“Give me your spit! I want to taste it!”

“No! How many times do I have to tell you, I will not give you my spit or saliva or even my pee!”

“Ahhhhhhh….my dear alien, what’s the pain in giving me something like that!?”

Looking at this thing with disdain and disgusted eye, Mimosa just stares back at me with maniacal eyes whose excited about its prey. This thing is doing it again right off that bat where I just started my shift.

Starting the day working in the research lab, I crack my knuckles and stretch my arms and shoulders. I look at the load of papers to be arranged and the task of checking the material stocks. There are also times where I will assist in some experiments and test some products but what tires me the most is Mimosa and her assistant, Ardisia. Every single time, every DAMN time I need to prepare a retort, a comeback and act as the straight man in their gags!

“Heya there, boss! Hey there Asagao, early as ever!”

“Ardi!! Can’t you believe it, I got dumped again!”

“What did I tell you, boss? You need to do an entirely different approach!”

“Oh? Like what then? You’ve suggesting stuff since alien arrived but none of them actually works.”

“You know about erotic novels about sadistic and masochistic relationships, right?”

“OH?! So I need to act masochistic towards alien until she spits on me with disdain! Good going!”

“Hell no! I won’t do that! And I am not going to go along with your S&M play!”

I momentarily stop from my work as I overheard their conversation. I immediately retorted back reflexively with a vein popping on my cheeks. It’s not funny at all and I don’t want to hear anything from them anymore.

In the middle of my contemplating, Ardisia calls out to me.

“Ah, right! Asagao, I need you to pick up something from the maid department!”

“What could that be, MISS Ardisia?!~”

“Eh? No need to glare at me like that! I just want you to receive the cleaning materials from them!”

“Cleaning materials? What for?”

“Thank goodness you haven’t seen it yet…”

“What I haven’t seen yet?!”

“Nothing! Could you please go now!?”

“Geez…I am not your gopher!”

“But we can be your groper!~!”

“Haa…”

I can only facepalm and sigh from Mimosa’s insert joke. It was terribly bad and sexually harassing. I thought initially that a simple clerical work will be simple and easy. No, the work itself is simple and easy but the problem is the boss and your workmates.

I promptly left my job and prioritizes Ardisia’s order. I respect both of them as my superior, I really do. No, I don’t doubt myself about it.

……

Fine, I don’t! I don’t respect them at all!

I left the research laboratory and emerge from the hall. As usual, the traffic inside the mansion is bustling! Right now I am wearing a lab coat as a mandatory uniform in the lab and I have to say, I do stand out. However, only a few people glance over to me and kept their busy lives going.

Actually, it’s a little bit busier today and even yesterday with Senya unable to do some major works. She got assistants but Senya herself is undeniably more capable than any other people.

Since the maid office is on the second floor together with the normal rooms used for sleeping, I immediately head to the grand stair. Along the way, I dodged and avoided rushing maids, cooks with food at hand, clerks carrying a pillar of books and even girls carrying various weapons.

“Excuse me, my lady. I need to go through.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was spacing out. Wait…are you…?”

“Why, what a splendid lady you are! I’ve fallen in love yet again!”

I suddenly bump into a…girl…crossdressing as a guy! Judging from her looks, with horn and tail sprouting out, with a short dark blue hair and appealing yellow eyes with one of it covered with an eye-patched decorated with a  cross pattern, she’s definitely a succubus.

“Oh, yes, how rude of me, I forgot about introductions. My name is Faust La Fayrer Von Vogh! Ah, my fair lady, I must know your name!”

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Her name is awfully obvious that she just invented it! She wears a striking gentlemen outfit with roses and decorative laces. She is tall enough to be mistaken as a guy from behind and her face could pass for a pretty boy. Goosebumps suddenly broke out of my body and chills just went down on my spine.

“I’m in a hurry so if you’ll excuse me!”

“No, please wait! I want you!”

She stops me from advancing by grabbing me by the shoulder. She promptly took my hand and she kneels down in front of me. She kisses it and stares passionately at me.

“Won’t you be my lady? There’s no harm choosing me as I am handsome and very princely.”

“I…I like boys with a fair amount of muscle so please, stop bothering me!”

“Wha---!”

She petrifies on the spot with her mouth gaping wide. I use that chance and escape from her. She sounded like a pain! What a weirdo!

I made my way to eh maid’s office.

.

.

.

I didn’t bother knocking on the door as I already heard slamming and screeching noises inside the office. It’s kind of frightening to open the door but I muster the courage to do so and shamelessly open it. What beholds me is…a naked Topaz…

BOING!

“Come back here you truant!”

“No!”

“We’re just going to get your measurement again! Why do you grow so fast! Especially in that part!! Arrgghh! You frustrate me! Come back!!”

“NO!”

“Corner her! Squad one, squad two, surround her! Squad four to six, block any opening!”

Inside the maid office is like a faculty room filled with papers and books. It seems that a maid’s training consists of basic and advanced education. As of to teach or the one to be taught is up to them to judge. In another corner are where the utensils and necessities are located. On the far opposite side is where all the dresses and uniforms are lined up neatly.

However, in front of me is a war of chase where one versus dozens of people is happening.

BOING!

As Topaz runs away from the maids, her chest which I remember to have grown a little now is in a considerable size where it will overflow from my palm. It’s bouncing violently and her petite stark naked figure is quite enticing.

Some of the pursuing maids have green eyes and look awfully scary.

Ahh…they caught her…

“NOOOO!!!”

“Hold her down! Use your magic if you have to!”

“Stop touching me, Ugly!”

“YOU’RE REALLY ASKING FOR IT! TAKE THAT!”

