I, Herrscher Slayer

"Is that so? Alright, I've noted it down. I'll be sure to present you with even more perfect dishes next time. For now, please try this one. It's a Sichuan dish I've been learning recently. The spiciness should stimulate your taste buds and help whet your appetite."

Rita jotted down Shen Gonglin's previous feedback in her small notebook and then recommended another dish to him. If this maid wasn't so perverted, she might actually be a pretty decent girl. Although her combat ability was a bit lacking, the food she made was truly excellent. Even before tasting it, Shen Gonglin could imagine how delicious it would be. At the very least, its appearance and aroma were perfect. As for the taste…

"Here, Class Monitor, you try this too. You're so thin, you need to eat more. You'll have more energy if you're full."

After putting another bite of food on the Class Monitor's plate, Fu Hua felt a little unaccustomed to being treated this way by Shen Gonglin. Shen Gonglin's actions made her feel as if he was planning to trick her. Why was he suddenly being so nice to her? It left her unsure of how to react to him… Perhaps she should give him a little extra incentive when teaching him martial arts from now on?

No, what was she thinking? Teaching martial arts is just teaching martial arts, she shouldn't be having such wild thoughts!

Snapping back to reality, Fu Hua quickly took a couple of bites of rice. No, this line of thinking was very dangerous!

Chapter 113: To Death

It's nothing, it seems I was just overthinking things. I feel a little embarrassed. This maid went to so much trouble to make such delicious food, yet I was worried she might have poisoned it. Shen Gonglin's conscience began to ache. Thinking about it, Rita hadn't really done anything unforgivable, had she? After all, I'm just too charming. Lying there motionlessly was practically an invitation to others. It's normal for Rita to lose control and go a little too far. Even the Class Monitor wouldn't be able to remain indifferent in this situation.

While pondering these thoughts, Shen Gonglin magnanimously decided to forgive Rita. After all, not everyone possesses his excellent character. As the saying goes, suffering a loss is a blessing. This time, he would consider it his loss, a thank you for the meal. It's fine if she hugged him; he didn't lose any flesh, after all.

Seeing Fu Hua burying her head in her food, Shen Gonglin licked his lips as he looked at the plate of red dish. Chinese cuisine, Sichuan food… just hearing it brought back a sense of nostalgia. He must have liked this flavor before he lost his memory.

He brought a mouthful of the dish to his mouth and chewed instinctively. As the flavor began to spread in his mouth, he froze. This feeling, this feeling…

"How is it? I added a generous amount of Sichuan peppercorns to enhance the spiciness. While it might be a little spicy when you first taste it, this is the essence of Sichuan cuisine. After the spiciness, you'll be able to taste the dish's original… Shen Gong? What's wrong?"

Rita watched Shen Gonglin with a smile. Seeing him stare blankly with his mouth open for so long, Rita felt something was amiss. Fu Hua, who had been quietly eating, also looked at Shen Gonglin. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. It was indeed a bit spicy. She wondered if Shen Gonglin liked spicy food; it was certainly potent.

"I, I… Class Monitor, when we get back, please tell Mei that I still love her… I, I might… not be able to go back."

Large tears immediately welled up in his purple eyes. Shen Gonglin's fair, tender face was now completely red. The burning sensation spread through his mouth. He wanted to spit it out but couldn't. Shen Gonglin strained his neck and forced himself to swallow the food in his mouth, but the consequence was that his throat and stomach began to ache as well. It was so spicy, it was practically killing him!

Before Rita or Fu Hua could react, Shen Gonglin, overwhelmed by the spiciness, jumped out of his chair and started running. He opened his mouth, trying to reduce the burning sensation this way. He simply couldn't eat spicy food. After experiencing this sensation, Shen Gonglin instantly understood. This feeling… Shen Gonglin truly felt like he was about to die.

