“*Huff… huff…*”
“Wake up, it’s already morning~”
“*Huff… huff…*”
“Lisbeth, wake up quickly. If you don’t get out of bed, I might just kiss you~”
“Hm!?”
Because Hilda was the one who woke her every morning, Lisbeth initially would just roll over and feign sleep whenever she heard someone calling her name.
However, when a fragrant scent, accompanied by words that Hilda would never utter, reached her, Lisbeth’s eyes snapped open. She quickly scrambled to the edge of her single bed.
“You—how are you in my room!?”
In Lisbeth’s mind, only Airenst would speak such provocative words. Indeed, as soon as her eyes opened, the first thing she saw was Airenst herself.
The most alarming part was that Airenst had already closed her eyes, preparing to lean in for a kiss. If Lisbeth had opened her eyes even a second later, her first kiss in this body might have been claimed then and there.
Observing Lisbeth’s wary expression, Airenst simply offered a gentle smile. “Good morning, Lisbeth. I believe I’m quite presentable, so there’s no need to guard against me as if I were a wolf, is there?”
‘No, no, in some ways, you, this obsessive woman, are far more dangerous than any pervert.’
Given that Airenst had openly flirted with her in front of everyone during their first meeting, Lisbeth had long since categorized her as a top-tier threat. Moreover, Airenst’s meaningful smiles and remarks after their last meeting in the conference room had caused Lisbeth considerable unease.
Therefore, Lisbeth would much rather avoid being alone with her if at all possible.
Yet, Lisbeth knew it was pointless to dwell on such thoughts now. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and put on her usual smile. “Good morning, Airenst. I was simply startled by someone suddenly entering my room.”
“Is that so? My apologies, then. I did intend to knock when I came in, but Hilda told me you wouldn’t open it even if I did, so I just entered~”
‘That old hag! If I’m ever violated by an intruder, it will definitely be your fault!’
Though Lisbeth was gnashing her teeth inwardly, she maintained a calm smile on her face. “Yes, that’s quite right. I’m not an easy riser in the mornings, so I’ve always relied on her to wake me. But setting that aside, Airenst, why have you come to find me?”
“Why, it’s because it’s nearly time for you to officially begin working alongside the other personal maids.”
“Hm?”
The person who answered Lisbeth was not Airenst, who stood before her, but Hilda, who was now just outside her room door. As Lisbeth shifted her gaze towards the sound, she noticed Staros was also fully dressed and waiting outside.
“So what exactly is going on? Why are so many people gathered in my room?”
“Nothing much, just assigning you a new task. So, no matter what, quickly get ready. Once you’re done, come directly to the Lower District gate.”
“Hm? Lower District?”
The Lower District was essentially the exit from the Demon Lord’s Castle. Beyond the castle lay the Inner District, where ordinary demons resided.
“Could it be that you want us to go shopping today?”
“Shopping? Not at all.”
Airenst shook her head at Lisbeth’s question. She then continued, addressing Lisbeth, “While we will pass through the Inner District, our destination today is the Outer District for herb gathering. Because you led an army to attack the Demon Lord’s Castle not long ago, I haven’t been able to collect herbs for a long time. So, I absolutely must go out today.”
“Ah, I truly apologize for that.”
“Oh, there’s no need to apologize. Your identity was different back then, after all. Besides, thanks to your sudden defection, the towns and cities previously occupied by humans were swiftly reclaimed by us. So, in truth, it made no real difference.”
“Is that so? They’ve already been reclaimed. Well, I suppose that makes sense, given this is a fierce battle zone.”
Though Kristia was one of the Six Heavenly Demon Lords, she wasn’t actually at the pinnacle of demonkind. Beyond the Six Heavenly Demon Lords, three Great Demon Lords governed the three major regions of the demon realm.
Each Great Demon Lord commanded six subordinate Demon Lords who handled affairs and guarded territories. The Demon Lord’s Castle, which Kristia currently defended, happened to be the border between humans and demons.
