‘Well, let’s think. A way to persuade that nasty director!’

I raised the corners of my mouth sinisterly as I thought about countermeasures.

‘If the director’s prepared trap really is an illusion maze…’

How should I deal with it?

I hurried into the bookshelf.

My footsteps were as grand as my busy mental state. The noisy shoes my father put on my tiny feet to keep me from getting lost were making popping sounds as I moved.

Pop. Pop.

After roaming the bookshelves for a while, moving my round hands and feet this way and that! At last, I managed to grab a book about illusion magic.

The title was simply “Illusion Magic”, but it contained some pretty good secret techniques inside.

It didn’t specifically tell how to escape an illusion maze, but it did describe one method to break free from illusion magic. Since an illusion maze would function based on illusion magic, there were a few more methods.

‘I need a mirror artifact.’

Mirror artifacts should be low-grade artifacts scattered around everywhere. Alright, I can pick one up somewhere…

‘If I get a mirror, all that’s left is for me to endure the methods of the .’

After putting the book down with a thud, I scurried back to where Leonhart was sitting. Until then, Leonhart had been staring at my feet as if they were strange.

“What’s that sound coming from your feet? Are they shackles?”

“Daddy gave them to me!”

Leonhart sighed, bringing his hand to his mouth.

“…Hah.”

I tilted my head with wide eyes. Why was he sighing?

“As expected…”

What did he mean by ‘as expected’, and why were his eyes reddening?

‘Is he missing his own parents because I mentioned my dad gave these to me?’

That must be it!

I looked at him with sympathetic eyes. Leonhart muttered something like ‘As expected of Young Master Matthias’ and rubbed his face.

He also said something about ‘having to save’, but I wasn’t sure what he meant.

After glancing at Leonhart, who was mumbling to himself for a while, I rested my chin on one hand, pressing against my plump cheek.

It must be hard for Leonhart as an adopted child, but now wasn’t the time to worry about him. I had to find a way to escape the illusion maze.

As I pondered, I thought of the happy life with my father that was firmly rooted in my heart, and smiled softly.

Seeing the dimples forming on my cheeks as I smiled, Leonhart suddenly spoke.

“Why are you smiling so cutely? Thinking about cake?”

“No. Am I cute? I’m a ‘grown-up’!”

“…You’re too short to be a grown-up. Your hands and feet are small too.”

I shook my head vigorously.

…Leonhart, who was so kind it made my initial fear seem ridiculous, tilted his head.

I chuckled softly and held his hand tight.

“Anyway, thank you for telling me! Friend!”

Leonhart is a good kid.

That’s how he was imprinted in my heart.

He shook his head embarrassedly while looking at me, but he didn’t let go of my hand.

I stared at his black leather mask that resembled the night sky and tilted my head a few times.

***

At that very moment, Lilmy, Sien’s disciplinary officer, was having a secret meeting with the director of the academy.

The situation was unfolding just as Leonhart had predicted.

They were sitting face to face in a secret reception room inside the academy, discussing how to deal with Sien and Matthias.

The white-haired director, with his legs crossed, asked with a vile smile.

“There have been frequent reports about Sien Mirmode.”

“Yes.”

Although Sien was still young, she was too intelligent. There was enough potential for her to become a dangerous element if she grew just a little more.

He cleared his throat and said.

“She’s the daughter of an exile, yet she’s young and brazen.”

Even so, she’d die with one swing when Lord Axel returns, that daughter of an exile… He had been grumbling steadily since entering the director’s office, and spoke again.

“You’re right. Young Master Matthias seems to have brought quite an insolent daughter.”

“Now, we should deal with her immediately…”

The director cut him off sharply, looking at Lilmy with piercing eyes.

“You stay quiet and step back. I’m planning to test her with illusion magic.”

He smirked.

There’s only one chance to crush a child.

Children of the Mirmode family are obligated to take a test from the director once.

No one could interfere in that situation.

“She’s the daughter of an ‘exile’ and has angered you, so we should nip it in the bud, shouldn’t we?”

“…”

“And.”

“Yes?”

“There was an order from the Elder Council to legally dispose of Matthias’s daughter.”

He smiled maliciously, having sorted out all the plans in his mind.

The director had bloodied his hands many times under the Elder Council’s command.

Although from an exiled background with clipped wings, Matthias couldn’t be underestimated. The director knew what kind of evil deeds Matthias Mirmode had been committing until now.

But so what if that was the case?

They had cultivated their power, and Matthias already had a record of defeat once.

‘We need to crush the bud.’

Starting with his daughter, Sien Mirmode. If they crushed his daughter, he wouldn’t even dare to think of raising his eyes.

“Then, when are you thinking of doing it?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Pardon?”

“There’s no reason to give them time to prepare, is there?”

What would the face of a father look like watching his daughter go berserk?

The thought made a smile bloom on his face.

‘Having once lowered your tail and run away, you dare to come back and stir up the family, so you deserve punishment.’

Just like before, everyone will turn a blind eye.

The weak are eaten alive by nature.

That was the law of Mirmode.

“It might be good to kill her outright.”

“It has happened often in tests before.”

“Indeed.”

Thinking it might be quite interesting, the director smiled with intrigue.

“For now, I’ll send spies to the North Tower.”

Their gazes met in midair.

The sound of malicious laughter spread throughout the room.

***

In the early dawn of that day, there was an intrusion into the North Tower where Sien and Matthias were staying, taking advantage of the eerie atmosphere. It was two assassins sent by the director.

