Chapter 24 - Settling In

Mary promptly pushed the trolley out of my room and, minutes later, came back with some decent-looking breakfast. I didn’t have the mind to check out the room properly on the day before, but now I could see there was an adjacent office and a simple dining room as well. Also, befitting its name of White Deer Room, there was a stuffed white deer head hanging in the center of the dining room. Such bad taste… Could it be that there were other stuffed animals in the other room as well?

While I was busy with my thoughts, Mary went about setting up my meal. I sat at the table and took a bite of bread. “So, Mary…” I casually asked. “What exactly is the scope of your work?”

“I am to help with room cleaning and your meals, maintaining clothes, managing your equipment as well as relaying requests for them, and assisting with your schedule,” she enumerated. “I will provide all the necessary support you’ll require in preparation for dungeon raids, Vice-captain.”

The supporter of a support mage… That probably made her a secretary. “Do all the other members of the corps have someone like you, Mary?”

“No. Aside from His Excellency and you, Vice-captain, only five elites are assigned personal assistants. The duke’s command is to focus on dungeon raids rather than bother with trivial matters.”

“Aha.”

“Normally, a vice-captain should have more assistants… However, because your appointment is still temporary, I was the only one assigned for now as the head maid,” she explained.

“Wait a second… You mean… I’ll have even more people helping me?”

“Yes,” Mary answered with a nod, and I felt slightly impressed. So this was why it was so good to have a grand duke for a captain! I couldn’t help but marvel at the unprecedented treatment I was receiving. As a service worker, Mary was perfect, showing no distraction throughout our entire conversation. Her job was to assist me, while my job was to raid dungeons… Alright, guess I had to work to earn my keep.

I offered a handshake to her and said, “Well then… I’ll be in your care from now on, Mary.”

“I will do my best in assisting you, Vice-captain,” Mary replied with a smile and accepted my hand. We shook hands with firm grips conveying our respective resolves.

* * *

A fellspawn opened its smelly, filthy mouth widely, dripping with saliva mixed with blood from God knew who. The sludgy ground slowed our pace and the red eyes glinting around us oppressed our hearts.

We had entered a dungeon I had been firmly against entering. I had advised that we would be overstretching ourselves were we to challenge it at our level, but the corps members had become too drunk with our previous victories. They had pushed forward with the raid… and this was the result: exhausted mana and many injuries. The core of the corps’ offensive forces, Fabian, was barely hanging in there as well. We had no more holy water to use, and the healer of the expedition—the priest April—had long run dry of holy power. We had nowhere to run and I spared a moment to wonder if this would become my grave.
I could practically hear how everyone was losing hope. Even Fabian seemed overtaken by helplessness; I saw his grip on the sword weakening. Were we going to end like this? I fiercely bit my lips and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I couldn’t just give up on the life Jun had given me.

Life was a gamble. Nothing could be gained without sacrifices. It was better to try something than to die without resisting like this.

Just as everyone else was about to give up, I finished gathering my resolve and mustered up what I had left of mana to cast a series of skills.

[Mighty Strength]
[Mighty Strength]
[Mighty Strength]
[Divine Devotion]

Feeling strength surging from within, the flames of hope sparked in Fabian’s blue eyes. As soon as I finished the incantation, I yelled, “Go now, Fabian!”

He shot toward the fellspawn, flaming mana roaring from his sword, empowered to a far greater extent than usual. Squeezing out everything he had, he instantly slew the monsters before him. I felt like we might be able to survive this, and I wasn’t the only one; everyone’s faces lit up with anticipation and hope. One after another, the fellspawn were defeated. However, when Fabian lowered his guard for a fleeting moment, thinking he had killed all of them… I yelled in panic, “Fabian, behind you! Be careful!”

“Kugh…!”

But the monster’s jaws had clamped down faster than my voice could reach him.