Outside in the courtyard, just as Shendu and Ram were chatting happily, a white pigeon suddenly flew in from the distance and landed on Ram's shoulder.
Seeing the pigeon arrive with a letter tied to its leg, they could not help but feel a trace of curiosity, wondering what might have happened.
Once the pigeon settled, Ram took the letter from its leg and slowly opened it, reading it directly.
Normally, communication between Arlam Village and the mansion was carried out by pigeon. Whenever there was any news, the village would promptly send word.
"Ram, did Arlam Village send news?"
Noticing Ram's expression gradually turning solemn after finishing the letter, Emilia asked curiously.
"That's right. Important news has come from there."
Setting the letter down, Ram spoke again with a grave expression. "A villager has spotted the Bowel Hunter, Elsa, appearing in the village. We don't know what she's doing there."
"The Bowel Hunter?"
Hearing those words, Emilia's heart jolted. She recalled her first encounter with Shendu, when she had fought a bitter battle against Elsa and gained no advantage at all.
That woman named Elsa possessed extraordinarily rich combat experience. Even though Emilia commanded powerful spiritual arts, she had been completely suppressed.
If she had not happened to meet Shendu, who beat Elsa until she was utterly powerless to fight back, Emilia would likely have been in even greater trouble. There was no doubt about that.
She might even have faced death directly.
That was why the name startled her.
"That's correct. The assassin who previously attacked Emilia and Lady Shendu has appeared in Arlam Village and was seen by villagers."
Ram sensed that something was not right. The Bowel Hunter, Elsa, was an extremely low-profile person. Rarely was her trail discovered by others, and she usually eliminated anyone who saw her.
For villagers to have spotted Elsa and then sent word of her whereabouts by carrier pigeon—this in itself was already a significant problem.
All signs pointed to something being very wrong. Ram had reason to suspect that this might be a trap set by that woman, the Bowel Hunter.
"Oh? What do you think, Ram? Go ahead and share your thoughts."
Shendu's crimson eyes fixed on Ram as she asked thoughtfully.
"It's a trap. A trap prepared in advance. First, they used a curse to deal with us here. Then they intend to lure us over. So Arlam Village must already be in some trouble."
Ram spoke decisively. Her analytical ability was strong. In certain respects, she was even sharper than Rem. She quickly grasped the key points.
"At present, Arlam Village faces two threats. One is the Bowel Hunter, Elsa. The other is that curse user. If we go now, we will very likely walk straight into an ambush."
A strong sense of vigilance rose within Ram. She felt they should avoid throwing themselves into a trap, or they would surely encounter enormous trouble.
That reasoning was sound. Ordinary people would indeed find it difficult to deal with a trap. But Shendu was no ordinary person, and such threats meant nothing to her.
...
"Should we leave it to Lord Roswaal to handle?"
Suddenly, Emilia thought of the master of the mansion. Perhaps it would be better to entrust this matter to him.
"That won't work. Lord Roswaal left this morning on business. Only the rest of us are here in the mansion."
Hearing Emilia's suggestion, Rem shook her head and shared what she knew.
Shendu clicked her tongue. It seemed that clown intended to leave this matter to her. As expected, he was rather insidious—but he had not realized that she had already seen through him.
"Heh. In that case, it doesn't matter. Whether it's the curse user or the Bowel Hunter, I've never been afraid of them."
Shendu was simply stating the truth. In the face of absolute strength, all schemes and conspiracies were worthless.
At worst, she could simply release another layer of her power. It was hardly a problem for her.
"I object!"
"Sister Shendu, you'd better not go."
The moment Shendu finished speaking, both Ram and Emilia opposed her. Their eyes were filled with tension, afraid that the silver-haired girl might impulsively head to Arlam Village.
"Why?"
Shendu truly could not understand what these two beautiful girls were thinking, rejecting her proposal so casually.
Had she not displayed enough strength?
She was already at the pinnacle of combat power in this world, yet the two of them still refused her idea. It left her somewhat helpless.
"It's like this. Curse users are usually extremely insidious. They might launch a sneak attack. If you were struck and afflicted with a weakening curse, you would be in serious trouble."
Seeing Shendu willing to take such a risk, Ram firmly opposed her. She had yet to repay her debt of gratitude. Naturally, she did not wish to see the silver-haired girl take risks and clean up their mess for them.
At the same time, Ram could not help but blame Roswaal inwardly, wondering whether he had known something in advance and deliberately thrown such dangerous work onto Shendu.
If that were true, Ram would not forgive Roswaal.
Without realizing it, Ram's feelings toward Shendu had gradually deepened, her goodwill growing stronger.
"Yes! No matter how strong someone is, they can't possibly handle both of them alone. That woman Elsa is also extremely powerful."
Emilia objected directly. It was clear she strongly disliked the idea of Shendu facing them alone.
"Hee hee. Do I look that weak in your eyes?"
Shendu's crimson gaze swept over them. She simply felt they were making a fuss over nothing. It was just an ordinary matter—was there really a need to worry about her so dramatically?
What Shendu said was true. But clearly, she could not reason with these two girls. Rem's eyes also showed concern, though she said nothing, leaving the decision to her sister.
"I've decided. I'm going to Arlam Village. I will clear away whatever stands in my path. No enemy who appears before me will be able to harm me."
Shendu was brimming with confidence. With her abilities, facing a mere Bowel Hunter and a curse user would be no more than child's play.
"If Sister Shendu is going, then I'll go too. At the very least, I can help a little."
Emilia looked at Shendu with equal seriousness, voicing her request.
Her expression was resolute and stubborn, as though she was determined to follow no matter what.