Chapter 26

Midnight draped over the sprawling estate of Viscount Bernad like a heavy shroud.

At the front gates, the silence was shattered by a blinding flash of light and a deafening explosion.

"In the name of the Crown and the people! Surrender your ill-gotten wealth!" Itsuki’s voice echoed across the manicured lawns, impossibly loud and dramatically righteous. The Hero of the Bow and his party stormed the front steps, arrows flying and swords clashing with the panicked estate guards.

It was a magnificent, flashy, and utterly chaotic distraction.

Maya crouched on the tiled roof of the eastern wing, watching the chaos unfold. She shook her head. Itsuki was a walking beacon. While the entire guard force rushed to the front to fight the screaming teenager, Maya dropped silently into the dark, empty courtyard at the rear of the manor.

She didn't have to wait long.

A heavy oak door burst open, and a weasel-faced man in fine silks stumbled out, clutching a heavy leather satchel to his chest. It was the Viscount's chief lieutenant, trying to slip away in the confusion with the estate's true secrets.

Maya stepped out of the shadows, blocking the escape route.

[Equipping: Venom-Mush Gauntlet]

The silver plates morphed into a porous, dark purple material that leaked a faint, shimmering mist. The lieutenant gasped, dropping his lantern, and reached for a dagger at his belt.

Maya didn't even adopt a fighting stance. She simply stepped forward, her Agility completely outclassing his, and delivered a sharp, controlled jab directly to the cluster of nerves in his shoulder.

Fsssh.

The paralyzing spores injected instantly. The lieutenant's eyes widened in sheer terror as his muscles locked up completely. He tipped over like a felled tree, landing stiffly on the cobblestones.

Maya calmly knelt beside him, prying the heavy satchel from his rigid fingers. She opened it. Inside were the true ledgers—meticulous records of extortion, bribery, and illegal taxes, signed by the Viscount himself.

"Perfect," Maya whispered. She pulled a blank piece of parchment and an ink pen from the satchel, placing them in front of the paralyzed man's face. "You have about thirty seconds before the venom stops your lungs. If you want the antidote, write a full confession confirming these ledgers and sign it."

She tapped her Gauntlet against his hand, temporarily restoring movement to his fingers. Sobbing and gasping for breath, the lieutenant scribbled out the confession. The moment he signed his name, Maya fed him a cheap antidote leaf from her inventory.

"Stay here. If you run, my wolf will hunt you down," Maya commanded, her eyes cold. She didn't wait to see him nod. She had the legal proof Itsuki needed to avoid being branded a rebel. Now, it was time to secure the funding.

Maya slipped through the open rear door, navigating the darkened servant corridors toward the manor's basement. The vault would be heavily warded.

As she descended a spiraling stone staircase, she heard the muffled sound of weeping.

Peering around the corner into the subterranean wine cellar, she saw a massive, magically sealed iron door. Standing in front of it were two elite, heavily armored guards. And kneeling on the stone floor between them was a young girl with bright green hair, wearing the ragged clothes of a lower-class servant.

"Please!" the girl sobbed, her voice a high-pitched, trembling squeak. "I don't know the password! The Viscount only hired me because of my magical aptitude, but I can't break a Royal Seal! Fueee!"

"Try harder, trash!" one of the guards snarled, raising his armored boot to kick her. "The Viscount ordered the vault emptied before that idiot Bow Hero breaches the main hall!"

Maya’s eyes narrowed.

[Equipping: Iron Gauntlet]

Before the guard's boot could connect, Maya launched herself from the staircase. The heavy iron of her right fist collided with the guard's helmet with the force of a battering ram. The metal crumpled, and the guard was thrown violently against the stone wall, unconscious before he hit the ground.

The second guard drew his sword with a shout, but the shadow cast by the flickering torches suddenly writhed. Onyx erupted from the darkness, his glowing red eyes and obsidian fangs the last thing the guard saw before the wolf's immense weight pinned him to the floor. The guard fainted from pure terror.

Maya exhaled, her Gauntlet returning to its sleek silver form. She knelt down beside the trembling green-haired girl, offering a gentle, entirely genuine smile.

"Are you alright?" Maya asked softly, holding out her hand.

The girl looked up, her wide, tear-filled eyes reflecting the dim light. She looked at the unconscious guards, the terrifying shadow wolf that was now happily nuzzling Maya's boot, and then up at the beautiful, imposing Hero who had just dropped from the ceiling like an avenging angel.

"I… I…" the girl stammered, taking Maya's hand and letting herself be pulled to her feet. "I am Rishia. Rishia Ivyred. You… you saved me."

