The 24th of the Month of Wind. The day after I received the invitation to the Six Kings Festival and was left reeling by its contents... for now, I decided to stop thinking about those headache-inducing commemorative gifts.
I intended to ask Isis-san and the others about the reasoning behind them the next time we met, but that could wait.
As I finished my daily routine of brushing Bell and sat back to gaze out over the expansive garden, a voice called out to me.
"Master, good morning!"
"Morning, Anima... Off to work again today?"
Anima, clad in her usual black military-style uniform and fur mantle, greeted me with a crisp, perfect salute.
Technically—or rather, by her own adamant request—she was my personal attendant. However, since I didn't actually have any tasks to give her, she spent most of her time assisting with the chores around Lilia-san’s mansion. Some days she handled security; other days she acted as a gatekeeper.
Because she was so naturally earnest, I honestly couldn't remember a time when I’d seen her doing anything other than working or training.
"No, sir! I have no scheduled duties today, so I intend to focus on my training!"
"Umm... what about resting?"
"Resting? Ah, you mean recuperation! Yes, Master! I spend approximately four hours a day on sleep and meals!"
"..."
Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong with what Anima just said. If I took her words at face value, she was working or training for nearly twenty hours every single day. What kind of black company was she running?
Lilia-san was very strict about giving her employees proper breaks and holidays, and the mansion staff worked on a clear rotation. There was no way anyone was being forced to work those kinds of ridiculous hours.
"...Anima, what exactly do you do during your break times?"
"Sir! I devote them to self-improvement!"
"And... on your days off?"
"Yes! As your subordinate, I never neglect my cultivation, so that I may never bring shame upon you, Master!"
"..."
The realization hit me hard. This girl was even more of a workaholic than Lilia-san. Aside from sleeping and eating, her entire life was consumed by work or training. Well... I suppose if she was doing it because she enjoyed it, it was fine?
"Anima, do you have any hobbies... other than training?"
"Hobbies? No, Master. I have dedicated my entire being to you. I have no need for time spent on personal indulgences!"
"..."
She was hopeless. She was just way too serious. Personally, I really wanted her to relax a bit more, but that was proving difficult. If I gave her a direct command to rest, she’d follow it, but looking at her now, she’d probably have no idea what to do with the free time.
"...Anima, you said you don't have any work today, right?"
"Sir!"
"Then I'm heading into the city. Care to join me?"
"Sir! Understood! I shall carry out my duties as your porter and guard with every fiber of my being!"
"No, it's not a mission... Sigh."
In the first place, I had a Magic Box, so I didn't even need a porter. Regardless, we decided to head out.
Once we reached the city, however...
"...Seriously, Anima. Why are you walking so far behind me?"
"Eh? B-But, it would be a breach of etiquette for an attendant like myself to walk side-by-side with my Master..."
"It's not a breach of etiquette. Actually, it's making me self-conscious, so just walk next to me."
"...U-Understood. If that is your wish, Master..."
I gestured for Anima to close the gap. She had been trailing several paces behind me like a literal bodyguard. As she moved up, my eyes fell on her outfit—the same black military-style uniform she always wore.
"Hey, Anima... do you own any clothes besides those?"
"Besides these? I have six identical sets in my possession, Master."
"Alright, change of plans. Let's go buy you some clothes!"
"Eh? Y-Yes, sir! I shall accompany you!"
It really seemed like Anima had nothing but work and training on the brain. She just owned multiple copies of the same uniform. It might be a bit of a stereotype, but she really was a soldier through and through.
"Come to think of it, if you only own that uniform... what do you wear when you sleep?"
"I don't wear anything when I sleep."
Wait, what? She sleeps completely naked? Well, I knew some people preferred that, and thinking about it, she was a Former Black Bear. Maybe being unclothed felt more natural to her?
That was her business, I suppose, but maybe I should pick up some pajamas for her too.
Before long, we arrived at a clothing store. I could have gone to Alice’s General Store, but her selection lately had been almost entirely menswear. Or rather, she had tailored her entire stock specifically to me, so there wasn't much for women. I could have asked her to make something, but she was busy with the Six Kings Festival, so a regular shop would do for now.
As we reached the storefront, Anima snapped into a perfect at-ease stance.
"I shall wait here until you have finished your shopping, Master."
"Wait, what? No, Anima. We're here to buy your clothes. Don't worry, it's on me."
"Huh?"
My words clearly caught her off guard. She stood there, frozen with a blank look on her face. I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the shop. Once inside, she finally snapped out of her daze and started shaking her head frantically.
"M-Master! I have no need for such finery! And to have you pay for it out of your own pocket is..."
"Excuse me," I said, ignoring her as I flagged down a clerk. "Could you pick out a few outfits that would look good on her?"
"You aren't even listening to me!?"
Since her reaction was exactly what I’d expected, I ignored her protests and let the professional take over. The clerk was good—she quickly selected several pieces and told Anima to try them on. Anima just stared at the bundle of clothes in her hands, looking completely lost.
"M-Master... someone like me wearing these..."
"Just try them on for now."
"B-But, I have no idea how to be fashionable..."
"That’s an order."
"U-Understood!"
Since we were going in circles, I used a direct order, something I almost never did.
I waited outside the fitting room for a while until the curtain was slowly drawn back. Anima stepped out, wearing a black-themed outfit with trousers. The top was a shirt adorned with beautiful embroidery, and the colors complemented her black hair perfectly. She looked stunning.
Seeing her in more form-fitting clothes made it obvious just how incredible her figure was. She was lean and toned from her training, with long, slender legs, but that was balanced by a surprisingly generous bust. With her bear ears acting as an accent, she looked incredibly cute.
"Yeah. It looks great on you. You're really cute, Anima."
"C-Cute!? N-No, Master, for someone like m-me to be called..."
"I mean it. You're beautiful, and you have a great figure."
"N-Now, Master..."
Anima seemed convinced she lacked any feminine charm, so whenever I praised her looks, she would turn bright red and get visibly flustered. It was actually quite endearing.
As I was enjoying her reaction, the clerk who had helped us approached with a smile.
"You're a lucky man to have such a lovely girlfriend."
"What!? Y-You! How dare you speak so disresp—"
"Yes, she is. Thank you very much."
"—Master!?"
It was just typical sales talk, and denying it would only make things awkward. Besides, in the worst-case scenario, I could see Anima attacking the clerk for "insulting" me. I played along to end the conversation quickly.
While Anima stood there with a beet-red face, opening and closing her mouth like a landed fish, I took advantage of her shock to pay for several of the outfits. By the time she snapped out of it, she was frantically reaching for her own coin purse.
"I-I cannot let you pay, Master! The cost of these clothes must be—"
"Too late. I already bought them."
"Eeeeeeeh!?"
"Oh, and I bought the one you're wearing, too. You're staying in that for the rest of the day. I’ll just go ahead and put your old uniform in my Magic Box."
"Wait... what? Master!?"
Ignoring her total confusion, I made quick work of stowing her military gear.
"Alright, next stop, food!"
"Eh? I-I thought we were done..."
"We’re just getting started. Come on.
"M-M-Master!? My hand... wait! Please, just listen to me for a second!!"
By this point, I’d realized that the only way to get through to Anima was to just drag her along. I took her hand and led her out of the shop.
Dear Mother, Father—Anima works so hard every single day, and I’ve been meaning to take her out for a nice meal for a while now. This seemed like the perfect opportunity. Since I have the chance, I think I’ll splurge a little for my cute attendant.