Touhou: I Became a Butler of the Scarlet Devil Mansion

That Time

After being taken in by Lady Remilia, she called the others who served her.

"Hm? Lady Remilia, who is this?" the maid asked, looking at me with a confused expression, yet she had her knives ready in her hands.

Is she going to use those on me...?

"Oh? Him? He's going to be the butler of the Scarlet Devil Mansion."

"Hmm... I see." The maid then bowed to me. "My name is Sakuya Izayoi. As you can see, I am wearing a maid uniform, but I am also a human."

"N-Nice to meet you too, Call me Shun."

She nodded.

"My turn then! My name is Hong Meiling, a gatekeeper!"

Gatekeeper? There's no one at the gates, though.

"Meling... You didn't think I noticed, but... you were sleeping again, didn't you..."

"E-Eek! I was not!"

"I see you're lying to me now?!"

Just then, a heavy aura enveloped us as we all focused on Lady Remilia.

"Enough now..."

Then, a timid-looking one introduced herself. "My name is Patchouli Knowledge."

I stayed silent, looking at her.

Wait... That's it?

"Now that you've met them..." Remilia glanced at Sakuya. "Sakuya, how about showing Shun around the mansion? Make sure he feels comfortable, but avoid certain areas."

"As you wish, Lady Remilia." Sakuya motioned for me to follow her.

I nodded, and we began our tour of the mansion. It was more than just a mansion; it felt like a grand castle.

The halls were expansive, and the windows, large and ornate. I couldn't help but wonder how a single maid managed the upkeep of this enormous place.

However, my wonderment was interrupted when I noticed fairies outside the windows. They were real, not mere figments of my imagination.

I rubbed my eyes in disbelief.

"Is something the matter?"

"Tell me, Sakuya, are those fairies real?" I pointed at the fairies wiping outside the windows.

"Yeah... Don't tell me you are not from the human village? It's normal in Gensokyo to have fairies unless you are from the outside world..."

Gensokyo...?

Sakuya looked at me, her expression troubled. "This is quite unexpected. It appears I let my guard down."

Suddenly, a figure burst through a window, landing in front of us. She was dressed as a shrine maiden.

I blinked, realizing that Sakuya was no longer standing beside me. She had somehow moved to a considerable distance.

I stared at the shrine maiden, who seemed determined.

"Release him and send him back to the outside world!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Shun is now one of us."

"Huh!? What the hell are you talking about!?"

Sakuya sighed. "You've trespassed and broken a window. It's my duty as a maid to clean up this 'mess.'"

With that, Sakuya drew her knives, and the shrine maiden readied her amulets and started fighting close distance.

Why are they fighting?!

The skirmish between Sakuya and the shrine maiden went on for a while, with the shrine maiden eventually emerging as the victor.

How did she even manage to beat the maid with a knife!?

"Now then... You! Come with me, you're not safe here!" the shrine maiden insisted.

W-What do you mean...!?"

"Ha? You don't even know where you are?! You're in the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and there are plenty of youkai here who could easily harm you, especially Remilia Scarlet! That vampire..."

"I'm aware of that," I interrupted.

"Then what are you waiting for!?"

"I know that because I am the butler of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, a loyal servant to Remilia Scarlet. I don't know who you are, but please leave before you get hurt."

I picked up one of the knives that Sakuya had thrown during the fight and took a defensive stance.

The shrine maiden simply stared at me, her expression one of disbelief, and then she sighed, rubbing her head.

"Alright... If you're really one of them, then I'll exterminate you!" the shrine maiden declared, throwing one of her amulets before flying straight toward me.

Instinct took over. I knew what to do.

"RUN!"

I spun around and sprinted down the hallways, narrowly avoiding her amulets and needles as they whizzed past me.

"Eek!"

"What?! You're surprisingly fast for a normal human!" she exclaimed, clearly surprised.

"Because I've been trained, you short-tempered shrine maiden!" I shot back.

"Who are you calling 'short-tempered'!"

"For starters, why would a shrine maiden try to harm me!"

I glanced back and noticed she was attempting to kick me. I came to a sudden stop, ducking under her foot, and then sprinted toward where the battle had taken place, where I retrieved the knife that had fallen to the ground.

"Stop running!" she shouted.

I glanced back, determination in my eyes. "Never!!"

I wasn't about to let this shrine maiden catch me without a fight.

As chaos erupted around me, the shrine maiden's urgent plea rang in my ears, her voice laced with a palpable sense of dread.

"Run now!" she urged, her words hammering at my senses.

"Eh? What do you mean?" I stammered, struggling to process the rapidly unfolding events. The abrupt shift in the situation had left me dazed and disoriented.

"Flandre Scarlet... That's your mistress's little sister," she explained tersely, her tone carrying the weight of her warning. "She's much more dangerous."

"But... if it's her little sister then I should greet her," I mumbled to myself.

As I took a hesitant step forward, my curiosity getting the better of me, Flandre Scarlet drew a flaming spear with a swift and eerie grace that sent shivers down my spine.

What the...!?