Harold’s question had enough weight to put me on the spot.

Come to think of it, for Lilith, with this body, to charge at a giant monster like the Hooked Tusk was an absurd act.

For a girl who had never hunted monsters in her life to engage in a life-or-death battle against a monstrous being over ten times her size – it sounded so unreasonable that it was hard to believe. 

That act was an essential gamble I had to take to level up, but it would naturally seem reckless and foolish to others who didn’t know the details.

If I were honest and said that ‘it was for experience points,’ it would definitely cause various problems.

 

‘There’s no way the people of this world would understand the concept of experience points.’

As someone from the real world, I recognized that this world had the concept of experience points and that one must defeat monsters to gain experience and grow stronger.

However, to the people of this world, the very concept of experience points would be incomprehensible.

 

For example, let’s say I was studying math in the real world, and a friend studying with me suddenly said this:

 

[Hey, judging from your calculation speed, you must already be level 7 in math! Looking at your remaining math points, if you complete discrete mathematics this year and read a few more books, you’ll hit math level 8 for sure, right?] 

[…Did you lose your mind studying for exams? What kind of nonsense is that?]

 

The same principle could be applied to this world.  

Everyone naturally understands the basic concept that killing monsters makes one stronger, and becoming stronger allows the use of new skills.

However, the idea that one needs to accumulate a certain amount of experience points to grow stronger or acquire new skills was completely unfamiliar to them.

 

So, explaining it with the words’ for experience points’ would be nearly impossible for Harold to understand.

 

‘…and even if Harold did understand the concept of experience points, it would still be an issue.’  

 

How would he view a first-year junior maid claiming she killed monsters to grow stronger? 

Would he understand that it was to build physical strength for her maid duties? He would likely think I was training for some insolent scheme.

Especially for Lilith, an indentured maid, to train herself could be seen as a way of building strength to escape the Blackwoods.

Excuses like ‘for experience points’ or ‘for training’ were definitely answers I couldn’t give…

…but making up other excuses also didn’t seem quite right.

 

For money? 

The silver I obtained from defeating the Hooked Tusk this time only became mine through Sir Blacksong’s favor. Typically, the money would have been abandoned when I collapsed in battle. A mere commoner girl probably wouldn’t even get a proper price trying to sell monster loot.  

 

 

Because I couldn’t escape the situation, so I had no choice?

Given that even the security chief’s report stated it, it was clear that I was perfectly capable of escaping.  

Not to mention, I had explicitly told the security chief, Sir Blacksong, and his soldiers not to approach closely, so this excuse would naturally seem suspicious as well.

 

A sudden burst of pride made me steel my resolve when facing the monster?  

The moment I gave this answer, Harold would undoubtedly view me as either a lunatic or someone to be wary of.

 

Putting everything else aside, I had to avoid drawing Harold’s negative attention at all costs. Ideally, it would be best not to draw any attention at all.

 

“Was it such a difficult answer that you must ponder so deeply on?”

“Ah, no… It just took me some time to recall the events of that day.”  

“Then tell me quickly. Why did you ignore Sir Blacksong’s advice and fight the monster to the end?”

 

…Since none of the other potential excuses seemed usable, in the end, there was only one type of answer I could give. 

This was the only response that seemed least likely to arouse Harold’s suspicion.  

Steeling my resolve, I spewed out the nonsense from my mouth as convincingly as I could.

 

“So-someone had to do it… Th-that’s what I thought.”

“Hm?”

“The Hooked Tusk is a dangerous monster that ordinary people can’t handle… If I hadn’t drawn the monster’s attention, others could have been injured or killed. So I thought someone had to lure its gaze.”

“……”  

 

Yes, I know. This excuse is unlikely to seem plausible to Harold. 

Simply looking at physical ability, it would be seen as absurd coming from a junior maid below an average man’s.

But being seen as an odd one was better than being viewed as a dangerous or crazy one.

 

“…Was there really a need for you specifically to play that role?”

“No, it didn’t have to be me necessarily. But in that situation, others were fleeing from the monster, s-so I thought only I could do it…”

“…Hmm.”

 

…Is he buying it?  

After letting out an indecipherable grunt, Harold seemed deep in thought with a contemplative expression.

