New Chapter!!!!!!!

Enjoy~:3

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Machiru, for the first time in her life gain an actual friend.

And she was asked in a pretty seductive manner on top of that.

'Damn, I should be the one who say that line, is it wrong for a flirty character like me to be the one that's flustered instead?'

Though I don't mind, since...

'My first female friend! And it's a beautiful girl on top of that!!"

No, it's not like I'm someone so asocial to the point I would jump around when some beautiful loli would offer her hand to me... And no, I'm not simping.

Most of the friends I make in this town is the gathering of cultured male that in a way, similar to master.

Every Weekends, at the local bar, along with master. We would gather and have some heated topics about a new member of the loli protection squadron, or how jeans is a good civilization rather than a skirt.

And cynthia-San.... I can only see her as an erotic older sister..... Sorry, I'm so sorry, but a relationship where one would frequently stare at the other party's chest more than the person's eyes would only bring guilt when you just shamelessly claimed to be her friend without her consent.

Maybe I would ask her when I have the chance...

"Machiru......" A sweet and clear voice were whispered next to my ears.

"Hyann!?" I let out a weird moan.

Shit, that hits the right zone.

"Okay, don't do this suddenly anymore. Do you want your friends to develop a weird fetish."

"....?....Do you want me to mix the meat with potato?" She ask and I nodded, a bit embarrassed.

"Then open your mouth, ahhhh~" She shoved the fork right in front of my mouth, her movement were graceful even when she's feeding on the girl exactly her age.

"Ahhh~" I said, deep down completely enjoying this situation.

Machiru, currently being held captive as an imperial princess's friend, Florence Mira Everine.

"Well even if you said that I'm being captive...." I start to wave around my unrestrained hand, with a concerned face.

Not only I receive a luxury to the point that the princess personally feeds me, I can enjoy it without having even one of my limb tied up.

'What if I am actually am assassin that were originally tried to take her life?'

Nah, that's a stupid concern.

She could easily kill almost anyone even if she's not on guard, so I'll stop being worried about her.

But there's one thing....

"What happen if I would decide to seriously escape? It's not like I'm actually willing to stay here forever, you know?"

I can flail my arms and legs around.

The outside window has no barrier.

No traps.

The princess can't keep me in watch 24/7.

Doesn't seems to be any surveillence around here.

In short, I can dash out the moment she takes her eyes off me in a second.

But the princess look so chill that I cn't help that there must be so.e kind of a catch that I don't notice.

"Oh, you're still worried about that?"

She looks at me and calmly smile.

"Well now, even if you make such assumption. I would never dare to do something that might harm my friend."

"So is it fine for me to escape?" I chuckled , the tone contained a bit of joking in it.

She looked at me with a blank yet firm eyes. "I know you won't actually do it, Machiru."

"Oh? I wonder where all that confidence stems from."

Well to be honest, I know where she actually placed that confidence.

"Oh my, didn't I already explain it?" She smiled back and pulled up her hand formed in fist.

"If you stay here I would give you some compensation." She spoke as she raise up one of her fingers.

"Since you have no permanent residence, and it would almost be winter soon, why don't you receive the best hospitality from a member of royalty? Even most nobles in this kingdom won't have the honour of this treatment."

I gulped at her first sentence.

Though I haven't experienced the Everine's winter. I heard that it's so cold that droplet would turn into ice midair.

Though me and master has no permanent residence. There's actually a decent amount of people that is willing to let us stay in their house for a while so it didn't put us in much worries(does not include living cost, but beggars can't be choosers).

But it's royalty treatment, ROYALTIES! It's basically an upgrade VVVIP treatment for 3 whole months, it's literally live in more luxuries than in the duke household(but as if that damned duke would spend money to actually bask me in luxury).

Just when I imagine how it would actually feels like, the princess raise another one of her finger.

"I would take care of your master's identification. Though he had no origins whatsoever, I could use my position to fabricate his blank life so that he won't need to be kicked out the moment his status as a 'guest' expires in 5 more months."

'This is it....'

The most important preposition she could give that would definitely save a lot of headache.

Though my stupid master does not really mind, staying in an empire with no any legal identification would cause problem sooner or later.

But how could you even have one when you literally just appear from midair one day?

Stepping your feet on an illegal society is a strong option, but let's not take the risk.

compared to the first compensation, it's more tempting.

"Oh right, I think I need to ad-" When the princess speak, a sound of a knock that resounded for 4 times suddenly came from the door.

".... Oh, it's time already." She put the plate of dinner into my lap carefully, and stood up to reach to the door.

Just when she about to went out, she stole a glance at me.

"I need to add one more compensation exclusively for this moment.... Just treat it as an direct payment." She said before her voice goes sharper.

""

And the door finally closed.

At the exact moment she's gone, a presence suddenly emerged from the balcony.

I swiftly opened the balcony door, and on the fence stood an aged crow that has an unusual aura.

Which is obviously, my master.

After looking at me and the outside door back and forth, he started to speaks human with his crow mouth.

"Shit! I was right, she is one crazy bitc-" I swiftly pinch it's beak

"I won't tolerate an insult towards a loli." I look at him sternly.

"Doesn't seems like she would be on a 'must protect!!' list anytime in the future...." The crow sighed and a black mist surround it as it shaped back into the old man I know.

I shrugged my shoulder in front of an undeniable truth.

I decide to put the topic in serious direction. "Well, the reward's not bad the more you think about it."

Though I never knew when I will stay as a mooch for the princess.

"The princess talks nothing about the duration, but I wonder just how long she's gonna keep you like this..." He said while ficxing his ruffled beard.

I put my hand on the chin while pondering.

