“Alright, it’s not too bad. It still has some powers befitting a core, even if it has to go through a fuckton of conditions.” Quincy muttered to himself, his eyes exhausted from being up the whole night. He hardly had any sleep, as he spent the whole night tinkering with the interface for his new [maid core].

Every [core] originally, was the heart of some kind of magical dungeon that has since been removed from its original location and changed into something else. This process of ‘changing’ a core was a method lost to time, as the great archmages and warlocks of an earlier era battled each other to death.

Their legacy however, remains. Many great kingdoms and guilds controlled multiple magical cores each, and they deployed them in accordance with those [cores] conditions.

His eyes were drawn to that one particular notification from the core.

[Magical Maid Core Mission 1 - Transform a servant into a maid by having them wear any of the maid outfits, and link them to the core]

Well, at least he knew what he needed to do.

First mission, get Sara to wear a maid outfit! He briefly imagined the look of disgust Sara would have, but, oh well, for power! For research!

It also solved one of his concerns about his new mansion. There were no ghosts, just a magical core’s automated defenses where they used [fear] and [horror] on anyone who spent too much time in the mansion.

“Milord. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Sara walked in and observed the eyebags. Quincy stared back at his knight.

“Nothing like that at all.” Quincy said. A [core] was a power able to upset the balance of things, and linked to it’s owner. He spent months with Sara while in the capitol, but he wasn’t sure he could trust her with this. He trusted her enough, but this was something else. Not yet. “I just realized I needed to think about what I’m going to do in this place.”

He needed to be sure, and decided to talk about something else.

“One of the goals my father told me was to find allies for the family. I’ll need to make contact with the local guilds and see what sort of resources we can get our hands on, and be ready when the time comes to help.”

Sara nodded. “Bridgehill has an ancient dungeon that still spawns dragonlings in the deepest floors. It’s a bit far out of town, though”

Bridgehill was one of the twenty largest cities in the Kingdom, even though it wasn’t the largest.

The family’s enemies must have their own agents here. Publicly, their families are not at war. But anyone who did research would know the war for the throne was maneuvering in full swing. House Baxter, along with House Espar were one of the key allies of the 2nd Prince, Prince Nerin. Allied to the 3rd Prince, Prince Wezin, were Houses Westin and House Soren, and the Twinstars Guild. Allied to the 4th Prince Furin, were House Alais and House Rundra, along with segments of the assassins guild.

He could do his bit here, and weaken his enemies’ allies, and so he looked at Sara. “We’ll split up and go find out about the city?”

“You don’t want me to be with you?”

Quincy paused. That was a fair point. “You’re right. Let’s just check out the city together today.”

***

Quincy knew how to fight. He wasn’t a genius at it, but he was trained to be decent. He had a small dagger on his belt, and under his sleeves are padded wrist guards. His shirt looked ordinary, but there was a layer of strengthened, enhanced leather for protection.

He was a young [Lord], but he knew from young that their world was one filled with snakes all ready to strike. He even looked different. His father gave him a facial changing potion before he left, permanently changing the color of his from blonde to black, sharpened his jaws slightly and made him look a bit more tanned.

Right now, there are only about ten people who know he’s Quincy Baxter. His father, mother, and his siblings, and the knight-in-disguise next to him, Sara Greylane.

Sara also took a similar appearance altering potion, to hide her origins, and he was fairly certain his father covered his tracks and did the proper due diligence on her background and her loyalty.

“Where do you have in mind, Quinn?”

“I’d actually like to eat out.”

“Oh?”

Quincy checked his pocket and pulled out 3 silver coins from his [Lord]’s ability, [Daily Stipend]. “I thought our food was a little unsatisfying and wanted to eat something proper before actually doing the hard stuff. Maybe get us some new clothes too.”

Sara looked at her employer, and nodded.

They walked past a massive construction in the center of Bridgehill itself, and noticed the mansion’s location was superb. It was located at the heart of the city, close to all the big buildings and institutions a noble would need, and yet, because of its’ perpetual haunted status, the entire area was mostly abandoned. No noble worth their money wanted to own a home near a haunted site.

The businessman in him naturally knew he needed to buy over all the neighboring mansions from the land office, because once the fact that the mansion was no longer haunted was revealed, the value would shoot up.

There were a few popular market streets in Bridgehill. It was barely time for lunch, but they eventually settled at a small eatery named Robert’s Eating House located across Bridgehill’s Han Bank.

Well, to be fair, Quincy chose the place because he saw a maid standing at the door waiting for customers.

All the waitresses had maid outfits. Was that a thing here?

“Quinn, you’re staring at their outfits.” Sara said, mildly blushing.

Quincy’s eyes darted back at Sara. “Oh. I didn’t realize.”

“They look that good, eh?”

“They do, actually.” Quincy admitted, and then realized this was a good time to lead Sara into what he wanted. “Sara, would you try those outfits on?”

“A maid outfit?” She was stunned by the sudden redirection, and then blushed really red.

“Yes.”

She steamed, her face as red as a tomato. “...if you insist.”

