Master’s Smile

Chapter 8: An Early Morning Affair

Had she been telling the truth…? No, no. She's lying, surely.

That girl has a taste for mischief; I even keep finding myself on the receiving end of her pranks. It's nothing, surely. Yes. Absolutely nothing.

I continue telling myself this as I stand outside, gazing at the castle that forms my residence. Goodness, just how did someone as worthless as I end up living in such a grand fortress?

Well, it has little to do with me. I can thank the other guild members for all of this. That in mind, I feel the sense of gratitude I've always held for them growing.

Now then, this really isn't something I should keep to myself; I should be more vocal with my appreciation. My intentions at a peak, I give Sorglos my gratitude for watching over me for so long using simple words of thanks.

"…?!"

Almost instantly, I feel a presence shaking violently, disturbing the silence of the forest. Rustling in tow, Sorglos falls from her tree. What the…? Did offering my thanks really come off as so strange?

"G-G-G-Goodness no! Indeed, it is hardly worth the mention! In fact, I would… Indeed, I have done nothing but demand and take…!"

Turning around quickly, I'm met with the sight of Sorglos as she kneels on the ground, ninja outfit and all. W-Why, though…?

She's putting an awful lot of emphasis on herself, too… Honestly, I really do feel like I owe all the other guild members a huge favor… But enough of that, I should really go to her.

"J-Just what is it that presses you, Master?"

Sorglos looks awfully distrustful of my drawing closer to her. Just what kind of guild master am I even to raise her guard, just by approaching…?

N-No, I'm not sad about it in the slightest… In the long run, it doesn't matter what the members of my guild think of me; it wouldn't stop me from doing what I had to do now.

You may be uncomfortable with this, but please bear with me. Despite her would-be protests, I take Sorglos' right hand and hold it up.

And, as ashamed as I am to do this to a young lady such as herself, I roll up her sleeve and have her expose her right shoulder. There, a certain crest becomes visible. Allowing myself to touch it, I let whatever superfluous magic had accumulated at the moment flow within.

"Uaaaaahhn?!"

Sorglos lets out a yelp of surprise. I, in turn, was also taken by surprise.

S-Sorry… I really, really should have warned you beforehand… But now that it's started, there's no way to quell the flow of magic. Sorry, but I'm going to have to continue…

"Hmn… Fuuuh…."

Sorglos keeps letting out small, short sighs, almost flirtatious in nature. If I hadn't lived through my fair share of wasted years upon years, then this situation may have ended up taking a bit of a risqué turn.

But please, rest assured. Age being the only thing I managed to pile up on during my lifetime, I do believe that my power to stick to reason is much stronger than it would be in others.

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It's one of the few things I can take pride in. But with Sorglos' ninja outfit covering just about everything but her eyes, there's a good chance that we might have taken that swerve if she didn't have it.

Sorglos is, after all, quite charming. Nevertheless, having raised her since she was a wee little child, I very much doubt that I can even begin to lay my hands on her.

Alright… that should do it. My work complete, I let go of her shoulder.

"Haah… Haaah…"

Sorglos' breathing seems to be a bit faint. … I didn't do anything strange to her, alright?

I just used the guild crest as a conduit to let my magic pass through and heal the bruises she had obtained from her fall. To her credit, she had managed to fall from a tree of that height without receiving any actual damage.

If it had been me, I wouldn't get away with anything less than broken bones… I also can't ignore the fact that I'm a human being while Sorglos is a demon.

Well, I may be human, but I've been alive for a ridiculously long time for being one. I wonder why… Could my large amount of magic have anything to do with it?

Oh dear, this really isn't the time to think about that. I ask Sorglos if she's really alright, if she doesn't have any proper wounds.

"Hah! Indeed, I am well! To think that Master would waste his noble magic to heal a fool such as I… I shall show my gratitude, and exert myself to my utmost limitations!"

Kneeling in front of me, Sorglos stares with sparkling eyes unobscured by the cloth of her garments. No, no, you're exaggerating…

Besides, worrying about their guild members and lending a hand during their times of need is a given for a guild master, isn't it? Considering that I keep making trouble for Sorglos, it's even more of a given.

"To be face to face with such humility… My admiration can only grow!"

It seems that imparting my thoughts just let the sparkle in her eyes grow stronger. What to do…? This human will only be further misunderstood in the future…

Sorglos aside, I can't help but feel that the other members of the guild harbor their own major misunderstandings of me. Anat, for one, treats me as some sort of sanctified entity and object of worship. She keeps coming to me, showering me with prayers. She's a good girl, of course, but something like that really crosses over the boundary of appreciation and borders on fearsome.

"Hmph. It would seem that they have come."

Sorglos makes her proclamation while I'm in the middle of turning worries into ulcers. For whatever reason, she looks annoyed.

"Tche… They dare intrude upon my shared time with the Master…"

Sorglos mutters something under her breath, but regrettably, I don't pick it up. Perhaps it's due to living a long life, but I can't help but feel as if my hearing is growing weaker over time.

For whatever reason, the things the girls say just keep going in one ear and out the other. While Sorglos and I continue looking at the castle, a small silhouette appears at the front entrance. Well, silhouette or not, it's obvious who would come to see me during this time, so I can definitely warrant a guess.

"Masteeer…. Where are you…?"

The small figure really is exactly the girl I thought it would be. Her hair is long, wavy, and green. A large flower had been stuck in her hair, serving as a makeshift ornament.

But with the petals now closed, it couldn't be appreciated for its full beauty. She has a cherubic face, one of an adorable child.

