After planning what we were going to do at the ball, the conversation has moved to other matters like good stores for the materials Gabrielle and her team are going to get for us and so on.

“…with that said, in the spirit of avoiding any suspicions, I suggest that we return to the Cathedral until we hear back from Lady Argento before or after her interrogation of the suspects.”

Yaay! That is a great idea, Julian! Please, take her with you already!!

She. Just. Keeps. Sticking. To me!!

"Non, non, non~~~. I am staying here, Julian. I want to see Auros in action! Yes~~."

No! Shoo! Shoo! Don't look at me with those eyes as if they had turned into stars!!

"B-but your Holiness, you have other responsibilities for the day..."

Just give up! Look at poor Julian trying to convince you!

"Mmmm..."

Come on, show me that you are more of a responsible adult than a perv gal...

"...just move any important meetings to the afternoon and attend to the other ones in my stead, Julian. I trust you~~~."

...or not. I am an idiot for even having the slightest hope of it, aren’t I?

"Fufufu~~, no, dear. That is just the way she is. Besides, Ludovica always works earnestly. Even after all this time. So, she deserves some free time from time to time. No pun intended. Still, is it really that bothersome for you, dear?"

...no, it's just that...it’s difficult to maintain my character with her...

"Fufufu~~~, I see. Then, just take it as a challenge. One where you will be fine even if you fail.  After all, you have been showing parts of your true self to the maids slowly, so I think there is no problem. Besides, you do not want to admit it, but you do resemble each other in some ways."

Ugh...and you say I am the shrewd one.

"Fufu~~, what can I say? Learning has always been part of being in a relationship."

Ok, I'll tell her that she can stay...but please, no more…perfume.

I don't want her to go nuts in front of the maids.

Because I don't know what Gabrielle or Erevain would do if they see that.

Just look at Mika too, she looks as if she is going to explode at any moment and start scolding Ludovica.

"Oh my, that is true. Very well, dear."

So, you were planning to use it!

"...teehee."

...

Haa…

Let's get this over with.

"If you are capable of taking care of those matters in her stead then I do not mind her staying..."

"That's...yes I can do so since I have the authority..."

I am sorry, Julian...

Her Goddess wants to spoil her...so please endure...

"Yes! I knew that Auros is the one destined to be my super best friend forever! Nee~~, nee~~, we totes have to be together!"

She says so while hugging me and rubbing her cheek against mine...

She also keeps adding more words to the 'friends' thing...

Am I actually in a gal plus nerd mango?

_____________________________________________

"Porkopork skewers! Take your porkopork skewers! Made with the homemade sauce you all have known for generations! Hey lady, buy two and I'll give you another two!"

"Then I want four."

"Ohoho! Quite the eater we have here then! Here you have it eight porkopork skewers! It'll be twenty kyrs!"

"Here."

"Thank you very much!"

*chomp*

"Delicious."

Yes, it is I.

Jules, the hunter maid.

I am currently walking through one of my favorite places in the capital.

The food district.

It is not named like that, but that is the name I gave it.

Here, there is food and ingredients as far as the eye can see.

I remember having eaten at every stall before and that was my pride, but...I can see that there are new stalls now.

Things can surely change in such few years.

*chomp*

“Mmm…”

No problem. No problem at all.

That only means that I must eat at those new stalls now that I have time.

I should store Master's portion before I go to those though.

*poof*

“Cool.”

This uniform is truly convenient, food can be stored within its storage space and it will remain fresh and hot.

This body is convenient too.

Getting discounts means that I can get more food.

And they give them to me while trembling in excitement!

I am beautiful and I know it because I am my type!

*chomp*

"Mhm! Mhm!”

There is nothing truer than that…

“Hmm?"

*sniff*

That smell…it’s…

"Fried Uruns with tree cream! Fried Uruns with tree cream! It is tree cream right out of Deamis! Nuff' said!"

Tree cream...

*gulp*

We hunters can make it by finding Mil trees in the wild, or by Mil farmers, of course. But the one made by the elves in Deamis has always been the best. It is one of the products they are the proudest of.

Of course, I am already at the stall.

"Give me six. Please."

"Ah! Y-young lady, you startled me. Here you have them! It will be sixty-six Kyrs."

"Here."

"Thank you for your patronage! Have a nice day!"

*chomp*

"Delicious and creamy."

I would be lying if I said that I did not miss this place.

I am a hunter, I like the wilds, but I also like the cities.

Specially this one…

Still, they provide many different things that the wilds can't.

But they need each other.

We need each other.

That is why we help in taking care of the monsters that mess with the habitats with their corrupting presence.

That is why we also purify those already contaminated areas and do our best to restore them.

And, of course, we make sure to hunt those who try to abuse the forest.

Because that is not cool.

Meanwhile, the forests provide us of valuable resources.

Food being one.

Still, we must never take more than we need.

Something that is simple to do since the rest can be obtained by either trade or even magic.

*chomp*

“Mmm…ah.”

I should store Master's portion again.

I am now a maid, so having my Master in mind is to be expected.

Where was I?

Yes, food.

The forest is full of ingredients for those who look for them and sometimes, only for those who are strong enough.

For example, hunting a doorim is not an easy task.

That is why there are no stalls selling meat skewers with doorim meat...regrettably.

For that, one needs to go to a fancy restaurant or hunt one.

*chomp*

“Ahh…truly delicious.”

I sorely missed this city's food.

"Coming through! Step aside, Miss! Please!"

Hmm…there seem to be not only more stalls, but people too.

It’s been getting crowded with lots of people buying things in bulk.

But that is good.

It actually helps me with my task.

After all, it is I, the hunter maid.

And I am hunting.

