Gunther opened his eyes. Seeing the familiar system messages filling his entire field of vision, the first thing he did was let out a heavy sigh.
[You have died]
[Counting death records]
[18/100]
[#18 Life of a Diligent Slacker]
[Guntra, have you finally found your true calling? Perhaps when you return you should apply to become a maid of the Bellamor household...]
This time the comment was dripping with biting sarcasm, but there was nothing he could say in response. Gunther honestly admitted defeat.
“...I can’t believe it.”
The hidden stage, “Darkness of the Bellamors.” The power of the mental magic concealed here had exceeded all expectations.
He had not relaxed or let his guard down. Recently his mana had reached 60, the stacks of Godslayer had accumulated, and the corresponding resistances had noticeably increased. And even if he himself was only of the 2nd hierarchy, his fighters were all of the 4th hierarchy, which implied extremely high resistance to divine power. Yet all of them had been swept away without exception.
“...This is mental contamination on the level of the final stages of a scenario.”
Overall, the sensation was like waking from a very long sleep. A sleep so deep that you couldn’t remember even fragments of dreams. The only things that remained clear were the thirst, as if sand had been poured down his throat, and the horrifying hunger, as if his insides had been eaten from within.
“And the memories are all fragmented.”
The devoured mind had now completely awakened, but the memories of the last several days as “Guntra” had evaporated entirely. He didn’t even remember how he had died. The only things he managed to reconstruct were the events of the first two or three days. Gunther replayed them in his head, waiting for the next message.
Ting!
[Calculation of Karma completed]
[Karma of the seventeenth life: 791]
[Current Karma: 1078]
[Accumulated Karma: 3583]
[※ Upon reaching 5,000 accumulated Karma, a new privilege will be unlocked]
Gunther’s eyes trembled slightly at the unexpectedly enormous amount of Karma obtained.
“My reserves exceeded 1,000?”
However, there was nothing strange about it. Gunther’s last death had come at the hands of the King of Flame. After that he had managed to eliminate the Perfumer, establish contact with the Society of Forgotten Books, and participate in the gods’ auction. On top of that, thanks to the bonus from his personal scenario “Old Is Best,” the amount of Karma gained increased by 15%, producing such an impressive result.
“...Though right now there’s nowhere to spend it.”
Of course, he could make a Karma offering even inside the illusion. Although the connection with the gods weakened within this space, experience suggested that Karma and Return After Death functioned outside most laws. However, it was unknown how such a crude external interference would affect the illusion itself. If it suddenly collapsed or warped...
“The reward for clearing the stage would be something to remember fondly.”
He wasn’t going to risk that. He would use this Karma to kill Kate Bellamor after he escaped from here.
“With a thousand units, I might even be able to take her down without dying.”
That amount of Karma was enough for a full Divine Descent. Looking at the solid balance, hope ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) began to flicker again within him. Right—once he overcame this stage, saving Dimona would become reality.
“Besides, I got a clue.”
This death had not been in vain. At the very least, he had learned something.
In this mansion, with every passing “day,” the synchronization level increases. In proportion to that, the mind and emotions become more and more consumed by the role of a maid. To prevent that, a certain “condition” must be fulfilled.
At first he had naively believed that all he needed to do was follow the instructions in the scenario window and perform the “proper work.”
Work befitting a maid. But that was a trap. The original purpose of this illusion was the salvation of the mansion. Which meant that he, invited here for that purpose, should behave not as a maid but as a “Savior.” Having grasped the essence of it, Gunther whispered firmly:
“Let’s go.”
Clenching his fists, he stared at the approaching light of regression.
Whoooosh!
In this life he would definitely escape from here. He stepped forward decisively, but suddenly froze.
“Ah, almost forgot.”
He activated the regressor’s privilege.
[Object designated for partial companion return: “Senior Maid, Dorsia Rent”]
— The designated character retains their state prior to regression (attributes, skills, affinity level, etc.).
— However, previous memories are not inherited.
The affection he had painstakingly accumulated while Guntra swept and cleaned the mansion. He had no intention of letting it go to waste. Now the preparations were complete. Gunther rushed toward the surging light.
[Return to save point #11]
***
Senior maid Dorsia looked at Gunther with suspicion.
“So... you’re saying you’re good at cooking?”
“Yes, that’s my specialty. I know how to do it, and I enjoy it!”
Dorsia looked Gunther up and down once more. At first glance this pretty maid looked no older than twenty. Too young to be a master of cooking. Yet for some reason the confidence in those gemstone-like blue eyes was not irritating at all.
“Well, an extra pair of hands won’t hurt. We’re short on people anyway...”
“Then...”
“Get ready and head to the kitchen in the main building. First you’ll show what you can do, and then we’ll talk.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
The senior maid turned around, and Gunther, noticing the worried looks of his fighters, clenched his fist encouragingly. Blanc whispered:
“G-Gunther, did you really cook? Cooking is insanely difficult...”
Gunther smirked at such nonsense. Had he cooked?
“Yes. I fed a girl your age for more than ten years.”
How many years had he lived as the sole breadwinner of the family? Even from limited ingredients he had always managed to prepare a delicious homemade dinner, earning sincere admiration from his sister. In such a rich kitchen it would be harder not to meet the senior maid’s standards.
Ting!
At the next sound signal, Gunther’s smile widened even more.
[Personal scenario updated!]
Meet the maid of the Bellamor estate, ■■■, in the kitchen.
