Mobile Fortress Lady Cozette ~The Sounds Like the Weakest Job Function, but if You Have a Problem Wi

「 Nfufu, Cozette-chan is so cute 」

「 Haah~ 」

「 Your hair is smooth, your cheeks are puffy, and your big eyes are cute.」

「 Haah~ 」

Hello everyone, this is Cozette. I’m currently being held by Chiyo-sama.

I approached Chiyo-sama, who was sitting at a low table covered with a cloth – they call it a kotatsu – and she pulled me into a hug as quickly as she could.

I get a squishy thing on the back of my head. It smells like a flower. The hand on my stomach gives off a soft heat, and my feet are warm and tepid in the 「 Kotatsu 」.

I’m feeling a bit dizzy.

I’ve never been so close to a person before. It’s a strange feeling that I can’t put into words.

Normally, as a noblewoman, this would have been a minor matter. However, the other party is a spirit. She is in human form, but I’m sure she’s not a human.

And what to say……it’s kind of her to tell her to leave me alone.

Her clothes were good, even for me, a countess of the frontier. I’m not sure how it was colored, but the gradation of the colors underneath the fluttering flower pattern is bright and wonderful, and the clothes are so thin that they almost show through the fabric.

The finger that poked my cheek was pink and glossy, and the nail on her index finger had what looked like a magic circle painted on it.

Her eyes are an alluring black, just like her hair. The shape of her face is different from mine.

　In a white space with no end in sight, a desk made of glossy stone but lightweight, and above all, a window-like object that traps moving sceneryーーthey call it a TVーー

With such space and furnishings, it invites the dreaming me.

Chiyo-sama must be something more than a person.

To tell you the truth, I couldn’t make up my mind about how to behave.

Chiyo-sama is very friendly, and I feel like she wants that familiarity to come from me.

……Is it really so? I’m sure you’ll be able to find a lot more information on this subject in the future.

……?

I’m stuck in a dead end, but Chiyo-sama keeps talking to me.

「 I didn’t expect Cozette-chan to come here. I thought I’d just be watching from here.」

「 You were watching……Have you been watching me all this time?」

「 Yeah, I think?」

Holding the bar on the desk and doing a few operations, the scenery on the TV changes.

I see myself asleep in bed.

「 You can see me……」

「 That’s right, it’s Cozette-chan 」

I’m lying face down on the pillow, looking down at myself from above, my arms and legs spread wide like the full-body fur of a wolf I saw sometime ago.

I see myself in the here and now. I am dressed just like me, asleep on the TV. I can feel my cheeks when I touch them.

I didn’t think it was possible and looked at my hand, but it wasn’t transparent.

「 Um, what happened to me? Where am I?」

　I turn around and look up at Chiyo-sama. Chiyo-sama then put her finger on her chin and thought for a while.

「 Ithink, well…」

「 Yes 」

「 You could say that we’re inside Cozette-chan.」

「 Inside me……」

「 That’s right. I’ve been watching you in this room since Cozette-chan was born. Sometimes I look away, sometimes I laze around, sometimes I play games, eat crackers, break down my stack of novels, or surf the net.」

「 Ge……Net……?」

「 Ah, well, I mean, you could say that I was watching over you. Especially if you’re about to do something wrong! That’s when I call out 」

I see, so that “voice” was Chiyo-sama after all.

You have been watching me for a long time, haven’t you.

I am overwhelmed with great gratitude and great regret.

「……I’ve been a bad girl.」

I feel so sorry from the bottom of my heart. I’ve made a mistake.

I have done something wrong. I haven’t even been able to recognize that mistake yet.

The punishment has already been handed down.

We can no longer correct the mistakes.

「 Uuumm. Cozette-chan was working very hard. Good girl, good girl!」

She hugs me tightly and pats me on the head.

She hugs me and kisses me on the head.

It’s warm.

「 Still, I could not live up to your expectations, Chiyo-sama.」

「 Cozette-chan hasn’t done anything wrong yet. And she has not done anything to say bad. She’s five years old. My little Cozette, it’s okay. I’ve been watching you. Of course, I will continue to do so. Don’t worry, Cozette, this is just another day. It’s just a day, just like yesterday, just like tomorrow. It’s just a blink of an eye in your life that will last forever. Your father, your mother, your brothers, and the people in the house were all watching Cozette. 」

「 Am I not wrong?」

「 Yeah, not a single one is wrong. Not even a single one. You are a strong woman from the proud House of Izfield. There’s no need to arch your back while you’re beating your chest.」

「……」

A strong woman.

