Tilea's Worries

"How boring, how utterly dull. I feel like I'm going to die of boredom."

Camilla muttered her complaints as she made her way home from the magic academy.

The lessons at the academy, the exams, the practicals—they were all so low-level that they gave her hives. At first, she thought they were mocking her. But no, the teachers and students alike were genuinely serious about accepting such a low standard.

If this continues, I'll lose my mind soon.

Thinking that, she decided to find her own amusement to make her academy life more bearable. She tried out various things, and eventually, she found an intriguing toy.

Elizabeth, was it? A human who took pride in her meager talents and a mere human noble title. Amusing.

When she teased and played with her, Elizabeth gave interesting reactions. The more she provoked her, the more assassins Elizabeth sent. Especially when she sent a traitor, Camilla laughed out loud for the first time in a while.

For a weakling, she was entertaining. Not useful as a combatant, but perfect as a toy for the Evil God Army. Or so she thought...

But lately, Elizabeth has become quite dull!

First off, she doesn't even try to oppose me at the academy anymore. The boredom is particularly unbearable there.

Hurry up and send some more assassins to entertain me!

What made it worse was the decline in the quality of the assassins. The ones that periodically attacked her outside the academy were nothing but weaklings. She had even encouraged them to come at her seriously, but had they already given up?

Breaking a few fingers wasn't enough, huh? Maybe a good toss to give her a little shock—no, Elizabeth is too fragile. Even though I'm getting better at controlling my strength, using judo might still kill her.

Elizabeth is an important toy that adds spice to my school life. It would be a problem if she broke too easily.

Perhaps breaking a few more fingers would be best. I'll take a few more next time we meet.

With her plans for Elizabeth decided, she turned her attention to the humans around her.

The dolls on either side of her, Anasie and Miless, had been having the same conversation over and over since morning.

Miless kept apologizing to Anasie. She had mentioned being unable to attend the academy because of her debts. So Camilla had ordered Anasie to pay off the debt. And while they were at it, she changed Miless's title because it sounded awkward.

After hearing this and that from Miless, when she found out it was all because of Camilla's orders, Miless was wide-eyed with surprise.

"Wait, so Camilla-sama saved me?"

"Indeed. Miless, you are my doll. I won't allow you to leave the academy on your own."

"Oh, I see. Thank you, Camilla-sama."

Then the conversation turned to titles, and Anasie mentioned he would be demoted to baron. I don't care about human titles, but "Baron" does have a nicer ring to it than "Count."

I agreed immediately.

Anasie looked pleased.

He must be desperate to earn my favor. Though he's an inferior species, his devotion is commendable. If he continues to serve loyally, I might even keep him close as one of my confidants.

As she thought about this...

Hmm? What is this...?

The killing intent around her thickened.

Are they planning to strike here?

She had been aware of someone following her since she left the academy. But there were still people around, so she expected the attack to come in a more secluded area.

"Camilla-sama, is something the matter?"

Noticing her change in expression, Anasie asked, concerned.

"The assassins' intent has shifted. Anasie, protect Miless."

"More assassins! Curse you, Elizabeth! If it comes to this, I'll use all the power of the Anasie family to kill that woman!"

Anasie snarled, baring his teeth in fury.

His anger was palpable.

In truth, the Anasie family was close in rank to Elizabeth's high nobility. He himself was supposedly quite capable.

Not that Camilla could tell, his level was far too low.

According to the intelligence reports, Anasie was identified as a high-ranking individual. If he were to act seriously, the outcome was predictable.

He would destroy my toy.

"Anasie, it's good that you're fired up, but listen first. These assassins are my prey. Your job is to protect what I own."

"B-but..."

"Do you understand?!"

"Y-yes, ma'am."

After bringing Anasie to heel, Camilla focused on sensing the assailants.

Hmm, they're different from the usual riffraff. Their stealth skills aren't bad. Well, for humans, that is.

Might be worth some amusement.

"Come out, then. I'll be the one to judge you."

"Hah! Not bad, noticing our tail!"

Two men emerged, looking somewhat surprised.

Their eyes gleamed with the focus of hawks zeroing in on their prey. Their gait, their mannerisms, and above all, the murderous intent clinging to them easily betrayed their profession.