In the previous life the scenario window had not changed, but now, the moment he chose to go to the kitchen, it updated immediately. It was a clear signal—he was moving in the right direction.
“Among household chores, is there anything you’re especially good at? Some kind of talent, perhaps?”
Who would have thought that this question, asked by the senior maid at their very first meeting, would become the branching point determining the success or failure of the entire stage. Truly an insane level.
“Well, I’m off.”
After briefly explaining the situation to his comrades, Gunther gathered himself and left the annex. To meet the very villainess who would soon stain this mansion with blood, and in the future devour hundreds and thousands of lives.
.
.
.
“Hello? So you’re the newcomer. Nice to meet you.”
“....”
“In kitchens this big it can get hectic. Even if you’re used to cooking, there are knives and fire everywhere, so always be careful. Got it?”
......?
***
There must be something very wrong with the rumors about this mansion.
“My name is Marien. Just call me Mari!”
“You can call me Marien...”
“Mari!”
After spending only a short time with ■■■—that is, Marien—Gunther could not help reaching that conclusion.
“Want to go gather firewood together? Make sure to wear gloves so you don’t hurt your hands... Oh, there’s only one pair left. Here, take them.”
“It’s fine...”
“What do you mean fine!”
She wasn’t pretending to be kind. Gunther understood people well enough to know that.
“The mansion is so huge, there’s always endless work, right?.. At first I spent entire days just memorizing the routes. Later I’ll show you the shortcuts.”
Because of the long bangs covering almost her entire face she looked a little gloomy. But in reality Marien turned out to be diligent and completely ordinary as a maid. She did not resemble at all the person the whispers described—a lazy girl, a thief, someone who only stared at men. Could this good-natured girl really devour her mistress Moretia and later become a monster holding cannibalistic feasts in the border city? Gunther was bewildered.
[Alphonse of Red Street advises not to judge people too hastily]
Nodding at the sudden message, Gunther thought:
“Right. It’s too early to draw conclusions. First I need to clarify her relationship with Moretia.”
On the way to gather firewood, he casually started a conversation.
“Mari. I wanted to ask something.”
“....”
“Mari?”
“...Don’t talk to me.”
Why suddenly? Mari, who had been so friendly in the kitchen, abruptly cut him off with an icy face. Gunther was momentarily confused but continued collecting firewood. Mari spoke again only when the basket was nearly full.
“Sorry, Guntra. I forgot to warn you.”
“...About what?”
“If the other maids see us being friendly, you might get into trouble. When others are around, pretend you don’t know me.”
What nonsense... Gunther was speechless for a moment.
“It’s fine. I don’t care about that.”
“...Fine?”
Mari smiled bitterly.
“You’re a good girl, Guntra.”
Then, as if nothing had happened, she continued in a cheerful voice:
“So what did you want to ask? Ask anything. I may look like this, but I’m one of the old-timers in this mansion. The mistress took me in, so I’ve worked here since childhood.”
“The mistress... You mean Lady Moretia?”
“Yes, the flower and pride of House Bellamor. They say last year she made a contract with a great god of magic and even enrolled in the mysticism faculty of the Academy!”
Gunther carefully observed Mari as she praised her mistress. Because of the shadow from her bangs it was impossible to see her expression clearly, but every movement and word carried sincere affection for Moretia. That too seemed far too natural to be a lie.
“This is becoming more and more like a labyrinth.”
He had expected to see someone consumed by jealousy or resentment. Feelings like that were necessary to become a monster who devoured others.
“What’s going on here...?”
Meanwhile Mari seemed to be growing fond of Gunther. Usually when newcomers heard about the outcast they began giving suspicious looks and keeping their distance, but there wasn’t even a trace of that in Gunther. This calm and warm manner gave Mari a strange sense of relief. And as Mari, with an increasingly bright expression, chatted about the daily life of the mansion and stories about the mistress...
“Marien!”
A clear yet commanding voice rang out from the edge of the garden. Turning around, they saw a young aristocratic lady with dazzling golden hair. Elegant gestures, a majestic gaze. Moretia Bellamor.
“Come here.”
She called Mari in a commanding tone usually used to summon a dog.
“O-oh, sorry. I’ll be right back!”
Mari hurriedly shoved the basket of firewood into Gunther’s hands and ran to her mistress without hesitation.
.......
Gunther watched their backs for a moment, then silently headed back toward the kitchen.
.
.
.
Mari returned to the kitchen about an hour later, looking quite tired. As soon as the main cooking began, she plunged into work without resting even for a moment. While the other servants slacked off, she silently took on the heaviest and dirtiest tasks. Standing beside her, Gunther spoke quietly.
“Mari, you’re very different from what people say about you.”
“Ah... Haha. Really?”
“I don’t see any reason for that reputation.”
Mari hesitated for a moment, then laughed kindly.
“Well... When there’s someone people can vent their anger on, everyone else becomes very friendly with each other. Maybe that’s my way of being useful to the mansion...”
“How can that...”
Gunther almost protested, but changed his mind. It was a painful form of self-defense through justification, and he didn’t feel he had the right to point it out.
“Hm?”
While he searched for a way to change the subject, his gaze froze. Something was slightly sticking out from inside Mari’s clothes. Instinctively Gunther felt a chill run down his spine.
“Mari, that...”
“Ah, this...”
Mari, slightly embarrassed, smiled and pulled a worn book from inside her clothes.
“You see, there’s a god I believe in.”
.
.
.
Dong!
[The day in the mansion has ended]
[“Required condition” fulfilled]
[Synchronization level decreasing]
