“Y-You… What…?”

  In stunned silence, Madam Furt looked at her husband in disbelief as he gazed upon an unfamiliar painting he had just hung on the wall, hands on his hips.

  “Everything will be fine. I have my pns. Anyway, look at this!”

  Sir Furt waved his hand at her and poi the painting before him.

  “I just bought this piece from a renowned painter! And I bought it in front of the marquis! Now, he knows that we are still standing strong and holding ontrounds against the Bloody Emperor!”

  “You… You sold them…? My Ureirika… My Kuuderika…?”

  A frown and a look of fusion appeared on his visage as he finally, for the first time sihey versed, turo look at his wife. He was a bit upset at her for spoiling the mood, but he was an uanding man.

  Having their two you daughters taken away must’ve been quite shog. It was uandable why she would look so shocked by the news.

  “It will be fine. I’ll find them and buy them bace we regain htful p high society and gain money. It won’t take long now.”

  He reassured, and turned his eyes back to the painting, ending the tiresome topic then and there.

  “T-That’s right… Yes. You’re right… Everything will be fine…”

  Sir Furt nodded, and a smile finally resurfaced on his visage.

  “It’s good that you uand. Now, look at this painting! You also ihe dies in your circle! Without anythier to do, they would talk about this masterpie their boredom, and words would surely reach their husband…”

  The sound of his voice slowly faded from her mind.

  The thought of her daughters, her precious little angels, sold, filled her mind.

  She knew very well what would happen to girls when they were sold… A fate worse thah. Her little girls won’t survive such things… More so if they were to be sold to those with the disgusting ination towards young, little girls…

  ‘Ureirika… Kuuderika… No… My angels… ‘

  It was then that something snapped within madam Furt.

  Nightfall.

  A loud sn filled the marital bedroom of the Furt couple.

  Empty bottles of wiered around the table and floor with gsses toppled down and spilling its dark crimson tents onto the floor.

  Madam Furt walked towards the door and pced a hand on the handles.

  She turned back, giving her dead drunk husband o look as he id on his ba the bed, aed.

  Outside the door, an old, white-haired man in a butler’s suit stood at attention. The wrinkle on his face dispyed the long years of loyal service to the Furt household that tio persist even after their downfall.

  “Anders…”

  “Yes, madam.”

  “...Have you gathered everyone as I’ve asked?”

  “Yes madam. They are all in the living rht now.”

  Madam Furt nodded.

  “Thank you.”

  The old butler bowed and followed behind her as madam Furt made her way to the living room.

  The gathered servants of house Furt, what remained of the ones numerous servants in service to the noble household, turowards the madam of the house the moment she entered.

  There was silehe air filling with unease and tension as their eyes followed her figure until she stood in front of all of them.

  “Everyone… Dear servants of house Furt who have stayed and loyally supported us until this moment, simple words could not even begin to describe how grateful I am to ead every one of you.

  However… As your madam, I am ashamed for being uo bee a mistress worthy of your loyalty, respect, and trust.”

  Eyes widened as shock filled all remaining servants of house Furt.

  Anders opened his mouth, about to speak words to deny her words. But a raise of his mistress’s hand stopped him.

  “I am proud to have been your Mistress, and happy to have received your loyalty and respect. However… I have failed.

  I have failed as a mistress, for letting this household fall into such a state… I have failed as a noble, for having put my pride and outward appearance first before the wellbeing of my people. And I have failed as a mother, for being uo protect my children.”

  Her hands ched into a fist.

  “The noble House Furt is no more. The moment that man had sold my angels… Kuuderika and Ureirika, we no longer have any future.

  From now on, you are all dismissed. You may take anything within this mansion as your severance pay. I will even sign aers you would need as proof of your ownership over these items. Take everything… and use them to have a better life elsewhere.”

  ““...””

  If it was silent before, it was a vacuum now.

  The servants all stood in stunned silence. Some trembled. Some were shaken. And some still in disbelief from the suddenness of her words.

  And before anyone could break free from their daze, she tinued.

  “But if I may… For my st request as your mistress, help me gather any fmmable objects and spread them all around the mansion. Then, pour all the alcoholic drinks and any other fmmable liquid around the mansion before you leave. Please…”

  Madam Furt bowed her head. And the shock brought upon her as shem all out of their disbelief and daze.

  Silence persisted for a moment… Before their voice resounded as one.

  ““Yes! As you wish!””

  “Thank you…”

  Madam Furt spent the rest of the night seing any and all remaining golds and silvers into pouches for the servants to take, sign off aers of ownership and reendations, and prepared her things.

  She discarded her dress and ged into a simple shirt, pants, a cloak, and boots, prioritising utility in favor of css and appearance. She carried a rge, leather bag on her back, filled with all of her daily essentials and basiecessities.

  Then, she returo her room, a dle in hand. There, her husband was still on their bed, sn ever so loudly.

  She pced all the fabric she could find and the pillows filled with cotton, and spread it around the room. Then, she emptied all three bottles of wine on them and all around the floor.

  She walked to her side of the bed and took out a dagger from beh her pillow. An essential on all dies would have for their own self prote, or let them avoid living a life of disgrace, humiliation, and disgust.