"Hoho~~, doing my routine stroll through my district is always refreshing. I knew that rising the prices just a bit via tax wouldn't hurt. Miss Rupee was worried about it, but just seeing this amount of people shows that I was right. Nothing changes and we get more funding. Maybe I should rise them a bit more?"

I will never understand those people who talk to themselves in murmurs, just like my target is doing.

Are they lonely?

They should make friends with someone by inviting them to eat. That always works.

My target, Boris Greese, seems to have succeeded his father in his position as this district’s overseer.

His father was someone who would put money out of his own pocket to make sure prices stayed accessible to everyone.

While Boris seems hungry for rising them more.

"That’s not cool...”

The higher the prices, the less people that can enjoy the food of this place.

The less people who can enjoy the food, the less sales the stalls get and not to mention the less the farmers and hunters get to sell in general.

Can't he see that they are buying more because they are afraid that prices might get even higher?

I don't like it.

He’ll feel my retribution while I complete my mission.

I move with grace through the crowd where Boris is and get behind him.

I am a maid.

I look normal being behind him, who is a noble and a merchant.

That is why the following is also very normal.

“Smoking is better than grilling.”

"Hmm? Gah—!"

As he falls for my masterful distraction and he begins to turn, I punch him in the gut, just letting him get a small glance of someone beautiful before fainting.

I am merciful like that.

Some people are looking at us now while others just keep moving.

Still, there is no need to worry.

I am a maid.

"Oh, master~~! Are you alright? Don't you worry! I'll carry you home! Your favorite maid is strong! Please, let me pass!"

The people immediately open the way for me since my acting is flawless if I do say so myself.

After all, I am a hunter. Melding with my surroundings is key.

And that means, that sometimes, one needs to act. Be it using one's voice to trick a flying fat boar or a crowd.

I walk to one of the secret entrances to the tunnels that is in this district.

My old shortcut for when I wanted to arrive here faster because of hunger or because my father needed ingredients quickly.

I am Jules, the hunter maid, and I shall bring both my prey and delicious food to my Master.

__________________________________________

"I am hooome! Meh...as if someone were here..."

Said Sophie as she entered a small, humble house within one of the multiple alleyways of the area where she used to live.

"Still, what a drag...I’m gone for a few months and there is already this level of dust..."

The place didn't seem abandoned, but it showed that no one had taken care of it for said short time.

"Oh well, it doesn't matter anymore since I won't be living here again any time soon."

With that, she closed the door and went straight to the main room.

"I'll just take a few things that I left here…like these papers, my savings, this fishing rod too, and of course..."

All the things she took disappeared from her hands and went straight to the storage space provided by her uniform.

She then crouched and lifted the loose floor tile that was in front of her, revealing the presence of a big hole hidden under the floor.

"...this. Family treasure or bothersome decoration, either way, I can't leave it here."

She said so as she took out a large something from the hole, something that was covered in a beige cloth and tied with a golden rope.

Whatever that something was, it promptly disappeared into Sophie’s storage just like anything else before it.

*creeak**click*

"..."

That is when Sophie heard something, it was both the characteristic sound of the old floor tiles creaking as someone walked on them and the main door closing.

Someone had entered her home and locked the door behind them.

Two people, to be specific.

And it didn't take long for her to feel the cold metal of a dagger on her neck, a clear sign that those people were not friends of hers.  

"..."

The one who held such dagger was another woman, she had white hair and wore a dark-colored brigandine armor.

"Move in a suspicious manner and that will be the last thing you do. Understood?"

Said the woman as she waited for Sophie to nod and she did.

"Good. Now get up slowly.”

And so, Sophie did just as she was told, not showing any sign of resistance.

“Turn around.”

“…”

Once again, she obeyed the one threatening her.

However, what such white-haired woman failed to notice was that Sophie was calm, too calm.

“You will be answering his questions."

Said the woman as they moved to the living room.

There, Sophie saw a bald, bearded man with a scar on his right eye and a towering height.

He had a large build, with strong arms and fists covered in gauntlets.

His brigandine armor was black with some metallic gray here and there.

All in all, he was clearly an intimidating person.

“Let’s start with an easy one. Who are you lady?”

His voice matched well with that idea but instead of looking afraid, Sophie...smiled.

“Well, well, I was going to look for you, but here you are. Thank you for making my job easier.”

Indeed, she smiled because the man in front of her was important to her for a couple of reasons.

One being that he was the one that may as well serve to free her from the hellish training she was experiencing.

For he was her target.

As for the other reason…

 

To be continued...(What is that mysterious 'treasure'? Could it be that the upcoming Sophie figure has spoiled it in the ad? YES IT HAS!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA! DON'T YOU LOVE IT WHEN TOYS SPOIL THE STORY?! HAHAHA...) (Sophie centric chapter coming up!)

Glossary entry #22:

Mango: Meme slang for manga. Used more in some countries/forums than in others.

Gal plus nerd: A theme used in romcom manga where a gal (gyaru), an outgoing girl, meets/pairs up/loves/etc., a nerd, an introvert. Thus, leading to funny situations between them thanks to their different personalities. Of course, there are some that have twists. Like the nerd being actually quite forward and honest with his desires/feelings and the gal being actually a prude that gets embarrassed with such talk.

Man, I love Jules. She is just a blast to write, or to rewrite in this case, hehe. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Please look forward for the next one! If you want to help me commission some nice Jules or Sophie illustrations, please consider donating to my Ko-Fi! Every bit helps! 

Special thanks from the bottom of my heart to: EmbraceTheSleeb, Lord-Hollow, YukisoraRin, LordInquisitorSteele, Anon and Anon2!

Thank you for reading!