Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 11 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Rose’s Relaxation

“Oh? Did you need something, Master?” Rose asked, cocking her head curiously.

“Not really. I just came to see you.”

“Is that so?”

She smiled, her features the very definition of delicate. There was warmth behind her smile too. Both her gestures and her expressions looked natural now. She apparently couldn’t make any major changes in her expression, but there was nothing uncanny to her mannerisms anymore. Nobody would think she was a puppet now.

“Please, come on in.”

She opened the door to her room and went back inside. Her footsteps were light, and she cheerfully readied a chair for me. The mental path was also informing me of how pleased she was with my visit.

Rose was usually calm, but once in a while, she would act somewhat childishly. In most cases, it was related to her creations, but today seemed different.

With those thoughts in mind, I stepped into the room as she spun on the spot.

“I’ll prepare some tea,” she said, wiping her hands, which were dirty from working, using a wet towel she’d prepared.

“You don’t have to,” I replied casually, taking a seat in the chair Rose had readied for me. In the next instant, I realized my mistake.

Rose had come to a sudden stop. “Is it unnecessary...?” she mumbled. Her expression hadn’t changed, but she was clearly dejected.

“Oh. No. I’d be happy if you could make some for me.”

“In that case, I’ll prepare some tea.”

Rose quickly got to work. At times like this, it was nice how easy she was to understand.

“Actually, it’s kind of rare to see you preparing tea, Rose,” I commented.

“You’re right. Normally, Mana does it,” Rose replied, pulling a magic bag from her apron pocket. “But for the last few days, Mana and I were often working on separate matters, so she taught me beforehand.”

“Hm? You don’t drink, though, do you?”

No matter how much she made herself look human, she couldn’t digest food. Even if Katou wasn’t around, Rose didn’t need to know how to make tea.

“I don’t,” Rose answered, pulling the few utensils she needed out of her bag. “But I figured you might drop by to visit, Master.”

I was stunned silent by that one.

“Hee hee. It seems to have come in handy rather quickly,” Rose said with a giggle.

In other words, Rose had hypothesized—or maybe hoped for—a situation that might never have come, and had prepared for it. I felt a little awkward about that. Maybe it was a good idea to create more opportunities like this for her.

As I considered that, Rose turned my way while boiling some water in a magic utensil.

“In any case, I thought you were taking part in the talks with the villagers,” she said. “Have you finished?”

“More or less,” I answered, sighing.

One week had passed since we’d repulsed the Fourth Company of the Holy Order from Shiran and Kei’s hometown of Kehdo. We’d been busy ever since. There were many things that had to be decided, and many things that had to be done.

First and foremost, seeing as we were in the Woodlands, there was a risk that the deceased would turn into ghouls, so we had to do the memorial service before anything else. Second, it had been decided that the outer wall of the village would be abandoned, leaving them with just one wall. While we were staying here, we had plenty of strength to fight, but we didn’t have enough hands to go around and cover the entire perimeter. Now that there were fewer villagers living here, it had been decided that the inner plots were enough.

In a sense, this was good news for the people of Kehdo. They weren’t really sure what to do yet. They could abandon the village altogether and move to a neighboring one, but they were also thinking of a way to stay here. Losing a reclamation village meant losing the whole region for humanity, after all. What’s more, the elves of reclamation villages all supported one another, so losing one could also lead to more danger for all the others. If at all possible, it was preferable to keep the village going.

Fortunately, the village’s facilities were still standing, so with a flow of immigrants from their neighbors, the village could be revived. Even if they had yet to make a decision one way or the other, Melvin’s promise to cooperate was very reassuring for the people of Kehdo.

These talks all involved the future, but we’d also started dealing with more immediate matters. The other day, knights of the Holy Order had attacked Kehdo, killing innocent civilians. However, as far as Shiran knew, the upper echelon of the Holy Order, Marshal Harrison Addington and Vice Marshal Gordon Cavill, weren’t the type of people to enact such brutality.

It was much more likely that Travis had led his Fourth Company on a hunt for personal glory, but we had to consider the possibility that this wasn’t the case. If we discarded any chance to open a dialogue with the Holy Order, it would lead to a guaranteed catastrophe.

The worst-case scenario for us would be a breakdown in our relationship with the Holy Order because of this incident. We had to somehow open talks with them and avoid further conflict. But first, we had to find a way to contact them. That was why I’d suggested asking the Akerian royal family to be an intermediary.

The commander of the Third Company of the Alliance Knights, the one who’d invited us to Aker, was a princess here. Also, since the elves who’d been attacked were citizens of Aker, the royal family could be said to be a concerned party. With those two reasons in mind, we considered the royal family our most likely avenue for contacting the Holy Order and had entrusted Leah with a letter to them when she departed for Rapha.

One of Rapha’s villagers was probably on their way to Diospyro with the letter by now. Luckily, Shiran’s former comrade, Adolf, was currently stationed there as part of the Royal Army. To increase the probability of success, Katou and I had included our signatures as visitors, and Shiran had included hers as well. With that, they couldn’t ignore our request.

