Assistant’s Attack!

After finishing my morning routine with Cecil and eating breakfast, a visitor arrived. I peeked out and saw it was someone delivering a letter. As always, I watched them place the letter at the designated spot and leave, then I quietly went out and retrieved it.

The subtle scent of wood clinging to the letter told me it was from Master, even without checking the sender. I inhaled the refreshing woody scent for a moment before carefully opening the letter.

To summarize the contents:

I’m glad to hear from you after so many years, but have you considered if it’s too late? I never imagined you’d be such an ungrateful brat. Still, my only disciple is in trouble, so it’s only right for me as a Master to help. Get some Dew of Dawn and wait patiently.

Here, Dew of Dawn is the name of an alcoholic drink. It seemed they still hadn’t quit drinking. But what was unexpected was the part about them coming in person.

…I distinctly remember them always being called to the Academic Society around this time?

I swallowed dryly. Cecil, who was watching me from beside me, tilted her head.

“Asha-nim, what’s wrong?”

“…Ah, yes, Master said they’re coming in person.”

“You mean Asha-nim’s Master?”

“They’re the one who taught me. I received a lot of help from them in many ways….”

 …Now that I think about it, maybe I’ve been too thoughtless?

“They seem like a good person, Asha-nim!”

“…Right.”

Seeing Cecil’s sparkling eyes, my conscience pricked me. The expected arrival date was written at the bottom of the letter.

But for some reason, it was a familiar number. I scratched my head and checked the date, and….

It was today.

I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I’d misread the number, but the written characters didn’t change. Seeing the sudden notification of a home visit, I felt like I’d been hit by a hammer.

I mean, if you’re going to tell me to prepare, shouldn’t you give me some time?

…More importantly, how should I explain that my body has changed? Even before that, it’s questionable if they’ll believe that I’m ‘Asha’. Because not a single trace of my original appearance remained.

“Asha-nim?”

Cecil’s voice brought me back to my senses.

“Cecil, let’s clean first.”

“I don’t know why, but I understand!”

I needed time to figure out how to explain. The passing time felt cruel. But Master arrived even faster than that.

The question of why they even sent a letter if this was going to happen swirled in my mind.

In the end, I had to open the door and greet Master without having thought of any countermeasures.

“…Hmm?”

A gentle-looking beauty with flowing water-colored hair was looking at me. Her hair was tied like a single stream, flowing down to her chest, and the slight darkness under her eyes showed that she was usually exhausted.

Above that, emerald eyes, similar to mine yet appearing deeper, held a question. Her long ears twitched, and then her mouth opened.

“What are you?”

Her once smooth forehead furrowed deeply, and she began to scrutinize my appearance. Contrary to her gentle impression, her sharp gaze demanded an answer.

“Uh, well… would you like to come in first?”

“Isn’t this Astarote Asha’s house?”

“It is….”

“Then who are you?”

I felt like I understood why eyes were compared to jewels. Master’s green eyes, cold enough to seem inorganic, pursued me as if to devour me.

I flinched and trembled, and Master sighed and lightly pushed my forehead. The coolness seeped in, clearing my complicated thoughts.

“Why are you so scared? Is this your first time seeing an elf?”

Seeing that, I decided to just confront it head-on.

“Please come in, Master.”

“…I don’t recall having a disciple like you?”

“There was a time you came in drunk and broke my head with a Potion bottle, wasn’t there?”

“…That was because you were being cheeky… What? Did Asha tell you?”

“One day, you drank too much and vomited on the floor, and then on top of that-“

“…Astarote Asha, where is that bastard now?”

…Is this right?

Cold sweat ran down my back.

*

*

*

*

“…So you’re the real Asha?”

“…Yes.”

Master scratched their water-colored hair and sank into the sofa. Soon, they pulled out a Pipe from their pocket, stuffed it with Herbs, and lit it.

“…I wish you’d smoke outside.”

“Seeing you nag, it does seem like it’s that kid.”

Regardless, Master took a deep drag from the pipe and blew sweet, slightly acrid smoke at me.

“Ah, seriously, please smoke in moderation.”

“I told you, it’s all just Herbs!”