Assassins...

They've probably killed at least a thousand people. The negative energy of those deaths clings to them like a shroud.

By human standards, they're probably top-tier.

But, so what?

In terms of demons—no, best not to think about it. If I measure them by that standard, I won't enjoy this at all.

Remember your sister's words.

"Make an uninteresting academy interesting."

Ah, such profound wisdom.

If it's boring, then I just need to make it interesting. My sister always guides me.

"So, what will you show me? Entertain me."

"Heh, you've got guts, silver-haired missy. But this isn't the place. Why don't you come to a back alley?"

"No need for that. I'll finish this in an instant."

"Heh, just like the intel said, you're all talk."

"You'll see soon enough whether it's just talk. Now, come at me."

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy. You might have some skill, but you sure you want to fight here? Your precious friends might get caught up in it."

At a snap of their fingers, more thugs appeared from the shadows.

Clearly their lackeys. These trash just keep coming out of the woodwork.

Anasie and Miless were visibly tense at the situation. The difference in experience with professional killers was apparent; their movements were stiff.

Anasie was handling it better, but Miless was in trouble. She was too overwhelmed by the atmosphere to even think of running.

What to do?

Camilla glanced behind her.

A powerful figure stood perfectly still, blending into the background. One of her personal guards was always assigned to protect her dolls, Anasie and Miless, taking turns on watch.

After Miless was nearly harmed last time, Camilla had put measures in place. She couldn't tolerate others soiling her dolls without her permission.

Today's guard was her right hand, Nielsen. A most formidable protector.

Should she leave this to Nielsen?

No, that's not an option. Since they're in hiding, she didn't want to expose Nielsen too much.

Should she wipe them out with a wide-area spell?

No, that won't do either.

I'm in the middle of a self-imposed challenge. I don't want to use magic. Besides, it's been a while since I've had a decent prey. I want to savor this.

In that case, if I fight here, Miless might get caught in the crossfire. I can't use defensive magic on her while maintaining my challenge. Even a mere shockwave could kill her.

After all, Miless is fragile, even by human standards.

Hmm, moving the battlefield would be ideal for me as well.

"Very well. I'll follow you."

"Camilla-sama, it's too dangerous! I've just remembered who these men are—they're the infamous Red Brothers, known for their viciousness even among the underworld. They're not only skilled but also notoriously cruel. We should face them together!"

"That's right! I won't be a burden, Camilla-sama. I've resolved not to run away from what matters to me anymore. I'm ready to fight by your side!"

"Just focus on keeping yourselves safe!"

Ignoring Anasie and Miless's protests, Camilla followed the Red Brothers.

"Heh, how touching, caring so much for your friends. Fine, if you follow quietly, I won't lay a hand on them—or did you really think that? Idiot! Kill them all!"

"Yes, sir!"

Around the time they reached a side alley, the elder Red Brother ordered his men to attack.

Just as I expected.

Camilla signaled Nielsen with a glance. He bowed slightly and slipped away.

Good. I can't have him acting openly. Nielsen will provide backup from the shadows. As my right hand, he'll do it flawlessly.

And then...

Camilla quietly cast a defensive spell on Miless and Anasie.

A protective barrier enveloped them. Even though she wasn't using her full power, it was still a barrier created by Camilla. Breaking it would be impossible for just about anyone.

Anasie and Miless were shouting in defiance at the obviously superior enemies. For mere dolls, they were showing commendable loyalty.

Yes, they have the right spirit for my dolls. Even though I'm in the middle of my self-imposed challenge, this pleases me. They deserve a reward.

With Nielsen backing them up and my defensive magic in place, they should be fine.

A toy you like needs to be kept safe in the drawer, after all.

"Silver-haired little girl, tough luck. Promises are meant to be broken."

"Yeah, bro. It's their own fault for

 getting tricked."

"Hmph, an ignorant opinion. But I won't argue. I'd rather get started than waste time talking. Or do you want to take this further in?"

"Heh, fine by me, fine by me. I can't wait to crush that arrogant attitude of yours."

"Enough talk! I don't have all day."

"Oh, we're done talking. This is where it ends for you, cocky brat!"

The Red Brothers came to a halt, spreading their arms wide as if to signify that this was the end of the line.