Aside from all that, we also had to suppress the monsters drawn by the tumult of our battle with the Holy Order, keep an eye out for another attack from the knights, and discuss the future of the village with the villagers. Time had flown by in a flash. Just now, I’d finally gotten some space to catch my breath.

“Sorry, Rose,” I said, putting down my teacup after taking a sip. “I ended up putting quite a lot on your plate.”

Rose was definitely the busiest of us all. She had to restore and reinforce the walls, repair the broken houses, perform maintenance on damaged weapons and armor, and resupply the imitation runestones we’d consumed—among many, many other things.

“It’s fine,” she said. “Please don’t worry about it. I’m happy to have a job to do.”

“So you say...”

I knew Rose was being serious, but I felt like I was taking advantage of her. Judging by her progress, Rose hadn’t gotten any rest whatsoever since the battle with the Holy Order ended. Perhaps this very moment was her first breather.

As a puppet, she didn’t need sleep, but she still felt mental fatigue. Even if Rose could endure it, it didn’t mean it was okay to overburden her. But considering Rose’s personality, she wouldn’t rest even if it were suggested to her, and ordering her to do so felt a little wrong. I wondered about what to do as I stared at her, and she blinked back at me in confusion.

◆ ◆ ◆

“I was wondering what you wanted advice for. That’s it?”

A sigh shook the air in the room. There was exasperation, but also happiness, behind it.

“You looked so serious, so I thought something had happened.”

Katou giggled, putting a hand to her mouth.

“Aah, um, sorry,” I said awkwardly, scratching my cheek. “It might seem too carefree at a time like this, but...”

“No. I don’t think so at all,” Katou replied, shaking her head. “We’ve already played the cards we have, and discussed everything we had to in full detail. All that’s left is to wait and see how the other party responds... And we’ve already thought about the possible developments in that regard too.”

“Yeah.”

“So it’s fine to think about stuff like this too.”

Katou was a lot wiser than me. I’d gone to her for advice countless times over the last week. She knew everything I knew about the current situation.

“Besides, Rose is just as important. I’m also happy that you’re giving her some thought, Senpai,” she said with a delighted smile. She truly did look pleased as Rose’s best friend. She then clenched her dainty fists and pumped herself up. “Please leave it to me. You just need Rose to relax, right? In that case, I have an idea.”

Katou was ever so reliable, and I was sure it’d be fine in her hands. Relieved by this thought, I entrusted the matter entirely to her.

◆ ◆ ◆

Things were...supposed to be fine in her hands.

Huh? Isn’t this a little different from what we discussed? I thought, which was my honest impression of the scene before me.

“Hey, doll lady, wanna play?”

A small girl, only about waist-high against an adult, innocently cocked her head. She had pointy ears and beady eyes, and she held a fabric doll against her chest. The doll was obviously quite old, seeing as how it was frayed all over. It was most likely a hand-me-down.

Present in this room were the youngest children who’d survived the Holy Order’s attack, one of the women from the village, Rose, Katou, and myself.

“Ummm...”

Rose sounded perplexed. Faced with the beady-eyed girl looking up at her, Rose stiffened, her hand partially held out.

“What’s the matter, Rose?” Katou asked.

“Mana...” Rose said, pleading for help with her eyes. “Um, I feel like she’ll break if I touch her.”

The woman with us shuddered at the thought. Anxiety faintly colored her graceful and youthful features. She glanced at us for a moment, but Katou didn’t pay her any mind.

“You’re worrying too much,” Katou said. “I’m sure this is your first time interacting with a child this young, so I understand that you’re nervous, but it’ll be fine so long as you’re careful.”

“But she’s even smaller and thinner than you are, Mana. It already feels like you’ll break from the slightest touch.”

“Uhhh... Nobody breaks from just touching them. You really do worry about the weirdest things. Well, I’m happy that you worry about me, though.”

Katou let out a sigh as the woman gave her a curious look.

“Miss Mana?” she called in a friendly tone.

“Yes, yes. I know. Come on, Rose.”

“Very well...”

Rose finally moved. The way she pursed her lips as if hardening her resolve looked more as though she were preparing to head into battle. However, in contrast to her determined expression, her hand moved very timidly toward the girl.

“Ah...”

The girl grasped Rose’s hand with her tiny fingers. Rose looked surprised, while the girl smiled innocently at her. That was all it took to melt Rose’s tension. She visibly relaxed and held the girl’s hand as if handling the most fragile of objects.

“Let’s play,” the girl said.

“Of course.”

The girl laughed and pulled Rose’s hand, having her take a seat on the floor. Seeing this, the other children gathered around them. The girls seemed to want to play house. Rose had no idea what that was, so the children did their best to explain it to her. They weren’t very good at getting to the point, but Rose listened to them attentively. Once she got started, Rose was a well-mannered, thoughtful, and superb babysitter.

Yes. Babysitting. That was the reason we were here.

