Bright sunlight streamed through the window, spilling across the small room and landing squarely on the face of a girl sprawled across the bed. Feeling the warmth against her skin, she groaned softly and turned her head, hoping to steal a few more minutes of sleep.
Creeek.
The wooden door opened, and a woman dressed in a neat black-and-white maid outfit stepped inside. Her gaze swept over the messy room, the scattered clothes on the floor, before landing on the girl who lay half-covered, wearing only a loose brown pair of shorts.
Lilia sighed quietly. "Honestly…"
She walked up to the bed and leaned down. "Miss Hinata, wake up. It's time to go."
The girl stirred, mumbling into her pillow, "Just five more minutes, Lilia…"
Her plea fell on deaf ears. The maid's voice carried a familiar firmness. "Miss Hinata, you said yourself we had to leave early, to cover as much ground as possible today."
A small groan of defeat came from under the blanket. "Ugh… right, I did say that."
Hinata sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before giving Lilia a drowsy smile. "Thanks for the reminder, Lilia. Is everything ready?"
"Yes," the maid replied with her usual efficiency. "I've packed everything. We can leave as soon as you get dressed."
As she spoke, her eyes drifted down to the younger girl's bare torso. Her expression turned into a light scowl. "I told you before, you shouldn't sleep without proper clothes. It could be dangerous if someone—"
"I know, I know," Hinata interrupted, waving a hand lazily. "If some thieves break in, they'll want to take advantage of me or whatever."
She stretched, letting out a soft yawn before flashing a smug grin. "Don't worry, Lilia. I've already set traps at every entrance."
After that kidnapping attempt, I'm not taking any chances. She thought inwardly.
Lilia could only sigh in response. "It's not that I want to nag you, Miss Hinata… but those clothes exist for a reason…"
Hinata cut her off mid-sentence, shrugging casually. "They just feel so restrictive, you know? At least when I'm sleeping, I want some freedom."
It's already good enough I'm wearing shorts. Once I've got a proper safe house and a few trustworthy subordinates, I might stop wearing even these.
"B-But…"
Before Lilia could protest further, Hinata waved her hand dismissively and darted out of the room, clearly unwilling to entertain any morning lectures.
Left behind, Lilia exhaled softly, her gaze sweeping over the now-empty room. "Honestly…" she murmured, a faint smile tugging at her lips before fading into something more uncertain.
Her expression turned thoughtful as she quietly gathered the discarded clothes. I still don't know if my decision was the right one, she admitted to herself, but… I don't regret it. Not for now, at least.
It had been seven days since Hinata offered her the position of personal maid. Lilia had accepted without hesitation, partly out of gratitude for saving her life, giving her a chance to repay that debt in her own way.
But there was another reason too, one she wouldn't say aloud. Serving under Hinata meant staying close, close enough to observe, to learn, and maybe to uncover the truth behind this mysterious girl who'd appeared out of nowhere with strength that defied reason.
Of course, Hinata had her own reasons as well. She hadn't hired Lilia just for companionship or chores. This was a test, a quiet evaluation to see whether the former palace maid was truly worthy of becoming someone she could trust, someone who could handle the responsibilities Hinata planned to share later.
Seven days had passed since then. The two had been travelling steadily toward the nearest major city, the one housing an Adventurers' Guild. Hinata's goal wasn't fame or money; she wanted to analyse magic firsthand. Unlike small villages and rural settlements, where mages were rare or untrained, a city guild was a gathering point for true practitioners of the craft.
Currently, the pair were resting in a small town on the outskirts, the last stop before their destination.
After finishing her bath and getting dressed, Hinata grabbed a bun from the table and took a big bite. "Leet's jo—" she mumbled mid-chew.
Despite the garbled words, Lilia understood perfectly. "We can leave after you finish your food," she replied patiently.
Hinata swallowed and waved a hand dismissively. "No need. I'm not eating much in the morning anyway. We've got a long trip ahead, and I don't want to waste time."
With that, she gulped down the last bite and headed straight for the door.
Leaving the town behind, the two set off on their path. There wasn't an actual road, only faint markings carved into tree trunks, guiding travellers through the forest trail.
"Miss Hinata," Lilia spoke as they walked, her hand resting lightly on the hilt of her sword. "So… what happened after Elsa saved the elf girl?"
Her gaze swept across the woods, alert for any movement. Monsters often roamed these parts, and without patrols from the Adventurers' Guild, the beasts could easily cause havoc before anyone noticed.
Instead of answering, Hinata smiled faintly. "The story seems to have caught your attention, Lilia."
Lilia nodded, her tone curious. "Yes, it really gives a new perspective. I've never heard a story like that before. The way you described the magic, the aura, the guilds, it all felt so real. Everything seemed far more advanced than what we know here. Those failed majinization is similar to Drain Syndrome, And those skills and otherworlders… it almost sounds like there truly is another world out there."
Hinata's eyes softened, but her voice remained neutral. "Perhaps," she murmured.
Inwardly, however, she sighed. That's because there is, and I'm from it.
Before recruiting Lilia, Hinata had carefully considered how much to reveal about Tensura. She didn't begin with, "I'm from another world." That would have been reckless. Instead, she told her story disguised as a fable, changing names and omitting key details like her transmigration, her meta-knowledge, her mathematician skill, and the existence of her gacha system. In her version, the protagonist's name was Elsa.
