Tilea's Worries

In a certain room within the Underground Empire of the Evil God Army, a group of children from various villages are gathered. Among them, a peculiar group is holding a secret meeting.

"Andy, what do you think?"

"I didn't sense any magic at all. That blonde woman could easily be taken down by any village commoner."

"You think so too? Well, there's always the chance she's just pretending to be weak..."

"That's overthinking it. Could that foolish behavior be an act? Besides, we were pretending to be helpless children. There's no reason for her to act in front of us."

"Sandra, don't let your guard down. Have you forgotten the teachings of the Dark Massacre Squad?"

"Y-Yeah, I know."

"Good. We'll strike as soon as the Evil God returns."

"Understood."

The four children exchange cold, calculating looks.

These four may look like ordinary children, but they are actually seasoned assassins over fifty years old. By consuming elf blood and using forbidden magic, they have acquired semi-immortal bodies, making them appear as children. They are professional killers who have disguised themselves as harmless kids to eliminate targets. Andy, Bivia, Sandra, and Casey—each of them carries an A-rank bounty.

Among them, the one who stands out the most is Casey, a beautiful girl with black hair and black eyes. She is the leader of the four, with unparalleled skill and experience.

Casey leans against the wall and sighs deeply.

They're too carefree.

Casey sighs again at the naivety of her three companions. Their impeccable track record has made them overconfident. The lack of failure means they haven’t learned from mistakes, which could lead to a catastrophic failure someday.

Indeed, the Evil God’s behavior is that of an amateur. They don't seem like a formidable opponent. However, Casey's instincts, honed from years of killing since childhood, whisper a warning.

This mission, a moment’s lapse in vigilance could be fatal.

The Evil God Army...

Recently, this eerie organization has been rising in power, swiftly conquering villages around the capital.

Now, they've reached even the hidden village of the Dark Massacre Squad. The temporary leaders, the elders, were killed, and the village was occupied. With a nine-tenths tax and hostages taken, the Dark Massacre Squad faced annihilation. To turn the tide, their top four elite members infiltrated the Evil God Army.

By pretending to be children, they aimed to get close and kill the enemy leader.

They’ve spent years living as children, perfecting their disguise with seamless gestures and speech. The Evil God was completely fooled. Now, they could eliminate the target while pretending to be harmless.

"We got ourselves captured on purpose to kill the enemy leader, but it seems unnecessary."

"Sandra, stay alert. Remember, Gil, Ortissio's subordinate, defeated our village's elite single-handedly."

"Casey, you worry too much. I surpassed the elders' combat skills when I was a kid. Their strength is no big deal."

"Right. We could take over the village ourselves."

"Yeah, all four of us are here. I wish we could kill them head-on instead of using such a roundabout plan."

This is bad. They're completely overconfident. I’ll have to re-educate them once this mission is over.

"Listen, you three. This group killed the strongest in our village. Stop being so arrogant!"

"Yeah, yeah, you're the leader. We'll follow. But..."

"But what?"

"Casey, are we really just going to retreat after killing the blonde woman?"

"Yes, that’s the plan. Do you have a problem with it?"

"I do. We joined this mission thinking the Evil God was a formidable opponent. But it turns out she's just a foolish woman."

"Don't underestimate them. Ortissio commands Gil, and the Evil God leads them. They must be strong."

"With that low magic power?"

"Probably holding back. I once encountered a target who suppressed their magic to less than a tenth of their true power."

"Even if that's true, their magic power would be at most five hundred."

Andy has a point. There's a limit to how much magic power one can suppress.

The Evil God's magic power is roughly estimated at twenty. Even if we assume an extreme case of suppression, it would be around a thousand.

So, the likely possibility is...

"They're not a combat type. The Evil God probably excels in mind control."

"Haha, what a joke! Using her feminine wiles to control her subordinates?"

"Casey, you're quite the beauty yourself. Maybe you should try that."

Andy and Sandra joke.

You fools!

The Evil God controls powerful individuals with around a thousand magic power using only twenty. It's not just simple mind control. It's probably a magic eye.

"Enough. My guess is that the Evil God has a magic eye."

"A magic eye?"

"Yes, and they're using all their magic power to control it, which is why it's so low. Never look into the Evil God's eyes."

