Chapter 177 Mardira’s Melancholy
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(I wonder… what is to become of me now…)
In truth, our lineage was never particularly distinguished. We were merely mid-tier nobles on the lower end of the Kingdom’s hierarchy, possessing neither substantial wealth nor any ancestral lands to call our own.
My upbringing was originally tailored toward becoming a domestic servant for the high nobility. As a rule, the upper crust of the aristocracy rarely deigns to employ commoners for their personal needs.
Then, in a turn of events that was truly an honor beyond my station, I was summoned to the royal castle to serve as a maid for Princess Viorga. My father’s affiliation with Princess Viorga’s faction likely played a role in that appointment.
However, on the day I finally donned my maid uniform to pay my respects to Princess Viorga, a stunning directive was handed down to me.
”Ah… so you are Mardira. I have perused the dossiers for all the personal staff, and… you. You can manifest a ‘Technique’ type Secret Treasure Orb¹, can you not? This is perfect. Report to the White Lily Knight². Oh, and I shall settle the matter with your parents myself.”
To be sure, while preparing to enter Princess Viorga’s service, I had undergone several aptitude tests to determine if I could trigger a Secret Treasure Orb.
But the specific Secret Treasure Orb I could actually activate was of no great consequence; it merely enhanced the wielder’s visual acuity. It was hardly suitable for combat or anything of that nature.
Furthermore, I had never once engaged in physical training. Despite my fragile constitution, I found myself assigned to the White Lily Knight, the order famously known as Princess Viorga’s personal guard.
Naturally, lacking both stamina and raw strength, I could not possibly keep pace with the knightly order’s rigorous training. More than that, attempting to move while clad in heavy plate armor was an exercise in pure futility.
General Alvia was incredibly muscular, and while the other members all possessed some unique talent, I had absolutely nothing. I was treated as a burden who dragged the collective down, enduring petty bullying in the margins of daily life.
Truthfully, I wanted to resign. But that was not an option I could ever voice. Even if I had quit, my father would have been so enraged he likely would not have allowed me back across the threshold of our home.
When the order came to enter the Demon Forest³, I seriously contemplated deserting. Yet, in the end, I possessed neither the courage nor the resolve to act.
And before I realized it, things had come to this…! Stripped of my dignity and treated like livestock, placed in a position where I never know when the King of the Magic Labyrinth⁴ might decide to end my life on a whim…!
I have lost count of how many times I have regretted not running away at that moment…!
When the King of the Magic Labyrinth said, “Think of one person you hate, someone you want to be rid of,” I was certain it was the end for me. I was positive I would be the one singled out.
But when the results were revealed, I was only the third most loathed. Well, the King of the Magic Labyrinth chose the top three most-disliked individuals, so the outcome was the same regardless.
I fully expected to be executed as a public warning. I thought he would kill me in some gruesome fashion to demonstrate the fate of those who dared to defy him. I imagined he would likely feed my entrails to some pet demon monster… or something equally horrific.
However, to our collective shock, the King of the Magic Labyrinth allowed us use of a luxurious bath and provided us with clothing. Then, he instructed us to manage our former colleagues on his behalf.
As for the actual methodology and our specific duties, we received a formal lecture on the matter.
There was so much to memorize that I spent the entire day in a state of sheer desperation, groaning and moaning under the psychological pressure…!
Still, I do not know if I am truly capable of this. Because… I am expected to take a whip to my former colleagues.
Millrose is brimming with enthusiasm. Likely Esrain too.
Millrose was the most loathed of all, receiving votes from everyone stating she was unnecessary to the organization. I could tell instantly that she was seething with rage at being treated as an obstacle by those she deemed her inferiors.
Actually, I had also submitted Millrose’s name. I suspect she probably submitted mine as well.
Though my gloom did not lift, I was able to sleep in an actual bed that night for the first time in an age.
* * *
The following morning, maids began delivering meals to the shack assigned to the three of us.
”My…! What a magnificent spread…!” Mardira said.
”Mm. This drink is the same as the one from before,” Esrain replied.
