I invited Anima to lunch—admittedly being a bit pushy about it—and we set off together down the Main Street.
"Is there anything in particular you want to eat, Anima?"
"N-No! Whatever you decide is fine with me, Master!"
"Come on... do you have any favorite foods?"
"Favorite foods? I'll eat anything, really, but if I had to choose... perhaps fish?"
Was it because she was a former Black Bear? I had a mental image of bears snacking on salmon, so the preference made sense.
"Alright, then let’s go find some fish!"
"Eh? N-No, I couldn't possibly..."
"I’m in the mood for fish too, so it’s not a problem, right?"
"Ugh... Y-Yes, sir."
Since I already knew she would try to be modest, I used my usual tactic of simply deciding for her. My main goal today was for Anima to truly relax, so I wanted to make sure I catered to her tastes.
Recalling the various excellent restaurants Kuro had recommended, I considered our options while walking through the lunchtime crowd on the busy Main Street. As I was thinking, my shoulder lightly brushed against a man and woman walking toward us.
"Ah, I’m sorry."
"No, it was my fault as well."
I offered a natural apology and was about to keep going when I realized Anima was no longer by my side. At the same moment, a low, menacing voice rumbled from behind me.
"You bastard... You dare offer such a pathetic apology after bumping into my master? You deserve ten thousand deaths! Scrape your head against the pavement this instant—"
"Anima, stop!!"
"Eh? Ah! Yes!"
I completely forgot! Her attitude toward the servants at the mansion had softened because I’d constantly reminded her to be polite, but I’d forgotten that Anima still had this incredibly fierce side to her.
I stopped her just as she looked ready to pounce and hurriedly bowed to the strangers.
"I am so sorry for her behavior!"
"N-No, it’s quite alright."
Fortunately, I had managed to intervene before she could do anything drastic, and the couple let us off easily.
"Anima! You can’t do that. Making threats like that is wrong..."
"B-But they caused you harm, Master..."
"No, we just bumped shoulders! It was my fault for not paying attention, too. Whatever the case, you can't be so quick to resort to violence!"
"Y-Yes... I am deeply sorry."
Anima looked genuinely dejected, her shoulders slumping as she apologized. Maybe I’d been a little too harsh? No, this was a situation where I had to be firm. Still, I felt like I should offer some kind of follow-up... I felt bad for her.
"I’m really happy that you care enough to stand up for me, Anima. But try to be a bit more restrained."
"Yes."
"Right. But thank you, Anima. Thank you for getting angry on my behalf."
"Y-Yes!"
When I reached out and lightly patted her head, her expression instantly brightened, and she nodded vigorously.
She certainly had her troublesome quirks, but in the end, everything she did was out of devotion to me. I couldn't help but be happy about that. I’d just have to keep a close eye on her to make sure she didn't run wild again.
Despite the minor incident, we reached a restaurant that specialized in fish and sat down for lunch. Given her fierce personality, Anima sometimes gave off a bit of a "muscle-brain" vibe, but her table manners were actually impeccable. She ate with quiet, elegant movements.
As it turned out, Anima was quite intelligent. Since she had started living at Lilia-san’s mansion, she had been studying with incredible diligence, using everything she learned to assist me.
Her help with my mail was particularly invaluable. Ever since the Treasure Tree Festival, I’d become somewhat famous, and I was constantly bombarded with letters from nobles. Thanks to Alice, the truly suspicious ones were filtered out, but I still received a staggering number of invitations to tea parties and balls.
Most of those never even reached my desk. Anima went through my mail first, and for anything that wasn't a personal matter—like invitations to events she knew I had no interest in—she wrote the polite rejections herself. I’d looked at one of her letters once; she had clearly studied hard, as the phrasing was incredibly formal and tactful. It was a massive help.
I’d heard she was learning etiquette and formal writing from Lunamaria-san and the other servants. She was such a hard worker, and she had become someone I truly relied on.
"Anima, how is it? Do you like the taste?"
"Yes! It is very delicious!"
"I'm glad to hear that."
Since she always worked so hard for me, I’d been looking for a way to thank her properly. This outing was turning out to be just as good for me as it was for her.
While lost in thought, I noticed a tiny bit of sauce on the corner of her mouth. I picked up a napkin and reached across the table.
"Hold on, Anima. Don’t move."
"Eh?"
"There’s a little sauce... There, got it."
