Chapter 5: Second Maid

Witnessing Freya's ruthless display, the soldiers, knights, and mages atop the wall shivered in both awe and fear.

Melnard shook his head. "What a pity," he murmured, "such excellent materials for crafting equipment reduced to pieces."

Freya then extended her hand, manipulating the blood to extract magical crystals from the foreheads of the goblin corpses.

She also gathered the goblin shaman's staff and the broken giant mace from the half-dismembered giant goblins, enveloping them in blood.

Bat wings sprouted from Freya's back as she took flight, carrying the blood—and with it, the magical crystals—back to the fortress.

She landed gracefully beside Hal, bowing. "Thank you, Master, for allowing me to annihilate those foul goblins."

Then Freya presented the magical crystals she had collected, along with the giant mace and staff.

"It's fine," Hal replied casually, though inwardly he felt a flicker of unease at Freya's ruthlessness. With a wave of his hand, the magical crystals and weapons vanished, reappearing inside the system inventory.

Wait... Hal was surprised when he noticed the label above Freya: her affection level had risen from 75 to 82.

He didn't know the exact reason, but Hal had a suspicion. Based on Freya's actions—twisting the goblin's fingers one by one, crushing its legs bit by bit, and tearing the last goblin to pieces—she seemed to be venting her anger.

"Forget it," he thought. "Whatever the reason, it's good that her affection toward me has increased. That's enough."

"Sister, are you alright?" Freesia rushed to Freya's side, her face full of concern as she checked for injuries.

Of course, Freya's wounds had already healed—after all, she possessed the Rapid Regeneration skill.

Freya, on the other hand, embraced her sister, tears streaming down her face.

"Sister, why are you crying? Are you hurt?" Freesia asked, flustered.

"No," Freya whispered into her ear, "I'm happy because I finally avenged our mother's death by killing the one responsible."

Meanwhile, Hal surveyed the corpses outside the fortress, unwilling to let anything go to waste.

He leapt onto the fortress wall and raised his hand, gathering all the blood below.

As he collected it, he glanced at the ruined wooden house surrounded by two-meter-high wooden fences before and shook his head. Though he pitied the people, he was neither a hero nor a saint.

If given a choice, he would rather be a tyrant ruler than a hero or a saint.

After all, too much kindness isn't always good. People tend to take advantage of it, and if you show too much compassion, they might see it as your duty as a hero or saint—not as a genuine desire to help.

Once Hal had collected all the blood, he divided it into two sections: the combined blood of the first- and second-tier goblins, and the separate blood of the third-tier goblins.

Under Hal's command, the blood of the first- and second-tier goblins transformed into nearly two hundred exquisite blood crystal swords of fine grade.

With a thought, the blood crystal swords fall before Lord Melnard, the lord of Riverhill Fortress.

As for the seven third-tier blood crystal swords, he stored them inside the system inventory.

"Consider this a gift," Hal said. "I want a favor to ask."

"Please, sir, as long as it is within my capabilities, I will certainly help," Melnard replied respectfully.

"No need to worry. We only require a carriage that can accommodate a dozen people, a map of the nearby territory, and a place to rest in the coming days."

"Certainly, we are more than willing to assist." "Please accept our deep respect and gratitude for helping us during this crisis."

"Indeed, without your aid, we might not have survived this assault. Thanks to you, we avoided casualties," the knights, mages, and soldiers added, bowing in unison alongside Melnard in heartfelt appreciation.

"Sir, we don't currently have a carriage like the one you described, but we will complete its construction by tomorrow afternoon."

"So please, stay within the castle for a few days," Melnard added.

Hal nodded in agreement and thanked Melnard.

"Sir, may I distribute a weapon to each person who willingly defends the fortress?"

"Of course. Those weapons now belong to you; how you allocate them is your decision," Hal replied to Melnard's inquiry.

"Thank you," Melnard bowed, "Men! Every one of you defending the walls, you may each choose a sword!"

The defenders cheered in excitement upon hearing this. They were not fools—everyone recognized the value of these swords. Each radiated powerful mana fluctuations, signifying that they were magical weapons.

Though only fine-grade swords, their sharpness was enough to slice through ordinary steel as easily as cutting tofu.

Melnard then instructed his trusted aide before leading Hal and the two girls to the castle to rest.

Along the way, Freesia's stomach growled insistently, so Melnard arranged for food to be prepared.