“Did you handle it properly?”

“Of course.”

As befitting excellent assassins trained by the director, they were able to properly enter the North Tower. They were skilled enough to drug and put to sleep the two half-hearted knights guarding the tower.

Inside the tower, in the corridor.

“What about Young Master Matthias?”

“I’ve confirmed. He’s on the judgment stand. He’s left the tower for the successor test.”

Without Matthias, who was known as the God of War, it seemed doable enough.

The first plan was to properly infiltrate, kidnap Sien, and send her to the director. It was to create fear before the test.

But the opponent was Matthias Mirmode.

Because there was a possibility of being caught by him, they had also prepared a second plan in case the kidnapping plan didn’t work out as intended.

It was to pretend to visit to deliver a message. Although it might raise suspicion because it was nighttime, this was Mirmode. A villainous family known for sending messages and assassins day and night.

“What about the maids?”

“We just need to put the maids to sleep properly. We put the knights to sleep, so why couldn’t we do the same to mere maids?”

“I heard the maids here are a bit different.”

“Even so, a maid is just a maid.”

One of the assassins running quickly down the corridor while holding their breath suddenly asked as if remembering something.

After chuckling for a while, they looked down at the message from the director in their pocket and laughed.

And then…

They could see two maids standing guard in front of Sien’s room door.

No, to be more precise−.

They encountered maids who were 180cm tall with muscles rivaling those of any bodybuilder, looking at them with a menacing aura.

But it’s okay.

Because they have the sleeping potion specially made by the director!

The assassins hurriedly took out the sleeping potion from their pockets and splashed it onto the maids’ faces with a ‘splash’.

“What is this?”

“What the hell…!”

They heard gruff curses, but it didn’t matter. Because those maids would soon fall asleep.

…However, their expectations were instantly shattered.

“The, the sleeping potion doesn’t work?”

One maid irritably grabbed both assassins by the collar at the same time.

“Ah, what are these anchovy-like bastards? All skin and bones without any muscle!”

The other maid was even more sinister.

“Lady Sien will wake up. Be quiet.”

“Right.”

Unlike other fragile maids, these maids in front of them weren’t afraid of them at all.

Crack, crack.

…The sound of joints cracking could be heard from one side.

But it’s okay!

They’re just maids and we’re assassins! So, so! It should be fine!

…However, a few minutes later.

The assassins with black eyes fell to the floor.

The joints of one arm were broken and the other arm was almost tattered.

Their Achilles tendons were even cut to prevent them from running away.

In just a few minutes, they were completely defeated.

“What kind of maids are these?”

“That’s my sentiment.”

The maids frowned while clapping their palms.

They should be grateful it was us who caught them. Who knows what dangerous traps Young Master Matthias might have set up to prevent spies from infiltrating the room of his beloved daughter.

“Be thankful you encountered us, brother.”

“That’s right.”

The maids laughed eerily, showing off their pectoral muscles that had grown incredibly large thanks to the protein Sien had given them.

Not forgetting to stomp hard on the fallen rascals.

Then the maid remembered she had forgotten the most important thing.

“Lady Sien will praise us, right?”

They suddenly found themselves thinking that these unlucky bastards were likeable.

They had properly earned merit, so they would get protein powder and also win the heart of Lady Sien, who was as cute as a soft rice cake.

It was truly the best day ever.

***

The next day, with eyes as red as a rabbit’s from studying day and night, I witnessed a strange sight.

While my father was out on a brief inspection, some unknown people had infiltrated the North Tower.

But…

“What is all this, sisters?”

“They are intruders, my lady.”

The muscular maid sisters, like jailers escorting criminals, had the men tied up in a line and made them kneel before me.

I was shocked to see ten men wearing black masks kneeling in a row in front of me.

‘They’re all bleeding!’

However, unlike my surprise, the maid sisters were strong.

“How dare these scoundrels think of entering Lady Sien’s bedroom!”

“Huff, we gave them a proper beating.”

“Huk… Are, are they okay?”

‘They’re not dead, right?’

I asked if ‘those masked uncles’ were okay, but the maid sisters said proudly.

“Hah… They’re fine.”

“As expected, Lady Sien is always worried about us…”

…The sisters sometimes had serious misunderstandings.

It seems like I would never have to worry about the muscular maid sisters…

“Don’t worry! Usually, 17:1 is easy for us.”

“This time too, the special training after eating Lady Sien’s palm tree fruit was effective! Plus, you always provide us with healthy food…”

As they approached me with tears in their eyes, one of the masked men, whose face was surely swollen even though it was covered, let out a single scream.

“No, what’s this? Are these maids or monsters!”

“Shut up, or do you want your third leg crushed too?”

“These weaklings without any muscle are getting cocky.”

Listening to their conversation, I inwardly broke out in a sweat.

‘These sisters are scary…’

Although the thug who was scolded by the maid sisters shut his mouth, another thug whose eyes were probably as black as night burst out in frustration.

“We just came to deliver a message from the director!”

The maid sisters and I exchanged glances.

“Then why were you trying to sneak into my room? Why are your faces covered?”

“Th-that’s…”

“Shall we dispose of these ill-mannered fellows right away, Lady Sien?”

I shook my head and asked.

“Dispose of them next week, no, later!”

I didn’t say not to dispose of them.

I frowned even more sternly and said.

“Tell me. What is the director’s message?”

“W-well…”

They pulled out a letter from their pocket, sweating and bleeding profusely.