Maou no Hajimekata Volume 2 Interlude 3 Part 1
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Translator: Jay_Samuel, Editor: Krizzeir
Interlude: We Equally Privileged Heroines, Part 1
「My name is Bell and starting from today I will be working here as a maid. Pleased to make your acquaintance」
While bowing her head very deeply, the young girl performed a well-mannered self introduction in front of the other maids that are seated in a row.
Her approximate age is 14, 15. A lovely young maiden with a chestnut-color hair extending to her waist.
A strong hint of nervousness is clearly visible on her considerably innocent face.
Probably feeling anxious from being……in a new environment.
「I am the Head Maid Reuel. I look forward to working with you, Ms Bell」
「I am the Assistant Head Maid Lasara. Looks like we got ourselves a fairly promising chick」
「I am Johanne. Should you ever feel troubled you can come talk to me」
「I am Melia. Nice to meet you」
No matter however you look at it, it was because all the maids that are lined up before her didn’t look exactly like just ordinary maids.
Though she is still young, Bell had accumulated quite a bit of studies diligently until now or so she thought.
Of course, even if she is no match against a professional soldier or a sorcerer, against an ordinary person be it an adult or not she believes in the conceit that she won’t be defeated.
So, exactly because of this, she was able to perceive the differences in abilities between herself and the others.
Bell feels powerless against the majority of several tens of maids that are present.
「You probably won’t remember if they introduced themselves all at once, so please just carry on in order and get to familiarize yourself with the responsibilities」
Bell could only nod at the head maid who was smiling while saying those words.
「Even among the tasks in this underground labyrinth, laundry is one of the most important ones」
The one who said that with a relaxing tone which compels a somewhat elegant sensation was the one who introduced herself as Johanne.
A petite woman with red hair and green eyes. Despite her endearingly adorable looks rather than beautiful, her composed conduct and elegant gestures doesn’t misconstrue her as a child.
Even though she was carrying a laundry basket full of washables, she exhibited a certain atmosphere like that of a princess.
「Understood」
But on the inside, honestly speaking she is a monster.
Even among the maids she felt powerless against, Johanne’ ability were on a whole new level.
She holds a heavy laundry basket lightly with one arm, yet her body’s center of gravity does not shake in the slightest.
Bell had a foreboding that, even in a perfectly favorable circumstance where Johanne is standing with one leg on a tightrope unarmed and Bell thrusts and attacks her with a spear, she would probably lose. In an instant at that.
「We perform laundries here」
Where Johanne guided her to was a spacious terrace.
A blue sky extends overhead, a refreshing wind caresses her cheeks, and the light of the sun is shining incessantly.
Johanne snickered at Bell who stared with wide eyes at the scenery so far apart from the word dungeon.
「You are quite taken aback aren’t you? we actually live in a place where there is a sky above」
Which reminds me, and so Bell recollected.
Recently, an enormous castle floating on top of the clouds appeared.
She heard the rumors that the castle belongs to the Demon Lord, but the fact that it is true is.
「Come now, shall we begin laundry. Water comes out from here when you pull this place……」
As Johanne pulls the lever protruding from the wall, water overflows from a sculpture imitating a dragon’s neck next to it.
It seems to be structured to store it in the washbasin to wash the laundry.
「A dragon that breathes out water is kinda strange right」
Bell suddenly said that while she was scrubbing the clothes.
Speaking of dragons, they typically breathes out fire.
「That is not true. In the past there are ones that breathe out water, ones that surge out lightening, ones that spew out venoms……there were different kinds of dragons. Is just the ones that are left now are mostly those that breath out fire」
「Is that so?」
Bell’s eyes were blinking. She had thought that she conducted quite an extensive research on monsters too, but that was her first time hearing those.
「Yes, it is really true. Because I have actually defeated a few of them before」
「Who in God’s name are you Ms. Johanne」
Bell unconsciously spilled out the questions that she had thought she probably wouldn’t ask.
As expected there is no way she won’t possibly be curious about a dragon-slaying maid.
「Quite a long time ago, I once relished in the pleasure of being a hero for a bit」
「Is a hero something you relish」
Bell acceded halfway while feeling astonished by Johanne who was laughing in a high-pitched sound.
If she is a hero then that explains her abnormally tight defenses.
I had heard that the Demon Lord Highness has a subordinate who is a hero.
I never thought that she became a maid and washes away happily as she does laundry.
「From being a hero to a maid, isn’t that kind of serious?」
It is a little inconceivable for Bell, but if she was a hero, she certainly must have lived a flashy life.
Is she not heart-broken to be reduced to undertaking such plain menial tasks.
So I thought, and then I asked her,
「Even if I killed dragons. People don’t praise me for my efforts」
Johanne replied with those words.
「Even if they received it gladly, simple gestures like, oh you did well, or you were a great help, they never say. After all the person in question is an even more dreadful woman」
Johanne speaks with an expression as if looking into the distance.
「So compared to that. Laundry work is such a wonderful task. Everybody happily wears the clothes that I washed and they praise me for my efforts」
She smiled and then stacked the clothes she had finished washing into the basket.
「Actually I am supposed to dry these each one after the other, but I will make an exception today so we can cheat a litlle」
「Cheat……you say?」
As Johanne winks to Bell who was bending her head slightly in doubt with one eye, she unfasten the ribbon that bundles her hair at the back of her head. The hair which was spreading gently became a bright red flame in the blink of an eye, and enveloped the laundry.
「The laundry! 」
「It is alright」
Johanne calmly stopped Bell who stretched her hands towards the laundry to keep from burning.
「My flame is a passionate flame that only destroys what it wants to burn. If I use this, see」
And just like that the flames vanished, and what was left were completely dried clothes.
「Both the excessive water and dirt were all burned out completely! Though on a normal day I dry them up properly」
A flame that only burns what it wants to burn specifically, Bell was thinking it will definitely be tremendously powerful if used as a weapon.
「There is nothing strange about a dragon that doesn’t breathe out fire……certainly, that is quite so indeed」
But strangely enough Johanne feels that her flames were more suited for drying out laundry than to kill dragons.
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