Chapter 21 : Sword Practice

What seemed to be a mutual thing, it was actually just Sheryl’s unilateral torment.
Her clumsy yet passionate body vented its dissatisfaction on Schiller without restraint.

‘Fighting, exhilarating!’

The “sword practice” had ended. The two had battled from the bedside all the way onto the carpet. Even the trolley had been overturned, and liquid mixed with coffee and a peculiar ambiguous scent soaked the expensive fabric.

Schiller was already exhausted and limp like mud, but Sheryl was like a tireless abyss. In the latter half, only Schiller’s suppressed sounds and Sheryl’s demands remained.

It was only when Sheryl exhausted her strength that she stopped her unilateral torment.

Her expression, though cold, held a hint of a satisfied smile.

However, the messy room and the strange scent lingering in the air silently spoke of the intensity of the recent “practice.”

“Waaah, I’m defiled!” Schiller wiped away non-existent tears as he supported himself to stand by the bed, his voice laced with an exaggerated wail.

‘I never expected Sheryl to be so powerful…’

“Ha! Is this what ‘the crimson shadow’ meant?!”

‘Ophelia, how far ahead did you see?!’

Schiller was no match for Sheryl; he was still conscious only thanks to the drugs he’d just taken.

Unintentionally, his gaze drifted to the mirror.

Level: [Mid-Tier Lower]

“…” The level that hadn’t broken through no matter what, had now suddenly increased in one go.

‘The so-called “leveling up later?”’

‘Wait, this isn’t the time to think about this!’

That’s right, the focus should be on Sheryl now.

“Do you have anything else to say, Schiller?!” Sheryl’s voice was laced with a lazy hoarseness, but her gaze was scorching.

‘It’s over.’

“Uh, well… I didn’t drug you!” Schiller decided to just give up.

“Drug? What are you talking about? I, I was asking you for your thoughts, your thoughts!” She remained naked, moving closer to Schiller.

‘Sheryl might be a natural-born pervert.’

“I, I’m innocent, I’m still innocent, I’m still a virgin, dammit…” Schiller muttered to himself, as if brainwashing himself.

“Because, Schiller, you didn’t want to move at all,” Sheryl leaned close to his ear, her sweet words filling his mind.

‘No, no, no, the effects of the drug should have worn off by now.’

“No feeling… I didn’t feel anything at all!”

“That’s right, what just happened, I didn’t enjoy it one bit!”

Being forcibly pressed down by a beautiful girl—just thinking about it excites… infuriates him. It’s truly infuriating.

“Hmph? But, that’s not what this says.” Her slender hand gently touched a certain spot.

That part uncooperatively perked up.

Sheryl Hohenzollern was rapidly advancing towards a fiery end.

…

…

Everything should have gone as Celia expected: Sheryl would unknowingly drink the drugged coffee, and after the effects kicked in, she would inevitably lose control. When she passionately lunged at Schiller, Celia would appear like a savior to intervene.

At that point, the frightened Young Master Schiller, tear-stained, would naturally fall into the embrace of his gentle maid, completely disillusioned with Sheryl.

A perfect script… that’s how it should have been.

However, as she quietly stepped out from her carefully chosen shadowed corner, a gaze, cold and substantial as gold, locked onto her.

That’s right, everything was in her plan… it should have been.

“Oh my, esteemed guest, have you lost your way?” Celia bowed slightly to her, adopting the demeanor of a maid.

“I haven’t lost my way; I’m just… quite interested in you.” Ophelia’s entire body was already enveloped in golden magic. Her keen senses told her that this seemingly docile maid had an abnormally heart-stopping aura.

“Me? I’m just a maid, Young Master Schiller’s devoted maid.”

Celia smiled, but she was very anxious inside. One step later, the Young Master’s chastity would be defiled by that violent woman!

“Well, if there’s nothing else…” Celia turned to leave but was rooted to the spot by magic.

“Guest, what do you mean by this?”

“Come chat with me,” Ophelia’s golden pupils contracted slightly. “After all, your master is… probably not in a state to see anyone right now.”

“!”

‘Are they working together? No, Young Master absolutely couldn’t suspect me, so it must be her own doing.’

‘No, I can’t hesitate any longer, I must make a decision immediately.’

At this moment, both the Viscount and the Head Maid were out, so there was nothing in this mansion that could interfere with her.

“Hmph, I’ll trouble you to exit for now!”