Apparently not fully convinced by my answer, he posed another question.

 

“Fine, let’s say that’s why you initially charged at the monster.”  

“Y-Yes…”

“Then why did you keep fighting the Hooked Tusk to the end, even after Sir Blacksong advised you to retreat? In your own words, he would have been far better suited to draw the monster’s attention.”

“Th-that’s because…”

 

I had anticipated this question when I gave that previous answer, so I readily provided the excuse I had prepared.

 

“I-I didn’t know.” 

“You didn’t know?”

“I-I was just so focused on dodging the monster’s attacks, and I failed to realize he was the security chief of the Blackwood fiefdom.”

“Even though he was clearly wearing armor with the Blackwood security force’s emblem?”

“I-I was too tense to even notice what he was wearing. In that situation, where the monster’s attention was already on me, I didn’t want anyone else getting involved, either. So I kept fighting instead of fleeing till the end. I-I was really scared, but…”

“Hmm…”

 

…Somehow, it doesn’t seem like he’s believing it at all.  

Well, if I were Harold, it would sound like ridiculous nonsense, too. A mere junior maid claims she drew a monster’s attention as someone’s proxy.  

It was undoubtedly a complex claim for a middle-aged lord with lots of experience to readily believe.

Perhaps I should have just said it was for money – that would have been a far more plausible claim.

As my head swarmed with all sorts of thoughts, Harold’s mouth slowly opened again as he looked at me. 

In a tense state, I prepared myself for whatever excuse I might need to give next.

 

“Hmm, I see.”

“Y-You still find it hard to believe… right?”  

“I understood your words well. Certainly, had you not made that courageous decision at the scene, there would have been considerable damage.”

“You-you believe me…?” 

“There’s nothing particularly strange about it. I had already confirmed during the previous disciplinary committee meeting that you are someone capable of sacrificing yourself for others.”

 

… I’m not entirely sure, but it seems he’s somehow accepted my story.

Of course, I felt a slight pang of guilt at Harold’s assessment of me as ‘someone who can sacrifice themselves for others,’ but that was about it.  

What did it matter what kind of maid he thought I was in his mind? In seven years, I’d be leaving the Blackwood territory without a backward glance.

Ideally, it would have been best to receive neither positive nor negative evaluations – to be met with indifference. If I had to receive an assessment, though, a positive one was more advantageous than a negative one.  

At the end of the day, my current status was that of an indentured maid to the Blackwood family, and even without that, there was an immense class difference between a commoner like me and him.

There was no harm in appearing favorable to the one in control of my life here. 

…Still, I definitely didn’t want to become Ethan’s exclusive maid, no matter what.

 

“Then I’ll ask one final question.”

“Yes.”

“According to the report, two of the three iron stakes you drove into the Hooked Tusk’s body struck precisely at its weak points.”  

“Y-Yes…”

“Did you happen to know that the neck area and the space between its eyes were its weak points?”  

 

Of course, I knew.

 

“N-No… It was just by chance. Since the monster resembled a wild boar, I guessed its weak points might be similar to those in typical livestock.”

“Then, have you had experience defeating that monster before?”

 

Too many times to count.

 

 “I-it was my first time. It was my first time seeing it and directly killing it with my own hands.”

“I see.” 

 

For some reason, with each question Harold posed, I began feeling uneasy chills running down my spine.

Somehow, fitting Harold’s character, this line of questioning didn’t satisfy his curiosity.

Just as I was praying for this to end quickly so I could escape this suffocating study, fortunately, Harold issued me an order to withdraw without any further suspicion.

 

“Very well, I’ve heard enough. You may go now.” 

“…I shall take my leave, my lord.”

 “We’ll meet again next time. Miss Lilith Rosewood.”

 “…Yes.”

 

Why the chill-inducing use of my full name all of a sudden?

Hurling all sorts of curses at Harold in my head, I maintained my calm expression and escaped from his study.

The matter of the Hooked Tusk’s defeat in the Blackwood fiefdom’s commercial district three days prior had somehow been settled.

 

 …At least, that’s what I thought at the time.

 

As things tend to go, the events don’t flow according to the wishes of foolish Lilith.

The actual, troubling implication behind Harold reciting the full name of a mere junior maid was something I had yet to realize back then.