Published at 7th of December 2022 06:26:21 AM
217 – The One With Endless Potential (Part 2)
「One, two.」
「You're doing good…! Shake the wand lightly and let the robe flutter!」
Swoosh.
「O-okay… um, like this right…?」
「Yes…! That's perfect, Cashew! You're a genius! A genius Wizard!」
Click click click click.
For some reason, in addition to Cashew's voice, I can also hear an out-of-control female voice and shutter sounds coming from my office… Is it just my imagination?
I opened the door after denying the reality for just a moment.
Inside my office…a photo session was going on.
I know the culprit.
「What are you doing…」
The term Demi-Humans is an excessively rough classification.
In the first place, it's only a term that's used by the majority of Humans.
Leaving that aside, there are more detailed classifications.
For example, Dog Demi-Humans refers to those that have dog racial characteristics on their human body, just like Cashew.
Dog Beastmen refers to the race that has the appearance of an animal that has evolved into a humanoid form.
For example, the Minotauruses are Cow Beastmen.
There is a similar classification for Aquatic Monsters. If their human body has the characteristics of an aquatic creature, they are called Mermaids. If an aquatic creature has evolved to gain a humanoid body, they are called Fishmen.
「Oh, the Chief of Staff is here. You've come at just the right time. Could you lend me a hand?」
A tentacle suddenly stretched out and gave me a camera.
She's an Octopus Mermaid.
Her upper body is a human and her lower body is octopus tentacles.
Her name is Skew and she is the chief of the department that is in charge of the Avatars of the Monsters in the Demon King Castle and their designs.
She is also a designer and was the one who created Lemegeton's costume.
Recently, she also designed the costume for Lily's Monster form, the Deep Forest Archer Stolas.
「Sir Le-ah, Ch-chief of Staff…! D-does it look good on me?」
Cashew approached me while embarrassed.
She is currently dressed in a Wizard-like costume.
The pointy hat had holes for the dog ears and Cashew's dog ears were popping out from there. The robe was fluttery and the outfit inside looked like some kind of uniform. The rest is a skirt.
She was holding a wand prop in her hand that probably doesn't have the ability to purify and compress Magical Energy.
That appearance is like a cute Wizard apprentice.
「Yeah, it's so cute…no, I mean, you look very intelligent.」
「Really…!」
Cashew gave a dazzling smile.
Skew couldn't stand Cashew's cuteness and collapsed on the sofa.
I twitched when I saw her like that, but it's normal for her to do that so I'll just leave her alone.
「Y-yes. So today's theme is a Wizard, huh?」
「Yes…!」
It seemed like a long time ago, but this happened right after I was hired in the Demon King Castle.
I promised to go out with Milla, but I also promised to go out with Cashew on that day.
One of the places we went to while strolling around the alleys of the Demon King Castle was Skew's office.
Skew became very fond of Cashew and wanted to dress her in various outfits, calling it possible outfits for her Avatar.
Cashew seemed fascinated because her dream is to become my 72nd Contract, but she had no money to pay for it.
However, Skew said that if she just let her take Cashew's picture then that would be enough for the payment.
Since then, after Skew obtained Cashew's approval, she acted like a fish that just got water.
Like this time, she brought Cashew's costume, a dress made of actual fabric, not Magical Energy, to check the design before the creation of her Avatar, and took pictures of it.
「Ah, I'll prepare tea.」
Cashew went to the office kitchen.
I turned my eyes to glare at Skew.
「…You do know that it's difficult for a Dog Demi-Human to manifest as a Wizard, right?」
「What are you talking about?! Cashew's possibilities are endless!」
In response to my whisper, Skew stood up and shouted loudly at me.
「That's true, but that's not what I mean… You did this just for your hobby, didn't you?」
Skew's body flinched so much that I could hear her panicking.
Cashew is very serious about her future Avatar, but Skew wants Cashew to wear cute outfits.
If I use the word “cute”, Cashew, who is aiming to become a cool Monster, would give me an expression that just says “Eh…”, so I can't say that.
「So you're implying that I had a bit of my own hobby in mind when I said that she has a lot of possibilities?」
「Haa…」
「Hey, stop looking at me with that kind of look as if I'm a good-for-nothing adult. I feel hurt!」
She's a Mermaid with quite a lot of personality, and although she often takes Cashew's pictures for her hobby, Cashew is also happy with it, so I'm not unhappy with her.
「I'm kidding, but I didn't call you here today for this reason…」
When I went straight to the point, Skew finally had a composed expression.
Excluding the fact that she gets weird when it's about Cashew, she's usually a competent designer.
「Of course, I will do it. Anyway, you…」
「What is it?」
「Perhaps the most frightening thing about you is… your ability to connect with people.」
I was taken aback because she said it so seriously.
「…I also think that I'm blessed with good companions.」
「A Contract with the ring is advantageous for the owner of the ring. Once a Contract is made, the other party can be freely summoned by the Contractor. Normally, people would hesitate to make a Contract, even if they trusted the Contractor. After all, they won't know when and for what reason the Contractor will summon them, so it's a very important decision.」
「You're right…」
「But you have gained quite a considerable amount of Contracts in a short period of time. There are a lot of people who are willing to be used by you. That's amazing.」
「…I don't want to betray their trust.」
「Hmm…. Above all! Cashew wants to have a Contract with you! I'm definitely not jealous at all about that.」
In the end, Skew had a slovenly expression again.
