Reincarnated Maid is About To Be Captured by All Players

At dusk, the Reunion Castle.

Though it’s called a castle, Reunion Castle differs from those fortresses focused on defense. More precisely, it should be called a palace.

The game’s setting draws from the medieval era, yet the design of Reunion Castle boasts the style of Renaissance architecture, grand and majestic, the most luxurious building within the territory of Duke Obi.

At the entrance of the palace stands the imposing sculpture of the sole deity of the Aberan faith. The current duke, a loyal servant of the deity, doesn’t favor excessive luxury. He had most of the sculptures at the main entrance removed, except for a reshaped sculpture of the father god. Although it’s unverified, it’s said that the theme of the oil paintings inside the palace has also been changed to Aberan subjects. Valubilis Borgia, everyone is convinced, having practiced the teachings of the deity all his life, he should ascend to the deity’s heaven after death.

Perhaps the pope will bless this devout believer, but his presence in this world is the true gospel, with no one considering the duke’s affairs after death.

Under a huge oil painting within the palace, two men dressed as servants are whispering to each other.

One of them, an older man dressed as a butler, is the duke’s personal servant, overseeing all the male servants within Reunion Castle.

“…Ah, I understand. You may leave; I will convey this matter to the lord duke.”

After the servant left, the old butler straightened his clothing and walked towards the inner chamber with steady steps.

As Borgia’s personal servant, the butler hasn’t seen the lord duke for quite some time, more than three months by his count. And in the past month, the duke hasn’t held any public activities, seemingly withdrawn from the public eye as if he’s severed from the world.

The important affairs within the duke’s territory are managed by earls acting as regents. Even the task of adopting orphans was delegated to the butler.

Not only that, but the duke has also sealed off a section within Reunion Castle, forbidding any servant or guest to enter, while he himself secludes daily with selected orphans. The old butler worries about the duke’s living conditions being unattended, but the duke claims it’s fine, only having meals delivered to the door, which he would collect himself.

Strangely enough, the orphans who enter the duke’s sealed area are seen entering but not leaving, yet the amount of food consumed does not increase significantly.

This isn’t for me to ponder.

The old butler shook his head, hoping the duke’s recent actions meant things were improving.

“Duke.”

The old butler knocked lightly on the door.

After repeating this three times, he finally received a reply from the duke.

“—Is that you? John.”

The old butler’s hand froze mid-air.

He wasn’t John. John was the name of Borgia’s second son, who had been transformed into a vampire and then slain by the duke himself during the Vampire King’s subjugation half a year ago.

“Duke, it is your old servant.”

“…Oh, I’ve become a bit senile. Ah, yes, John…”

The duke’s voice from the other side of the door was quite hoarse, and the butler worried about the duke’s physical and mental health. However, as he was strictly forbidden to cross the threshold, the butler could only guess at the duke’s condition through his words.

Having served for half a lifetime, the butler had never seen the duke so listless. Was the resurgence just a façade for the citizens? With only three sons, and having thrice sent white-haired parents to black-haired children, how cruel was this blow?

“There’s urgent news.”

“…It’s about the pursuit of Amalilis, isn’t it? As I expected, I issued the task yesterday, and today a brave soul has completed it.”

“Err…”

My lord, it’s not like that.

“I know adventurers best. If the reward is right, they can even perform better than mercenaries. They will pounce on their prey like loyal hounds, biting its throat without question, all for their master’s favor.”

No, my lord, please stop…

“Amalilis—Oh, great and exalted father deity, why did you let the cursed [Child of the Devil] take away the life of my dear son, and then send another cursed [Child of the Devil] to my side… I think it must be your will, to let me purge the devils that linger among us…”

The old butler hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. How should he break the news?

“Let the brave warrior who captured Amalilis alive claim his reward… If Amalilis has been slain, you go to confirm. I have other matters to attend to…”

“Duke.”

“What shall we do with Amalilis, who was caught alive? Beheading or burning at the stake, both are acceptable. There’s no need for mercy for the minions of the [Demon King].”

“My lord, forgive my directness, but the situation has changed.”

The old butler could no longer hold back, but it wasn’t the duke’s fault for assuming so. Knowing the reward the duke had issued, the butler couldn’t help but feel that the girl named Amalilis was doomed. Until the evening servant informed him, the old butler too thought an adventurer had completed the task.

But the reality was the opposite.

“The situation has changed…? Could it be dissatisfaction?”

“Not at all, my noble lord. A large number of shameless adventurers within the territory have sided with the criminal Amalilis.”

“Hm, it’s not unusual for adventurers to think differently from us. But since you’ve come to report… Is the number significant?”

“The servant predicts that the number of traitorous adventurers exceeds sixty percent.”

“………………………………How many?”

“Back to you, my lord.”

The old butler reported frankly.

“At least, over sixty percent.”