The maids brought bread and a soup overflowing with hearty chunks of meat and vegetables. The fact that the bread bore a branding mark from the Republic was a point of concern.
But the soup is truly divine…! Not just the ingredients–the sweetness of the vegetables has melted so thoroughly into the broth itself…!
Once the meal was finished, Millrose swept her gaze across the room at us.
”Well then… it finally begins today~desuwa. For the time being, I shall treat you as equal colleagues… but I beg you, do not hold me back. Is that quite understood? “
”Mm. We share the same fate. Let’s cover for each other’s mistakes,” Esrain said.
”I-I’ll do… my best-suuu…” Mardira replied.
My lack of confidence bled into my voice. Millrose was not the type to overlook such a weakness.
”Now see here, Mardira. Pull yourself together. If you slip up, there’s every chance we’ll be sent back to being livestock, you know? Do you truly grasp the weight of that?”
”Y-Yes…” Mardira said quietly.
Ugh… I-I don’t want to go back to being livestock either…!
Besides, after being cast out by everyone as unwanted, I wouldn’t even know what face to show them if I returned…! Or rather, I’d certainly be ignored completely…!
”But… w-whipping everyone… I don’t know if I can manage it…” Mardira muttered.
This was the primary source of my heavy heart. The livestock curriculum commencing today involves a strict ranking system based on relative performance.
We are expected to whip those with poor grades, those who cannot move, or anyone displaying a rebellious attitude. With the maids watching over us, I cannot afford to slack off in my managerial duties.
If I had been participating on the livestock side, I would have undoubtedly been at the very bottom of the rankings.
That is precisely why, as someone without ability, I felt a visceral resistance to the act of whipping people who are my superiors in every physical sense.
”I’m appalled. After being discarded as garbage by the others, you’re actually moping over such a trifle?” Millrose asked.
”But…”
”…Mardira. It’s fine,” Esrain said.
”Eh?” Mardira asked.
Esrain looked at me with her habitual sleepy-looking eyes.
”The current Mardira isn’t a knight. You’re a manager working as the hands and feet of the King of the Magic Labyrinth. What is required isn’t knightly ability, but managerial ability.”
”………”
Come to think of it… the King of the Magic Labyrinth said something like that too.
He said that my previous job simply had not suited me. He wanted me to build a new ‘career’? under his service.
Did the King of the Magic Labyrinth… conclude that there was a role more fitting for my particular abilities…?
”Esrain. I wonder if you can even function as a manager yourself?” Millrose asked.
Millrose directed a challenging look at Esrain. Few people would dare take such a tone with a Guru.
”Mm. I wish to be granted the power of a Magic Girl⁵ from the King of the Magic Labyrinth. I’ll do whatever is necessary to achieve that,” Esrain replied.
”Heh… I wonder if it’s such a magnificent power even to someone like you, a Guru?” Millrose asked.
”Without question. I could not perfect a technique like theirs even if I devoted my entire life to it. If I can gain that much power by forming a relationship with the King of the Magic Labyrinth, then that is what I desire,” Esrain said.
Wa-wa-wa…. T-To think she is willing to do… naughty things with the King of the Magic Labyrinth….
Ah, but… p-probably, Princess Cleonora and Princess Liliarette also, um… did naughty things with the King of the Magic Labyrinth…. And what’s more, they both know about each other….
”What about you, Millrose? That power… are you not interested?” Esrain asked.
”It would be a lie to say… I’m not. But whether I would surrender my body for it is a separate matter~desuwa,” Millrose replied.
Th-That’s right…. Even though he has seen us naked many times, I also think whether we do naughty things is a completely different conversation…!
While we were talking, a new figure appeared at the shack. Accompanied by several maids was the young girl into whom Princess Liliarette had transformed.
”Princess Liliarette…!” Mardira cried out.
”In this form, I am the Magic Girl Crushing—Sardonyx⁶. Furthermore… see that you do not tell anyone you met us sisters,” she said.
No matter how often I see it, I cannot believe it’s Princess Liliarette’s transformed state…! Her build, her face, and her voice are all those of an entirely different person…!
