Surviving As An Obsessive Servant Chapter 155

It seemed that this child had gone against the will of the Difs to leave the forest.

In that sense, at least, they had something in common.

Lazlith, too, had joined this expedition despite her family’s strong opposition.

But just as her first impression of the child had suggested—someone with little to no empathy—he said nothing else.

…How can I win this kid over?

Lazlith felt a headache coming on.

Still, she refused to give up and kept trying to talk to him.

Perhaps her persistence paid off.

Eventually, she learned the child’s name.

“Hey, Darden. Try this.”

Darden, who had seemed utterly uninterested in anything, showed a rare flicker of curiosity toward the snack she offered.

Or rather, toward its scent.

Lazlith seized the opportunity and kept the conversation going.

“You know, if you go to the mainland, you can eat as much of this as you want. And even better things too.”

“…….”

“You could even see a king.”

She watched for any reaction and, when she didn’t get one, continued, offering information he hadn’t even asked for.

It was the kind of story that would normally entice a child.

“Do you know what a king is? A king is the most powerful human—he owns unimaginable wealth and strength.”

Setting aside her own grievances about kings, Lazlith exaggerated on purpose.

She had to win him over somehow.

She needed him to express some interest in seeing a king for himself.

“A king doesn’t make things with his own hands. Everything—from creating to serving food—is done by those below him.”

“……Rank?”

Darden was intelligent but ignorant of human society.

Since the Difs had no hierarchy, Lazlith explained human civilization, kings, and social classes to him.

She even took the opportunity to grumble about the king, who had recently trampled over the Pope’s authority in his pursuit of immortality.

Darden paid no mind to her complaints. But he was interested in the power and influence that the king wielded.

“Oh.”

When she finished speaking, Darden suddenly broke into a smile—a bright, innocent smile like any other child’s.

“So there is something called a king?”

It was the first time she had seen him smile.

And it was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen.

Yet, something about it unsettled her.

From the moment they met, Darden had given her a chilling feeling.

But now… that eerie sensation was growing stronger.

A short while later, he did something strange.

…Why is he throwing stone tablets into the sea?

The tablets drifted with the waves, glowing faintly.

Lazlith, watching nearby, couldn’t hold back her curiosity and approached him.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m preparing a festival for the king’s birthday. So I need to summon every single one of my kind who has left for the mainland.”

…Was this some kind of game?

Lazlith felt a twinge of unease but chose not to press him further.

Because in that moment, Darden’s face held an unchildlike, chilling expression.

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

“Hey, Darden! You have to come back tomorrow!”

How annoying.

Darden barely acknowledged Lazlith’s farewell as he turned away.

The mere existence of a human wasn’t particularly interesting to him.

But the stories humans told? Those were intriguing.

…A king, huh.

Darden had been born with extraordinary abilities—abilities that even his entire race acknowledged.

He could wield purification and spirit magic with ease and had even created new magical formulas of his own.

According to Dif traditions, those blessed with power had a duty to use it for their people.

So, from a young age, Darden had been tasked with patrolling the outskirts of the forest and reinforcing its barriers.

But after hearing about humans, he began to feel something new—resentment.

…Why am I the strongest, yet I have to work the hardest?

It was the complete opposite of how humans lived.

In human society, those with power and authority ruled over others freely. Why were the Difs so different?

Darden started to feel that it was unfair—someone as intelligent and capable as him should not have to share or serve others.

And so, human society seemed appealing.

According to that woman, someone like him wouldn’t even need to lift a finger in the human world.

If he left this dull forest, he could start a new life.

Not just that—he could rule over the entire continent.

Not just the Difs, but humans, too.

Darden had already made up his mind.

He gathered the adults and spoke.

“The humans are planning to invade our land.”

The Difs had already been on edge after spotting the wreckage of human ships drifting in the sea.

Darden’s earlier trick—sending stone tablets into the ocean—had drawn back many Difs from the mainland, reinforcing his claim.

“The humans of Terua seek our land for eternal life.”

“We can’t let their foolish desires come to pass. This time, we must unite and defend our home.”

They followed him to the beach, where Lazlith had once stayed.

Darden had hidden her in a cave—but he had deliberately left traces of her presence behind.

Now that everything was set, he feigned ignorance.

“I saw nothing when I patrolled.”

“……What should we do?”

“If even I couldn’t find them, then the humans must have grown incredibly powerful. We need to prepare our defenses.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“We must gather our power and reinforce our barriers. If we do that, no one will ever breach our lands again.”

As all eyes turned to him, Darden said the words he had always despised.

“I’ll do it.”

“We’ll trust you.”

Idiots.

Darden watched his people, gathered around the World Tree, pooling their strength into its roots.

