Half an hour later, Shendu finally finished disciplining her new subordinate, Meili. With a casual motion, she opened a magic array and stacked all three curses onto Meili at once.
Feeling the cold aura emitted by the three curses on her body, Meili could not help but think Shendu was excessively cautious. She guessed that Sister Elsa must have undergone something similar.
When it was over, Elsa carried the weak-kneed Meili on her back and walked step by step toward the village, where the villagers were already waiting.
After returning from their refuge, the villagers saw the children Elsa had taken away and burst into tears of joy. But the moment they noticed Elsa herself, anger flared across their faces.
"That assassin—why is she still here? Lady Ram, hurry and kill her!"
"She's pure evil. It's better to get rid of someone like that."
The villagers were filled with righteous indignation, pointing at Elsa with furious expressions. Shendu remained silent, merely shifting her gaze toward Ram.
"Enough. This woman, Elsa, has already surrendered. And this one is a beast tamer—the true culprit behind everything. We will take her back for interrogation."
As the villagers vented their anger, Ram spoke calmly. Once she finished, the crowd gradually fell silent.
Some felt regret. Others found it hard to believe. Meili's age and seemingly innocent demeanor made it difficult for most people to see her as a villain.
Afterward, Emilia stepped forward to soothe the crowd's emotions. Even those still dissatisfied slowly quieted down.
Since a future royal candidate had spoken, there was no need for them to argue further.
Once the villagers dispersed, Shendu and Emilia began heading back. Meanwhile, Meili's mood was far from simple. She started chatting with the person she was most familiar with—Sister Elsa.
"By the way, Sister Elsa, why did you submit to that woman? Is she really that charming?"
Though cursed, Meili still felt dissatisfied and began speaking ill of Shendu to vent her frustration.
Hearing this from the girl on her back, Elsa's grip suddenly tightened, causing the blue-haired girl to wince in pain.
"Meili, you are never to speak of Master like that again. Whatever she commands, we will carry out. No matter who our enemy is, we will help her eliminate them."
Elsa turned her head and looked into Meili's eyes as she spoke with unwavering conviction.
Realizing Elsa was not joking, Meili could only drop the subject.
At the same time, she was deeply curious about what Shendu had done to draw fearless Sister Elsa into her camp.
The journey back did not take long. Soon, they arrived at Roswaal's mansion. In the courtyard, Natsuki Subaru was watering the flowers with a kettle.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Natsuki Subaru was about to turn and greet Shendu. But when he saw Elsa appear before him, he jolted and stumbled back three steps.
"It's you? Why are you here?"
The last time this woman had sliced open his abdomen and killed him outright, it left a shadow in his heart. He felt an instinctive fear toward her.
"Ara, ara. So you still remember me, young man? It seems I must be quite charming."
Elsa revealed a wicked smile, which startled Natsuki Subaru even further, forcing him back another step.
"Of course I remember. I nearly died at your hands."
Still wary, Natsuki Subaru shifted his gaze to Shendu, waiting for her explanation.
"It's simple. I defeated Elsa and took her as my subordinate. This child is her companion—the beast tamer, Meili."
Shendu pointed at the assassin sisters beside her and explained casually.
...
"Ah! Lady Shendu, you've subdued them both?"
Natsuki Subaru was stunned. He had not expected Shendu to possess such boldness as to keep such dangerous individuals by her side.
However, he did not know that on the Pride IF route, he himself had died eighty-eight times, eventually subduing Elsa and Meili as well, turning them into his subordinates and becoming the Sin Archbishop of Pride.
On that route, he had nearly destroyed all the royal candidates, burned the royal capital, framed the strongest Sword Saint Reinhard, and left the Witch Cult almost entirely annihilated. It was the most terrifying manifestation of a corrupted Natsuki Subaru.
"That's right. Wasn't it rather easy?"
Shendu glanced at him and responded casually.
After sealing the authority granted to Natsuki Subaru by the Witch of Envy, Shendu would no longer allow him to use time reversal to change the world. Perhaps giving him a normal, ordinary timeline was not such a bad idea.
Just as Shendu and Natsuki Subaru were conversing, Roswaal, dressed like a clown, approached with light steps. The moment he arrived, he spoke in a teasing tone.
"Oh my, new guests again? My territory truly shines brighter because of it."
From a short distance away, Roswaal walked over, his gaze lingering briefly on Elsa and Meili. His eyes flickered for a split second before returning to normal, his smile growing even more pronounced.
"Nothing much. I've recruited two new maids. Lord Roswaal, you wouldn't happen to have any objections, would you?"
Shendu met Roswaal's eyes directly, a faint smile at her lips, her crimson pupils fixed on him.
"Of course not. A guest recruiting her own maids—how could I, as the host, possibly object?"
Still speaking in a playful tone, Roswaal seemed both surprised and unsurprised by Elsa and Meili's appearance.
Through the changes in his Gospel, Roswaal found himself increasingly eager to see what Shendu would do next—and whether she might fulfill his long-cherished wish.
"Good."
Shendu replied calmly, her expression unchanged.
"Then Ram, prepare tonight's dinner at once. With new guests joining us, we must display proper hospitality."
Roswaal turned to Ram and announced his decision softly.
"Yes, Lord Roswaal."
Though Ram would have preferred to remain by Shendu's side, she had no choice. She bowed and turned to leave.
"Elsa, Meili—change into maid uniforms. From now on, you are my personal maids."
Shendu looked at the two of them and issued her command.
"Yes, Master."
"Understood."
Elsa and Meili bowed in unison. Though their states of mind were completely different, both had joined Shendu's camp. As for what the future would bring—no one could say for certain.