the last request

chapter14

Alright, Allen... Let's see. Assignment, assignment. There's a small village in China where an elderly bow maker, and archer says that he made an incredibly fine bow decades ago, out of a strange tree that he's never seen another example of, but that the bow wouldn't work, and in fact, it backfires on anyone who uses it, usually killing them. There's a pretty good chance that this is Innocence in the bow, so I want you to go to the village, and pick up the bow. Also, there is one request I would like to make, if you would. Please bring along a member of the Science Department so that they can take readings on their new uniforms, which, speaking of which, there is a uniform with your name on it waiting for you down there. Lou Fa says she'd be more than happy to go with you."

"Okay. I suppose I had better get my new uniform, then. After all, it wouldn't do at all to incapacitate myself because of lack of caution." Allen said with a smile, walking out the door, only to run into Lou Fa, who was kneeling at the door, with a stethoscope pressed to it. As Allen opened the door, it slammed into her face, breaking her glasses and hitting her nose.

"Owowowowowowowowow..." Lou Fa moaned, sitting up and looking at her badly fractured glasses. More like completely shattered.

"My glasses! Damnit! I can't see a thing without my glasses, and now I won't be able to accompany Mr. Walker on his assignment, and I'll never get to see how the new uniforms work, and he'll think I don't want to be around him! Ohhhhh!" She wailed in despair, forgetting that she had an extra pair of glasses in her pocket for just such an occasion. Allen knelt down and looked at Lou Fa, holding her head still for a moment.

"Sorry, Lou Fa. Are you alright?" He asked kindly, giving her a handkerchief to wipe her nose, which was now rather bloody.

"Oh, I'm fine. I just have no idea how I'm going to get back to my room. It seems Mr. Walker must have passed right by me, too, even though I was listening the whole time. Maybe this blow to the face disoriented me more than I thought."

"Is that so? Would you like some help. I think you have something in your lab coat pocket. Maybe it's a spare pair of glasses?" He hoped that now, she would put on her glasses, realize that the person she was talking about was standing right in front of her, and get done with it. Unfortunately, nothing of the sort happened. She nodded and reached for her pocket, but didn't put them on yet.

"Hn? Oh! Yes! My spare glasses! How could I have forgotten that! I feel so dumb, now! What would Mr. Walker think if he saw me like this! I'm such a mess, and my hair is completely hopeless, and now my nose is probably as flat as my chest!" She complained loudly. Fortunately, Allen was the only one around at the moment. He was about to tell her that Allen was right in front of her, but instead of listening, she just plowed on. "Not that I would be any match for that Lenalee, anyhow, even if my hair and my boobs were worth looking at..." It seemed like she had totally forgotten that Allen was there. He felt about as significant as a lamp at the moment.

"It's not fair that she gets all the looks, and the strength, and the talent, and I'm stuck with nothing but some skill with math!" She despaired. Finally, after what seemed like ages, and after much embarrassment on Allen's part, she fumbled with her spectacles and put them on, looking around and seeing Allen standing right in front of her. Slowly, a crimson blush crept up her face, along with a look of pure morbid horror. She almost looked like she was going to be sick.

"M-M-M-Mr. W-Walker! H-how long have you b-b-been here!"

"I was the one who hit you on the nose." Allen said apologetically. "Sorry about that."