CH87 Unexpected Company
Alex pulled out her phone and checked her character sheet.
Name: Alex Parker
Class: Magical Girl
Level 3
Sex: Female
Race: Human
Strength: 11
Constitution: 9
Dexterity: 17
Intelligence: 7
Cuteness: 16
Skills:
Cleaning: 3 (+1 from maid training)
Cooking: 2 (+1 from maid training)
Dancing: 2
Tailoring: 4
Toymaking: 2
Feats: Empower Doll
Spells: Animate Doll
Lesser Grow Plants
Traits: Mental Resistance: 4
Curses: Maid transformation 27%
“Alice, what is that black tile for?” Trudy looked over Alex’s shoulder. “It shows letters? Is it some kind of magic item? It looks kinda cute with the decorations.”
“It shows me my status and whatever effects are on me.” Alex showed the display to Trudy. “That is how I can tell that wearing the maid uniforms gives a curse. It says I’m at 27%. Hopefully I don’t get to find out what happens when it gets to 100%.” Alex pointed to the line.
“I’ll have to take your word for it. Only nobles and merchants can read.” Trudy looked downcast.
“Oh.” Alex put her phone away. “Sorry. How do you normally see your status?”
“Magical items. The adventurer’s guild has an identification stone. People that are adventurers can use it or those that get the approval of someone in the guild because they are considering adding them to their party.” Trudy pointed in the direction back to town. “There are some shrines that people use too. The same places people can ask for classes, people can ask to see their status.”
“How does it make sense if someone can’t read?” Alex furrowed her brow.
“You don’t have to be able to read to understand things.” Trudy sounded a little annoyed.
“Sorry,” Alex backpedaled. “I have just lived a bit of a sheltered life. This is the first journey I’ve gone on.”
“It is okay. It sounds like whatever nobles you had were better than what we have here.” Trudy patted Alex’s arm. “Mistress hasn’t been in power long. Her husband was always the bad one and everyone in town hoped that things would be better in the next generation but nothing really changed. Now that we know that the baron was possessed and now lady Yvne too, things make more sense. But what can you do?”
“I want to sneak into the Mistress's rooms. Maybe she is hiding something there that can help.” Alex pointed at a window on the upper floor.
“It seems too late for Zeke and I” Trudy looked down, dejected. “I don’t know if any of us have much time left before the curse takes us.”
“If we can avoid doing maid things we have a chance. Maybe she has some kind of magical item that ties all the maids together. If we break something important in her room that could turn us all back?” Alex sounded like she was grasping at straws but didn’t want to give up hope.
The trio entered with no clear strategy, successfully avoiding maids, chores, and even Lady Yvne, though her absence made "evading" a generous term. The maids weren't overtly hostile, but their passive-aggressive comments about neglected chores and shaming their mistress somehow struck a nerve.
“Here we are.” Alex reached for the door handle and turned it. There was a bit of resistance but she was able to open it. The door was not locked. “Hello? Is anyone here?”
No answer.
Alex entered the room, a sensation akin to passing through a bubble accompanying their steps. Zeke and Trudy, attempting to follow, found themselves blocked by an invisible force.
"How are you able to enter when we can't?" Zeke questioned, tapping the unseen barrier, his movements comically reminiscent of a mime.
"Maybe I'm special, and Mistress's magic doesn't affect me, but..." Alex gestured at her maid uniform, shaking her head. "Yeah, I'm not so sure." She wished she could ask Fufi, feeling like she was missing something crucial about being a magical girl. Had Fufi said anything about magical barriers?
Baroness Yvne's domain was undeniably posh. Her office boasted a massive, elaborately carved wooden desk and walls lined with shelves displaying countless items. Alex noticed a recurring coat of arms and heraldic tapestries hanging from the ceiling. A suit of plate armor stood on a dummy, and several swords adorned the wall. However, what truly captured Alex's attention was the large closet.
"I wonder what kinds of skeletons she has in her closet," Alex mused aloud.
Inside the closet, a coffin lay covered in paper talismans. "What do coffins have in them? Sus," Alex thought, then proceeded to drag the box out of the closet.
“Is that what I think it is?” Zeke’s eyes widened at the sight of the dirty coffin from where he stood watch at the door.
“Skeletons indeed reside in the Mistress's closet.” Alex made her tone sound ominous and patted the wooden box.
“Who do you think that was?” Trudy asked.
“Not sure, maybe her husband’s body?” Alex guessed.
“I doubt it. They had a funeral for him. He should be in a cemetery outside of town.” Trudy said.
“Looks like there is only one way to find out.” Alex pulled off the paper talismans one by one. She wanted to open it but it was nailed shut. “Darn, does anyone have a hammer or crowbar?”
Zeke shook his head. “There might be one out in the stables. I haven’t seen much inside the manor that isn’t for cooking and cleaning. If they have a workshop it is not on the first or second levels.”
Trudy yelped. “Looks like we got company. I can hear a group coming up. We should escape.”
Alex headed to the doorway but stumbled when a thumping noise came from the coffin behind her. “Yikes, that scared the crap out of me. Do we have a dead ringer?”
