Reborn As A Maid

Chapter 58: Chapter 58 - The First Demon General ( Part 2)

The day after the strange reports emerged...

The Royal Academy somehow felt nervous.

There were classes.

There were professors who lectured.

There were knights patrolling the campus.

But there was some sort of invisible tension hanging in the air.

Talks were changed.

Instead of exam results or tournament scores...

Everybody talked about the vanished villages.

"...Three more vanished last night."

"I heard that not even the dogs remained."

"A-Rank hunters were sent by the Hunter Association."

"What do you think, do the monsters migrate?"

"No..."

"Somebody whispered.

"My uncle is a merchant."

"He told me that they pray in the churches every night now."

Cherful halls of the academy were filled with the sound of whispers.

Jennie brought a bundle of freshly washed linen to the royal dormitory.

She listened but didn’t interrupt.

Rumors rarely tell the truth...

But...

Rumors showed where the fear spread. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

When she turned to the next corridor...

She almost crashed into Princess Lilia.

Almost.

Jennie skillfully moved aside.

But Lilia...

Couldn’t stop herself.

"Eep!"

She went forwards and crashed.

But Jennie caught her easily before she fell.

"...Good morning."

Lilia blushed and blinked two times.

Then she smiled nervously.

"I intended to trip."

Jennie raised an eyebrow.

"Intended to trip?"

"..."

"...Maybe."

Jennie giggled softly.

"Jennie!"

"What?"

Lilia looked around and whispered.

"I have a very important mission."

Jennie was immediately cautious.

"...Should I be worried?"

"No."

"...Your answer worried me."

Lilia happily pulled out two sheets of paper.

"Afternoon classes today."

Jennie looked at them.

"...Permission slips?"

Lilia nodded.

"We are skipping classes."

Jennie stared at her.

"You are the princess."

"Exactly."

"You shouldn’t skip classes."

"That’s why I need your moral support."

Jennie sighed.

"I think that you need somebody to scold with you."

"...Details."

Before she could say ’no’...

A familiar voice sounded behind them.

"Your Highness."

Both of the girls froze.

Standing there... ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

In perfect posture.

Wearing perfect uniform.

With perfect facial expression.

Was Martha Morius.

Legendary Head Maid adjusted her glasses.

"I suppose..."

Her calm voice sounded terribly elegant.

"...that I misunderstood what I just heard."

Lilia laughed nervously.

"Haha..."

"Absolutely."

"I was..."

She tried to invent an excuse.

"...talking about..."

"...advanced educational techniques."

Martha was silent.

Lilia slowly bent down her head.

"...We are sorry."

Jennie silently nodded beside her.

"...We are sorry."

Martha looked at Jennie.

"You made her do this again."

Jennie was honest in her answer.

"I haven’t agreed yet."

Martha nodded with satisfaction.

"As I expected."

Then she turned to Lilia.

"The princess is going to attend all the classes today."

"...Yes."

"And tonight..."

"...Yes?"

"You will copy the whole Royal Etiquette Handbook."

Lilia’s face paled.

"...How many pages?"

"Six hundred."

"..."

Jennie gently patted her shoulder.

"My condolences."

Several students observed the scene.

One whispered.

"Princess Lilia lost to a maid."

Another immediately corrected him.

"That’s not a maid."

"That’s Lady Martha."

"...Ah."

"...Forget it."

Classes finished without any problems.

Sunset painted the academy’s gardens in golden tones.

Finally, Jennie found a place to relax under the old oak tree.

She took off the dragon-shaped hairpin with which she pinned her silver hair.

Golden glow shone around her.

Spirit of Excalibur appeared next to her.

Usually...

This legendary sword greeted her politely.

Today...

It was strangely silent.

Jennie noticed that.

"You were strangely silent since yesterday."

Excalibur slowly nodded.

"Yes."

You have noticed something."

"...Yes."

Jennie became serious.

What happened?"

For several moments...

Excalibur silently looked towards the faraway mountains beyond the academy walls.

His usually calm blue eyes reflected memories older than kingdoms.

Finally...

He spoke.

"It has returned."

Jennie frowned.

"What has?"

Excalibur’s voice became quieter.

"Demon Miasma."

All the cheerfulness vanished immediately.

Jennie’s smile disappeared.

"...You are sure?"

"I would never misunderstand it."

Cold wind blew through the garden.

Leaves above them shook.

Excalibur continued.

"During the Great Demon War..."

"It was this miasma that poisoned the whole world."

"It corrupts monsters."

"It transforms forests."

"It turns regular people into mindless servants."

Jennie listened quietly.

She remembered.

Far too well.

"After the Demon King was defeated..."

Excalibur continued,

"You sealed the Seven Demon Generals in ancient sanctuaries."

"The Goddess sealed those seals by herself."

Jennie nodded slowly.

"I remember."

"They weren’t destroyed."

"No."

"They couldn’t."

Excalibur’s voice contained faint regret.

"Their souls are bound to the Demon Realm."

"While the Demon King exists..."

"They will always return."

Jennie’s crimson eyes narrowed.

"So..."

"The seals are weak."

Excalibur looked at her.

"...Yes."

Jennie leaned back against the tree.

"I hoped for another peaceful year."

Excalibur smiled gently.

"So did I."

They were sitting quietly.

For a moment...

Neither of the Sword King and legendary sword wanted to say anything.

Two small spirits of the wind flew towards Jennie.

Usually playing...

Today they were scared.

One of them hid behind her shoulder.

Another one clung to her sleeve.

Jennie touched the spirit softly.

"What did you see?"

The spirit whispered.

Broken visions appeared in her mind.

Black miasma.

Burning forests.

Crimson moon.

And...

Gigantic chains broke one by one.

Jennie’s eyes opened slowly.

"...So even spirits are afraid."

Excalibur nodded.

"They feel the darkness much earlier than people."

Suddenly...

Voice of Lilia sounded in the garden.

"Jennie!"

Princess Lilia rushed up carrying a basket with some pastries.

"I stole those from the kitchen."

Jennie blinked.

"I mean..."

"Borrowed."

"...With permission?"

Lilia looked away.

"...Eventually."

Jennie couldn’t help laughing.

Even Excalibur giggled a little.

Somehow...

Lilia managed to brighten the atmosphere.

She sat next to Jennie.

"What are you two talking about?"

Jennie immediately hid Excalibur in his hairpin form.

"Oh."

"About nothing important."

Lilia narrowed her eyes.

"You always say this."

Jennie smiled innocently.

"It’s because it’s usually true."

"It’s never."

They ate pastries under the old oak tree.

For a moment...

It seemed like their worries disappeared.

But...

In the mountains of Seraiya...

Underneath one of them...

Another seal was broken.

CRACK.

Dark crimson miasma flooded the world through the hole.

From somewhere in the darkness...

Distorted laughter echoed.

"Hehehe..."

"So..."

"The era of people..."

"...finally comes to the end."

The voice faded into the depths.

And for the first time in hundreds of years...

The darkness began to awaken.