The Ambusher
Just as Albert arrived at the town, Bernardo and Carlotta pursued the Head Maid.
(She hasn’t come in contact with anyone up until now.) (Bernardo)
(She’s going to the auction, so she should have guards with her. Did she perhaps already notice us?) (Carlotta)
(That seems to be the case. We have been successfully led by her. We are surrounded.) (Bernardo)
When Bernardo and Carlotta stopped after noticing the presences around them, the Head Maid who walked in front of them stopped and turned around.
“Come out. I know you are there.”
“”…………””
Seeing Bernardo and Carlotta quietly come out, the face of the Head Maid twisted in disgust.
“I have something I want to ask you. How are you free?” (Head Maid)
“We have no duty of replying to you.” (Bernardo)
“You lowly beast! Answer me!” (Head Maid)
“Lowly beast, huh… you have not changed. We were illegal slaves. That’s why we were released.” (Carlotta)
“During the day… I saw that thing. That thing should have died. Why is it in this country? Did you guys save it?” (Head Maid)
Although the two felt anger swelling in them when the Head Maid addressed Felice is “That”, they replied calmly.
“Although I don’t know what you mean by that thing, even if it was our doing, what is it to you?” (Bernardo)
“If that would be the case, then I would have something to ask you about.” (Head Maid)
“What do you want to know?” (Carlotta)
“That day… the day that thing died, that person’s treasure vanished. An important, precious treasure that would become his trump card. Was it your doing?” (Head Maid)
“Treasure? … I wouldn’t know.” (Bernardo)
“A Black Dragon that was gifted to that person.”
“”Black Dragon!?”” (Bernardo & Carlotta)
“… That reaction… it seems that I was wrong. Cannot be helped. I shall capture that thing and interrogate it.” (Head Maid)
“Stop messing around! I won’t let you hurt that child any more than this!” (Carlotta)
“You won’t forgive me? That thing is my Lord’s property. Moreover, you don’t have the leisure to be worrying about that thing.” (Head Maid)
As the two seethed with anger, the Head Maid raised her hand and the people surrounding them in the darkness came out.
“Slaves, huh… I feel sorry for you, but for her sake, I shall defeat you!” (Bernardo)
“I won’t hold back!” (Carlotta)
“You will protect her? …. Fufufu… how are you going to protect her?” (Head Maid)
“What?” (Bernardo)
“I did have guards with me at first. However, they are working separately right now. Now then, I wonder where my guards could be?” (Head Maid)
“Surely not!?” (Bernardo)
“Now then, you guys! Kill those two for me!” (Head Maid)
“Shit!” (Bernardo)
Just when Bernardo and Carlotta accepted the challenge, the slaves that surrounded them collapsed and the atmosphere changed.
A cold sweat dripped down the Head Maid’s back as she felt as she got locked in a cold, dark place. When Bernardo and Carlotta looked around in relief, they saw Albert standing on the roof of a nearby building with a very cold face.
Even though Albert’s coldness wasn’t directed towards them, Bernardo and Carlotta were sweating from the pressure.
(Whoa… how much did he hear?) (Bernardo)
(I have not felt his presence, but this looks bad. Truly, what kind of person is he?) (Carlotta)
Looking at the dumbfounded Head Maid, Albert spoke.
“You… who is whose property? That child is under my protection… if you lay your hands on her, I will destroy you together with your Lord and your country!” (Albert)
“Hii!?” (Head Maid)
Seeing the Head Maid faltering, Bernardo shouted at Albert.
“Right! Oy, hurry up and return! That child is in danger!” (Bernardo)
“T, that’s right… if you move against me, that thing will be dealt with!” (Head Maid)
The Head Maid looked at the panicking Bernardo with scorn, but Albert replied to her without interest.
“That would be impossible. Because you look down on that child, you have not investigated her situation, right?” (Albert)
“W, what are you trying to say by that!” (Head Maid)
“The place that child is now, is this country’s safest place. Although the people of that house would fall behind the Demons, but they definitely wouldn’t lose to your bunch, moreover, that fellow is by her side.” (Albert)
“Wha, what are you saying?” (Head Maid)
At that very time, shadows of suspicious people moved around the grounds of the Faust Household.
They were apparently the Head Maid’s guards and slaves.
They split into two groups, opened the door at the entrance with thin defenses with a key, and quietly invaded.