Blue magical power condensed around her, and an explosive surge of energy shattered Ophelia’s binding magic.

The next instant, she vanished from her spot and reappeared behind Ophelia, striking with an inch punch!

This punch didn’t feel as strong as expected, and Ophelia in front of her vanished like an illusion.

“Control magic… and a phantom clone?” Celia instantly assessed, her eyes sharp as arrows.

“This is my proud little trick,” Ophelia appeared from another direction, her golden eyes gleaming with strong fighting intent.

That was not true spatial teleportation, but an illusion created by combining high-speed movement with phantom magic.

‘Mid-tier upper? No, she probably has the strength of advanced middle tier.’ She mused inwardly. Her fighting style seemed to be physical combat.

In terms of level, she had the advantage.

But why had her Eye of Truth seen nothing from the very beginning?

‘Why is Schiller’s maid so strong?’ She shook her head, casting the tangled thoughts aside.

Basically, Ophelia, as a mage, wouldn’t choose close-combat methods, but this didn’t mean she was entirely unskilled in close combat.

It was just that her magic was much stronger than her physical combat.

Celia once again turned into an afterimage. This time, she thrust a dagger, conjured from who knew where, towards Ophelia’s neck.

“!”

Just as Ophelia was about to repeat her trick, she felt a sudden chill. A fatal sense of crisis forced her to abruptly interrupt her magic, instead causing the accumulated magical power to explode outwards around her!

Boom!

A turbulent burst of air exploded outwards from Ophelia, forcefully flinging Celia, who had closed in, away.

“Hmph!” Celia nimbly flipped and landed in mid-air, scoffing softly. Silver-white needles flashed in her hand, heading straight for Ophelia.

“Honestly, are you a maid or a ninja!” Ophelia dodged the various hidden weapons in a disheveled manner, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead.

“What nonsense, of course I’m a maid, Young Master’s maid!” Celia gave her no breathing room whatsoever.

The activation of sacred magic usually required chanting. Generally, the more layers of chanting, the larger the scale of the magic, and at the same time, it required a lot of time. And right now, there was no such luxury.

However, timing could be created.

Ignoring the immediate threat, she forcibly condensed a large amount of magical power rapidly in front of her palm, and a complex, profound golden rune instantly formed!

“Explode!” She clenched her hand. The next second, Celia’s right arm twisted off to the side with astonishing force.

‘Can instant magic only go this far?’

“Ugh!” The sharp pain made Celia stop midway.

[Declaration]

Golden magical power gathered around Ophelia, instantly forming a massive magical vortex.

A trace of panic flashed in Celia’s eyes. She ignored her injured right arm and instantly charged into the vortex, but was repelled by the powerful magic.

[I am the Daughter of Thorns]

[I am the Daughter of Judgment]

“Ugh!” Celia let out a truly anxious sound.

[Thorns, judge, condemn!]

Countless golden thorny chains materialized out of thin air, instantly wrapping around Celia’s body, binding her tightly in mid-air like a Christ figure.

The chains also had the effect of absorbing magical power.

“For now… just stay quiet like this.” Ophelia decided to take a moment to recuperate and clear her muddled thoughts. “Once your master… ‘finishes,’ I will release you…” She turned her back to Celia, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

But, what was the crimson shadow she had seen?

“You have the scent of the church on you,” her shadowy voice came.

“Is that so? Yes, that’s right.” Ophelia looked at her, not understanding why.

“Is that so, the church? The church! You’ve come to deceive him again, to take him from me?!”

“!”

Ophelia only felt a chilling aura emanating from her.

[Declaration]! [Great Sacred God]! [Protect my body]!

A golden shield instantly unfolded around Ophelia.

The clanking sound of chains breaking echoed, followed by a shockwave of magical power.

Celia—no, the girl, with silver-white hair shimmering under the moonlight and crimson eyes, was locking onto Ophelia.

This time, her Eye of Truth saw clearly.

“Hey, hey, you can’t joke like that, can you…” Cold sweat continuously broke out on Ophelia’s forehead.

‘The crimson shadow…’ ‘So, it referred to this?’

“Oh my, esteemed guest, seeing me like this, what is there to be surprised about?” Celia had completely regained her composure. At this moment, she watched Ophelia with keen interest.

Gulp.

The sound of swallowing came.

“Abyssal Demon, Albion, what kind of monster is Schiller raising?!”