The person standing in front of the door.

Although it was difficult to see her face clearly due to the darkness, Blood easily discerned that the person was a maid.

Her white apron and frills glistened in the moonlight.

From her dignified posture, it was evident that she had mastered the manners of nobles or royalty, yet Blood felt little apprehension regarding her.

‘She’s just a maid, not a soldier… Well, it’ll still be a while before the soldiers arrive.’

Given the circumstances, it seemed the maid was standing guard to protect her master inside the room or to buy some time for a getaway.

Despite the assumption that she wouldn’t possess much combat ability, as Blood watched the maid standing firmly in front of her, blocking the door, she began to smile lightly and issue a warning.

“Sorry, but I don’t have time to deal with a little girl like you. If you step aside quickly, I’ll spare your life, but if you refuse… I will end it without hesitation.”

Blood spoke with genuine intent rather than mere empty threats.

However, despite her words, the maid showed no sign of backing down.

She had an attitude reminiscent of someone who dared Blood to pass by her if she could.

Watching this, Blood infused magic into her staff and began to scoff at the maid in front of her.

Of course, given the nature of her mission, she had no intention of sparing the opponent.

Her statement was merely a lie reflecting her mischievous nature.

In that regard, the maid’s decision to ignore her warning appeared rather dull from Blood’s perspective.

“Tsk. Choosing the road to death so easily. I admire your loyalty, but you’ll have to die here.”

Clicking her tongue, Blood expressed her disappointment.

She then began to approach the maid slowly.

Blood Mary, a grade-ten witch.

As a high mage capable of erasing thousands of troops by herself, if she truly wished, she could take the life of the foolish maid with just a flick of her wrist.

With the power to cause death from nearly ten meters away through blood pouring from the eyes, nose, and mouth, Blood’s abilities were immense.

However, she chose not to do so because, in a situation where stealth was essential, she didn’t want to leave any traces behind.

‘He ordered me to deal with this quietly. There’s no need for my identity as a high witch to be revealed, so I must act as secretly and decisively as possible.’

With that thought, Blood started to concentrate magic into her staff.

Though simple and basic, it was precisely due to its simplicity that it was difficult to trace the perpetrator, so she concluded that this was the perfect way to handle the situation.

The staff wrapped in crimson magical energy.

With a light swing, it was powerful enough to split a thick iron pillar, and Blood’s mind was filled with the thought of swiftly decapitating the silly maid and capturing that “young master” inside.

At that moment…

“I never thought I’d be witness to such a lengthy struggle in front of me.”

“…What?”

The next moment, a chilling voice from the maid reached Blood’s ear.

Still trying to process the meaning of those words, Blood, with the staff infused with her magic, coldly said to the maid, who was now within striking range.

“What nonsense are you spouting? Do you not realize the situation you’re in?”

“That’s what I wanted to say to you.”

At that moment…

“!”

– “Crackle!!!” –

The next instant, without Blood noticing, the maid attacked with a staff of her own.

It happened so quickly, but thankfully, Blood barely managed to defend herself in the nick of time.

However, right after…

“!… Wh.. What…”

The unfolding scene before Blood began to convey terror on her face.

It was the maid, effortlessly pushing back Blood’s staff, which was wrapped in concentrated magic.

Concentration magic, whose effectiveness varies based on the amount of magic and the wielder’s finesse, was a basic spell that clearly displayed the disparity in a mage’s capabilities.

And in that duel of basic magic, at that moment, Blood…

‘I… I’m losing? Me? That doesn’t make any sense…’

She felt deep bewilderment at the situation unfolding before her.

However, Blood had no time to dwell on this sudden emotion.

“Gah!”

Taking advantage of her moment of panic was a kick that caught her off guard.

Blood felt a violent shock to her abdomen, leading her to topple backward.

Though she didn’t fall to the ground, the unexpected pain began to push her anger to the surface.

“Y-You little… How dare you!”

Filled with intense emotions, Blood attempted to counterattack.

But…

“!”

– “Bam!” –

The maid’s knee struck directly at her face.

Following the blow to her abdomen, another unexpected attack sent Blood tumbling backward and rolling on the floor.

“Gahhh!… Ugh!..”

Blood started to bleed from her nose due to the recent strike.

As Blood squatted on the floor, clutching her face, the maid lightly dusted off her apron and spoke in a cold voice.

“Get up quickly; surely this can’t be the end?”

Her tone was almost like a reprimand.

In response, Blood felt a sense of finality wash over her as she slowly stood up.

It had only been a matter of seconds since she encountered the maid.

Yet, in that brief time, looking at the one who had managed to inflict five years’ worth of hatred upon her, Blood spoke with a voice akin to a volcano on the brink of eruption.

“..I will kill you… without fail…”

With that declaration, Blood began releasing an immense amount of magic from her body for her next action.

Considering the nature of her original mission, this was something she should avoid.

However… at that moment, Blood had lost all semblance of rational judgment.

All she could focus on was ensuring that the worthless maid in front of her would be made into a fine paste.

“I will make you regret this… How dare you insult me, a mere maid? I’ll show you what the hell feels like!”

As soon as those words were uttered, Blood’s magic began to activate.

The ripple of this magic commenced with a small mouse that happened to stumble across her feet.

“Squeak?”

The mouse, wandering aimlessly in the dark in search of food, sensed an unusual energy and attempted to escape.

But before it could take even a few steps…

“Squeak… crackle…!!!”

– “Bam!” –

In the next instant, its body exploded like a balloon, killing it instantly.

No longer capable of any movement, it became a lump of flesh, as if blood vessels had turned into blades shooting forth, the remnants of blood that momentarily held shape soon melted to the ground, forming a puddle.

This was the magic of Blood.

As the name suggests, this spell allowed her to freely control the blood of all living creatures within the range, and it possessed the power to snatch away their lives in the blink of an eye, providing no opportunity to react.

And at this moment…

The influence of that spell began to zoom toward the maid before her, as a chilling smile crept onto Blood’s lips.

She envisioned the moment the maid would collapse, spilling blood from every inch of her body and perish.