Still, Less Tense Than Your First Time?
A week or so had passed since then. By now, I could somewhat hold my own against Rita with a sword. Of course, that was only possible because she was going easy on me...
From what I'd personally experienced, Rita's combat prowess was on the level of an imperial knight commander. No, even beyond that. Every movement flowed seamlessly without a hint of waste. The moment you let your guard down even slightly, an attack targeted your vital points. And on top of that, her stamina showed no signs of strain no matter how much swordplay we exchanged. She was the epitome of a perfect swordsman.
If she weren't my maid, she could've made a name for herself as a knight. "Rita, I've never seen you get tired..."
"Housework takes less effort than this, and since I'm spending time with you, Miss, it feels enjoyable, I suppose."
Clang! Rita effortlessly blocked my full-force downward strike without a flicker in her expression.
"At this rate, you might be ready to hunt demons soon."
"...When you block it this easily?"
"I've watched you for so long, Miss, so I can say this with confidence. Of course, it's not quite up to your young master days, but you've improved tremendously compared to the beginning."
Even though my body was female now, my habits and usual movements lingered from my male days. I was definitely progressing several times faster than when I first started learning the sword. The large breasts on this body were still a bit of a hindrance, but with practice, I was starting to compensate for it.
"Hmm..."
Honestly, thinking about it, I was probably at a level where I could go demon hunting. Back in my knight days, I'd single-handedly taken down a Grade 1 demon that suddenly appeared in Father's territory. In this state, I could handle weaker Grade 2 demons or Grade 3s without much trouble.
'If I go with Rita, we could even take a Grade 1 without issue.'
After much deliberation, I made up my mind. I'd try going on a demon hunt.
"Alright. Shall we go demon hunting then?"
"I'll prepare to depart immediately."
After contacting the demon hunter agency Irene had told me about, we packed up the house and took the carriage Rita had prepared, heading west. Toward the demon hunter agency's headquarters.
"It's quiet."
The road west was truly serene. Only the occasional bird calls and the rumble of the carriage wheels over gravel broke the silence. Aside from that, it was almost eerily still.
"Are you nervous, Miss?" Rita, sitting in the front seat, smiled brightly as she asked.
"A bit. This is my first real combat, after all."
"Still, it should be less tense than your first experience, right?"
"...Do you have to phrase it like that?"
"I'm just trying to ease your tension, Miss."
Rita looked at me with that brazen smile still plastered on her face. She definitely wasn't like this when I was a man. This damn body must be the problem.
"Ah, looks like we've arrived."
Rita stood up, pointing at a distant building. It looked surprisingly ordinary—a plain two-story wooden structure with a sign reading "Peyld's Hunters" out front. But considering the profession of demon hunter, that made sense. With all the deaths from amateurs jumping in for the money, they kept a low profile to deter the clueless. If you didn't come via referral, you'd mistake it for a regular hunter's shop.
"Let's head in."
Creeeak.
As Rita and I opened the door, we were greeted by a single employee inside, the bell tinkling.
"What can I do for you?"
The employee frowned slightly as we entered. He looked like an ordinary clerk selling firearms at a glance, but the calluses on his hands and the scars peeking from his clothes told a different story. No way he was ordinary.
"We're here on Irene Silvernandel's introduction."
The moment I mentioned Irene's name, his expression changed.
"Are you perhaps Lady Kyle?"
"That's me."
"Forgive my ignorance! I'll escort you right in!"
The Silvernandel family must carry real weight as a major noble house. The clerk, who had been haughty just seconds ago, fumbled in a panic and opened a hidden passage.
"Mind guiding us? First time here."
"Yes, of course!"
The employee quietly led us down the corridor.
"This way!"
At the end of the hall, the real interior revealed itself. Unlike the quiet facade outside, it was bustling with people—employees posting demon intel and bounties on boards, blacksmiths repairing broken weapons, demon hunters arguing over contracts. Everyone was busy, united by the sharp gaze of seasoned hunters.
'Pretty big operation.'
The scale was overwhelming—larger than half the imperial military, even.
"This is our demon hunter headquarters."
"Bigger than I expected. Impressive."
"Indeed. The number of demon appearances each year is several times more than reported."
At the desk, the employee pulled out a sheet of paper and showed it to us.
"As recommended by Lady Irene, we've prepared a custom mission for you."
"Custom mission?"
"Yes. A demon infestation in a mine... Two Grade 2 hunters were assigned but couldn't go due to scheduling issues."
I examined the paper he showed me closely. Reward: 500 gold. Demon type...
"Birellia."
Grade 2 demon Birellia. Kin to the ancient Asmodeus, true to its lust demon subordinate nature, it had abilities to seduce and induce heat in targets. Simple power, easy to hunt... but
"...Any other missions?"
"Lady Irene insisted strongly on this one, so we hesitated to prepare alternatives..."
...That bitch. Her intentions were obvious without asking. She wanted me, in this woman's body, to face a heat-inducing demon and "enjoy" it. But I couldn't outright refuse, so as I opened my mouth to accept—
"What's with that lady? Scared or something?"
Nearby hunters glanced over and burst into laughter.
"Afraid of a lust demon? Well, a pretty noble daughter like her would be."
"Hey, even the lady next door got charmed by a Birellia, snapped out of it, and said her stress was gone. No need to fear~."
They mocked loudly enough for us to hear.
"Come on, go easy on the newbie."
"Easy? She's just a noble playing dress-up. If she were serious, she'd file her nails properly first."
"Hahaha!"
The laughter spread, some shaking their heads or clicking their tongues. Reactions like "clueless rookies" all around.
"......"
I wanted to snap back, but had no retort. As a woman now, I was probably weaker than them physically. No noble status or power anymore. Speaking up would just earn more ridicule—or worse, they'd hit me without regard for my gender. I decided to let it slide quietly.
That's when—
Riiip!
A tearing sound rang out, and one mocker's leather belt snapped in two as he collapsed. A blade pressed right against his nape.
"......Wh-what the?"
The hunter froze, silence falling around us.
"I figured even loose tongues wouldn't insult a noble right in front of them."
It was Rita. No memory of her drawing or moving—yet somehow, she was already behind him. The other hunters looked just as stunned.
"H-hey... We were just—"
As another tried to excuse himself, Rita pressed the blade closer, drawing a trickle of blood from his nape.
"To have the right to speak of my Miss, shouldn't you at least block a single swing from her maid?"
Silence blanketed the room at Rita's words. No one dared speak. In the tense air where necks could fly any second, even the bleeding hunter just gulped.
"What are you doing right now? Hunters don't need to go this far among themselves..."
"Hunters?"
Rita curved her lips into a murderous smile.
"Then like a hunter, should I just sever your neck...?"
Her voice was low and soft, but the killing intent was undeniably fierce. The blade-wielding hunter trembled in genuine terror, while the others stood rooted, unable to approach.
"Rita."
I stopped her before it escalated—she looked ready to kill. Annoying as they were,
it wasn't a crime worth death.
"Don't take his life."
"...Understood."
Rita nodded slowly, her eyes still ice-cold.
"But the punishment for insulting my Miss can't be too light, can it?"
She grabbed the man's hand.
Slash!
Without hesitation, she severed his right hand with her sword.
"Gaaahhh!"
Blood sprayed as a horrific scream erupted.