Somewhere on the continent.
A dark and towering temple.
Massive obsidian pillars stood firmly on both sides, forming a long corridor.
Freya, the Thorn Witch, gritted her teeth as she painfully moved her body, walking step by step toward the central hall.
"Freya, you have failed."
A voice devoid of emotion rang out.
On the central platform, a woman wrapped in a black cloak stood there, looking down coldly at the Thorn Witch.
"Do you know how much effort we spent to get this opportunity?"
"To divert Winter Spring Valley's attention, we had to expose the ancient elven ruins. To prevent other high-ranking beings from noticing this operation, we lost so many resources and personnel at the continent's borders!"
"Do you understand?"
The Thorn Witch bit her teeth and lowered her head, not daring to say a word.
Originally... everything had been going according to plan.
In the west, far from Moonlily City, they used the excavated ancient elven ruins to divert Winter Spring Valley's attention.
They created disturbances at the borders, forcing the powers in the continent's heartland to dispatch forces to other regions.
Even summoning the Blood Domain Demon Lord had been successful.
They were really just one step away.
The Blood Domain Demon Lord could have obtained half of the Violet Lord's divine authority.
And once it returned to the abyss with the divine authority, the already-prepared servants of the Demon Lord would immediately take action to seize it.
This was their ultimate plan.
Everything was meant to awaken the Demon Lord from his endless slumber.
But... the plan failed.
The Thorn Witch bit her lip until it nearly bled, her eyes full of hatred, and said:
"High Priestess, this failure is my responsibility, but I truly didn't expect that Moonlily City would harbor such a powerful being..."
"Even a demon of the Blood Domain Demon Lord's rank was no match, I... I..."
Her face was bitter, yet she felt utterly powerless.
Because they had been so close.
The great Demon Lord they served could have possibly returned...
With divine authority of the same semi-divine rank, their Demon Lord would surely have been pleased...
A long sigh.
On the high platform, the woman slowly removed her hood, revealing long ears and silver hair.
She turned around, lifted her head, her red eyes gazing at the tall and gloomy statue behind her.
It depicted a man in bone-colored armor, wielding a giant sword, seated upon a throne.
His eyes were closed, his face beneath the helmet was void, and his massive demon wings seemed to represent infinite power. Even as just a statue, merely sitting there, it inspired an urge to worship.
This was the first among the ten Demon Lords of the Abyss.
Known as the Foundation of Hell, the Fallen Angel, the first to unite the entire Abyssal plane - the Demon King.
[Lucifer Lin]
Looking at the name inscribed in Abyssal text beneath the statue.
The silver-haired witch took a deep breath, her eyes flickering with reminiscence.
Before her.
On the altar lay several books representing their ancient heritage.
"The Thousand-Year History of the Demon Lord's Maid Corps"
"Daily Care Guidelines for Lord Lucifer"
"Strict Selection of Maids and Early Childhood Moral Education"
"The Correct Positions for How the Maid Corps Leader Was Pushed Down by the Domineering Demon Lord (Secret Edition)"
Swish swish—
The silver-haired witch quickly and discreetly hid the last little book.
Maintaining her dignified expression, her red eyes turned to Freya and said:
"What happened in Moonlily City indeed cannot be entirely blamed on you, but Freya, I hope you haven't forgotten our order's original purpose."
The Thorn Witch's body trembled slightly as she bit her lip and said:
"Yes, Madam Leader."
The silver-haired witch turned around, looking down at her coldly: "Tell me, what are we?"
The Thorn Witch raised her head, trying her best to stand straight, and said through gritted teeth:
"We are Lord Lucifer's most loyal maids, Lord Lucifer's right and left hands, the strongest maid corps serving the First Demon Lord of the Abyss!"
The silver-haired witch paced, speaking coldly:
"Correct, you must remember, no matter where we are, no matter what our identity is, we are Lord Lucifer's most loyal maids!"
"Although Lord Lucifer has been sleeping for a thousand years, as long as we exist, we will never allow anyone to challenge His Majesty's dignity!"
"What is our motto?!" The silver-haired witch suddenly turned, asking sternly.
The witches on the surrounding platforms removed their hoods, their eyes burning with fervor, shouting in unison:
"Serve Lord Lucifer forever!!"
The silver-haired witch nodded, her eyes softening with satisfaction.
They were the Abyssal Order spreading fear across the continent, the witches whom the world despised.
But only core members knew.
Their true identity was Lord Lucifer's First Combat Maid Corps.
They were the First Demon Lord's personal maids and harem candidates.
Her eyes flickered with memories.
She vaguely remembered.
Over a thousand years ago, she was just a skinny little elf lost in the Abyss.
If she hadn't met the great Lord Lucifer, she would have likely died at the hands of chaotic demons long ago.
She still remembered clearly.
His Majesty loved to sit on the throne in contemplation, his gaze distant as he looked out at the endless sky.
That lonely and melancholic aura still haunted her thoughts to this day.
She remembered.
The Demon Lord's favorite fruit from the mortal realm was something called "strawberries." In his leisure time, he would sit in his study quietly enjoying them while they, his little maids, stood respectfully by his side...
What a warm and touching time that was.
She turned her head.
Looking at the nearby "strawberry" statue that was revered as their totem, her eyes filled with passion.
She remembered.
When she first became a member of the maid corps, she was responsible for cutting the Demon Lord's nails.
Once, due to her clumsiness, she accidentally cut His Majesty's nails too short. She was so frightened she nearly cried, thinking the Demon Lord would punish her...
But His Majesty just gently patted her head.
"It's alright, take your time."
Thinking of this, her eyes instantly became wet.
What a gentle voice that was...
To show such tenderness to someone as lowly and weak as herself...
From that moment on, she vowed to serve Lord Lucifer forever, to become His Majesty's personal maid, and if possible, to offer her body...
So she had been learning various positions since she was a little girl...
But who could have imagined...
A thousand years ago, during the period when the Violet Lord of the main world was battling the gods, His Majesty would suddenly fall into slumber.
And hasn't awakened since...
The most painful thing in the world is learning all the positions but having no chance to use them...
She took a deep breath, sadly wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye.
After a while.
Having regained her dignified composure.
She turned around and spoke down authoritatively:
"Freya, although this failure isn't entirely your responsibility, you cannot escape blame!"
"In my capacity as the leader of Lord Lucifer's First Combat Maid Corps, I temporarily relieve you of your position as reserve vice-leader of the maid corps. Go clean the toilets in His Majesty's demon palace for a month! Do you understand?!"
Freya trembled greatly, tears in her eyes, saying: "Leader... I... I..."
The silver-haired witch looked down at her coldly, saying: "You should know that members of the First Maid Corps are the elite of the elite, they are His Majesty's reserve harem members. Both appearance and ability must be at the absolute peak."
"Since you failed, you must accept the organization's arrangements! Understand?!"
Freya gritted her teeth and said: "Yes! Madam Leader! For His Majesty's glory!!"
...
Meanwhile, in Winter Spring Valley.
Inside the wizard's tower.
Nanako could be seen with a flushed face, one hand grabbing her ponytail, the other pressing against the buttons on her chest, saying:
"M-Master... do we... do we really have to do this... it... it will hurt..."