Chapter 25

The victory banquet had cemented Maya’s cover perfectly. To the King, she was a humble, cooperative asset. To Myne, she was a devoted, easily manipulated powerhouse.

But Maya knew the capital was a gilded cage. If she wanted to understand the kingdom she was supposed to protect, and if she wanted to find the hidden factions that could aid her against the Waves, she needed to get out of the city.

"A pilgrimage, Maya-sama?" Myne asked, looking up from her velvet chaise lounge in their inn room. "To the outer provinces? But the roads are dusty, and the country inns are so… rustic."

"It is our duty, Myne," Maya replied, packing her black market gear into a simple leather traveling sack. She offered the princess a radiant, earnest smile. "The capital is safe, but the Wave could strike anywhere next. We must travel the kingdom, clear out monster nests, and show the common people that the Crown’s Heroes are vigilant. Imagine the love they will have for you when you personally deliver them from danger."

Myne’s nose wrinkled in thought, but her vanity quickly won out. The adoring cheers of Lute Village were still ringing in her ears. "Well… I suppose a grand tour of the provinces would remind the peasants of their betters. Very well! We ride at dawn."

For the next two weeks, they traveled the northern trade routes. Maya spent her days clearing out high-level monster dens, carefully feeding the drops to her Gauntlet to unlock new forms, while Myne practiced her fire magic from a safe distance. At night, Onyx scouted the perimeters, an unseen guardian in the shadows.

It was during a stop in a bustling merchant town called Riyute that their "pilgrimage" took an unexpected turn.

Maya had left Myne resting in the finest inn the town had to offer and went to scout the local market for crafting materials. As she turned down a narrow alleyway behind a blacksmith's shop, she heard the unmistakable twang of a bowstring, followed by a muffled yelp.

Maya slipped into the shadows, the silver of her Gauntlet shifting into the silent [Spider-Silk Gauntlet].

Peering around the corner, she saw two burly thugs pinned to the brick wall by glowing, ethereal arrows that had pierced their sleeves. Standing over them, wearing a traveler's cloak that didn't quite hide his pristine hero's armor, was Itsuki Kawasumi.

"Tell your master," Itsuki demanded, his voice dropping into what he clearly thought was an intimidating, heroic register, "that his days of extorting the innocent are over. Justice has arrived."

The thugs scrambled away the moment the magical arrows dissipated. Itsuki adjusted his cloak, looking incredibly satisfied with himself, and turned to leave.

"You know, dramatic monologues usually work better if you actually arrest them," Maya observed dryly, stepping out of the shadows.

Itsuki jumped, instinctively reaching for an arrow before recognizing her. "Maya! What are you doing so far from the capital?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Maya replied, crossing her arms. She looked down the alley where the thugs had fled. "Who is this 'master' you're threatening?"

Itsuki's expression darkened, turning entirely serious. "The local lord, Viscount Bernad. He's incredibly corrupt. I've spent the last three days investigating in secret. He’s been levying illegal, crippling taxes on the merchants here, using a gang of hired thugs to enforce it. Anyone who refuses to pay has their shop burned down."

Itsuki gripped his Bow tightly. "The King is blind to it. But I am the Hero of the Bow. I won't let tyranny stand. Tonight, my party and I are going to raid his manor, defeat his guards, and force him to surrender his stolen wealth back to the people!"

Maya stared at the seventeen-year-old archer. He was completely serious.

Maya's mind instantly began analyzing his plan like a complex siege. Itsuki’s strategy was hopelessly flawed. He wanted to drop all his forces right in the center to smash the stronghold. But in a real siege, if you don't funnel your attack properly and clear the outer defenses first, the hidden traps and remaining artillery will wipe out whatever is left after the center falls.

If Itsuki just kicked the door in, beat up the Viscount, and left, he would create a massive power vacuum. The local economy would crash, the surviving thugs would riot, and the King would send the royal army to crush the "rebellious" town. Itsuki was going to destroy the village in order to save it.

He's an idiot, Maya thought. But he's an idiot with his heart in the right place. And I can use this.

"Itsuki," Maya said softly, her expression shifting to one of profound, admiring respect. "That is incredibly noble of you. To fight for the common man in secret… it's true justice."

Itsuki puffed out his chest, his eyes shining. "It is my duty, Maya."

"But," Maya continued, stepping closer, "a direct raid is dangerous. If his thugs get desperate, they might set fire to the town to create a distraction. You can't protect the civilians and fight the guards at the same time."

Maya placed her iron-clad hand on his shoulder. "Let me assist you."

"You?" Itsuki blinked in surprise. "But aren't you traveling with Princess Malty? If the Crown finds out we overthrew a noble, we could be branded as rebels."

"Myne is resting," Maya lied flawlessly. "And true justice shouldn't be bound by politics, Itsuki. I'll act from the shadows. Your party can handle the grand assault on the manor. I will handle the perimeter."

Itsuki smiled, deeply moved by her dedication to his cause. "Thank you, Maya. With the Gauntlet Hero watching our backs, we cannot fail. Meet me at the edge of the Viscount's estate at midnight."

As Itsuki hurried off to prepare his party, Maya turned back toward the main street, her innocent smile melting into a sharp, predatory grin.

She was going to help him take down the corrupt noble, yes. But she was going to do it her way. She was going to dismantle the Viscount's entire operation, secure the town's infrastructure, and absolutely gut the noble's hidden treasury to fund her own war chest against the Waves—all while letting Itsuki take the political heat as the "Hero of Justice."

Interactive Choice: The Siege of Bernad Manor

Midnight approaches. Itsuki's party is preparing to kick down the front doors of the Viscount's heavily guarded manor. Maya, operating alone in the shadows with Onyx, needs a strategy to control the battlefield from the outside.