The Worst Atmosphere in the Purifiers' Quarters
The atmosphere in the purifiers' accommodations had reached its absolute worst.
The deaths of so many, combined with Princess Cecilia's seclusion, had already plunged the mood into despair. Now, missing persons had joined the list, along with monsters that mimicked their forms.
Even those who had been attacked had emerged as casualties.
It was only natural for the purifiers to summon their own pairs and lock themselves away in their rooms.
But those pairs who could still protect them were the lucky ones.
The maids, who had never truly faced a monster, lived every day in pure terror within these rooms.
After all, with the year's damages so severe, every single purifier was precious.
Guard members therefore shielded only the purifiers, leaving no one to protect the endless stream of maids.
Thus, the maids always traveled together in pairs of at least two, wearing sharp-sounding whistles around their necks.
But this very dawn, the fake Wilhelmina struck two maids who were fleeing.
If a passing knight had not been nearby, they would have been added to the casualty list.
Their survival was pure luck, yet the fallen maids were not unscathed.
The maids gazed in horror at their colleague lying on the narrow bed, with no space to step.
Discovered paralyzed, the maids had no visible wounds, yet they could not move their bodies.
Despite nearly a day having passed, the paralysis had not lifted. They could not even sit up, let alone walk.
Miraculously, this was thanks to Cynthia, their close friend among the purifiers, who had used her purification power.
“If Cynthia had not helped us… we might have remained paralyzed for the rest of our lives.”
“But we’re told that only the purifiers’ power can fully restore us. Cynthia keeps coming, yet when dungeon raids resume… how will she even manage?”
Someone muttered, and the darkness in the room grew even thicker.
The maids knew better than anyone what kind of beings they were here.
Replaceable, expendable parts for a machine that could be swapped at any time.
That was exactly who they were.
Yet they had stayed because the king’s wages here were higher than anywhere else outside the fortress.
And because, if trusted by purifiers or knights, they received portions of the cursed artifacts thrown in anger.
Silence lingered unbroken, the maids’ sighs growing heavier by the moment, when footsteps approached down the corridor.
Not one set of footsteps, but two. The maids glanced at the door in surprise.
The footsteps stopped right outside, followed by a knock.
‘Who is it?’
In the shared room, they normally entered without knocking.
“Everyone inside?”
“Cynthia?”
The familiar voice outside made the maids hurry to open the door.
As expected, their close friend Cynthia stood there.
But there was something different about her.
“The other purifiers… as well?!”
The maids panicked and hurriedly bowed their heads, even the paralyzed ones wriggling to sit up.
“It’s all right, everyone stay comfortable!”
Cynthia quickly steadied the maids, startled by their stronger reaction than she had expected.
The commotion gradually quieted, yet the maids remained bowed, eyes wide with confusion.
‘Even Irene came…’
The maids knew Irene had become as close to them as Cynthia.
A purifier of the same rank as Princess Cecilia, using the same accommodations.
Originally a tenth-rank purifier, she had become fourth-rank after acquiring enormous artifacts as Michael’s pair.
Yet the maids’ closeness to Irene stemmed from far more than rank.
No matter what Michael had done for the Tirenia Kingdom, that wealthy realm had prepaid for every need in Irene’s life.
Her accommodations, clothing, furniture—most importantly, food.
At every meal, the fortress’s most lavish and abundant dishes arrived in Irene’s room.
Over six kinds of meat alone, and fruits so abundant they might have included every fruit on the continent.
Of course, she could not eat all of it alone.
The remaining food, shared with her friends Reina and Cynthia and the new purifiers who had become close, was so much that it fed everyone.
Irene had divided everything among the maids.
When they were still grateful for scraps, Irene immediately had a small portion served and summoned the maids to take it away.
At first, the maids were bewildered.
They had never seen a purifier act like Irene.
Even the wealthier Princess Cecilia had despised others touching what she left behind.
Once, a young maid who was hungry snatched a bread crumb while clearing the table.
Unlucky, she was caught by Princess Cecilia.
The princess had glared at her with utter disgust.
“How dare you touch the master’s property without permission. Even my dog would never behave like this. What a lowly creature, your heart is even more so.”
The young maid had only cried, helpless.
From that day on, she had been forced to perform outside chores in the building where the princess resided, never entering again.
She would continue the hardest labor until she left the fortress forever.
By contrast, Irene was always kind.
She gave away the remainder of what she did not need, and quietly helped those in hardship without making them feel burdened.
Most importantly, the maids liked Irene because she remembered their names and greeted them personally.
A purifier who treated them, who were merely fortress parts, as human beings.
That was why, when Irene had been struck down by a monster’s attack, the maids had all been shaken.
And now, as silence fell, Irene smiled faintly and spoke.
“I suddenly appeared without warning. I’m sorry. I came to check on those still unable to rise.”
“Huh? Us?”
At that moment, another purifier peeked out from behind Irene.
“Yes, this one came all the way here personally to look. Come, show me the injured people right away.”
The one who had peeked was Riosa.
A first-rank purifier from Cecilia’s faction, who had completely clashed with her after Cecilia tried to take away her paired knight.
“Haa, what on earth are senior purifiers like me even doing here… What? Move aside.”
Riosa grumbled and pushed through the maids to reach the bed.
She placed her hand on the paralyzed maid’s forehead.
Whoosh!
Bright light flooded the room. A moment later…
“Eh?”
The paralyzed maid blinked several times, then sat up.
Knowing what would happen, Riosa quickly purified the other maids the same way.
“Our bodies are moving again!”
“Eh, how…!”
The maids murmured in tears of joy. Riosa swept her hair aside, lifted her chin, and said,
“Since they were struck by monsters, it is only natural that they could be purified. Besides, my power can certainly not fail to heal a paralysis, even if it is not a deep wound.”
Even as she spoke, Riosa’s fingertips trembled.
She had purified strangers, not her own pair.
And unlike wound healing, it required full control of her power, making it no easy task.
At that moment, Irene, who had stepped closer, gently held Riosa’s hand.
“Thank you so much, Riosa. The power of a first-rank purifier is truly amazing.”
“Hmph, isn’t that obvious?”
At the praise, Riosa turned her head as if she heard it often.
Yet her neck had flushed slightly red.
Riosa cleared her throat and said,
“Irene, since it was your request, I did it.”
Her voice brimmed with deep trust and affection for Irene.