Was it that he had miscalculated in the end? He thought Rita wouldn't make a move against him, but he didn't expect this wicked maid to ambush him here. Shen Gonglin felt like the protagonist in a TV show who had accidentally ingested poison. Soon, Rita would be standing over his corpse, laughing maniacally. Perhaps she wouldn't even spare his corpse. No, if that were the case, Shen Gonglin would rather give himself to Fu Hua… No, he'd rather give himself to that stranger!

Please, just pick me up again quickly.

"Wait, drink some water quickly!"

Seeing Shen Gonglin's flushed face and frantic movements, Rita started to panic. How could she have known he couldn't handle spicy food? It felt as if she had poisoned him. What was going on? Why did she always make mistakes in front of Shen Gonglin? Could it be, as he said, that she was still far from being a perfect maid?

Flustered, Rita quickly handed Shen Gonglin a cup of water. Shen Gonglin gulped down the freshly poured hot water, which only worsened his condition. He clutched his throat desperately. This maid really wanted him dead. It was just spicy before, but now it was hot and spicy. The heat intensified the flavor of the chili, and he feared he truly wouldn't live much longer.

Why did it feel like he was already seeing a river? And a little boat floating on it. That black-haired, red-eyed girl looked quite cute.

"How could you give him hot water? At a time like this, you should be giving him milk. Rita, what are you doing?"

As soon as Shen Gonglin started to react to the spiciness, Fu Hua had already run to the refrigerator. When she returned with milk, she saw Rita feeding Shen Gonglin poison… no, plain water. Her disciple was so pitiful. Seeing Shen Gonglin's miserable state, even Fu Hua felt a pang of sympathy. What was wrong with Rita? She should know more about this than herself. Could it be… she genuinely intended to get revenge on Shen Gonglin?

When will the cycle of vengeance end?

"Milk? Right, right, he should drink milk. Shen Gong, drink this… Shen Gong? Shen Gong!"

It was only when Fu Hua mentioned milk that Rita realized her mistake. How could one drink hot water when they've eaten something spicy? The flustered maid quickly took the milk and brought it to Shen Gonglin's lips. However, Shen Gonglin, who had been causing a commotion, suddenly quieted down. It was an unnervingly quiet.

"It seems… he's fainted from the spiciness. How can he be so sensitive to spice? Perhaps fainting is a good thing for him right now. Let's help him rinse his mouth with some milk first, otherwise, he might have to go through this again when he wakes up."

Shen Gonglin slumped limply into Rita's arms. Fu Hua flipped open his eyelids and made this judgment. Was her disciple a bit… afraid of blood, afraid of heights, afraid of spice, afraid of pain… She really didn't know what else he was afraid of. It seemed she would have to pay special attention to these things in the future, after all… she was his guardian now.

"Rinse his mouth? Right, rinse his mouth, that's the priority…"

Rita picked up the milk and began to drink it herself. Seeing the maid preparing to get close to the unconscious Shen Gonglin, Fu Hua quickly stopped her. She pulled Shen Gonglin away. What was this maid trying to do? She was right here, and she was already trying to do such outrageous things to Shen Gonglin. If she weren't here, wouldn't she have completely devoured Shen Gonglin?

"Wait, Rita, what are you doing? Snap out of it! You're a Valkyrie, and the Enforcement Team Headquarters is only two blocks away!"

Shielding Shen Gonglin behind her, Fu Hua said sternly to Rita. Although Shen Gonglin was unconscious, she was still awake, and she would protect him now!

"Huh? Gulp… Enforcement Team? What does the Enforcement Team have to do with it? If you're going to call anyone, it should be the emergency medical team?"

Looking at Fu Hua in surprise, Rita swallowed the milk. She just wanted to help Shen Gonglin rinse his mouth. Without using her tongue, how could she clean his mouth?

Chapter 114: A Maid Given for Free

In the end, Fu Hua and Rita dragged Shen Gonglin into the bathroom together, clearly preventing the maid's momentarily deranged behavior. Fu Hua lived up to her reputation; while the maid was flustered, she remained calm. The most important thing now was to clean Shen Gonglin's mouth, and what was the best way to clean a mouth?

Brushing teeth, of course.

"Can you do it? If not, maybe I should do it. You can help support him?"

