Onwards to the Academy

The chief maid stopped her movements.

Right then and there she had just finished administering two potions in a fragrant tea. She especially selected one with a strong aroma to mask any signs of foreign smell.

"… Why do you ask Miri?" With a smile, she questioned the innocent maid. She had been as discreet as she could be. Before the young miss, Moris and even the special butler even came, she was already in possession of these potions.

As the chief maid, all matters in the estate were handled and led at her behest. There was no direct line nor any kins of the duke's family that resided in this place. It was bought solely for the reason that other households did so when the academy sold lands.

Thus, most of the authority fell into her hands.

"N-nothing. Its just… it smells quite fragrant."

"It's because I especially chose leaves that will rouse you up. Here, don't wait for it to get cold now."

"O-okay. Can I bring this with me?"

"… No, drink it here, Miri. Let me take care of it." She had to see her take the tea. Once that's done, she only needed for the potion to take effect and complete the required gesture in order to fully realize the potions effect.

"U-uh…" But instead, the maid hesitated, holding the cup of tea in her hands.

By this point, the chief maid had grown suspicious. Why did the innocent and obedient maid suddenly hesitate? Why is she asking if the content's of the cup is medicine?

'There's no way she knows.' No one had seen those potions. She brought them directly from outside, hidden in her body at all times. For the past years she had worked here.

That included the needles laced with poison. Those were spacial crafts of her and her alone.

"What's wrong? Could it be, you don't like the smell?"

"I-Im really sorry! But I can't accept this!" Unable to take it anymore, Miri couldn't come up with a lie and straight up refused.

"… Why?"

"I cant tell you why…"

The chief maid stayed silent. For a while that was the only thing between them. Miri could hear her own nervous heart as she avoided the chief maids eyes like a plague.

'I messed up…' She knew that her question and her action just now were enough to make the chief maid suspicious. There was a reason why she applied to be a maid and not anything else.

All she's capable of is following orders and chores, the combat and healing were only subpar abilities of hers. Sometimes she even messes up, like right now. That's the way she learned to live her life and now she's defying that very nature of hers for someone else.

But Xian wasn't just someone to her by this point. After all, he recognized her too…

"Alright, I can't force you." The chief maid finally sighed in defeat which made Miri rejoice. With this, perhaps no plan will transpire and no suspicions will be placed towards the chief maid.

That's the best case scenario she could wish of.

"… Then, I'll take my leave."

"Okay. Make sure to work hard."

She nodded and turned around as a blurred figure went past by.

Clang!

A familiar sound rang loud behind her. She recognized it as the sound of metal hitting another metal.

At some point, Xian was already by her side. And upon looking back, she saw a needle falling on the ground. Xian had adeptly parried it with a metal bowl he got from who knows where.

As comical as that appearance is, she couldn't help but feel cold in her heart.

'She… tried to subdue me?'

She knew the needles used by the maids were dangerous. Carrying one herself for emergency. The poison laced in their needles were specially made to react upon contact. The amount of needles represented effects.

One, caused weakening. Two, caused paralysis. Three, caused lethal poisoning. Even touching three of them caused a reaction to infect the holder, hence they are thrown right away and is not suitable for being held for long, unless gloved.

"Tsk." Xian couldn't help but click his tongue. He sacrificed his sleep for the sake of witnessing what will happen between the chief maid and Miri.

Miri's inability to control her conscience backfired.

'This is the problem with good natured people.' They make mistakes and trouble that could've been avoided. Using them is convenient but sometimes things can get out of control just like right now.

"Hm?" There wasn't event a hint of hesitation as the chief maid fired two more sets of needles towards Xian. Now she had two people to administer the potion with. She didn't feel an overwhelming pressure of a powerful opponent from Xian despite his title and appearance, boosting her confidence.

Playing defensively, Xian didn't dare to take any risk and cause another regression. He didn't want to die in agony.

The bowl he got proved effective in subverting the needles trajectory and nullifying it's piercing power.

With the needles being swatted, the chief maid resorted to close combat quarters and engaged Xian. This time, with more composure and determination.

