Chapter 98
Evan, the representatives of each race, and yesterday’s members are currently gathered in the chaotic mansion.
Originally, the plan was to discuss in the royal palace, but because of Gai who shouldn’t be able to get out of that room appeared in Felice’s room, the place was changed.
Gai and Albert who was vigilant were naturally in the room as well.
Evan was vigilant too, but he was taking a hard look at Gai.
「This fellow is Gai, huh…… he really is a skeleton」
「Anemos, do you know something about the hero summoning?」
The beastman representative Braid asked the representative of the long-lived elves, Anemos.
「I also don’t know about hero summoning in detail. I have lived in the forest at those times and didn’t have much contact with humans. However, I heard that the hero defeated the Demon Lord」
「If you look only at the reality, then it’s not wrong. I pity that man……」
The dwarven representative Doruki said with a frown.
Others were making similar faces in silence, but Lewis spoke up in order to advance the conversation.
「However, since he was able to leave from that place, doesn’t that mean that the seal has weakened?」
「That would be bad. If his memory returned because of that……」
「Ahh~…… Tousama, I don’t think you need to worry about that」
Hearing those words, Claude slowly looked at Albert.
His face was saying "Are you guilty of something again?"
「Hey! What’s with that face that clearly says that I have done something bad!? For your information, it wasn’t me, okay!」
At Albert’s words of denial, Claude’s face changed into "Really?" expression.
「Really!」
It appears that Albert has learned how to precisely read Claude’s expressions.
「How can you be so sure?」
「Because Gai is currently unable to defy Feli」
「Ha?」
「Me? Why?」
Felice who heard her name tilted her head in puzzlement.
「It’s because Feli has named Gai. And Gai has received that name. It became a contract」
「A contract by name? Surely not……… a familiar contract!?」
「He certainly wouldn’t be able to go against Felice then」
Claude and rest who consented to the situation looked at Felice and opened their eyes wide in a startle.
That’s because Felice’s face was making 口 shape and tears were spilling from her eyes.
Austin who was next to Felice called out to her in panic.
「Wha!? Wh, what’s wrong, Felice!」
「…… Don’t…… like」
「Come again?」
「Something like…… familiar…… sniff…… no!」
Hearing Felice’s words, the adults could understand what she was thinking and looked at her with warm gazes.
Meanwhile, Evan spoke to Felice.
「W, well, that’s right. Having something so unknown as your familiar――」
「He’s not mofumofuablemon!」
「It was that!?」
Evan let out his inner-most tsukkomi and then looked at Albert.
「One day forming a familiar contract with mofumofuable monster was Feli’s meager dream. By the way, fuwafuwa(soft) or mokomoko(lumpy), either are fine」
「Isn’t it same!」
「「It’s not」」
It wasn’t Felice who replied to Evan, but for some reason, it was the beastmen Braid and Blake who said such with straight faces.
Now then, this is where the adults are forced to make the choice.
It’s possible to cancel familiar contracts.
However, it would be troublesome if the released Gai awakened as the Demon Lord.
Should they give priority to Felice’s meager dream?
Well, there’s no need to even consider it, the problem is who will tell it to Felice.
The gazes naturally gathered at Albert.
「Seriously~ can’t be helped then. Gai, let’s do "that"」
「By "that" you mean?」
「Were were practicing it yesterday, didn’t we?」
「Oh, "that"!」
Albert and Gai cheerfully lined before Felice.
Austin who found it strange asked Claude.
「Claude, what were they practicing?」
「Who knows? Al told me "I will stand a watch over him, so go take a rest" yesterday, so I’m not sure what happened after that」
「Albert is the one who understands Felice the most after all. He knew it would turn out like this, so he might have prepared countermeasures」
「That would be good if that were the truth」
While Claude was worrying, Albert and Gai started moving.
「Feli, Gai certainly isn’t mofumofu, fuwafuwa or mokomoko. But, Gai has his own good points, doesn¨t he?」
「That’s right! Behold! My white, s.h.i.+ny and smooth body!」
「How unexpected! He’s all bones yet he’s not clattering!」
「Mugumugu……
Felice let out an indifferent reply while eating pastry Anemos took out from his pockets.
The two who expected such reaction continued.
「And, this white, glittering smile!」
「Hey! That’s the one we rejected because bones don’t have expressions!」
「Nod…… it certainly is hard to tell~」
Felice gave a suitable reply while drinking tea Lewis prepared.
