Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 7 - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Puppet’s First Date ~Rose’s POV~

We were planning to take a walk around Diospyro the next day, but on that morning, we ran into a slight problem.

“Sorry, Senpai. It was my idea, yet I ended up like this...”

After she woke up, Mana had complained about feeling unwell.

“I’m just feeling a little off, so please don’t worry about me too much.”

Just as she said, her complexion wasn’t all that bad. It was probably just exhaustion from our continuous journey.

Mana sat up in bed, smiling sadly. “There’s no point in me going out and making it worse. So instead...”

“Sure. It’s unfortunate, but we’ll cancel our plans,” my master said.

“You can’t!” Mana yelled in a panic.

In light of her poor condition, she’d sounded rather spirited just then. My master stared back at her curiously as she let out a small cough, her cheeks slightly flushed.

“I’d feel bad about ruining everyone’s plans just as you were about to get going. Don’t worry about me. Please have a look around town.”

“Huh...? But I...”

My master looked puzzled, but Mana didn’t give him time to speak.

“There’s no need to worry. I asked Kei to stay with me in case anything happens.”

“Yes! Leave it to me!” Kei yelled cheerfully, thrusting her hand in the air.

Mana had been with me the entire morning...so when had she found the time to ask Kei to do this? I’d never even noticed. Mana really was on top of things, as always. It was like she’d known it would come to this from the very beginning. In any case, Kei was good at caring for others. I could feel confident leaving this to her.

Once I’d thought things through to this point, I suddenly cocked my head. Mana was in poor health. Kei was going to take care of her. Shiran had other plans. Meaning...

Mana smiled as if reading my thoughts. “Senpai, Rose, please enjoy your day.”

◆ ◆ ◆

Mana convinced my master to go to town and asked him to wait for me on the first floor. I was rather perplexed by some details, but first I had to check on Mana’s condition.

“Mana, is your health truly not worsening?” I asked.

Her eyes widened, and she exchanged glances with Kei, the only other person left in the room.

“Huh? Rose? You didn’t notice?” Mana asked in return.

“Notice what?”

“We talked about you going on a date with Senpai, didn’t we?”

“What about it?”

We certainly had discussed that, but according to yesterday’s plans, we were all to see the town together. If not for this coincidence, I wouldn’t have been able to go alone with my master.

“No, I mean, I planned on doing this from the very beginning,” Mana said. “That’s why Kei helped lay the groundwork too.”

“Huh?”

“You really haven’t noticed. That is just like you, though,” she said with a giggle. “Well, it’s not a total lie. I am a little tired from all the traveling. I don’t have any stamina, so it’s best for me to rest when I can.”

“In that case, couldn’t you have proposed that my master and I walk around town on our own to start with?”

“If I had done that, I figured you’d refrain out of consideration. We knew beforehand that Senpai wanted to train whenever he had the time. So we had no choice but to spring a surprise attack on you two like this.”

Mana really did understand me well. She saw I had nothing to counter her with at this point, so she turned to Kei.

“Sorry for having you stay with me, Kei.”

“There’s no need to apologize!” Kei said, shaking her head vigorously. “I’m also cheering Rose on! But...are you okay with this yourself, Mana?”

“Okay with what?”

“It was finally a chance for you to go out and play with Takahiro.”

“Oh, that. It’s fine like this,” Mana replied, smiling gently at the innocent girl and shaking her head. “Time spent like this is a necessity for Rose.”

“Mana...”

She certainly had a point. There was much I was ignorant of. I’d wanted my master to hug me, but the initial impulse wasn’t enough anymore. When I learned that what lay beyond a hug was now possible, I’d been shaken to my core.

But what did lay beyond that? My master was the most important thing in the world to me. What kind of relationship did I want with him? There was no way I could find the answer in just one or two days. But a whole day spent in his company like this could be one step toward discovering that answer.

That was what Mana was saying. And I wanted to meet her considerate expectations. Mana’s goal was to get my master to want to hug me, to be more conscious of me, even if just a little. Therefore, this date had to succeed.

“Huh...? What am I supposed to do on this date thing, anyway?” I asked, noticing an enormous flaw in the plan.

“Relax, I’ve thought it all through,” Mana replied with a tender smile.

Her expression was genuinely kind... However, on this day, I learned that kindness didn’t necessarily involve leniency.

◆ ◆ ◆

A short while later...

