HNSW - Chapter 5 - A Deal with, like, a Devil.

Lady Atreis sighed behind her fan.

“I am truly sorry about this, Lady Baillairgé. If I had any idea my Lilussees was capable of such a thing…”

Lady Baillairgé waved her off.

“There was no harm done. She would not be the first noble child to believe they could remove a tutor in such a fashion.”

Lady Baillairgé then made a smile.

“The only surprise is that she attempted such a thing at such a young age. I admit I approach every child assuming a healthy degree of parental pride in their abilities, but I must say you did not exaggerate her capabilities in the slightest.”

Lady Atreis frowned.

“Hardly. I never expected her to be this foolish.”

Lady Baillairgé shook her head.

“It is true that such a scheme would not have worked on any competent member of the nobility or the court. But considering the resources at her disposal and the time with which she had to plan, it was an exceptionally clever attempt, and executed with care and attention to detail. She did the best she could in her circumstances, which is something no three-year-old should be capable of.”

Lady Baillairgé then frowned.

“The one issue we must address is why she attempted such a thing. We had interacted but for a day, with only the barest dip into the curriculum in consideration for her age. I cannot for the life of me determine what I did that provoked such a response.”

Lady Atreis furrowed her brow…and then sighed again.

“This is…embarrassing to admit but…it is probably because you kept her awake all day.”

Lady Baillairgé raised an eyebrow.

“The child attempted murder…because I kept her awake during the day? Even with her nap? Most children I have worked with adamantly refuse their nap time…”

Lady Atreis shook her head.

“Lilussees is different in that regard. The girl loves to sleep and does so at every possible moment. Even from the time she was born. She slept so much we were concerned she was ill. And…she is known for throwing a fit if forcibly awakened.”

Lady Baillairgé tilted her head.

“To such a degree that she would attempt murder?”

Lady Atreis’s eyes narrowed.

“Until now, such a thing would have been unthinkable. But, apparently, the situation is far more concerning than we were aware of.”

Lady Atreis sighed again as she turned towards Lady Baillairgé.

“Will…you be continuing?”

Lady Baillairgé gave her a smile.

“Of course. I would not be the first woman to become head court mage in our nation’s history if I couldn’t handle a bit of poison.”

Lady Atreis made a small smile.

“Thank you, that is most reassuring…”

Lady Baillairgé interrupted with a smile still on her face.

“That is, assuming adequate compensation for the additional hazard.”

Lady Atreis frowned.

“But…you mentioned that Lilussees is not the only one to attempt such a thing? Surely it must be included in your price?”

Lady Baillairgé shook her head.

“She is not. But she could be the first that society becomes aware of.”

Lady Atreis paused and then her face fell, even as Lady Baillairgé continued to smile.

“I see. You will be rewarded as your toil deserves, of course. I shall expect the results you are well known for.”

Lady Baillairgé nodded.

“But of course.”

Lady Atreis sighed once more as Lady Baillairgé took her leave.

“…I would have thought the former head court mage to be beyond petty extortion.”

Her personal attendant bowed her head.

“Shall I inquire as to other tutors, madam?”

Lady Atreis shook her head.

“She already has her leverage. And besides, at the end of the day she is worth the expense.”

She looked out the window and rubbed her chin.

“My Lilussees is far more cunning…and vicious…than I ever expected. But if she can be instructed well and turns her potential in a more productive direction, she may have what it takes to thrive. And if anyone can teach her to do so, it’s Lady Baillairgé.”

***

Lilussees was permitted to rest for the remainder of the day, but she found she could not enjoy it. She may have had an innate affinity for poisons, but as a dungeon master tucked safely away she had never actually experienced being poisoned. Monster spider biology is fairly resilient to food poisoning, after all.

This was her first time experiencing such sensations, with a young and frail human body to boot. The pain, the fever, and the nausea prevented her from concentrating…but also prevented her from sleeping, too. It was the worst possible combination.

Not to mention the mental torment that came from her current helplessness. She had been caught attempting to kill the demon. Monster and dungeon master logic suggested a retaliation in kind. The fact that she was still alive might be a sign that humans did things differently…or it might just be that the demon preferred her meals fresh.

Even Lilussees found it hard to rest under such conditions…and her current body seemed to amplify the feelings of terror. She only slept for a mere eight hours that night, even with the aid of the Rest skill!

And then she awoke. The maids force her up and dressed her, then led her through the halls. Lilussees froze when they reached the door to their destination and saw the demon sitting at the table there. But the maids continued to lead her inside and she was forced to sit at the table. She furrowed her brow and tried to stop the trembling of her body.

Apparently, the demon wanted to see her squirm first.

The demon took a sip of tea and a small bite of the breakfast laid out upon the table before speaking.

“Hello there, Lady Lilussees. Did you sleep well? Please, help yourself.”

Lilussees just glared at her. The demon covered her mouth as she let out a small chuckle. She then put down her tea and food.

“Now then, I suppose you would rather speak of business first, then? Very well.”

The demon waved to the maids and one of them stepped forward. She laid a piece of paper on the table in front of Lilussees. Lilussees frowned.

