Chapter 494
Chapter 494
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 494
Chapter Title: God's Atlantis
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Yuria moved stealthily using shadow magic. It was a spell designed to hide from the undead, who were sensitive to signs of life.
The undead passed right by her without noticing. Yuria had completely erased her presence, moving only through their blind spots.
She was spotted by the gargoyle for one reason: its detection abilities were sharper than she had anticipated.
Crunch. Crackle.
The eyes of the four statues shaped like demons glowed red as their bodies stirred to life.
She discarded the option of fleeing and shaking them off. Doing so might attract other undead instead. It was far better to kill the gargoyle quickly here and slip away.
Yuria snatched a dagger rising from the shadows and charged at the nearest gargoyle.
A gargoyle's body was tough. Ordinary attacks wouldn't work. But every rock had a weak point, known by various names like flaw or fracture. Yuria could see it.
Her dagger, wreathed in black aura, targeted a spot just below the gargoyle's right temple.
Splatter!
The gargoyle's head shattered.
Kiiiiieeeeng!
Red lasers shot from the eyes of the other three gargoyles. Yuria calmly twisted her body aside. The six beams didn't even graze her skirt hem.
Seizing the opening, Yuria dispatched all the gargoyles in under a minute and left the area.
'This must be the castle's back entrance Master mentioned.'
Yuria opened the wooden door hidden on the first underground floor and stepped inside.
A vast space opened up. It felt disjointed, as if spaces had been stitched together.
She ignored the message, as always.
The wide space contained nothing but stairs leading upward and an old door at the back. Yuria walked through quietly.
Then she stopped somewhere. The only place where her footsteps echoed differently. Where she felt a resonance in the air below.
Boom!
Yuria stomped the floor with all her might using her heel. The floor collapsed, revealing stairs leading down. Without hesitation, she descended underground.
The stairs were dark, but once she reached the bottom, light emanated from stones embedded in the ceiling. The surroundings were filled with flowers made of glass.
However, Yuria ignored the flowers and headed straight for the glass coffin at the center.
A beautiful woman lay inside the glass coffin.
Carisse del Felsman.
The woman Sung Yu-jin wanted.
Her fresh golden blonde hair cascaded around her, and she wore a pure white dress. Her eyes were tightly closed, her hands neatly folded over her stomach. Her skin was snow-white, her lips a delicate pink. She was a stunning woman.
Yuria carefully shattered the glass coffin, ensuring no shards harmed Carisse's skin, then lifted her out and held her close. She pulled a pre-prepared teleportation scroll from the shadows and tore it.
"Ho. You really came."
Yuria, having teleported via the scroll, spotted a blue short-haired woman lounging in an ornate chair. Yuria knew of her from Sung Yu-jin.
Yuria gently set Carisse down on the floor and bowed.
"Pleased to meet you, Your Grace, Duchess Balderth. I am Yuria Grace."
"So you're the maid Sung Yu-jin bragged about. I thought he was exaggerating..."
Elena's blue eyes scanned Yuria up and down. In her mind, she had already analyzed and evaluated her first impression.
"But he's not. If anything, seeing you in person makes his description seem understated."
"You flatter me."
"Is that woman the Sleeping Princess he wanted? She's quite lovely. Shall I try waking her?"
"Master said ordinary methods won't work."
"...Tch. A god's curse, huh. How boring."
Elena looked away from the Sleeping Princess, Carisse. The princess of a fallen kingdom failed to pique her interest. Instead, the calm silver-haired maid drew her gaze.
Her visible physical abilities and sensed mana were disappointing. That level was common even among exiles. But when their eyes met, Elena instinctively tensed her back.
"Yuria Grace, was it? I need your help for the next few days."
"Yes. Master informed me. I will assist you."
Elena rested her chin on one hand. Her eyes narrowed as she regarded Yuria.
"...You're not bowing your head to me?"
"I bowed when I greeted you earlier."
"You know that's not what I mean."
"My apologies, Your Grace. I pledge no loyalty to you. The sole reason I aid you is Master's command. And please stop testing my loyalty to him. It's unpleasant."
"My apologies. I acknowledge my mistake. Try not to take it too badly."
"Understood. What is my task, Your Grace?"
"I hear you can do anything. Assassination, territory management, housework. He said if you were a merchant, you'd save a nation; if an artist, you'd be unparalleled."
"Master overpraises me. It's not that extreme."
"In short, you can handle anything. But I don't trust his assessment. Evaluations from those who know someone are always emotional."