She fought as if performing a peculiar dance, spinning while she kicked using protruding blades in her shoes. Xian kept avoiding and scooped Miri away from the chief maid, certain that those shoes were laced with the same potion that afflicted him previously.

'As I thought, I prefer a disturbed opponent rather than a composed one.' It's a shame that the chief maid is a bad match up to him. If all it took was a beatdown, Xian would unhesitatingly plunge himself against the enemy and come out on top.

But poison makes it hard for him to fight back. One mistake and he's dead. Regression is always there to save him should his attempt fail, but Xian felt impatience. Repeating the same days over and over again was taking a toll in his mood.

The impact was small, but he didn't want to let it be.

The chief maid continued pursuit in the corridors, stepping gracefully with a footwork that let her walk and jump on the walls. Xian dodged with abandon every time she threw more hidden weapons.

As the chase dragged on, the chief maid decided to just straight up kill them and hide the evidence in a panic.

"Hey! Haven't you seen enough!" Xian shouted as if calling for someone behind the scenes, making the chief maid halt in her tracks. When she did that, Xian stopped too.

'An accomplice? But who? Could it be Moris?' She heard that through Xian, Moris himself dispatched an assassin the other day. Fearing for her life, she decided that it was time to leave this place.

Too much commotion have been made. And she already assaulted two people.

'Wait no. How could it be Moris? Isn't he busy outside with cleanup?' The chief maid was stuck in her place, unable to make a decision. A lapse in judgement, but even if she chose right away, the result would be no different.

From behind her, dark light shot up and made a disturbing buzz. The chief maid fell to the ground face first. Her glasses that had been with her for years broke and scattered on the ground.

Her neatly tied bun ponytail came slightly undone with all the movements she made.

'My legs gave out?' She couldn't feel both of her feet. It would be fortunate if that was the only problem.

"AAAAGH!" Pain shot up from her legs as she realized in horror what happened.

"M-my legs! No!" She squirmed and sat on the ground, looking at her mutilated limbs. Her eyes went to the culprit before her.

Serika, stood over the maid, glaring coldly with a bloodied blade, perched in her shoulder.

"… But why?" The chief maid was confused. There was never a leak. She never told anyone about the potion and she always kept it close to her body at all times. Impeccably.

But now, what's with these three annoying people trying to bring her down without even accomplishing what she sought to do?

'Just like that? She was sure that I'm the enemy?'

"M-miss Serika! Th-they're the enemies! Not me!" In a desperate attempt, she tried to lie her way through.

"They have a plan to poison the young miss! Please apprehend them! You'll apprehend them right?" In the face of death, the calm and collected chief maid was no different than a crying animal. Her dignity, image and revenge mattered the least at this moment.

"I didn't ask." Serika cut her off, annoyed with all the shouting. The chief maid here was someone they were told to trust. But as it turns out, she had ill intentions, even including another maid and Xian.

She waved her sword twice in a blink without stepping as dark light traveled from where she slashed. Then the chief maids hands from her shoulders fell off.

"Special butler, do what you need to do." Swatting her blade in the air, the blood splattered on the ground.

'She didn't have to do that.' Xian grimaced, knowing that in the end, it was up to him and Miri to clean up all this mess. Xian searched the corpse. He found the two vials that he told Serika about. Already, a quarter was missing and her expression darkened.

…

Last night.

Xian had an errand.

It was an errand to give a heads up to Serika. Not knowing where her room is, he took quite some time after asking around. Bright blonde hair swayed behind the slowly opening door and revealed a rather tall and mature figure in… sleeping pajamas.

At first, he was flustered to find Lucinelle welcoming him.

"… Hello there?" He couldn't help but touch his neck. This is the woman who had beheaded him two times in cold blood.

Lucinelle tilted her head silently. Xian figured that she must be asking why he's here.

"Is Serika still awake? I have something to give her."

She nodded as a response and closed the door. After a while, Serika came with somewhat languid eyes with matching pajamas.

"What?"

"Here, just read it when you wake up. Make sure to hurry up." He handed a simply folded paper.

"What's this?"

