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Tafel landed in front of the building’s entrance. There weren’t any knights in front of it, so she pushed open the door and strode inside. Even if there were guards, she would’ve ignored them just the same. The interior of the building was pretty bland, the majority of the furniture and paintings having an earthy tone. The interior, just like the exterior, was large. The ceiling was far from the ground, and it made Tafel wonder how people lit the candles on the walls that were used for lighting. They must’ve used some sort of stick, and it would’ve taken a long time to light up the whole hallway. She shook her head and got rid of her distracting thoughts. As she rounded a corner, Tafel bumped into a maid.
“Oh, sorry,” the maid said and raised her head. She froze, and the cleaning materials in her hands dropped to the ground. The maid’s mouth opened, but before she could scream, Tafel stretched her hand forward and covered the maid’s mouth.
“Sshh,” Tafel said and raised one finger to her lips. The maid hiccoughed and sniffled, tears forming in her eyes. Tafel’s expression turned dark, but after she guessed the maid’s response was due to a sudden intruder and not due to the fact she was a demon, her expression softened again. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to know where the owner of this castle is located. I’m going to let your mouth go now; don’t scream, okay?”
The maid nodded, the tears in her eyes falling down, leaving streaks on her cheeks. Tafel retracted her hand, and the maid took in a deep breath before wiping her eyes with her sleeves. “The master is in his study,” the maid said, her lips trembling. Her eyes shifted up, glancing at Tafel’s horns, before drifting back down. “Are, are you here because of Mr. Luther?”
“Mr. Luther?” Tafel asked. “Is that Frederick III’s last name?”
“No.” The maid shook her head. “Mr. Luther is a priest who was excommunicated by the pope. I heard those who are excommunicated have been abandoned by God, m-making it easy for devils to claim their souls.”
Tafel exhaled through her nose. “And this Mr. Luther is being harbored by Frederick III?” She raised an eyebrow. A priest who was excommunicated, didn’t that mean he was on bad terms with the church? Maybe he’d be like Thomas and help her lead the uprising. “Take me to Frederick III first.”
“Mr. Luther and my master are having a meal together in my master’s study,” the maid said. “I can take you there.” She bit her lower lip. “Are you … going to hurt my master?”
“Uh.” Tafel scratched her head. “Probably … not?”
“Oh,” the maid said and hung her head.
Tafel furrowed her brow. “Why? It seems like you’re disappointed?”
“No, not at all,” the maid said and shook her head back and forth. “My master treats me very well.” She bent down and picked up her cleaning tools, clutching the handle of her feather duster so hard that her fingers turned white. “Please, follow me.”
The hall was pretty empty, and the duo didn’t run into anyone else. “Aren’t there supposed to be knights?” Tafel asked after following the maid up a flight of stairs.
“They stay in the barracks,” the maid said and pointed out a window. “It’s that building over there. Only maids and butlers stay in the master’s building. However, it’s currently lunchtime, and most of them are working in the kitchens.”
“Oh.” Tafel nodded. “How convenient.”
The maid resisted the urge to glance back at Tafel. She stopped in front of a massive wooden door and gestured towards it. “It’s always locked, but I can knock on it if you’d like.”
“No, that’s fine,” Tafel said. She smiled at the maid. “You can leave now. Also, after today, there won’t be anyone stopping the peasants in this town from rebelling. If you’re one of the privileged that they hate, you should probably flee. If you’re a peasant, well, it’s going to be a good day for you.”
The maid froze for a second before nodding. Then she turned around and left without looking back. Tafel stared at her until she disappeared around a corner. Then she pressed her ear against the study’s door. It was cold, cooling down her cheek. It was a shame she couldn’t press her ear fully flushed against the door thanks to one of her horns getting in the way. After listening for a short moment, she concluded eavesdropping was hopeless. She grabbed the door’s handle and pushed, but as the maid said, it was locked. Should she knock? Tafel rubbed her chin. Though she hadn’t studied much when she was younger, she was still the demon lord, ruler of all the demons back home. She knew how to act like a leader and knocking while waiting gave the initiative to the other party. Great leaders always took the initiative. Thus, Tafel pressed her palm against the door. A layer of ice spread out from her hand and engulfed the whole door. She clenched her hand into a fist, and the door shattered into hundreds of thousands of crystalline shards.
Inside the study, two men dropped their forks. They were sitting across from each other, both of their heads turned to face the shattered door. One of them was dressed in black robes, and the other was wearing a fur coat that made him look very plump. Tafel’s head swiveled from side to side, glancing at both of the men. “Greetings, gentlemen.”
“D-devil,” the man in the fur coat said. His face paled, completely devoid of blood. He stared at the man in the black robes and swallowed. “M-Martin, I think she’s here for you.”
The man dressed in black robes, Martin Luther, had his mouth agape. He had heard rumors of a devil working with Thomas Müntzer, but he hadn’t actually believed it! At most, he thought it was propaganda the crazed priest was spreading. Originally, he had left the safety of a different castle and came here to deal with the peasant uprising. He thought it’d be enough to convince Müntzer, but it turns out there was actually a devil! Martin regained his composure and took in a deep breath. “Yes? May I know what you’re here for? How should I address you?”
“Call me Tafel,” Tafel said. She walked up to the table and conjured a chair made of ice behind herself, taking a seat. She smiled at the two men. “Let’s have a chat.”
“I think I’ll leave you two to talk alone now,” the man in the fur coat said, standing up.
A fireball appeared in the air behind Tafel’s back. She interlaced her fingers and placed her hands onto her lap. “No, I don’t think you’ll do that. Have a seat, Frederick.”