Chapter 17: The Unexpected Maid and the Village of Death

Katsu lay in bed, his body refusing to move, when he heard a gentle knock at the door.

"Come in," he muttered, expecting a kindly old lady or a responsible adult.

Instead, a small figure entered.

A girl—no taller than his waist—walked in wearing a traditional black-and-white maid outfit. Her silver hair was tied into twin braids, and her crimson eyes glowed faintly as she carried a wooden tray.

Katsu blinked.

"…Simon hired a kid?"

The girl didn't say a word. She set the tray down, grabbed a kettle, and began brewing tea with mechanical precision. Her movements were graceful, almost unnatural.

Katsu felt uneasy.

"Uh… hey, kid," he called out. "What are you doing here?"

The girl didn't answer.

Instead, she silently poured steaming water into a teacup, adding herbs with delicate fingers.

Katsu watched, bewildered. His gut told him something was off.

"…Are you even listening?"

Still no response.

At this point, Katsu was thoroughly creeped out. He tried to sit up. "Look, I don't know what kind of—"

Suddenly, the girl turned her head unnaturally fast and locked eyes with him.

"Do not move," she said in a soft yet commanding tone.

Katsu froze.

Her voice was calm, but there was an undeniable weight behind it.

"I appreciate the concern, but I think I'm—"

Before he could finish, the girl walked over, grabbed him by the collar, and effortlessly lifted him off the bed with one hand.

Katsu's jaw dropped.

"What the—?!"

With zero effort, she tucked him back in like he was a misbehaving child.

Katsu lay there in stunned silence.

Then, Simon's words echoed in his mind.

"Define normal."

Katsu's eyes twitched.

"…That bastard."

The maid turned away, picking up the tray once more.

"Drink your tea," she said.

Katsu gulped.

"…Yes, ma'am."

⸻

The Mission – The Village Below

Simon stood at the edge of a cliff, staring down at a quiet, isolated village nestled within a valley. A dense fog clung to the ground, making it appear ghostly.

His mission was clear.

Extermination.

The people below were infected. A deadly parasite had taken root in their bodies, mutating them beyond salvation. If left alone, the infection would spread beyond the valley.

This was not a rescue mission.

This was a cleansing.

Simon exhaled slowly, then stepped off the cliff.

He fell effortlessly, hands in his pockets, landing in the village square without making a sound.

The villagers turned in shock. Eyes wide.

For a moment, silence.

Then, a man stepped forward, his skin pale, his veins blackened with the infection. He raised a trembling hand toward Simon.

"P-Please… help us…"

Simon moved.

His hand blurred.

The villager's head flew off his shoulders, blood spraying in an arc. The body collapsed, twitching.

The silence shattered.

Screams filled the air.

The villagers scattered, but Simon didn't move. His eyes focused on the ones who didn't run.

The warriors.

They emerged from homes and alleyways—over twenty of them. Their eyes gleamed with inhuman intelligence, and their bodies pulsed with raw strength.

Simon analyzed them instantly.

"Stronger than Katsu, at least rank S-10. Tough."

But not tough enough.

One of them lunged, swinging a massive cleaver.

Simon sidestepped effortlessly, grabbed the man's arm, and ripped it off at the shoulder. Blood sprayed like a fountain as the warrior screamed.

Simon didn't let go.

Instead, he beat another attacker to death with the severed arm.

Bones cracked. Flesh split. The third warrior barely had time to react before Simon spun and punched through his chest, shattering his ribcage and pulling out a still-beating heart.

He crushed it in his fist.

The others hesitated.

Simon tilted his head. "Too slow."

Another rushed in with a spear. Simon caught the tip with his teeth, then twisted his head, snapping the metal like a twig. Before the attacker could react, Simon grabbed his face and slammed him into the ground so hard his skull exploded.

A trio of warriors charged together, wielding twin swords.

Simon danced between them, weaving through blades like a phantom. One moment he was behind them. The next—

SLASH.

Blood erupted as three heads rolled off their bodies.

The remaining warriors trembled, but they had no chance to retreat.

Simon dashed forward, his hands becoming blurs.

One warrior had his spine torn out in a single motion. Another had his legs twisted backward before being tossed into a burning hut.

One tried to beg for mercy.

Simon crushed his skull under his boot.

The last warrior—a woman with glowing red eyes—snarled, her infected body mutating into a beastly form.

Simon sighed.

Too little, too late.

He sliced her in half with his bare hand, her torso flopping lifelessly to the ground.

Silence.

The village was now a graveyard.

Simon wiped his gloves clean. Blood dripped onto the dirt as he took one last glance at the corpses.

"…Mission complete."

He turned away, stepping over bodies without a second thought.

It was time to move on.

To Be Continued…