Afternoon, inside the guest room.
Elsa and Meili stood one before and one behind Shendu. One kneaded her shoulders, the other massaged her legs, while she closed her eyes and enjoyed the care of the two maids.
"Master, how does it feel?"
Elsa wore a devout smile as she asked Shendu softly.
"Not bad." Shendu did not open her eyes, but her tone shifted slightly, clearly dissatisfied with Meili's efforts. "Meili, use a bit more strength. Haven't you eaten?"
"Yes, Master."
Sweat covered Meili's forehead. Normally she never had to do anything herself, leaving everything to her magical beasts. Now she was working like a servant, and it made her extremely unhappy.
By the time the massage ended, Meili was too exhausted to move. It was her first time serving this new master so wholeheartedly. Compared to returning to the organization and being killed by the Archbishop of Lust, however, she felt it was better to stay here.
While Meili was lost in thought, Shendu left the room. When she returned, she held a small cloth doll in her hand.
As soon as the doll was brought in, even Elsa looked surprised, unsure who had given such a thing to her master.
"Meili, this is for you. You're still young—you should like this sort of thing."
Shendu tossed the doll toward Meili, who was lying lazily on the bed.
Earlier, when Shendu had stepped out into the corridor, she had run into Rem. After seeing her, the blue-haired maid hurried back to her room and brought out a handmade doll, saying she had woven it herself.
She wanted to give it to her as a small token of gratitude for saving her last time.
Unable to refuse such earnest kindness, Shendu accepted Rem's gift. That was why she now brought the doll inside.
"Ah! Master, is it really for me?"
It was Meili's first time receiving a gift. To say she was not excited would be a lie. She adored cute dolls, but the organization had never allowed her to keep any.
She had not expected that after joining Shendu's side, on her very first day, she would receive the thing she wanted most.
"What? You don't want it?"
Shendu walked toward her, pretending she was about to take the doll back.
"No! I like it very much."
Meili hurriedly hugged the fluffy doll tightly to her chest, treasuring it dearly.
"Hehe, Master, Meili has always liked cute things. Now she should finally be able to give you her whole heart."
Elsa leaned playfully against Shendu and whispered into her ear.
"Master, thank you. From now on, I am your maid. I will never betray you."
Feeling the warmth Shendu radiated unintentionally, Meili's mindset changed completely. She climbed down from the bed and bowed respectfully.
Seeing Meili's attitude, Shendu revealed a knowing smile. Girls always seemed to love adorable things. Meili was no exception.
Just as Shendu was thinking, the system's emotionless voice sounded in her mind.
[Ding~ Beast Tamer Meili favorability +38. Current favorability: 98.]
[Ding~ Hidden reward unlocked. Conquer five (female) characters and raise their favorability above 95.]
[Reward distributed~ Congratulations, Host, for obtaining the nine tribes of the Shadowkhan, as well as the shadow magic of the ten Oni Generals.]
As the system's voice faded, the entire guest room plunged into darkness. It was pitch black—so dark that one could not see their own fingers.
Immediately afterward, countless shadows surged into Shendu's body, and her aura grew colder and more terrifying.
Caught off guard by the sudden darkness, Elsa and Meili were startled. They had no idea what had happened, yet they could clearly feel that Shendu had become even more dangerous.
"Haa... Not bad at all. The nine tribes of the Shadowkhan, along with the power of the ten Oni Generals—this is comparable to the strength of a Demon Sorcerer."
After absorbing the shadow magic, Shendu's temperament became colder than before, and the pressure she emitted intensified.
Simply standing there placed immense strain on Elsa and Meili.
...
The power of the Shadowkhan was formidable.
In essence, they were shadow warriors with the spirit of samurai, divided into nine legions.
The Shadowkhan never tired, possessed tremendous strength, were absolutely loyal, and could move without obstruction. They could even travel through the Shadow Realm into dreams. That made them the perfect servants—and the most terrifying enemies.
The Shadowkhan existed in nine distinct forms, forming nine different legions. Every soldier of the Shadowkhan served its master absolutely. By gaining control over the entire Shadowkhan at once, Shendu had already surpassed her former peak.
It was equivalent to the fusion of two Demon Sorcerers' power, combined with the martial techniques granted by the system. Her overall strength reaching SSS+ rank posed no issue at all.
This was true power—the power to change the world.
"Master, what was that just now?"
The unfathomable darkness reminded Elsa of the Witch of Envy, who had once devoured half the world. The power Shendu had absorbed felt somewhat similar.
"Nothing. Just new power—power sufficient to change the world."
A trace of black light flickered within Shendu's crimson eyes as she spoke with a faint smile.
"Then... shall we leave this place? According to that letter, our organization has already been established in the royal capital."
Elsa looked at Shendu respectfully and asked in confusion.
"Naturally. Necessary preparations must be made."
Shendu lightly stepped on her shadow. A large number of ninjas were dispatched at her command, spreading across the entire kingdom. This was the first step of her grand design.
With these ninjas serving as her eyes and ears, hidden within everyone's shadows, anything Shendu wished to know would be within her grasp.
"Wow, Master, what was that just now? I think I saw quite a few humanoid creatures with blood-red eyes."
When a flash of red light flickered through Shendu's shadow, Meili sensed what kind of beings lurked within.
Hearing Meili's words, Shendu reached out and gently stroked her head, a calm smile curving her lips.
"That's right. They are my retainers—subordinates who obey only my commands."
Shendu gently explained to the blue-haired girl as she patted her head.
After the explanation, Elsa felt even more fortunate that she had chosen to join the silver-haired girl's camp.
Had she refused, she would most likely already be dead.
"All right, Meili, Elsa. We'll stay two more days before departing for the royal capital."
"Yes, Master!"
"Understood, Master!"
Confidence shone within Shendu's crimson eyes. Even before the Royal Selection officially began, she could start laying out her pieces.
To become the one who controls the board, she would first ensure that every advantageous condition shifted to her side. That was the path Shendu intended to walk.