Ah, yes, the Izfield family has been fighting the threat of monsters for generations. If 10,000 doesn’t work, then 20,000 will, and if 20,000 doesn’t work, then 100,000 should be gathered to crush it.

It was just a very simple story.

I am Cozette Izfield, a woman who was destined to be strong from the moment I was born.

My view is probably a bit distorted.

There was nothing wrong with me. I had just been given a slightly unique job.

I didn’t lose my arms or my legs. What inconvenience would there be in fighting off the monsters?

「 Cozette-chan can cry as much as she wants. It’s all right. Tomorrow, everything will be back to normal. It’ll be a normal morning.」

「……Yes……Yes……」

　I was swayed for a while by Chiyo-sama’s voice repeating, “It’s okay, it’s okay.

◇

「 Have you settled down?」

「 Yes」

「 Alright!!」

　Chiyo-sama stood up with a quick snap.

I, who had been leaning completely against her, fell over.

「 Ah, sorry」

「 No, it’s fine 」

「 Right, even though you are  ＜ Slime Master ＞ it won’t be a problem!!」

Chiyo-sama stood in front of me on the other side of the desk and pointed to the sky.

「 Is, is it really so alright 」

「 That’s right!!! It’s something we don’t even know what it can do yet. It could be great!! It may not sound great, but it’s a job function you’ve never heard of, right?」

「 Yes 」

「 And then, there’s also the job called ＜ Demon Master ＞ right?」

「 That’s what I’ve heard.」

That’s right. The more common job of this class is ＜ Demon Master ＞. It is a job that allows one to be follow creatures that have magic stones.

「 So I guess a ＜ Demon Master ＞ can’t use Slimes, right!?」

「 Eh, yes. You might be right, I think……?」

There are no magic stones in slime. That is what I have heard. It’s not an animal or a plant, however. I’m not even sure if they have a will.

I don’t know what it is. That’s what slime is.

「 There’s something that only you can do, isn’t there?　Maybe it’s good for fighting, maybe it’s not.」

「 I see, I think I get it 」

「 It’s never too late to get depressed when you discover that!!」

「 Sure, I suppose you’re right. No, I think you’re right.」

First, we need to know. It’s like a stew.

　I didn’t know anything at that time. I didn’t even know how much time and effort went into one bowl of stew, and I wasted it without thinking twice.

The same is true for ＜ Slime Master ＞. To begin with, I only know about slime as 「 Anyway, it’s weak and evil.」I don’t even know what that is. I can’t even call it knowledge.

「 In the first place. Would God actually give you a useless job!?」

「……!!」

That’s right. It is God the Creator who gives us the ability to do our jobs. To ignore it without knowing it well is the same as turning one’s back on God.

「 It’s an eye-opener.」

I’m dreaming, though.

「 I’m sure it is!!」

　Chiyo-sama is very proud of herself.

If you want to take a different path from your profession, there is nothing wrong with getting to know your profession better. It has some meaning.

Is it vanity that makes me think that there is a meaning to being a person like me?

「 Well  then, now let’s talk about me!!」

「 About Chiyo-sama?」

「 Yep!! You want to know what am I right, what kind of existence am I!!!」

◇

「――Well, I was an ordinary commoner who lived in a place called Earth, in a country called Japan! But I’m already dead!」

Is there anyone who declares themselves dead so cheerfully?

No, I’m sure there are.

Chiyo-sama’s story was very hard to believe.

It is a story about a country called Japan on a planet called Earth, which is different from this world.

There, they used the power of science, not magic, to make fire and water flow. Horse-less iron wagons were running, birds carrying over a hundred people flew in the sky, and island-like ships floated in the sea.

Chiyo-sama holds me in her arms as she moves and explains the various landscapes on the TV.

I heard that in Chiyo-sama’s world, once a knight is attacked, he becomes naked. But they become invincible for about a second, so they’re okay. Amazing!

「 Cozette is so cute. She believes in everything.」

「 Hai! All of Chiyo’s stories are mysterious and very interesting!」

「 You’re so cute. I wish I had a sister like you… I’ll give you chocolates.」

　A black slab is placed near my mouth. Is it food?　

