Everyone, Be Happy

Some of the Constellations who had been watching the Tower climbers were currently seething with rage.

Easy, Normal, Hard. Watching people stake their lives on challenges they chose themselves was fairly entertaining. The will to challenge adversity made for quite the spectacle.

But Hell difficulty? The Tower's execution chamber in all but name was always utterly repulsive, no matter how many times you saw it. A place that should be one of challenge and growth had become a site of meaningless death.

Constellations who only spectated Hell difficulty expressed their fury at this incident.

Even Constellations who usually just lurked began criticizing the Tower's system.

Constellations who cheered on pretty and cute climbers expressed their sorrow.

The Constellations' attention focused intently. The girl facing the ghouls was shedding tears.

It was natural to be terrified. Even at her young age, she could grasp her situation fully. Like all those dragged into Hell difficulty before her, she must have figured she'd die the same way.

The ghouls' gazes locked onto the girl too. The eyes of predators spotting weak prey. Their filthy tongues lolling out as they approached her only fueled the rage further.

I can't watch this anymore. Even Constellations numb to death found it hard to stomach pointless, repulsive deaths like this. Most averted their gazes and let time pass.

In one minute, the girl would die, and a new victim would arrive.

Hello. I'm fried chicken.

In my imagination, freshly fried chicken was flying around. I tried to approach and catch it, but I couldn't close the distance.

How could this be? Such cruel reality.

Well, it makes sense. Chicken has the right to flee too. What amazing flight skills. The chicken shop owner who caught this chicken must be incredibly strong.

For now, I greeted the ghoul.

"Hello. I'm Han Yuyeon."

"Kekeh!!"

"You're Kekeh, huh. Nice to meet you."

"That can't be right...?!"

"It can't?"

"Kyak!!"

I was sure Kekeh was its name. I dodged the slashing nails to the side.

Right now, I was like fried chicken. An existence you couldn't catch even if you tried. The ghoul's attacks, devoid of any rationality, were simple enough to dodge.

The issue was the protected target, perhaps. I'd never fought while guarding something before, so it felt strange.

Hm. Can I store people in the subspace?

"Excuse me for a moment."

"Pardon...?"

I touched Ravina and tried to store her in the subspace, but it failed. Guess people don't work. Too bad.

No choice—I sent Ravina behind me and stepped further forward. A position to draw the ghouls' attention to myself.

Armchair quarterbacking, huh. If you're gonna backseat, at least give me a weapon. Chicken too, if possible.

"Do you have a weapon by any chance?"

"Uh... no...?"

"Then what's that sword stuck in your stomach?"

"Y-you can't pull this out...!"

True. Yanking it out carelessly could cause massive bleeding and kill her.

I had no intention of letting my charge die.

"Then just stay behind me."

"No... I can't do that! As a priestess of Serbein...!"

"Just stay behind me."

"Y-yes... Okay."

I blocked the sweet potato element. Sweet potatoes don't pair with chicken. What pairs with chicken is soda.

But no matter where I looked, there was nothing usable as a weapon.

But I, Han Yuyeon, authority on flexible evasion. I focused on repeatedly evading while trying to retrieve a stone from my subspace.

Retrieve it. Retrieve the stone. Grip the stone in hand. The stone...

How do you even retrieve it? Tower, feedback please. If you give skills, include a manual. Not the brief version—the detailed one.

If I survive this, I'll leave a review. The Tower is unfriendly and has no chicken.

"Be careful...!"

The ghoul charged recklessly. The tackle using its mass and speed was certainly threatening.

But I, Han Yuyeon, authority on flexible jujutsu. I immediately used its momentum against it, flipping it over, then struck a victory pose for one second.

"V."

Flipping the additional charging ghouls one after another, I realized my physical abilities were better than expected.

While tossing aside the still-conscious ghouls, I opened the skill window.

Maintains peak condition. Is that why I don't feel tired? The action buffs make my moves feel smoother too.

At this rate, I could V-pose all day.

After knocking out the ghouls, I made a double V with both hands.

"VV."

The so-called Maid Double Peace.

Hm. Looks a bit undignified, so I adjusted my posture. The so-called Maid Grace Double Peace.

"H-how... What are you...?"

"I'm Han Yuyeon."

"I didn't ask your name...!"

"I'm a maid."

"I can tell from your outfit...! Urk...!"

Huh. Then what are you curious about?

As I blinked, Ravina, who had been mumbling, fainted.

I rushed over and checked her pulse—she wasn't dead. Thus, a happy ending where everyone was content arrived.

Hm. This scene is probably being broadcast too, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right? Since I was dragged into Hell difficulty anyway, it'd be nice if people felt less anxious while I'm here. I don't like anxiety disrupting humanity's daily lives.

"Everyone, be happy."

That seemed like a fitting line.

Ravina flinched, opened her eyes again, swallowed her pain, and spoke cautiously.

"Thank you for saving me... I don't know why someone like you is in this forest, but... I'll repay this favor someday..."

"Got any chicken?"

"Chicken...? What's that...?"

"Nope. Hng."

I felt sad. Tears welled up. Drip.

Actual tears fell.

"A-ah...?! What's chicken?!"

"Something I'll spend my life searching for."

"Like a treasure...?!"

"Maybe."

I swallowed the rising whines. Crying would be noisy.

Another Tower message appeared.

I see. Suddenly praising me like this leaves me at a loss. Thank you.

I see. This must be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the grace of a maid too. For rewards, chicken if possible.

Drip. No chicken here either. As tears rolled down my cheeks, the stars above twinkled fiercely.

"You're twinkling."

"Spare me."

Seems like it's trying to say something to me, but with messages like this, it's hard to tell.

"C-can you communicate with the Constellations too...?!"

"To some extent."

Not sure if this counts as communication. Is it telling me to pick swordsmanship? The vibe suggests so.

But I, Han Yuyeon, authority on flexible choices. I won't bend to pressure.

Healing it is.

Oh dear. Crying tears now too. Go cry over there if you're gonna be noisy.

For now, I read the skill description.

I see. Low-grade healing. With this, I've become an even more flexible maid.

"I'll make it hurt less now."

"Pardon...?"

I held my hand near the wound and chanted inwardly. Cast Healing. Cast low-grade healing.

...How do you cast it?

Cast it. Heal. Cure. How do you cast it!

"Uh... are you doing something...?"

"Doesn't it hurt less now?"

"It... does...?"

Drip. Drip drip.

Bead-like tears flowed.

"Ah, the pain seems a bit gone... maybe...?"

Should've picked swordsmanship.

Hell difficulty broadcast.

In a daily routine of dozens of death clips, a new video streamed.

The Tower gallery erupted in flames at the usual—and unusual—info.

New victims being dragged in was familiar by now. But a mere 10-year-old girl? Utterly horrific.

This meant the Tower had broken its unspoken rule for selecting victims.

The video would end with Han Yuyeon dying gruesomely, no doubt. Then another would be dragged in. And that victim might be a child like her.

As most fled in fear, abandoning the stream, new posts began updating the gallery.

The ominous titles signaled a major upset, drawing even those who'd quit watching to read the posts one by one.

One post seen, and dozens more poured in.

As fervor for Han Yuyeon surged, she faced the camera and said, as if greeting.

That line from the girl dragged into Hell difficulty was enough to silence a world on the verge of frenzy.