“Wasn’t the baron killed by the undead? That coffin doesn’t look very new. I don’t think anything living is there.” Trudy motioned for Alex to hurry. “Also, what is a dead ringer?”
“I hope we didn’t accidentally start a zombie outbreak.” Alex joined Trudy and Zeke on the other side of the door. “Let's get out of here. Hopefully we won’t get caught. And a dead ringer is when someone isn’t really dead and gets buried alive. They put a bell by the grave attached to a string so… anyway… that’s not important right now.”
Clad in maid uniforms, a trio dashed down the hallway, fleeing the approaching footsteps. Their path to the lower stairs was blocked by a large contingent of maids.
"Uh oh, not this way," Alex exclaimed, turning them back. The maids observed their retreat but made no move to pursue, an unsettling detail.
After passing a few doors, the trio spotted Baroness Ynve and her entourage rounding the corner.
"You three are progressing towards becoming the most costly maids I have ever had to train," the mistress stated, her tone indicating displeasure. "While I was sipping tea and contemplating the logistics of assigning the new maids to interested employers, I sensed a barrier being breached, followed by the removal of a very expensive seal."
Alex tried one of the doors in the hallway. “Darn it. Locked” Alex moved to try another but the mistress interrupted her.
“Listen when your betters are talking!” Yvne stomped.
[Maid training: 30%]
Alex let go of the door handle and stood up straighter but internally winced. Both Zeke and Trudy also stood at attention.
“You probably believe that you are being surreptitious. However, you are not. I was aware that you three were neglecting your duties and seeking to incite discord. I anticipated that within a few days, matters would resolve themselves, and all parties could proceed.” Mistress gestured with a hand. “All vital belongings are secured behind warded entrances that ought to deter low-level humans lacking illicit classes.”
Alex opened her mouth to speak.
“Quiet.” Yvne snapped.
[Maid training 31%]
This was bad. Being in the mistress's presence greatly accelerated the maid's transformation.
The baroness ranted. "This endeavor bears a significant cost. The raiment, their ensorcelments, the transmigration of souls, and the perpetual sealing of that accursed corpse, all consume vital resources. Observe the clamor emanating from my very chambers; that sealed sarcophagus alone commanded a king's ransom. Who shall bear the expense of its re-sealing, when it even now strives for liberation? It was the undoing of my forebearer and a multitude of our kin.
I had believed I had amassed a fortune with that enchanted carriage, yet it proves to be of too great a value. Those myopic imps of the fire clan clamor to immolate it, proclaiming it the most wondrous fire cultivation discovery they have ever witnessed. They would, with alacrity, transform this barony into a scorched desolation, incapable of sustaining human life. Where would such an act leave them? Incapable of fulfilling their pact. They would then be compelled to seek more humans, yet those such as I already hold dominion over all the humans within this kingdom.
Their sole true recourse is to revert to the ancient practices: demons warring against demons, perishing so that one may ascend by subjugating others. It is as if they would sooner bring hell with them than seize this opportunity to advance without tearing down their kin in that zero-sum game we have escaped."
Apparently the typical demon was very self destructive. At least the lower tiered ones were incredibly short sighted.
Alex struggled and got a word in. “I..”
However, the mistress interrupted her. "Did I grant you permission to speak? I did not. Take that coffin and inter it on the premises; that will at least afford us some time to arrange for someone to re-seal it. Engaging a specialist is costly. Now, take it and depart. I do not have time to attend to you at present."
“Yes, mistress.” Zeke and Trudy said in unison.
[Maid training: 35%]
The fact that they were given the grizzly task of burying someone alive didn’t sit well with any of them. Alex had to drag the coffin out of the mistress’s chambers because Zeke and Trudy still couldn’t enter. Some of the other maids helped and they carried the coffin on their shoulders like a funeral procession. The whole time sounds of thumping scratching and unearthly screaming came from the box. If what the baroness said was true then the thing in there wasn’t alive, not really. The rest of the day was spent digging in a light, cold drizzle. None of the maids helped. Though the butler demons watched and jeered at them for having clothing that ended up getting covered in mud. When the sun was low in the sky and the coffin six feet under a commotion came from the gates.
“Bring me to the enchanted wooden carriage. I claim it as a cultivation resource for the fire clan.” A loud voice carried through the entire ground.
A human-sized demon with red-skin, horns and a tail stomped through the gate shoving butler-uniformed imps aside. Dozens of red-skinned imps stood at his back.
Red-skinned imps kept the other imps in butler uniforms from closing the gates.
Lady Yvne stepped out of the second-story door and stepped out on the front patio. “You dare invade my domain.”
“Give us the tribute. This young master demands fuel for the flames.” The apparently 2nd tier demon took a step forward and gave the demoness a challenging glare.
"You impudent wretches! I permit you your fiery traditions, and in return, I ask only for deference to my authority. Yet, the moment something tantalizes your avarice, you defy my decree and summon an interloper to question my leadership?" Lady Yvne's voice, already sharp with displeasure, now resonated with unbridled fury.