“Y-You want me to do what?!” I exclaimed. “M-Mana. W-Wait a minute. That’s impossible for me.”

“Come on, you better hurry. Senpai is waiting downstairs.”

Mana got out of bed and pushed me into the hallway.

“Mana...”

“Give it your best.”

She began to shut the door behind me. I could see her reserved smile. It truly suited her. It was modest, but also relentless. There wasn’t a hint of mercy behind it. What was the expression they used in my master’s world to describe this? A lion throwing its cub off a cliff?

The door closed with a clack of finality. I stood stock still and dazed in the empty hallway for several seconds. I lowered my eyes to my palm, where I held a translation runestone. I’d learned to use it for occasions like this.

Only the timing of this opportunity had caught me off guard. Everything I needed was already prepared. Above all else, I couldn’t keep my master waiting. Thus, I hardened my resolve and walked toward the staircase.

◆ ◆ ◆

“I-I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”

After I descended the staircase, I found my master and Shiran waiting for me. The two of them were evidently killing time by talking until I got here.

“Oh? Ready to go, Rose?” my master asked with a troubled smile.

Was he in some way displeased about having to go out alone with me? I was a little worried now.

“Very well, Takahiro. I will excuse myself here,” Shiran said.

“Sorry for keeping you.”

“Think nothing of it. Be careful, you two.”

Now that I’d arrived, Shiran left the inn. She was planning to head straight to that military facility they had visited yesterday. Now I was alone with my master.

“U-Um, Mathter.”

I bit my tongue right off the bat. Well, to be precise, I didn’t have any vocal organs, so it was more like I lost control of myself, but it was something similar. I was far too conscious of what was going on.

I calmed the tension within me and corrected myself. “Master. Forgive me. Is it a bother to go into town with me?”

“Hm? Oh. Not at all. It’s a little different from what we planned, so I’m slightly confused, is all... Come to think of it, why are you apologizing?” he said, then smiled awkwardly. “Shall we?”

“Yes,” I replied with a quick nod.

◆ ◆ ◆

The town called Diospyro was the distribution hub for goods in eastern Aker. Shops lined the main street, and many people were walking about. I followed my master through the crowds, one step behind him.

“Are you listening, Rose?”

I spontaneously recalled what Mana had told me.

“Majima-senpai doesn’t recognize this as a date. First, you need to get him to be aware of you, even if just a bit. To do that—”

I tightly clenched my hand, now covered by a long white glove. It was about time. I slowly reached out.

“All right then, Rose,” my master said, suddenly turning around.

I quickly lowered my hand.

“Wh-What is it?” I replied.

“Huh? I haven’t had breakfast yet, so I was thinking of finding somewhere to eat...”

Right then, he stiffened. It was as if he’d just realized something bad.

“Is there a problem, Master?”

“I wouldn’t really call it a problem...” he answered with an awkward look. “I was thinking of just picking some random restaurant, but you can’t eat, right?”

“I cannot.”

My body didn’t have the function to process food. I’d considered it, but there were other things to prioritize first, so I’d decided to leave it for later.

“There is no need to mind me,” I said. “I can wait until you finish eating.”

“Going into a restaurant together and having you wait on me is a little...”

“Is it not allowed?”

Now that I thought of it, Mana had told me that it was essential we do things together for this date thing to work. But my master and I couldn’t share a meal. Did that mean...I’d stumbled right out of the gate?

Oh no... I’d only just realized that I couldn’t take part in a so-called lunch date. One activity option was out the window before we even got started. This was a major disadvantage, right? Was I a defective dating partner? The impact of that possibility left me shocked. What misfortune. What was I to do? Was this what “wanting to cry” felt like? Not that I could produce tears in the first place.

“There’s no rule against doing that at a restaurant or anything,” my master said, prompting my sense of time to move again. “I was just thinking it’d be boring for you. Anyways, I’ll get something I can eat on the go. According to Shiran, there’s a bunch of stalls that serve food like that a block off the main street. Let’s head that way.”

“Very well.”

My master turned off the main street, and I quickly followed behind him. Clearly, I’d been jumping to the wrong conclusion. Pessimistic thoughts filled my head. That wouldn’t do. Although, my master was partially at fault for that one.

I mean, nothing I could do with him could possibly be boring. He didn’t quite understand that, though. Nevertheless, his concern for me made me feel like I was floating on a cloud. It was such a simple thing, yet before I knew it, that feeling of wanting to cry had vanished completely.