...This place looks shady, to say the least.

There’s a fluctuation in the magical energy. They’ve set some kind of trap here. Since I’ve decided not to use detection magic, I can’t identify exactly what kind of trap it is.

But it’s a human-made trap. Knowing beforehand would ruin the fun, so this is fine.

"So, what are you going to show me?"

"Hehehe, it’s this!"

The older Red Brother activated a magic array.

A magic circle began to glow on the ground.

Is this a teleportation circle?

It forcibly moves you to another space.

A classic trap.

They must have planned this meticulously. The magic circle had been drawn on the ground beforehand, waiting to be triggered.

As the teleportation ended, I looked around.

The stench of death filled the area. The smell of decay carried by the wind. Even in the most crime-ridden parts of the capital, like the Evil District, it doesn’t smell this bad.

This place reminds me of the battlefields from ancient wars. There were places like this scattered everywhere back then.

But the stench here is overwhelming.

The source of the smell... must be that.

It’s a forest. No, that’s not right. It’s not a forest, but a field of stakes. Corpses impaled on stakes are clustered together, making it look like a forest. Some of the impaled are still alive, writhing in agony. Hundreds of carrion birds are swarming around them.

“Ugh, k-kill me, kill me... please...”

One man, with a stake driven through his abdomen, was begging to be killed. Blood was oozing slowly from the wound, the tip of the stake deliberately blunted to prolong his suffering and prevent him from bleeding out too quickly.

It’s like the cruel spectacle of a shrike’s impalement.

A shrike impales its prey on tree branches, leaving them to die exposed.

“You look pretty shaken up. Too much for a little girl like you?”

The Red Brothers reappeared, mocking me. It seemed they had teleported themselves in sync with my movement.

“I only just arrived in the capital. I don’t know everything about it. I didn’t know places like this existed.”

“Hehehe, this is our hunting ground. We’ve set up a special barrier here. No one can hear the screams, no matter how loud they are.”

Just as they said, there was no sign of human life in the surrounding area. The ground was littered with debris and garbage. The only signs of life were from those impaled on the stakes.

“Please... kill me...”

“I-I’m sorry, I was wrong...”

The desperate pleas of the men on the stakes echoed intermittently.

“Well, I guess it’s time for some new toys.”

“Yeah, let’s just kill them already. I’m getting bored.”

“Alright, here’s your mercy!”

“Gah!”

The Red Brothers drove their spears through the heads of the begging men. One by one, the men’s foreheads were pierced, and they slumped lifelessly like puppets with their strings cut.

“Hm...”

“What’s the matter? Scared?”

“Do I look like the type to be scared by something like this? You must be blind.”

“Heh, still full of bravado, huh? That just makes it more satisfying to break you.”

“Yeah, bro. It’s always the tough ones who end up begging for their lives, licking our boots. It’s the best.”

“Hahaha, silver-haired brat, soon enough you’ll be on your knees, begging to suck on my—”

“Oh yeah, bro, save some for me, too.”

...How vulgar.

Should I start by cutting off those vulgar parts?

The Red Brothers continued their boasting.

They went on about how many they had killed, how they had tortured their victims. One of their fellow killers had witnessed the torture and called it “stinking,” so they impaled him too and displayed him in a spot where the stench wouldn’t reach.

Hmm, what should I do?

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m bored of my school life, so I’ve decided to play with interesting toys whenever I find them. Out of all the fragile creatures around, you two might last a bit longer.”

“Huh? Is that supposed to be flattery? Well, obviously. We’re way stronger than anyone else.”

“Don’t misunderstand. I said ‘last a bit longer.’ That’s not much. Normally, I would let my toys live for a while, but you two are disgusting.”

“Haha, what’s this? A lecture? So, you’re one of those types who look down on us, pretending to be all righteous.”

“Yeah, bro, they’re the worst.”

“Yeah, and when they get on their high horse, I make sure to torture them real good before killing them. Look at that one!”

The older Red Brother pointed to a corpse, partially reduced to a skeleton, impaled on a stake.

The corpse was covered in more stakes than the others, and the agony was still etched on its face.

“That one was fun. He kept preaching to us about morality, so we made sure to use blunt stakes. In the end, he was pathetic. He cried out over and over, ‘I was wrong! Please help me!’ even though he acted so high and mighty at first. So, we made sure he lasted as long as possible.”

