Tsukaishi ① – His Name is Wof.
A week has passed.
That was fast. The festival starts in a little over two weeks.
Honestly, to me, the ‘Great O’Browns’ is nothing more than a festival.
I’m not wrong, and it’s probably the same for most people.
It’s not like it’s completely unrelated to me.
The Witch is a Tier I Seeker, and I’m her disciple.
But I’m not directly involved, so I don’t think it concerns me much.
Right now, my goal is to defeat Alveld.
The daily lectures have continued since then.
However, the number of times I defeat her has decreased to 10 times in the morning and 5 times in the afternoon.
“…Hah… hah… hah…”
Lately, I’ve stopped collapsing.
And about once a day, Shardina, whom I’m fighting, sinks to the ground.
I defeated her, but she was completely unharmed. I find that strange.
Usually, her horn would be broken or something.
“…Hasn’t she gotten stronger somehow?”
Minos Dolls aren’t supposed to have differences in combat strength.
And yet today, even though I was just watching, she seemed tough.
Ugh, just then. My eyes meet Shardina’s.
Huh? Why are her eyes open? The other Minos Dolls keep their eyes closed.
Since they don’t have sight, there’s no need to open them.
Despite that, Shardina was glaring at me.
Moreover, her eyes were pale blue and full of life. No way.
(…Next… time… will… push… down… desu)
Eh?
“Huh?”
And then she disappeared.
Minos Dolls disappear after a certain amount of time when defeated. That’s fine.
“…”
Was that really… No, let’s not. I should stop thinking about it.
I can’t keep up with one thing after another.
Anyway, there’s no particular reason. No reason, but…
I’ll ask Ms. Munieca to stop summoning Shardina.
Well, it’s lunchtime. Before that, I’ll take a bath to wash off the sweat.
After that, Ms. Munieca’s lunch awaits.
Her cooking is delicious. Her repertoire is extensive too.
She explained when she summoned the 17-year-old Minos Doll version of herself.
That was when she was traveling the world, training in cooking while working as a Seeker.
She also mentioned she hadn’t found her calling as a Maid back then.
That’s still not really— When I got out of the bath, the Witch had returned.
Everyone was in the dining room, and, hmm? What’s this?
It’s not a Scroll. Everyone is looking at a piece of paper.
The Seeker Guild abolished Scrolls over ten years ago and switched to paper.
I heard the work of transcribing Scroll records onto paper is still ongoing in the archives.
“…Everyone?”
Something seemed off, so I asked hesitantly.
The Witch, Ms. Shiro, Chive-san, and even Ms. Munieca were staring intently at the paper.
Since everyone has the same paper, it must be related to Tier I Seekers.
I’m curious about what’s written, but it doesn’t concern me.
I’m hungry, so I take a seat.
Lunch is already laid out. Suddenly, everyone looked at me.
“Eh? Uh, um…?”
They all look troubled, like they don’t know what to do.
And there’s this crackling tension between them.
I felt a similar atmosphere to when Ms. Munieca called me Master.
What’s going on? Suddenly, the Witch placed the paper on the table and looked at me.
“Now, now, Wof-boy, do you know what a Tsukaishi is?”
“What’s that?”
What’s this all of a sudden?
“Well then, Kon shall explain. A Tsukaishi is an assistant or general helper who serves a Tier I Seeker during the ‘Great O’Browns’. They are someone who stays with the Seeker constantly during the event.”
“I see.”
“Well~ usually they choose subordinates, friends, family members, people like that~”
“Choose?”
“The Tsukaishi system is based on nomination. When someone is nominated, their name appears on this Wish Slate.”
“Heeh…”
“Master, please take a look as well.”
Ms. Munieca said, making the air tremble as she showed me the Wish Slate.
Let’s see, let’s see.
‘Great O’Browns’. Tsukaishi Nomination Wish Slate.