“Like, what is this?”

“A schedule.”

Lilussees tilted her head, so the demon continued.

“Today’s lesson schedule, to be precise. I have adjusted the curriculum to hopefully match your capabilities.”

Lilussees trembled as she took a glance at the sheet. There was a horde of ink staring at her, covering the entire page. She didn’t even need to read the words to realize what horrors awaited her. The sheer amount of them listed for but a single day told her all she needed, and far more than she wanted, to know.

The demon took another sip of her tea.

“Before you do anything, perhaps you should read the first entry?”

Lilussees glared at her but the demon said no more. She turned to the maids but they did not react. It seemed that, once again, her parents had left her at the mercy of the demon.

Lilussees considered her options. She had already revealed her hand and surely the demon was simply toying with her? What was the point of even pretending to go along with her? Lilussees would much rather the demon slay her and be done with it. On the other hand, if the demon specifically wanted to see her squirm, she may not be willing to end her until she submitted. In that case, the easiest way to get this all over with would be to go along with it.

In any case, her eyes could look up at the demon or down at the sheet and Lilussees’s body naturally found looking down to be less e-word, so she happened to catch a glimpse of that first entry the demon mentioned.

Magic and the Mystic Arts.

She blinked. Magic? The demon was going to make her learn…magic? The demon was going to give her more tools with which she could act?

That, like, made no sense.

It made so little sense that Lilussees subconsciously looked up and at the demon. The demon nodded and held out her hand. A small flame, a bubble of water, a small cyclone of wind, and a small pebble appeared, rotating around each other above her palm.

“A lady must be capable of defending herself in a pinch. The mystic arts are an excellent method by which to do so and I hear you have already bound a familiar? That is quite promising. Weapons and physique can be difficult to hide, but with good control one’s mana may be dampened or hidden altogether. A weapon unseen is the most dangerous.”

The demon smirked at her.

“But you seem to already understand that much.”

Lilussees furrowed her brow. The demon took another sip of her tea before continuing.

“Contrary to what you may believe, I am not your enemy, Lady Lilussees. I am here to prepare you for the future. To ensure you can carry and protect yourself in high society…and to deal with any obstacles to your ambitions.”

She motioned to the paper.

“Which is why you might notice that I have not indicated times on today’s schedule. I have a proposal for you, in fact.”

Lilussees pulled back but she couldn’t even move the chair back with her current strength.

“Like, what kind of proposal?”

The demon nodded.

“Instead of classes of a specific length, I shall set forth a target amount of the curriculum for each day. Once you have finished, you shall be free to do as you see fit. Including sleep, if that is what you desire.”

Lilussees froze at that. The demon chuckled again and rose to her feet. She stood up perfectly straight as she held out the hand with the magic still swirling above it, holding it up to Lilussees’s eyes.

“And I will not merely teach you manners and proper speech. I also fully intend to teach you the methods by which I overcame my adversaries. I imagine that might be something that interests you?”

Lilussees stared at the display of magic before her. The spell was not particularly impressive, even her young dungeon had thrown around far greater quantities of mana. Yet, she could sense four different streams of mana flowing in different directions and patterns. From what she understood, Multicasting was an elite skill…or had been in the system set forth by the Aesdes. The current records she could see were notably different, so she wasn’t sure if that applied. The point was, either way, that the demon was clearly a highly capable mage. One who also had the ability to sense and counter poisons, apparently.

And she was now offering to, like, teach that to Lilussees, or something?

Lilussees frowned. That had to be a trap, or something. Why would a predator empower their prey? Why would anyone give up the secrets to their power? It made no sense.

And yet…what choice did she have? She could play along with this charade and hope to gain something from it…or she could attempt to refuse an adversary that clearly overwhelmed her on every level? What sort of choice was that?

But…there was one other thing the demon said that caught Lilussees’ attention. She glanced down at the sheet. So…if she managed to finish that horribly long list of words…she would be allowed to do as she pleased? She would be allowed to sleep?

Lilussees’s heart burned. So the demon was laying claim to her sleep. Claiming the authority to decided when and where Lilussees could rest. Such was a humiliation unlike anything Lilussees had ever experienced. The most precious thing to her was being snatched away, and parceled out to her at the whims of a sadistic demon.

But it also meant that the only hope she had to reclaim any amount of the sleep was to do as the demon said, and hope that it was not some sort of cruel trick. She had her doubts…but she also had little choice.

“…like, fine, I guess.”

The demon had the gall to smile at her.

“Wonderful. It will be a pleasure to instruct you, Lady Lilussees.”

Lilussees merely glared back.

Author’s Note:

And so our MC is trapped in the clutches of a sadistic demon who loves to torture children, with her greatest treasure held hostage at her tormentor’s whims. How dreadful. If only Lilussees had some means of terminating evil.

But alas, human children are but weak and frail. And so this story takes a turn for the worst…

Anyways!

Will Lilussees cunning and viciousness be turned in a…different direction? Can Lady Baillairgé instruct this most unique young lady? Can Lilussees escape the torment of a sadistic demon? Tune in next time, to find out!