Thus, even among the Six Heavenly Demon Lords, Kristia’s territory was the foremost frontline in the conflict between demons and humans. This explained why Airenst could speak so casually about the gains and losses of territory.
“Anyway, setting all that aside for now, once you’re ready, you’d best prepare for battle. While the territory has been reclaimed, there’s no guarantee there aren’t any lingering human remnants. More critically, the Outer District is home to many Magic Beasts. So this herb-gathering mission won’t be easy.”
“Huh? If that’s the case, why not call for guards? If gathering herbs is so important, wouldn’t bringing guards be the safest option?”
“What are you talking about? If we’re taking you and Staros along, it’s obviously because we’re using you as labor and guards, isn’t it?”
Lisbeth’s pupils contracted sharply as Hilda finished speaking. “Old hag, what kind of joke is that? I’m a delicate girl who gets muscle aches from even a little physical exertion! Is it really okay to treat me like this!?”
“Less chatter. Your body aches simply because you haven’t adjusted to this body yet. According to Olivia, your physical capabilities are far superior to those of an average demon, but your magic capacity has been severely restricted. So, merely swinging a sword to cut down a few Magic Beasts won’t be a problem for you.”
“Huh? Is that so?”
Lisbeth had never heard this before. While she hadn’t fully adjusted to her current body, she hadn’t noticed any decrease in her magic power while in her ‘job change’ mode on the night she retrieved Clotilde from the treasury.
If her magic had truly been restricted, she would undoubtedly have known.
As this thought struck her, Lisbeth closed her eyes, then asked Clotilde, who was on her arm, “Little Sword, has my magic been restricted? I haven’t felt anything at all.”
“No, not at all. While your physical strength, magic power, and various other stats have indeed significantly decreased due to your body being replaced, if you were to use magic now, you could still reach the maximum capacity allowed by your current body.”
‘Is that so? I see. It seems Olivia has some issues. After all, she dared to conceal the fact that my magic power, as the former Hero, wasn’t restricted. In other words, she’s deceived everyone, including Kristia.’
“Yes, that’s right. But more importantly, stop talking to me now. You’ve been silent for too long; you’ll raise suspicions.”
“Ah, you’re right.”
Reminded by Clotilde, Lisbeth showed a troubled expression, then patted her head. “Alright, alright, I get it. But if any truly troublesome Magic Beasts appear, you’ll have to handle them yourselves.”
“Of course. After all, if you were to die and be reborn among the humans again, the Demon Lord’s reputation would be utterly ruined.”
“Huh? Utterly ruined? What does that mean?”
“It means nothing. Stop dawdling and get up.”
“Alright, alright, I know.”
Lisbeth was curious about Hilda’s last remark, but since Hilda had avoided it, pressing further wouldn’t be appropriate. Lisbeth smiled again. “Well then, Airenst, you all can wait for me outside. I’ll join you once I’ve finished getting ready.”
“Alright, Lisbeth. We’ll be waiting for you by the door.”
After Airenst finished speaking, Hilda and the other two left Lisbeth’s room. The moment they were gone, Lisbeth’s smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression as she spoke to Clotilde.
“Clotilde, I think there’s something wrong with this. I should, by all rights, be their top priority for protection; in other words, nothing must happen to me. Yet, they’re so casually letting me go herb gathering and even fight Magic Beasts? What in the world are they playing at?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I think they simply want to gauge your current strength. Don’t forget, the shock you caused them initially was considerable. Even if they know your power has been greatly restricted, if I were them, I’d still want to test you again, just to be safe.”
“Hmm, that’s true. If that’s their reasoning, it’s understandable. Regardless, we can only take things one step at a time now. Besides, Staros hasn’t indicated any desire for me to visit Olivia’s laboratory, so I can use today’s herb-gathering trip to sound her out.”
“Exactly, that’s the spirit. Now, you’d better hurry and change. Dawdling any longer wouldn’t be good.”
After a brief exchange, Lisbeth swiftly put on her maid uniform, then, after washing up, left her room. Yet, in this single short morning, Lisbeth found herself with several new matters to ponder with suspicion.