nature itself. Rumors are just rumors after all. Fairies are surprisingly more related to Elemental beings than they are to Elves.

Melarue normally takes these new girls who the Baron kidnap or buys as slaves into maids. Maids in the Baron's castle outnumber the male servants by a 10:1 ratio. Even then the maids pretty much do nothing in general.

Melarue has taken Slyph into a guest room.

"You there." Melarue pointed at a nearby maid with rabbit ears. "Teach the child how to be maid once she wakes up."

Because of excess workers, there is not that much work to be done to begin with. Therefore making work is a common thing that Melarue does daily at the Baron's castle.

A day later, the Baron called Melarue into his office. The Baron's office was filled mainly two things of interest. Stacks of paperwork and trinkets.

"Melarue. I'm pleased with your work as usual." The Baron Draco Arthur was drinking a cup of tea.

"Thank you, sir." Melarue said politely.

"So have you tested my son Linley for his talent in magic yet?" Draco asked the main question here.

"Yes. His spiritual aptitude is Grade 4. A qualified talent to be a magician." Melarue spoke without hesitation.

"Really now?" Draco grasped his hands in interest on the table. "Are you glad that my boy Linley is a talent in magic?"

"Yes."

"I'm not surprised after all, you were always jealous of Alice after all." Draco spoke while chuckling.

"Sir!" Melarue who seemed to be calmed earlier was now disgruntled at the mention of that name.

"I remember when you're always trying to get an advantage but always end up failing in the end." Draco was recalling some past memories.

"..." Melarue didn't want to respond anymore due to embarrassment.

"Anyways, Linley's birthday should be coming up soon in a month or so. I need you to make sure Linley knows his choices and his path for the future by then. I want him to live his life to fullest." Draco Arthur spoke with a bit of regret. Draco then begins working on his paperwork once more.

"Understood. Sir." Melarue bowed her head and left the office.

6 days later...

Melarue on her night patrol through the castle. The magical fluctuation felt in balance for her. For Elves, they are attuned to mother nature's embrace thus prefer wild areas such as forests or plains to live in. Living in this stone castle, dull her keen senses toward nature itself.

Melarue couldn't actually detect what is actually wrong, to begin with. After all, the results of Magic and Mana within the environment can cause unstable elements to appear. Naturally, within Baron's castle, there are definitely magic users besides Melarue, who utilize magic just to complete chores and such.

When using spells, it leaves a trace of itself within the environment itself. Spells are just technique that manipulates and amplify mana. Mana or magical energy, in general, contaminate the environment. It is akin to radiation. Strong doses of this radiation can create new and powerful materials. Metals such as mithril or adamantium are specific products of such radiation. Of course, over time, a small exposure of radiation usually ends up leading to nothing. Since at that amount, it will disperse over time relatively quickly.

Melarue actually had a hobby that she kept a secret from her young master. For each and every hour throughout the night. Melarue watches Linley's sleeping face and makes sure he's resting properly. Of course, she does other things as well, such as tucking him in the blanket or making sure the oil lamps were properly fueled up. She even makes sure all the windows are open or locked when necessary.

At another hour, when going to her young master's room once more. Passing by through an open hall.

Melarue was soon attacked by a giant stone fist. But Melarue jumps to the side and was practically hanging on the wall. But the giant stone fist which had missed the elf maid had instead collided with the wall.

Instead of the wall collapsing as one would have expected. The wall begins shaking to be like rippling water. Creating short tidal waves of stone-like material that made the wall seem like it was made of to be flowing across the entire wall.

Melarue who was hanging on the wall quickly maneuver into the ceilings which were tens of meters above the ground. But even then. The ceiling wasn't even safe. As Melarue realized that place of the ceiling she was on erupted with earth spikes. Melarue barely dodged by a hairbreadth. But couldn't dodge what was coming next.

The ceiling spikes that she narrowly avoided, begin to detach from the ceilings like a falling stalactite. After all, a person couldn't dodge in mid air so quickly without preparations at her level of combat.

As the earth spikes were smashing down on top Melarue until dust clouds covered her vicinity. Even when dust clouds cleared up. One could only see a 2 meters tall pile of broken brown colored stone in its place. Rudy didn't doubt that person was buried.

