"Is that really all you've got?"
"Ugh…what the hell?"
Dazed, I stood up. A sharp look of disappointment stabbed through me like a knife. The room was torn, and my body ached from being relentlessly pummeled by the maid in front of me.
I had no idea how long this had been going on for; all I knew was that my stomach was a ticking time bomb with how badly it gnawed at me. Sweat soaked my clothes, weighing me down. I took small steps toward a wall, keeping my eyes on Poppy, who stood with a taunting expression. She raised a small bowl in her left hand.
Either take the bowl or starve. Those were the terms she came up with when she sprung this surprise training on me. She claimed that there was no meaning behind it except to improve my speed. Yet each of her counterattacks felt personal, as if I had done something to tick her off beforehand.
Looking at her petite physique, I'd thought she would be an easy target, so I agreed and threw the first punch in my quest for food—a mistake.
Pushing off the wall, I launched myself forward. My aim was to hit Poppy in the side to off-balance her, with snatching the bowl being secondary. However, like every attempt prior, she dashed away in a blur, leaving behind a trail of wind that hummed through my ears. Poppy appeared next to me and swept at my legs. I lost balance and tumbled forward, which Poppy chose as an opportunity to jump onto my back and drive me headfirst into the floor.
I felt my brain rattle as she landed soundlessly next to me. I turned my head to see that the bowl was still perfectly untarnished in her hand. A sharp gaze tore through me as I struggled to get back up.
The pain was nothing compared to my broken pride. Her attacks were cheap and used every weakness I possessed as a trigger. I was once a hero to humanity. The man who helped tip the scales of war in our favor after two centuries of losses. Yet now, I am nothing more than a fool being humbled by a beautiful elf girl in a maid's outfit.
Had I become too weak? Or had I been too reliant on my armor?
"You know," she spoke flatly, taking a few steps back, "this is how the war was reportedly fought at the beginning. You humans were weak and pathetic; even someone like me, with barely visible God Stamps, could win with ease." She reached under her skirt and pulled out a dagger, its edges glinting. "I doubted it for a while…until now."
"Well, not every creature in the universe can move the way you do," I said, standing back on my feet. She was quick, too quick.
"Young Master." Ignoring my complaints, she looked at me with a small spark in her eyes. Whatever she was expecting, I knew I could not deliver. "Please show me the monster that you were on the battlefield. If you cannot beat me, fighting anyone else here would be nearly impossible."
"Monster huh—!?"
A blade whistled past, stopping me from finishing my statement. My body moved instinctively to the side. The blade shot past with a trail of wind following closely behind, brushing against my face. The dagger that she once held in her hands was embedded in the wall in less time than it took for me to blink. It was a cheaply made dagger, but it was effective enough to drive halfway through the wall. I turned to face Poppy, who was in the middle of lifting her skirt. Nine more daggers were strapped to her thighs. Her face turned a slight shade of pink as she hurriedly lowered her skirt after pulling out a dagger.
"Hey…" I said, unsettled by the sudden change in tactics. "I thought this was about me trying to grab the bowl from you?"
Poppy's expression darkened for a moment before a fake smile lined her lips. "It was, but I didn't like the way you looked at my thighs, Young Master."
Then why show them off!? I thought as she took a fighting stance.
"There was no lust behind that gaze." She said, her arm moving in a blur as the dagger disappeared.
From the side, a silver glint flashed in a spinning arc. I grabbed the dagger impaled in the wall. With a sharp clank, I deflected the airborne dagger into the floor. Once again, I felt an unnatural wind that followed her attack. The dagger I held hardly withstood the attack. Several cracks lined its surface.
This room was too small to dodge anything effectively. She must have known that. Her goal was to test me. Poppy reached for another dagger, and that was something I was not gonna let happen. If she held the advantage with her attacks for too much longer, I would not last.
My movements were slower than hers, but I needed to try. I fought solely with my armor in the past, but I refuse to let it define me. Armor or not, these movements were mine. This is my time to prove that I can achieve the same power without it.
I felt my chest tighten and burn. It was the same sensation I felt when Velantra spoke her prayer to bless me. Time seemed to crawl, and my mind felt clear and empty. Before was…me, dressed in the same outfit as I am now. A copy of me was four steps ahead as time returned to normal. It swiftly moved with movements that matched Poppy's.
She was unable to dodge, so she clashed with the dagger aimed for her side, or so I had thought. Her blade tore through the air. Poppy's face twisted in surprise as she glanced at me right behind the illusion she slashed at.