"Understood. Using witchcraft to control their subordinates... not much of a challenge."

"Well, our mental resistance is top-notch. That magic eye might not even work on us."

"Sandra!"

"Relax. I won't let my guard down. I understand."

Sandra deflects with a joke. Andy reacts similarly.

Then, as if they've had enough of my lecturing, they get up and spread out around the room.

"Sob, waaaah!"

"Shut up, you brats!"

"Eek!"

Andy shouts at the crying children.

Fool. I told you not to draw attention.

Andy has great combat skills, but he's not the brightest.

"By the way, we should be careful of the magic eye, but we can't ignore these treasures."

Andy picks up an ornate item from a shelf, grinning wickedly.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same. These are better than some palace’s treasures."

"You're right, Andy. It's not enough to just kill the leader. Let's take all these treasures too."

"You idiots..."

"Don't get mad, Casey. If we take the blonde woman hostage, we can handle the numbers."

"Agreed. If we just kill the leader, there’ll be chaos. The treasures might get looted."

They’re already letting their guard down.

What should I do?

I could force them to follow my orders as the leader, but Andy and Sandra might rebel, especially Andy, who might even try to kill me in my sleep.

We’re deep in enemy territory. Breaking team cohesion now would be disastrous. It’s best to re-educate them back in the village.

"Fine. We'll adjust the plan. It would be a waste to leave these treasures."

"Woohoo! Casey, you're finally talking sense!"

"But follow orders absolutely. If it gets dangerous, we retreat immediately."

"Got it."

Their words lack conviction. They won’t take this seriously until the last moment. I’ll have to give precise instructions at critical points.

"Pack the treasures now. Don't draw attention."

I give instructions to Andy and the others.

They gather the jewels and vases from the shelves and pack them into bags.

"Damn it, get out of the way!"

Andy knocks over the hotcakes the kids were eating, sending plates flying.

"What are you doing?"

A rabbit beastman child, noticing Andy’s suspicious actions, speaks up.

We can't draw attention.

"You—"

"Shut up, you brat!"

"Noooo!"

Andy throws the rabbit beastman child against the wall, where they collapse, groaning.

I told them not to act rashly...

I rush to the child and heal them. If the Evil God finds injured children, they'll be on guard.

"Andy, follow orders. I won’t repeat myself."

"O-Okay."

I threaten Andy with a hint of menace.

It works, and they quietly continue packing the treasures. The beastman children huddle in the corner, frightened by Andy and the others.

"Stop stealing."

"Yeah, you don't know what terrible things might happen..."

"Pathetic beastmen."

"Get in our way, and we’ll kill you."

"Defying the Evil God is..."

"Hahaha, what Evil God? From now on, you’ll call me God."

I overhear their conversation.

Their arrogance is palpable.

"Andy, don’t let your guard down!"

"I know. I won't meet their eyes."

"It's not just the magic eye. I sense something more about the Evil God."

"What now? Still thinking they're a combat type? That's settled. The blonde woman is an illusionist, nothing more. Stop overthinking it."

"Casey, she doesn't seem like a combat type. She doesn't even seem like a magic eye user. If anything, she’s just an ordinary villager."

That’s true. Considering her magic power, speech, and movements, Andy and the others are right.

But something bothers me. Years of experience tell me something’s off, like a bone stuck in my throat.

Finally, the Evil God returns, stomping loudly.

"Casey, does that sound like the footsteps of a skilled warrior? Definitely an amateur."

"You guys, don’t—"

"Andy, stop. Maybe she just walks loudly out of habit."

After Sandra’s mocking comment, the Evil God opens the door and enters. Immediately, we form up and point our magic bullets at her.

"Don't move or we’ll kill you!"

"Whoaa!?"

The Evil God squeals in surprise, showing no hint of threat.

Indeed, she’s an amateur. Easy to take her by surprise.

"Haha, blonde woman, my magic sword can pierce steel armor. Move and I’ll slice your carotid artery."

Andy transforms his magic bullet into a sword and holds it to the Evil God's neck. This is Andy's specialty, the Black Blade, which can slice through even the toughest opponents like butter. At this distance, no one can block it—not even me, the leader.

"Uh, I understand why you're angry. But listen, I've taken care of it. The tax rate has been lowered," the Evil God says, trying to explain.