"It's what Heroes do, Rishia," Maya said kindly. She turned her attention to the massive iron vault door. The center was glowing with a complex, interwoven magical lock. "Stand back."

[Equipping: Meteoric-Iron Gauntlet]

The dark, heavy, magic-nullifying metal encased her arm. Maya pulled her fist back and drove it directly into the center of the magical seal.

CRASH.

The anti-magic properties of the Meteoric Iron shattered the complex spell like cheap glass. The heavy iron doors groaned open, revealing stacks of gold bullion, chests of silver coins, and stolen jewelry.

Rishia gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Fueee! It's the town's stolen wealth!"

Maya quickly went to work. She pulled out a massive spatial sack she had bought from the black market. She dumped half of the gold and the highest-quality gems into her own inventory—her Wave survival fund—and packed the rest into the sack for Itsuki to dramatically "return" to the townspeople.

As Maya worked with flawless, breathtaking efficiency, Rishia stood frozen, completely spellbound.

In Rishia's eyes, Maya wasn't just a fighter. She was absolute perfection. She was strong enough to shatter iron, smart enough to bypass the entire guard force, and kind enough to save a worthless, clumsy noble dropout like her. Itsuki was outside making a lot of noise, but Maya was down here actually solving the problem.

Maya hoisted the heavy sack of remaining gold over her shoulder. "Come on, Rishia. Let's get you out of here before the building comes down."

"Wait!" Rishia blurted out, her voice echoing in the vault.

Maya paused, looking back.

Rishia clenched her fists, her whole body trembling. She had been kicked out of her minor noble family, forced to work as a slave to clear their debts, and told her entire life she was useless. But looking at the Gauntlet Hero, a tiny, fierce spark ignited in her chest.

"Please… Maya-sama!" Rishia bowed so deeply she almost hit her head on the floor. "I know I am weak! I know I am clumsy and my stats are terrible! But I have an affinity for all magic types! If I study hard… if I train… please, let me join your party! I want to be strong like you! I want to serve you!"

Maya stared at the green-haired girl. She remembered the MMO mechanics of this world perfectly. Characters with abysmal starting stats and "terrible" growth curves early on usually had massive, game-breaking latent potential that only unlocked at extremely high levels. Rishia was a late-game powerhouse masquerading as a weakling.

But more importantly, Rishia was looking at her with absolute, unwavering loyalty. Myne was a useful tool, but she was a viper waiting to strike. Rishia was a devoted puppy who would walk through fire for her.

Maya smiled, a genuinely warm expression. "I would be honored to have you, Rishia. But there is a catch."

Rishia looked up, hope blooming in her eyes. "Anything!"

"I am currently traveling with Princess Myne," Maya explained, her tone turning serious. "The Princess… does not share my views on justice. She is vain, cruel, and she reports everything I do to the King. If you join me officially, she will bully you endlessly, and she will realize I am building my own forces."

Rishia swallowed hard, nodding in understanding. "Then… what do I do?"

"You join the Hero of the Bow," Maya commanded softly.

Rishia blinked. "Fueee?"

"Itsuki is loud and naive, but he will protect you. His party is right upstairs," Maya explained, stepping closer and placing a reassuring hand on Rishia's shoulder. "I want you to join his party. Act as his support. But in secret, you answer only to me. You will be my eyes and ears among the other Heroes. I will secretly fund your gear, I will guide your training, and when the time is right, you will stand by my side in the light."

Rishia’s eyes widened as the magnitude of the secret mission settled over her. Maya wasn't rejecting her; Maya was trusting her with an incredibly important, covert role.

Rishia wiped her tears, her expression hardening with newfound determination. "I understand, Maya-sama. I will be your shadow."

"Good girl," Maya praised, handing Rishia the ledgers and the signed confession. "Now, take these. Run upstairs, find Itsuki, and tell him you stole these from the lieutenant to help him. It will guarantee you a spot in his party. Go!"

Rishia nodded fiercely, clutching the papers to her chest, and sprinted up the stairs toward the sounds of combat.

Maya watched her go, a satisfied smirk on her face. She had just planted a perfectly loyal mole right in the center of Itsuki's party, secured the legal proof to protect herself, and robbed the Viscount blind.

A few moments later, Maya melted back into the shadows of the courtyard with her sack of gold, leaving Itsuki to kick open the empty vault and claim his hollow, noisy victory.

Interactive Choice: Returning to the Capital

The "pilgrimage" is over. Maya has leveled up, secured a massive influx of gold from the vault, and planted Rishia as a spy. But as Maya and Myne ride back into the capital of Melromarc, a new complication arises.