She Banished Me Yesterday, But Today She Calls Me Master? - Episode 8

“Since I got off work early, maybe I’ll buy some souvenirs on the way home.”

Having been warned firmly by Linde the other day, I made sure not to work overtime and headed home after finishing my tasks early. As I stepped into the shopping street, planning to buy something sweet, I suddenly heard a noisy commotion.

“Poor that slave…”

“They’re those guys, right? The ‘Feast of the End’ led by the Sword Saint Flugel…”

So, he’s still using that name…

A nostalgic yet embarrassing feeling washed over me, recalling the nickname we gave ourselves during our chūnibyō days. In our teens, we called ourselves the “Sword Saint” and the “Demonic Sword,” vowing to become the strongest adventurers someday. She fulfilled her dream, but I ended up walking a different path.

I’m currently hiding my true identity, so I hesitated whether I should get involved. I glanced toward the center of the commotion and saw a familiar light blue-haired figure in a one-piece dress.

Linde!?

Without thinking, my body moved on its own.

“Sorry… This girl is my precious slave. So please, stop hitting on her.”

“Hey, who the hell are you…?”

“Master…?”

I stepped between the adventurers harassing Linde and pulled her close by the shoulder. The softness of her skin and the sweet scent tickled my nose, filling me with a strange sense of guilt. I felt Linde’s body tremble slightly and anger surged within me.

I couldn’t forgive anyone who made her feel afraid like that. I didn’t know how they’d react, so I had to be ready to protect her at any moment—even if it meant revealing my true identity…

“N-no way… You’re… No, he was supposed to have been banished from this country…”

The man muttered nervously, and I immediately recognized him. Garm, a member of the “Feast of the End.” We had trained together several times before. If my identity was discovered, it would cause trouble.

But stepping back was not an option. I had to protect Linde.

“You’re the master, huh?! Too bad, but we want to borrow that girl for our ‘Feast of the End.’ You don’t want to get hurt over just one slave, right?”

Garm, who had been harassing Linde, proudly raised his badge that marked him as an S-rank adventurer. To demonstrate his power, he slammed his massive, log-like fist onto the floor, shattering the brick pavement with ease. Bystanders screamed in shock.

The magic imbued in Garm’s fist was “Enhancement”—a basic spell that temporarily multiplies muscle strength several times over. Combined with his natural physique, it became terrifyingly destructive.

“Master, please don’t mind me and run away,” Linde said, her voice trembling but her eyes filled with determination, as if she was trying to protect me.

“That’s not going to happen. I’m Linde’s master. And a master protects their slave.”

Honestly, Garm was strong enough as an S-rank adventurer. Even just dodging his attacks would draw attention and risk exposing me. But I couldn’t abandon the one who always cooked delicious meals for me and cared for me so devotedly.

“Don’t act all cool!! You’ll regret it after you get hurt!!”

Garm seemed irritated by our exchange and raised his fist. I instantly cast an acceleration spell without chanting, preparing to face his attack. When his slow-motion punch came at me, I caught it and smiled.

“Wh-What?!”

“What’s wrong? Was that S-rank adventurer just a bluff?”

“Don’t underestimate me!!”

Gazel, another adventurer, hurriedly drew his sword. I looked at him coldly and began silently casting a spell.

The other adventurers panicked.

“Gazel! No weapons!”

“If he draws his sword, I can’t keep this peaceful, you know?”

“Shut up! I won’t let myself be looked down on!”

“What are you doing?! Fighting and violence in the city are forbidden!”

Suddenly, a group of knights in silver armor arrived.

“Tch, knights… Who reported us?”

“Even adventurers are not allowed to use magic or violence in the city. Stand down immediately!”

Garm growled in displeasure but lowered his weapon reluctantly. Even S-rank adventurers cannot defy the kingdom’s laws.

As Garm and his group left, I locked eyes briefly with him.

“Remember this…”

I stayed close to protect Linde. One of the knights who helped us approached, surprise evident on his face.

“Are you okay? Wait—Asto-sensei? I never imagined a teacher would get into a fight in the city…”

“Wait! Asto!? So, it really is him…”

“Enough! If this causes more trouble, the boss will kill us for sure!”