‘Grand Guild Master’ Alhazardo Abramelin – (Wof)
‘Sword of Swords’ – (Celeste)
‘The Witch of the Canopy’ – (Wof)
‘Autodoll’ Munieca=Eldorado – (Wof)
‘Destroyer of Collapse’ Alveld=von=Ruthbert – (Reold)
‘Lord of the Seas’ Gymnema Sylvester – (Guild)
‘Undying White Rose Princess’ Shiro=White=Weiss=Blanche=Album=Sephide – (Wof)
‘Beast of Good Sense’ Chive – (Wof)
‘Fairy Queen’ Ruriha – (Mineha)
‘Silent Musician’ Dimero=Silence – (Paprika)
‘Reappearance of Generous’ Narcissus=Utopia – (Wof)
‘Dungeon Shop Owner’ John – (Dido)
‘Dragon-Eyed Heroine’ Dralov=Flame Tongue – (Cherveny)
‘Green Guardian Child’ Zelena – (Guild)
‘One-Cut Two-Halves Master’ Kaede Akima – (Kogarasumaru)
‘Nightmare Parade’ Crow=Dister – (Guild)
‘Wandering Minstrel’ Saaoing – (Chiquitita)
‘Afterlife Vision System ver. β’ – (Guild)
‘Water Wind Dancer’ Rorif=Gilbaland – (Gilbald=de=Gilbaland)
‘Do-tsuha’ Do-tsuha – (Guild)
‘Thousand Faces’ – (Guild)
‘Seeker Knights Commander’ Piany Monkshood – (Hals=Bindweed)
‘Strange Cook’ Jeff – (Guild)
‘Six Attribute User’ Ziex – (Air)
‘Unfettered and Prosperous’ Kessai – (Guild)
‘Human Fortress’ Vauban=Fortress – (Guild)
‘One Who Gained Great Power’ Gravis – (Guild)
‘Ruinblade’ Agaro – (Arifa)
‘Black Swallower’ Megadia=Megalopolis – (Pachira)
‘Abyss Floor Traverser’ Ens Heiland – (Ax)
A total of 30 names. There are definitely some interesting things here and there.
“…Um, so the names in the parentheses ( ) are the people nominated as Tsukaishi, right? What does ‘Guild’ mean?”
“That, that would be a Guild employee. That’s what happens when no specific person is nominated.”
“I see, I see… Huh, Ms. Megadia nominated Ms. Pachira. Ah, Mineha-san, right, her mother… Wait, is Ax-san’s name here?”
Ens? Judging by this list, he’s one of the newly promoted ones.
Why would he nominate Ax-san?
“Witch. Why Ax-san?”
“Ah, ah, yes, yes. About that, you’ll find out soon enough, so Kon can’t say anything right now.”
“I see.”
I wonder what it is.
“Hey~ Wof-cchi. There’s something that stands out the most, right~?”
Chive-san pointed it out, and Ms. Shiro sighed.
“Frankly, this is unprecedented.”
“I have never seen such a thing either.”
“…”
“Now, now, what in the world is the meaning of this?”
The Witch said this not to me, but to the other three. The three remained silent.
I resigned myself to the situation.
“Why is my name written all over the place…?”
A total of six people nominated me.
Moreover, one is male, and five are female.
And four of them are right here.
“Shiro told you. Remember when it was just the two of us? I said I decided on you.”
“You certainly did say that.”
She told me after we ate.
I see. So this is what she meant.
“I also told you when it was just the two of us~ that I’d nominate you~”
“You did.”
That was when I was in the Pot Bath.
Um, both of you, could you please stop emphasizing the ‘just the two of us’ part?
Ms. Munieca spoke as if it were perfectly natural.
“I did not mention it.”
“You should have told me!”
No, that’s not the issue. It’s not about whether you said it or not.
Ms. Munieca bowed politely.
“My sincerest apologies. Since you are my Master, it is a master-servant relationship, so I thought it unnecessary to state it explicitly.”
Uh, well, in the first place, isn’t this master-servant thing something you decided on your own?
“Kon, Kon, unlike the others, doesn’t need to say anything. Wof-boy is Kon’s disciple. Kon’s disciple!”
She said it twice. Was it just my imagination?
The Witch seemed somewhat flustered.
But she’s right.
We deliberately ignored Narcissus.
“By the way, by the way, why did that old geezer Abramelin nominate him?”
“Ah~, I wonder why~, seriously, for real~”
“Shiro was surprised too.”
“I couldn’t help but do a double-take myself.”
“…Why?”
Really, why?
And every Tier I Seeker has this Wish Slate.
Which means every single Tier I Seeker knows about this.
Haaah, this is the worst.
Late at night.
The black sofa in the living room had completely become my bed.
Its width, allowing me to sleep comfortably, was also appealing.
“…?”
Suddenly sensing a strange presence, I opened my eyes.
The Witch was there.
With her hands and feet planted on the black sofa, leaning over me, the Witch was looking down.
Hm?
“…”
Hm?
Eh?
Eh?