So Lonis had no choice but to become a human step stool… She hurried over, trying to lift Elucia up.
But she was simply too weak. Even though Elucia was petite, Lonis couldn’t lift her.
“Ah… Ah, you’re heavy.”
“You foolish servant! Who are you calling heavy?”
“Huh…?”
“Honestly, what kind of education did you get? You don’t even know how to carry someone! Crouch down first. Once I’m sitting on your shoulders, stand up.”
“O-okay…”
Lonis’s pretty face turned red. If she’d had any experience raising children, she probably would’ve known how to carry someone… But Lonis had never even been married, let alone had a child.
…
(Wait, no! I’m a girl now. Does that mean… I could get pregnant someday? If I were violated by some strange monster, would my belly swell up?!)
Only then did Lonis realize a frightening truth: unlike the Hero, who could leave people waiting all over the place, girls often had to bear the heavier burden in relationships.
If something happened to her, she wasn’t even sure what she could do to protect herself.
(No. I absolutely can’t go anywhere dangerous. If I get caught…)
…
Of course, Elucia had no idea what Lonis was worrying about. And even if she did… As her master, she’d never let anyone hurt her servant.
The little girl simply swung her legs over Lonis’s shoulders, then gave her head a firm pat.
“All right. Stand up.”
“Huh?!”
Lonis froze. She felt two soft things press against her cheeks.
When she looked closer, she saw Elucia’s petite, adorable thighs. The little girl wore black stockings, and the snug feeling against Lonis’s cheeks was surprisingly pleasant, like being pressed against a bar of dark chocolate.
“Hmph. Lonis, what are you looking at?”
“Huh?”
“You think you’re allowed to look at your master’s legs? Stand up. Now!”
“Eep!”
Lonis felt Elucia tap her on the head several times. She wasn’t hitting very hard, but she seemed to have messed up Lonis’s hair.
“Take three steps forward, then one step to the right. Hmm… good. This will do.”
“Uh…”
“Don’t move. I should be done replacing the parts in about five minutes.”
…
…
Since she didn’t dare look up, Lonis had no idea how Elucia was making the repairs… But standing perfectly still wasn’t easy for the silver-haired girl, either.
She felt a little unsteady. Her legs were more for show than for standing, and it seemed like she might lose her balance and topple over at any moment.
And don’t forget: Elucia was sitting on Lonis’s shoulders, so the back of Lonis’s neck was only a few centimeters from the little black-haired girl.
So close that Lonis could almost feel her warmth and sense each beat of the little girl’s heart.
(A heartbeat… Elucia really is human. But how can she change her appearance like that?)
(Maybe it’s something like Conan? If this is the future, maybe humans have evolved to possess unimaginable powers.)
(So her little-girl form is an energy-saving mode? She must’ve run out of power and been unable to maintain her older appearance…)
…
Lonis’s thoughts wandered here and there. She didn’t notice…
“Lonis, what are you doing?”
“Huh?”
“You’re about to fall! Straighten up!”
“Waaah!!”
Only then did the silver-haired girl realize that, distracted by her thoughts, she’d started leaning backward… And once she began to tip, there was no way she could regain her balance.
And then…
Crash!
The sound of two girls hitting the floor rang out in the room with the magic furnace.
…
…
…
…
…
…
Half an hour later, in a guest room in the village.
“Thank you so much, young lady! Our magic furnace wouldn’t be back in working order without you… But is your sister all right? She looked like she took quite a fall…”
“It’s nothing. And she’s not my sister. She’s my fluffball.”
“F-Fluffball?”
The village chief blinked. He seemed never to have heard the word before.
“That’s right. She helped me with a lot of work today, and I’m happy, so I’m going to give her a little reward~”
“Oh… Well, if that’s all, I’ll take my leave.”
The village chief left, still not quite sure what was going on…
And Lonis knew her good days were over!
Elucia was definitely being sarcastic. Lonis had just knocked her onto the floor and made a fool of her, so now she was going to get her own back.
Sure enough, after seeing the village chief out, Elucia turned around with a strange smile.
Her expression seemed to say: Run while you can. Struggle all you want. No matter how hard you resist, you’ll still end up as my plaything, completely under my thumb.
So…
“I-I’m sorry, Elucia! I didn’t mean to do that!”
Lonis dropped to her knees. The silver-haired girl could only hope Elucia wouldn’t be too harsh on her.
But then…
The little black-haired girl didn’t look satisfied at all. She took a whip from her storage ring and slowly walked toward Lonis.
“Oh-ho~ Our great Hero finally admits she was wrong? You’re not talking back for once?”
“Huh…?”
“Then let’s start with a few strokes. Your skin heals right back up, no matter what, so I don’t have to worry about being too careful.”
“N-no, don’t!”
Lonis now understood the consequences of getting herself into trouble.
Elucia wasn’t some madwoman, and she did have limits when it came to punishing Lonis… As her partner, she’d never leave a lasting mark on her.
But since Lonis’s body could heal, Elucia didn’t have to hold back as much. She’d probably keep striking until Lonis was covered in cuts, wouldn’t she?
…
“Ha-ha! Lonis, prepare to meet your doom!”
“Waaah!”
The little girl laughed as the black whip came down hard on Lonis.
Smack!
A sharp crack rang out, echoing through the whole room.
Lonis shut her eyes, bracing herself for the pain…
But it didn’t hurt.
If anything, it felt like a bundle of plastic strips had hit her. The sound was loud, but the impact wasn’t nearly as bad as she’d expected… The sensation on her skin was soft and a little ticklish.
…
Lonis was stunned.
She’d suddenly remembered setting a special trait that could change how her body registered pain.
Could it be… that the trait had activated?
Elucia was hitting her hard, but Lonis wasn’t feeling the pain she expected. Had her trait kicked in and dulled the impact?
Would she be able to feel the blows properly if Elucia hit harder?
Realizing this, Lonis was utterly dismayed.
…