“I insist.” Quincy decided to press on anyway. If she gave the opening, he’d be a fool not to take it. “I’ll get one made for you, and I’d like to see you wearing.”

“-okay.” Sara answered softly, her face and ears were reddish.

Quincy nodded. There seemed like a possibility that she liked him. That’s something he suspected and that helps the case that she’s probably not going to spring a surprise and kill him. Unless she was crazy. Then he’s fucked.

The food that came was average, but Sara’s mind was still thinking about the maid outfit..

“Quinn. Are- are you serious about the maid outfit?”

“Yes. They look cute, and I think you’ll look quite good at it.”

Sara’s face turned red once more, even without any accompanying wine. “You’re teasing me.”

“I am.” Quincy shrugged. The waitress came over to serve them some sides, Quincy immediately took the chance to ask the waitress where they got their beautiful uniforms. “Miss, where do you get these beautiful maid outfits? Is it common to see them?”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Ah, they’re really popular here, apparently there was a boom in maid outfits a few decades ago that never quite went away. So there’s quite a few masters that work on them. It’s always so cold up north, and there are some [outfitters] and [tailors] that make these uniforms come with [warm] and [cool] effects. They are cute too, which helps attract customers.”

“Any particular tailors or institutions that you would recommend?” Quincy asked.

“Madam Whitestone is reputable, but she charges a lot for it.” The waitress nodded, and noticed there was another customer that requested her attention. She bowed. “Thank you, I must go.”

Quincy watched the waitress-in-a-maid uniform go, and then turned back to Sara. “Alright, let’s check out this Madam Whitestone.” The bill came up to about 80 bronze coins, so he got twenty bronze coins back for his single silver.

***

‘Madam Whitestone’s Apparels’ was more of a place for maid uniforms than high fashion. The place was located on West 19th Street, and was just two streets down from Robert’s Eating House. The windows had maid uniforms on display, and Sara imagined herself in them. Somehow, it embarrassed her enough that she didn’t know where to put her face.

“Greetings.” A grumpy lady was at the counter when Quincy walked in, Sara just close behind. The usually confident knight was unusually timid, but it wasn’t the first time Quincy saw her this way. “Is this Madam Whitestone’s?”

The grumpy lady stared at Quincy. “You look like you can read.”

“Yes I can.”

“Of course it’s Madam Whitestone’s. What do you want? A cute maid outfit for that girl behind ya?”

“Uh- Well, yes.” Quincy nodded. “That happens to be exactly what I want. How do you know?”

“I usually sell maid outfits. If you want something other than maid outfits, you’ll have to go somewhere else.”

The young lord looked at the grumpy lady, and laughed. “I happen to be on the market for maid outfits. What do you recommend for this beautiful young lady over here? Something comfortable.”

Sara’s face flushed, and the grumpy Madam Whitestone walked over, poked at some parts of her muscle and fat. “Are you one of those costumed play aficionados?”

The knight’s once red-tinted face now turned even more red. Quincy was unshaken, and shrugged. “Perhaps. Why do you ask?”

“She’s a fighter. And you want her to wear a maid uniform. What else could it be other than some kinky bedroom stuff.”

Sara wanted to correct her there, and Quincy stopped her by holding her hand. “Well, will that be a problem?”

“Eh, not at all. I’m just curious, since I’d give better advice if you tell me what it’s for. I have different maid apparels, of different quality and textures.” The Madam said, and pulled Sara to a book of different types of cloth. “Feel the cloth, which one do you like?”

Sara paused. “Ah- Uh...”

“I know your man’s type, he’s the type where money’s no object. What’s important is whether you like it or not.”

Quincy paused, he was about to tell Sara to choose whatever she liked. But it seemed the Madam had gotten a read on him, and the [Lord] couldn’t help feel amused.

“I’ll give you some recommendations. These are different types of silk linings, we have cotton, we have wool, but generally, for your type, you should go for the strong, confident and cool type of maid.” The madam plucked out five pages, and Quincy noted they were detachable from the book, and suddenly, the annoyed madam was replaced by an extremely passionate lady. “I highly recommend these silk and satin linings, they are super smooth on your skin and they feel amazing. It’s also great on the bed.”

Quincy laughed and Sara choked. A glare from Madam Whitestone made Sara regain her focus. Sara didn’t know what she was looking at. They all felt nice, and she looked at Quincy for help. Quincy nodded and answered on her behalf. “We’ll try whatever you recommend, Madam Whitestone. We’re new at this sort of... play.”

Madam Whitestone sniggered. “Well, I wouldn’t want to ruin a young couple’s fun, isn’t it? So, come with me.”

“Couple?!” Sara was bewildered.

Quincy laughed. “Go along with it. And we’d like it quick, actually.”

“Ooooh. Can’t wait to get down to it.” The old madam placed a hand on Quincy’s shoulder. “Young man, good things come to those who wait. Well, but I suppose you can try some of these off the shelf, all it needs is just a little quick adjustment and it should fit quite nicely. Come.”

Quincy and Sara walked deeper into the shop, and then, the old madam zoomed over some racks.

