Maid with Necromancy

​Chapter Fifty

Harmony spat out the blood pooling in her mouth. The wound wasn't worth the effort to use [Mend] on, and that skill wouldn't do anything to help the ringing in her ears. Because, of course, the doorway wouldn't lead straight to a destination, two hours of pushing through a sadistic obstacle course designed to need authority to counter it. Locks that needed you to command to open. Barriers that required an authority-infused strike to break. And worst was the challenging shouts and insults you had to counter with words and authority like a demented word puzzle. You think it wouldn't be damaging to not respond to an insult about how "they've spoken to apes more polite than she was," but if you didn't respond, it felt like you were punched in the jaw.

After that long hallway, who knows what horrors await behind the door ahead? Grabbing and twisting the doorknob, "Open." She ordered with authority in her words and muscles, allowing it to swing open; her fists were ready for a fight.

Laughter, sounds of clinking glasses, conversational chatter, and a crowd waited. Another test? No, outside of the servers, which were wooden faceless mannequins stuffed into suits, she recognized the guests. Len was chatting up Tyler. Felix was talking to his swords; each had a drink next to them, and he was pouring some liquid over one. Eric leaned over a table, chatting with Princess Rosaline, which was a nightmare just to think about. It wasn't all thirty of the competitors, but it was most of them.

"Harmony!" Len cried, rushing over with Tyler by his side, both hands still firmly holding their drinks.

"We started to worry when it was taking you so long." Tyler blurted out.

Harmony processed some fate, not a lot, but just enough for a flash of true sight to make sure this whole scenario wasn't an illusion before lowering her fists. After watching what happened to the mimic who used her [Heart] skill, it was good to be extra careful with it until she understood it better.

"I had to get past a gauntlet of obstacles, forcing me to use my authority." Was this a timed thing? Could she have defeated it quicker? "How did your doors challenge you?"

Tyler flushed a tad. "I've had enough time to talk to others about the experience. It tests you at the maximum you can do for the path you pick. My fastest might not be fast, but Thorne got us used to pushing that hard. My lungs burned with effort..." Tyler inhaled deeply. "until I cheated by borrowing Jessica's [Flashing Steps]. I was the first to arrive. "

The Mimic-Tyler had done that, teleporting quickly to [Taunt] them. If you could plan to use your bonds to get an advantage, maybe Adric would have helped with the authority obstacles?

"Good for you. A shortcut that works is always worth it. Any sign of… "

"Max isn't here. He wasn't selected as one of his tribe's ten." Len answered before she finished.

Not ideal. This social situation would have been perfect to ambush Max, with Tyler holding one arm and Len the other, as she got to work digging up the mystery of what was going on with her singularly sworn.

Over Len's shoulder, Eric bowed low to Princess Rosaline, excusing himself as one of his crew exited a new doorway.

The boys could still be useful, holding her back if anger won over icy calm when dealing with Max's new lover. "Can you join me as I talk to the heir?"

"Wait! Drink one of these first." Len reached for one of the faceless mannequin's serving plates, plucked off a full wine glass, and handed it to her.

Most people were drinking the stuff, but no one seemed drunk, relaxed, but no flushed face or tipsy wavering. Harmony gave it a light sniff. A library? The scent of leather and paper, but also some lemon, too? Trusting Len, she took a sip. Fatigue from the journey slipped away. That strain from pushing through the obstacles settled into calmness. Anxiety around dangers to come became an afterthought. Clarity of mind settled in. Notedly, the effects didn't alter her mission to talk to Rose, merely lessening the stresses of her mind and body. The cut in her mouth healed.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

[Recall]'s passive righted her. "A bit too relaxing for my taste." Weaving [Cold Touch], [Renew Spirit], and a touch of [Recall], she brushed Len and Tyler with the skills, like dousing them with cold water. "I trust you'll be alert as I approach Rose."

Len blinked. Tyler flinched. Jessica's blue lame in him flaring up. "Want me to get Loap too?" He asked.

The bunny girl was across the room with two drinks in hand, hopping excitedly, but managing not to spill a drop. It would take too much time to gather her. The goal wasn't to make Rose feel ambushed. "No. Let's find out what she has to say first."

Harmony walked over, toying with the idea of increasing her size to make her as tall as the princess. No, this wasn't the time to reveal the growth chamber discovery. Being small was part of how others perceived her. Hard to swallow as it was, she'd gotten used to looking up at challengers.

Hargreaves stepped into intercept. The butler slid in from the crowd, almost unnoticed, one large stride until he could block off the view to his master completely.

[Final Silence] and [Renew Spirit] hit the man at the ratio he'd told her would sideline him temporarily. The undead's cold eyes flashed briefly before losing focus.

Two steps passed the still undead servant, and Harmony looked up at Naewauld's new heir. The gray steely chain circle on her brow and a calm, relaxed look on her face made it impossible for even [Keen Investigative Awareness] to pick up on the princess's mood. "It's time we talk about Adric. I want him back, Rose."

The circlet on Rose's brow shimmered.

Soul sight caught a faint hint of astral energy. Only through closer contact with Pappi Viner had she gotten more attuned to astral energy. The bond's effects were internal and not externally directed.

Rose's words slapped her out of the inspection. "Ah, Harmony, I hear you're an aristocratic garbage person now? It fits you. As for my brother, he's been free to go for days. You could say he's chosen me over you."

Blue flames burst from Tyler's armor, two long steps forward, and Harmony grabbed his armor at his waist and yanked back to keep the man from getting even more inappropriately close. "What in the ruinous debts has gotten into you, Rose? You've never talked like this to anyone before?!

Rose turned her attention to the escorts, eyes dancing back and forth between Tyler and Len. Motes of that astral energy flickered in her head; this time, it did stretch out, probing. Tyler's fire and a tattoo on Len flickered briefly, sending it skittering away. So it wasn't only an internal skill. That rejection had the princess baring her teeth.

"And my traitorous former teammates. Only Sir Maxwell has had my back here. I can see what side you've chosen to be on. "

Tyler growled.

Len moved forward. "There are no sides here. Harmony, Tyler, and I have nothing against you. I know being Heir is important to you, the queen's court is…"

"The queen's court will be my court. I'd hoped that you and Tyler would join it. Instead, you're siding with a half-cursed necromancer."

Several tattoos and Len's arms glowed, and a loose set of glowing spectral armor snapped into place on the spellcaster. A step forward brought him close, and Harmony had to tug him back half a step with her free hand. "Don't make me lecture you on manners." Len huffed.

Harmony pulled on the men once more, scooting them back a few inches. She'd brought the two of them here to hold her back. It's not like she hadn't been called worse names than the princesses' rudeness.

"Gentlemen." Harmony urged with stern authority.

Hargreaves was starting to stir, his necromantic energy churning back into action. Half the eyes in here were on them. A scene was being made, and it was one step to a brawl that she'd not planned for.

A door opened, and Austin Ofer stumbled out looking worse for wear. From this perspective, Harmony could see the number Twenty-Nine carved on the top. Only one more until everyone had arrived.

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Yennifer Loez has been eliminated and removed from the competition. The next round starts now!

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Or not. Tyler and Len slipped out of her grip as the room faded away, transforming into a small arena filled with faceless dark outlines for an audience.

A deep voice echoed from above. "Choose your weapon!"

The first thought slipped out of Harmony's lips - forced out by the terms of the round. "I choose violence."

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