She leapt back and shot a dagger towards me. I blocked it with my dagger, shattering it. "Well…" she said, keeping a trained eye on me. She was studying me. "You can use demon magic."
"Demon magic?"
"No way…" she said with disbelief before a smile lined her lips. "This could work." She muttered.
Poppy stepped back, another dagger in hand. Her eyes traced my body as if trying to pinpoint a weak spot. I tossed my broken weapon aside and took an unarmed stance.
Somehow, I needed to replicate what I had just done. Poppy was surprised by the attack, giving me an opening that I was too stunned to take. A grin lined my lips. Poppy hurled a dagger. It flew slowly towards my hand.
"A handicap," she said as I caught the weapon. "Show me what you can do with stolen power." Balancing the bowl on her head, she reached for two more daggers and vanished, leaving behind a trail of wind.
There!I ducked, avoiding one slash, but another carved towards my neck. I kicked off the ground to retreat, but she had closed the gap between us and slashed towards my arm. Still in midair, I twisted my body and tried to grapple her from behind, but she vanished from sight.
A strike came from behind. I narrowly dodged, suffering a slight cut to my side. She spun around and slashed at me with her other dagger, our blades locked in a clash, yet there was hardly any resistance. I pushed her off, and she followed up with another attack.
She was relentless. Every swing faster and harder, not to kill, but to wear me out. And it was working. My body felt heavier with every block, each desperate dodge. I tasted blood as my teeth had cut into my lip.
I needed to break away, but where? Every direction I moved was met with a blade aimed at me. The dagger she gave me was starting to give; slight cracks formed around the base.
"Too slow!" she shouted, leaping high above me. An axe kick drove down.
I can't dodge! If that hits me, I might die. Move! Left, right, anywhere! My body refused to move. While I watched her leg come down in slow motion, I felt my chest tighten and burn. A surge of adrenaline filled my veins, and I leapt to the right.
Poppy's foot crashed down, shattering the floor, and she dashed to the left of where I was. An illusion of me was staggered, just like I am now. I pushed myself to move; there was no second chance once she realized it was a fake. Her blade tore through the air, a disgruntled noise leaving her mouth, cutting through the illusion. Her ears flicked, and she shot a dagger behind her. It grazed my cheek as I pushed the advantage and thrust my dagger towards her hips.
That was the opening I needed. While airborne, she had limited options. So I grabbed her skirt and dragged her down. The bowl she was keeping away from me fell neatly into my hands, marking the end of the training.
She stood up with a satisfied look on her face while dusting off her clothes. "Good job, Young Master."
"You are a terrifying woman," I said, forcing a smile. The adrenaline had left my body, leaving me feeling extremely sluggish. "Beautiful and deadly, lovely on paper, brutal in person."
"I'd rather you not treat me like such a monster. I am a delicate woman. Your words are taken to heart, so keep that in mind."
After finishing the cold food, I was pushed out of the room. She gave me a set of keys to the baths and slammed the door behind me. It hurt to move, so a nice bath would be nice.
"But the open wounds are gonna hurt like hell…" I muttered.
The bathhouse was small; it had enough space to hold five people. In a corner were two showers that had a large assortment of soaps to use. In the center was a bath that covered about half the room. Water poured from the ceiling at each corner. It wasn't much of a fancy-looking place, but it was evident that this was supposed to be the main selling point of this cheap motel.
Once I had finished cleaning off the blood and filth from my body, I lowered myself into the bath. As I did, something small flew around me, emitting a soft green hue. It was the same as the speck that came from Korne's prayer.
The speck danced around me and rested on my arm, where my burn had been. With a slight buzz to my skin, a small vortex of wind blew around me. The water swirled gently and lifted into the air. The steam changed color to match the speck.
Warmth filled my body from head to toe. The wounds on my body ceased to hurt as they closed. Once finished, the speck drifted away.
"So…what was that bath?" I said, sitting in front of Poppy in the same room that was once ruined. I say once because now it was clean, every instance of damage was eased as if it had never happened.
Poppy casually poured me a glass of tea. "It's a healing bath." She glanced up at me. Her skin seemed paler than before, and her eyes looked a bit clouded. "Heals physical wounds using the power of the spirits. Master installed it to aid in your recovery."
"My recovery?"
"Yes, seeing as you bested me. I suppose a reward is in order." She stood up, perhaps a little too fast. The hem of her skirt got snagged on the corner of the table, and she tumbled across the table. I moved the glass out of the way just before she fell onto it. "Owww…"
"Man…who knew such a swift woman who could be such a klutz," I said, helping her up.