“Do you like knee length, or longer?”

“Longer.” Sara said. The knight was slender, and was fairly tall. She had an athletic build, her physique augmented by her [Knight] class.

“Alright, then this one. Try it on.”

“-try it on?!”

“Of course you need to try it on. I need to make adjustments. Young man, wait here. This might take a while.”

He nodded. “Sure, I’ve got all day.”

Sara followed the madam somewhat reluctantly to the changing room, but she already agreed to do whatever her master commanded, and this was all for their scheme.

Quincy was relieved. He was fairly certain that Sara was loyal, next he just needed to see what she’d do if given power, and if he was vulnerable, back at the mansion.

He heard some unusual yelps and whines as he waited for the two ladies to finish adjusting.

About two hours later, Sara came out looking really red and embarrassed, and Madam Whitestone came out with two sets of maid uniforms. “Well, they’re done. You can try it at home.”

“What will it cost?”

“2 silvers.”

Sara’s eyes almost popped at the price. That was a lot of money for clothes, but then, it was really good quality.

***

The pair went to get some groceries to restock the mansion’s food stores, and then began the walk home. The walk home was fairly boring, and Quincy merely teased the embarrassed Sara. “She seems like quite a nice lady. I heard some unusual sounds, though.”

“She touched some strange places.”

“Oh dear. You should have scolded her.”

“She said she needed to take measurements!”

“She seems quite high level. I bet she doesn’t actually need to touch you to do it.” Quincy laughed.

Sara just sighed. “I know. I think she’s at least level 30.”

The two continued to walk home.

Bridgehill was a sprawling city with multiple districts, and the sun hadn't set yet. The route back to his mansion took him through an old lookout point that had a view of Bridgehill and the ports. There were a few other lookout points, some of them were actual forts still in use by Bridgehill’s local defense force.

“Let’s just- let’s just wait here a while.” Quincy said, as he realized the view. He loved these sort of scenic views, and missed the calmer days of his youth.

But it is what it is.

He looked at the city, there was a [Duke] that ruled Bridgehill, Duke Beneton Carm. House Carm, which the Duke leads, is an unaligned house, and is considered a regional house, as its power and influence is restricted only to Bridgehill.

Quincy sat, and felt exhaustion seep into his body. He had been holding it back.

Sara walked over, a little closer. “Quinn?”

Quincy sighed. “We’ve got a lot to do.”

The knight nodded. “I know.”

“Can I count on you?” He looked and stared at Sara’s eyes, and she didn’t flinch. She nodded.

He was a [Lord], Level 12.

He had five abilities, all of which were slightly powerful and honestly gave him an advantage over others.

[Price awareness], which gave him a rough sense of how much things should cost.

[Enhanced Abilities] which made him, on average, just better at most things. It didn’t make him a master, but he learned faster, moved faster, and was generally healthier. It was such an overpowered advantage since he was essentially a jack of all trades, and it was an ability commonly seen in [nobles] which gave them an advantage over everyone else.

[Daily Stipend] which gave him 3 silvers a day

[Lord’s Subjects] which allowed him to bless up to three subjects and enhance their abilities.

Then his level 10 capstone skill, [Lord’s Home], which allowed him to designate a location as his [Home], and those he identified as friends or allies would have significantly higher stats when fighting under the influence of [Lord’s Home].

He started with one, and would get a skill at levels ending with 3, 6 and 9, so he should get a new skill when he turned level 13. There’s also a class upgrade at level 20, which should transform almost all his abilities.

Sara was a [Knight], level 18. She said she had seven skills.

[Restore Shield], [Enhanced Physique], [Attack Nullification], [Weapon Bleed], [Battle Burst], [Enhanced defenses] and her capstone was [Knight’s Stand]. Her capstone essentially made her stronger when protecting her [Lord].

Anyone could lie about their skills, because no one could actually see what skills another had, and skills or spells that ‘identified’ what skills are people had only revealed estimates or rough categories of what those skills were.

In theory, her skills made her Quincy’s perfect bodyguard, since the mutual reinforcement meant she could fight way above her level.

But if they had to fight, that was generally a bad sign. Their prime resource now was their relative anonymity, and right now, they are nothing more than a wealthy scion buying a haunted home.

***

Quincy cooked dinner again, but he didn’t sleep much. So, he didn’t notice when Sara walked in wearing the maid uniform they bought.

“-master.” She called, and Quincy darted to see his confident [knight] dressed in a black and white frilly maid costume. The maid uniform was black and white, with a black inner dress that went down to her knees, and a white frilly apron on top.

He felt his heart stop, as his eyes gazed on the beauty before him. He had never realized how good Sara looked, but the maid uniform really accentuated her features. “Oh the goddesses.”

Sara twirled around, trying her best to exude her usual confidence. “How do I look?”

“Amazing.” If Quincy didn’t have a maid fetish, now he did.

[Maid outfit detected. Do you wish to link the outfit to the [Magical Maid Core]?]

Fucking hell. Why did they even ask?

Yes.