In front of the washbasin, Fu Hua held Shen Gonglin and looked at Rita hesitantly. This was a delicate task, and Rita always seemed to have some strange thoughts about Shen Gonglin. Was it appropriate for her to do this? If it were her, there would be no problem. After all, she was the master who taught him martial arts. It was only natural for a master to do such things for their disciple.

Sometimes, the master-disciple relationship was quite useful.

"It's alright, Lady Fu Hua, you don't need to worry. This task is nothing for a maid. Serving includes tasks like these. Although I haven't interned, I've watched related videos and learned. I can do it."

Holding a toothbrush, Rita took a deep breath and then reopened her eyes. Her purplish-red eyes were filled with determination. She approached Shen Gonglin with a toothbrush in one hand and a cup in the other. She hadn't expected him to be so sensitive to spice; this was her negligence. She had a responsibility to complete this follow-up cleaning work for him.

Cleaning work… it sounded rather nice.

"Alright then, be careful. This guy is very sensitive to pain, so don't hurt him."

Since Rita insisted, Fu Hua gave her a reminder and then held Shen Gonglin's head, letting him open his mouth. She admitted she wasn't really suited for this kind of work. If it were fighting, she'd be fine, but when it came to taking care of someone, with a professional maid present, she had no room to interfere.

"Yes, I'll be very careful."

Holding the cup, Rita gently poured some water into Shen Gonglin's mouth, her movements very gentle to prevent him from choking. Next was brushing his teeth. It was her first time doing such a task, and Rita carefully inserted the toothbrush into Shen Gonglin's mouth. White toothpaste foam slowly spread. The maid was meticulously cleaning his mouth. At this moment… perhaps the focused Rita didn't think anything was wrong, but Fu Hua, who was only responsible for holding Shen Gonglin's head, felt the situation was becoming a bit… strange.

In the mirror, two suspicious women were acting inappropriately towards an unconscious boy. One was holding him down to prevent him from moving, while the other was wantonly manipulating his mouth. The white foam around his cherry-red lips added a touch of… No, no, what was she thinking? This was purely cleaning work. If she didn't do this, Shen Gonglin would surely end up crying from the spiciness when he woke up, so this work was necessary.

After spending so much time with Shen Gonglin, even she was becoming strange. To prevent herself from overthinking, Fu Hua decided to find something else to distract herself. At that moment, a small label on the toothbrush caught Fu Hua's attention. She examined it carefully for a long time and finally reached a conclusion.

"Rita, this toothbrush… it's not new, is it?"

Fu Hua recognized the chibi avatar. Could this be the maid's peculiar hobby?

"Of course not… The situation was urgent at the time, so I just grabbed one… Master Fu Hua, I'm sure you won't gossip about this. After I finish cleaning Shen Gonglin's mouth, I'll destroy this toothbrush. I hope only the two of us know about this matter."

Looking at the toothbrush in her hand, Rita's mouth twitched. The perfect maid's image could no longer be maintained. Mistress Bianca, I'm so sorry. Because of me, your toothbrush has to bear the responsibility of serving two people. This is truly my fault as a useless subordinate maid. But I believe you… probably won't mind.

After all, if it were her, Rita felt she wouldn't mind. A perfect woman like Mistress Bianca probably wouldn't be too bothered.

However, for everyone's safety, it was best that this matter remained a secret between herself and Fu Hua. Shen Gonglin certainly couldn't know either. This guy was actually quite petty. If he found out he'd used someone else's toothbrush, who knew what kind of scene he'd make.

Let this incident be a secret between herself and Fu Hua.

"...Alright, I won't say anything. I didn't see anything."

Fu Hua was speechless. Was this really Rita, or Kiana wearing Rita's skin? She usually only saw such brainless actions from Kiana. How could this happen to this maid? It shouldn't be like this.

The toothbrush Shen Gonglin was currently using was the exclusive personal hygiene item of that strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal. She had always taken care of Bianca's daily life, and Bianca trusted Rita immensely. If she knew her toothbrush was being used by someone else in this situation…

So Bianca wouldn't know.

