Chapter 26

After leaving Eterna's room, Flamm headed towards the bedroom. As she did, Ink noticed the footsteps and poked her head out of the door. She was wearing the nightgown that Flamm had bought for her, a soft pink color that accentuated her girlish cuteness. Despite the still painful-looking stitched eyes, Flamm had grown accustomed to them, and Ink's frequent smiles had reduced the negative feelings she once felt.

"Good night, Flamm!"

It seemed she had only poked her head out to say that.

"Good night, Ink."

As she said this, she stroked Ink's head. It had become a habit, something she did for Milkit, and Ink relaxed, her mouth curving into a content smile. She didn't seem to mind it at all. After confirming the position of the doorknob, she closed the door, waving lightly to Flamm, who then entered the bedroom.

Milkit was already in the room, sitting at her desk with a serious expression, pen in hand, and a notebook in front of her. Instead of her usual maid outfit, she was wearing a light green nightgown. This was a rare sight, one that Flamm almost exclusively got to see. Milkit didn't notice Flamm's entrance. Even when Flamm quietly approached and peered over her shoulder, she remained oblivious, so engrossed in her task. It seemed she was practicing her reading and writing. Milkit usually had a smile for Flamm, so seeing her so serious was a rare occurrence. Flamm couldn't help but notice how beautiful her eyes were, and how soft her cheeks looked. These thoughts, though inappropriate, were hard to suppress. Unable to resist the urge to touch, Flamm reached out and slipped her fingers through the bandages, gently touching Milkit's cheek.

"Kyaa!?"

Completely unaware, Milkit jumped with a cute exclamation. Flamm smiled at her reaction.

"Hehe, how are you doing?"

"Ma, Master... If you were already here, you should have said something."

"Since you didn't notice me even when I got this close, I couldn't help but tease you a bit."

"Even so..."

Milkit glared at Flamm with a displeased expression. Compared to before, her emotional expressions had become much richer. Thanks to a better diet, her figure had also become healthier, more rounded. Flamm felt a sense of joy seeing this, knowing that she was enriching both Milkit's heart and body. Even reading and writing, which Milkit was gradually improving at, brought Flamm joy, as if it were her own progress. This happiness was something she had never experienced before, even in her quiet life in the countryside before her journey. She wanted to protect this. She wished for it strongly.

"...Master?"

Flamm, lost in thought, was snapped back to reality by Milkit's voice.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. I was just thinking. Anyway, let's start with this, shall we?"

Saying this, she plopped down on the bed and gestured for Milkit to sit beside her. Milkit complied immediately, sitting so close that their shoulders touched. It was a familiar scene, and Flamm reached out to touch Milkit's face, her hand moving to the back of her neck to untie the bandages. The bandages covering her face were quickly removed, revealing delicate, pale skin, free of the redness that had once been there.

This nightly ritual of removing Milkit's bandages in the privacy of their room had become a routine. At first, it was awkward and took a long time, but now it was a smooth process. Due to the constant bandages, Milkit's skin was completely unaffected by sunlight, a stark contrast to Flamm's roughened skin from her adventurer's life. Flamm felt a mix of envy and guilt, wondering if it was right to keep such beauty to herself. However, the fact that Milkit herself wanted this, and the sense of possession, filled Flamm's heart. She knew she was being selfish, as she claimed to want to expand Milkit's possibilities while doing the opposite. Yet, Flamm found enough value in Milkit to laugh it off.

Even after getting used to it, she never grew tired of it. Every night, Flamm would sigh and be captivated by Milkit's beauty.

"Is it really that enjoyable to look at my face?"

Milkit, blushing and looking down, asked Flamm, who was staring at her intently.

"Yep, it's the highlight of my day."

She answered immediately, and Milkit's blush deepened as she looked away. They had had this exchange many times. Milkit had stopped doubting her master's words and was gradually gaining confidence, though in a skewed way, thinking that her master was just a peculiar person whose preferences happened to align with her face.

"Milkit, you're the cutest today too."

Flamm said this with a playful tone, touching Milkit's cheek and stroking the slave mark with her thumb.

The words, free of doubt, sank deeply into Milkit's heart. The time to melt a frozen heart had long passed. Now, it was time to fill the softened, empty heart with Flamm's colors.

Words, sink deeper.

Feelings, grow until there's no turning back.

