[Elmer]

Where the heck is this place!?

I, who thought I would somehow manage if I just continued walking, am an idiot. This isn’t just a house. But since it’s no use if I just stay still, I just relied on my intuition and advanced ahead.

The time is still early but I can’t really say it’s early morning yet. Of course, the sun haven’t risen, yet. Because I slept early yesterday, the result is I woke up at a time when n.o.body is up yet. I believe I’m the only one.

“I’m hungry…”

Even though I lamented in a low voice, there’s no one who can tell me the way, and a response didn’t come back.

Person, answer… now that I think about it, it’s possible that hope was born.

“Kioran.”

The moisture from the surroundings froze, and a small dragon showed its appearance while sighing a little.

“Kioran, even if you do your best, can’t you speak?”

I asked a question, but Kioran said nothing and just looked at my way.

Silence continued for a while. I was just looked at by those round and cute eyes.

“…wait a moment.” I shut my eyes, and revived the sensation of using magic after a long time.

“Hey.”

In the middle of that, a high-pitched voice resounded in my head. It’s seems like someone is coming over. As usual, I made Kioran disappear hurriedly out of habit, then looked for the person whom I can ask for directions.

“Huh?”

There was no one even if I looked around in my surroundings.

“El!”

“Uwaa!”

The Kioran I surely get rid of a while ago is still on the same spot.

“Wha…Why!?”

“I used El’s magic power.”

“How…!?”

“That’s why, I said! Your magic power!”

Kioran raised his voice.

“Why!? You’re not an old man…”

I said so as I hang my head.

“Waa?”

Kioran’s nose twitched in irritation. But, it can’t be help. I just can’t accept that this guy knew how to talk first before he can use magic.

“Speaking of dragons, it’s a dandy grandfather, I think? Somehow saying something like, ‘let me give you an advice’. Putting that aside… what’s the meaning of this?”

“I~diot! You idiot!!”

I breathed a sighed while he let out abusive remarks. I’ve had enough. I’m sure this was entirely because my magic is still immature. I still need to practice. Even though I’d like to believe that our character are not the same, the part where his vocabulary is poor seems similar to me.

Meanwhile, the sound of my stomach echoed in the silent hallway. I remembered that I arrived into this kind of situation because I felt hungry a while ago.

“That is, can you identify the smell of food?”

“…”

My words were ignored by Kioran.

“I’m begging you!”

I decided to conveniently forget the conversation from a while ago, put both my hands together and begged him.

“I’m not a dog!”

When I saw that, I understood. From the start, he’s just me in a dragon form.

“I’m saying I can’t do such thing as imitating a dog!”

I gathered that from this dragon that dog and a dragon are extremely different. Right now Kioran is small and only has the size of a chihuahua. Well then, what should I do?

“I got it.”

“If you understand then it’s good. I’ll allow you to apologize…”

“I’ll turn you to a dog right now.”

Then I smiled at Kioran, meaning ‘there’s no problem’.

I started building up magic power as much as possible. Perhaps I should have made a dog from the start. Maybe because I fixed him as a dragon once or because it has little magic power, he wasn’t able to change shape. The magic power is a consideration. I used large magic power so it can use reasonable strength.

However, Kioran hurriedly flew lightly to escape, but he looked back towards me from the bend in the road when I cried out.

“Wait a moment! Come here, come here, come here, I said!!”

What’s the matter, you say? It’s because some of the large quant.i.ty of magic power I put out this time disappears every time he moves too much, so I was scared. That’s why I don’t want want him to move.

“Just a little more.”

“No! I don’t want to be a dog!!”

As I heard those words, the magic power that I gathered in my both hands decreased in a moment.

“Is that it, huh…”

That high-pitched voice is definitely a small dog’s, as I lamented in my mind, I ran after Kioran as if I’m being chased, so I won’t lose sight of him.

“Oi, are the preparations over there finished?”

“Who’s in charge here?”

Running after Kioran, I finally arrived the kitchen, where shouts always flew past each other similar to a battlefield.

“Uhm… someone…”

“This place isn’t where you wash plates, apprentice!”

That voice that I produced with all my might was intercepted by several voices and seemed to not reach anyone’s ears. In the first place, the Cooks’ backs are so large so it feels like n.o.body recognizes my existence.

To look for a person who is willing to listen to me talk, I went inside without interfering with the people walking about.

With Kioran guiding me, he left a message saying he’ll play for a moment and went somewhere. Somehow, he doesn’t just talk, it seems like he acquired even the ability to disappear and to appear without permission.

When I dodged a person walking, I simultaneously came into the edge with a few people. Everybody looks busy so I didn’t call them out. Should I just give up and return and just wait until it’s time for breakfast…? It happened at that time when I began to think about it. I found a young man who seems to be doing something in a place slightly apart from everyone. Talking to him looked easier compared to other people. As I thought so, I approach that person. That person might be an apprentice. His way of holding the kitchen knife was dangerous.

“You’re slow! Finish that quickly then wash the plates.”

The man was suddenly surprised from the shout, the vegetable that he was holding in his hand dropped. When the cook nearby discovered, he began to shout again.

“A guy who doesn’t work properly can only eat cooked rice!”

“I’m so sorry!”

The foot I was just about to step on ahead unintentionally stops.

So it was not me…?

I see. The ‘guy who doesn’t work’ was not referring to me. The apprentice to was scolded apologized desperately, and continued struggling with the kitchen knife again. I, who came to here to get food, become ashamed. If a man will not work, he shall not eat.

I’ll work.

What can I do? I don’t know how to cook. At the end of the kitchen, there was a large ma.s.s of plates that needed was.h.i.+ng if I just stretched my right hand.

I instinctively looked at my clothes. I’m sure that since they’re clothes from a rich person’s house, then they are expensive. So I won’t become dirty, I wrapped myself in a huge pile of clean, white cloth.

Was.h.i.+ng dishes. I did a lot of practice in Home Economics and helping in the house. Now that I think about it, the caffe should serve a bit food or something. I’ll watch and learn the techniques of those skilled, after this I’ll ask for that as salary. It’s killing two birds in one stone.

My heart jump at that splendid idea that I thought by myself.

Eventually, as the sun s.h.i.+nes from a window, I forgot that I was hungry just before and got engrossed in was.h.i.+ng.