Esrain continued to watch the Princess… Sardonyx, with a gaze that made no secret of her fascination.
Come to think of it, she is constantly floating in the air because she cannot move her legs.
To think that Princess Viorga had gone so far as to let miasma ravage both legs of her own younger sister, Princess Liliarette….
Millrose was also visibly shaken. There is no doubt that the impression we had of Princess Viorga shifted drastically over the course of yesterday….
The maids were each carrying sets of clothes.
”Understood? When performing your managerial duties, you are to change into these garments. And use these whips. Since it is the first day, I shall personally assist you,” Sardonyx said with a smirk.
Ugh… to have to perform managerial work under such close supervision….
Millrose nodded confidently and moved to change. She likely views this as an opportunity to showcase her competence rather than as a form of surveillance.
I pushed my doubts aside and began to change as well. Then, I caught sight of myself in the mirror.
”Wa…”
This… it looks like the uniform worn by soldiers of the Empire…. It feels very formal… or rather, rigid…. The bottom is a skirt, but at a glance, it has a very stern atmosphere.
Moreover, the fabric is remarkably sturdy, and the color is perfectly saturated. I wonder what kind of dye they could be using…?
”Fufu… they suit you all quite well. Now then… shall we depart?”
—
Summary:
Mardira recounts her path from an ‘unwanted’ noble to a manager in the Labyrinth. The group is outfitted in Imperial-style uniforms and instructed on their duty to whip underperforming livestock. Esrain reveals her pragmatic ambition to become a ‘Magic Girl,’ setting a tone of ruthless self-improvement for the new regime.
—
Character Insight:
Mardira’s hesitation reveals a lingering moral compass that her more ‘capable’ colleagues, Millrose and Esrain, have already discarded for survival. Esrain’s willingness to engage in sexual favors for power shows a stark, utilitarian worldview. Millrose’s arrogance is her only remaining defense against the trauma of being voted ‘useless’ by her peers.
—
Behind the Scene:
The ‘Secret Treasure Orb’ system provides a way for non-combatants to find niche roles in high-society, though the Labyrinth demands a different kind of utility. The Republic-branded bread hints at the Labyrinth’s mysterious supply lines.
—
T/L:
Notes:
• Viorga – The First Princess of the Emmeld Kingdom. She is a beautiful, young woman with long golden hair and sharp blue eyes, always dressed in an elaborate crimson and gold royal gown. She is utterly ruthless, viewing all people—including the summoned Heroes and her own family—as disposable assets in her political games. Looks like Aileen Lauren from certain series.
• Mardira – A female knight ranked 3rd most hated. Height 153cm, B-cup. Dark blue hair in a bob cut. Low stamina and self-esteem.
• Alvia – A Captain in the White Lily Knights, a private military force loyal only to Princess Viorga. A blonde woman with long, slightly frizzy hair that flicks out in places. She has a height of 171cm and an E-cup bust size. She possesses a muscular build with visible abdominal muscles and sturdy upper arms.
• Millrose – Vice-commander level knight of the White Lily Knights. Ranked 1st most hated. Height 164cm, D-cup. Cream-colored hair in ringlets. High pride and well-trained body with faint abs.
• Esrain – One of the four Great Gurus of the Emmeld Kingdom. She is the youngest among them and is considered to be at the peak of her magical power. She has beautiful white hair in a short cut and sleepy-looking eyes. Her height is 150cm with a D-cup bust size. She has a youthful, petite facial appearance.
• Liliarette – The other Princess, who sacrificed her ability to walk and her sorcery talent to save her sister, Cleonora. She is imprisoned in the East Tower and is being used as a political and monetary pawn by Viorga. C-cup, true golden hair, waist-length hair, the fringe was a slightly blunt, hair on her left side was braided to the chest.
• Cleonora – The second princess. Have a yellow blonde hair. Usually styled as hairbun. D-cup.
• Sard – Magical Girl version of Liliarette. A-cup, wolf cut hair, class guardian knight. Yellowish-red vibe.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply