SS - Chapter 14 - Maid Service

Might not be a TBoB chapter today. Job search has already taken a ton out of me, and I ended up rewriting half of this chapter (for the better though) - Gonna still try, so let's hope!

“Look on the bright side, it’s cute!” Camille exclaimed as she gently rubbed my back. “Plus, it might be small, but it’s armed with a rifle so it can still do some damage.”

“I guess,” I mumbled. 

After the construct appeared I had a little bit of hope that it might have some special feature that would make up for its smaller size. Impressive speed, increased resistance… something. Before I could even check it I took out a cloth, attached it to the end of its pike and started cleaning. 

I felt a little bit of me just die when I saw that. Other kingdoms had twelve foot tall killing machines capable of crushing walls in a single blow, I’d created an army of tiny personal servants. That’s why I was laying face down on the table, moping.

“It is very efficient,” Siegward remarked. “Perhaps they’d be capable of helping with other mundane tasks around the village.  We are short handed right now.”

“They’re meant to be a source of protection,” I moaned into my elbow. “I don’t see how they’ll be able to protect everyone at that size.”

In the silence that followed there was another tiny ‘Hup!’ and the sound of tiny footsteps running around.

“And it makes noise!” I continued. “I’ve never seen constructs that react like that!”

Camille’s back rub stopped. “Medea… did you enable replication when I wasn’t watching?” she asked.

“No… I wanted to let everyone else know about our discovery before I let the constructs loose around the town,” I grumbled. “Why?”

“Because now there’s two of them,” Camille replied.

My head shot up, and I stared across the table.

Just as Camille had said, there were two maids now. The second was even smaller than the first, only two feet tall, and it had climbed onto one of the nearby chairs to dust. While I watched another one of the smaller maids popped into existence with a tiny ‘Hup!’ and joined the burgeoning workforce.

“Intriguing,” Siegward muttered. “I’ve never heard of a construct replicating so quickly, or forming away from the Stone.”

I glanced between the maids for a couple seconds before my eyes landed on the original. “Identify,” I muttered under my breath.

My system window immediately switched over, displaying the information for the maid.

Maid Alex

Title: Head Maid

Skills: Intermediate Spearmanship, Intermediate Marksmanship

Abilities: Core Construct, Many hands make light work

Booms: Jack of all trades

Banes: None

Magic: Basic wind, Basic water

Information: While the maids of Hoarfrost lack the strength, and stature of many other constructs, they make up for it with versatility and sheer numbers. Head maids command a small contingent of four regular maids, and will regenerate their squad as long as they’re active. 

I blinked, and tried to absorb the information. “According to this, the big one is generating them automatically, and they act as a group.”

“Really? Neat!” Camille chirped as she slid up next to me so she could read my window.

“It has the ability you selected,” Siegward noted. “That seems to be the reason why there’s so many of them. Can you inspect one of the smaller ones?”

I nodded, and focused on one of the smaller versions. “Identify.”

Maid Cellia

Title: Maid Retainer

Skills: Basic Spearmanship, Basic Marksmanship

Abilities: Many hands make light work

Boons: Jack of all trades

Banes: None

Magic: None

Information: Maids may be small, but they’re numerous and efficient. Capable of handling a number of different jobs both in and out of combat. Unlike regular constructs maids are created in squads of three. These three maids will operate as a single entity, and as long as one of the maids survives, the lost bodies will automatically regenerate over time.

Retainers are the most basic type of maid, and do not have a specialization.

“Wait wait wait wait…” Camille babbled excitedly. “Does this mean that the Stone will generate and support three times as many constructs as other Stones?”

“I believe it’s more that each ‘Construct’ has three bodies, than the stone is capable of maintaining more of them,” Siegward corrected. 

“Same difference! There’s going to be so many of them running around!” Camille exclaimed.

“That does make them significantly more effective than I first thought,” I muttered. “I’m still a little concerned about how small they are. I think even multiple two foot tall constructs are going to struggle to take down a ten foot tall slab of metal.”

“We can put them to the test tomorrow, see what they’re capable of,” Camille. “I’m sure everyone’s going to want to see them in action.”

“Fine,” I begrudgingly agreed, pushing away from the table and swiping my window closed. “Tomorrow.”

Siegward silently stepped back, allowing me to stand. “Aren’t you going to continue reviewing your new system functions tonight?” 

“I was planning too… until I saw our new ‘guardians’” I said, gesturing towards the small squad of maids wandering around. “I’m feeling a little better about them now that I know we’ll have a lot of them running around, but I still can’t help but feel a little disappointed by our crack troops. Sorry Sieg, would you mind if we continue this tomorrow? After I make an announcement? I don’t feel like continuing right now.”

“It’s fine,” the old man nodded sagely. “Would you like me to gather everyone for you?”

“Just after breakfast, if you wouldn’t mind. I’m going to go talk to Selena before I head to bedt,” I said, tiredly. “Thanks Sieg.”

As I stepped around the table, Camille at my heels, the head maid turned and looked at me. “Hup?”

“No, you stay here for now,” I sighed. “Continue cleaning up, or organizing, or… whatever it is you’re doing.”

The little maid threw a crisp, military salute, and returned to cleaning up. 

Stepping out the door, I took a deep breath of the cool late evening air. The village was peaceful, most of the villagers had already gone to bed and the old sound I could hear was a quiet murmur of conversation drifting out of the dinning hall on the other side of the square. 

I waited for Camille to join me before the two of us quietly slipped across the square, and into the back lanes of the village. The workshop area was normally abandoned at this time of night, but I could see a gentle glow peeking out from beneath the door of the stone working workshop. We knocked quietly on the door, and waited to see if anyone would answer.

After a couple seconds the door cracked open, an older woman glancing out suspiciously. Once she spotted us she opened the door wider, a small smile on her face. 

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, is there something we can help you with this evening?” she croaked.

“I was told Selena wanted to talk to me, is she around?” I asked politely.

“Just a moment,” she replied, before disappearing back inside.

“She’s pretty suspicious of someone that’s living in a building we loaned them,” Camille hissed under her breath.

“They’ve been hunted for hundreds of miles, cut down by people they didn’t know, just based upon their bloodlines. Would you feel safe in a stranger’s town immediately after going through that?” I asked.

Before Camille could reply Selena stepped outside, shutting the door behind her. She glanced between Camille and I for a couple seconds, fidgeting cutely, before she said anything.

“I appreciate you coming to see me. I know you didn’t have to,” Selena started. “I just wanted to apologize for what I said back in the last hall of the dungeon. I was running on adrenaline, suspicious of your miraculous arrival, and wound up by the dungeon. When you disappeared, and the shaking started, I snapped.”

Selena took a deep breath, lacing her fingers together. “Anyways, you didn’t deserve it, and even after everything I said you still provided us with some food, and a place to stay. We really appreciate it.”

“It’s quite alright,” I assured her, “It was a stressful time, and I’m sure my attitude didn’t make the situation any easier.”

The two of us fell silent for a moment, and Camille just glanced between us suspiciously.

“Have your people decided what they want to do next?” I asked, awkwardly, shifting slightly.

“Some want to ask if we can stay here, while others want to leave as soon as possible. It seems the ones that want to leave are split between those that don’t trust you and your people, and those that don’t want to cause you any more problems,” Selena explained.

“Well, you don’t have to make a decision right away, we’re not going to chase you away. You might even want to show up to the announcement tomorrow morning. It might influence your decision,” I said.

“We may just do that,” Selena smiled. “Thank you again for your hospitality.”

“No problem, see you tomorrow,” I replied, flashing a smile of my own.

I waited politely for Selena to slip back inside before turning away, and coming face to face with Camille. She was watching me, eyes wide with excitement, a maniacal grin on her face.

“What?” I asked suspiciously.

“Nothing!” she snapped, skipping away. “If you haven’t figured it out, I’m not going to tell you!” 

“You’re really going to pull something like this? After the day we’ve had?” I grumbled.

Camille laughed, waving to me over her shoulder as she disappeared around the corner. “See you tomorrow!”

“I hate you sometimes,” I grumbled.