The intruders advanced through the entrance favorably, but their movements stopped after seeing Samantha standing before them and they got on guard.
“Good evening. Who might you be? I don’t ever remember inviting you guys over?”
“………”
“My, you won’t answer me? It cannot be helped then. In that case, I will make sure you will be in the mood to answer me… seize them!”
With Samantha’s order, a number of butlers and maids appeared from who knows where.
Then, the man at the front of the intruders spoke up while laughing.
“Hmph… taking us lightly. To think that you would believe that butlers and maids could be our opponents…”
“You… do you know whose mansion this is?”
“No idea. Our employer only told us to seize a silver-haired girl who is in here.”
“Thank you for telling me your objective. But, I am sorry. There are no people in this mansion who could overlook that.”
The eyes of Samantha who heard the intruder’s objective narrowed dangerously, and the butlers and maids were the same.
With the two parties seething, Gai transferred in the center together with some men.
“Oh? Has it started already?” (Gai)
“Not yet. Those people are?” (Samantha)
“They came from the back so I brought them along.” (Gai)
The intruders were startled by the sudden appearance of Gai and their companions.
“What’s going on!? Oy, what are you doing!”
“I have no idea too! When that man appeared, we were already here!”
“You came without investigating this place first? You are fools among fools!” (Adam)
The panicking men heard a voice that was out of place.
When the men looked towards the voice, they saw boys and girls on the stairs.
“Your voice is too loud, Aniue.” (Dylan)
“I would be a disgrace if I didn’t tell those idiots that they are fools.” (Adam)
“Why are you lacking common sense at a time like this?” (Dylan)
“I feel fired up! You guys, prepare yourselves!” (Katie)
“As I said, keep your voices down.” (Dylan)
“No harm was brought, but intruding is not good.” (Shelly)
“They still think that they can leave alive after invading this place.” (Miguel)
“My, my, you came out of your rooms?” (Samantha)
“Obaasama! Let us in it too! It will be good practice! (Adam)
When Adam shouted, everyone jumped down.
“These brats… kill them!”
The battle with about thirty opponents has begun.
In order to not damage the mansion, Adam and others were fighting with their limbs clad in magical power.
“Look, Miguel! Dylan and I can do it too now!” (Adam)
“… You are still far away from manipulating magical power.” (Miguel)
“Shut up~ you guys! I am still not used to it so I cannot hold back! Those who want to die, come at me!” (Adam)
“That was amazing~ Adam-sama. You spoke lines like from some TV drama~”
Just when Adam proclaimed his participation in the brawl, he heard’s Felice’s innocent voice from below him.
“…… What is this ‘TV drama’?” (Adam)
“That’s not what you should be asking, right! Feli, why are you here? Where’s Riley and Olivia?” (Miguel)
Being asked by Miguel, Felice replied carefreely.
“N? I wanted to go to the toilet, but Riley and Olivia told me that I can’t. But, I wasn’t able to hold it back anymore, so I transferred out.” (Felice)
“There should be a toilet near your room, though… can’t be helped. Hurry up and go then.” (Miguel)
“Yeah.” (Felice)
The man who stared blankly “Eh? In this situation?” at Miguel and Felice’s exchange watched as Felice left to the toilet and he shouted orders at the slaves.
“T, that brat! Catch her!”
One of the slaves rushed towards her, before Gai and others could move, Felice jumped with her legs clad in magical power.
“There~” (Felice)
After Felice roundhouse kicked the slave’s face, the slave’s head sunk into a wall and his movements stopped.
“I did it! Err… I am unable to hold back, so please don’t come close to me if you don’t want to die! … Huh? Something’s wrong?” (Felice)
Seeing the slave buried in the wall by Felice, the thoughts of Miguel and other’s were like this:
(She can do it already? I cannot lose.) (Adam)
(She can do hand-to-hand combat now as well, huh.) (Dylan)
(As expected of Felice, what a good kick.) (Miguel)
(We shouldn’t be taking things slowly as well.) (Nathan)
(Huh, is he not dead?) (Rousseau)
(Wha!? W, what the hell is that, so funny! She’s a natural airhead, isn’t she? I want to laugh, but I shouldn’t be laughing now! Endure, endure.) (Katie)
(Cu, cute. Still, Katie is trembling, but please don’t laugh, okay?) (Monet)
(Incredible. I should work harder too.) (Shelly)
Among the delicate atmosphere, Felice noticed something and started panicking.
