The Hero Kicked Me Out of His Party, So I Turned Him into My Maid - Chapter 73

Vera paused, then said:

“Regardless, I believe your curse was inflicted by Sharina. Sharina comes from a race called the ‘Shadow Clan.’ That race lives in darkness and is skilled in all kinds of dark magic, including curses.”

“The Shadow Clan… Isn’t that the race that Livia, the strongest judge in legend, fought against?”

Ariel recalled the history books she had read in the palace:

“I remember the Shadow Clan was completely converted by Ella, Livia’s ‘wife,’ who led the Church of the Goddess of Light.”

Vera shook her head:

“No, one branch of the Shadow Clan once allied with the Light Clan, who are now the only remaining human race. In the end, that branch of the Shadow Clan gained the right to continue living in the Shadow Swamp.”

As Ariel listened, a chill ran through her:

“Salina is actually from the Shadow Clan…”

Normally, Shalina doesn’t communicate much with her teammates and never mentions the past.

While manipulating Karina to forcefully kiss Brian, Karina launched a furious attack on Sharina’s past, hitting her where it hurt. It seems Karina had already done some investigation.

Vera continued:

“And you should know that the Shadow Clan is actually located on the border of the continent. If Shalina really returns to her clan, it will be very difficult for you to find her.”

“Then I must find her. Although I can use this automaton to cast seventh-tier magic now, I can only cast it once. But if I break the curse, I will become stronger.”

Ariel deliberately used the word “stronger” to test whether Vera’s reconciliation was genuine.

Vera didn’t react to the words “become stronger,” she simply nodded.

“Speaking of curses, I have a favor to ask you. I suspect that’s also a curse.”

“My political officer felt an itch on his chest a few days ago, so he took off his clothes to check where it was red.”

“I had a doctor prescribe ointment for him, but after applying it for a few days, last night, while he was handling official business, he suddenly felt something bulging his clothes at the chest.”

“I was there too. I unbuttoned her clothes and found a small tree growing from her chest!”

?

Ariel couldn’t help but imagine the image of a small tree growing from her chest; it was truly bizarre.

“So, what you’re telling me is…”

“After all, you are someone who can unleash seventh-tier magic, making you one of the strongest in this lord’s territory. I was thinking of seeing if you had any clues. In my opinion, that is a curse.”

Ariel initially wanted to refuse. But then she thought back to the harmonious and friendly times they had shared in the team, and how it wouldn’t be right to refuse outright after finally reconciling with Vera.

“Let’s go take a look.”

▼

Things didn’t go as Ariel had imagined.

Ariel imagined a tree, about the length of a finger, growing from a man’s chest, so that even if the tree was cut down, he could still continue to move.

However, when Ariel arrived at the political officer’s room, she saw a woman lying on the bed with a greenish face. Her unbuttoned shirt covered the tops of her breasts, and a “small tree” that seemed to pierce the ceiling squeezed out from her chest, standing tall and lush.

Vera was also surprised and asked the doctor who was taking care of the government officials:

“I remember when I came to visit her this morning, the treetops were only just reaching her white sugar cakes.”

The doctor also looked surprised:

“Your Excellency, this tree was growing wildly just now, and it only stopped growing when you came in.”

“Fortunately, the political officer’s life is not in danger.”

Ariel found it strange:

“I’m a little curious. This tree is growing so fast, it should need a lot of nutrients. But I see that the Minister of State hasn’t lost weight because of it, which means that the nutrients are not coming from the Minister of State’s body.”

Vera pondered:

“Perhaps it comes from magic… but the civil servant’s magic isn’t strong, only at the level of a second-tier mage…”

“Master, please excuse me for interjecting.”

While Ariel and Vera were both completely baffled, Brienne suddenly interjected:

“Master, I believe this is the ‘Tree Soil’ curse from the Shadow Clan.”

Brienne’s sudden words caught Vera’s attention, and Vera looked Brienne up and down.

Ariel said:

“Brennie, tell me more.”

Having received her master’s command, Brienne dared to continue speaking:

“The ‘Tree Soil’ curse is about absorbing the ‘future’ of the cursed to make the tree grow.”

“The cursed one appears no different from an ordinary person, but with each growth of the tree, the cursed one’s lifespan decreases by several years. In the end, the cursed one will die from losing all of their lifespan.”

“What a vicious curse.”

Ariel couldn’t help but say.

Vera then asked Brienne:

“Is there any way to break the curse?”

Brienne shook her head:

“Like the ‘Magic Lock’ curse within its master, the ‘Tree Soil’ curse also has a deadlock. The cursed person can pay with all remaining lifespan to have the curse removed.”

Ariel also sighed:

“I also sought help from the Church of Light, and even found the church’s leader. He said that the Shadow Clan curse could be broken three hundred years ago, but the method to break it has now been lost.”

“Wouldn’t that mean…”

Vera crouched down next to the political official. The official couldn’t move his head, so he could only look at Vera out of the corner of his eye.

Vera said worriedly:

“I won’t let you go. I’ll send people to invite the Church of Light; someone will surely break your curse.”

The government official was barely breathing, and the marks of tree roots on his face were faintly visible.

“No…no need, Lord. You…you must be careful. I was cursed because I discovered…shadow clan traces in the city. The shadow clan…is plotting…something…”

As we say this, the sapling continued to grow, getting taller and taller, breaking through the ceiling, breaking through the third, fourth, and fifth floors…

At the moment the final government official died, half of the entire main building was crushed and replaced by this towering tree.

“…”

Vera kicked the tree, but the tree didn’t budge, and the government official’s body was completely decomposed and absorbed by the tree roots.

Ariel’s expression was gloomy, and she seemed to be gritting her teeth:

“The Shadow Clan is watching us. She saw us arrive and deliberately accelerated the outbreak of the curse.”

Vera nodded, flames continuously erupting from her palms:

“I understand. That person probably has a grudge against you and me; this is clearly a warning and a deliberate act of retaliation.”

Ariel leaped off the second floor, and the witch’s broom flew from afar, catching Ariel’s body steadily.

Driven by her search, Ariel flew around the city lord’s building several times, her eyes straining to see through everything hidden in the shadows.

When it comes to the Shadow Clan with whom one has a grudge, there is only one person:

Shalina.

Shalina must be here, hiding somewhere to satisfy her bored desire for revenge!