Master, who had been exhaling smoke for a while, pulled out a pouch from their pocket. From the jingling sound, it seemed to be a Money bag. My eyes unconsciously followed it.

Master shook the pouch back and forth and chuckled.

“Seeing you go crazy for a Money bag, it seems like it’s really you.”

“…So you’ve always thought of me that way.”

“You, of all people, never really tried to hide it, did you?”

“…Ahem. Anyway, isn’t this a busy time for you?”

“That was also because of you. If you hadn’t been there in the first place, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“…Was that so?”

“I didn’t bother to tell you because I thought you’d feel burdened.”

“Then why are you telling me now-“

The Pipe filled with Herbs flew towards me. I flinched, anticipating the pain, but the pain I expected wasn’t there.

I saw Master with a slightly troubled expression.

“I reached out by habit… but your head isn’t there.”

“…Because it got smaller.”

My mouth also tasted bitter.

Master retrieved the Pipe, took another drag, and exhaled smoke. It was a somewhat decadent sight.

“So, is that the Homunculus you mentioned behind you?”

“Yes. Her name is Cecilia. Cecil for short.”

“I’m Cecil!”

“…Right.”

Master paused for a moment, then stuffed more Herbs into the Pipe and spoke.

“Then what is this ‘transformation’? You’ve changed so much it’s obvious at a glance… but the child behind you looks like an ordinary individual.”

It felt somehow awkward to talk about. Well, it *is* awkward, but… Before that, there was something I wanted to ask Master.

“Before that, there’s something I’d like to ask, Master.”

“Hmm?”

I cleared my throat and enunciated each word clearly. Because it was an important matter.

“By any chance… do you have something hanging down there?”

Their green eyes held a question.

“What kind of bullshit is that?”

“If you don’t, then never mind. It’s just that lately… something awkward happened, so I wanted to ask.”

“…?”

“First of all, I’ve turned into a woman like this.”

“It’s not just your appearance that changed, but everything?”

“…Yes.”

Master, who had been humming, approached, then put their hands under my armpits, lifted me up, and placed me on the table. As I flinched, unable to hide my surprise, Master’s voice was heard.

“Let’s just check for a moment.”

Then, without waiting for my answer, they lifted my shirt. My lower body, wearing nothing, was exposed. Fingers, slightly warmed from handling the Pipe, traced my crevice.

“…It’s true.”

“Ah, no, did you really have to touch it to know?”

“You know my personality, don’t you? By the way, why aren’t you wearing underwear?”

“…Because it’s uncomfortable.”

“I thought my disciple had developed a taste for exposure.”

“I thought I was Master-“

Master, who had covered my mouth with a finger, continued to grope my body. The hand that had traced my crevice poked my thigh, then moved up to stroke my lower abdomen.

 The hand, stroking as if searching for something there, slowly moved up and touched my breast.

“This is quite rare.”

My body felt hot, so I slapped Master’s hand away and pulled my clothes down.

“Haven’t you checked enough now?”

“Hmm. Yes, it’s unbelievable, but it’s completely a female form. Though the volume is terrible.”

“…What does that have to do with anything?”

“Hehe, I suppose so. Is this all, then? Didn’t you say that child also had something strange about them?”

…Hmm.

“Cecil, could you come here for a moment?”

“Yes, Asha-nim!”

I was wondering how to make Cecil erect in a wholesome way, but lo and behold. Cecil was already puffing up her Dress.

“…Didn’t you say it was a female body?”

“I did.”

“But… why…?”

“I asked Master for help precisely because I don’t know that.”

“Hmm… I see. I understand.”

Master, having put away the Pipe, gestured to Cecil.

“Child, would you come up for a moment?”

Cecil blinked at me as if asking if it was okay. When I nodded, Cecil climbed onto the table.

“May I lift your clothes a bit?”

I replied, looking at Cecil who was once again looking at me.

“Go ahead. But be careful-“

Before I could finish my sentence, Master, who had lifted Cecil’s Dress, was seen getting hit in the face by Cecil’s ‘thing’. Seeing Master touching their cheek with a dumbfounded expression….

…Honestly, it was hard to hold back my laughter.