Ch.2929. Maid Findenai

# One week after the entrance ceremony at Robern Academy.

Despite the short time, numerous rumors were circulating around the academy, most of them unpleasant.

Particularly, the story of a twisted man appearing on the right staircase of the third floor was the hottest issue recently.

Even though the faculty had explicitly forbidden access to the area, curious students kept going there and getting injured.

There were also stories about a woman walking around completely soaked, an old lady offering candy, a grotesque figure with torn skin, and a man crawling on his arms without legs.

Countless tales of evil spirits were spreading, and there were plenty of people who claimed to have seen them.

The second floor of the women’s dormitory was completely off-limits, and rumors occasionally surfaced that this was because students had fallen into comas after encounters with evil spirits during the break.

As students’ trust in Robern Academy plummeted and more requested to quit or take leaves of absence daily, another unfavorable rumor emerged.

“Really? For real?”

“Yeah, I saw it myself! It was a maid.”

This time, it was about a scantily-clad maid appearing at the academy.

“Hmm?”

Erika Bright, who was already suffering from a headache, wondered what this new rumor was about.

Thinking it was just another baseless rumor or perhaps another strange evil spirit, Erika tried to ignore it, but…

“My, what a nice place you work at.”

When a white-haired, red-eyed maid rudely burst through Erika’s research room door, even Erika couldn’t help but gape in shock.

The maid’s skirt was so short that the slightest movement would reveal her underwear, and her chest was so exposed that the outfit was completely inappropriate for work.

Students who had followed Findenai peeked through the doorway, but when Erika waved her hand, the door slammed shut with a bang.

“Who are you?”

Erika didn’t hide her displeasure at the sudden intrusion, and the assistant professors with her stood up with incredulous expressions.

“My master. That is, Deus sent me.”

At that nonchalantly uttered name, the entire research room seemed to freeze.

The name Deus was practically taboo in Erika’s presence.

Erika’s displeasure vanished, replaced by bewilderment as she glanced at the assistant professors and said:

“P-please disperse the students outside.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“We’ll leave right away!”

Realizing they shouldn’t be present, the assistant professors quickly opened the door and went outside.

They began dispersing the students who had gathered to see Findenai.

Bang.

After the door closed, Findenai continued indifferently:

“Well, he didn’t specifically tell me to find you. He just said to get help from any professor.”

“Help? Has he… has that person accepted the reinstatement as professor?”

“I heard he would. He told me to come ahead and make preparations.”

“……”

Erika felt utterly conflicted. In the end, she hadn’t found even a clue about the evil spirits trying to kill Deus.

What’s done is done.

Erika took a calming breath and asked Findenai:

“So what exactly do you need me to do?”

“Ah, before that. Where’s the most troublesome evil spirit appearing right now?”

“…Evil spirit?”

“Yes, I need to check something.”

Erika hesitated briefly before explaining about the third-floor right corridor.

“There’s a twisted man there. Many students get hurt when they go there.”

“A twisted man? Perfect! Let’s go right away.”

Findenai abruptly turned and flung the door open. Thanks to the assistant professors’ efforts, the students had already dispersed.

Erika followed, grabbing her coat from the rack.

“I’ll be back shortly. Continue with your work.”

“Yes, professor.”

Erika’s head was already aching at the thought of how much the assistant professors would gossip after she left.

After all, her ex-fiancé’s maid had just shown up in an incredibly revealing outfit.

She felt a bit annoyed.

“Excuse me, but why are you dressed like that?”

When Erika cautiously probed, Findenai casually replied:

“I heard it’s the master’s preference.”

“…Pardon?”

This year—no, perhaps in her entire life—this was among the top five most shocking pieces of information Erika had ever received.

“Y-y-you’re saying he likes that sort of thing? Wait, are we talking about the same Deus I know?”

“Yes. The younger brother of the Count of Norsweden, the second son of the Verdi family, Deus Verdi. He’s quite famous in Norsweden as a playboy, you know? He even sexually harassed his sister.”

“N-n-no! What nonsense! Do you know how gentlemanly and handsome he is?! Are you really his maid? Are you lying?”

“You’ll find out later. I’m just relaying the facts. Though I admit, he doesn’t seem like that type to me either. But apparently, he was like that until half a year ago.”

“No, that can’t be…”

Erika felt dizzy on top of her headache. Watching her, Findenai smiled mischievously.

