Chapter 8

――Well, a few days after the incident at the Flame Ox Palace.

“Un, un”

Koi was called to do odd jobs as a maid once again today.

Incidentally, today’s workplace is also the Flame Ox Palace.

She is in the kitchen of the palace.

“But you work so hard…”

“…Yes.”

“Amazing stamina…”

The palace maids were whispering to each other from a distance as they watched Koi carrying a bag of flour on her shoulder.

Her task today is to clean the kitchen.

She was tidying up the cooking utensils and ingredients in the kitchen with quick, efficient movements.

“Somehow, you look like you’re enjoying it.”

At that moment, a woman entered the kitchen.

The palace maids, who had been watching Koi from a distance, were suddenly flustered by her appearance.

“Lady Jin Hua!”

She was dressed in luxurious attire, with her flaxen hair tied up.

Her makeup was natural, enhancing her elegant beauty.

Her lips were painted red.

Her body was well-endowed.

She had a somewhat ethereal aura.

(…That’s… Lady Jin Hua, the Empress of the Flame Ox Palace.)

Of course, she represents the state as an empress.

She is bound to be beautiful.

“To come to such a place… Are you feeling better now?”

“Yes, I’ve caused you all worry.”

She must have experienced a lot of shocking events recently.

The mysterious deaths that occurred frequently within her palace.

Her direct subordinate, the deputy head maid, was arrested as a suspect in those incidents.

She must have been under a lot of stress.

“Thank you. I was indeed shocked, but now that the incident has been resolved, I feel relieved.”

With a brave smile, Lady Jin Hua then turned her gaze towards Koi.

“You are the maid Koi, right? I’ve heard about you.”

…Is it a good rumor or a bad one?

Koi tensed up, but Lady Jin Hua smiled with kindness.

“I hear you’ve been doing various jobs here at the Flame Ox Palace recently. Thank you.”

That’s good—it’s a good rumor.

Koi felt relieved.

However, to come and greet a maid like this, she must be a good person.

“What are you doing today?”

“Yes, cleaning and organizing the kitchen…”

While talking, Koi continued to work with her hands.

“And pest control.”

“Pests?”

“Yes, ah, there it is.”

Koi pointed to the wall behind Lady Jin Hua.

Naturally, everyone, including the maids, turned their gaze in that direction.

On the white wall of the kitchen, there was a black mass.

An oval-shaped body with two antennae that wiggled from side to side.

Long, thin legs that stuck to the wall.

It was, of course, a cockroach—a common pest in the kitchen.

“K…Kyaah!”

As soon as they saw the insect, the maids and the empress screamed.

Reacting to their screams, the cockroach began to crawl up the wall, trying to escape.

In an instant, Koi leaped.

Kicking off the floor, she easily jumped over Lady Jin Hua’s head—

“Here!”

With a *smack*!

She hit the cockroach on the wall with the rag in her hand.

Then, she quickly rolled it up to make it disappear.

The maids were amazed by Koi’s skillful move.

Her agility was honed from her life in the mountains and playing with her father.

Her graceful movements were learned from watching her mother dance.

“You have a lot of courage.”

“I would freeze and be unable to move just by seeing that insect…”

The maids were impressed by Koi, who had instantly killed the cockroach.

“It’s nothing once you get used to it. However, cockroaches are common in the kitchen and can appear from anywhere.”

Koi then crouched down and started rummaging under the cooking counter.

“What are you looking for?”

Lady Jin Hua crouched down and asked Koi.

“Actually, when I came to work here for another job a few days ago, I set up a pest trap… Ah, here it is.”

Koi pulled out a jar.

It was something she found in the palace’s storage.

She put sugar water in the small-mouthed jar and coated the rim with oil.

This simple trap was effective against cockroaches.

“It’s a simple trap, but when there are many cockroaches, many of them get caught… Oh!”

Koi showed the contents of the jar with amazement.

“Look, I caught so many! It feels great!”

The jar was filled with a mass of cockroaches.

Naturally, upon seeing this, Lady Jin Hua and the maids fainted and fell to the ground.

◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆

“Alright, today’s work is done!”

After finishing the day’s work and getting the signature on the report, Koi was on her way back.

She left the Flame Ox Palace and headed towards the maid’s dormitory.

On the way—

“Hey, Koi.”

“Ah, Bakuray, it’s been a while.”

Koi encountered Bakuray.

“On patrol duty?”

“No, my shift just ended.”

Since then, Koi hasn’t been called for any missions as an Exorcist.

It’s been a while since Koi and Bakuray met.

Bakuray then said, “Koi, I’m glad I ran into you. There’s a mock combat training session at the guard’s training facility now. Quite a few guards are gathered there.”

“Huh?”

What’s the point of that?

Koi tilted her head in confusion—

“Why don’t you come along?”

“…Huh?”

Bakuray invited her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆

Koi, led by Bakuray, was taken out of the harem and brought to a place within the castle grounds.

They arrived at one of the military facilities.

It had a rough and dirty atmosphere, a place that was truly for men, the complete opposite of the harem.

“Wow… Oh!”

Weapons used by the guards and various training equipment were scattered everywhere.

Seeing them, Koi felt a bit nostalgic.

She recognized some of the weapons her father had talked about and shown her.

Eventually, they arrived at the training ground.

From inside, the shouts of the men and the sounds of something colliding could be heard.

When Bakuray opened the door, many guards were already gathered inside, as expected, practicing sparring.

“What were you doing, Bakuray! The training has already started!”

“I just finished my shift, cut me some slack!”

One of the guards scolded Bakuray harshly, but Bakuray didn’t back down.

This gorilla is really full of energy—Koi thought to herself.

On the other hand, the guards inside the training ground—tough, muscular men—were looking at Koi curiously.

“Huh? Who’s that?”

A guard who approached Bakuray tilted his head when he noticed Koi.

“She’s a maid from the harem.”

“Why is a maid here… Are you going to make her clean?”

“No, I’m going to have her participate in the training.”

The guard was taken aback by Bakuray’s serious face.

“She’s a maid, but she’s quite skilled. I thought it would be interesting.”

Instantly, the training ground erupted in laughter.

Everyone was laughing out loud.

“What? What’s so funny?”

“Well, of course it is.”

Koi calmly whispered in response to Bakuray’s confusion.

Inviting a maid to a military training session is a cruel joke, even as a joke.

Moreover, he was serious about having her participate.

She thought it was just for observation.

“Hey, maid, sorry.”

The guard, who was rubbing his eyes, bowed his head to Koi.

“This guy is a bit lacking in that area.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“What do you mean?”

While calming down the agitated Bakuray, Koi said—

“But it’s fine, I’ll participate.”

The moment she said that, the commotion in the room stopped.

The men looked at Koi with suspicious eyes.

“I haven’t done any exercise outside of work for a while.”

“Are you serious?”

The guard, who started stretching, said with a mocking tone.

“You might end up with more than just a few bruises, miss.”

“I’m fine.”

I was born and raised in the mountains.

Scratches and cuts are a part of daily life.

I’m not afraid of them anymore.

“Hey… Bakuray, since you brought her, you should be responsible for stopping her—”

Seeing that Koi was not intimidated at all, the guard probably found it troublesome.

He shifted the conversation to Bakuray—right then.

“I’ll do it. I’ll be her opponent.”

In the center of the training ground, a man stepped forward.

He was a large, imposing figure with a shaved head and a beard.

“Hey, Maruya.”

“I’ll show you how serious the world of military officers is.”