Lovers’ Quarrel

I was traveling across the sea with the slave girls, the robot, and the spirit girl.

I could handle most things with potions, but since the robot had puffed up her cheeks, I reluctantly left the small fry hunting to her.

“Please watch, Master. My accomplishments…!”

Savage sea monsters came attacking us.

Cherge used her underwater gun and took them down in a rapid barrage…

“Wow! Big sis, look, look～!”

“Oh my, what a beautiful coral reef.”

“Right～!”

Leaving the small fry cleanup to the robot, I enjoyed the undersea stroll with the slave girls.

Well, we weren’t exactly walking, but you get the idea.

“Master! My…”

“Seyi-dono～! I caught a whole lot of fish, yes I didー!”

Toka-chan was using the trident she got from the Queen of the Undines.

There was a huge fish skewered on the three-pronged spear.

And the net she held was packed full of fish.

“This spear is amazing, it is! It does not make me feel the water’s resistance at all, it does not!

“Ooh! Nice oneー. Good job～”

Poke, poke, Cherge tapped me on the shoulder.

“What is it?”

“Master. My accomplishments…”

“Ah, Toka-chan! Put the fish into this robot’s storage for me.”

Looking quite unwilling, Cherge stored the fish in her storage and then…

Smack, smack, she slapped my shoulder.

“What now?”

“…Master. Are you doing this on purpose, perhaps?”

“Huh? What do you mean, on purpose?”

“I am clearing away the small fry for Master like this.”

“Yeah, that’s right. So?”

Puff～! Cherge puffed out her cheeks, raised her underwater gun, and fired.

She blew right through the top of a shark’s head as it came near.

“…Master, you idiot.”

“I have no idea what your problem is… what is going on with your emotions?”

With jet propulsion she shot off, and as if venting her frustration, Cherge went around cleaning up the small fry.

Good grief, ever since she became human, that girl had really lost control of her emotions.

Then Zenith-chan the elf approached me and spoke.

“Um… Seyi-sama. I think Cherge-san wants you to praise her.”

“Hah…? She wants praise?”

“…Yes, most likely. I think she volunteered to hunt the small fry because she wanted Seyi-sama to praise her.”

Haaah…

I see now.

“But if she wants praise, couldn’t she just say so herself?”

“…She is probably embarrassed.”

“Embarrassed to ask for praise herself? Haaah… what a pain.”

My true feelings slipped out before I could stop them.

With a wry smile, Zenith-chan said,

“…She is probably waiting the whole time for Seyi-sama to praise her.”

“Ehh… but still.”

Well, whatever.

If her performance started dropping, that would be a problem. Yeah.

“Hey, Cherge. A second.”

“What is it? I am very busy hunting small fry right nowー”

Cherge was slaughtering the small fry like they were her parents’ killer.

Well, whatever.

“Sorry about this, dealing with the small fry. Thanks.”

Cherge instantly stopped firing.

In a flash, she darted right over to me. Whoa, what now?

“Once more.”

“Huh?”

“I did not hear you very well, so come closer and say it once more.”

T-this girl…

You absolutely heard me, didn’t you? You’re a robot.

Your hearing is beyond human, isn’t it?

There is no way you didn’t hear me… honestly.

“You’ve been going to a lot of trouble.”

“That is not what I meant.”

“Ah… thanks.”

Cherge grinned from ear to ear.

“What…?”

“What exactly are you thanking me for?”

“I mean… thanks for taking down the small fry, okay? You’ve been doing a good job.”

“…Is that all?”

Glancing over at me again and again, Cherge gave me a longing look.

What was this?

She pressed her head insistently against me…

“Wait, do you want me to pat your head?”

“Who knows… perhaps.”

What a massive pain in the ass.

…Well, it was true that I was leaving this annoying work to her, so I might as well praise her. Zenith-chan did say I should praise her too.

“All right, all right. Good girl, good girl.”

I patted Cherge on the head.

For a robot, her hair was actually pretty silky.

Well, we were underwater, so it was spreading out a bit, though.

Cherge’s mouth curled into a shape like omega…

“Haaah, good grief. I work this hard hunting small fry, and all I get is a little head patting. I really ought to report this to the labor standards office～”

What the heck was with this girl…?

She was the one who said she wanted to do it, and what was that attitude supposed to mean? It was seriously irritating.

“Then fine. I’ll hunt the small fry myself.”

From the storage inside Cherge, I took out the materials I needed.

Using seawater, I made an underwater version of the Repellent Potion.

“Big sis, what is that supposed to be～?”

“This is a sea-use Repellent Potion. Normally it drives monsters away with a smell they hate, but this one drives them away by producing a sound monsters hate…”

Smack!

“Hey, oi! Robo-maid, you! Give that back!”

Cherge snatched the underwater version of the Repellent Potion from me and fled!

“Master, I’m going to hunt small fry, so please take it easy and rest.”

“What is wrong with you, geeeeeeeeeez!”

As I lost my temper, the slave girls who had been watching the whole thing smiled warmly.

Seriously, what even was this?