It smelled so good, I wondered if it was food from Chiyo’s world.

My curiosity got the better of me and I took a small bite.

A rich aroma that immediately spreads to the mouth and exits the nose. The sweetness is intense and thick. It’s as if it’s still there even after it melts.

「 It’s so delicious!」

「 It’s delicious. But if you eat too much, you’ll get bored, so moderation is best.」

「 Hai!」

What a sweet taste! I wanted to open my mouth wide and eat it, but as a nobleman and in front of Chiyo-sama, I held back and ate it little by little.

「 Well, that’s how I ended up living in such a world, dying of various causes, and finding myself in Cozette-chan!」

「 So, you’ve been through a lot.」

「 That’s right. I’ve been through a lot, just like anyone else.」

I see. So you’ve been through a lot.

「 I don’t know why either. I wasn’t anything special over there. I was born normal, I lived normal, I died with a little bit of regret, and now I’m here.」

「 You regretted it?」

　Looking at Chiyo’s cheerful face, I can’t even believe that she died.

　If I believe her story, it has been five years since Chiyo passed away. It may be that she can’t stay sad forever.

「 Of course I do. Look at me!! But, look at the beauty of this body!! I don’t even have to clean it!!」

「 Fuee……」

Chiyo holds her chest high. The pressure against the back of my head becomes stronger. You certainly look younger.

I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that works for you.

I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that I’m not the only one who’s interested in this topic.

Chiyo-sama is a mysterious person. Although she claims to be a commoner, the stories she tells never stop flowing out of her like hot water, attracting my heart. She is friendly and kind, but at other times she is stern, just like her voice.

　……I irreverently wonder if this is what a sister might be like.

「 This is definitely a Parallel World Reincarnation or Transition」

「 Parallel World? Reincarnation?」

「 That’s right. From my point of view, this is a parallel world, and I’ve been inside Cozette-chan since she was a baby, so I guess you could say I’m a reincarnation, but Cozette-chan’s body belongs to her, and I’m like a ghost with consciousness, so I guess you could say I’m a transmigrated.」

「 I see……」

「 Well, I’m sure I’ll never get an answer. I’m going to spend the lost time of my life lazing around inside Cozette-chan. I’m going to complete the Umami Stick Collection!!」

「 ha, haah……」

I don’t know what loss time or Umami Stick Collection is, but Chiyo-sama doesn’t seem to have any particular complaints.

I, for one, have no complaints about……. This is the voice that has been guiding me all these years. The more I see her, the more I feel her warmth, and the more I get to know her, the more I can’t help but feel her familiarity.

If she continue to be with me, there is nothing more reassuring than that.

「 And now, let’s talk about the future. Actually, this is the most important part. It’s the main point. I want you to see this.」

「 Hai」

Chiyo-sama controls the TV and the scenery changes.

There was a woman with a distorted expression on her face, as if she was even filled with hatred. A beautiful woman with lightly wavy cream-colored hair and blue eyes. But her expression was inexpressibly horrible. She looks much younger than she does now, but she also looks somewhat like my mother.

「 My little Cozette, this is you.」

「 Eh?」

「 The future you that you may have turned into. Poor Cozette, loved by no one and abandoned by everyone.」

「 This is me……」

I couldn’t do anything but stare at the TV.

She spat incomprehensible words, and even though she was pinned down on the ground, only her eyes, burning with hatred, continued to show her intention to resist.

「 My sweet Cozette, please don’t look away. Keep in mind that this future may have been yours.」

Chiyo-sama drops a kiss on my head.

Oh, then I must see. I must see my future. The fate that may be coming.

I must not look away.

　Cherish it, cherish it――

「 And then there is Lupin, the greatest thief of all time, and a special knight named Zenigata is chasing him. They’re all over the place. Not even the borders of the country matter to them!　After all, they are the greatest thief and a special Knight.」

「 That’s amazing!!」

「 A princess whose name means “peach” is destined to be kidnapped.」

「 That is!」

「 But there’s a blacksmith named Mario who lives in the castle town, and he always comes to the rescue! Mario is amazing. He doesn’t have a sword, but he has a body of steel, he can run through the air, and sometimes he can transform into a cat, and he’s twice as big as a man.」

「 That’s a relief!!」

「 nnーso cuteー!」

Chiyo-sama is basically a good-natured person.