It’s often said that certain techniques drive people insane, and the ones that make the list are the infamous “unfair techniques.”
Such as the Kaboom! of [Blast Core], which hits with unpredictable damage due to explosive mana amplification, causing instant death.
Or the pitiful buzz of [Mosquito Technique] that just inflicts DOT and status ailments.
These are the abilities that really drive people bonkers!
However, Assassin Maid Reap knew there was another truly powerful unfair technique.
“Hestia. If a passing first-year were to tell you that your maid outfit suits your large frame well, how would you take that?”
“Uh… Thank you?”
“Wrong. That’s not a compliment. According to Women’s Language, that statement actually means, ‘With such a big body, you embarrassingly wear a maid outfit as if you have no shame.’”
“…”
It’s all about the ability to speak and decode [Women’s Language]!
Hestia shed a few tears from Reap’s killer fluency in this treacherous tongue.
“Why is it necessary to master the Mana Flow Technique Manual for Maids to reduce the size of one’s physical body while also deciphering Women’s Language?”
“Good question. A maid serves their master. If a maid doesn’t recognize the insults thrown at her master by women, her ignorance alone can disgrace them.”
“I had no idea there was such a problem…!”
“So, master it. Next question. If Hestia was told that the tea served is so generous that she wouldn’t even need to drink it to feel full, how would you interpret that?”
“I’d take it as saying the tea is terrible.”
“Then how would you respond?”
“I’ll smash her head with the teapot.”
Crash!
Reap immediately lifted the teapot and whack! brought it down on Hestia’s head.
“Ugh!”
“Don’t be foolish. In Women’s Language, the side that reacts first to a provocation loses.”
“I don’t get it…”
“A rational counter to Women’s Language involves using Women’s Language to shake your opponent’s mental state and crush their self-esteem.”
“Ugh.”
“Nevertheless, I commend your fighting spirit. Strive to possess the talent to express that combative nature with words as well.”
“Understood…”
Amidst reflecting on the profound teachings of Women’s Language, Hestia engaged in some imaginary sparring, blasting away illusory foes instead of a teapot when she suddenly felt an ominous energy approaching that she couldn’t ignore.
Even Reap, who had been imparting the techniques of Maid Assassination and advanced Maid skills, seemed to sense the presence as she produced two additional teapots.
“Are we each welcoming a guest?”
“No. One is a teapot filled with tea, and the other is a teapot filled with… memories.”
“…Didn’t you say we shouldn’t attack with a teapot while teaching Women’s Language?”
“That rule applies when the opponent provokes with Women’s Language. It is proper hospitality to respond with Maid Combat Techniques against a foe who strikes with force.”
The world of the Assassin Maid is really deep and difficult.
While Hestia was deep in thought, the owners of that ominous presence crossed the main entrance.
Three suspicious figures appeared, dressed in nun robes, wielding sniper rifles and three swords, surrounded by swirling scraps of paper!
“Excuse me, seniors, but this is not the Fourth Year Classroom.”
Recognizing them as lost fourth-years, Hestia felt relieved, but it was too soon to relax.
“I heard this is the classroom of Professor Reap, who teaches the [Let’s Become an Assassin Maid] course in the Adventure Department starting this year. Have I arrived correctly?”
“…Yes. This is indeed the classroom you mentioned. What brings you to see the professor?”
Hestia’s heart raced with tension.
This class was established by Reap to train talent to assist the distinguished ladies, alongside Hestia and Titosso, to gather qualified candidates.
When other students tried to enroll, they’d suddenly be thrown into an ultra-high difficulty trial that would scare them away from the class.
“Professor Reap is astute and strong, and her teaching skills are phenomenal, but she lacks any merciful touch. Of course, being the one to concoct such a deadly treat is expected.”
Even so, it was a bit harsh to treat potential students looking to attend her class like that.
As expected, when Reap opened the memory teapot and poured a jet-black liquid, it looked like she was prepping a lethal concoction.
“According to what I’ve heard, Professors Jonnas Wahyhiemhai and Reap come from the same foundation. We were on our way to find Professor Jonnas but kept retracing the same path without finding the classroom, so we sought Professor Reap’s help.”
Fortunately, they were not students.
Hestia felt some relief, but Reap opened the teapot and started pouring a green liquid.
‘Is that a mixing poison?! For some reason, she seems incredibly furious!’
At this rate, if bodies started piling up, the class would be shut down, and Hestia’s project to achieve a delicate physique through compressed muscle might derail halfway through.
Such a reality was utterly unacceptable for someone who had been enjoying the fun of her shrinking frame lately.
“Professor Reap, please calm down for a moment. Perhaps there’s a good reason they are looking for Professor Jonnas.”
“You’re right. I was too hasty. Could you tell me why you are looking for Professor Jonnas?”
“We came to find him because we heard we could meet the Dark Princess Oknodie in Professor Jonnas’s classroom.”
“…What is your purpose for seeking the Dark Princess?”