  She walked towards her husband with her dagger drawn.

  “You sold my angels… You don’t deserve to live…”

  She raised her bde hand, and strike down towards his achilles tendons.

  “AAAARRRGHHH!!!!”

  The immense pain shocked Sir Furt awake from his drunken sleep before rolling down the floor.

  A sharp pain filled his mind as he looked around and saw his wife standing before him with a bloody dagger in her hand.

  “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

  “YOU SOLD THEM! YOU SOLD MY ANGELS! FOR A STUPID PAINTING!!! I WON’T FIVE YOU!!!”

  “BHWWAAAHKK!”

  Madam Furt kicked her husband in the face with her hard leather boots, dislog his jaw and breaking some of his froh, filling his mouth with blood.

  But she wasn’t done. She tio kid sm down her feet onto his body, his arms, and knees.

  “Staahpphhfff…. Ifh huuursthhh!”

  “YOU FUG PIG! I’LL NEVER FIVE YOU!!!”

  “KUHHHKKK!”

  Madam Furth smmed down a foot on his bae final time and moved away.

  “You go die from the wounds or from the fire for all I care…”

  “Noo… You sht do thish… I’m your hushbaan…”

  “Fuck you. I stopped being your wife the moment you sell my daughters. I’m just Millie from now on. And I’ll do anything to get my daughters back.”

  She tossed the dle onto the wine-covered fabrics, instantly alighting it on fire. And she walked away, ign the muffled cries of her former husband and made a vow in her heart.

  ‘I’m sorry, Kuuderika, Ureirika… Please hang in there… I will definitely find you… and buy you back. I’ll do anything in my power to do so… I don’t even care if you hate me by then… Just please be okay…’

  --------------------------------X--------------------------------

  The days in e Vilge have been very nice, and it was all thanks to their beor, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown.

  Retly, they’ve mao subjugate the tyrant leader of the Ogres and Lamias and brought the survivors to e Vilge to be ied with the unity.

  At first, tumultuous retionships between those who once lived in fear as preys and the ones who huhem was expected. But, with “emissaries” of Ainz Ooal Gown as mediators, and several festivals involving alcohol as to get to know each other, the enmity slowly faded.

  Now, the vilgers and the “monsters” began w together over the course of the few weeks.

  Ogres proved to excel physically, much more than the humans and mias. And where they dire, the humans and mias were able to direct them ahem find another purpose for their strength; building and proteg, instead of simply to destroy and kill.

  Lamias were knowledgeable in pntlife, especially those used as remedies and poison. So much so that Nfirea found himself relying on them as harvesters in the woods while he spent his time cog life-saving potions in his b.

  Enri was more than pleased with the progress made by her vilge. From just a little, powerless vilge, struggling to even put a bit of food oable and paying taxes much beyond what they could earn for a living. To a sprawling unity, tall stone walls, ons, thriving fields, and even Ogres and Lamias ied into their unity.

  “Hah…”

  A deep sigh escaped her lips. She had been w so much tely, from dusk to dawn.

  The days were tough, and some nights even tougher, especially on her as the vilge head. It was hard work. But it was good work. At least, they’re now w for themselves, and not just to fatten up some local lords while they struggle to put potatoes on their own ptes.

  Just then, from one of the distant lookout towers, a bell rang loudly, going off in ear.

  She paled and her fist ched. Then, she took off at a dead sprint towards the walls.

  Her arms and legs worked in a mad dash like they hadn’t sihe day her parents died. The shouts of her father tellio find her little sister and run far without looking back rang in her mind, louder and louder along with the bell.

  Her eyes shimmered as they began to water, and fear at the horror thay may y ahead began to creep up her heart.

  But despite her burning lungs, she kept running towards the wall where the two wat rang the bell.

  The entire vilge was immediately alerted, like an anthill that had been kicked over.

  They had o go but to fight and defend their homes and families. The dread of what would happen if they failed strengtheheir resolve as the peasants rushed to their defensive positions after taking up armor and ons.

  Soon, Enri reached the simple wooden dder and scrambled to the top.

  “What’s going on?!”

  The bell ringing stopped and the wat poio the distant cloud on the ground.

  At first, they seemed to be still. But as Enri looked, squinting at the dire, she noticed it moving closer.

  An army kig up dust during their march. That was Enri’s first guest. But… it was small. Too small for it to be an army. It seemed like it was only a hundred or so. Maybe less…

  She quickly pulled out a “telescope”, a magical item given to her as a gift by Lord Zero when he came to visit once, allowio see far things eveer than Lukrut with his martial art [Farsight].

  It was then that she could see that it wasn’t an army, but peasants… And at the front, familiar figures.

  “Rex! False arm! It’s a group of peasants with our friends, Swords of Darkness leading!”

  The sigh of relief that went up in one body from the vilge gave way to ughter as the absurdity of their fears hit home.

  The iy dissipated, and Enri began making her way to the gate, the guards statioo open them and wele their friends.

  She was all smiles as she stood in front of the gates, waiting. That was, until she saw the expressions on the faces of her returning friends.

  “...Ninya, what happened…?”

  “... Enri. I’m sorry. We o talk.”

  VergsX