Chapter 16 – Assistant’s Attack!

Ｒｅａｄ ｏｎ ＫａｔＲｅａｄ​ｉｎｇＣａ​ｆｅ

After finishing my morning routine with Cecile and while eating breakfast, a visitor arrived. Peeking my head out, I saw it was someone delivering a letter. As always, I watched them place the letter in the agreed spot and leave, then slipped out to retrieve it.

The subtle woody scent permeating the letter told me it was from my master without needing to check the sender. After briefly enjoying the refreshing woody fragrance that cleared my mind, I carefully opened the letter.

To summarize the contents: While I’m happy to hear from you after several years, have you considered that it might be too late? I never imagined you would be such an ungrateful bastard. Still, as your master, it’s my duty to help when my only disciple is in trouble. Get some Morning Dew and wait respectfully.

Here, “Morning Dew” refers to a type of alcohol. It seemed she still couldn’t quit drinking. What was unexpected, though… was the part about her coming in person.

…I distinctly remember that during this time, she was always called away to the Association? I swallowed dryly. Cecile, who was watching me, tilted her head.

“What’s wrong, Asha?” 

“…Ah, well, my master says she’s coming in person.” 

“You mean Asha’s master?” 

“She’s the person who taught me… I received a lot of help from her in many ways…” …Thinking about it now, I feel like I’ve been too indifferent?

“She sounds like a good person, Asha!” 

“…Yes, she is.” Looking at Cecile’s bright eyes, my conscience pricked me. At the bottom of the letter was the expected arrival date.

But somehow, the numbers looked familiar. Scratching my head, I checked the date… It was today.

Even rubbing my eyes, the written characters didn’t change. Seeing this sudden notification of a home visit, I felt like I’d been hit on the head with a hammer.

I mean, if you write that I should prepare, shouldn’t you give me time to do so? …More importantly, how do I explain my transformed body? Before that, I wonder if she’ll even believe that I’m ‘Asha.’ Not a single trace of my original appearance remained.

“Asha?” Cecile’s voice brought me back to my senses. 

“Cecile, let’s start cleaning first.” 

“I don’t understand why, but alright!”

I needed time to think about how to explain. The passing time felt cruelly swift. But even faster than that was my master’s arrival.

The question of why she even bothered to send a letter if she was going to arrive so soon kept circling in my mind.

In the end, I had to open the door and welcome my master without having come up with any solution. “…Hmm?”

A beautiful woman with aqua-colored hair and a gentle appearance was looking at me. Her hair was tied like a flowing river, cascading down to her chest, and the slight darkness under her eyes showed her usual fatigue.

Above that, emerald eyes similar to mine but more intense looked at me with curiosity. Her long ears twitched, and then she opened her mouth. “Who are you?”

Her once-beautiful forehead wrinkled as she began to examine my appearance. Unlike her gentle impression, she demanded an answer with sharp eyes. 

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

“Isn’t this Astarote Asha’s house?” 

“It is…” 

“Then who are you?”

I understood why eyes are compared to jewels. My master’s green eyes, which had turned cold enough to be considered mineral-like, followed me as if to devour me.

When I flinched, my master sighed and poked my forehead. The coolness seeped in, refreshing my complicated thoughts. “Why are you so scared? Is this your first time seeing an elf?”

Seeing her like that, I decided to confront the issue head-on. “Please come in, Master.” 

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

“Don’t you remember once when you came in drunk and broke a potion bottle over my head?” 

“…That was because you were being cheeky… wait, did Asha tell you that?” 

“And that time you drank too much, vomited on the floor, and then—” 

“…Where the hell is that bastard Astarote Asha right now?”

…Is this the right approach? Cold sweat trickled down my back. \n\n* * * * “…So you’re saying you’re really Asha?” 

“…Yes.”

My master scratched her aqua hair and sank into the sofa. Then she took out a pipe from her pocket, stuffed it with herbs, and lit it. “…Could you smoke outside, please?” 

“You sound like him, so maybe you really are that kid.”

