[V9EX2] Self-Proclaimed Maid

As soon as the festival came to an end, Louis Miller, currently a member of the Magic Corps, began packing his belongings in preparation for departure.

Louis was currently staying in a guest room of the temple, which was originally meant for his senior disciple Carla.

The luxurious furnishings were all made from high-quality wood and adorned with exquisite carvings. Meanwhile, the cushions and sofa covers decorating these furnishings were embroidered with 100% silk.

Rather than a temple, the room seemed more fitting in the mansion of a noble, especially one with extremely gaudy tastes.

Even a single cushion would be worth an impressive sum on the second-hand market if he were to swipe it.

Of course, being the well-behaved and dignified gentlemen he was, Louis would never do such a thing. Still, he couldn’t help pondering the possibility in the back of his mind while tying up his hair.

Louis had recently started growing out his hair, which was still quite manageable at its current length. He considered braiding it once it grew a bit longer.

Right as he finished his hair, Louis heard a knock on the door, likely a priest from the temple.

Considering the possibility of being detained and given additional tasks, Louis hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether to escape through the window or not.

…However, the door swung open in that brief moment of hesitation.

A young blonde maid barged into his room without waiting for his response.

Louis furrowed his brow in suspicion, as he did not remember seeing any maids in the temple. Apprentice priests took care of most of the chores typically assigned to maids, and Louis had one such caretaker assigned to him.

As Louis puzzled over the situation, the maid boldly stepped into the room and began speaking.

“Welcome home, or perhaps, have a safe trip.”

“…What?”

“I recognize both as greetings typically used by maids. Which one would be correct in this case?”

Both were entirely inappropriate for the current situation.

Louis stared closely at the strange maid, wondering who she was… when suddenly, he recognized the similarity in her face.

“Are you that spirit?”

“Indeed, I am the wind spirit Rynzbelfied, at your service. Also known as the cute maid.”

Could there be an “also known as” less believable than that?

Regardless, Louis remained silent and picked up his staff, which was leaning against the wall.

Louis had delivered a full-power kick to the spirit after the starting ceremony. The natural assumption was that she had come seeking revenge.

(Greater wind spirits have the ability to summon powerful winds in an instant, without any incantation… I need a way to buy time for myself to chant.)

Carla had said that Louis would lose to the greater spirit in a serious fight, and she was exactly right.

For a human to take a greater spirit head-on, they would need to prepare a multitude of magical tools or traps, or possess the preposterous ability of performing magic without incantation.

Louis had none of the above, so he needed to buy time with whatever was on hand.

He immediately began chanting as he spun his staff, hooking it onto the bedsheets behind him, and swiftly pulled it towards himself. The sheet spread out in the air, blocking the spirit’s line of sight.

Louis took advantage of this brief opening to leap out of the window. This room may have been on the second floor, but it was not high enough to warrant the use of flight magic.

Quickly grabbing onto the windowsill, Louis landed himself on the awning of the window below him. Almost simultaneously, the spirit-turned-maid peered out from the window.

“Go to hell, you damn spirit!”

Louis finished his incantation and mercilessly sent a blade of wind flying straight at the spirit’s face.

However, the maid simply took a step back, causing the wind blade to fly harmless through empty space.

Louis began another chant as he leapt to the ground and hid behind the trees, waiting for the spirit’s next move.

(Will she come out from the window? Or perhaps…)

“Junior Disciple-dono, it seems you are quite the mischievous rascal.”

The voice came directly from behind, making his entire body prickle with goosebumps.

Louis turned around and launched the reinforced spear of wind he had prepared, but it dispersed without even rustling the skirt of her maid uniform. The spirit had interfered directly with his magecraft.

“I daresay that challenging me to a battle of wind magic would be a reckless endeavor.”

Before the spirit had even finished her words, Louis swung his staff down onto her head. This was a standard issue staff in the Magic Corps, but Louis had modified it by adding weight to the tip, thereby turning it into a powerful blunt weapon.

And to be sure, a full power strike from his staff could cave in the skull of any human. However, the maid effortlessly dodged Louis’s swing by floating back in the air.

“To think someone would physically attack me after realizing that wind magic was a mistake. I do believe this is a first,” the spirit commented.

“Why are you here? Revenge for earlier?”

“…Revenge?”

The wind spirit echoed Louis’s words as if questioning them, but her expression remained unchanged. It’s as if he were conversing with a doll. Louis grimaced at the unsettling feeling.

Nevertheless, Louis had no means of turning the tables. The second he made a move, the spirit could easily slice him apart with blades of wind.

Thus, Louis had little choice but to engage in conversation to uncover an opening.

“And why are you wearing that joke outfit? If you wanted to catch me off guard, your acting skills fell short.”

