Chapter 100

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It was the day Act took Frederica from the Transcender [Amaha].

"It's here, the surface."

Led by Act, Frederica stepped out of the labyrinth.

Blinding light illuminated her.

"......"

Frederica couldn't move from where she stood, just feeling confused.

The sunlight was too intense.

"What's wrong?"

"......It's too bright."

She was a being created by Amaha.

She had never once left the underground to come to the surface.

She knew intellectually that sunlight existed.

But for her, who had never experienced it, this world was too dazzling.

"......"

Frederica hesitated.

Could she really survive in this world, full of light, as an underground dweller?

She was still at the entrance to the labyrinth.

Beyond here lay an unknown world.

Once she took a step forward, there would be no turning back.

"What are you dawdling about?"

Act looked at Frederica and said,

"......I'm scared to go over there. I don't know if I can make it."

Her master sighed and took her hand.

"Ah......"

"If you're afraid of the light, stay behind me. I'll go in front. And you support my back. How does that sound [now]?"

"Master......"

She stared at Act's hand.

His hand was very warm, and in this bright world, it felt very reassuring.

"......Thank you. I will follow you, staying half a step behind, and support you for the rest of my life."

After a moment's hesitation, Act started walking without a word.

Yes, he walked in front, and she followed behind.

For Frederica, this distance felt the most comfortable.

......The outside world was no longer scary.

Because Act was walking in front of her.

"Frederica. Let's get something to eat first. What do you want?"

"I'll leave it to you, Master."

"Since it's your first time outside, you should decide."

"......No."

Frederica shook her head slightly.

"I don't have any preferences, so I'll leave it to you, Master."

"......I see."

Act seemed to want to say something more.

But he didn't press the issue.

---

Time passed, and Frederica continued to serve as Act's maid.

One morning.

As usual, Frederica woke up and took a shower.

She changed into her maid uniform and went to the staff.

"Hey? Miss Frederica?"

The chef's daughter was preparing breakfast in the kitchen.

"Good morning."

"Good morning! Hey, isn't today your day off?"

Act made sure the staff took their days off.

He scheduled shifts and gave them two days off a week.

"Yes, but I have nothing to do, so I'll help out."

"Hmm... Thank you!"

Frederica peeled potatoes with the daughter.

"Did you do anything special on your day off yesterday?"

The chef's daughter and her mother had their day off yesterday.

"Well, Mom and I went to the theater in the capital! It was a play about the hero Laurence! It was amazing!"

She seemed to have had a lot of fun and excitedly talked about the play.

"You should go see it too! It's still running, and it's really interesting!"

But Frederica shook her head.

"I'll pass."

"Really? What are you going to do today?"

"Nothing much. I'll take care of Master as usual."

The chef's daughter tilted her head.

"Even on your day off?"

"Yes. Is there something wrong with that?"

Her mission was to support her master, Act.

There was no distinction between weekdays and weekends for her.

"That's strange. It's your day off, you should rest!"

"I don't need a day off."

"But... you should take a break sometimes."

"I feel most at ease when I'm working for Master."

"O-Oh, I see..."

The chef's daughter muttered.

"......Poor thing."

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"Ah! No, nothing at all!"

Just then,

"Ah! Master Act!"

The daughter noticed Act first and ran over to him.

"Good morning!"

"Ah. Good morning. Tell your mother to start preparing breakfast a bit early."

"Understood!"

The girl ran off.

Frederica stood up and bowed to her master.

"Good morning. I'm sorry I couldn't wake you up."

"......It's your day off. What are you doing here?"

"......? Master, why are you angry?"

Act was always calm and composed.

He rarely showed his emotions, making them very hard to read.

But because Frederica had been with him for a long time, she could recognize even the slightest changes in his emotions.

Unusually, Act was frustrated and angry.

"Take the day off today. That's an order."

"An order......"

Her master's orders were absolute.

But... she had no idea what to do with a day off.

After a moment of confusion,

Act sighed as if giving up.

"......Fine. Do as you please."

Frederica let out a sigh of relief.

Good, now she could serve Act.

"Then I'll go prepare breakfast. Please wait in the dining room."

"......Ah."

Act seemed to be unusually deep in thought.

What could be troubling him?

As Frederica left her master's side, she thought,

"Maybe he's thinking about how to deal with a powerful enemy."

Recently, a troublesome opponent, an evil god, had appeared.

He was probably thinking about that.

Yes, that must be it.

"Frederica."

"Yes?"

She stopped and looked at him.

"If I told you to die, what would you do?"

"......I would die."

She answered immediately.

Her master's orders were absolute, so if he commanded her to die, she would gladly offer her life.

"Then let me change the question. If I die, what do you intend to do?"

... Hearing this, she froze again.

If Act, her beloved master, were to die...?

"......I've never thought about it."

If she were commanded to die, she would die.

Because it would be an order.

But what would she do after Act died?

Would she follow him in death?

But her master, the one who gave orders, hadn't commanded her to die...?

Frederica froze.

She had never considered such a question before, so she couldn't come up with an answer.

"I see. I understand."

Act's expression became calm, as if he had made a decision.

"Frederica. I have something to talk to you about. Come to my room later."