The fear of loss, which had been growing, was gradually fading. It was moving from "probably" to "definitely" safe. Yes, this person would never leave her. Through their nightly exchanges, as their emotional roots grew deeper and wider, Milkit's certainty grew stronger.

After that, they chatted idly, smiled at each other, and playfully teased each other—just spending happy time together. At one point, Flamm got up from the bed and looked out the window. Milkit followed her gaze, but all she saw was the darkness of night. However, Flamm seemed to see something, and she approached the window, reaching out and pulling something from the window frame.

"Was something stuck there?"

"...A knife. And a letter is attached to it."

It seemed someone had thrown it at the window from outside. When she opened the paper, it read in messy handwriting:

"Stay inside."

"What's this, a threat? This is nothing new."

Sera had gone missing. Telling her to stay out of it was unreasonable. No matter what, Flamm intended to search for her in town the next day.

"But why attach it to a knife? And the handwriting is so messy..."

"It looks like it was scribbled hastily."

As Milkit pointed out, the writing was rough, and the lines were uneven, as if it wasn't written on a flat surface. Thinking hard, Flamm couldn't figure out who would go to such lengths to warn her.

"Maybe it's a prank from one of Dane's subordinates."

Perhaps it was a warning that they could strike at any time, even though Eterna was there to protect the house.

"Ha... Let's go to bed."

Feeling her mood dampened, Flamm suggested this. Milkit nodded immediately.

"Yes, we need to prepare for tomorrow."

After turning off the lights, they each lay in their beds, exchanging "good night" before closing their eyes. After a while—

Thud... Clatter...

Flamm heard a sound, as if the window frame was shaking. Was she just half-asleep? It wasn't enough to wake her, but in her drowsy state, the sound was unusually clear. As she drifted back into a deeper sleep, the sound faded away and eventually disappeared. It was a trivial memory, one that would be forgotten upon waking.

◇◇◇

The next morning, after finishing breakfast, washing her face, and putting on her usual shirt and hot pants, Flamm left the house with Milkit and Ink. Her goal was to find Sera. She decided to start by retracing Sera's steps and headed to the church in the West District.

Stopping at the gate, she looked up at the church building. Compared to the cathedral in the Central District, it was modestly decorated, old, and small. She could hear a man's voice from inside. Flamm circled around to the side of the building and peeked through a window. Inside, a priest with an anxious expression was preaching, and a group of unusually tough-looking men were listening silently. Dane was sitting in the front row. Indeed, it was a rather unsettling scene. However, as they claimed to be believers and listened seriously, she couldn't ignore them. The priest must have been struggling.

Flamm moved away before being noticed and then went outside the grounds to look at the orphanage next to the church. Children were playing innocently outside the facility. Suddenly, Flamm made eye contact with a little girl. The girl smiled, and Flamm returned the smile, waving slightly. The girl waved back and then ran off to join her friends. The number of children playing was not a small group of five. There was a possibility that the facility had underground sections, but Flamm couldn't investigate alone.

She gave up and turned to the knight's post, observing from a distance. Two knights she didn't recognize were on duty, both looking uneasy and restless, scanning their surroundings. They must have known that the transfer orders given to Ed and Johnny were not normal. Or perhaps rumors of their deaths had already spread. It was understandable to be anxious, as they might be next. However, there was nothing unusual about the area. It was quiet and clean, typical of the West District.

Flamm mentally mapped out the area and started walking in the direction she thought Sera had gone. She left the church, entered a narrow street, and followed the path to the alley. As she approached the wall, the people she encountered looked more menacing, the number of homeless people lying on the streets increased, and the hygiene conditions worsened. She eventually reached the street where the deformed corpse had been found. The distinctive smell hit her nose. Because of the incident, there were few people around the discovery site. However, further down the street, there were makeshift homes made from scrap materials. Sera must have regretted involving civilians and entered a narrow alley. Recalling the placement of the bodies, Flamm walked down the street and found the entrance to a dimly lit alley. She stepped inside and followed the path Sera might have taken. The alley was complex, making it difficult to guess which route she had taken. She decided to methodically search each path, starting from the right side.

After repeating this process at each intersection, Flamm eventually reached a dead end. There were stone walls in front and to the sides, with no escape route. It was a typical cul-de-sac, but—

"This is clearly a sign of a battle."

The walls were marked with numerous cuts, as if made by a sharp blade. The ground also had similar marks. Flamm ran her fingers over the cuts, examining them.

"The depth and width are inconsistent... It's strange if they were all made by the same weapon. Could someone have used magic?"

