I was a Warrior?

Kaiser.

Probably, there’s not a single resident here… no, in the entire Demon Emperor’s Nation, who doesn’t know that name.

About 20 years ago, back before the Demon Emperor even declared himself emperor.

A human hero who descended from the barren north, single-handedly wiped out the Demon King’s army blocking his path, and turned the entire continent into a sea of fire.

Everywhere Kaiser passed during his relentless invasion turned into a wasteland, not a single blade of grass left.

Of course, none of the people who lived on that land survived to see his back as he left.

A hero’s journey to defeat the Demon King.

But his journey, far from the usual concept, was just a continuous, indiscriminate slaughter.

Around that time, Kaiser began to be called by another name among the Demon Folk.

A name filled with terror and awe, meaning an unstoppable calamity…

The strongest, the worst hero.

With that overwhelming power, his mad grasp finally reached his final destination, Tracion. After destroying half of the capital city, he engaged in a final showdown with the Demon Emperor.

A fierce battle where neither side gave an inch.

Fortunately, the earth-shaking battle ended with the Demon Emperor’s victory.

The worst hero, Kaiser, defeated and unable to fulfill his mission, was handed over to the people and met his end with the most severe punishment.

Now, even his name has become a taboo, something people are careful not to speak aloud… or so I’ve heard.

The fall of a hero who deserved to die and the glorious victory of the Demon Emperor. A story of the past, albeit one with many sacrifices.

But… something felt off.

Ever since I heard about that hero, my emotions started spiraling out of control.

Unexplainable emotional fluctuations, a turmoil in my heart with no clear cause.

Those humans got what they deserved for committing the grave sin of mourning that demonic hero.

The anger of that Demon Folk gentleman earlier was understandable, as a citizen of Tracion who still remembers those events.

I understood it logically, but my emotions reacted like a different creature, only adding to the confusion.

To make matters worse, a sudden splitting headache, noise filling my vision, and a sharp ringing in my ears.

In a state far from normal, I reflexively recalled the moment I entered the commercial district earlier.

Could that temporary noise and this phenomenon be related?

A reasonable suspicion, but even if true, it didn’t provide a decisive clue to escape this situation.

Please… stop, stop!! No more…!

Unlike before, my condition only worsened over time, my consciousness fading in this worst crisis.

With my eyes tightly shut, desperately praying for this phenomenon to subside, that’s when I heard someone’s conversation through the dizzying ringing.

“I have a friend in the Peacekeepers, and it seems there’s a high chance ‘those guys’ are behind this incident…”

“Those guys? What kind of lunatics would help with such madness?”

“I can’t remember clearly, but those guys!… They appeared when that monster invaded this land, and I thought they were completely wiped out, but recently, remnants have resurfaced, as mentioned in the newspaper.”

A small voice that stood out even through the noisy ringing.

Along with it, a mysterious, enigmatic scene replaying in my mind.

*‘Since —- – we– — build — too —-?’*

*‘– Please—-! –nim —- —, unimaginably –ful – —! — I have– –dignity too.’*

*‘—-! – -like — — announce –!’*

Beyond the blurry vision, figures filled with anticipation staring straight at me.

Their faces weren’t clear.

But at the same time, they felt strangely familiar, as if I’d seen them somewhere before.

Meanwhile, faced with their expectant reactions, the owner of this moment scratched his head, seemingly deep in thought.

He clearly looked annoyed, but not exactly displeased.

And soon, after glancing at them, he finally spoke.

*‘Familie.’*

“Familie…”

“Right! Familie, that was it. I knew I remembered it, but why couldn’t I recall… Huh? But who exactly…”

Finally remembering the name, the Demon Folk gentleman reacted with relief.

But realizing his companion hadn’t answered, he started looking around. I quickly hid among the onlookers and slipped away.

To escape that prisoner parade pulling me like a deep-sea ghost, to get away from there as fast as possible.

Running as if chased, my state gradually stabilized after a long time.

—–

“…Haa.”

Somewhere in a secluded alley outside the commercial district.

Sitting there with my knees hugged, face buried, I slowly lifted my head.

Fortunately, after leaving that place, my condition quickly returned to normal.

The noise that had filled my vision, the sharp ringing in my ears—all gone without a trace.

But the memories of that time remained, leaving my mind still chaotic with unexplainable phenomena.

The horrifying state of the human prisoner on the cross.

The intense reaction of the Demon Folk gentleman upon learning the truth, and the strange reaction that immediately followed.

Most importantly, the distorted memory of a conversation with humans I’d never seen before.

From start to finish, it was all incomprehensible.

Dismissing it all as a temporary error wasn’t possible, as there were too many unexplainable aspects.

Now, with a calmer mind, I cautiously speculated that it might be related to my unclear past memories.

Ten years ago, when Lady Yuria saved me from being discarded as a defective product, my memories before that were almost nonexistent. That’s the most suspicious part.

In the end, the clearest solution was to seek help directly from Lady Yuria, who knows more about me.

Moreover, Mark mentioned that while he didn’t know the details, it was thanks to Lady Yuria’s ‘special ability’ that I exist as I am now.

But even after reaching that conclusion, I stayed crouched there for a simple reason.

I was afraid.

…What if Lady Yuria abandons me for malfunctioning again?

Or worse, what if I disappoint her? The fear and dread deep in my heart, combined with my stubborn desire to always be the perfect maid, led to this situation.

But now that the sun had fully set and evening had arrived, I couldn’t stay here forever, especially with Lady Yuria waiting for me at the Blue Palace.

As the moon rose, signaling the full arrival of night, I forced myself to stand and let out a deep sigh.

I hadn’t fully decided what to do, but since my condition had improved, I should hurry back to the Blue Palace.

Convincing myself that I could continue pondering there, I picked up the basket of groceries and tried to leave the dark alley—but only for a moment.

Facing the black shadows looming in my vision, I couldn’t help but frown.

The only exit from the alley.

There, bathed in the faint light from nearby shops, stood suspicious, unwelcome guests.

Unlike the ordinary citizens of Tracion, these were burly catfolk men with menacing looks and sinister smirks.

Realizing they were trouble, I narrowed my eyes.

Today really isn’t my day.

Muttering a complaint under my breath.

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