Chapter 135 The maid’s meeting
Chapter 135 The maid's meeting
For some, the morning starts with coffee; for others, it starts with morning exercises; but some wake up to the sounds of an explosion. That's how the residents of the village on the outskirts of the vassal kingdom of Kiranis greeted their morning. Was it necessary to say what a shock it was for them? I think not.
"Save us, Goddess of Light!"
"My child...!"
"Mighty Goddess of Light, we implore your grace of light. Fill our souls with faith and prayer, guide us in life, grant us bright days, and..."
Some were shouting, some were crying, and some were praying. However, the demon army paid no heed to the pleas of those they were ordered to kill by General Azaroth, whoever happened to be in their way. And leading this army, or rather its detachment, was a demon with gray, ashen skin. He had a muscular, humanoid body with goat-like horns on his forehead. He was clad in bright red armor adorned with spikes, and he held a massive sword with a long blade, the Great Sword. He rode a black steed with spikes on its head, and its eyes were red as blood.
"Brothers! In the name of the Demon Queen, following her command and will, kill all these worms!" he shouted.
His voice was piercing as if someone had shot an arrow, and his tone was filled with anger, hatred, greed, bloodlust, and other negative emotions. His hideous face, scarred all over, contorted into a sly grin, while his entirely white eyes stared ahead at the village.
"FOR HER MAJESTY!"
"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!"
"ETERNAL LIFE!"
Here and there, across the battlefield, loud cries rang out from those who praised the Demon Queen with all their soul and sincerity, extolling her and demonstrating their loyalty. There were many demons, approximately fifteen thousand, and their strength was menacing. The earth trembled from their footsteps alone, and the sky was covered with clouds as if mourning the deaths of the innocent. Rain began to fall.
"Do you feel the moist scent? The feeling of dampness on your face? The sound of rain?" The demon with gray skin leading the demon soldiers asked loudly.
"WE FEEL IT, SIR! WE HEAR IT, SIR!"
"That's right! And we will continue to feel it in the future, staining human lands with blood! We are proud warriors of Her Majesty! Hail the Chaos Empire!"
"HAIL FOR QUEEN! HAIL FOR DEMON RACE"
As one, they drew their weapons from their sheaths and rushed forward, towards their goal, towards their prey—the lonely village. On that day, blood stained the earth crimson, and the sky never ceased to weep, as if grieving for the deaths of the innocent. And amidst it all, only demonic laughter could be heard, filled with sadism and cruelty.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
***
On one of the towers, accompanied by two knights, stood a handsome and dignified man. He was dressed in a black suit with a white shirt underneath. A tie was neatly tied around his neck, and he held a cane in his hand. Black trousers and classic shoes completed his attire, and his long black hair was tied up in a high ponytail. His face bore no expression, and he remained silent. Only occasionally did the sound of his cane tapping against the stone floor echo through the tower.
Adam silently watched as elite squads of knights emerged from the palace. Each of them was equipped with top-notch armor, the finest and most robust horses, and high-quality provisions. This was Avalonia's main army—the Moon of Avalonia.
In bygone times, this army had toppled entire nations, established new orders, and ruled over everything it could. The legacy of this army was passed down through the years, and Elizabeth ensured that they trained until they dropped. And now, this army was heading directly towards the vassal kingdom of Kiranis.
"I hope this will help distract the demons for a while before I execute my plans. Oh, hope is fading fast," thought Adam, clasping his hands behind his back and gripping his right wrist with his left hand. He smiled, but beneath that smile lay a cold calculation: "Yes, indeed, it gets tiresome. Wars destroy crops and people, and once-fertile lands are stained with blood, and the land becomes toxic."
He smiled even wider, though his left hand clenched his right wrist even tighter. His gaze, directed at the army marching towards Avalonia's gates amid the cheers of the people, turned cold.
"War kills. However obvious that may sound, it's a truly dreadful thing. But war breeds hard times, and hard times breed strong individuals." Adam turned on his heels and waved his hand to the knights who followed him. He sighed and narrowed his eyes, feeling irritation. "The city-bunker plan needs to be expedited immediately. I must relocate the people who are important to me to a safe place, and"
"Sir?" A male voice came from behind him; it was one of the knights who had stopped with Adam.
Following the gentleman's gaze, the knight saw nothing, so he was puzzled. But Adam's enhanced vision, bolstered by magic, allowed him to see the dense forests of Elfheim, although not very clearly. There was a subtle trace of sadness and concern on his face.
"Iliantra, where have you disappeared?"