It's still very clear that she would grow into an unrivaled beauty; that much is made apparent by the lovely arrangement of her features. … I refuse to let her be married off as some plain housewife!

She totters towards me and sleepily rubs at her eyes. Those eyes of hers look around restlessly in search of me.

Perhaps she feels uneasy without having me close by, but her eyes cloud over with a small sheen of tears. Heh. She's still such a child…

"Masteeer…. Wheeeere…?"

While I'm standing there, reveling in the attention, she calls for me one more time. Her voice trembles, tinged with sadness.

Oh dear, I should really go to her at once, the poor girl. I call for her by name: Laladi.

"Masteeer!"

Upon hearing my voice, she looks at me as if she might start clinging to me any moment. The moment I'm in her sights, her face, strained with sorrow, begins to radiate like a flower showing its blossoms.

Ugh… So adorable! While I do think that every single member of my guild is adorable in their own way, Laladi may just be the most adorable in the same way any child could be!

"Masteeeer…"

Laladi looks at me as if she expects to be pampered. Heh. She really is a child, isn't she…?

While I had raised most guild members since childhood, there really aren't quite as many chances to fawn over them like I fawn over her anymore. Children are at their most adorable when fawned over, so I can't help but to pamper Laladi from time to time.

"Ah… Master…"

I exchange a few words with Sorglos and decide to go and greet Laladi. Sorglos looks at me as I depart with a very sad look in her eyes and stretches her hand out towards me.

Ugh… I really am weak to these things, aren't I? But right now, I really want to go and receive Laladi…

"Afuh… Master…"

I pet her head apologetically. Given the special traits of Sorglos' race, her hair feels somewhat damp. But I pay that no regard and continue petting her gently.

"Hah… Master! Indeed, I am happy that you stroked my head as you did!"

This time, my attempt to go and receive Laladi is met with a cheerful nod of approval, courtesy of Sorglos. Who knew. It looks like Sorglos just wants to be pampered from time to time as well.

Given the way she so splendidly goes about her work, I had at some point stopped thinking of her as a child, but… It seems that some of the other guild members are more childlike than I had thought them to be.

I suppose there's nothing wrong with petting their heads and giving them praise as I used to in the old days. Feeling like a father with a chance to fawn over his child for the first time in a long while, I go to Laladi.

"…"

Huh? I take one look at Laladi's face and tilt my head.

How to put it… I've become accustomed to always seeing her laughing, childlike face, but today she almost seems expressionless. It's as if her face had let go of every single emotion it used to have. These cold, inhuman eyes target… not me, surprisingly, but rather what's behind me; Sorglos, who now giggles and holds her head.

What's the matter, I wonder…? I move to Laladi's side and ask her what's wrong, but she just puffs out her cheeks in a fit of adorable anger.

"Master. I want to be carried."

Laladi spreads her arms and tries to badger me into it. She really likes being spoiled, doesn't she…?

"Ufufuh…"

I, of course, can't help myself and go along with her wishes. Laladi wraps both her arms behind my back, then goes on to do the same with her legs and sticks to me.

With the way she croons so adorably and seems to be satisfied. She goes a step further, and the cheek that bears the crest of the guild rubs against my own.

Her childlike skin is soft on my cheek, and I can bear no complaints. As she does so, the crest begins to glow. This glow is proof of her receiving my magic.

"It's delicious, Master."

Is that so? That's good to hear. Magic is the only thing I have in spades, so just help yourself whenever you want.

Laladi continues to absorb my magic, and the petals of her flower slowly begin to open. Finally, they reveal a beautiful flower in full bloom. Oh, it doesn't matter how many times I see it. It's always beautiful.

"You're embarrassing me…"

Laladi's cheeks turn crimson. … Still, I have to say that she really is a tad spoiled; first, she had been rubbing her cheeks against me, now it's her entire body.

Truthfully, I find it amazing how she can manage to cling to me with her whole body and still bring herself to rub it against me. I feel a small sensation coming on, but I'm alright. I'm dried up, after all.

"Master. I need to use the bathroom."

I see now. So that's why she had been out looking for me. While I keep saying that Laladi is like a child, she's still a girl.

Normally, I'd ask someone else from the guild - since they have the same gender and what have you - but if I do that, then it's guaranteed that Laladi will throw a tantrum. There's little I can do about that. In the end, it always becomes my job to carry Laladi around when she can't walk too well. I tell her that I understand, and start walking.

"Mhm…! To be carried in such a way… I feel the sting of jealousy, I do!"

"Oh, what is it now? Didn't you get him to pat your head, Sorglos?"

"Muhuhu… Indeed, that made me happy… But you threw your killing glare, did you not? Indeed, I might just start throwing kunai myself…"

"I have the dear plants to protect me, so I'll be fine. They'll eat you up in one go and go back underground."

"Oh goodness, how awful. A confrontation between two members of the demon tribes may just mean the end of the world, indeed."

"Not really. Laladi doesn't hate Sorglos. But calling yourself the Master's bodyguard to play the stalker, she won't forgive."

"If you wish to play that card, then I should mention that Laladi-dono has no trouble walking, indeed. That acting of yours irritates me to no end."

"…"

"…"

Hm? Why does the air feel so tense all of a sudden…?

"It's nothing, Master."

"Truly! Everything is indeed well!"

I try to question them, and that's all they say. Guild master or not, I hardly do any work around here anymore. Right now, these girls are much more reliable than I am.

If those two say that everything's fine, then it has to be that way. Finding peace with that, I walk forward, still carrying Laladi.