「Huh? Umm~…… what was next again?」
「Bas.e.m.e.nt, it’s the bas.e.m.e.nt!」
「That’s right! You can get hold of the interesting underground facility!」
「Aren’t you curious about the hidden room?」
「Just now, I didn’t hear bas.e.m.e.nt, but underground facility instead」
「It’s fine, Claude. I heard it too」
Felice’s interest seemed to be roused a bit, but Claude’s and Lewis’ brows gradually wrinkled.
「Gai! You have a trump card too, don’t you!」
「Err~…… right, right, I might look just like a pile of white bones, but! I can kill using a blade, smash with hammer and attack with magic without suffering a single wound!」
「He’s perfect for a s.h.i.+eld!」
「You plan to make me into a s.h.i.+eld!? I didn’t hear about that!」
「……… That’s a bit」
「Did you hear that, Doruki?」
「I heard it, Uncle」
Felice’s eyebrows lowered at Albert’s words while Meison’s and Doruki’s eyes sparkled because of Gai’s words.
「You are gentle, Feli. But you see, if you become Gai’s owner now, he will serve as your s.h.i.+eld in the time of need, he will be excellent…… he might be excellent as an absolutely obedient manservant too, he will be probably the only "living magic tool" in existence! This thing that would be normally priceless! You can get it for free right now!」
「Free of charge!」
「I don’t think Feli is worried about that」
「Tousama, shh~」
「What Albert, you using words like "probably" and "might," how suitable~」
「Elder brother, that’s not the problem」
「Shut up, Evan!」
「Why only me!?」
「「Living magic tool, you said?」」
「Meison and Dorku are correct. Albert, please explain」
「I know, Lewis. In fact, I have appraised Gai yesterday. I thought that whether he became Feli’s familiar by any chance. There certainly was Feli’s name written in his status, but his race became "living magic tool"」
「I see…… however, a living magic tool is?」
「Literally a magic tool that is alive, I think? Well, it’s only my a.s.sumption, but Gai…… I think it’s because the Demon Lord entered hero’s body. They are bones of a hero, but don’t they have the same use as my bones or scales? Then, I also believe that the Demon Lord’s vast magical power serves as the magic stone, what do you think? Meison」
「Hrm…… there’s no precedent after all. We should examine Gai’s structure」
「I will help you too, Uncle」
Being looked at by Meison and Doruki as if being licked all ove, Gai let out "Hii!" and hid behind Albert.
However, Gai’s height was obviously bigger than Albert’s so he was completely sticking out.
When Meison and Doruki were about to get up to approach Gai, Felice raised her hand.
「Yes! Question!」
「Go ahead, Felice」
「Magic tool means that he’s not a familiar, doesn’t it!」
「I think so. In the first place, you don’t have a skill, do you Feli?」
「Aeh…… th, that’s right?」
Felice was overjoyed knowing that Gai is not a familiar, but she averted her gaze when asked about the skill.
The gazes gathered at Felice who suddenly took on such att.i.tude.
「Feli, keeping things secret is no good. Right, Tousama?」
「That’s right. However Albert, Feli is a good girl, so she wouldn’t conceal something like that」
「Auu………… I’m shorry~! I have copied the skill! I mean…… because…… I wanted a mofumofuable familiarmon!」
「I thought so. Feli, as your punishment for hiding it, contracting a familiar is prohibited unless I say it’s fine」
(Mofumofu familiar is no joke! If she obtained something like that, she would suggest sleeping together with it! Definitely not!)
「Uu…… yesss」
Everyone except Gai looked somehow with pity at Felice, but Meison and Doruki begun to move.
「Since Felice is the owner, the talk is easier」
「Yes…… very good」
「Well then Felice, would it be all right to examine Gai?」
「Eh? …… Examining me?」
「Go ahead, go ahead」
「Hey!?」
「What~ there’s nothing to fear」
「Yeah. Dismantling is a specialty of both Uncle and I」
「Dismantling!? S, save me~!」
「Do you have a sense of touch?」
「How about a sense of pain?」
「Hey! Stop it!」
「Since you are all bones, would it be alright to partially remove them?」
「Uncle, how about you try removing the arms?」
「What are you trying to do! Someone, stop them please!」
「E~y, Dorku, you are in the way! Change your place!」
「No way! Uncle is in the way!」
「What did you say!」
「I didn’t give you a permission to touch me!」
Felice was nervous when the two dwarves who were getting along at the beginning started circling around Gai and competing, but since the others looked as if already used to it, she left them alone and watched them while eating pastry.
Sandwiched between the two, Gai sought help from Felice, but because she averted her gaze, he instead turned to Albert who returned a very nice smile.
「It’s fine, it’s fine. It will be surely fine」
「What will―――――!!」
[]