***
The city of Sedyon While in other places there was noise and chaos, the peaceful townsfolk of this little town strolled through the square, went shopping, and enjoyed the nightlife. Business thrived, the city prospered, and it brought in income. The Idorvam Bank had expanded to new heights; now there were over 500 branches throughout Avalonia, as well as 780 representatives in all the cities. Ricky and the others' businesses were also flourishing, and everyone felt like they were in a fairy tale.
However, there were incidents. From time to time, people gathered in the square, demanding that Sedyon lower prices for the sake of helping Avalonia and all those affected by the war. But such idiots, putting themselves in the place of intelligent people, soon suffered from their greed. They were locked up in dungeons, and at the end of their sentences, they were fined, which they couldn't afford to pay, so they were voluntarily sent to do dirty work, the kind that no one usually agreed to.
Other than that, everything went normally. However, today, among the maids, there was a gathering, as it was Sunday. At the end of the week, the head maid, Ekaterina, gathered all the maids for discussions and reports, as well as a Q&A session. And there were 124 maids in the mansion.
So, they held the meeting in a spacious hall, which was originally designed for performances, but Adam had little interest in such long and tedious affairs, so this hall was abandoned quickly. Only the maids came here to dust and keep everything clean.
"I can't wait for today's Q&A session! I've got so many questions piling up," exclaimed one of the maids.
"I agree. It feels like an eternity has passed since the last session."
"Hey, is 'that thing' happening today? Uh, you know what I mean."
"Rest assured, my collection for this week will delight you. But as they say, First, send the goods."
Whispers filled the spectator seats as the women animatedly discussed various topics, wearing bright smiles on their faces. No one hid anything because, from the moment they became maids, they had cast aside their past and become a new version of themselves.
However, their whispers and lively conversations ceased as soon as the sound of heels clicking on the floor echoed through the room. All the maids, in a split second, shifted from their casual mood to a more formal one. They stood up and then collectively bowed.
"Good day, Head Maid!"
Ekaterina, who was walking towards the stage, merely nodded. Following her was a beautiful maid with chestnut hair that reached her shoulders. Her eyes closed, but she could perfectly see the path ahead; her name was Chloe. As soon as these two maids stepped onto the stage, the attention of all the other maids was drawn to them.
"Today, once again, we are holding a maid's assembly. Let's begin with the reports, as usual. I invite Deputy Head Maid Miss Chloe to start."
The mentioned woman stepped forward, placing her left hand on her abdomen and her right hand on her left arm, thus expressing humility and showing her status as a servant. She smiled, her eyes still closed, and slightly inclined forward before straightening up.
"Dear colleagues, respected ladies. I must say that this week has been challenging but undoubtedly productive. We have established contact with the beastfolk, opened two more bank branches in Avalonia, and Mr. Adam's business is expanding wider and wider. Now our Mr. Adam owns 45% of all businesses in Avalonia, which attracts an incredible amount of money each month." She smiled gently, and her cheeks blushed when she mentioned Adam. Clearing her throat, Chloe continued, "During this week, there were no critical errors among you. You did an excellent job, which our beloved Mr. Adam also noted, so you can expect rewards."
"..."
"..."
"..."
After Chloe's words, there was silence. But the woman didn't feel embarrassed; she merely plugged her ears and stepped back. And after a second...
"HURRAAAH!"
"DARN, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS THE WHOLE TIME!"
"FINALLY!"
Loud cheers of satisfaction from the women resounded throughout the hall, and Ekaterina winced at the loud commotion, but a barely noticeable smile appeared on her face, which Chloe managed to catch.
"Oh, Head Maid, you smiled."
"You're imagining things, Deputy Head Maid," Ekaterina replied, turning her face away.
"Hehe."
In total, it took the women about ten minutes to calm down. Then Ekaterina began to listen to the reports that required her attention, but for the most part, everything was peaceful. And after half an hour, what all the maids had been eagerly anticipating finally arrived.
There was a squeak, and the eager women's eyes caught sight of Chloe pushing a cart carrying a huge blue diamond in a rhombus shape. Excited sighs filled the room, and they impatiently waited for the show to begin.
"Ladies, I know you've been waiting for this!" Ekaterina proclaimed loudly, while Chloe clapped in excitement. Paying no attention to her deputy, the Head Maid placed her hand on the diamond and infused it with magical power, causing the stone to glow brightly.
Soon, a white beam of light shot out from the diamond and, upon hitting the parchment stretched across the stage, suddenly began to spread across the entire parchment's surface. After a few seconds...
"OH YES!"
"I'VE LIVED FOR THIS MOMENT!"
On the parchment, a close-up slide show of Adam's revealing or simply good photos appeared.
To be continued...