“Ah! Okaasama, I am sorry! I tore a hole open!” (Felice)
“Don’t mind it, I will fix it later. Rather than that, didn’t you need to go to the toilet?” (Samantha)
“Right! I will leak~”
After Felice transferred away, Gai whose mouth was twitching spoke up.
“Girls shouldn’t say things like that. Now then, Now then, you are troublesome so sleep for me for now.” (Gai)
When Gai said so, the intruders collapsed to the ground.
———
Albert also wanted to finish things quickly, so he used the same method.
“By now, your companions should be already captured. Take a nap for a while.” (Albert)
Since the Head Maid collapsed after Albert raised his hand, he descended down.
“You were of great help, Bernardo, Carlotta.” (Albert)
“No, you helped us.” (Bernardo)
“What are you going to do with these fellows?” (Carlotta)
“I wonder… hey, are you going to capture the participants of the auction?” (Albert)
“It’s an illegal auction, so yes. The participants will be arrested and judged, the people who aren’t citizens of this country will be handled in the same way. They will be judged by their countries’ laws.” (Bernardo)
“However, unless we have plenty of evidence, we have to catch them in the act.” (Carlotta)
“I see… alright, I will have this fellow participate in the auction.” (Albert)
“”Haah?”” (Bernardo & Carlotta)
“Well, I have to consult with Tousama and others first. When is the auction held?” (Albert)
“The day after tomorrow. Shall we look after them until you have talked it through?” (Bernardo)
“Would you do that? These guys shouldn’t wake up until I cancel the magic, so I think it will be all right, but make sure to contact me if something goes wrong, alright?” (Albert)
“Got it. I will lightly explain to the Guild Master.” (Bernardo)
“Good. Then, I am leaving.” (Albert)
“Leave it to us. Take care of Felice for us.” (Carlotta)
“Of course. See you.” (Albert)
Leaving the Head Maid to the two, Albert who turned back into his child form looked for Felice’s presence and he found her in a hall with other people gathered around her.
What Albert saw when he transferred there was Felice apologizing to Riley and Olivia who were obviously feeling down.
“S, sorry. But, I couldn’t hold it back anymore.” (Felice)
“No, Felice-sama. We were thinking naively. There was one near your room too, so we didn’t think that you want to go to the one near the guestroom. Moreover, we didn’t think you would transfer there without saying a word.” (Olivia)
“A, Al wasn’t here, so I thought of using it.” (Felice)
“I won’t be negligent no more. I won’t take my eyes off of you so something like this won’t happen ever again. Rather, let’s build one in your room.” (Olivia)
“You don’t need to!” (Felice)
“What are you talking about? Not being able to hold back, what did you mean by that? Were you making something?” (Albert)
“Toilet. I was about to leak… uge……… Al?” (Felice)
Albert replied with a whole-faced smile to Felice who stutteringly turned her gaze onto him.
“Yep. I am home, Feli. And so, did you make it?” (Albert)
“Sniff~ Al you idiot——!” (Felice)
“Feli!?” (Albert)
The face of Felice who realized that the conversation was heard by Albert turned red as she ran away while shouting.
Albert who was left behind received cold glares from the women and looks of disgust by the men.
“””You are the worst.””” (Katie, Monet & Shelly)
“Why!?” (Albert)
“””””He’s impossible to cure.””””” (Adam, Dylan, Nathan, Miguel, Rousseau)
“As I asked, why!?” (Albert)
“Idiot.” (Gai)
“What? Try saying it aga, peh—” (Albert)
“Yesyes, that’s enough. You have something important to tell her, right? Quicky chase after her.” (Samantha)
Samantha stopped Albert who tried to talk back to Gai who called him an idiot.
“Kaasama… I got it. Feli~” (Albert)
Albert transferred to Felice who was running away.
“I am late asking, but these two pipsqueaks really can use transfer magic, huh.” (Monet)
“Using it without restraint like that, it makes me feel like anyone could use it.” (Katie)
“Still, where has he gone? Outside?” (Shelly)
“It’s dangerous for a kid to be wandering outside at night by himself.” (Rousseau)
Hearing the words of Katie and others who didn’t know the circumstances, Miguel was pondering with a distant look about how they should explain to them.