"Nau!?"
"Nau?"
"I-It is nothing! To h-h-have troubled your hands! I am! Deeply sorry!!"
"Y-Yeah... don't worry about it."
After lunch, I took Anima all over the city. We enjoyed some window shopping and sampled snacks from various street stalls. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day.
By the time the sky began to turn a deep madder red, we started heading back toward the mansion. We walked side-by-side, bathed in the glow of the sunset.
"Anima, I dragged you all over today. You're not too tired, are you?"
"N-No! Not at all! In fact... um... it was very fun."
"I'm glad. I hope you were able to relax a little?"
Anima’s eyes widened, and she came to a sudden halt.
"So... you noticed after all, Master?"
"I didn't know the details, but I could tell you seemed... I don't know, 'rushed' lately."
It was true. The reason I’d taken her out wasn't just because she never took breaks. There was a more significant reason. Anima was incredibly earnest and hardworking, but even taking that into account, my Sympathy Magic had been picking up a sense of hidden desperation from her lately. She felt like a bowstring pulled too tight. I didn't know why, but I’d hoped a change of pace would help.
Anima remained silent for a long time. She lifted her hands to her chest, staring at them as she whispered in a small, trembling voice.
"Am I... truly of any use to you, Master?"
"Eh?"
As she spoke, my Sympathy Magic flared, picking up a wave of intense anxiety. Her expression looked so fragile that I was momentarily stunned, and she continued before I could find my voice.
"The only thing I can take pride in... is my strength in battle. But my power... it does not even reach the feet of someone like Lady Alice."
"Anima..."
"I found myself thinking... that perhaps you had no need for me. It terrified me. I tried to learn other things, tried to find other ways to be useful... but I can never match the professionals. I remain useless... and I didn't know what else to do."
Anima’s voice was shaking.
Good grief, I hated how thick-headed I could be. This girl had been carrying this weight in her heart all this time, and I hadn't even noticed. Now that she mentioned it, it made sense. She had started her frantic studying right around the time Alice became my guard. Dammit... I really was slow.
I could beat myself up later, though. Right now, there was something far more important to do.
I stepped toward her and pulled her into a firm embrace.
"Eh? M-Master!?"
"I’m sorry, Anima. I didn't realize you were feeling so much pressure. I'm sorry for being such a clueless master."
"N-No! That's not it! It's just that my own heart was weak..."
"I guess I never said it clearly enough... Anima, you aren't useless."
"!"
"You always work so hard for my sake. You even push yourself to learn things you're not good at... You're truly someone I rely on."
"Mas... ter?"
The solution to her anxiety was so simple. I just had to tell her the truth, straight from my heart. I was just far too late in doing it. At first, her personality had been a lot to handle, and I’d spent plenty of time worrying about her, but she had become a massive part of my life before I even realized it. I’d grown so accustomed to her presence that I’d started taking her efforts for granted.
"I need you, Anima. So please, don't say such sad things about being useless."
"Ah... Ahhhhh..."
I held her as gently as I could, feeling how much smaller she was than I’d imagined. I let out all the words I’d been holding back, wanting to give her the support she needed.
"I don't think I'll ever be a proper master. I don't know how to give orders to an attendant, and I'll probably still be terrible at assigning you work in the future."
"Ugh... hng..."
"The whole master-and-servant thing is hard for me. I don't think I'll ever get used to it. But... well, I heard this from someone else, and I think it’s right. For me, I want our relationship to be... like family."
Anima gasped.
I’d probably never be the kind of master she imagined. My ideal relationship was something closer to family, like what I had with Kuro. And that’s what I wanted with Anima.
"So, if you're okay with an unreliable person like me... will you keep helping me from now on?"
"! Y-Yes! I... everything I am... belongs to you for all eternity! If you will allow it, I will serve you until my very body turns to dust!"
"Yeah. I’m counting on you."
"Yes... Yes... Master... I am so... so happy... to have you as my master."
Quiet sobs echoed in the twilight. They were gentle tears, washing away the fear and doubt she had carried for so long.
Dear Mother, Father—
At first, I was confused by her, and she certainly caused her share of trouble. But thinking back, I realize I’ve always been encouraged by her honest, straightforward strength. I still don't really understand the whole master-servant dynamic, but the fact that Anima is as precious to me as family—that's something I can be certain of without any hesitation.