“Haha, you’ll end up just like him. Remember, everyone’s got the same base desires inside. Those who try to hide it with morals or pride make me sick. Get ready! We won’t let you die easy!”

The Red Brothers’ eyes were bloodshot as they shouted in a frenzy, brandishing their spears as if they were about to pounce.

“You’re still misunderstanding. I’m not disgusted by your actions. Sure, they lack refinement, but I’ve known others who acted similarly. It’s nothing shocking.”

“Huh? You had comrades like us? Are you saying there were people as strong as us, the so-called Demons of Destruction?”

“Indeed, I knew a crude man who used a spear, much like you two. His behavior was similar as well, though the number he killed was far greater. He was a pitiful man who defied me until the end, and I killed him. Now that I think about it, he was just like you. Insecure about his skills, so he boasted about them. Impaling his victims on stakes and displaying them was his way of showing off, wasn’t it? ‘Look at me! Aren’t I amazing? Praise me, mommy!’”

“Y-you... you’re mocking us...?”

「Well, what I’m really trying to say is that you two are just too ugly. It’s unsightly. That’s why you fail. No matter how amusing you might be, if you’re an eyesore, I won’t keep you around. Let me say it again: your faces are repulsive. And, to add to that, you stink. I bet you barely even bathe, do you? You reek.”

"Bro…"

“I know, little bro.”

The Red Brothers exchanged a glance and nodded at each other.

And then…

“DIE, YOU LITTLE…!”

With furious expressions, they swung their spears at me, attacking from both the front and back. They were aiming for my limbs and shoulders, avoiding vital areas, just as they’d promised—they weren’t trying to kill me quickly. They wanted to weaken me slowly and put me through some torture.

“Die, die, die! You think you can mock us without paying for it?!”

“Big bro, let me be the one to finish her off!”

Their attacks were fast—too fast for the human eye… or so they’d like to think.

But it’s too weak. Pathetically weak.

I’m not expecting them to be as skilled as the Six Demon Generals who were my enemies…

But this is too clumsy, it’s child’s play.

Knowing a true master of the spear like Killer only makes their clumsiness more apparent. These two are like a knock-off of a knock-off of a knock-off… of Killer.

No matter how many hundreds or thousands of these feeble strikes they throw at me, it’s pointless.

I could dodge them with my eyes closed. In fact, there’s no need to dodge at all—I can stop them with just my muscles.

I dodged and deflected the brothers’ spears with minimal effort, occasionally using Aiki to send their strikes off course. The speed of their attacks increased as they got more desperate, but it seems they’ve reached their limit.

The Red Brothers are now panting heavily, their shoulders heaving with exhaustion.

“Hah… hah… hah… I-I can’t catch her…”

“Is she a real monster? Big bro, this isn’t normal…”

They were confident in their barrage of spear strikes, but now they’re staring at me in utter shock.

“What’s wrong? If you don’t start taking this seriously, I might accidentally kill you.”

“Little bro…”

“I know, big bro.”

The Red Brothers changed their stance, finally getting serious. Their movements weren’t the reckless attacks they’d been using before. They were trying to lure me into something.

Hmm, they must have some trick up their sleeve. Let’s see it.

Just as I was starting to feel a flicker of interest, I sensed a fluctuation of magic behind me.

…

Ugh, I curse my own high-level magical skills. I figured out their secret move in two seconds, ruining the surprise.

Couldn’t they at least use some concealment magic?

Red Brother One smirked confidently. He seemed very pleased with his little trick.

Ugh, this feels like reading a bad mystery novel—just makes me want to toss it aside.

And then…

“I’ve got you now!”

With a shout, Red Brother One activated a spatial distortion behind me.

A spearhead emerged from the void.

…Too slow.

I caught the spear between my fingers as it emerged from the void, feeling only a feather-light impact. Then, with a slight flex of my hand, I yanked the spear out of Red Brother One’s grasp.

“What!?”

“You’re too soft. Attacking with material teleportation? If you’re going to try a surprise attack, at least use some concealment magic.”

“C-Concealment magic…?”

