“Rise, sit.

You are my guest after all, a host should never lord his status
over his guest.” When the pair rose, they immediately moved aside, and
Lupusregina’s heart jumped into her throat when her Lord chose to seat
himself beside her.

‘Lord Momonga is just… so cooooool!’ She wanted to squeal the words, but
dared not, lest she interrupt his weighty thoughts.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Momonga said to her, and Enri bowed her head.

“Thank you, My Lord.” Enri whispered the words, “I’m grateful beyond
words for what you did. I will spend the rest of my life repaying it.” She
said to him and then feeling the beginnings of tears in her eyes, she brought
her arm up and rubbed them dry. “My father had a saying, ‘the scales
always have to balance, otherwise you’ll go home angry, or with a grudge
behind you.”

Momonga traded a glance with Lupusregina, who could only shrug, she
lowered her head a little in apology, until she felt his hand on her head,
rubbing gently. She leaned into it and the start of a frown turned upside
down in an instant.

“I see, he was a farmer, wasn’t he?” Momonga asked, the saying sounded
oddly militaristic.

She nodded. “He used to be the one to take our crops to E-Rantel. He said
that about making deals with merchants, if we got too good a deal, they
might not buy from us again. If we didn’t get a good one, we wouldn’t want
to deal with them twice. So he always tried to make it fair… for all the good
it did us in the end.” She pursed her lips tight to keep at bay any words that
would create more tears.

She concealed it by nurturing the spark of anger that the maid had lit in her
belly. “If I could balance the scales against the ones who did this… if I
could, I would.”
“How would you? Just out of curiosity?” Lupusregina asked and rested her
arms on the table, then set her head in her upturned palms, watching Enri
with renewed interest.

Revenge fantasies danced in Enri’s head, one after another, burning castles,
mass rebellions, public beheadings… dreams of blood danced in her head
where they never ventured before.

Until she settled on one.

“They made us live in fear during the daylight, I’d make them afraid of the
night. If I had the power, the skills? I would sneak into their castles, in
their homes, where they feel safest and most secure… and I would make
sure every morning there were fresh corpses taken out of the beds of the
lords and ladies. Every night they’d fear going asleep, wondering if they
would wake up in the morning… if I could do that? Yes. Yes, I would love to
let them have a taste of the fear we lived with every single day.” Enri
sighed, the very thought of it was utter bliss.

She could see it so clearly in her mind, an arrogant face, a moment of

twisted surprise, dismay… and fear. Then silent lips and glassy, empty eyes
as life ran out of their body and pooled red in their overstuffed mattresses.

“Damn them.” Enri cursed.

Lupusregina giggled, “She sounds like Lord Nishikienrai. He loved stealth

kills.”

“She does, she really does.” Momonga mused on that as his thoughts
coalesced ever clearer in his mind. ‘He also had a daughter, and lost his
parents to murder. What a strange coincidence.’ He pondered privately,
however out loud he said to her, “I will offer you that chance.”

“My Lord?” Enri asked, blinking her eyes as if afraid Momonga were an
illusion.
“You have the will, we can offer you the training you need, and the chance
to grow stronger.” Momonga held out the offer to her, and her mouth
dropped open, no words came out.

“Is that… is that really possible?” Enri asked, “What- what can I even begin
to offer for something like that? I can’t pay… I have nothing. My Lord has
far more beautiful women around him than I…”

“Do you have somewhere where you’d rather go instead?” Momonga asked,
and Enri shook her head.

“No. If I leave here, Nemu and I have no future. If starvation doesn’t get
us, the bandits will, if the bandits don’t get us, then life in a city will. This
world isn’t kind to peasant girls.” Enri replied and said, “I can offer my
friendship. My loyalty. And anything I learn, any power I gain, I will use for
you… that’s all I can offer, but what good is that much from a peasant with
nothing but the clothes on her back?”

“It may be more than you think.” Momonga said and recalled his earlier
experiments in the arena. The monster hadn’t yielded exp, but that was
because the NPCs were already max level, however the indicator had flashed
in his mind showing that exp was possible. More than that, they did have a
way to break level caps. ‘If the people of this world have similar caps at
all… I still need to learn that one way or the other… so much to learn…’ The
scale of his thoughts expanded exponentially. ‘I will need ample help, the
NPCs, for all their abilities, seem bound by their programming still. Perhaps
they can grow beyond it, but perhaps not. Even if they can, there’s far too
much for them to handle alone, no matter how intelligent and capable they
are.’

Enri was silent when Momonga said that, seemingly lost in her quiet
contemplation, and Lupusregina broke the silence herself. “My Lord, if it
please you, I can take her to Lord Cocytus in the arena and let him start her
training. But what about when the tiny one wakes up?”

“We earn our keep.” Enri said at once, before Momonga could make the
offer she felt sure he was about to. “Nemu is a good helper and takes
direction well, and she’s pretty strong for a little girl.”
“Which maid is working in that area today?” Momonga asked offhandedly.

“CZ, My Lord.” Lupusregina answered at once.

“Then have a maid outfit provided to Nemu and let her assist CZ today.”
Momonga suggested, “But make sure she isn’t worked too hard.”

“At once, My Lord.” Lupusregina said, popping to her feet while Enry by
contrast, rose as if she were pressing herself through thick molasses.

“I am going to see Gazef, tell Cocytus to report to me his observations when

he is finished for the day, and make sure Enri and her sister are afforded
proper meals and other needs.” Momonga gave the instruction and made to
leave, rising to his feet and heading toward the exit.

The pair bowed deeply to his back, and despite his keen hearing, it was only
just barely that he heard the tiny whisper… “Thank you…” from the peasant
he’d rescued.