“Ahhn! Don’t fondle that!”

That’s why it’s getting bigger! If you do this and that, it’s bound to grow in size!

Even here I need to retort in my mind. I feel like this has become a bad habit even since with Higan!

Suddenly, my clothes are tugged by someone.

“Hello, what business do you have here? I am sorry for the state of our place but please, do be at ease.”

“Ah, yes. Hmm? You are…that demon maid…”

“Yes, I’m Pine.”

“Yeah…you’re fine I guess!”

“No!! It’s my name! P-I-N-E! Pine!”

“Um…I’m sorry.”

“Goodness! Just because I’m short doesn’t mean you can make fun of my name!”

This is the demon maid that Ardisia, an elf, fought when I first saw them. It is as Ardisia describes her at that time, short in stature. Not as short as me but she is visibly a lot shorter than everyone here. However, all the nutrients for her height go straight into a certain place. That’s why she has the privilege to call Ardisia flatty.

“Hi Miss Pine, I’m actually here because Ardisia ordered me to pick up some cleaning materials.”

“Geh! That flatty?! It can’t be helped then. Wait a minute.”

Yeah, she said minute but after ten seconds, she immediately returns with tons of cleaning material such as rags, brooms, dustpan and more stuffs related to cleaning. Since it’s a little bulky and heavy, I put everything in my dimensional storage.

I said my thanks and turn around just to be stopped by Pine.

“What’s seems to be the problem, Miss Pine?”

“Umm…that Ardisia…is she…is she victimizing another woman again?”

“Huh…?”

The hell is this girl?!

She getting flushed and looks like a tomato as her face becomes beet red. She fidgets and plays with the hem of her apron as she asks that question. It’s a face of a maiden who is head over heels for someone. Her black ponytail sways left and right cutely as her eyes swam left and right.

Girl, aren’t you like, completely dominated by that asshat?!

I don’t want to pop her balloon but I don’t feel like covering up for Ardisia.

“She flirts with almost everyone except the boss. After all, they are the same root but different fruits.”

“R-Right…it’s that flatty we are talking about here…”

“I’ll be going now…”

“Yes…thanks for telling me…”

That sure is one odd conversation, at least for me. I left the dejected Pine and make my way back to the research laboratory.

.

.

.

I arrive at the research lab again but I couldn’t find Ardisia or Mimosa. They are supposed to be doing something in one of those departments now. So by that, I head towards the right wing where the magical tools and runes are made.

Fair enough, I easily spotted Ardisia but I didn’t dare to disturb her right now. Among the enchanters in this place, Ardisia is unmatched. Even with her crappy personality, she has the talent to boast. Being an elf, her magical power is high and she can control spirits to a certain degree.

Today is one of Ardisia’s attempts to create another experimental rune, a conversion rune.

Ardisia told me that she wanted to create the conversion rune to bypass the equivalent exchange rule of alchemy. Using a considerable amount of magic in the rune, the energy replaces the required material for an object to be created and supplement it with a pseudo-magical surplus of energy provided for the missing material.

It’s a little hard to grasps the concept but basically, she is creating a rune where even if one material is missing in an alchemic ritual, it will be supplemented by the conversion rune which bypasses the rule of mass = equals to space.

Observing Ardisia on her table with lots of magical tools from afar, I can already feel her magical power surging. Her only focus is on the rune stone in the pedestal and the only thing that is going to move is the magical tool that will carve that incantation which they called Obsidian Chisel.

I have seen this scene many times now but it is always breathtaking. Even the other researchers stop from what they are doing and watch Ardisia.

Her concentration is strong! It is so strong that it feels like concentration itself manifested from thin air. Her mental fortitude right now is at peak and her mind only focuses on the next move.

In a flash, several magical circles manifest around her and her hand moves in a quick succession as she accurately carves something on the empty rune stone.

WHOOSH!

PING!

The process already ended and by this time, Ardisia spent almost all of her magical energy. With that in mind, she cannot do that again for today and need to rest.

And the result of her work is…

“GAAAHH!! ANOTHER FAILURE! DAMN!”

She bangs her head repeatedly on the wall as she rejected her work. It’s always like this whenever she fails.

“Incredible isn’t, even though she failed, you were able to witness a god’s handicraft.”

“Boss?!”

I wasn’t even able to feel Mimosa standing beside me as I was too engrossed watching Ardisia. She looks at Ardisia with a relaxed countenance.

“Ardisia will always fail like this but she never gives up.”

“Boss, do you believe in her?”

“I don’t need to. I know she will succeed. After all, we both trained intensely. We both know how much effort we poured into our current abilities.”

“Trained intensely?”

“Asagao, what’s your current assignment from Senya?”

“Um…Meditation…”

“Achieving tranquility, right?”

“Yes…”

“Ardisia and I used to meditate a lot. It’s a major boost on your own mental fortitude if you know what you want and you have a concise consciousness. It is only hard if you have too many problems to think about.”

“……”

“Ardisia achieved such feat through her efforts in clearing her mind, an execution of flawless movements that are already inscribed on her head. Well, as long as you know what to do, practicing meditation may not be as hard as you think.”

“Y-You know?”

“Of course. For Senya, what matters the most isn’t your physical abilities but the strength of your mind and spirit. Learn how to merge those two with your body and boom, you’re as good as a master.”

“……”

“Go on, leave Ardisia’s things and focus on your meditation today.”

“Yes!”

I left Ardisia’s cleaning materials with Mimosa and left the research laboratory.

Suddenly, my head becomes clear of anything unnecessary. An idea, a concept or even a rule, something suddenly bumps into my mind.