Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem

Zach knew that the Systines deserved their reputation for being the wealthies family in the Empire But Violina was humble, and her allowance was nowhere near his, so he had brazenly assumed her family would also have some humility.

The mansion that was more like a fortress wall as it faced the ocean towered high and spread wide. Even from the side, it looked huge. As if that wasn't enough, it was clean. It was made of expensive materials like marble, pearl, gold, and things that Zach couldn't name but knew were expensive.

He had no doubt in his mind that his family, the Evandiels, could also afford it. But they would never waste so much money on it.

The gaudy estate was enough to distract Zach from how tired he was, and he quickly recovered from the exhausting full-day sprint that Sio had dragged him through.

"Ptui." Sio spat on the ground next to him, making Zach look away from the mansion.

"Every time I come back here, it only gets worse," he complained with a disdainful look.

Zach looked between Sio and the estate.

"Can't you do something about it?" He asked. He was sure Sio would have influence over the Systines.

"I can." Sio shrugged. "But it needs to be this bad to continue attracting the pirates."

"Attracting the pirates?" Zach parroted in confusion.

"Pirates are a bunch of weirdos. But the one thing that unites them all is greed and lust for treasure. So, one guy—I don't know who—came up with the idea that, instead of going out to look for them like a needle in an endless, watery haystack, we could just bring them to us. It isn't a popular method since the Systines are the only ones who can defend against a pirate attack of the level necessary to even try taking anything from this place.

"But with each successful defense, their reputation among the pirates spread. So, in order to keep attracting more of them, they need to throw out more bait. Eventually, their greed is enough for them to try. And a bunch of them are wiped from the ocean for a while." Sio sighed wistfully.

"But the life of a pirate is too alluring. There's always more."

"Really?" Zach had his doubts. "Even if someone as strong as you continuously get rid of them?"

"First of all, kid. I'm not unbeatable. Secondly, I can only be in one place. Thirdly, I am too old for that shit. Fourthly." Sio looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping before continuing, "Geezers and hags like me stay out of the youngsters' businesses. If we start going around causing trouble, there would be no end to the bloodshed." Sio shared a not-completely-secret secret with Zach. It was in part as a way to repay him for the information that Zach shared about the twelfth Trial.

Since it was more of an open secret that most people above a certain level in the Empire knew about, Zach would find it out sooner or later. It couldn't compare to the value of the information on the twelfth Trial.

Zach's eyes widened slightly at Sio's words. It shed light on a dark corner of the world he lived in. He had just assumed that older people didn't like to fight or that there wasn't anyone above a certain level. He didn't know anyone old and monstrously strong or the details of the higher levels of strength.

He had just passively not thought much more than that. It hadn't interested him that much.

But then Zach frowned. He had thought of something that didn't align with what Sio had said.
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"What about the principal? Isn't he pretty old and strong by now?"

Sio's face scrunched up like he had drunk a glass of concentrated lemon juice.

"...He's 'still young.'" Sio made air quotes with his fingers, his face still contorted.

Zach was wise enough not to ask any more questions. Sio clearly didn't like the principal. Zach felt it was good not knowing too much about the principal.

That didn't mean he wasn't curious, though. But Sio couldn't be his source of information.

However, Sio had just revealed that there were others like him, who would probably know more than the supposedly impartial library at the Academy, which didn't even mention the principal.

"You were looking for your friends, right? As long as they aren't pirates, I'm sure the Systines can help you find them." Sio eagerly moved on from the dire topic Zach had brought up.

"Yeah, almost definitely. One of them is a Systine, after all."

Sio's head whipped to the side to look at Zach almost as intensely as when they talked about the Labyrinth.

"...I'm guessing you aren't hanging out with someone in your parents' age."

"Nope. My age. Violina Systine—"

Sio patted Zach on the shoulder.

"Thanks for telling me," he said before jumping up. He soared through the sky and crashed through the roof at the center of the uselessly big mansion.

Almost instantly, an alarm started blaring. Zach saw and heard people start to shout and prepare for a pirate attack, but only a couple of moments later, a tall man with a full head of hair and a thick blue beard stood on the roof.

"FALSE ALARM." His voice overpowered the alarms. The alarms died down, and people returned to their everyday business. The only difference was a lingering curiosity about what or who had used the roof as an entrance.

However, the state of high alert made people more wary. It didn't take long for a wandering patrol to notice Zach and his maid at the outskirts of the estate.

It was perfect timing. There was a tiny stretch of trees between the hill he was on and the mansion.

Logically speaking, it should never have been enough to make him get lost.

But Zach wasn't willing to take that chance. He had the guards escort him to the estate to confirm his identity before looking for his 'friends.' It wasn't the first time a swanky young spoiled noble came looking for Violina under that pretense, after all.