"… it's a love letter." Xian didn't think much when he said that, but he thought that would rouse Serika up from her stupor. Lucinelle perked up from behind, as if animal ears grew on her head and twitched.

"Hm… Okaayy… Hah!?"

Xian didn't wait and closed the door on her.

"W-wait, XIan! What do you mea—Ack! Sis! No!" He quickly walked away to save himself from the mess he just created.

The content of the love letter was the following:

'Come to the maids quarter's half an hour before dawn. Something to prove my suspicions will happen. Make sure to witness it yourself.'

What Xian really meant when he said team up and overpower the maid together… was Serika overpowering the maid by herself.

After that he waited for Miri to come from the maids quarters. Her downcast expression already told him of everything that transpired, but he still asked for the sake of it.

…

Things would've turned against Xian if only she acted with more patience. and didn't assault Miri. There was some mishaps but it was all done. The chief maid lay, bloody and squirming on the ground.

He had felt it as well when he stabbed the coachman.

That indifference. Now he realized that the real owner of this body… was used to such matters. Too much based on his own reaction.

All of the disturbance he felt within himself came from the inside. It came internally and was never exhibited by this body. Xian was aware of what he's like back then.

He knew that he lived a worthless life, like a leech sucking what he could from his family without ever making his days meaningful. A dead cat would make him grimace. What more if its a mutilated and half alive person?

'Why am I different now?' It crossed his mind that it must be the effect of being transmigrated in a game world that fascinated him. His outlook of being inside the game must've helped.

But… If that's how it is, he's willing to accept it. To play the game of life in this way.

He looked at the maid in his arms, still shaken. She cling tightly into his neck and trembled unlike him. Miri was… as innocent as she can be and too kind for the cruel world of this dating sim game.

"Are you alright?"

"Sir Xian…" Tear welled up on her eyes as she buried her face in her chest. He could hear her weak sobs that threatened to spill.

"It's over now." He said, fully intending to comfort Miri and raise her affection.

'It increased by ten. Still substantial.'

[BLUE HEART: 30]

"Ugh, can you two do that later? This mess isn't going to clean up itself!" Snarled Serika who saw the two that dared to have a moment in front of her.

The teary eyed maid, went down reluctantly as she wiped her eyes. They started cleaning up the mess and specialized dispatchers came to burn the body.

Meanwhile, Xian took what's left of the potion, telling Serika that it will be useful in the future. She eyed him suspiciously but a simple swear on the heart let him off.

A murder of a servant in the Duke's household. Unfortunately, it showed just how bleak they treated their servants. No one will even be bothered to investigate a chief maids death, who had dedicated herself in this place and the household for years.

All that it will be once time passes, is a justly delivered execution.

There was a small questioning from Carmillia after the events. But Serika vouched for Xian and took all the sermon.

"I'd appreciate it, if you wouldn't arbitrarily use my servants for your own schemes." Said Carmillia. Her affection level neither went up or down. There wasn't a quest reward either.

But it didn't phase Xian. Since, from now on, he can go all out and pass the test of her requirements. He ignored her warning and prepared for the day his trait will awaken.

For how long this lasted, it was resolved easily. What really made it difficult is the training sessions with Serika. But there's still rewards to reap.

[Shackled One (Sealed Trait's: ??? Lvl 18, ??? Lvl 28, 97/100, ??? Lvl 38)]

He tried to control his grinning expression upon seeing it.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes. Today will be different."

'Watch me Carmillia. After this, finally…' He can experience her route. A character he desperately wanted to romance. Surely, a lot of regressions will transpire due to her death tied events.

Xian had played several heroine's route before. He even accidentally triggered a harem bad end a few times. In some routes, new characters can be unlocked as sub heroines that can be conquered.

Now, ever since he discovered Carmillia's route and his transmigration, new characters were introduced and revealed their appearance.

He could consider Lucinelle and Serika as sub heroines that appeared. And Miri… Xian didn't even know if she would be included in the canon version should this be the game.