“Hey? Katou?” I whispered, unable to grasp the situation. “What are we doing here?”

“Oh. Right. About that, Senpai,” Katou said, keeping an eye on Rose as she leaned over to me. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about something for the last few days.”

She was close enough that nobody could hear us. A sweet scent drifted through that defenseless distance to my nose, but there was nothing sweet about Katou’s expression.

“You’ve noticed, haven’t you?” she asked, throwing a quick glance at the woman with us. “She’s a little wary of Rose.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s unavoidable, really,” Katou said with a sad smile. “The village’s people have approved of Rose being here, even knowing what she is, but that’s only because she’s your servant. You might not like to hear it put like that, though.”

“I understand. In short, it’s the same as when we were working with the Alliance Knights and Fort Tilia’s soldiers.”

Back then, Fort Tilia’s forces hadn’t accepted my servants as individuals. In an extreme sense, they’d treated my servants like my weapons.

“Yes. At the time, it didn’t matter,” Katou continued. “But as long as we’re staying here, I don’t think that can stand. We’re short on hands, after all.”

“That time, we could leave outside matters to the Alliance Knights and avoid any friction by staying locked up inside. This time, however, we have to interact with the villagers here.”

“Exactly. Fortunately, this situation is a little different. This is Shiran’s hometown. Even though she’s now an undead monster, they still see her as one of their own. That’s why they see the others in a slightly different light from normal.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I think this is a good opportunity.”

For the last few days, Katou had been taking care of the village’s children during the afternoons. The few surviving adults were very busy, so there weren’t enough people to watch them. Judging by the short exchange between Katou and the village woman, Katou had been doing well, living up to her claim of liking kids. That was how she’d come up with this idea.

In that sense, I understood why she’d chosen Rose. Gerbera looked too much like a monster, and Lobivia’s personality made it difficult for her to get along with others. It was best to start with Katou, then expand the circle with her best friend Rose, then keep going from there.

“But why did you call me too?” I asked.

“Two reasons. First, with you here, they’ll be less wary of Rose.”

“Hm? Wouldn’t your presence suffice?”

If my servants were interacting with the villagers on their own, then I could understand being anxious. Still, I didn’t have to be the one with them.

“I understand having a visitor around makes it easy to gain trust in this world,” I added, “but the same goes for you, right?”

“The reason so many people trust you isn’t only because you’re a visitor, Senpai,” she answered, smiling wryly. “Everyone is grateful that you risked your life to save them. I’m betting they’re far more grateful than you think.”

I couldn’t say anything to that.

“You stood as the last line of defense to protect the house that all the villagers were hiding in,” she continued. “Everyone knows you volunteered to fight somewhere far away from the safety of the walls. That’s the other reason I called you here. They’re all uneasy after the devastation the village suffered. Your mere presence brings them peace of mind.”

“Really?”

“Yup. As far as I can tell, at least. They all see you as the heroic savior who protected them.”

“A savior...?”

“Yes. Although, it could have something to do with you getting more intimate with Shiran lately,” she added teasingly.

I awkwardly scratched my cheek. There was a facet of truth to her words. The bonds between the elves who lived in these rigorous lands was strong. The people gathered in a village were practically a single family. Shiran was one of them, and she also belonged to the bloodline of the village chiefs who led them. Despite her disadvantageous position in this world as an elf, she’d risen to the rank of lieutenant in the Alliance Knights. She was like a hero to them. And now that I’d entered into a special relationship with her, it wouldn’t be strange if they started treating me like family.

“Well, I get what you’re saying,” I muttered. “But there’s still something I don’t quite understand.”

“What’s that?”

“I thought I came to you for advice regarding Rose. How’d that lead to this?”

I was grateful that Katou had arranged this, but that was a different matter. I’d wanted to give the hardworking Rose some rest. Babysitting was soothing for someone who liked kids as Katou did, but Rose wasn’t used to children. Katou was smart enough to know this.

“Huh?” She blinked a few times in confusion. “Oh, you’ve got it wrong.”

“How so?”

“You’re Rose’s greatest treat, Senpai.”

“What?”

“So long as she can be with you, there’s nothing more enjoyable for her.”

I froze at how casually she’d said that.

“That’s why I chose a job she could do with you,” Katou added. “And, like I said, we can improve our relationship with the elves like this too, so it’s two birds with one stone. If you count putting the children at ease, then it’s three birds.” She smiled, then circled around me. “That’s the gist of it. So, come on. You too, Senpai.”

Her soft hands pressed against my back and pushed me toward Rose.

“Master.”

Rose turned around and looked up at me. Her voice was cheerful, and her expression full of joy. I could hear my heart thumping. The way she so honestly showed her adoration seemed even cuter than usual.

“Is something wrong?” Rose asked curiously.

“N-No. It’s nothing,” I said, brushing off the topic as I took a seat next to her. I wasn’t very confident that I’d kept my blush hidden, though.

And just like that, Rose and I helped Katou out a little in the afternoon. Our days passed by like this until a messenger from Diospyro arrived.