Need Not to Force Yourself

Artie was chuckling when she said that while looking at the book about Kaigansa. However, her smile froze as soon as she heard Larkin's response. Her lips then pursed and leaned against the chair. She didn't take a look at Larkin yet because she didn't know what kind of expression should she be wearing.

Finally, she moved her head to face him. "If I argue with that, will you hear me out?"

"...are you certain it was indeed the Lady of the Land?" Larkin hummed as he turned the chair towards her so he could lean back and assume a stance as if he was judging prisoners. "What made you so sure that you spoke to the one blessing our farms with wheat and waters with fish? By nature, demons cannot give life; they can only take it. The spirit you spoke to… it brought the girl to life. It can't be a demon."

"Then, why didn't you diffuse the armor?" Artie smiled deeply as if she was doing mischief. Actually, she was.

Larkin frowned at her and realized that she did have a point. He felt that the presence was not docile and might harm Artie if she got too close. If it was indeed the benevolent and harmless Lady of the Land, he would have let her face the spirit properly. He then conceded. "We didn't hear what you were saying clearly. I can only gauge the situation from your reaction."

The angel's eyes then lowered. It was good that they didn't hear the truth. "She wanted to shoo me away because I am nothing but a threat to the land. Moreover, she had this very authoritative notion over the place so… I was positive that it was the Lady of the Land. Even if she was not as merciful and kind as you think, she's still an existence that would bless the farms and the waters. No need to change your ways.

"The only thing I'm worried about is that she… she weeps." Artie shifted in her seat as if finding it very concerning. "She spoke of the people forgetting the origins of the land… and the generosity, benevolence, and sacrifices of someone… a king that was not recorded by the books. Can you help me? I want to find the truth."

"...The demons that once battled the glass spirits had besieged the kingdoms after driving the bigger enemy. It was said that they had ordered for the burning of all books and records or even artifacts that belonged to an older age. Even if some had survived, it wasn't enough to be distributed. All the remaining books sat in the Grand Library of Flaura in Kingdom Aelinora in the West, the seat of the grand emperor of Galacia."

Larkin spoke lengthily, trying to draw a scenario for Artie to understand the answer he had in mind. "Should we dare to step within his abode, we must at least be honored guests of the human emperor—King of Aelinora. Perhaps by then, we could find records of this forgotten kingdom."

A nod came from Artie, but she was frowning away from Larkin's face. It was because all the books she had read were stored under a different tab as the ones she could unlock. If she could read about the forgotten devildom from a book, the System wouldn't have to go through the efforts of preparing pages. Regardless, if that library had books about the past—even just about Cupo Magia, it would help her in that World Quest.

It's just that… the possibility of it breaking into a war scared Artie.

If she was willing to activate progress with this World Quest, she should be courageous enough to spill the blood of the soldiers of Ellis Plains. In the end, she shifted to a different topic by talking about Alfora and the dress. She spoke to him about this fraud identity, and he was willing to make arrangements to make it hard to deny.

…

Monique's eyes flickered as she watched the new trainees in the courtyard. The assistant seneschal, her husband, joined her in witnessing such a strange sight. Even Barda, who was supposed to break it off, was gurgling his laughter by the side. The ducal knights on a break were watching from the second floor, swallowing saliva as they found themselves blessed that they were not the new trainees instead.

Else, they would be all humiliated.

Bang! Another newly-knighted young lord landed on his back against the ground. Three more of them were actually writhing nearby. The soldiers, who had gone first, had only retreated to the side in fear of being pulled back into the center of the field. In their eyes was nothing but fear.

The wooden sword swiped in the air, and Jillian eyed the groaning men with sharp eyes. She was still donned in a maid's outfit, but her skirt was dirty and had specks of blood. It was barely a day since she recovered from the poison, but her body was way stronger than it should have been. Perhaps it was because the body that the Spring of Life restored was at its maximum power. Before, she could only drink tap water and fried fish.

"Ehem, perhaps it was too soon for them to stand against you. Nonetheless, a lesson had been taught well." Miel cleared his throat as he secretly turned his nose up at the poor soldiers and knights. Why must they be so ill-willed to make fun of Jillian when she was in the middle of her maid training?

She was supposed to bring them water, but her hardened face and stiff movements attracted the teasing of the men who were used to the graceful and soft maids in the castle. It caused Jillian to challenge them into a fight, which Monique authorized as she found it truly disrespectful to the maids. Now, most of them were lying on the ground while others had been scarred for life.

Jillian only looked down at her uniform and saw the mess. Her lips wriggled before tossing the sword at someone who was staring at her. She then walked to Monique and bowed down. "Matron, I have dirtied my clothes. I must go now to change. A dirty apron is a maid unfit for duties."

"You surely are unfit for duties, yes, but do not be discouraged. Old perverts and young alike would always need some beating." Monique didn't even lessen the volume of her voice. She then smiled at Miel. "Seneschal, I apologize for the trouble my new maid might have caused you."

"No need, Lady Shen would have done the same if she was in Miss Jillian's situation." Miel shouldn't be insinuating that the archduchess was a brawler, but he could imagine that Artie would probably start the fight herself if she caught the soldiers and knights doing such a thing to a maid.

"...You're not mistaken, seneschal." Monique hummed before saying goodbye to her husband and walking Jillian away from the courtyard. She then looked over her shoulder and spoke to the former assassin, "You need not force yourself to be a gentle maid, Jillian. You will only be frustrated by the decisions of Lady Shen."