It seems the tax rate has indeed been lowered. The Evil God claims it was raised only due to Ortissio's recklessness.

"Hmph, you can’t even control your own subordinates. Pathetic. You're not worth fearing."

"Um, let's calm down. There's no need to be so angry."

"Hahaha, you misunderstand. Our actions aren’t because of the heavy taxes. We planned to infiltrate your ranks from the start."

"What!? You’re not angry because of the ninety percent tax rate?"

"So what if it's ninety percent! That's not unusual. The neighboring country of Saeed taxed cacao farmers at ninety-four percent. Even in ancient Tang, the warlords collected similarly."

"Is that so?"

"Eventually, we'll conquer this whole area and impose such tax rates when we become kings."

"That's not the right mindset."

"Shut up. Mock us and I'll kill you!"

"Yes, sir."

We've captured the Evil God in our strongest formation. She remains compliant. Based on experience, there's no turning this situation around.

But why?

I can't shake this uneasy feeling. The alarm bells in my head are getting louder and more urgent.

When I returned to the room, I found myself surrounded and threatened by four children. These kids had been expressionless and withdrawn before, making it hard to read their emotions. But now, I could see their eyes brimming with ambition.

Such arrogant little brats. Their faces showed their insolence. Though the lone girl with black hair and black eyes looked different, her expression was cold. She was quite cute, though. She’d be even cuter if she smiled.

Anyway, these four were threatening me with magic bullets. At first, I thought they were angry about the heavy taxes, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Apparently, they belong to a famous assassination group called the Dark Something or Other. They claimed to have single-handedly wiped out organizations with hundreds of members. Supposedly, they were here to destroy the Evil God Army and steal our valuables. They were diligently packing jewels and vases into bags.

Thieves. Just a bunch of chūnibyō kids.

Normally, I’d punish brats like these. A hundred spankings on the butt would be the penalty.

But if they really are an assassination and robbery group, that’s a problem.

Everything these brats, especially the one called Andy, claimed could be true... but could it really be?

Could these kids really be that dangerous?

Their confident, defiant faces made me think they might be.

In manga and anime, kids like these often turn out to be strong. Though, apart from Edim’s case, I’ve never seen such a disparity in this world. It’s unheard of for children to surpass adults in strength.

I look at the magic sword at my neck and the magic bullets aimed at my head.

Yep, they’re using magic. Light extends from their hands to form swords, and spherical bullets float in the air.

I’m not surprised kids can use magic. The magic usage rate in this world is astonishingly high. Around me, it’s almost one hundred percent. Soon, even infants might start using magic.

The question is, how powerful are they?

What’s their potential?

Could they really chop off my head?

I wish I had a scouter or an appraisal skill. Then I could quickly determine these brats’ combat strength.

Ugh, let’s see what I can do. I need to sense their power.

I widen my eyes and stare at the kids.

They quickly avert their gaze.

What’s this? Shy, are they? Can’t meet the eyes of a beautiful older sister, huh?

Let’s assess the situation.

First, I look at the lone girl with black hair and black eyes, Casey.

Let’s gauge her combat strength.

Beep beep beep... beep...

Her hairstyle is... twin tails. Emphasizing cuteness.

Her eyes... a bit sharp, giving an active impression. High marks for that.

Her magic power... does she have a lot?

Her aura... hard to tell. Probably a lot?

Overall...

Hmm? Got it!

Her combat strength is between one and ten thousand (just a guess).

Sorry, I have no idea.

Next, let’s gauge Andy and the others.

I look at Andy and his group.

“It’s useless. Your magic eye won’t work on us.”

“Magic eye, you say!”

“Don’t play dumb. We know all about it.”

“That’s right. Trying to control us is futile. We could break your magic eye if we wanted to.”

As I try to look at them, they avoid meeting my gaze.

Magic eye? Are they stupid?

If I had such a power, I’d use it to advance my relationship with Remilia first.

These kids are giving off serious chūnibyō vibes. They must be just regular brats with an exaggerated sense of self. Their group name, the Dark Something, sounds too suspicious.

But, considering the slim chance...

I can’t just say, “Try hitting the wall with your magic bullets.” If they really are strong, my body could be blown to bits.

Maybe I should have them hit the wall?

