My Maid Is a Knight

Aurelian was a little stunned. Why was Jeanne suddenly asking that? Had she noticed something?

"It should be a breakthrough."

Jeanne answered her own question, then turned and left to prepare Aurelian's bathwater, leaving him utterly baffled.

"What's with this maid?"

In the castle bathhouse, Jeanne helped Aurelian change before waiting outside. Aurelian lay back in the steaming pool alone, having refused her request to wash him.

It had to be said that although Winter City had existed for centuries, its facilities were still remarkably complete.

There was a hot spring beneath the castle. Hot water ran through pipes within the walls to warm every room. Even the servants' quarters enjoyed heating like that of Aurelian's previous life.

"Ah... this feels amazing. I feel like my whole body is floating in the sky."

Aurelian felt every cell in his body release its tension, finally enjoying some long-overdue relaxation.

"Now that my magic has stabilized, I feel several times better. But what exactly is that Stone Book?"

Just as he muttered about the mysterious Stone Book, his vision blurred again.

The Stone Book appeared before him once more.

This time, it had opened to its second page. It was still blank to Aurelian's eyes, but sacred words gradually emerged.

"The threads of fate intertwine. The ancient land will not accept new things; only those protected by the power of frost may survive.

"Go to the Spruce Forest north of your territory and defeat its guardian.

"Reward: Child of Frost."

Once the words finished appearing, the Stone Book vanished from Aurelian's sight.

"Protection from the power of frost? It seems foreign crops truly can't grow in this land. The ice beneath this soil must be hiding some secret. Perhaps it has something to do with Star Empire's failure here two hundred years ago."

In Aurelian's memories, two hundred years ago should have been the height of the Star Kingdom's power.

The legendary king Arthur Archmond had truly raised Star Kingdom to the pinnacle of the seven human nations. At that time, even if the other kingdoms joined forces, they could not contend with Star Kingdom.

If there had truly been a nation capable of fighting Star Kingdom, it could only have been the ancient empire before it split apart.

At that time, everyone, including the king of Star Kingdom himself, believed that Star Kingdom was everything!

Yet all things were bound by the terrifying law that what flourished must decline. Star Kingdom fell from its pedestal at that very time.

At the height of its glory, Star Kingdom launched a conquest against this ancient Frostlands.

Hundreds of thousands of knights, said to be the continent's finest, followed the legendary King Arthur into the Frostlands in a grand procession. They crossed the Wall of Despair and entered the depths of the Frostlands.

But they vanished mysteriously, including the legendary King Arthur and the Holy Sword of Stars in his hand, the greatest weapon and the kingdom's sacred treasure.

No one knew what they had encountered.

Some said they had become lost deep within the Abif Mountains, turning into undead spirits as they waited for a chance to awaken.

Others said they had encountered a true god in the Abif Mountains, and even Arthur, wielding the strongest weapon, had fallen before It.

Others claimed they had encountered the true master of the Frostlands and been turned into icy dust.

No one knew the truth, but the incident utterly brought down Star Kingdom. It lost its sacred national treasure, the Holy Sword of Stars, a magnificent creation capable of drawing the starlight shining in the heavens down into the mortal world.

Thinking that he was drawing closer to the truth, Aurelian felt a chill run through his entire body. He was just a pitiful little country duke. How could he possibly stand against whoever had made hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers disappear without a sound?

But then he remembered that he was currently on Its territory.

For a moment, panic overwhelmed him.

"Calm down, calm down. I'm a transmigrator, after all. Based on what I know so far, as long as I keep a low profile and don't venture into the depths of the Frostlands, nothing should happen."

Aurelian did his best to calm his thoughts.

"But the Spruce Forest north of my territory lies beneath the Abif Mountains. What if I run into danger while inspecting it?"

"But if I can't make crops grow here, my people will starve. I won't be able to strengthen my territory, much less raise my own army. Without a single soldier under my command, I can only let others push me around. I can't accept that."

"The greater the risk, the greater the reward. I have to make this trip!"

Aurelian clenched his fists and made up his mind.

After his bath, Aurelian changed into a plain robe and went to the study with Jeanne. He also summoned his butler.

"Will, notify Master. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to inspect the Spruce Forest to the north. Have him gather my knights."

"Very well. I'll see to it at once."

After Will left, Jeanne, who had been quietly watching all along, suddenly spoke. "My lord, may I come with you to the Spruce Forest tomorrow?"

"Take you?"

Aurelian turned around, looking at the beautiful maid in confusion. He was sure he had heard correctly, but why would Jeanne suddenly make such a request?

"Jeanne, I'm sorry, but for your safety, I must refuse. I'm not going to the Spruce Forest for a stroll. You should know it's dangerous there."

He rejected her without hesitation. He did not want to see this beautiful woman, who attended to him in everything except using the toilet, come to any harm—not even the slightest bit.

That was also the responsibility of a master: to protect his servants.

Perhaps Aurelian's concern moved her. A smile blossomed on Jeanne's red lips, so enchanting that it was almost dazzling.

Aurelian froze slightly, his eyes nearly going blank. In his memories, Jeanne had never smiled so beautifully before.

"My lord, did His Majesty forget to tell you that before I came to serve at your side, I was once a knight?"

"Ah?!"

Aurelian's eyes widened in disbelief. When had his maid become a knight?

Indeed, Otto had never told him what Jeanne had done before. She had seemed to appear out of nowhere and come to his side.

Aurelian quickly calmed down, but still refused outright.

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