Volume 1, Chapter 4: "Tsuyosa"
*****
It was that time of day for us to have our lunch. As I hand out the meal to the squirrels, the little girl I picked up earlier woke up
"Mmm..."
"Oh? You're awake now, perfect timing, it's time for lunch-"
Before I got to finish my sentence, the little girl strayed further from me, looking at me as if I've done something wrong just now
"Um..."
The little girl, cowered in fear, was about to break down in tears as her body refused to move any further. I walked a few steps towards her when suddenly-
"N-no!"
I stopped in my tracks due to her sudden outburst
"D-d...don't...hurt me..."
"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise, okay?"
The little girl didn't believe in my words, covering herself even more from me
"They also said that..."
"They...?"
"..."
It seems that I was right about my speculation earlier...moreover, I think its because of that reason that she can't trust someone like me...
"This is a problem though...what should I do...?"
Moments after, one squirrel ran up to her and seemingly tried to calm the little girl down
"! I-It's you!"
"Who is?"
Getting slightly confused, the little girl seemed to know that particular squirrel. It also looked like the squirrel knew her
"You guys know each other?"
"..."
Should've expected that she won't open up to me that easily...
"He saved me...he helped me get escape from a big creature in the forest last time..."
"I see...about you, could you tell me more about what happened?"
The little girl, at first was hesitant, but thanks to the squirrel, it assured her that everything will be fine, leading her to trusting me a little bit
*****
The little girl was shy at first, but eventually started eating after she saw the squirrels started eating as well. She was so satisfied with the food that she ended up eating 10 bowls of serving. I was glad that I added more portions to our meal incase something like this happens
After a little rest, the little girl then started sharing her story
"...Before, I was living in an orphanage. The orphanage was built for us monsters with no parents or family...or that's what they said to us..."
"Was that orphanage in...?"
"Yes...it was near the kingdom, far away from this forest...The kingdom of humans...
Our caretaker was very kind at first, he gave us food, shelter, clothing, and everything. He even plays with us whenever he has free time..."
"But?"
"But that caretaker's personality, was just a farce...
One day, a group of men came in our orphanage, looked at us with a disgusting face. Our caretaker said that they want to take us and be a part of their family...
Enthusiastically happy, we all agreed, and each of us went into our own separate ways...the only thing that I remembered in that orphanage before I left was the caretaker's reaction...he was smiling, creepily smiling at us..."
"..."
"Once I got home with my new caretaker, I got dragged and got threw away inside the house. The first thing he did to me was ordering me around to do the household chores everyday. I was so dumb back then that I didn't even thought of escaping when that happened...by the time I realized, I couldn't able to leave by his side...as by that time, he already put a collar in my neck that keeps me from disobeying him...
As time goes by, I got used to it. My new life, but each time passes, he gets worse...the last time he did something worse to me was lay his fingers on me while I was asleep. I tried to get him away from me, but the collar keeps electrifying me, leaving me powerless"
"That bastard!-"
"But while all of that was happening, someone came into the house. It was a man wearing a blue striped robe and was holding a cane...He broke the slave collar in my neck and then grabbed me as we escaped from that house"
"Thank god! I'm so glad that man came!"
"..."
Eh? Was I wrong? Is it not a happy ending yet?
"The man with the blue striped robe brought me back to his home. He then gave me food and a drink that night as I let out a cry and relief because I won't have to go back to that house again...or so what I thought...
After a few dialogue exchange between us, the man said "sorry" to me out of the blue as I felt a slight dizziness in my head...it was then that I realized, that he put something in my drink and I, got duped again...I fell asleep as his last words to me were 'you're the perfect subject' or something..."
Controlling my anger, I once again listened to her story once more
"I woke up, with my hands and feet hanging from both corners. The man was on the verge of casting a spell on me when at the time, I was crying out loud for I don't know what's going to happen to me next...
By the time I knew it, a dark aura developed around me as if it heard my crying. It then killed the man without the man being able to react to it. Afterwards, the aura around me cut the chains between my arms and feet. I then left the house, from that man, to go far away from that place...into this forest..."
So that explains the shackles, her ragged clothes, and her beaten up...but...what about she said earlier?...that dark aura...?
...
...There were so many things that happened to this girl that I don't even know where to start...but one things for certain...
I reached my hand out to her head, giving her a pat as I said-
"You did great"
"H...huh...?"
"You endured a lot, you've experienced many bad things and yet...you've endured them...you're strong...very strong...no...you're the strongest little girl I've ever met"
"T-thats...h-huh?"
While I was giving her the best smile I could give, she broke down into tears
"That's right, let it out, let it all out"
"I don't want to experience the same thing ever again!"
"You won't, not on my watch"
She cried and screamed even more...I can really feel that this was the first time she felt relieved that finally, that fear will end...
*****
A few minutes later, the little girl finally calmed down
"T-thank you mister..."
"I'm Aki, Aki Hikari. What's your name?"
"..."
"You can't remember your name?"
"I-I don't have a name..."
"I see...wait- you don't?"
"I don't...monsters don't have names...unless they're in contract with a Tamer..."
So tamers does exist in this world...interesting...
"You sure know a lot for being a little girl, I'm quite surprised!"
"Um...I'm at least a few hundred years old..."
"Eh?"
Did I heard that right?
"At least a few hundred years old...?"
"Yes...I'm a dragon"
"Oh! I see- A DRAGON?!"
"Yes"
That surprised me! But now that I think about it, her having a tail similar to a dragon and her small horns...wait...I swore I didn't see her having a horn earlier...