“This should be a traditional maid uniform. I am not joking in the slightest.”

Louis lamented the complete lack of mutual understanding. He was very reluctant to continue the conversation, but this was the only way for him to figure out the spirit’s objective.

“…Why is a greater wind spirit like you wearing a maid outfit?”

“To become a cute maid.”

The only thing Louis grasped out of this conversation was that it was probably okay to punch her now.

As Louis secretly clenched his fists, the wind spirit continued in the same monotone as usual.

“Carla wanted a cute maid to clean her house. Thus, I became the cute maid she requested.”

“…?”

Louis furrowed his brows in confusion, until Carla’s words echoed in the back of his mind.

Indeed, his senior disciple had said, “If only I could marry a cute maid who will clean the house for me…”

(That’s what this is about…!?)

As Louis stood there completely stunned, the wind spirit continued.

“I want to leave this town and clean Carla’s house, so I require a contract with a human. Hence, I would like to request a contract with you, Junior Disciple-dono.”

Louis swallowed his inner turmoil and considered the possibility.

The chance to contract with a greater wind spirit was extremely rare, and more than anything, it became undeniable proof of his talent as a mage. Louis aspired to join the Seven Sages, so this was an incredibly enticing offer.

That said, was he even capable of controlling such a powerful spirit? His biggest concern was whether or not the spirit might cause trouble for Carla if allowed to leave the forest.

“…And if I refuse?” Louis asked.

The spirit looked up at the sky as if casually checking the weather.

“If you refuse, I won’t hesitate to create a storm that prevents you from leaving this town.”

Ever since Carla performed the four simultaneous Spirit King Summonings, the spring sky had been as clear as can be, dyed in the vibrant colors of the evening glow.

And this spirit claimed the ability to summon a storm out of that cloudless sky. That alone was enough to demonstrate her immense power.

What’s more, she would not even hesitate to cause trouble for any human other than Carla.

By helping the spirit regain her lost ego, Carla had become one of the reasons for the spirit’s continued existence.

(What to do about this…?)

Louis fell silent as he considered his options. Meanwhile, the wind spirit returned her head to its normal position and turned to Louis.

“Or is it that you lack the ability to form a contract with me?”

“What was that?”

Louis replied with a grimace, but the wind spirit paid him no mind and performed an elegant curtsy.

“In that case, I must apologize for my intrusion. I will seek a contractor elsewhere,” the spirit said, turning to leave.

“Hold it.”

The spirit turned to face Louis again, and the young man put on the most friendly smile he could muster at the moment.

“Very well. If you are interested in following the proper procedures for a contract, then I am willing to accept.”

These ‘proper procedures’ meant using magical formulas to create a master-servant contract. Thus, the contract would allow Louis to restrict the spirit’s actions if she were to ever go out of control.

The master-servant contract also served to prove that the caster was in control, rather than threatened or instigated by the spirit.

Louis continued a confident tone, acting if he was in complete control of the conversation.

“So you are asking for a master-servant contract, yes?”

“Very well, I look forward to working with you, Servant-dono.”

“You’re the damn servant here!!”

Though still expressionless, the spirit responded in a puzzled tone.

“Oh? Is it not usually the one with more power who becomes the master?”

“Spirit contracts are designed by humans with the idea of us becoming the masters, you know.”

“I see. Then please create a new one designed for the spirit to become the master.”

How stupid of a mage would you have to be to make a contract reducing yourself into servitude?

Swallowing the profanity before it could escape his mouth, Louis let out a deep sigh.

He had always believed the strong possessed the right to laugh at those below them, and the fact remained that this spirit was overwhelmingly stronger than him.

“In that case, let’s retain the appearance of a master-servant contract, but it will actually be a cooperative relationship between equals. I will grant you the freedom to act as a maid. In return, you will lend me your power as my contracted spirit when necessary.”

“So you will be the master in name only?”

“Exactly. Wouldn’t that make it easier for you to act as a maid?”

In what world does the master serve his maid?

This argument apparently convinced the wind spirit, as she nodded without a hint of hesitation.

“I see, that makes sense. I agree with those terms.”

Even if he was master in name only, Louis had much to gain by forging a contract with such a powerful spirit. That said, there was one thing he could not compromise on.

“I will incorporate a formula into the contract that restricts your actions if you pose a threat to human society. This is non-negotiable.”

“Then if you pose a threat to Carla, I will attack you with all my might. Is that acceptable?”

Louis chuckled at the wind spirit’s words.

“Yes, that is quite alright. Such a day won’t come for my entire lifetime.”

Louis Miller once said, “I am your master, even if only in name. Show me some respect, you foolish maid.” You can imagine what happened next.

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