“You don’t even know that…? Never mind, then. I had some small hopes since you’re slightly better at stealth than most humans, but this is all you’ve got?”

“D-Don’t underestimate us…”

“Don’t try to look tough, human. The greater the expectation, the bigger the disappointment.”

As I stared at them with disinterest, Red Brother Two began to tremble.

“Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!”

He thrust his spear at me in a blind rage.

“Still too slow. I won’t even ask you to strike without telegraphing it, but can’t you at least move faster?”

“Shut up!”

“I’m done with this!”

I flicked Red Brother Two’s spear aside with the spear I had taken from his brother.

The force sent him staggering backward.

“Look, this is how you use a spear!”

“Gyaaah!”

With a swift motion, I struck Red Brother Two’s nether regions with the spear.

The force sent him flying backward, and the spear snapped in two from the impact.

“Pathetic. Even the spear is garbage—it broke with only half my strength…”

I looked down at the fallen Red Brother Two with disdain, muttering under my breath.

“Ugh… guhh…”

Red Brother Two was rolling on the ground, eyes wide, convulsing. A twenty-centimeter circular hole centered around his nether regions was left gaping open.

He’ll probably die from blood loss soon.

“M-My brother!”

Red Brother One’s scream echoed, tears streaming down his face as he shuddered with sobs.

“Hmph, you two were just making too much noise. I decided to give that precious part of yours a little attention.”

“You… I’ll never forgive you! Never!”

“Don’t worry. You’ll be joining your brother soon enough. Consider it a favor—I’ll send you both to the same part of hell.”

I announced his death sentence as I slowly closed the distance between us.

Red Brother One matched each of my steps with a retreat of his own.

Oh? I thought he’d lunge at me in a blind rage after losing his brother.

…Surprisingly calm.

No, is he trying to bait me?

There’s something off about this, just like with the teleportation circle.

It’s almost certainly a trap.

Interesting. I’ll play along.

He’s just a fragile human. A head-on fight would be over in seconds. Let’s let him have his fun with his little traps before I end this game.

As I took another step closer—

“Heh heh heh, gotcha now!”

“Hm!? Hiding in the trash, were you?”

“Fool! We’re not just two brothers—we’re three! Well done, youngest!”

Suddenly, a man emerged from the pile of trash and grabbed my arm.

I hadn’t sensed his presence at all.

The man holding my arm was short and pudgy, with narrow eyes. He must be their younger brother, judging by how they’re talking. His appearance isn’t much to look at, but what’s noteworthy is the gemstone embedded in his hand. It looks like a high-grade magic stone—I can feel a considerable amount of magical energy radiating from it.

But still, how did he manage to conceal himself? No sign of life at all… Was he…?

“So, you were in a state of suspended animation, huh?”

“Wha—!? You really are something else. Yeah, that’s right! Our youngest is our trump card. He stays in a near-death state to remain undetectable. That’s why you couldn’t sense him. He wakes up only to activate traps. Even you couldn’t detect him, huh?”

“Yes, well done. I’ll give you that. In truth, I could have sensed you if I really tried, but I’ll keep that to myself. Well done—you get an A for effort.”

“You’re really starting to piss me off! Do it, youngest!”

“You got it, Jinzo-Bro!”

The youngest brother squeezed my arm even tighter.

Huh!? My strength… it’s draining!

I can feel my magic being sucked out of me.

“You… You’re absorbing my magic?”

“Hah hah hah! That’s right! Our youngest’s magic absorption is top-tier! We got this special magic stone for a huge price from the Magic Kingdom of Xenoa. With your pitiful magic, you’ll be dry in no time!”

Red Brother One’s triumphant voice echoed.

“Heh heh…”

“What’s that? Crying already? Start regretting your life, shaking in despair!”

“Despair? You lot really do have a knack for saying things that are completely off the mark. I’m finally starting to enjoy myself—that’s what this laugh is.”

“You’ll be crying for real soon! We’ll wipe that smug look off your face and replace it with despair! Do it, youngest!”

“You got it! I won’t let go, no matter what! You can kick me all you want—it won’t make me let go!”

“Oh, really? So you won’t let go? Absolutely sure?”

With a sly grin, I looked down at the youngest brother, who was now visibly struggling to absorb the large amounts of magic flowing from me into him.