"Can you hide your tail and your horns?"
"Yes, see?"
In a flash, she hid her tail and horns. Without it, she definitely looks like a normal human being
"I see, but why weren't you able to hide it earlier?"
"It constantly consumes my mana if I did that, and without mana, I won't be able to move much"
So that's why...
...
...I feel like I'm not even talking to a little girl just now, her appearance may be of those little girl figure, but on the inside, she's definitely older!
"Are you not...afraid of me?"
"Afraid of you?"
Well, if I'm going to be honest...
"I am, the fact that you are a dragon scares me, who knows what you'd do to me?"
"But...other humans don't-"
"-But after hearing your story, I believe that not all demi humans are like that"
"..."
"Some demi humans are evil, some are not. That's just the way it is"
"I kind of get it, but not at the same time..."
"What I'm trying to say is, demi human or human, at the end of the day, we're still identically the same. We breathe, we eat, we walk, we sleep, everything..."
"Mister..."
"I don't see you that way, I see you rather as a friend whom I had a deep conversation with just now, and we should keep it at that"
I smiled at her once again as she felt the meaning behind everything I've said
...
I felt like the tension rose up a few minutes after so I tried to change the subject
"What about you? Aren't you scared of me? I mean from what I've heard from your story and all, surely you hate us humans by now"
"...I hate humans...the way they manipulate and deceive other people, animals, and even us monsters...they'll make us think that we're friends but in reality, they look down upon us and betray us..."
Oof, she really just described my society in my old world!
"But..."
"But...?
"Although you said the same thing like they did, it feels like you're saying the truth..."
"That's probably because I am saying the truth, hahaha"
"You are..."
...I don't even know what to say to that...
"I feel like I can finally trust someone for the first time...and that first time...is you..."
"..."
I really don't know how to respond to something heartwarming as that...
"Mister"
"Y-yes?"
"I want to be with you!"
"H-huh..."
B-by that...does she mean...?
"I want to be your maid!"
Of course that's what she meant!...wait...
"Maid...?"
"I want to be your right hand maid, Master!"
It isn't even set in stone yet she's already calling me master!
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to be with you"
"But doesn't mean you have to be my right hand maid!"
"But I want to master! Let's do the contract!"
Her eyes was so determined that I doubt she'll back down no matter how many times I turn her down...*sigh*
...also, did she said "contract" ?
"Aren't only tamers can do that?"
"You are one though, master"
"Wait, I am?"
"Yes, that faint cross shaped mark on your hand is the proof, master"
"I see...I didn't even noticed that...also stop calling me master, you're not even my maid yet!"
"Oh, so I will?"
"Stop with that smug look please"
But why do I have such a mark? I don't even have the tamer skill- AH!
"The Ruler Skill!"
"Ruler ?"
But if Ruler skill is considered a tamer skill...then does that mean all tamers have this integral skill...?
...guess I'll have to gather information to know more...
"Master...?"
"Oh, nothing. But are you sure you want to do this?"
She smiled to me as she reassured me by her words
"Since this day that I've met you, I was scared and skeptical at first due to what I've been through. But as we talked and you shared your thoughts, I already knew that you're the one for me, that you'll be different than every other human being and that you, will be the first person that I can fully trust with my whole life...
Does that answer your question, Master?"
"*Sigh*...I can't believe the day came where I crossed paths with someone like you, a dragon too, but I'm glad that i met you too"
And after with our exchange of dialogues, I invoked my skill in my head as I point my hand at her
Ruler!
My skill immediately activated, surrounding us two with two spell circles beneath our feet and encapsulating us in a box themed with constellations
As long as the conditions don't fail, I think I can create my own style in this contract...
"I, Aki Hikari, am bounding the rules to be strictly followed by this target:
1. The target can freely do as she pleases.
Do you agree to the rules set above?"
She was surprised but smiled deeply at me as she said "Yes!" Happily with her voice
"Okay, let's see..."
The other rules I can do whenever I wanted to, so I guess that only leads to-
"Your name..."
I have to think of her name next...but what's a name that'll suit her...?
She endured a lot...she went through a lot...but she persevered...she was that strong...hmm...strong...
"Tsuyosa...as of today, your name will be Tsuyosa. Do you accept?"
"Tsuyosa...I love it master, I accept, thank you"
The big box around us became smaller and smaller that eventually wrapped Tsuyosa right after she accepted her name
"So this is her evolution stage..."
Wait...evolution? Uhh...what's next to a dragon?
...
Before I could even found it myself, the thing that was wrapped around Tsuyosa vanished and Tsuyosa, became from a little girl, to a bona fide woman in front of me
"Whoa! I almost didn't catch her"
Fortunately, her clothes were also altered into her new form. Thanks to that, I've saved myself from having a pervert scene like one of those animes I've watch
"So...every evolution also changes their appearance...huh"
"Mmm...master...?"
"Oh, you're awake, Tsuyosa. That was quick"
"Now I'm really master's right hand..."
"That's the first thing you'll say?!"
I sighed to myself while letting out a small laugh. The UI then popped up infront of me, showing me a shocking information
"H-H-H-H-Huh?!"
"Master...?"
I couldn't believe from what I'm seeing that I let out my surprise...
The fact that...Tsuyosa was now a...
"Is there something wrong, master?"
"N-nothing..."
...
*Sigh*...Starting also today, I, Aki Hikari, would never be using the skill Ruler ever again, for it could be deemed dangerous!
*****
End of Volume 1, Chapter 4