Rita wouldn't allow anything to threaten her position as the world's number one maid. Now, only she and Fu Hua knew about this, and Fu Hua was clearly not the type to blab everywhere. So, it was fine. Let this matter be submerged in the river of time.

"Thank you, Master Fu Hua. I will be grateful to you for this for my entire life. Next, please lift Shen Gong's chin a little; I need to continue cleaning."

"Mhm."

Even after such an incident, it didn't dampen Rita's passionate maid's heart. Cleaning was a maid's duty, and Rita even enjoyed it. Shen Gonglin's white teeth were quite remarkable, good enough for a toothpaste commercial. They were healthy and white, the kind that made you think they could bite particularly hard. Especially those two small fangs – they were so cute… Speaking of which, didn't Shen Gonglin bite her with those two teeth earlier?

Looking at those two sharp little teeth, Rita suddenly recalled the feeling from before. She still had two small teeth marks under the ribbon on her neck. She hadn't figured out what was going on yet, but it must have been these two teeth.

Looking at the two fangs, Rita suddenly became interested. She carefully extended her finger into Shen Gonglin's mouth. Fu Hua, who was lost in thought, finally noticed her movement. The usually calm class monitor's eyes widened instantly. Rita's current action…

She was familiar with it!

"Rita! Be careful, take your hand out!"

Fu Hua shouted, startling the maid. The finger that was in his mouth suddenly twitched. After a slight sting, Rita's purplish-red eyes instantly misted over.

This feeling… she was familiar with it too!

Chapter 115

Undoubtedly, the maid had fallen victim again. The familiar sensation swept over her body. Although it wasn't as intense as when her neck was bitten, it was still an impact Rita couldn't resist. She had a special sensitivity to the taste of blood. Even in her sleep, Shen Gonglin closed his mouth and clamped down on Rita's finger. Feeling the small tongue sliding over her finger, Rita… couldn't take it anymore.

Under Fu Hua's despairing gaze, Rita slumped limply onto Shen Gonglin. Her flushed cheeks and heavy breathing proved the maid's current state. Looking at her like this, Fu Hua helplessly held her forehead. Was she like this before? In any case, Fu Hua couldn't smile now. How come this maid wasn't as perfect as she remembered? How many mistakes had she made today?

"Mas… Master Fu Hua… do… do you know about this too?"

Panting, the plump curves encased in the maid's uniform rose and fell violently. Rita's purplish-red eyes were misted over. When Fu Hua stopped her earlier, Rita had thought that if she said that, it must be because she had experienced it too. Even Master Fu Hua had suffered this treatment, and her feelings at the time must have been the same as hers.

"Yes, due to some accident… I'll send you back to your room first. You won't recover for a few hours. Let me ask first, were you also bitten by Shen Gonglin before you became like that? Otherwise, with your abilities, you wouldn't have been so disheveled against those ordinary Honkai Beasts."

Looking at the two of them collapsed on the bathroom floor, Fu Hua felt her burden was heavy. Now, she was the only normal person left. But she had finally confirmed what had happened to Rita before. She had suspected it earlier, but now… it was confirmed. It was Shen Gonglin's fault.

"That's right… it's truly a strange feeling, Master Fu Hua. Forgive me for asking…"

"If you know it's presumptuous, then don't ask. Be careful in the future. This strange ability… it can't be explained yet."

Fu Hua wouldn't dare ask Shen Gonglin. What if that unfilial disciple bit her again? As her master, Fu Hua didn't want to appear before Shen Gonglin in that state again. It was too terrifying. Precisely because she had experienced it, Fu Hua felt even more terrified. That feeling of having nothing in her mind, only wanting to rub against Shen Gonglin… it was truly terrifying. It was practically a weapon against a Valkyrie.

She wondered if Shen Gonglin's ability only targeted females. If it were used on Herrschers… as everyone knows, Herrschers are all female.

"That's indeed the case, Master Fu Hua. Thank you for your trouble."

