Chapter 164: Royal Scalpel (Maiya)

Chapter 164: Royal Scalpel (Maiya)

You will report to me directly now. Princess Ira sipped her tea, regarding Maiya with a contemplative gaze.

Im honored, Your Highness, Maiya said in a fluster, but Im unsure how I can help you achieve your goal. Though Im alright fighting Ash Beasts, Im sure you must have plenty of strong warriors already?

It is not your current skill set, but rather your mindset Im interested in.

My mindset? Not the way Ive shot up in power?

Your mindset has forged you into the Handmaiden you are today, Ira said with a smirk, predicting Maiyas thoughts. You work when others rest. You train when others think only of finishing their days duties. You go above and beyond at every opportunity, and you learn.

Hah. You should see my friend

I shall groom you personally. Depending on your performance, youll be given more responsibility.

Thats the last thing I needFollow current novels on novelb((in).(com)

Ah, I should clarify, with this responsibility comes great benefits. You will never want for coin ever again. Within Kinjal, youll be respected by all. Youll have no end of suitors, but unlike most women, youll get to decide who you end up with. Depending on your contributions, a landed Sawai title isnt out of the question. So? Do you accept?



Maiya daydreamed of the day shed met Ira in her chambers. Shed gone in expecting to serve the princess tea, nothing more. Shed left as a confidante and secret operative. Never in her wildest dreams had she guessed shed play an instrumental role in helping the princess overthrow her father.

And yet, despite all Ira had said, Maiya kept replaying one sentence in particular. Youll have no end of suitors. Every time she did, she blushed. There was only one person in all the realms for her. It didnt matter who came after herSawai, military, or commoner. She promised shed wait, and she intended to do exactly that.

Where are you now, Vir? Are you safe?

Maiya clutched the communications orb nestled within her robe. She knew it was foolish to bring such a priceless orb on a dangerous mission. Not only because of its coin value, but because losing it would mean losing her only means of communicating with Vir.

Plus, this particular orb was a bit special. An experimental unit that was said to transmit not just voice, but a projection of her face as well. Rani had apparently uncovered the original deep under some mine near Avi, and it had made its way into Kinjal hands, where they sought to copy it. Theyd managed it, albeit with some flaws. Maiya was fine with flaws if it meant getting to see him.

Shed been hopelessly incapable of leaving it alone. It followed her everywhere, and she even kept it next to her pillow, on the off-chance Vir contacted her in the middle of the night.

Hed only just entered the Ashen Realm. She knew that. She also knew the orb might not even work in the Demon Realm.

Its so unfair. If only I were stronger, I couldve followed him into the Ash

Maam? Something wrong? Maiyas Balarian warrior whispered, and only then did Maiya realize she was scowling.

Shaking her head, she forced her mind back on task. This mission came directly from Princess Ira herself; it wasnt something she could afford to slack off on. Especially when the princess had repeatedly stressed how important it was that none escape.

The mission? Capturing some smugglers. Upon hearing it, Maiya had assumed it was one of the cabals that ran the organized crime rings around Kinjal. Shed been shocked to discover just how successful and powerful these organizations were. It didnt seem very Kinjal to allow such miscreants to roam freely, but that was exactly the reality.

Smugglers operated with the tacit approval of the government. Approval and oversight. Only what Kinjal allowed out went out, and that went for both information and goods. Of course, theyd never do such a thing out of the goodness of their heartssmugglers operated both ways, bringing in as much as they exported. Intelligence, secret documents from other countries, and more. All of which eventually made its way back into the Kinjal governments hands, usually via agents and proxies.

So it was with great anticipation that Maiya set out on this mission. Yet, when she learned the details of the ring shed be apprehending, she couldnt help but wonder why ordinary Balarian warriors hadnt been assigned instead. Or better yet, Brotherhood Mercenaries; they always seemed eager for these sorts of missions. They always appreciated a break from fighting Ash Beasts.

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An act, of course, though not too far off from the truth. These smugglers might have a lesser Mejai Sorcar among them, but what of it?

Your dealings have not gone unnoticed by the lords of this empire. Your operation, and your lives, end here.

To her amusement, a couple of smugglers actually laughed.

Is that right? Tell us, who will mete this justice upon us? You? A little girl? Alone?

If I needed help to crush the likes of you, Id have to kill myself in shame, after.

To no ones surprise, the smugglers all drew concealed daggers. The nearest two, confident in their victory, rushed her with the poorest form Maiya had ever witnessed.

Moving slightly to avoid the smugglers blows, Maiya grabbed his wrist and arm and twisted, eliciting a shriek of agony from the man as his weapon clattered to the ground.

His friend, whod recovered from his missed strike and was coming in for another, never got the chance. Maiya unleashed a kick at his ribcage right as he swung.

His arm couldnt compete with the longer reach of Maiyas leg, and his dagger hit nothing but air. Maiyas armored boot landed, cracking ribs and sending the man to the ground in agony.

I thought you said you were alone! another smuggler shrieked, finding himself beset by her Balarian warriors.

Pretty sure I never said that. Did I say that?

No, maam.

Her warriors forced two more smugglers to their knees, holding their necks to spearpoint while they bound and gagged them.

The last one ran, but he didnt make it far; Maiya had blocked all the exits, after all.

Yknow, if we didnt want you alive, youd all have been dead before you ever saw any of us. Consider yourselves lucky.

A thrown dagger impaled the running mans hand, sending him crumpling to the ground, whimpering like a baby.

At least, I think youre lucky. To be honest, I have no idea what theyll do to you.

Maiya might've felt sorry for what was about to happen to them, had she not witnessed their other criminal acts. For while they might've been smugglers, these criminals dabbled in both the trade of opiates and the trafficking of both demons and humans. Drugs were one thing, but treating people as though they were livestock was something else entirely.

Her hand moved to the orb in her robe, subconsciously yearning to speak to Vir. Another, larger part, wished hed take his time. When they spoke again, she wanted to show off how much shed improved.

For the first time in her life, she was on par with Virs strength. For the first time, theyd stood together as equals. There was no way shed let him leave her in the dust again. Taking down small-time criminals simply wasnt going to cut it. She needed more. A lot more.

Maya sighed, cursing her friends ambition, despite having the same feelings herself.

Suppose I oughta ask the princess if I can solo Ash Beasts in my free time.

Be it Balar five hundred or a thousand, when he returned, Maiya fully intended on greeting her precious friend with power no less than his own.