ss3 (2/2)
“By the way, Lute, is there anything you want?”
“Something I want?”
“Be it goods, day off, or allowance, anything is fine. Lute has done so many things for me, this tea you brewed is delicious too. As a reward, if there is anything you want, just say it.”
“......Then, if it’s possible, can I send a letter?”
“Letter? Another strange request, I see.”
“I want to let the orphanage in the Fairy continent know that I’m safe and sound. I think they’re worried about me.”
Meiya understood Lute’s concern.
As expected, the people in the Fairy continent probably thought that he had been eaten by a monster already.
If Eru, who raised him like a parent, heard that, she would probably be very sad. It was easy to imagine.
Rather, Meiya regretted that she had not realized this faster.
“I understand! Let’s use express mail and deliver it immediately! That’s why, Lute, write your mail as fast as you can.”
“But, the cost of express mail is very high. We can just send it normally, normal is fine.”
“No need to mind that. Compared to the knowledge, techniques, and stories Lute taught to me, it’s nothing! That’s why, you don’t need to mind it.”
“Meiya-sama……”
Lute was moved by his master’s words and became teary eyed.
Satisfied with his att.i.tude, Meiya instructed other servants to prepare the tools needed to write a letter and an express mail service.
―But, little did she know that, later on, that decision would make her very sad.
TL’s face: (｀；ω；´)
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After Lute sent the letter to the orphanage, about one and a half years pa.s.sed.
Meiya was taught by Lute and practiced gun making today, too.
Lute just watched over her, while Meiya made an AK47 from scratch by herself.
Meiya finished making the final part, and a.s.sembled it on her own.
In the end, she completed one AK47 all on her own.
“How’s this, Lute?”
“If you’ll excuse me.”
Lute took Meiya’s newly made AK47 in his hands and fumbled around with it.
He pulled the c.o.c.king handle, flipped the selector lever up and down, and squeezed the trigger. He removed the magazine, and put it back in.
He placed it on the table, disa.s.sembled it into eight parts, and then a.s.sembled it again.
He did all the checks again, then nodded with a satisfied face.
“No problem. You pa.s.sed.”
“Really! I did it! I finally can make an AK on my own!”
“Congratulations, Meiya-sama.”
Lute clapped as if he was happy for his own achievement.
“To think you can make the AK47 by yourself this quickly, as expected of Meiya-sama.”
“Fufufu, that’s obvious. The one who taught me is excellent, after all.”
Meiya winked at Lute.
He understood the implication and made an embarra.s.sed smile.
“No, I just stood on the sidelines and instructed. It’s all due to your abilities, Meiya-sama.”
“Geez, Lute, being too humble will only come off as sarcasm, you know.”
“I’ve only spoken the truth.”
This time, it was Lute who winked back at Meiya.
Meiya smiled happily.
A voice cut into the happy conversation.
“Excuse me.”
A maid of the residence showed her face in the workshop.
Meiya frowned because their time alone was interrupted, but she couldn’t show that to Lute, so she tried to calmed herself down.
She waved her hand to signal the maid to continue.
“There is an A- rank magician who says that she wants to meet Meiya-sama, how should I reply?”
“A- rank magician?”
Meiya tilted her head in doubt.
There was no A- rank magician amongst her acquaintances.
There was one A rank magician though.
It was simple to turn them away, but they were an A- rank magician.
For the average joe, B+ rank was the limit.
A rank was a realm only a handful of people called ‘geniuses’ could enter.
Turning away someone like that without even hearing what kind of business they had with her could cause a scandal.
Even though she resented them for interrupting her time with Lute, she couldn’t flat out refuse, so she sighed.
“I understand, I will meet that person, so guide them to the guest room.”
“Certainly.”
The maid bowed and left the workshop.
Meiya sullenly inflated her cheeks.
“Jeez, what bad timing. Just when we had a good mood going.”
“It’s a guest, so it can’t be helped. We’ll continue with the AK later, let’s test fire it next.”
“Yes, so let’s wrap this up quickly. Of course, Lute, you’re coming with me, right?”
“Yes, certainly, Meiya-sama.”
Meiya smiled in satisfaction at Lute’s answer.
She returned to her room once to change clothes with the help of the maids, before heading for the guest room, where the guest was waiting.
Lute followed her like a shadow.
“!?”
The moment Lute entered the guest room and met the guest, he openly showed a discomposed expression.
“Lute-kun!”
Meiya noticed the change on Lute and was about to call out, but the guest was faster.
The guest was from the Beast race.
The ears on her head faced Lute, and her tail stood up.
Her hair was tied into long ponytail, and even though she was short, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were big.
Her wrists, waist, neck, etc. were so thin they looked like they were about to break.
She looked cute, but her figure was one that tickled the male instinct, a beauty.
Furthermore, she had the talent of an A- rank magician, it seemed.
She knew Lute’s name, and after looking at him, she made a face like she was about to cry.
Lute, too, made a nostalgic face, like he was seeing the hometown he thought he could never return to before him.
It was a face that he had never shown Meiya.
“......Looks like you two are acquaintances. For now please sit, I want to hear the story.”