“Oh, it’s nothing special. I simply wanted to ask the Dark Princess, who played a significant role in the establishment of the Saintess Alliance, about her intentions before the founding ceremony.”
Reap nodded and grasped the handle of the memory teapot, preparing to release its contents.
As the polite-seeming nun reached behind her and drew her sniper rifle to smash down on the memory, Hestia’s jaw dropped.
“Professor Reap! Why are you attacking them?!”
“The organization questioning the founding ceremony of the Saintess Alliance can only belong to the Divine Alliance’s church. If they truly desired a peaceful dialogue, they would have dispatched a high-ranking figure who lacks strength. But those are [Saintesses] groomed as secret weapons of the church!”
“No, Saintesses don’t have that kind of image! Aren’t they supposed to be a more gentle and compassionate class?”
Reap retorted lightly.
“Is the Saintess Yufi, who carries the crucifix of the current Warrior Party, really gentle and loving?”
She’s Ishtar’s sidekick.
Typical of a narrow-minded warrior’s ally, she’s a support that’s a nuisance.
Carrying a crucifix the size of a person.
‘The last time I passed by Yufi…’
Hestia rummaged through her memory.
-Um, um, Saintess… If you don’t mind, could you spare maybe a single point for the poor lower class students?
-Oh my, you didn’t have enough points?
-Yes, it’s been really tough. I’ve got no time to train because of make-up classes, and since I lack training time, I can’t keep up with lectures, and because I couldn’t earn points, I can’t afford to buy materials, and it’s a vicious cycle. Please, just a point…
-Then I’ll help you train massively so you won’t have to worry about points!
-What? Hold on, why the crucifix so suddenly?
-If you build up resilience, most problems will be solved. You can gather materials by tanking through classmates’ interruptions and tackle the professor’s assignments by taking your punishment directly.
-Is that really how it works?
-Come here and hit my crucifix!
With a whoosh! the crucifix cut through the air.
The protruding parts of the crucifix scraped the ground, devastating the concrete, causing cold sweat to bead on the lower-class student’s forehead.
-Wait, will I die if I get hit by that?
-At first, you’ll just faint for 24 hours.
-Faint?!
-But the second time it’s 23 hours, and the third time it’s 22 hours; gradually the fainting time reduces, and eventually, you’ll become resilient enough to withstand a hit from my crucifix. Think of it as an investment for the future!
-No way! Before I get stronger, I’ll fail the class! Help me, someone!!
The poor student ended up getting crushed by the crucifix and fainted for a whopping 48 hours.
“Could it be that I was deceived by the church’s Saintess marketing gaslighting?!”
“Indeed. Don’t be fooled by the image of a Saintess.”
The Saintesses clicked their tongues.
“If you don’t readily tell us the whereabouts of Professor Jonnas and the Dark Princess, we will have our ways.”
As the nun with the sniper rifle stealthily retreated, the Saintess, surrounded by spinning pages of the Bible, stepped forward instead.
Kaboom!
The expanded range of the spinning Bible pages deflected all of Reap’s lethal memory spells, showcasing their sturdy defense.
Amid this, a magic bullet struck Reap’s memory teapot.
KABOOOM!
With a clang, the teapot shattered, scattering its contents around. Hestia hurriedly snatched up a tablecloth, swinging it to shield herself while the Swordsman Saintess dropped low and quickly charged in.
The flight of a seasoned magician slices through clouds.
The same goes for a master swordsman’s swordsmanship.
Hestia saw it.
The sight of a wall of magic splitting like the sky.
The sword that did not stop was advancing towards her.
‘They intend to take me hostage.’
Had she stubbornly pursued the path of a Berserker, she wouldn’t have been able to withstand that blade and would have been captured.
However, with the Mana Flow Technique Manual for Maids compressing her body and having learned the demeanor and various techniques suitable for a Maid, Hestia chose a response she could never have imagined.
“Aaah!”
With a harmless maid-like scream, she dropped to the ground!
This time, even if her frame was shrinking, the swordsman saintess, who had considered Hestia to be strong enough to endure this much compared to an average adult man, had her brow furrowed.
As her wrist twisted unnaturally, the blade’s trajectory was deflected, and that sword, capable of slicing through the heavens, created a deep scar on the classroom floor as it passed by.
‘A harmless maid disguise imitating the harmless behavior of Titosso!’
Its effectiveness in real combat was an overwhelming success.
“Go and bring Jonnas and Oknodie here.”
“Is that really alright?”
“There’s a difference between welcoming someone unguarded and being prepared to confront them.”
At Reap’s words, Hestia dashed out of the classroom.
The sniper rifle fired, aiming at Hestia’s legs, but Reap’s released magic deflected the bullet in mid-air.
Curiosity lit up the faces of the trio of Saintesses.
“My student is off-limits. Even though I’m just a temporary professor, I’m recognized as a professor at the world’s premier Gift Academy. You must accept my hospitality.”
“Seems like a conversation can’t happen with everyone just standing around. Let’s correct that posture properly.”
The Swordsman Saintess charged towards Reap.