"Who knew a monster would have a sweet side?"
"Why am I the monster?"
"My apologies, I meant Young Master." She took a bow. "Now, about that reward. I will offer you any one thing, including my body. Just be gentle, as it would be my first time."
"You can keep that first time," I said, backing away. I noticed her face darken the moment those words left my mouth. "Ahem, anyway, all I want for my reward is information. Mainly the part where you said Korne built these baths for me. Has this building not been open to the public?"
"This building was open to the public, mainly those who pay up front at the bar. But for the time being, it is currently closed to protect your identity from leaking out more than it already has."
"So he knew from the start?"
"Yes. While it would be a lie to say he knew it would be you in particular. He spoke to the lost deity. It was then that he learned that somebody would soon arrive to change fate. It just happened that it was you."
"So I was predetermined to come here?" The mere thought made me clench my fists. Being controlled was one thing, but having everything that happened to me predetermined was another level of messed up.
"No." She spoke, her eyes glued to mine.
Poppy stepped closer and took my hands in hers. They were warm—too warm. I was undeserving of such kindness. Her ears twitched at the sound of my beating heart. Why was she doing this? Was she being forced? Or did she have a hidden agenda like everyone else I've met?
"Fate is all but absolute. The deities can only foresee the outcomes they wish or fear, but we, living creatures, decide our fate. Please do not make that face, Young Master. Your actions, your suffering, were not something that was predetermined."
"Why are you so attached to me?" I felt her hands stiffen at the thought I let slip through my lips. She cocked her head as if not understanding what I was saying, yet I could see the truth in her eyes. Her ears drooped downwards as her face lost emotion. "You've been rather affectionate towards me since the first day we met, not too long ago. Every time today, you noticed my emotional state and tried to cheer me up. Why, why would you go through all that effort for a complete stranger?"
"You are my Young Master." Her mask seemed to crack a little. Her smile now felt hollow, as if hiding pain she'd kept suppressed. She gave a slight bow, a subtle lift of her skirt accompanying it. "I serve to protect you. You have doubts, but I swear that my loyalty belongs to you."
"You did not answer my question, Poppy. I asked why? Was it your real master? Did Korne force you to serve me with a smile? Did he force you to use your charms to woo me? I killed your people. I fought against the world you called home. I helped eradicate the noble beastmen just the other day. It's not natural for you to show me goodwill. I am nothing more than a monster, just like you and everyone else says."
It made no sense. Why did she blindly follow his orders like that? She must have been suppressing her emotions while talking to me. Her attacks during the training were personal, so she must have truly hated me.
I looked her in the eye. A sight I had not met with before greeted me like knives thrust into my heart, tearing me apart. Tears streamed down her face. She looked as if she were in more pain than I was.
No, I'm the one who made no sense. I took my anger out on her for no reason. She had no hidden agenda, and judging by her expression, there was no way she was being forced to do this either. It was who she was. A welcoming maid who did everything in her power to keep me happy despite the wrongdoings in my life and the actions of her master. I trampled on her feelings without trying to understand her.
"You are wrong." The words felt like bricks. She turned around to hide her face. "I am a young maiden at heart. I was charmed by your looks the moment you entered through that door. Personal feelings aside, I harbor no ill will towards you. My actions today were just me exploring feelings I have never experienced before while training you to become better. We were born long after the war between our races started. Your people do not live very long, so it's hard to hate you when you fight without knowing the reason. Unlike me, it was you who was the one blindly following orders."
I struggled to find the right words. Never had I been in a situation like this before. With her back turned towards me, she looks just like a fragile girl ready to break at a moment's notice. She must have been carrying so much, and I was the final straw that broke the camel's back.
"I apologize for being too forward. It won't happen again." She broke the silence.
"Wait… I'm sorry for yelling." I said. "I just wanted to know why you would be willing to serve a person like me?"
"He has faith in you. A man who can overcome adversity and pave a future that he can be proud of after he's gone. I want to trust, to aid in his dream, for he is the man who saved me."
"Even after he's gone?" I asked. Poppy did not respond, just held her breath. I walked up to her and gently patted her back. I heard a soft murmur saying: 'My head'. So, I did just that. I gently stroked the top of her head.
"Young Master!" She turned around quickly with a smile that masked the punch she threw at my face.
"What!?" I rubbed my face.
"I told you my heart was that of a maiden." Then she spoke the next part quietly. "There's a lot on my mind, so please speak to me carefully."