“I, I’m sorry, I got excited…...”
Upon seeing Meiya’s calm att.i.tude, the girl realized she did something embarra.s.sing and sat down on the sofa, embarra.s.sed.
Meiya had Lute stand behind her before sitting down, facing the girl.
“Greetings, I am Meiya Dragoon of the Dragon race, B- rank magician.”
“Ni, nice to meet you! Sorry for suddenly intruding on you! I am called Snow, Beast race, White Wolf clan, A- rank magician!”
“Snow-san, is it? Looks like you know Lute.”
“Yes, Lute-kun and I came from the same orphanage, and promised to marry each other when we grow up!”
“I see, so it’s you…...”
Meiya knew about Snow.
She was ‘the childhood friend from the same orphanage who I promised to marry when grown up who went to a magic school’ that Lute had talked about.
However, Meiya only took it with a grain of salt.
The promise to marry was when they were small.
The other one was a genius magician, and they had been separated for many years.
The punchline of this kind of story usually was: they would marry fellow magicians of the same caliber and forget the promise.
As for why, if both parents were magicians, the chance of the child having a talent for magic was high.
That’s why n.o.bles, royalty, and people with influence usually married fellow magicians.
When Meiya studied at magician school, she had heard some similar stories.
A magician and normal person couple in a long distance relations.h.i.+p. In the end, the magician girl married a magician sempai who came from a n.o.ble house.
That was why she had thought that Lute wouldn’t be able to marry his magician childhood friend.
“So, Snow-san, who is Lute’s childhood friend and fiancé, for what reason did you come all the way from the magician school in the Fairy continent to here?”
“Eru-sensei―the one who runs the orphanage, told me that a letter saying something along the lines of ‘Lute-kun is alive, he was saved by Meiya-san and is doing fine’ came.”
“I see…...So you came to confirm if your childhood friend is actually doing fine or not?”
“No.”
Snow denied clearly.
She corrected her form, and faced Meiya head on.
“Meiya-san, thank you for saving Lute-kun from slavery! Not only that, but it was also written in the letter that you looked after him well, and that Meiya-san is his benefactor.”
“I was interested too, so I asked him to let me read the letter, but that was a little exaggerated. It’s true that I bought him from the slave merchant, but providing him with necessities was an obvious thing to do.”
“Even so, thank you!”
Snow bowed deeply.
“......That’s why, I know it’s rude, but I have to make a request. Meiya-san, please sell Lute-kun to me!”
“Snow-san, I’m sorry but I’ll have to decline.”
Maybe she had not thought that she would be refused, because Snow’s facial complexion changed.
She approached Meiya as if to implore to her.
“N, no way! I’ll pay 10 times―Uh~un, 100 times the price that you bought Lute-kun for! I’m an A- rank magician, I can definitely pay you, even though it may take a little bit of time. That’s why, please sell Lute-kun to me!”
“Snow-san, I’m sorry, but no matter how much you offer, I still can’t. To us, Lute is not just a servant anymore, he’s already a family member. Would Snow-san sell your family if you were told they ‘would pay 100 times more’? I definitely won’t sell my family.”
“!!!”
“Snow-san, even though you came all the way here, please leave for today. Lute, we’re going.”
Meiya stood up from the sofa and went back to where she came from.
“Lute-kun!”
Even Lute couldn’t disobey his master, so he followed behind Meiya while hearing Snow’s heartbreaking voice.
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Snow said ‘Tomorrow I will come again’ and left Meiya’s residence.
That night, the two of them talked in Meiya’s room by themselves.
Meiya sat on the sofa opposite of Lute.
“......It’s about the incident this afternoon, but honestly, what do you think, Lute?”
“What do you mean ‘what’?”
“Don’t you want to go back to your childhood fiancé?”
At that question, Lute showed a mortified expression.
“I am Meiya-sama’s servant, I don’t have the right to decide.”
“What if I permit you to go back?”
At that hypothetical question, a happy expression appeared on Lute’s face.
However, he judged that showing that expression to Meiya, who was his master, was betraying her, so he erased it in a panic. Still, it was already too late.
Meiya already knew the answer in his heart.
“I’m sorry, but I’m tired, so let’s call it a day.”
“―I understand. Well then, please excuse me.”
Lute bowed and left Meiya’s room.
Meiya, now alone, leaned back on the sofa and let out a sigh.
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Next day, at breakfast.
Meiya took her seat as usual.
After eating, she moved to the courtyard.
The weather was good, so she intended to read while leisurely drink tea, it seemed.
“Lute, won’t you make me a cup of tea?”
“Certainly, Meiya-sama.”
As Meiya asked, Lute prepared to make tea.
As they pa.s.sed by each other, Meiya ordered another servant.
Lute didn’t pay attention and went to the kitchen to do his own task.
He went to the kitchen, took out the Chacha leaves, and warmed up the teapot and cup in advance.
He threw away the warm water in the pot and put the Chacha leaves in. Then he poured in hot water. This way, it would bring out the flavor properly.
After finis.h.i.+ng his preparations, he put the snacks on the tray and went back to the courtyard where Meiya was waiting.
Meiya received a book for reading from another servant, crossed her legs, and elegantly scan over it.