We passed through a narrow alley and came out onto a smaller street. There were lines and lines of stalls packed tightly together. Each one was selling a variety of goods. There were twisted potatoes piled up like mountains, vegetables of every color, meat lathered in juicy sauces, secondhand clothes, worn-out weapons and armor... It was all a little dizzying.

“Okay, I’ll just be a sec.”

“Oh, Master. Please wait a moment.”

I stopped him just as he was about to go buy something from a random stall.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Could you allow me to go for you?”

“I don’t really mind, but why do you want to?” he asked, his eyes wide.

“I’d like to try using this money thing.”

My master furrowed his brows.

“Can I not?” I asked.

“No, you can,” he said, pulling out a coin purse from his pocket. “Actually, that’s a pretty good idea. Considering what’s to come, it’s better you gain these experiences. Well, I say that, but I’m not all that used to handling the money here myself... Anyways, I’ll leave it to you this time.”

“Thank you very much. I’ll be just a minute.”

He handed me the purse, and I headed toward a stall, feeling his gaze on my back. I stood at the back of a long line of people. It was my first time experiencing a queue. I glanced behind me as I waited and met my master’s eyes. He looked a little restless. Contrary to what he wanted others to think, he had a tendency to be rather overprotective.

He was definitely ready to help me if I ran into any difficulties, but that would be a little pathetic of me. Fortunately, I’d already studied the value of currency, so I managed to finish my first attempt at buying something without any problems. I jogged back to my master’s side.

“Here you go, Master.”

“Thanks.”

I handed the coin purse back along with the steamed meat bun I’d bought. He smiled, and I did my best to return it, though my expression was still awkward. We continued walking as my master ate.

“Does it taste good?” I asked.

“The texture is a little peculiar, so I’m not really used to it, but it isn’t bad. After that survival lifestyle, pretty much everything tastes good.”

The bun wasn’t all that big, so over the course of our conversation, it became much smaller in no time at all.

“Steamed buns usually aren’t made with bread. They use hardened meat inside a rice-based... Well, I guess you don’t get what I’m saying, huh?”

“I’ve seen this dough before in your meal last night at the inn. There wasn’t any meat inside it, however.”

“Apparently, they mainly use potatoes here. According to Shiran, they’re Aker’s staple food. If we’re going to settle down here, I guess I’ll have to learn how to cook them.”

“Even if you do not, I believe Lily and Mana will be proactive in learning. Rather, they may tell you not to steal their jobs.”

“You’ve got a point there. I’m no match for them when it comes to cooking, so maybe it’s safest to leave it to them...”

My master fell silent for a few seconds, deep in thought.

“Settling down in Aker, huh...?” he muttered. “What’ll you do, Rose?”

“What do you mean?”

“Want to try opening a shop of some kind?” he said, looking over to a stall with many metal utensils hanging on display. “It might be a little rough since magic tools made of wood will be somewhat conspicuous...but with your skills and a little studying, I’m sure you can get around it to a certain extent. In that case, you could consider doing something like that.”

I didn’t respond right away. I’d never thought of it before. So, instead of answering, I asked a question of my own.

“What do you plan on doing, Master?”

“Hmmm... I haven’t really given it much consideration,” he said, slowing his pace and focusing on his thoughts. “Even though I can wield a sword a little better now, I only learned for the sake of self-defense. It’d be nice if I could make a living by just cultivating a field or something...”

Though he desired a life too simple to be a dream for the future, his voice had a prayerlike ring to it. So long as we servants accompanied him, it was uncertain whether he could have a stable livelihood anywhere in this world. We’d come to the commander’s country, but the possibilities here were only a little better than elsewhere. We had no guarantees. Perhaps all the chaotic incidents involving visitors were drifting through my master’s mind. Or maybe he couldn’t throw that all away. Though he lacked the abnormal strength of many of the other visitors, his way of life was firm and unshakable. That was exactly why I believed that I had to protect him.

“When that time comes...” I started to say, speaking before I’d even realized it. “When that time comes, please allow me to help with the fieldwork.”

My master turned to me with a bewildered look, then broke into a smile. “Yeah... Maybe that could work.”

We both knew that such a future might not come to be. Nevertheless, we ignored the difficulties and hardships that stood in our way and just considered the possibilities. Surely it was necessary to pass time like this every once in a while.

I returned my master’s smile with an awkward curve of my lips. Even among the noisy crowd, it felt like there was an air of tranquility wrapped around us.