Of course the assailant finally showed himself, after believing he had ambushed successfully.

Rudy had come out of the wall and into the open space available. Rudy cannot breathe without oxygen. And there was no oxygen within the walls. Rudy even had put on a disguise.

A 2-meter wide green blade of wind was shot towards Rudy. If Rudy didn't dodge in time, then he would have lost an arm. But thanks to his Level 2 Sharingan, Rudy was able to react very easily. But his body couldn't keep up with his reaction speed.

The Wind Blade spell missed him, but the real purpose is clear when seeing the tall pile of broken stone that has a long narrow gap in it now.

Melarue pushed her way through the pile of stone rubble in front of her. Her appearance now was that her maid uniform had tears in it and is all dirty now. On her pale smooth skin, there was bruises and cuts on her.

"Which noble family trained a brat like you?" Melarue asked a question of importance here. Lacking information relating to an assailant is poor security after all. Noticing there was a child who was this good at magic yet was being used as an assassin. Like there are so many questions to be answered.

"Noble? Oh! Hahaha." Rudy started laughing, he didn't expect to be misunderstood as an enemy faction from afar.

Rudy then snapped his fingers and cast Shooting Stones. But this variant was not like the same one he had used against the Baron.

Three car-sized boulders appeared in front of him condense out of elemental essence particles. Melarue draw two stilettos from under her skirt and begin wielding the two in both hands.

The three car-sized boulders then shattered into several thousands of pieces of small stones. Then they were shot towards the blonde maid with speed at Mach 2.

This was no different from a hail fire of bullets that could that would turn a small group of men into mincemeat.

Melarue surprised Rudy by charging straight through it. Using only two stilettos to deflect most of the stone bullets came her way. She tried her best to dodge the rest of them from hitting her vital areas. But still a few made a few new holes in her.

Rudy soon realized that Melarue was about to close the gap between the two of them. Rudy rushed the hand signs for a ninjutsu.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall Jutsu." Rudy then made a 8 meters-tall wall between the two of them.

But it was still possible for Melarue to jump over the wall after kicking at the wall first.

Rudy now prepare his trump cards.

"Earth Style: Iron Skin Jutsu." Rudy then combines Earth Armor Spell next. But he was not done yet. He then encased himself with another set of defense.

"Earth Style: Hardening Jutsu." These ninjutsus, Rudy has are the investment that Rudy had made when it came to the task at hand.

At first, Rudy's skin turns noticeably darker and became much harder than iron and steel, comparable to even diamonds. Second, a layer of earth elemental essence particles wrapped most of his body, forming a set of armor made of hard magical stone. Third, the earth, the dirt, even the dust itself around his body condensed into a cement-like casing, changing his body shape into a three meters tall demon-like figure.

As soon as Melarue had jump over the wall. Her swift rapid strikes from her stilettos didn't even make a single scratch onto Rudy's cement-looking like skin defenses. Instead, Rudy's stone demon-like left grip to grab onto her neck and then he threw her through the earthen mud wall which in turn shatter to pieces.

The strength that was just used was actually too weak. Rudy's physical augmentation wasn't as effective as he had expected in his simulation. The mud wall collapses very easily because it was rushed and poorly made.

Even Melarue felt confused why a magician would swap to close combat if they're weak at it.

Rudy realized there are changes in plans that are required. Originally, he had expected to receive a power up comparable enough to survive a few blows if he was fighting against the Baron. But it turns out rather than a flat power boost, it was a percent increase power boost whose effectiveness decrease depending on the base power.

Anyways, Rudy needed to end this fight quickly. His system's simulations' capabilities weren't as amazing as he thought. But in reality, Rudy is just being dumb. What is theoretical and what is practical are two different concepts in motion.

Rudy in his new form cast two spells in order. First is Giant Fist and second, was Shooting Stones. But both were being used in two different methods.

A giant stone arm was formed and attached Rudy's stone demon form left arm. The fist was so wide, it could be considered as a wall to this open hall. Normally without enough space, the arm cannot move. And the bigger it is, the more mana it takes to move it at appropriate speeds.

Shooting stones were cast onto Rudy himself. Shooting Stones is originally meant to create stones and shoot them out at high speed. But if one's arm was made of stones.