But soon, he would be the one absorbing that power.

At last, he cast the forbidden spell.

As expected of a young Dif, his ability to absorb energy was unparalleled.

He siphoned everything—the immense power of the World Tree, and with it, the very life force of his own people.

The Difs collapsed without so much as a scream.

Dark blotches, like a spreading disease, covered their bodies—a consequence of the forbidden magic.

Even the World Tree, which had flourished for millennia, began to wither.

Its once-vibrant leaves turned sickly yellow, and its mighty bark cracked apart.

“……”

Darden stared at the scene with cold indifference.

There was no reason to save them. No reason to care.

But then—something unexpected happened.

“……What?”

His power, which had been flowing into him like fine threads, suddenly expanded—growing, shifting, escaping.

A hidden survivor?

That was the only possibility.

If someone had managed to avoid the ritual, then he needed to find them—

And kill them.

Darden turned toward the source.

A secluded hut stood alone in the distance.

His golden eyes gleamed ominously as he raised a hand, unleashing his power.

His rage was so overwhelming that the windows and doors of the hut shattered instantly.

Inside, a young child lay curled up beneath a blanket.

Just as Darden reached out to finish it off, the child opened its eyes.

Not the brilliant green of a full-blooded Dif, but—

…A half-blood?

It seemed that one of the Difs who had ventured to the mainland had secretly brought back a half-human child.

It made sense.

The Difs forbade unnecessary interaction with humans, so if someone had a half-human offspring, they would have hidden it.

But it didn’t matter.

Because Darden was about to kill it anyway.

The moment their eyes met, the child let out a powerful, wailing cry.

And then—

A gust of wind howled through the shattered windows.

Tiny shards of the splintered wooden frames scattered through the air.

And at that very moment—

A small sliver of wood slipped into the baby’s open mouth.

Darden’s entire body convulsed.

His pupils dilated in shock.

A sudden, excruciating pain—like a noose tightening around his neck—choked him.

Clutching at his throat with both hands, he staggered.

…Didn’t I absorb everything?

He didn’t even have time to think.

His bones, his nerves—every part of his body twisted in agony.

The power of the World Tree was rejecting him.

And then—

The baby swallowed the tiny wooden fragment that had entered its mouth.

At that moment, Darden’s power vanished.

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

“Ah, damn it. Damn it.”

Lazlith tied up her damp hair, her fingers moving in frustration.

She had tried to leave on the boat Darden had prepared for her, but the waves had suddenly turned violent, forcing her to turn back.

Now, she stood at the shore, biting her lip as she watched the raging sea, which seemed ready to swallow her whole.

She couldn’t understand how the once-calm weather had changed so drastically.

Attempting to sail now would be suicidal.

…Since he planned to send me back anyway, wouldn’t a Dif’s power help stabilize things a bit?

She honestly didn’t want to talk to him again, but…

With a sigh, Lazlith turned to look for Darden.

But no matter how much she called out, he didn’t come.

A strange feeling crept over her, and she decided to venture into the maze-like forest.

Darden was nowhere to be found, but oddly enough, a path she hadn’t seen before had appeared.

…Should I go in?

After hesitating, Lazlith took a cautious step forward.

Her wary eyes scanned the surroundings, but she saw nothing immediately dangerous.

Still, something was off.

The once-vibrant forest had an eerie stillness to it.

Perhaps it was the dark storm clouds hanging heavy in the sky. A faint drizzle had begun to fall as well.

She walked for a long time until she finally arrived at a place where rows of huts stood.

And in the center, she saw it—

A colossal tree, as grand as a royal palace.

Her mouth fell open in awe.

…This is the Difs’ stronghold.

Then, realization hit her, and she cursed under her breath.

She had left her journal behind.

She wanted nothing more than to capture that enormous tree in a drawing.

But something was wrong.

There wasn’t a single soul in sight. The village was deathly silent.

…What the hell? Did everyone leave?

Lazlith hesitated, then cupped her hands around her mouth and called out.

“Hello? Hello! Is anyone here? Darden! It’s me, Lazlith!!”

She waited near the entrance of the village, but no one appeared.

Her legs ached, her throat was hoarse, and after a long moment of uncertainty, she slowly stepped further inside.

Each hut was cozy and charming, covered in lush ivy.

But there was no sign of life.

A growing unease settled over her.

Just as she was about to turn back, a sound stopped her in her tracks—

…Crying?

A child’s cry.

Her unease sharpened into something colder.

Without hesitation, Lazlith ran toward the source of the sound.

And there—

She found a hut with its windows and doors completely shattered, reduced to splinters.

She could see straight inside from a distance.

Every instinct screamed at her to run.

But Lazlith didn’t move.

Because inside that hut—

There was a child.