“Umm... Master?” I said. Right now, I felt I could do it. “May I borrow your hand?”

“Hm? What for?”

My master came to a stop and looked at me curiously, but he still held out his right hand immediately.

“Excuse me,” I said, grasping his hand.

“A handshake?”

“I did it wrong.”

What was the point in gripping it with my right hand? This was a mess. I had to calm down. I continued to persuade myself to follow through as I let go of his hand, then took hold of his arm.

“H-Hey,” my master stuttered, his voice slightly cracking.

I had no composure left to answer him. I nestled up against him, imitating what my elder sister always did, though my movements were extremely stiff and awkward. This was the assignment Mana had charged me with. I was overcome with a sense of accomplishment.

“Rose...?”

This wasn’t my final goal, however.

“A-A-A-A-A...” I stuttered.

“Ah?”

“A-Are you...displeased?”

“No. Not at all. But why all of a sudden?”

“I’m your guard today. I must do the same as my sister always does.”

Maybe I was forcing things a little, but when I recalled Gerbera’s attitude, I decided to weather this trial with vigor.

“Shall we?” I said.

My master didn’t shake me off. As I started walking, he matched my pace. We were once more a part of the moving crowds. Things had somehow managed to go as planned. Having said that, I didn’t know what to do next. When she’d sent me off, Mana had told me that my master didn’t recognize this as a date. Linking arms like this was one way to make him realize that it was.

I was definitely uneasy, though. I looked human, but my body was still only that of a puppet. Pretty much every part of me was hard and cold. It was painfully obvious to anyone who touched me.

Was he conscious of me as a puppet, or as a member of the opposite sex? Did this have the opposite effect from what I’d intended? I glanced at my master’s face. His cheeks looked...a little red, perhaps. Was it a success? I couldn’t really tell.

“Hey, Rose?” my master said, a hint of bewilderment in his voice.

“Wh-What is it? A-Am I too hard? Does it hurt?”

I glanced down at my own chest. Because of the female body’s shape, when linking arms with someone, the two swelling protrusions of the chest pressed against the other person. I’d made my body using Mana as reference, so I didn’t have the notable curves that Lily or Gerbera had. Still, Mana’s build wasn’t seedy either. Consequently, I had average-sized breasts. I supposed it would be painful to have two hard objects pressed against one’s arm. I’d tried to account for that before adjusting any of my limbs. I’d judged it would be okay to press them against my master like this...but maybe I hadn’t gone far enough with my work?

“Forgive me,” I said. “I thought I’d prepared them so that they wouldn’t cause any pain.”

“No, it doesn’t hurt. Nothing’s hard. In fact, it’s soft...”

“Really? Thank goodness. I asked Mana for help in this regard.”

“Katou’s...help?”

“Yes,” I replied energetically.

This was my joint project with Mana. My gallant friend had done so much for me and our group’s sake. She simply didn’t like to claim anything as her own achievement, so this was a precious opportunity for me to inform my master of her great efforts. Even without such pretext, I found it genuinely fun to talk about my friend.

“I didn’t know what kind of feeling or shape human female breasts had,” I continued in a lively tone. “I needed to see, touch, and carefully research them.”

“See, touch...”

My master came to a stop.

“Is something the matter?” I asked curiously.

“No... It’s just...I’m a guy, you know?”

What did gender have to do with any of this? My master hung his head low and used his free left hand to give himself a few hard knocks on the brow. It looked like he was trying to drive idle thoughts from his mind, but I wasn’t sure if that was the case. I just didn’t understand the subtleties between men and women.

Regardless of my lack of understanding, I still gave it some thought. Mana had once emphasized to me that women had to be soft. It appeared to me that, as a man, my master hadn’t been satisfied.

“Forgive me, Master. I thought I’d made a perfect replica. Does something feel wrong about them?”

“That’s not the problem. There’s nothing wrong. Wait...a replica?”

“Yes. What about it?”

“I don’t think I can look Katou in the face when we get back...”

What did that mean? I was still confused about a lot, but I didn’t get the opportunity to ask for clarification. My master murmured in a daze and raised his head, then his expression suddenly turned grim. The atmosphere around us changed immediately. I also tensed up.

“Oh?”

Contrary to our reaction, the voice we heard sounded light and carefree. An unfamiliar young man was looking our way. Next to him was the visitor we’d met in the inn the other day, looking awfully displeased with something.