Rudy shot himself along with his Giant Stone Arm, smashing all obstacles in it's way.

Melarue who was in front of this attack. Gasped in shock.

Rudy's Giant Stone Arm smash through everything in its way even reaching the end of the hall. When it collided with the wall. The wall even rippled like earlier. The Stone Arm end up collapsing into pieces due to being over-burdened.

Rudy's complex spell formations that he had placed on these walls in his preparations were utterly terrifying for ordinary people to fight against. At first, it's like an unbreakable container, most attacks are absorbed by the walls thus causing the ripples. Then secondly, any excess earth elemental energy and related-mana is recycled when in this environment. Thirdly, it was like a territory that conceals from others noticing, due to its ability balancing out radiation outside of it. And then lastly, and most importantly, Rudy himself is the core of this spell formation, therefore it follows him around. But the only limitation Rudy know is that this is only effective indoors.

"That elf maid girl should have gone splat by now." Rudy was completely sure of it. Rudy due to his body being encased by two layers of stone and skin being hardened. His sense of touch was practically lost.

Rudy did not feel a shadow of a blob moving across his cement-like earth armor. If he had retained his sense of touch, then he could have felt an eerily sensation. When at the left shoulder of Rudy. An arm wielding a stiletto shot out of it like if it was a hole from another world. The blade was then thrust into Rudy's left eye. Piercing it thoroughly.

"You bitch!" Rudy got stabbed in an eye. Not just any eye but a Sharingan eye. Even if he used Izanagi to recover his lost eye, he still loses an eye in the end.

Losing a Sharingan is incredibly detrimental than one might think. The System may grant the host a bloodline, but the host can't receive the same one again, because the host already has it.

Melarue shot herself out of the shadowy blob. After all, it was just the Darkness type Shadow-Merge spell. It not invincible by any means. But was extremely useful in this circumstance.

Rudy who felt agitated like a bull. He now didn't want to end her in one blow anymore. But he's now going...

"I'm going to tear you apart in pieces, you bitch!" Rudy cast Shooting Stones on himself.

Rudy launched himself toward the elf at high speeds. Melarue was trying being calm and tried analyze the situation she was in as she dodge that first simple move.

But it wasn't over after that charge, Rudy then bounces from wall to wall, even floor to ceiling and then cast Shooting Stones on himself once again. Melarue dodges again but with some struggle due to the fact that Rudy was retaining momentum! Therefore his speed was actually higher than before.

Fortunately for Melarue, Rudy eventually reached top speed and can't go even faster than that. But at the same time Melarue had to use a Wind Spell called Rapid-Speed to enhance her speed along with providing her with afterimages to dodge his attacks.

"How much mana do you have to keep up with me? I can do this all day." Rudy spoke arrogantly, after all, his mana is being replenished due to his spell formations as he speaks.

Melarue took a quick look at Rudy's outer layer armor which was now cracking and fragmenting into pieces. Melarue believed it's due to how Rudy is using Earth Magic. Wind is meant to be fast and flexible, while Earth is meant to be sturdy and firm.

Going against the principle nature of one's element may hinder the advantage of one's element.

Melarue then simply ended this fight in practically in one move. She cast a Wind Blade spell and just shot it towards Rudy as he was charging towards her.

Rudy believing he was invincible, he just charged straight through it.

"AHHH!" Rudy ended up chopping himself in two pieces.

A Wind Blade is sharp but it's speed was inferior to Rudy's current speed. But because of the high speed momentum that Rudy was maintaining, the amount of damage he had taken had increased by several times.

Melarue walked towards the top half of Rudy's body. Rudy's stone armor all thoroughly collapsed thus revealing his small child physique. His bottom half was lost and blood was pouring through like a river. Rudy's mouth was literally spewing blood and was unable to speak. Otherwise, he would be screaming in pain.

Melarue pulled out her stiletto that was in Rudy's eye socket. While Rudy winced in pain.

'Dying never felt so painful like now.' Those were Rudy's last thoughts.

Melarue spun her retrieved stiletto in the air and then smashed Rudy's head into pieces.

"What a mess to clean up after." Melarue spoke to herself calmly.