Chapter 46

Act Age, the Guild Master.

Frederica, who serves under him.

She is the strongest of the magical beasts, created by the hands of the Transcender.

Her mission is but one.

"Listen, Frederica. You are the gatekeeper. If enemies come from outside, you must drive them away. But you must not kill them. Okay?"

Deep within a certain dungeon, at the bottom of the abyss, the Transcender had made his abode.

To guard the dwelling of her master.

That was the mission given to the girl Fenrir, the gatekeeper.

...But, hardly anyone ever visited such a place.

Most people who fell into the abyss were already dead.

Occasionally, there were those who survived by luck.

But...

"Ah...! D-don't come near me, monster!"

"You're going to eat me, aren't you! Don't come near me! Monster..."

They all rejected Frederica.

Despite healing them and saving their lives, not a single one expressed gratitude.

All of them directed hostility and fear towards her.

Even though she had saved them...

She spent what felt like an eternity alone.

Her master, the Transcender, had never once come out to check on her.

Frederica is the gatekeeper.

She is not allowed to enter the mansion.

Neither her master nor the humans who fell into the abyss... none of them showed any kindness towards Frederica.

No one ever paid her any attention.

She was so lonely... but she was not allowed to die.

"I'm lonely..."

How many thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of times had she whispered this?

Perhaps the gods finally heard the words of the Fenrir, for one day, "he" fell into the abyss.

The boy with black hair... but he was in tatters.

"..."

After confirming that the boy was still breathing, she healed him.

There was no special emotion.

She was just following her master's orders to drive him away.

Click... he opened his eyes.

He had mysterious, golden eyes.

"Hey, you."

"......Huh?"

At first, she didn't realize he was speaking to her.

"Did you save me?"

Frederica was greatly surprised.

The people she had saved had all been shocked by her appearance and had shown hostility.

But she felt none of that from the boy in front of her.

"Y-Yes... I guess."

"Is that so? Thank you. I'm grateful."

What was even more surprising was that he bowed his head and thanked her.

"..."

He was a mysterious boy.

Why wasn't he afraid of her?

Why was he thanking her?

"Why are you crying?"

"Eh...?"

She realized she was shedding tears.

"Why are you crying? Did something sad happen?"

"No... it's not that... this... I'm happy..."

Ah, she said it out loud and realized it.

For the first time, she had been thanked.

For the first time, she had been treated as an equal, not as a monster, and had a conversation.

It made her truly happy.

"What's your name?"

"Frederica... that's my name."

"I'm Act Age. An adventurer... sort of."

He said he had been expelled from the guild recently and was now a solo adventurer.

"Frederica, what are you doing here?"

Asked by Act, Frederica's expression darkened.

"I'm not doing anything... just here... always... alone..."

Her master's order was to drive away any enemies who came.

But after waiting for centuries, no enemies targeting the Transcender had ever appeared.

Chasing away the occasional visitors was just boring... and above all, lonely.

"I see. So you're just wasting time, then."

"Wh-What?"

As she cried, Act said this to her.

"That's perfect. Frederica, lend me your strength."

"Eh? Ah? Eh...?"

"I can sense a vast amount of magic power from you. And the healing power that healed me instantly... it would be very useful."

Act approached the Fenrir without hesitation and extended his hand.

"Such great power, if not used, is a waste. I'll use it. So, come with me."

He looked straight at the Fenrir.

"I need you, Frederica."

Frederica shed tears and bowed her head.

It was the first time someone had needed her.

His eyes, though sharp, were also very warm.

He must have felt sympathy for her loneliness.

Before she knew it, Frederica had used a human transformation spell and turned into a beautiful girl.

"Master Act, please take me with you."

She took Act's hand and nodded.

He roughly wiped the tears from her eyes.

"But, Master Act, I want to go with you, but I have a master, and I cannot leave without permission."

"Is that so? Then let's go see him."

Act tried to enter the mansion without hesitation.

"Please wait! My master... he said not to let anyone in here..."

"I'm not an enemy. I'm a guest who came to see him. Can't you tell the difference between a guest and an enemy?"

"But..."

He strode confidently into the mansion.

Not knowing what to do, Frederica followed him, confused.

His confident steps were truly impressive.

Frederica was impressed by his fearlessness in the face of the unknown.

At the bottom of the abyss, guarded by such a monster, the master must be a terrifying presence. Normally, one would hesitate to approach.

"Master Act, aren't you afraid?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I'm afraid. But cowering in fear won't get me anywhere. The only way to open a path is to move forward without hesitation."

"..."

His words pierced her heart, which had been unable to leave that place for a long time.

"If you're going to serve me, never stop again. Don't show a pitiful face. Got it?"

His words were harsh, but she could feel his genuine concern for her.

Thump... her heart skipped a beat.

What was this feeling? She tilted her head.

Eventually, they reached the door of the Transcender's room.

"..."

Frederica bowed her head and trembled.

Her master had strictly ordered her not to let anyone in.

But she had allowed the intruder to enter.

Thinking about the punishment that awaited her, her feet stopped, and her body shook.

"Hmph, you dog. Did you forget my words already?"

He ruffled Frederica's hair.

"You belong to me now. No one, no matter who, will take anything from me."

...Her heart clenched.

And finally, she realized her feelings.

"What's wrong with you? Wagging your tail like that?"

"No... Master Act. No, Master."

Thinking back, she had been drawn to him from the moment they met.

"You're getting ahead of yourself. The master is still inside, right?"

"No, my body and heart are already yours. Please take me away from the previous master inside."

"Of course, that was my intention. Let's go, Frederica."

"Yes, my master."

...After that, he met the Transcender, gained his favor, and received power and knowledge.

Since then, Frederica has served as Act Age's maid.

His guild, "The Raw Stone of Heaven."

A gathering place for the weak who have nowhere to go.

To make them grow strong so they never have to suffer again and to help them spread their wings.

A guild for the expelled, created to embody his ideals.

A world where the weak are not trampled upon.

Such ideals were too high.

No one could achieve them.

No one would have even tried.

...If not for this, the kindest of all.

Still, Master Act strives to achieve his goal.

Since meeting Frederica, he has never once looked back or stopped.

She can see his figure from the best seat right behind him.

What a blessed thing it is.

That's why she wants to serve him until the end.

【※To All Readers: A Very Important Request】

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