At the table, Hal and Freya remained composed, but Freesia was different—she devoured her meal like a starving wolf. Fortunately, Melnard soon left them in the care of a castle maid, as he had duties to attend to as lord.

Afterward, the maid escorted them to a guest room. It had a wooden door, and inside, a candle flickered on a table surrounded by chairs. In the corner there's a large bed draped with a white curtain.

Hal sat on the chair, sensing that Freya wanted to speak but was hesitant.

Taking a deep breath, Freya stepped forward and brought her sister in front of Hal."Master, my sister has agreed to become your maid. May I ask if she's qualified?"

Freesia clenched her fists nervously, awaiting his response.

Hal studied Freesia carefully, then glanced at the label above her head:

Name: Freesia

Beauty: 95

Affection: 30

"Of course, Freesia is qualified."

Upon hearing Hal's response, both Freya and Freesia grew excited.

Not only that, but Freya's affection for him also increased dramatically—now reaching 92 points. Starting tomorrow, Freya's accumulated system points will hit 100, increasing tenfold.

"Freesia," Hal called out.

"Sir?"

"Come."

"Yes, sir," Freesia stepped forward and kneel before Hal.

Hal stood up from his chair and placed his hand gently on Freesia's shoulder.

"Freesia, are you willing to become my maid and servant?"

"I agree!" Freesia responded eagerly.

Almost immediately, a golden light enveloped her, and a mark appeared on her chest.

Hal didn't stop there. He tapped his finger on Freesia's forehead, releasing a drop of blood crackling with powerful energy that merged onto her skin.

Freesia screamed in agony as her entire body was engulfed in a crimson aura, causing her to float in midair.

After ten minutes, her body began to twitch like Freya's had. Her nails lengthened, bat-like wings sprouted from her back, and her crimson eyes opened, filled with ferocity.

At the same time, her affection toward me surged dramatically, reaching 90 points.

Freesia scanned her surroundings with a fierce intensity, but when she saw Hal, she immediately jumped into his embrace.

"Thank you, Master. Thank you!" Freesia whispered repeatedly.

How could she not be grateful? The skills she had received were incredibly powerful; her lifespan had increased many fold and her strength now matched that of her elder sister—a third-tier powerhouse.

"All right, get down and receive your maid outfit."

Freesia stepped down from Hal's embrace and followed his order.

Opening the system panel, Hal summoned the Battle Maid Armor Set and handed it to Freesia.

She applied a drop of her blood to the equipment before putting it on, beaming with happiness.

Freya was genuinely joyful on her sister's behalf.

Freesia was not just Hal's second maid—she was also his second vassal, known as the Bloodborne Progenitor.

"Sir, thank you again ,for accepting me as your maid."

"Oh, don't call me 'sir.' From now on, you can call me Master."

"Yes, Master!" Freesia was excited, jumping lightly with joy.

Hal shook his head at her antics. With her affection now at 90, he realized that tomorrow he could earn 200 points—something that left him very satisfied.

Then Hal opened the system panel and accessed the sisters' information.

Name: Freya

Age: 21

Beauty: 98

Affection: 92

Cultivation: 3rd Tier

Equipment

- Battle Maid Headband (Epic):

- Skill Perception (B Rank): Allows the wearer to clearly see their surroundings within a ten-meter radius. This skill continuously consumes mana from both the equipment and the user while active.

- Battle Maid Gloves (Epic):

- Skill Greater Arm Strength (B Rank): When activated, triples the wearer's arm strength for one minute. Cooldown: 1 hour.

- Battle Maid Armor (Epic):

- Skill Physical Damage Reflection: Reflects 30% of incoming physical damage.

- Battle Maid Boots (Epic):

- Skill Great Acceleration (B Rank): When activated, triples the wearer's speed for one minute. Cooldown: 1 hour.

Skills

- Rapid Regeneration (S Rank): Derived from the Immortality skill (SS Rank), this ability enables almost instant healing of wounds.

- Blood Transformation (B Rank): Allows the user to transform into blood, gaining mobility and immunity to physical attacks.

- Blood Manipulation (A Rank): Grants control over blood in various forms.

- Bloodlust (A Rank): Enhances physical abilities fivefold and instills fear in opponents.

- Blood Absorption (A Rank): Enables absorption of blood to recover mana and stamina.