Gazel tried to approach again but was stopped by his companions.

I just laughed awkwardly.

“Ahaha, it’s a long story…”

I had met that knight before at a school parent-teacher meeting. If I had kept using magic, I would’ve stood out. To him, I was supposed to be a plain, unimpressive teacher.

Still, fighting in the city was unprofessional for an educator. I wondered what to do when Linde stepped forward, defending me.

“My master did nothing wrong. He protected me when they were harassing me.”

“I see. The citizens who reported it have already told us what happened. But I heard that Asto-sensei isn’t great at practical skills… He must really care about that slave.”

“W-What!?”

Embarrassed by the knight’s words, I noticed Linde looking up at me with a side glance, and my heart skipped a beat.

“Is that so, Master?”

“Well, um…”

“Also, Asto-sensei is reputed to be kind to women among the students. Not just the students—my daughter says you’re close with Rosalie-sensei too…”

Before the knight could continue, one of his subordinates interrupted.

“Captain! Another call. This time, a fight on the main street.”

“More work… Excuse me then!”

“Was that about the female student Teresa? And who is Rosalie…?”

After the knights left in a whirlwind, Linde and I were alone. She muttered something in a low voice, her eyes dull and unfocused. I spoke gently.

“Are you alright? That must have been scary.”

“Yes… but thanks to you, Master, I’m safe. But please don’t push yourself. If you get hurt, I…”

Linde looked at me worriedly, but I shook my head apologetically.

“Sorry, I can’t promise that. I may not save the world, but I want to save the people important to me right in front of me… Maybe that sounded a bit cheesy.”

I blushed, embarrassed at my own words. Linde shook her head seriously.

“No, it was cool… really…”

Tears welled up in her eyes. I couldn’t tell if they were tears of gratitude or something else.

“Oh, right. I wanted to buy you a souvenir. Do you like cake?”

“Huh? For me?”

“Yeah. You always make delicious meals, so I thought maybe you’d want something sweet for a change.”

“Yes! I love it!”

Linde beamed and nodded enthusiastically.

As we walked toward the confectionery, she whispered softly.

“Um… do you prefer bigger br3asts after all?”

“Huh?”

I stopped in surprise.

“Well… the adventurers were looking at my chest, so I wondered if that’s what you like…”

“That’s not true! It’s not about br3asts—it’s about personality. Besides, your chest is big…”

I stopped myself mid-sentence. Now that I thought about it, Linde’s chest always felt a bit unnatural… but I decided not to think too deeply about it.

“Oh, no, never mind. Anyway, don’t worry about that.”

“Thank you.”

Linde smiled in relief, then tugged at my sleeve cutely and asked:

“By the way, what kind of relationship do you have with Teresa and Rosalie?”

For some reason, despite her smile, I found it a little scary.

________________________________________

★★

“Guess what? My big brother hugged me! And he looked so cool standing up to the adventurers for me!”

In a hidden room in the palace, Eltrinde spoke excitedly. She had reverted from her maid form and blushed as she hugged her arms.

“Ah, is that so? That’s good… but don’t you think you should thank me for calling the knights to help?”

“What’s with that reaction! I finally got to see my brother fight like a hero again up close. You can’t blame me.”

Eltrinde glared at the indifferent attendant, then suddenly smiled, remembering her brother’s strong chest.

“Oh, anyway, we need to take care of the trash…”

Her expression hardened. With cold eyes worthy of the “Ice Princess” nickname, she declared:

“I could forgive the harassment. But if anyone harms him, it’s a different story. They deserve death.”

“Shouldn’t we complain to Flugel? If you mess with him, it’ll only cause trouble.”

“That idiot’s fault for recruiting so many people. I owe no loyalty to anyone who lays a hand on my brother.”

Eltrinde quietly gazed at the city at sunset and murmured:

“I want him to live in peace this time…”

“I understand. I’ll handle it. But Eltrinde-sama, you must not go yourself.”

“Fine… I’ll leave it to you.”

Her expression was lonely, and at the same time, the black mark on her left arm began glowing again.

“But… there seem to be insects trying to get close to my brother at school, too. We have to deal with them

quietly.”