Chapter 83 - Kinue, the Warrior Maid
Kinue:
It had been 20 days since we returned ho from the Royal Capital, and it was morning. I stretched as I woke up. I always got up early to start my duties and then do my training.
"I'm a little hungry," I said as I yawned.
Getting out of bed, I went to a light crystal and infused it with my mana to light up the ceiling globe. My room was quite spacious, and I had decorated it with things I liked. Aunt Margie gave an allowance, and Professor Adrihna would also leave so money with whenever she visited, but I didn’t spend much.
I took a bath and put on my maid uniform.
On my desk, there were so makeup products, but what I liked most was kept in a box.
“That necklace…”
I put on the necklace and grabbed my storage bracelet.
When I turned 12, they threw a surprise party. I hadn’t even rembered I could celebrate my 12th birthday, so it was a wonderful surprise. I was so happy because I never imagined I’d have a party like that. I received so special gifts since we celebrate when a child becos a teenager.
Aunt Katie and Martha tead up to give a halberd. It was a heavy weapon that looked like a spear; they made a special one for , making it deadlier. The tip had a large, sharp blade, and the other end was like a spear. I liked the spears the maids used, but they thought it better to give a customized weapon that could be better utilized with my strength and my primary category as a Transmitter.
Aunt Margie gave a storage bracelet, and I hesitated to accept such a gift. Having a storage bracelet is a big responsibility, and it’s not sothing commoners have access to; only the nobility is authorized to buy them, and they’re very expensive. The one she gave was special—though so bracelets are sold on the black market, the one she gave was exclusive to the upper nobility. My bracelet was the most spacious version available, able to store up to 10 items.
Professor Adrihna gifted a house next to hers in the elven kingdom and a special book exclusive to high elves, containing light elent spells.
Chloe and Nathan also gave sothing, but it was after the party, since by tradition, only adult guardians are allowed to give gifts on a 12th birthday. They gave a pendant to add to the necklace I had received during our first outing in the city. Nathan gave a small piece of his Akonium stone, and Chloe gave the pearl from the earring she had received that day. These two items were made into pendants for my necklace.
“I look perfect,” I said, admiring myself and my uniform in the mirror.
I left the room, and sothing darted quickly down the corridor.
“You scared , Cylla!” I said, placing a hand on my chest.
“Squaak,” she replied and ran off again.
You’re up early.
When we were younger, Nathan and Chloe showed the other animal that lived in this place. It was a beautiful four-legged bird with red accents on its feathers, about the size of a dog. They told she was a girl and Nathan’s guardian. I played with Cylla occasionally, having her shoot fireballs at light shields to see if she could hit them. They asked never to ntion the panther and the bird to anyone else.
When Professor Adrihna first saw Nathan's guardian, she was puzzled, saying she had never seen a bird like that before, and they told her it was a phoenix. The professor was shocked to hear that, as phoenixes were considered extinct. Nathan's mother and aunt asked the professor to keep the bird a secret, as the kingdom coveted magical creatures. Lady Adrihna agreed, promising to keep it a secret—after all, she had known about the panther for many years. I found out that she had never told any of the important elves about the peculiar family's secrets or that Nathan was in the process of acquiring Special Eyes.
Sotis, they speak in code, and I've managed to understand a few things. The professor ntioned that one day she would have to take Aunt Katie and Nathan to et the people who saw when I was little.
The professor told that Nathan's case is more complicated than mine and that it might even be difficult to take him to the elven kingdom since he's a high-ranking noble, and the human kingdom’s embassy would be notified. Aunt Katie and I are of commoner origin, so it's easier for us to make these trips, but she ntioned that Nathan would draw attention, and Aunt Katie doesn't want him to et those people just yet.
“Good morning, Kinue,” a maid greeted .
“Good morning,” I replied.
I continued walking down the corridor, and as soon as I turned a corner, I saw a breathless Chloe.
“Good morning, Kinue. Do you know where Cylla is?” she asked, flustered.
“She ran past just a mont ago.”
Chloe clenched her fists. “That little thief stole my breakfast and ran off,” she said, hurrying down the corridor.
Always full of energy, no matter the ti of day, hehe.
I headed toward the dining room where we usually had our als.
“Good morning, Lady Margaery,” I said.
“Good morning,” she replied.
I walked over to Aunt Katie.
“Good morning, Lady Katherine.”
“Good morning, Kinue. You know you don’t need to call us that.”
I let out a small laugh. “I’m training to be a true warrior maid, and that includes being perfect in every aspect,” I said.
And also because I can't call you ‘aunt’; I need to break that habit. When I did that in front of a rchant, he found it odd since we’re of different races, and it’s considered impolite for a servant to address their master informally.
“You’re always so polite and helpful; it’s completely different from my daughter, who is always finding ways to avoid her tasks,” Lady Margaery said.
I let out a small laugh because Chloe really did try to escape her duties whenever she could.
“I’m thinking of adopting you permanently, hehe,” Aunt Katie said.
I blushed when I heard her say that.
“Where’s Nate?” I asked, as he would usually be feeding Cylla breakfast.
“He’s got a headache and didn’t want to get out of bed; his eyes are hurting again,” Aunt Margie said.
Nathan sotis had severe pain episodes and would stay in bed all day when it happened. The professor explained to that the process of the body cultivating Special Eyes is very painful, but for Nathan, it’s even more excruciating since he’s developing both eyes.
Not even dicine can help him get better.
Nathan and Chloe have been eating special plants and mushrooms every day since they were very young to build resistance to poisons, so even painkillers don’t work on them. I’ve started eating them too, but it won’t be as effective for since my body only began being exposed to them when I was older than they were.
“I should tell you, Adrihna will be arriving at the castle in a few hours,” Lady Margaery said.
“Really?” I asked, excited.
“We received a letter from a crow sent by the wall guards saying they had opened the gate for her. I believe she should be here with us by dinner ti,” she said.
I was overjoyed by the news.
I need to show her how much I’ve improved in these past few months!
After we finished breakfast, everyone got up to start their tasks. Aunt Katie was responsible for part of the fortress's security, overseeing fixed golem plants and helping with the farms managed by the villagers. She prepared special seeds and strengthened the planted ones to accelerate their growth. Even Chloe helped by filling water reservoirs with her magic. The villagers were very happy since mages rarely did such work for free, and most were of noble birth, so they didn’t engage in common tasks. The mages who did work in such roles were too expensive for local families to afford.
Everyone in the castle contributed in so way, and there was no job discrimination here—everyone had to learn at least a bit of every task. Nathan and Chloe learned how to plant, work with fertilizer, and even assist in animal births. When they went out to help on the farms, they couldn’t identify themselves as nobles from the castle and pretended to be village children or the offspring of a soldier. It was easier for them to interact with the villagers if they were treated as ordinary kids. I appreciated how the Evenhart family did things, even though I had uncovered so slightly sinister secrets about what the maids actually did; I still liked their simple way of life.
I ended up excelling in household chores, and Chloe always lost to when we competed to see who could clean a room better.
Professor Martha explained to that the children of the castle were taught from a young age not to grow up spoiled and to appreciate the small things.
“I could take so breakfast to Nathan…” I murmured as I tidied up the table.
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