EPISODE 4 – I DECIDED TO SHELTER THE LITTLE GIRL

   After carrying the elf in princess-hold, I returned home using metastasis magic. Sure enough, if the child turns out to be a boy, will that be prince-sama-hold? Anyway, even if I think about it, it’s inconsequential.

   I quickly enter the house and lay the elf on the bed. It’s at that time I was preoccupied that I noticed it. This child is absurdly dirty. Honestly, if this child only bathes in cold water, it still won’t look decent it’s so much covered in crass and stinks strongly.

   Though I thought that I was going to put the elf in the bath, it can’t be helped that I will have to make it beautiful by magic as I don’t want to see it become a Dozaemon from the way it is fainted right now. Once I stuff it with a meal, then I’ll send it throwing in the bath.

Translator note:  Dozaemon, from Narusegawa Dozaemon, a sumo wrestler that looked pallid and bloated. Used to refer to a body that looks like death by drowning.

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   Ah, will I make dinner as the kid is sleeping?  Today, I wanted to fully eat plenty of meat, but I guess it’s quite severe for a human that has had their physical strength is exhausted? Eating meat in front of someone’s eyes while it’s eating a patient’s meal makes me feel awkward… … Right, samgyetang (SA-MU-GE = chicken soup) instead of a simple rice porridge… … Nonono, like I thought, rice porridge here is the best. Yup, I’ll even put in some dried plums and leave it as is.

   As I was loitering in the kitchen as there is almost nothing to do when it comes to making rice porridge, *GACHARI* the door made a sound like being opened.

   “Ah!… …”

   A high voice that is peculiar to the child continuously affects the room. I see over there the elf that was able to lay on the bed peeking its head on the other side of the door. Because there is some fright in the expression, I talk making a voice as gentle as possible.

   “Ah, very soon the meal will be done, so you, sit around there and wait, it’ll be good.”

   Sorry, it’s impossible. I’ll say it myself, I didn’t hear anything gentle at all. I decided to concentrate on cooking as I turned embarrassed. Though, I really couldn’t.

   After several minutes, the porridge was well done. Well, the porridge texture couldn’t be called to the degree of “done well” however. After, the appearance of the elf is not seen though I look around the dining room. Eh? I had told her to take a seat around there, didn’t I? Why isn’t there anyone on the chair?… …

   Thinking that far, I came to realize something as I look at the door that had just been opened. As I did so, in that place, there is the appearance of an elf sitting in the hallway.

   “… …You come inside the room since the meal is ready now.”

   I think that a natural voice filled with kindness was coming out of my mouth from me. I convince myself that what I’m seeing is an elf surely sitting 『around there』.

   “Then… 『on this chair』, SIT.”
.  “Yes”

   After it had been surprised a little in my word, the elf sat on the chair timidly.

   “Let’s introduce ourselves first. I am Ryou who lives in the magical forest.”
.  “I’m, Sharu.”
.  “Sharu, there’s one thing I’d like to hear, are you a girl?”

   Was my question unexpected? After showing the expression made 『kyoton』, Sharu answered “Yes”. No, hey, look, the name sounds girlish but isn’t there a possibility that it’s also how you would call a boy?

   “Okay then, Sharu-chan listen, I found Sharu-chan collapsed in the middle of the forest and I brought you along home. Why were you collapsed in such a place? Could you teach Ryou about it?”

   She shakes in surprise after she was faced with the question, her head hangs in shame, and with a shivering voice, with a tiny voice she began to explain.

   “I, I came here to run away and I wanted to be saved by the magician of the forest, so, I did that…”

   She tells her story doing her best until the end but she speaks in a childish manner and it occasionally gets out of order.

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   She had lived with her gentle parents in the hometown of elves. However, she was caught and kidnapped by a man when collecting food in the forest on a certain day. Without minding the girl overwhelmed by fear crying, the man pushed her down and pressed an unbearably hot object against against her back. Though later she understood what that was. That it was some kind of branding to print a scar on the body bearing proof that one was a slave.

   One year passes, two years pass, still wasn’t there anyone who would be able to come to her help?  However, it’s at the time her owner came to a town that exists near the magical forest that she recalled a certain story.

   “It is said that the magical forest is a VEry scary place. The very scary demons are overflowing, and you’ll easily lose your way eventually as it is VEry wide. Still, even the demons will be afraid of the scariest thing of all. It’s not of losing their ways inside the forest that the demons are scared of. Deep inside the interior of the magical forest, in a place that no-one venture to, a VEry scary wizard lives by himself. If by chance you are found out by the wizard, he’ll absolutely never let you come out of the forest. Listen, Sharu, you must absolutely never set foot in the forest. Ever, ever, it’s forbidden, okay?”

   She heard the story of the very scary wizard from her mother from the time she stayed in the hometown of elves. The night the story was heard, she could not sleep at all because it was very scary. She was so very scared, she could not let go from her mother’s hand .

   However, if there are very scary demons, if inside the forest is very scary, and if there’s a really scary wizard, then the humans wouldn’t enter too. if it the Forest Never Returned, I’ll never be brought back there. Thinking so, she managed to escape the humans she was under and she struggled to reach this forest. Midway through the story it became painful as it looked like she remembered something. She started to accumulate tears around her eyes and to hiccup, but even so she eagerly talked until the end.

   “Just please, Wizard-sama. I’ll do anything. Even cleaning and washing the laundry also, I’ll do it. Please help me.”

   Higgu, higgu, though at the end she begged me. Her pure face was distorted, nevertheless she doesn’t turn down her gaze and she is looking straight at my face. She came here as she escaped because she wanted my help with her whole heart. So even if it was unpleasant, it was transmitted.

   … … … Waahーーーーー. As one would expect, right?… … …, like that, I was made to hear a story, and like that, she pleaded for help with the flow.

   “I have understood.  This VEry scary wizard will help you from the bad guys.”

   There’s no way I could refuse.

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