Regardless, my master took a deep drag on her pipe and blew the sweet yet slightly acrid smoke at me. “Ah, come on, smoke in moderation, please.” 

“I told you, these are all medicinal herbs.”

After puffing out smoke for a while, my master pulled out a pouch from her pocket. Judging by the jingling sound, it seemed to be a money pouch. I couldn’t help but follow it with my eyes.

My master shook the pouch back and forth, then smirked. “Seeing how obsessed you are with the money pouch, it must be you.” 

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

“It’s not like you ever tried to hide it, did you?” 

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

“It was busy because of you; if you hadn’t been there, it wouldn’t have happened.” 

“…Is that so?” 

“I didn’t tell you because I thought you might feel burdened.” 

“Then why are you telling me now—”

The herbal pipe came flying at me. I flinched, anticipating pain, but the expected pain didn’t come. My master had a slightly troubled expression. “I reacted out of habit… but your head isn’t there anymore.” 

“…Because I got smaller.”

I too felt bitter in my mouth. My master retrieved her pipe, took another drag, and blew out the smoke. It looked somewhat decadent.

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

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

“I’m Cecile!” 

“…I see.”

After a brief pause, my master stuffed more herbs into her pipe and spoke. “So what’s this transformation you mentioned? You’ve visibly changed enough for me to notice at a glance… but the child behind you looks like a normal specimen.”

Somehow it felt awkward to explain. Well, “awkward” is the right word, but… Before that, there was something I wanted to ask my master. “Before that, there’s something I want to ask you, Master.” 

“Hmm?”

I cleared my throat and enunciated each word clearly. It was an important matter, after all. “Do you… have something attached down there?”

The green eyes held a question. “What nonsense are you talking about?” 

“If you don’t, then never mind. Recently I’ve had some… awkward experiences, so I just wanted to ask.” 

“…?” “Anyway, I’ve been transformed into a woman like this.” 

“Not just your appearance, but everything has changed?” 

“…Yes.”

Making a “hmm” sound, my master approached me, grabbed me by the armpits, lifted me up, and placed me on the table. As I flinched in surprise, I heard my master’s voice. “Let me check quickly.”

Without waiting for my response, she lifted my shirt. My lower body, not wearing anything, was exposed. Fingers, slightly warmed from handling the pipe, traced my crevice. “…It’s true, indeed.”

“Ah, d-do you really need to touch it to know?” 

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

“…It’s uncomfortable.” 

“And here I thought my disciple had developed a taste for exhibitionism.” 

“How would you know I’m your disciple—”

My master silenced me with a finger and continued to feel my body. The hand that had traced my crevice poked my thigh, then moved up to stroke my lower abdomen. As if checking if something was there, the hand slowly moved up and reached my chest area. “This is quite rare.”

Feeling my body getting hot, I pushed away my master’s hand and pulled down my clothes. “Haven’t you confirmed enough now?” 

“Hmm. Yes, it’s hard to believe, but you’ve completely taken a female form. Though the volume is terrible.” 

“…What does that matter?”

“Kukuku, I suppose it doesn’t. So is that all? Didn’t you say there was something strange about that child too?” …Hmm. 

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

“Yes, Asha!”

I was wondering how to make Cecile get an erection in a way that would seem wholesome, but lo and behold, Cecile was already making her dress bulge significantly. “…Didn’t you say she had a female body?” 

“I did.” 

“But then… why…?” 

“That’s what I don’t know, which is why I asked for your help.” 

“Hmm… I see. I understand.”

My master, putting away her pipe, beckoned to Cecile. “Child, could you come up here for a moment?” Cecile looked at me, blinking as if asking if it was okay. When I nodded, Cecile climbed onto the table. “May I lift your clothes a bit?”

Again, Cecile looked at me, and I replied. “Go ahead. But be careful—” Before I could finish speaking, my master lifted Cecile’s dress and was hit in the face by Cecile’s appendage. Seeing my master touch her own cheek with a stunned expression… …Honestly, it was hard to hold back my laughter.

KatTL