“I’ve made you wait.”
“It wasn’t that long, don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you. Well then, I will pour your tea at once.”
He had already thrown away the warm water in the cup, and he poured Chacha into it with experienced hands.
To get her seal of approval, he had practiced making her favorite Chacha for over a year without slacking. Now, he could do it with his eyes closed. He had mastered the way of her favorite Chacha.
“Excuse me.”
“Thank you.”
After he poured the cup of deep black Chacha, he promptly put it in front of Meiya.
Today’s snack were cookies that were a tribute from a certain famous shop. Since it didn’t taste too sweet, its fans ranged from common people to n.o.bles.
Meiya liked the snacks from this shop too, she was already a patron.
Meiya picked a cookie and moved it to her mouth.
The sweetness that spread in her mouth made her break out in a smile.
After wiping her hand with a handkerchief, she took a whiff of the tea Lute made, and brought it to her mouth.
She immediately frowned.
“......It’s terrible. Good grief, Lute, you couldn’t even make tea. I can’t believe it.”
“It, it can’t be! I made it just like usual……!”
Lute was surprised and panicked at the unexpected reaction.
Meiya ignored him and continued.
“Really, you lived here for more than a year and still can’t make a cup of tea, a truly good-for-nothing servant.”
“......I’m sorry, Meiya-sama.”
“I don’t need this bad of a servant on my grounds. Give me the usual.”
“Here, Meiya-sama.”
The waiting maid handed Meiya a doc.u.ment.
It was Lute’s servant contract doc.u.ment.
As he was wondering what she wanted to do with that, she suddenly started to tear the contract paper.
“Meiya-sama, what are you doing so suddenly!?”
After she had torn it to shreds, she dropped the pieces, which fluttered onto the table.
Meiya looked at Lute again and spoke.
“Lute, with this you’re no longer my servant. Go wherever you want.”
“Meiya-sama……”
“By the way the childhood friend-san who came yesterday is here too, she’s been at the gate since this morning. Said she wanted to talk to me. How troublesome, even though I look like this, I’m like, super busy, you know. On your way out, please tell her that ‘I don’t plan to meet, please don’t come here again’.”
Only then did Lute understand her intention, and he felt a hot surge of emotions swelling inside his chest.
At the same time, he realized that his eyes were watering.
Meiya went ‘Hmph’ and turned her back to Lute, re-crossing her legs.
Despite having her back turned to him, he spoke.
“Meiya-sama, thank you. This kindness, I definitely won’t forget it for the rest of my life. And the money you used to buy me, I will pay you back eventually.”
“Hmph, that kind of money is like small change to me. What do you take me for? I am the world-famous genius Meiya Dragoon, you know. Anyway, please go to the gate quickly. If your childhood friend-san stays in front of my gate any longer, strange rumours will spread, you know.”
“I understand. Finally, for this one year and a little longer, getting to stay by Meiya-sama’s side was really fun. Thank you for buying me from the slave merchant. Meiya-sama is more than ideal, the best master ever!”
“…………”
Meiya didn’t reply.
Lute bowed towards her back, and ran toward the gate with haste.
Toward his beloved childhood friend who was waiting in front of the gate.
Lute met Snow again, and told her that he had been freed.
They hugged each other while crying.
After they calmed down, they both gave deep bows toward Meiya’s house and disappeared into the town.
Meiya didn’t move from the courtyard, stayed in her seat, and heard the report.
The maid asked.
“Was that okay, Meiya-sama? Letting Lute go, I mean.”
After Lute told the maid that he was going to make tea and pa.s.sed by her, she was told to bring Lute’s contract doc.u.ment.
To think that the master, Meiya, would tear it didn’t crossed her mind at all.
Meiya answered with her back still turned toward the maid.
“It’s okay. Keeping a servant that makes tea this badly despite being here for over a year already would just affect my name.”
“......If it’s that bad, then why don’t you stop drinking it. Being too stubborn is bad for the body, and your happiness will also escape, you know.”
“It’s okay. Moreover, I’ve already received more than enough happiness…...”
She treated the tea Lute had made with care and continued to drink it.
When she finished the last drop, she looked up to the sky, as if to prevent her tears from falling.
“Haaa, geez…… it really tastes bad.”
The maid pretended that she didn’t see the gem-like tears rolling down Meiya’s cheeks.
TL’s face: (´；ω；｀)
In her heart, she had decided that Meiya Dragoon was the best master they had ever had.
ＥＮＤ
■Afterword
Truly, thank you for buying Gun-Ota volume 3!
The story this time was ‘What if the one who bought Lute was Meiya’.
At first, it was just Lute and Meiya being all ‘kya kya ufufu’, but somehow, it turned into this kind of serious, moving story.
I wonder what happened……!?
Well, Meiya is always treated as a ‘pity beauty’ in both the web and the light novel, so this kind of ‘good-girl end’ isn’t so bad.
In the real story, she’s still like that though. (LOL)
Well then, let’s wrap it up.
Next time, volume 4 will be a story about Lyss and s.h.i.+a.
What kind of story should I write, I wonder.
Best regards next time too!
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