The sharp blade could have been wind, or perhaps water cut like a knife. Or maybe it was earth. Whoever used it, the scale of the magic suggested a powerful user.

"This wasn't done by Sera. So who...?"

No matter how much she searched, she found no clues. She explored other routes and, after finishing, moved to another area. She searched for Sera's traces until the sun began to set, but ultimately, she couldn't find her. Disappointed, she trudged home. Upon arriving, she opened the door with a weary motion and said in a listless voice, "I'm home..."

Milkit came running and greeted her with a smile.

"Welcome back, Master!"

Flamm smiled in response. Indeed, it was her. Just having her around made Flamm feel—her feelings for Milkit grew stronger every day.

"I was just about to go shopping. What do you want to do, Master?"

She was holding the basket she always took when shopping, having waited for Flamm to return. With her red ribbon at the chest and the maid outfit, she could almost pass for a servant in a wealthy household. In reality, she was Flamm's partner, a fellow adventurer. It was a different outfit from the one Flamm had first bought her, and recently, she had been rotating different maid outfits to please Flamm. However, she was so exhausted that even the sight of her couldn't fully rejuvenate her.

"...Sorry, I'll rest at home."

She wanted to go with her, but her body and mind couldn't keep up.

"Understood. Please rest, Master. Eterna and I will go."

"Take care."

Eterna poked her head out from the living room and said this. Flamm saw them off as they left, then entered the living room and sat in front of Ink, who was playing with a puzzle in one of Flamm's old, oversized shirts.

"Welcome back, Flamm."

"Hey, I'm home."

"How was it? Did you find any leads on Sera?"

"Pretty much nothing. I couldn't find Sera anywhere. I didn't expect to find her in a day, but it was exhausting."

"I see... But I'm sure we'll find her."

"Yep, I think so too."

If she didn't believe it, she couldn't keep going. Flamm, exhausted, leaned on the table. Concerned, Ink paused her puzzle, but then realized the best thing she could do was let Flamm rest. She rolled up her sleeves and resumed her puzzle, being more careful and quieter than usual.

◇◇◇

Milkit and Eterna hurried back home after finishing their shopping. The bag filled with groceries was hanging from Eterna's arm, and Milkit was looking at it guiltily.

"Is it really okay for you to carry it?"

"It's fine. I'm stronger than Milkit."

Eterna flexed her left arm to demonstrate. It was very thin, but her strength stat was over 400, relatively low compared to her other stats, but more than enough for this task.

"Still, it's all the things Master likes."

"I thought I should cheer Master up."

"...Mutual affection."

"It's not like that! I just... I want to give back a little of what Master has given me."

"Devoted."

"I am Master's slave."

She puffed out her chest and placed her hand on it, speaking firmly. It was a happy statement, wasn't it?

"It seems to be a good match for both Flamm and Milkit."

"Yes, definitely."

Their meeting had been in a hellish place. They had survived by chance and supported each other, healing their wounds. Milkit hadn't made any choices; she had just gone with the flow. But sometimes, that flow could lead to a better life.

"Oho? What a rare pair. Troublesome, oh so troublesome, why would the great hero Eterna Linbaugh be siding with such a little girl?"

A man appeared from the alley, spreading his arms and speaking in a theatrical, exaggerated manner. He was tall and slender, with light brown hair. He wasn't in his off-duty mode, wearing a shoulder-strap leather armor. A dagger with a 20 cm blade hung from his waist, a large crossbow was on his back, and a wooden buckler was attached to his arm. The equipment didn't matter much. The issue was who he was—

"Dane Finias...!"

Milkit glared at Dane with unusual hostility. Just being an enemy of her master was enough to stir her emotions.

"That's him."

Eterna said this emotionlessly but concentrated magic in her palm. She didn't let her guard down. People like him could use any underhanded tactics.

"Wait, wait, today's meeting is a coincidence, not a fight. I can gauge the power difference, you know."

"Then why did you come closer?"

"I want to talk. It will be very beneficial for both of us."

"I refuse. Let's go, Eterna."

Eterna nodded, and they tried to pass by Dane without looking at him. But he smirked and spoke in his theatrical tone again.

"Ah, what a shame. Sera Ambiron. Flamm has been running around all day looking for her. Don't you want to know why she disappeared?"

"Sera...!"

Milkit stopped in her tracks.

"...Milkit, don't stop."

"But—"

She had enjoyed the time they spent together. She wanted to find