Sora Kurusu, The First Artificier

Me and my slave were busy doing the dishes, again. Arthur and Feru had to go to a local town, probably something better than the one we live in, to look for military grade materials. Because apparently Minotaur leather just doesn't come by easily here in the mountain ranges. 'Is this world really safe? I mean, at this rate I could understand why the kingdoms of Aragon and Castille are throwing a war against a race that could enslave such monsters...' I thought as I wiped a ceramic bowl's exterior. I turned left and looked at my enslaved beast-woman that I've only raised for a month, and she looked a bit different. And I literally mean it.

She no longer had the appearance of a young 8 year old girl, the same girl who once made calming garlands made of white daisies and played with the giant white wolf who she once called "Furu". Instead, she now bore a more, m.a.t.u.r.e appearance. She has reached my height in no less than 5 weeks after her purchase, and she grew 1'3 in. taller once I started taking up lessons from Arthur, her sleek jet-black hair, neck-long and well groomed. Her fluffy canine ears also bore the same traits, however, her ears also had white ear fluff on it's inner exterior. And I couldn't forget the trademark of any woman. Her body.

It is voluptuous, even though our diet had consisted only of stews, pickled vegetables and dried meat, her body was something that not even the average brothel pricings could bear to afford, much less sell off to rich nobles. Her body resembled a pear, which was castled above her beautiful t.h.i.g.hs. B.a.r.e and untouched by any form of cloth, hiding beneath the long skirt I've woven for her the other day whilst loose long boots covered her feet. And then the highlight of any woman came along. Her c.h.e.s.t, the first thing I've notice about her body is that part, especially when she began growing taller. At first it was at the average "C" but then after a while, it then developed once more and started to near "D", and to top it off, her clothes looked tight. Which outlined it even more.

'I wonder what she thinks about me watching her growth...' I thought as I picked up a shot glass, wondering how it got so smelly 'Yeesh. Does Arthur not really know how to clean up after himself?' I then dipped the glass into the water basin. Leaving it to soak. I turned around towards the table and reached for a piece of cloth to dry my hands with. My slave girl also then, coincidentally, reached for it. Both our wet and slightly slippery hands colliding with one another "What are you doing?"

"Master, if you would allow, I would like to dry my hands first..."

'w-well. I'd like to hand you over the towel, but...' I was getting fl.u.s.tered all of a sudden. Then she looked over to the cloth once more, red flashed over her cheeks. Terrified of what I'm about to look at, I slowly turned my head right. And there, right there. My wet, right hand tightly holding hers. 'Wait! Since when did I switch tracks to becoming a rom-com protagonist?!' I though as I let go of my servant's hand and awkwardly ran off towards my room "y-You can have the towel! I'll just go dry my hands using some stuff I brought here!" she looked at me with confusion as I closed the room's door, and then drooped downwards onto the floor. I cupped my hands over my face, thinking rashly about how she thought about that tiny, little incident.

'There's no way she'll take me seriously now! I mean, she could be reading my thoughts at this very moment. Probably laughing over how I, her otherworldly master, Sora Kuroko, could get fl.u.s.tered over something as minuscule as hand-holding!' I began pacing around aimlessly around my room, thinking deeply as how to respond to her once I open this door and confront her. But then something in my head stirred up, causing me to bang my head repeatedly on the stone walls.

'C'mon you arrogant idiot! you've talked shit to your classmates and walked out unscathed! and I used to talk to Micah everyday, so what's the goddamn point in getting fl.u.s.tered and embarassed over holding a girl's hand...' It's like a warzone in my head, one side of my brain is arguing with the other over one simple problem: Should I apologize?

I was in deep thought once more, thinking hard about how should I apologize to my servant 'I wonder if women her have got some rights, like about-' Like that time in the tent, something soft touched me, form my back. Arms once more folded around me like I'm some sort of dakimura, and a comfortable one to boot. "sir...are you busy?"

Ah, this soft and gentle voice. The same voice that once scolded me the other day for getting myself hurt from swinging a sword. The same voice that also blames me for getting Arthur to do more handiwork every time I failed getting creative. The same voice that, greets me every morning with a soft and gentle smile following afterwards.

"U-um..." I stuttered. My mouth failed to even create a proper response towards her. This was a problem that was starting to worsen, I it was getting more and more awkward by the second. "Master, I'm sorry for making contact with you. Much more your working hand..." She then moved in front of me and knelt down 'Eh? w-wait, is she trying to punish herself?' I waved my hands around like a bird "Wait! you've got nothing to be sorry for! I didn't mean to escalate the situation any higher!" I then made a realization that never had I apologized to anyone before, to me this is a first. And what's more, I'm apologizing to a girl who's supposedly meant to do my bidding. And so the level of awkwardness rose to another degree.

"Master..." she spoke, and Instinctively I respond: "Yes!" She was looked at me in confusion. I began to sweat, from nervousness.

"Master, are you perhaps uncomfortable, touching a slave's hand?" Her stoic face turned into an embarassed one. So now, both of us are fl.u.s.tered about touching one another's hands.

The silence around us was deafening, I needed to say something at the very least. "Umm, hey..."

"Yes sir?" She reluctantly responded "I want to obtain some boar hide for another project tomorrow and..." She looked over my shoulders and towards the black sword leaning next to the wall. "Do you wish for me to take up the blade, sir?" I nod. She sighs, and takes a small bow "Very well. If that is what my master d.e.s.i.r.es. I shall happily take up the blade and hunt for you..."

In my mind I was relieved. No longer did the awkward scenario of me and this girl taunted at my soul. I drooped down onto the floor. "Sir, are you alright?"

"Yes, I am..."

"Are you at ease now after changing the subject?" She said. 'Ah. She was reading my mind the entire time...' She shook her head in disagreement. "Actually sir, I was reading your mind at first. But then all of a sudden, I felt something else..." My curiosity triggered. "You felt something else, other than my thoughts?" She nods once. "It was a strange, yet familiar feeling. The feeling of, embarassment, but it didn't come from me..." I pressed my hands together. 'Hmm, so she could feel my emotions now?' Then came to me a sudden realization, but I didn't think of it too much. Otherwise, she would've heard it. In my mind or not. A cold breeze entered the room, signalling nightfall. "Shouldn't we be preparing dinner?" I said "Are you perhaps hungry, my master?" My slave asked. I smiled as I stood up and held out my right hand towards her, open palm and everything. "C'mon, let's go see what Arthur and Feru have left over..." And like she said, I felt something weird too. And it didn't seem to come from me. But the weird feeling disappeared and she slowly reached for my right hand, and then had a firm grip on it. I helped her up and released my grip as she stood in front of me, wiping the dust off of her skirt. As I turned around and opened the door, she took hold of my right hand. Totally throwing me off-guard. "Umm, Master?"

"Yes!" I quickly responded

"w-would you mind if I held your hand a little while, mine feels a bit cold..."