◇
After the meeting with her.
「U-um… Chief of Staff.」
After Cashew went back to her secretary appearance, we took a break on the sofa.
「Yes?」
For some reason, Cashew looked anxious.
Her dog ears, which are always up, are drooping down. Her tail, which always swayed in response to her emotions, is also just staying down on the sofa.
She looked like she wasn't feeling well.
「I heard that you can know your Job when you're 10 years old…」
「That's right.」
「I also heard… that even before reaching that age, their Aptitude is already showing…」
「That's true. If someone has the Aptitude of a Martial Artist, then he will be great at fighting even as a child, and if he has the Aptitude of a Painter, then his painting skill will quickly improve. It's like a glimpse of their ability even before their Job is identified… I guess that explanation is hard to understand. Hmm, right, it's like they have things that they are good at.」
「That's right… sister Maca has always been good at cooking…」
Gripping the hem of her clothes tightly, Cashew looked downcast.
Maca is Cashew's older sister, her Job is a Chef.
「Are you worried?」
She nodded then looked back up at me.
Then, Cashew slowly began to speak.
After deciding to become a Monster, Cashew searched for her own Aptitude.
Fortunately, there are various Monsters in the Demon King Castle and Cashew is loved by everyone, so they took the time to accompany her.
She exercised with Marchosias and the Werewolves, had the Hellhounds show their attacks using claws and fangs, learned the basics of archery from the Dark Elf Leraje, saw Kimaris' Necromancy being done right in front of her, learned how to swim from the Mermaid Vepar, and received training from Furcus, incidentally, it seems like the sounds I heard from their room in the inn when we were dispatched to the Elementary Level – Beginner's Dungeon was them training, solved Caim's puzzles, got dressed in a maid costume by the Dream Demons, and got Agares to kindly teach her about magic, she said that nothing weird happened, other than him constantly having a gentle smile, and continued talking about all the other things she did.
She also had a consultation with the Demon King.
She tried a lot of things, but most of them were done when I went to the Original Dungeon.
However, Cashew still couldn't find her Aptitude.
The only thing she could say was that she was physically strong, but that was not an uncommon trait to have for a Dog Demi-Human
Cashew thought to herself.
What should I do if I don't get a combat-related Job? Even if it is not combat-related, I hope that I can at least get a Job that is useful for support.
What if I get a Job that is useless on the battlefield…?
「Cashew…」
On the way back from the welcome party for Lemegeton. We promised each other.
Someday, Cashew will become a Monster and become my last Contract.
I couldn't help but worry because Cashew gives her utmost effort in everything.
Some people, like the Water Hero Wraith and the Destroyer Fran, are showing overwhelming strength when they're only 10 years old.
Cashew watched them during the raid battle and she probably couldn't comfort herself by saying that she is only 8 years old.
A strong person is strong whether he is young or very young.
「I, I… um, I will continue to do my best… so…」
Cashew's voice trembled.
I got up from the sofa and kneeled in front of her.
I raised my eyes to gently look at her and smiled.
「Who is your boss, Cashew?」
「…Eh? T-the Chief of Staff.」
「That's right. Is the Chief of Staff someone who decides whether he needs his hardworking subordinate or not just because of her Job?」
「…」
Cashew raised her face and shook her head.
「N-no, he's not…!」
「It's true that the Job is important. It's very, very important. It's something that influences the lives of many people. However, there are people who decide their lives before their Job is identified and I don't think that a Job is great enough to change that decision.」
Just like the Black Sorcerer child who aims to become a Hero even if he wasn't identified as a Hero.
「Someday, Cashew's Job will be identified and whatever it is, I will support what Cashew wants to do. It can be different or the same as it is now.」
Cashew nodded.
「If Cashew becomes a Monster in the future, then whatever your Job is, you will become my last Contract. We already made a promise, right?」
The little girl with infinite possibilities had tears in her eyes, but she didn't let them out.
「Yes…! I'll become a Monster and help the Chief of Staff…!」
She said that and smiled.
◇
I had something to do on that day, so I asked Milla to bring Cashew back to her home and left the Demon King Castle a little earlier than usual.
「Hey, that older gentleman over there, would you like to have a cup of tea with us? Just kidding.」
For some reason, this phrase, which seemed like it will never have any relation to me, was actually directed at me.
It was a sentence that neither the person saying it nor the person receiving it would ever experience, but I never thought that I would be the one receiving it.
「…Wraith?」
Dark blue hair and eyes reminiscent of the deep sea. A young face and small stature. His smile is full of self-confidence, but it also gives off a mysterious impression due to the charm peculiar to children.
The Water Hero Wraith was there.
His childhood friend the Destroyer Fran was also there.
Her pure white long hair and red eyes remind me of a rabbit. If someone said that she was a doll created by a renowned craftsman, her white skin and beautiful, expressionless face would make it believable.
「I arrived earlier than I expected, so I came to pick you up.」
「…If it weren't for me, you would have taken the wrong road a dozen times.」
「That's why I came with you.」
The two of them were happily holding hands together.
Yes. The meeting place has changed, but the thing that I had to do was…to have a meeting with them.
「I see. Did you wait for a long time?」
「Fran, “it's that kind of phrase”, it's your turn next.」
It seemed like they were playing some strange game.
Fran expressionlessly looked up at me and said.
「”No, I just got here.”」
「Ahaha, that's a relief.」
I smiled wryly and we started walking together.
Chapter end
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