After being reborn, I was turned into a slave girl by a princess.

Old Hu worked hard for Suna for seven years, but in fact, Suna loved the hero lying in the ruins... Even if Suna's journey ends safely, Old Hu will never be able to spend his life with the person he loves.

Is this considered a backup plan?

Lonnie was worried about Lao Hu's mental state, but the man shook his head and said decisively, "It's nothing, of course it's nothing... or rather, this outcome was within my expectations."

"what……?"

"Life and death are predestined. Let's not talk about my affairs anymore. Let's think about the villagers... The villagers are the innocent ones. I hope they can all live peacefully from now on."

"Of course, that's why I came here... And the villagers?"

"I will summon it now."

Old Hu closed his eyes slightly and began to play his flute. The villagers, who resembled zombies, staggered out of their houses.

They all had ashen faces, and their appearance was somewhat chilling.

But Elusia seemed unfazed and said directly to Lonnies, "Lonnies, summon the Crimson Hammer. Then cut open your palm and smear your blood on it."

"Ok!"

Lonnies swiftly summoned the Crimson Hammer and performed the ritual as Elusia commanded—the moment her blood dripped onto the warhammer, the flames on the Crimson Hammer seemed to burn even more fiercely.

……

Seeing the bright flame, Lao Hu was completely stunned:

"Is this the power of Yan Yuan...?"

"Mr. Hu, do you also know Yan Yuan?"

"Yes, as one of the seven Rainbow Abysses, I have certainly heard of its power. However, I never imagined that there would still be people in this world who could wield the power of the Flame Abyss!"

"what?"

"There are fewer and fewer adventurers in this world who can receive blessings. I feel like each generation is worse than the last."

Old Hu sighed deeply, while Elusia didn't take over the conversation, but instead said to Lonnie:

"Lonnies, don't get distracted. Your wound has healed. You need to continue dripping blood onto the hammer."

"Oh, I see!"

……

Fire is the cornerstone of the birth of civilization.

It is because of the existence of fire that people can avoid attacks from mosquitoes and wild animals in the silent, dark night.

Therefore, the power contained within the Crimson Lotus Hammer also possesses the effects of purification and expulsion.

In the glow of the flames, the villagers, who looked like zombies, trembled and their faces were contorted, as if they had become the shouts on the Mengke Bridge.

Before long, black worms crawled out of their mouths and noses.

"Lonnies, Old Hu, don't let these bugs get away!"

"Elusia, what am I supposed to do?"

“Smash them all. These filthy things must be eradicated.”

……

……

With the combined efforts of the three, the darkness in the village was thus purified.

The villagers have all recovered their health, but apart from Old Hu, none of them know what happened...

It was as if they had just had a long dream, a dream in which darkness swallowed the whole world, but when they woke up, the sun still rose from the east.

"Huh... I suddenly feel so light, what's going on?"

"Has that little girl who came to seek refuge already left...?"

The old woman looked into the distance, her eyes thoughtful.

"Yes, everyone, don't worry. They found the caravan and have been reunited safely."

As requested by the two, Lao Hu did not recount what happened at the ruins.

Since this is a story that takes place in the night,

Let everything be shrouded in darkness.

……

Meanwhile, Lonnies and Elusia returned to the ship.

"Hehe, Elusia, that's great~"

Seeing that the villagers were safe and sound, Lonnies smiled from the bottom of her heart.

"Ah, that's wonderful."

"This incident has been resolved satisfactorily. Both the puppet worms and the monsters in the ruins have been purified."

"Yes, yes~ But you silly maid, have you noticed that we haven't received a single penny?"

"what?!"

"I helped these villagers with so many things, but they didn't even say thank you."

"This...this can't be blamed on the villagers, can it? After all, they didn't know what we were doing."

Lonnie smiled bitterly, suddenly realizing that the hero's work itself was unpaid... The only thing worth finding comfort in was the villagers' smiles.

However, if, like in the snowy mountain village, there isn't even a smile, that would be rather tragic.

……

"Hmph, it seems you've figured it out. If we want to move forward, we need funds. If we can't make ends meet, I'll have no choice but to let you, my slave maid, earn money."

"what?!"

"But now, hehe... with this thing, we should have more options~"

Elusia smiled and took the crystal skull out of the drawer.

Lonnies had not forgotten that these were the remains of the Ruins Warrior, and now, it seemed that Suna's soul resided within the crystal skull.

“Master Elusia, this head…”

"Yes, you're right, this is also a magic crystal. However, it belongs to a very rare type of magic crystal, called a human crystal, also known as a soul stone."

"Soul Stone?!"

"Hmm, do you remember how magic crystals are born? They are formed by the compression of matter, and this magic crystal is also formed from the solidified soul and head of a fallen hero."

"Then, is the purpose of the soul stone also to provide energy?"

"No, it's mainly used as the core of machinery or puppets."

"what?"

"In other words, if we have a suitable body, Suna might be able to be resurrected... and the Fallen Hero has left this choice to us."

Elusia took a deep breath and said this.

(The next volume will be a bit risqué, but I'm not afraid of censorship anymore!)

Volume Two: From Clear Hope

Chapter 1 Maid Training

(Thank you everyone for the monthly votes, I've added an extra chapter~~ There will be another chapter at 1 AM tonight.)

……

After repairing all the parts collected from the ruins onto the ship, the vessel slowly set sail.

Although Elusia had already explained the knowledge about the crystal skull to Lonnies, the silver-haired girl still felt a chill run down her spine when she saw such a thing displayed in the living room.

"Elusia, shouldn't we... use this crystal skull?"

"Not yet. Suna's soul resides within it and hasn't awakened yet. And even if she does awaken, I'll need to purify her spirit first."

"what?"

"Yan Yuan can purify all matter, while Cheng Yuan can purify all hearts. Let's wait until Academy Island; waking her up now will cause trouble."

"Oh……"

“But Lonnies, you’ve certainly reminded me. This trip has been quite boring lately, so let’s do something fun.”

"Something interesting..."

"That's right, it's obviously about playing with my white-stockinged maid's body~~~"

"Waaah!"

Seeing Elusia take out the remote control switch, Lonnies took a step back in fear.

But... shouldn't we say that what's meant to happen will eventually happen?

Facing Elusia's aggressive gaze, Lonnies didn't struggle forcefully. She simply sat down in the chair and murmured, "Elusia, are you gathering magic power?"

"No, I have plenty of magic right now. I just want to tease you a little~"

"what?!"

"You maid, you seem so much a masochist! I really want to see your blushing, embarrassed expression~"

"no, do not want!"

If it's to replenish Elusia's magic power, then even if Lonnie is exhausted from being toyed with, at least she'll find some solace... because it's for the sake of the battle, and it's the only thing she can do to help Elusia.

But what if you're just being manipulated?