Probably when she got bored instead?

But if we go by that logic, would there even be a moment where the princess would actually let go of me?

"Tch, the dilemma of being an interesting person. If she decide to keep someone based on how unique they are, I would probably need to stay here forever." I said, sound unbelieavably troubled.

"......"

After massaging his forehead for a good while, master finally spoke in a firmer tone than usual.

"It's not worth it, don't accept her deal."

Suprised at his sudden hard attitude I opened my mouth.

"No hesitation huh, old man? Don't you realized that you would become a hoodlum that has nowhere to go if you keep it up like this."

"Are you worried for this old man? Don't be, I kinda used to be a being of shadow of my late lord. Origins never matter in the first place."

F#$_, he's actually thinking that living more low-key than usual would solve the problem.

".... Even if you would never had a chance to held your head up onto the bright side of the world? Do you think it would be the same from your ancient era, where everything is lax?"

Before he can say anything, I press one of my hand to my chest while looking at him with a blunt expression.

"And even if you don't mind, what about me? I don't want to miss the fun by being occasionally seperated with you...."

My master look at me and silence were emerged fo a while.

After a long while my inside started to panic. 'Holy shit, am I being too damn cheesy? Though I just said some cool line just now, I would die if he actually cringed at th-.'

"HAHAHAHAHAHH~"

After the silence, he heartily laugh while patting my head.

"Okay, okay~ Since my cute disciple is that eager to stay with her most awesome master, I suppose I would put in more effort regarding this dillema." He said it with a tone full of confidence that I can't help but to feel my hand itching.

Hence, I give him a Machiru specialty sky uppercut.

Then I looked down on master while smile as sweetly as possible.

"Mahh~ If my most awesome and dependable master said so, then this dumb and unreliable disciple won't need to rack her brain anymore so that her master won't get kicked out from this country, yeah?

Oh, just to save your time. Normal method like inserting random information on the government won't work, bribing takes a shit load of money, all your hope goes to making a connection with a upper tier noble or some big shot from the underground society."

...But freaking hell! Most of the reliable one just holed up in their home like a fucking hermit. It would be either to barge in or make a grand scale disaster so they would be forced to come out.

Whoops, let's not go that far Machiru.

That won't end pretty no matter how much glitter you pour it.

"Welp let's put up that topic for later. Let's discuss how you would escape, kay? Wanna do it now? I don't think there's any trap here." He stood up and point at an opened sky beyond the balcony.

I clicked my tounge and look at him with stubborn eyes.

"Escapeescapeescape #$!! I'm not staying here mainly for you only! Remember this, as long as Risa is still in this dangerous place. I won't leave!"

This is the biggest reason why I'm actually being stubborn to stay here despite master's unusual burst of determination.

The idea of getting master's permit from the princess is nice and all, since it's easy and is the safest way to get it.

But don't underestimate me.

Even with all the risk, I can still get it if I put all my effort into it. Even if you include all the risk I just mention.

So it's not actually worth it to trade it for my freedom.

But what if the princess has something akin like a hostage that would make me stay?

"She knows...." I sighed.

Doesn't seem to suprised, master sighed alongside with me.

"Damn, from our planned little talks and now this? Little girls nowadays are scary." He said as he stood up and lean towards the fence of the balcony.

"Leaving doesn't mean we would abandon your mother..... And as long as she hold the stigma of the Duchess's closest aide. No matter how crazy that girl is, she won't do anything risky."

"That....."

He cut me off while narrowing his eyes on me. "You're in the most danger here, lass."

After he said that, he took out a bottle that looks really familiar.

A bottle that were fully made of glass, containing a blessed power from church to eradicate any evil and chaotic element of this world.

[Holy Water]

"When that bird throw this out in that weird corridor, it actually creates a wormhole that would let us escape. And I would be damned if this water actually has a space transfer function."

Yeahhh nope.

The church would actually be thriving if the [Holy Water] actually have such function.

Which explain one thing.

"It dispels a part of space that were created by an chaotic element....." Master said seriously.

And this type of magic could only be casted by....

"A [Devil]...... And a high ranked one on top of that."

I know that I'm basically just a sitting duck here with no protection unlike Risa, that has a status as an official visitor.

But holy shit, we're dealing with the [Devil] here.

The species that almost rule over the world a long time ago, famous for their wickedness and unpredictable mentality.

And with no doubt it was a [Devil] that caught me back then.

The way it just brought me to the princess with no harm proves that she has quite a dominating relationship with it.

"But she actually give her words so that nothing would actually harm me here, so I'm saved for now?" I tilt my head with slight carefree manner.

"Do you actually believe in every word your kidnapper's said? Are you that naive in the first place?" He sighed and turns his head towards the world beyond the curtain.

I walk closer and stand beside him.

'It is beautiful...'

As a person who prefer a night aesthetic. The scenery from here ticks all the boxes.

A scattered light on the city.

A lake and sea that were reflecting the glitter of star and moon.

I smiled and opened my mouth.

"Well for one, I have an instinct that she would keep her word." I said with confidence.

"Though confirming mum's safety is a priority, wouldn't it be awesome to uncover the secret of the princess?"

'And there's definitely something's going on in this palace.'

"......"

Without moving his eyes, master reach his hand on top of my head.

"Just take care of yourself."

Enjoying the feeling of warmth, I smiled and laughed.

"Let's go to the pub and order the afterwork steak special once this is over."

A warm smile were painted on master's side profile.

Truthfully it makes him looks more attractive, and it's coming out from an non-Ojii lover.

"Just like we always do?" He ask.

Yup.

"Just like we always do." I said in my usual carefree tone.