With no strength left in her body, Rita nodded with all her might at Fu Hua. Fu Hua then picked up the slumped Rita from the floor. Fortunately, she had the physical fitness of a Valkyrie. Otherwise, even if one normal person remained, it would be useless. Dealing with just Shen Gonglin and Rita was no big deal for Fu Hua.

After carrying Rita back to her own bedroom, Fu Hua gently placed her on the bed. Now, everything she could do was done. The rest was not her responsibility. After resting for a while, Rita should be able to move freely again. It would only be a few hours. She figured it would be fine. This was Schicksal's headquarters, how could there be any danger?

"Master Fu Hua, thank you. If you don't mind, you can stay in the guest room over there. As for Shen Gong…"

Thanking Fu Hua again, Rita was still considering the arrangements for Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua at this moment. Mistress Bianca disliked others staying in her room, and there was only one guest room here. So, Rita thought Fu Hua could stay in the guest room, and as for Shen Gonglin… Rita looked at the empty space on her bed. Sleeping one person here should be fine.

Moreover, the maid was very curious about Shen Gonglin's teeth. If possible, she wanted to study them again tonight.

"No need. We already made a decision before. I'll take Shen Gonglin back to my dormitory. Rita, after you've rested, please arrange the missions tomorrow. I want to bring him back to St. Freya as soon as possible."

Unexpectedly, Fu Hua shook her head and refused Rita's suggestion. She had already troubled Rita enough today. Although it was all Shen Gonglin's fault, he was her disciple, and she had to be responsible for his actions. She didn't have the habit of causing trouble for others. Her dormitory wasn't far from this living area, so taking Shen Gonglin back was fine.

"How can that be?"

Rita instinctively wanted to sit up, but her limp body couldn't support her will. Fu Hua pressed on Rita's shoulders, making her lie back down. With a very attendant demeanor, Fu Hua pulled the blanket over Rita. To be honest, she felt that Shen Gonglin staying by Rita's side was quite dangerous, so it was better for her to take him away first.

"There's nothing that can't be done. Since I'm on a mission with him, I'm equivalent to his guardian. That's settled. If you arrange anything tomorrow, notify us. That's all, we'll be leaving now."

Turning around decisively, after hearing the soft click of the door closing, Rita slightly puffed out her cheeks. Such a posture shouldn't appear on this "perfect" maid, but since no one was here now, it was okay to be a little willful. How annoying. Why am I in this state now? If I were normal, I could have kept Shen Gonglin and Master Fu Hua here.

Oh well, there was nothing to worry about. After all, it was Master Fu Hua. If it were her, there would definitely be no problem… But why did she also know what it felt like to be bitten by Shen Gonglin?

Looking at the ceiling, Rita silently pondered this question. Being alone always made her overthink. Why did Fu Hua know about this? In what state was she bitten by Shen Gonglin? And after being bitten, nothing should have happened between them, right? …She always felt that Fu Hua doted on Shen Gonglin quite a lot. This shouldn't be her illusion. What was the reason for this unique pampering? And also…

Rita turned her head to look at the door. Her purplish-red eyes, shining in the dim room, seemed to pierce through the wooden door, as if she could see Fu Hua and Shen Gonglin in the bathroom through the door and walls.

"Master Fu Hua's dormitory, there seems to be only one bed… Nothing too inappropriate should happen, right?"

Chapter 116 The Strongest Valkyrie Returns

"See? In the end, only I picked you up and took you home. You'd better respect me well from now on. If you don't treat me well, it would be an outrage against heaven."

In the bathroom, looking at Shen Gonglin sleeping peacefully on the floor, Fu Hua couldn't help but mutter to herself and sigh again. She felt that the number of times she had sighed recently was more than in the past few years combined, and all these sighs shared a striking commonality: Shen Gonglin.