"......"
"I'll start with something simple."
Elena twirled her finger toward the desk. It held a thick book and dozens of documents.
"Starting tomorrow, you'll be an inspector. That book is a legal tome—useful reference. The documents are suspicious reports and files. I trust you won't abuse the position like your master might."
"...You're granting me such an important role outright?"
"Anything less, and a sudden newcomer like you couldn't work efficiently. If you're as incompetent as I fear, I'll revoke it. If you can't do it, say so now."
"......"
Yuria approached the desk. She picked up the thick book and flipped through the pages rapidly.
Curiously, the text appeared in the familiar continental common tongue to her eyes.
"...What are you doing? Speed-reading? That's not important. Your job is to wield the law with authority."
"To wield it, I must know it."
"...You're not saying you'll memorize it all?"
Yuria closed the back cover.
"I've memorized it all."
"Hmm."
Elena eyed Yuria suspiciously. The legal tome covered kingdom-wide laws, local duchy laws, zone-specific variations—every complex law imaginable.
Elena had placed it there for reference, not study.
"Now what are you doing?"
"Sorting the documents. Clear cases, those needing reinvestigation, and unclear ones."
Elena checked Yuria's sorted piles.
They all fit perfectly. The unclear ones lacked sufficient info on the Balderth Duchy.
"...You sorted them in 10 minutes? Insane."
"I'm used to handling territory and merchant documents. Is this all the work?"
From the days without proper staff, Yuria had managed all paperwork for Sung Yu-jin—territory, caravans—while cleaning the mansion, preparing meals, training, and intimate time. She had less than an hour a day for documents.
"...Bring more. Harder, more complex ones."
He dominated four zones at once.
The A-Plan Legion rejoiced but kept it secret. They lacked the strength to defend against others yet.
Members rotated zone management duties, and Kang Myung-jin seemed lost in thought since claiming the hidden zone.
'Probably because Yuria smuggled out the Sleeping Princess.'
After cleanup, he got leave.
I teleported straight to Elena's territory, entering the Balderth Ducal House via her method.
Elena's face, long unseen, was bright. She popped a grape from the desk into her mouth and smiled.
"Here for the Sleeping Princess? Or to retrieve your maid?"
"Both? Where are Carisse and Yuria?"
"The princess is in the annex, warded. No extra care needed—lucky."
"You didn't do anything weird?"
"Tried breaking her curse, but realized it's beyond human means and quit. Haven't touched her otherwise."
Elena's expression showed genuine disinterest in Carisse. Good—no complications.
"And Yuria?"
"Out on business. Loyal and capable maid. She'd have stayed if she knew you were coming today."
"Back before dinner?"
My hands itched to hold Yuria.
"Unless something comes up, 2-3 hours. About her... could you lend her longer?"
"Huh?"
Elena rarely checked my mood.
"Didn't expect that from you... Yuria's that good?"
"Beyond good. Excessively capable. Exceeds expectations every time. My workload halved since she arrived. Better than dozens of retainers. Honestly, I want to steal her from you."
"You must've tried recruiting her already?"
"...She refused money and power. Confirmed one reason she helps: your orders. She'd die if you commanded it. ...How did you get her?"
Elena looked at me curiously.
"Caught her young and raised her."
"Raised her? You? You're good at jokes."
"...She grew herself, technically. Anyway, I need to see Carisse."
I stood. My mind was on Carisse; hard to focus on Elena.
"Answer me. Lend her more? Her help speeds internal cleanup. One week tops."
"Discuss when Yuria returns."
"...Fine. Her will matters. Here's the annex key."
"Ah. Thanks."
I paused at the door and looked back at Elena.
"...Something else?"
"You didn't use illusion magic on Yuria, right?"
"......"
Elena smiled wryly in silence.
"No. Her type resists illusions, and even if it worked, she'd notice soon. Trust from illusions is worthless anyway."
"Uh... sorry."
"It's fine. Most who know my abilities suspect me. Preconception... but honestly, can't deny my fault."
"True. You tried it on me first too."
"No retort."
I approached Carisse lying on the bed.
Lush golden hair. Snow-white skin that would dent under touch. Long eyelashes. Vibrant pink lips.
Carisse matched the original description's beauty, sleeping so peacefully she seemed dead.
My gaze drifted from her face to her chest.
Her swollen C-cup breasts were wrapped in the white dress. No bra. Below, a slim waist and full skirt hid her lower body.
I lifted Carisse's skirt.