Side Note

Time to rise and shine. As a Maid School graduate with straight As under her pocket, I naturally wake up very early in the morning. Earlier than everyone in the household. So early I can barely see the su- AH FUCK!!! Just opened the curtain and was assaulted by a full blast of the sun. Judging by how bright… it's the afternoon. Well… shit. Maybe everyone else is a late riser. Time to walk out the door.

Aaand everyone's awake. I can see a blur every now and then going past me, which I assume is Speedy, and I can see through Mel's door, which she left wide open. She's busy sorting through her belongings. Unlike me, who didn't really have many personal items, Mel had a bunch of safehouses where she kept many things. Merida had Speedy fetch all of Mel's things. The room next to Mel's bedroom is her storage room. I'm thinking of cleaning that room at some point. Definitely don't have an ulterior motive.

Hmm… guess I'll go do some cooking. I woke up late. The least I can do is cook lunch. Where the hell is the kitchen, though? Time to do what all maids must do upon entering a new place. Open every door. 

Hi, no longer a slave but still a maid here. I ended up finding twenty rooms before finding the kitchen. I found three rooms used for treasure storage, seven rooms for food storage, two rooms with clown stuff in them, five rooms flooded to the brim with liquids, two rooms with ominous portals in them, and a room with nothing but pictures of Speedy stuck to the walls and roof. I'm tempted to jump into one of the liquid rooms. I like pools.

Anyways, upon entering the kitchen, I found Merida drinking some soup… I was too late. There's always tomorrow to cook actual food. Since I'm here with Merida, I might as well ask about the whole Sacred Power thing.

"So… what is the next Sacred Power I'm going to see?"
"I don't know."

"Don't you have the All Seeing Eye?"

"I do."

"Doesn't that mea-"

"There are some things I cannot see. I can see Sacred Power holders, but I cannot see their Sacred Powers. Consider it one of the many reasons I am offering assistance. My curiosity must be sated. Although my help is primarily because you two are a source of entertainment for me."

"Oh… okay. Then give me a rundown of the plan, I guess."

"Since we are in the Walled Forest, there is no direction besides southeast, and so that way we'll be going. First, we'll go to all the holders within the Forest, then continue on through any and all towns, cities, and landmarks along the way, before ultimately ending it all in Hamblin, your hometown."

"Wait… that's how far I went?! Also, why is it called Walled Forest?"

"Because beyond the forest is nothing but a wall of ocean. There is a nation called the Hula Island beyond the forest, but fortunately, they have no Sacred Power holders."

"How many Sacred Power holders are there in the forest?"

"Including us four, thirteen. You have met seven of them, excluding the people in this house. There were fourteen, but Rich recently left."

"Seven?"

"The duchess Chloe, the table craftsman Jack, the illusionist Iryu, the summoner Ferry, the Hero Lee, the priestess Neia and the ninja Airi. You have looked into the eyes of the first five, so the last three still need to be acquired."

"How many have I not met left?"

"Can you not do simple arithmetic?"

"I can. I just choose not to."

"Noted. There are two you have not met. I will be sending you to one you have yet to meet. They live in the nearby lake. You and Mel have no need for Speedy, so feel free to walk there by yourselves. Consider it a date."

"Hehe, thanks for the opportunity."

"Now then, go ahead and tell Mel. You may leave whenever you wish."

"Aye aye, lieutenant!" And off to Mel, I went.

"And that's how I ended up accidentally eating my pet fish for dinner."

"That was a horrifying story, and I hope you know that."

"Hear hear!"

"Who the hell are you?"

"Ooh, blue woman. Can we keep it Mel?"

"Why are you two here?"

"Hey, I'm the one asking the questions here!"

"Can we keep it? Can we can we can we?"

"Well, you two are trespassing on my land!"

"What are you, the spirit of the lake?"

"If it is, can we still keep it?"

"That is precisely what I am. I am the Spirit of the Walled Forest Lake!"

"Oh… you wouldn't happen to be a Sacred Power holder?"

"Sacred Power holder? Does that mean I get to look in their eyes and keep it?"

"No, but the great, grand guardian of this lake is. She's such a wonderful, amazing guardian. Me proclaiming about her excellency doesn't do her justice!"

"Huh… can we meet them?"

"Can we keep the spirit and the guardian?!"

"Do you two wish to become believers too?"

"Hmm… sure, if it means we can meet her."

"I'd rather kee- urgh! I wish to believe, believe in the almighty guardian!"

"Exquisite! Let me take you to her!"

"Lead the way."

We continued walking until we reached the lake. From there, the Spirit gave us a special blessing to let us breathe and walk underwater. Very convenient. She kept leading us until we came across a fish… if I remember from the Maid School seafood lectures, it's a Barracuda. Hmm… never eaten one before. It's looking at me weirdly. Time to stare back at it.

Wait… what?

"Behold, the great guardian of the lake!"

Name: Aleyn.

Sacred power: Lake Guardian.

Favourite prey: Drowned goblins.

Description: The guardian fish was personally chosen by the Spirit. When the Spirit initially manifested, this fish was the only one to not cower, so the Spirit chose it to be the lake's guardian. In one of his rare moments of observation, the creator noticed their relationship and so created a Sacred Power for them. The fish has a human form but chooses to only show it to the Spirit. 

Chapter namesake: Barracuda by Noisestorm.