Of course, Fu Hua's muttering received no response. The person who had been overwhelmed by the spiciness was still unconscious. Fu Hua pulled Shen Gonglin up and carried him on her back. Rita was indeed right; this handsome and cool Valkyrie seemed to dote on Shen Gonglin a bit too much. But why was that? Was it just because he was her disciple? ...It couldn't be that simple. It felt like she was doing it involuntarily, as if he would be pitiful if she didn't treat him this way. Having lost his memory, it must be very difficult.

This feeling was familiar to Fu Hua.

Leaving Rita's house, Fu Hua slowly walked back to her dormitory with Shen Gonglin on her back. She wondered if this could be considered picking someone up drunk. Only Himeko would do something like that. She was just bringing Shen Gonglin back to settle him in, and besides, Shen Gonglin had agreed to rest at her dormitory earlier. If she met the enforcement team later, she could explain it like this... Never mind, it was better not to go this way. Being stopped would be troublesome.

Pausing slightly, Fu Hua chose a longer route that would avoid the enforcement team. It wasn't that Fu Hua feared Schicksal's enforcement team; she just didn't want to stir up trouble. The key issue was that Shen Gonglin's outward disguise was too effective. Anyone who saw him would think he was an innocent, harmless, and pitiable young man. But after getting to know him, one would realize he was a demon wearing human skin.

Didn't they see what he did to Rita? His current state was a form of retribution. Not being able to eat spicy food – this was something she needed to note down. Not only could she not give him spicy food, but she also had to remind Mei and the others about it.

She slowly carried Shen Gonglin back to her dormitory. Looking at the thin layer of dust on the table, Fu Hua decided not to bother with it. This place had been unoccupied since she arrived at St. Freya. Perhaps she should hand this dormitory over to someone else to live in. She felt more comfortable living at St. Freya, and... that was a sense of belonging.

She brought Shen Gonglin into the bedroom. Unlike the exquisite decoration in Rita's room, Fu Hua's place was simple from top to bottom. The room was merely a place to stay and rest; one bed was enough. She figured Shen Gonglin wouldn't be picky. She planned to give him the bed.

Removing the bedsheet that covered the bed to protect it from dust, Fu Hua placed Shen Gonglin on the bed. This guy immediately fell asleep, taking advantage of his unconsciousness. She guessed he wouldn't feel the spiciness anymore when he woke up... Rita's brushing technique was truly impressive; at least Fu Hua couldn't be that meticulous.

Using two fingers, Fu Hua pried open Shen Gonglin's mouth, carefully avoiding his two small canine teeth. Having been tricked before, Fu Hua knew how sharp those little things were. With Rita setting such a high standard, if she made the same mistake again, it would truly be for nothing. Fu Hua leaned in and sniffed Shen Gonglin's mouth carefully. Indeed, there was no trace of chili smell left, only the faint scent of toothpaste... Was she being a bit too concerned?

When Fu Hua came to her senses, she realized she was a little too close to Shen Gonglin, her nostrils filled with his scent. Realizing this, Fu Hua quickly stood up. The Sword Heart Art helped her calm down quickly. There was indeed something not quite right about Shen Gonglin. It seemed that being around him would stir up certain emotions. It was best for her to keep her distance.

Returning to the living room, Fu Hua lay on the sofa and closed her eyes. She decided not to think about all the messy things for now. Tomorrow, after Shen Gonglin's mission was over, she would bring him back to St. Freya. Being alone with him like this felt a bit dangerous, especially in his current state of complete helplessness. It was too terrifying.

It would be better if Shen Gonglin were awake. But his current sleeping appearance, innocent and harmless, was very dangerous. For a Valkyrie, it was very dangerous. Even Fu Hua felt this way. If it were someone else who had no resistance to cute things, like a certain maid... There were too many things to worry about.

In the room, Shen Gonglin, who was fast asleep, had a bird-like mark quietly flashing on his forehead. Some things, even though he had lost his memory, were still imprinted on him.

Night fell. At the Schicksal空港, a small aircraft landed quietly. The cabin door opened, and a girl with long, wavy golden hair stepped out. The girl's azure eyes were filled with a profound calmness, so much so that it was hard to imagine she had just completed a solo mission to hunt an Emperor-class Honkai Beast.