"Take this!"
Shizuku threw a stone toward Balahab.
Balahab caught the stone with his body.
Even though Shizuku had thrown it casually, the force was strong enough to send a two-hundred-kilogram stone flying.
"Your Highness, what kind of stone is this?" Balahab asked curiously.
Shizuku glanced at him and replied in a cold tone.
"If your life is ever in danger, that stone will save you."
Balahab's hands trembled. He immediately prostrated himself in deep gratitude before Shizuku and me.
I hadn't done anything, so I felt a little uncomfortable with the way Balahab expressed his gratitude.
"Master Krai, we can depart now."
"Alright, let's go."
"Yes!"
Shizuku happily held onto my arm, and we departed under Balahab's reverent gaze.
…..
Our next destination was Duke Welter's residence—not to cause trouble, but to seek information about Agnes.
Shizuku created a layer of protective magic around my body to suppress my overwhelming aura.
This method was quite effective, but it had a very fatal flaw.
If my emotions flared up even slightly, my aura would surely explode and shatter the protective layer Shizuku had created.
It wasn't that Shizuku's magic was weak—my aura was simply too powerful.
"Master Krai, we'll be entering Duke Welter's territory soon," Shizuku said.
"I understand, but aren't you a bit too close?"
We were moving using flight magic, and Shizuku was pressed against me like an inseparable magnet.
Normally, I liked Shizuku's behavior, but since we were in enemy territory, being affectionate here wasn't a good idea.
"Fu fu fu, don't worry. If they try to attack, I'll wipe them all out."
Shizuku puffed out her chest again, wearing a proud expression.
Her chest bounced repeatedly, looking incredibly elastic and soft, like pudding.
Gulp…
"Want to squeeze them?"
"Gehk!"
Like a thief caught red-handed, I felt so embarrassed that I became flustered.
"No, now's not the time."
I was sure my voice was very quiet, but even so, Shizuku must have heard it clearly.
"Hm, alright. If Master wants to, there's no need to hold back—just squeeze them."
Damn it, I never imagined words like that would come straight from the mouth of the most beautiful maid in the world.
Who could resist a temptation like this? Even an angel would be tempted and soon turn into a fallen angel.
"Um… y-yes, thank you."
Shizuku smiled brightly.
My heart was pounding, but I did my best to remain calm.
Once we arrived in Duke Welter's territory, we searched for the best inn to rest.
With our stamina and endurance, we shouldn't have needed rest, but I still couldn't abandon my habits as a human.
Physically, I didn't feel tired, but mentally, I needed at least a short break.
The fatigue I felt might have been nothing more than imagination, but I couldn't simply shake it off.
Shizuku was the perfect example of the best and most attentive maid. She never asked for reasons and was always happy to serve me, even if it meant using her own body.
Thinking about it again, I was truly grateful that I had formed a contract with Shizuku. Without her, I might have already died in the Forest of a Thousand Monsters.
I lay down on a plush bed large enough to accommodate dozens of adults at once.
Perhaps because demons had such varied body sizes, they chose to use oversized beds as their standard.
"Master, I'm sure this will feel better."
As she said that, Shizuku lifted my head and placed it on her lap.
"Shizuku, what are you doing?!"
Without answering my question, Shizuku gently and attentively began massaging my head.
It felt almost magical—my mental fatigue quickly faded away, and my body felt more energized than before.
"This is…"
Shizuku stuck out her small, pink tongue.
"A little trick to help my Master."
Shizuku's smile was so beautiful that there was no way I could be upset with her like this.
Her expression suddenly changed, slightly startling me.
"Master Krai, you feel them too, don't you?"
"…Yeah. I was thinking about how to deal with them."
"Demons are very proud of their strength. If you allow it, let me handle them."
"…What are you going to do?"
Shizuku smiled sweetly.
"A secret. They won't die, so Master doesn't need to worry."
"I wouldn't mind if you killed them."
"Hee hee hee, that would be much easier—but I also want to practice holding back."
"Can you do that?"
Shizuku smiled proudly.
"There's nothing I can't do, ha ha ha!"
"Alright, you may go."
… .. .
To be continued…