Hit him, hit him on the chest!

Nilu’s perspective.

After all, it was she who had taken the initiative in the morning, saying she couldn’t trouble the young lady and Mr. Euclid any further.

So being safely escorted back by them was only natural.

Outside the ruins, the people of the Great Eagle Empire had already set up camp, waiting for the young lady’s return.

Since she was also a member of the young lady’s team, everyone seemed to treat her—just a mere maid—as though she were some great figure.

She wasn’t used to it, but what weighed on her even more was the complicated tangle of unrelated emotions.

There was no way she, Nilu, a weak little maid, could endure just waiting idly like the young lady had asked her to.

So, after watching Lady Kefeir and Mr. Euclid’s silhouettes vanish into the ruins for some time, Nilu could no longer sit still.

“Um, it seems Lady Kefeir forgot something important! I’ll go deliver it right now! You all can’t enter the ruins, so don’t worry about me!”

Without waiting for the Great Eagle Empire’s soldiers to respond, Nilu, her voice full of panic, rushed anxiously into the ruins.

She ran until she was short of breath, patting her chest as she stopped to catch it.

Only then did she fully realize what she had done since the morning.

Looking at the lush greenery and crumbling ruins around her, with a faint nervousness, she sighed deeply.

“Sigh…”

How could Lady Kefeir possibly forget something?

Even if she did, Mr. Euclid would have immediately reminded her with his “prophecy.”

And how could it be that she regretted her decision and came running back?

No, she only wanted to be alone.

After all, even if she shamelessly tagged along at Lady Kefeir’s side, she would only bring trouble to the two of them.

Because she had always been unlucky.

Yesterday as well, her excessive curiosity kept creating problems for the young lady, every time requiring Mr. Euclid to smooth things over with his prophecies and explanations.

And surely, the young lady also wanted the chance to be alone with Mr. Euclid, right?

Having served Lady Kefeir for so long, Nilu could tell—even through such clumsy disguises.

Mr. Euclid, wrapped in his cloak of “misunderstanding,” a priest skilled in prophecy, clearly matched far better with the noble genius lady of the Great Eagle Empire than with a useless, unlucky maid like her.

Her daydreams made her look like a fool.

“…I should go back.”

Forcing a strained smile, Nilu prepared to return to camp and wait obediently.

But just as she stepped forward, a chill ran down her back.

She suddenly sensed—something had just flashed behind her!

It was absolutely impossible that it was the young lady or Mr. Euclid—they had gone into the ruins long before!

The moment she turned to check, pain shot through her body as a heavy kick knocked her to the ground.

“Cough… cough…”

What appeared before her wasn’t some monster from the ruins, but a human—like herself—holding something pointed at her!

Her blonde hair was in disarray, her once beautiful, expensive dress was now filthy and torn.

As she glared down at Nilu, her sinister, chilling gaze made Nilu tremble.

That familiar look reminded Nilu instantly of who this haggard, cold-eyed woman was!

“Lady Louis the Twenty-Third…”

It was Lady Kefeir’s rival, Louis the Twenty-Third.

But… but hadn’t she lost the duel?

Why was she here!?

Before Nilu could even ask, Louis the Twenty-Third seized her by the collar and yanked her up.

Her voice held no trace of kindness.

“Kefeir. Where is that woman?”

“!”

“Y-you… what do you intend to do to the young lady!?”

Even Nilu realized immediately—Louis the Twenty-Third meant harm to Lady Kefeir!

Nilu didn’t know what the object in her hand was, but instinct screamed death at her.

The cold smile on Louis’s face sent shivers through Nilu.

“She’s the one who made me like this.

I can’t even return home, forced to flee to this desolate place… I want her dead!”

Then, she threw Nilu down.

As Nilu coughed in pain from the impact on her back, Louis pressed further.

“It has nothing to do with a lowly maid like you.

You came with her, didn’t you? Where is she!?”

“Cough… I-I don’t know!”

Louis clearly wanted to harm the young lady!

If Nilu couldn’t protect Lady Kefeir, then at least—at least she must not give her away!

“Speak!”

Louis raised her foot and stomped onto Nilu’s waist.

The pain was so crushing it felt like her insides would burst out, but still, Nilu gritted her teeth, her voice trembling with tears.

“I… don’t know! Please… please accept your loss with dignity!”

“What would a servant like you understand!?

It’s her!

That wretched woman ruined me!

I’ll take my revenge!

If I can’t have it, then neither can she!”

Another kick landed squarely on Nilu’s chest, stealing her breath.

She couldn’t even form words anymore.

“Cough… I… don’t…”

“Damn it, even a servant disgusts me!

As expected, you’re just the spawn raised by that filthy woman.

Fine, I’ll send you on your way first!

I’ve got plenty of time to kill the other two later!”

The kicking stopped, but Louis aimed the object directly at Nilu.

Her instincts screamed louder than ever—death was imminent.

In the midst of her agony, Nilu’s self-hatred deepened.

Of course, she was this unlucky and useless.

Even when she could have just stayed quietly in camp, her restless thoughts had dragged her into this disastrous danger.

If only she had some kind of power, like the young lady…

Wouldn’t she stop being so unlucky?

Wouldn’t she stop needing Mr. Euclid to constantly save her with his prophecies?

Wouldn’t she maybe… maybe even have the slightest right to compete?

Instead of now, being nothing more than a burden.

She wanted power.

The kind of power that could make Mr. Euclid actually look at her.

The object aimed at her began to glow faintly with fire, and deep inside her body, her heart, maybe even her soul…

Something was straining to burst free.

But just at that instant, a familiar voice shattered all of Nilu’s “illusions.”

【Bang】

The object in Louis’s hand flared with fire, striking near Nilu’s ear.

And right after came the voice she knew all too well.

“Louis the Twenty-Third! You dumbass! If you’ve got guts, hit me!

Hit me right in the chest!”

In her vision, not far away, Mr. Euclid had appeared, gasping for breath—raising his middle finger at Louis the Twenty-Third.