“But you broke off the engagement, right? I heard you kicked him out yourself. Is it appropriate to call him handsome?”

“…Please keep that a secret.”

To him, she was nothing but a traitor.

A piece of trash who got tired of a fiancé who treated his life carelessly and betrayed him for another man.

She didn’t want to tell Deus that she was a victim too.

After all, she had hurt him.

“Alright, then I’ll tell you a secret too.”

“…What is it?”

She wondered if there could be anything more shocking than what she’d already heard.

But Findenai’s words were truly shocking:

“One of our maids has licked the master’s butt. Hehe, amazing, right?”

“N-n-n-no! Stop lying! You’re just making things up, aren’t you? I absolutely don’t believe that!”

The Deus she knew was noble, composed, and cool-headed in any situation.

The thought of such a man rolling around in bed with a scantily-clad maid doing such things…

Erika’s face turned bright red, and she felt like dunking her head in cold water.

She herself was known for being cool and meticulous at the academy, but the information she was receiving now made her throw up her hands in disbelief.

“Well, believe what you want.”

Findenai giggled, enjoying Erika’s reaction.

They had arrived at the third-floor corridor and moved past the barricade set up by the academy.

“Oh.”

The moment they entered, the air itself seemed to change—sticky, damp, and ominous.

[Kee, keegik! Keegigik!]

And a man with a twisted body began walking toward them with strange steps, making sounds like something broken.

“What do you plan to do?”

Erika, who had regained her composure due to the tension, asked. Findenai pulled out a rod about a hand’s length from her maid uniform pocket.

Click!

It extended and took the shape of an axe. Findenai rested it on her shoulder and answered:

“Exorcism. I learned a bit by watching.”

“Exor…cism?”

Findenai grinned and began:

“You see, the master said this: all evil spirits hide their grudges and resentments deep inside.”

[Keegik! Keegigik!]

“But they actually want someone to understand them. Especially those with exaggeratedly twisted or damaged bodies tend to crave attention.”

As if she had really learned something from Deus, Findenai gently extended her hand toward the evil spirit.

“How about it? Tell me what you want to say. I’ll listen to everything.”

Having seen Deus do this with Emily, Findenai thought she could do it too.

[Keegigik! Keegik! Keegigigik!]

“Yes, I see.”

[Keegigigik!]

“Hmm.”

[Keegugigik! Keegagak!]

“You bastard! Speak properly!”

Whack!

The twisted evil spirit was struck by the axe and flew into the wall. Sprawled on the floor, it writhed like an insect in agony.

“This bastard, I was being nice and asking him to talk.”

Findenai rested the axe on her shoulder and snorted. Behind her, Erika gaped in astonishment and asked:

“W-wait. Weren’t you understanding it?”

“Huh? Can you understand that thing? How am I supposed to have a conversation with something making sounds like a knife being sharpened? These types need a beating.”

But more importantly:

“How can you hit it? No matter how much we tried, our attacks never worked.”

To that, Findenai pointed to her axe and confidently replied:

“The master did something to my axe. I don’t know the details. He told me not to tell anyone else.”

The eerie energy faintly emanating from the axe—

As a Mage, Erika immediately recognized it as a form of Black Magic, but she kept her mouth shut.

‘That person did that?’

Erika’s hope that Deus might not be a necromancer was bursting like a bubble.

But whether aware of her thoughts or not, Findenai stretched and turned her attention to the opposite side of the evil spirit.

Thud!

“And when he gave me this, he said to use it only in the most dire situations. That I shouldn’t mess with evil spirits carelessly.”

“…Wait. You came straight to me and—”

Thud!

Thud!

“Yeah, I’m the cute little maid who doesn’t listen to the master.”

Thud!

Thud!

Erika had heard this sound before.

These were footsteps.

Footsteps echoing from the lower floor, accompanied by students’ screams, reaching the third floor.

“Tell me why he said not to mess with them.”

Though she seemed to know the reason, Erika deliberately asked. Findenai shrugged and took a combat stance.

“He said a terrifying swordsman who protects the evil spirits would come.”

Thud!

A one-armed swordsman appeared on the third-floor central staircase as if leaping up.

[Kraaaah!]

He let out a terrifying cry and charged straight at Findenai.

“Oh.”

Findenai raised her axe and struck an elegant pose with a smile.

“So it’s you?”