"Well…" Hinata began, adjusting the strap of her pack as they walked. "Elsa brought the girl to an abandoned house on the outskirts. She couldn't return to her room — that would've alerted the innkeeper. She plans to make him regret it later, of course." A faint smirk crossed her lips before she continued, "The elf girl woke up not long after, and the two talked. The elf insisted on staying with Elsa to repay her for saving her life, even though Elsa told her it was just an accident," she shared her conversation with Alpha.
Lilia nodded thoughtfully. "That's actually a wise choice. The girl has no parents, barely knows her aunt, and if she returned home, she'd only face hatred. Staying with Elsa gives her a chance, not just to repay her debt, but to grow stronger."
Hinata slowed a little, her expression dimming. "But… was it really right for Elsa to accept her?" she asked quietly. "She saved her by accident. Pity played a part, sure, but mostly… it was because she saw her potential."
Although she had dreamed numerous times of having her own shadow garden, after accepting Alpha there had been some conflict inside her. She didn't think of herself as a hero, but accepting young, ignorant girls and training them to be her subordinates didn't seem right to her somehow.
Hearing her question, Lilia was quiet for a few seconds before speaking. "I think it doesn't matter if it's right or wrong. If the girl wants to serve Elsa, she should accept her. It's natural for an elf to want to return the favour. Maybe for Elsa it wasn't a big deal, but for Alpha it was. Her whole life changed. She can continue to live because of her. The girl lost her father, was betrayed, disgusted, hated, only saw darkness… but in Elsa, she saw a bright light, like the sun, someone who seemed impartial. She wants to protect that light."
Saying this, she gave a quick side glance at Hinata. "If Elsa allows it."
At that, Hinata gave a sarcastic laugh. "And burn down with it," she muttered, shaking her head before asking again, "Is she even worthy of getting their protection?"
Lilia only replied calmly, "It depends on Alpha to decide if Elsa is worthy of her. And I think she already knows the answer."
After a short pause, she added, "Also, it's not wrong for Elsa to want Alpha because of her potential. After all, a warrior needs a strong sword, a mage needs a powerful spell, and a king needs loyal soldiers. I think many would fight for the kind of opportunity Alpha has."
"Maybe," Hinata was about to continue, but her eyes suddenly sharpened, focus snapping forward.
Lilia immediately tensed, her instincts kicking in as her gaze darted around in a swift 180°. "What happened?" she asked, hand instinctively reaching for her weapon.
"Someone's fighting up ahead," Hinata said sharply before darting forward. "Let's go."
Lilia could only sigh and follow. Within moments, she caught up, finding Hinata crouched behind a tree, her gaze locked intently on something ahead.
Curious, Lilia quieted her steps and moved closer, careful not to rustle a single leaf. Peering past Hinata's shoulder, she saw what had caught her attention.
A small clearing opened before them. Several armed men had surrounded a woman, clearly injured, breathing heavily as she struggled to stay upright. It might have been just another roadside robbery, but something about her made Lilia's eyes widen. "Isn't that… a Dedoldia?"
The woman's tail flicked weakly behind her, matted with dirt and blood, and a pair of beast-like ears twitched atop her head.
It was Lilia's first time seeing one in person.
"Miss Hinata…" Lilia began, then paused when she noticed the deep frown on Hinata's face. "Is she someone you know?"
Hinata shook her head slowly. "No, we haven't met before. But… I don't understand why she can't fight. After all, she's a Sword King."
"A… Sword King?!" Lilia whispered sharply, eyes widening. Her gaze snapped back to the injured beast-woman. "Dedoldia… Sword King… wait a minute, is she Ghislain?"
Hinata turned toward Lilia, surprised that she recognized the name. Yes the woman in front of them was none other than Ghislain Dedoldia, one of the most renowned characters from Mushoku Tensei.
Even among the countless demi-humans across the anime worlds, Ghislain ranked near the top, whether it was in strength, loyalty, or even her abs.
"You know about her?" Hinata asked, eyes still locked on the fight ahead.
Lilia nodded almost immediately. "Of course. Where I used to work, I heard about her. Her name's well-known, she's a Sword King after all. And if I remember correctly, she was once part of Fangs of the Black Wolf, an S-rank adventurer party."
Hinata raised a brow at that, humming thoughtfully. "So that group exists here too, huh…" she murmured, more to herself than to Lilia as she continues peeking.
Ghislain's movements were sluggish, her stance shaky. Blood dripped from several wounds, but what worried Hinata more was the way the beastwoman's sword arm trembled unnaturally.
That's not exhaustion… she's been drugged.
Her jaw tightened. She scanned the area, but there was no sign of reinforcements.
Then her expression shifted, calm curiosity hardening into sharp focus. Is this some kind of dark timeline? she wondered.
"She is going to die…" Hinata muttered under her breath, half a sigh, half an exasperated groan. She turned to Lilia, lowering her voice. "Stay put and quiet. I need to save a cat before we continue our journey."
Lilia blinked, confused. "A… cat?"
But before she could say more, Hinata was already gone, her cloak snapping behind her as she leapt from behind the trees.
Landing with a soft thud, she raised a hand dramatically. "Konnichiwa!" she called out with far too much confidence for someone interrupting a bloodbath.
The men froze, startled by the sudden intrusion.
"The Stylish Bandit Slayer has arrived."
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