Xian and Serika clashed. He's still behind in agility and strength, but his movements can keep up. Since he failed to kill the chief maid, he didn't get an additional level up. But that's fine. Ludicrous exp can be earned once the hunt function is opened at the academy.

Of course, if he decides to leave, it will probably appear either way when he attempted it.

They exchanged some more moves, with Serika almost brushing with Xian's longsword. Throughout his training, he became used to wielding it despite not knowing any technique.

Until it finally happened. Xian felt 'restraints' leave his body.

Upon contact with Serika's weapon, there was an obvious difference.

'It feels lighter.'

[Lvl 28 Trait Unsealed! Passive Partially in Effect]

[Defiance 20/100 Stage I]

[Your madness and delight for slaughter prevails over any form of oppression]

[Negates skill-based suppression, mental domination, and fear effects. Halves the penalty of level gap]]

[Penalty: Upon receiving lethal blow, madness overcomes you and fail to differentiate between foe and allies]

['You feel the weight of a superior enemy… and a surge of pleasure.']

Xian's eyes widened when he saw the description.

'Isn't this… A boss trait?'

Almost. Specifically, traits that bosses obtain when players backtrack in the game with a stronger party. While they can still overpower the boss, it requires them to be 25 levels above to raid them comfortably.

Else, a ton of buffs and skills will be added as if to mock the players and reverse their intention upon themselves.

On a dating sim game, players can backtrack and kill weaker bosses again. Why is that?

New characters obtained much later, might have lower levels compared to the protagonist's party. Hence, people backtrack weaker bosses that are easier to kill for with the right amount of exp.

As if it's a taboo for the game devs to make it easy for the players, they added a trait that makes early bosses somewhat nullify their level advantage.

Some dating sim purist players complained why a dating sim game would add such a function, but as usual no feedback was given. Nailing them as one of the worst devs to ever exist despite delivering a game liked by many.

"Just now, you…" Serika noticed a difference right away. This included Lucinelle, who already achieved a certain degree of accomplishment in terms of combat narrowed her eyes through her visor.

Xian slashed against Serika as she jumped back, looking at him strangely.

In the end, he would grow more tired than Serika. But one careless mistake can lethally wound her if she doesn't put her guard up.

Serika's blade traced a downward, aimed for his stomach. Xian chose to take the full hit and advanced fearlessly. The pain coursed through his sides but it's something he had endured for the past two regressions.

Serika stepped back a tad too late. The tip of Xian's blade reached the arms she used to cover her stomach from being hit causing a slight bruise.

The surroundings went silent as the two faced each other. Serika faced Carmillia, and shrugged, doing her best to hide a smirk.

"…"

Xian, turned to silent villainess. "Young miss, with this much… Do you finally trust my qualifications?"

There wasn't any congratulations or cheering. Simply, the nod that Xian had waited for so long.

***

Xian closed the case containing multiple butler uniform sets, gloves and stiletto daggers. The case clicked crisply as the lids closed making him feel satisfied.

Today, is their day of departure. It was late into the night and they will leave discreetly due to possible attacks from enemies.

Moris would be escorting them for safety reasons and deter any significant interlopers.

Once he felt that he had everything he needed, he left the room and headed to his destination.

An unassuming series of average looking Carriage welcomed him in the estate's backdoor.

Serika and Lucinelle wore robes concealing themselves instead of their dark armor. Even Carmillia wore a robe over her beautiful dress.

While Moris… wore as straw hat and lowly servants attire. His gait was slouched and his gaze was less

"Is something strange, butler Xian?"

"No, it's nothing." The academy city with it's vast grounds, will take an hour of travel through carriage for their checkpoint. From there, a special warp point device will be used to directly transport them in the academy grounds.

Things in Rozefall, were convenient and advanced for the sake of players quality of life, by the kind gesture of the game devs. Only that, as a player, theres a toll fee. It wouldn't be until the mid game before players are able to afford wanton use…

Xian entered a carriage with Moris, as Serika and Carmillia sat together in another one.

Thus, the short but uneventful journey to the academy began.

"Butler Xian." Xian was watching the scenery when Moris suddenly spoke. "The duke has a message for you."