If they’re truly powerful, it would leave a huge hole.

No, I can’t damage Ortissio’s villa any further. This isn’t my place.

I need insurance.

While I was thinking, Edim entered the room.

Oh, right. I had asked Edim to bring tea for the kids. Edim had a tray with a pot and cups for everyone.

“Huh? What’s going on here? Do you want to die?” Edim noticed the situation and raised her voice.

“Haha, woman. Do as we say if you don’t want the Evil God to die!”

“That’s right. We’ll take you hostage too. Come here.”

The Dark Wolves made reckless demands.

Edim looked bewildered.

They don’t know it, but Edim is a vampire. They have no idea how terrifying she can be when angry. Even if they are skilled assassins, they’re no match for her.

“Can’t you see this? We’ll kill the Evil God!”

“Huh? Are you idiots? Lady Tilea, shall I kill them?”

Edim asked with an exasperated expression.

No, you can’t kill them. They might just be chūnibyō brats.

“Edim, let me ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“These kids keep saying things like, ‘Nothing can withstand my sword,’ and ‘My magic bullet will shatter your head.’ Is that true? Are they really that powerful?”

Edim, who has turned into a battle-hardened warrior, should be able to assess their strength calmly.

Are these just chūnibyō brats, or are they really strong?

The brats are yelling, “We’ll really kill you!”

If they are strong, I’ll cry and beg for mercy. I’m just a regular person. I’ll hand things over to Edim and let her handle it.

“Are you joking? Or do you want a serious answer?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s too obvious, too common knowledge. I don’t understand why you’re asking such a basic question.”

It’s like asking, “1+1=2, right?” Edim’s demeanor suggested.

“Edim, give me a serious answer.”

“Understood. Well, even if Lady Tilea were hit by thousands of those feeble magic bullets, she wouldn’t even flinch.”

“Is that true for Nielsen and Ortissio as well?”

“Of course. Lord Nielsen and that musclehead wouldn’t be hurt by these weaklings either. No one in the Evil God Army would be harmed by them.”

“I see.”

If Edim says so confidently, then it’s reassuring. If they’re weaker than Nielsen and Ortissio, calling them strong is a joke. What top-tier assassins?

Dark Wolves? Ridiculous.

I can’t believe I got scared for nothing.

In hindsight, if Edim had thought I was in real danger, she would have intervened without hesitation. This proves these kids are just brats.

“Woman, this is your final warning. Obey us, or we’ll blow off this blonde woman’s limbs. One by one, for every second you delay.”

“You’re incredibly rude. Lady Tilea, shall I kill them?”

Edim shouted angrily.

Yeah, these brats are dangerous. Unlike the bunny girl and the others, they look healthy and well-fed. They’re just spoiled kids. As an adult, I need to discipline them properly.

“It’s fine. I’ll handle them. Edim, serve tea to the other kids.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Hey, are you sure? We’ll kill her!”

“Sigh, you kids. You’re all talk. Just a bunch of brats. Well, you are brats, so it makes sense. Try to be more mature—”

“Die!”

The brats, perhaps angered by my words, fired their magic bullets at me.

The bullets hit my face and chest.

It was a bit surprising, but there was no impact. Just a flash of light, as Edim said. These kids really are just children.

“Are you satisfied?”

“Impossible. Not a scratch...”

“Then how about this!”

Andy stabbed me in the stomach with his magic sword.

Nice-looking sword, but it’s just a toy, so it doesn’t hurt. Andy’s magic sword was just applying good acupressure to my stomach.

I tighten my abs and pin the sword down.

“Ugh, I can’t pull it out...”

“Hehe, when I really flex my abs, it’s hopeless.”

“Impossible... Stopped my ultimate sword with just muscles?”

“Exactly. Not even a knife can pierce me.”

Maybe I exaggerated, but it’s fine. They should now understand the power of an adult woman.

“This is the Evil God...”

“No way. Is this some kind of illusion?”

“You finally understand the Evil God's power. Don’t let your guard down. The real fight starts now.”

The black-haired girl, Casey, tries to rally the others. She seems more reasonable than the other brats, but she’s still fundamentally mistaken.

“Don’t misunderstand. What’s about to happen isn’t a battle. It’s an education.”

“What!?”

I approached the brats to give them a proper lesson in discipline.