Several days had passed since the string of incidents. The team that cleared the temporary dungeon in Tokyo Bay was featured on TV almost daily, in part because its members were something of a “star team.” They were being hailed as Japan’s saviors, and some say that by emphasizing the idea that the incident was resolved, it helped dispel the negative image surrounding jobs like dungeon crews. There were, of course, plenty of murky motives involved behind the scenes.
As a result, attention toward Inari had died down, and she’d quietly regained a peaceful, ordinary daily life.
“Well then, it would seem all is settled for now, hmm.”
Inari muttered as she sat with Eri in Nabetani Coffee Shop—a place they had intended to visit before but never made it to. She sipped her drink while half-listening to the TV's talk show playing in the background. She only listened, not watched, because it was hard to focus when the girl sitting across from her was staring at her with eyes practically sparkling with hearts.
“Aaah… she’s so cute… seriously cute… I guess setting really does matter… ahh, so precious… am I going to die from happiness today…?”
“I understand that thou art not listening, but canst thou settle thyself a little?”
“Got it! Let’s take pictures later, okay? I’m gonna brag about this to everyone!”
“U-Um…”
Today, Inari was wearing the kimono-style maid outfit she’d been gifted. Eri, as always, wore her maid uniform, so it ended up looking like they matched. Though Inari had told her in advance, Eri had been visibly flustered the entire time.
“I mean, thou’st seen me wear this before, have thee not?”
Indeed, it hadn’t been long since Eri and the maid squad had dressed her in this exact outfit. Surely not enough time had passed for the memory to fade—Inari tilted her head at the thought. Meanwhile, Eri looked as though she’d just been shot in the heart.
Apparently, she’d been hit by the feels—hard.
“Because... honestly, I thought that was going to be a one-time thing, and yet here you are, wearing it for me. That makes me so happy. Seriously, let’s aim for maid-world domination together, okay?”
“What mean’st thou by ‘maid-world domination’...?”
“With how you look today, if you said something like, ‘I shall strike thine heart, bang☆,’ you’d amass a legion of fans willing to die for you.”
“E-Er... terrifying. Maids are... terrifying indeed...”
Eri winked and made a finger-gun pose, which made Inari genuinely recoil a bit. But in this era, where Awakeners were treated like idols, maids and butlers from the Servant Uniform Workshop were wildly popular even among the general public.
Perhaps it was because the idea of “strong yet cute maids” and “protective, capable butlers” matched the ideal of this post-monster era—where people lived closer to danger than ever before.
Whatever the case, in a time where maid and butler were ideal professions, a kimono-style fox-eared pretty girl maid like Inari had... overwhelming destructive power.
“I mean, come on. People were staring on the way here.”
“Well... yes, they certainly were...”
Indeed, on their way to the café, Inari and Eri had drawn a lot of attention. People had turned to stare even after they passed, and several dropped their phones. Inari thought it was just because they were two maids walking together—which was part of it—but most of the attention had been because of her. In this maid-loving age, Inari vastly underestimated how devastating the visual impact of a kimono-style fox-eared maid was.
“Fufufu. Actually, the Servant Uniform Workshop has already started developing a general-use version of the kimono-style maid outfit. And I just know you lit the spark today, Miss Inari...!”
“I did not sign up for such a role...”
“Ah, that face is cute too.”
“This conversation is going nowhere...”
Inari sipped the coffee that had been brought over and let out a soft sigh. She didn’t really know good coffee from bad, but the flavor was clean and refreshing. When she bit into the complimentary cookie, it melted in her mouth with a pleasant crunch. Western sweets, it turned out, weren’t so bad.
As she mused, she noticed Eri staring at her again.
“W-What is it now?”
“Oh, I just thought… it’s pretty bitter, but you’re fine with it, huh?”
“Hm? Well, that’s just how it is, right?”
“Well yeah, but… we do have sugar and milk, you know?”
“Mm, but I do enjoy thick matcha as well, thou see.”
Nabetani Coffee Shop was aiming for a retro café atmosphere, and it was quite cozy. Since it was tucked away in a side alley, there were no other customers at this hour. The owner behind the counter looked rather relaxed—but it wasn’t a bored sort of idle, more like he was genuinely enjoying the calm. That left a good impression on Inari.
“Oh right, speaking of earlier—”
“Hm?”
“That whole incident at sea… I’m really glad it was resolved. When maritime transport takes a hit, logistics go down with it. Peace really is the best.”
At that, Inari looked slightly surprised.
“...Thou wert listening after all, hmm.”
“I’m a maid, remember!”
“Indeed. That did impress me, I must say.”
“Then as a reward, I want you to shoot my heart!”
“Eh...?”
Though she wasn’t sure why, Inari figured it wasn’t such a big deal. She mimicked Eri earlier and made a finger-gun gesture toward her.
“I shall strike thine heart… bang.”
She even winked. And Eri clutched her chest and collapsed face-down onto the table, trembling.
Inari, concerned, began to rise to her feet—
“Amazing... the firepower’s insane. Oh god, this is amazing. I’m gonna die of love...”
“Well, as long as thou art happy, I suppose...?”
Since Eri didn’t actually seem in trouble, Inari just sat back down and took another sip of coffee.
The incident caused by a godlike being—and its apostle—had been resolved. Their exact motive remained unclear... but Inari figured it was nothing good anyway.
Still, one thing had become apparent: The System didn’t seem to be on the side of those godlike entities.
That alone, Inari thought, counted as a step toward understanding this world's mysteries.
Even so... now was the time to simply enjoy the peace.
Just like this cup of coffee—uncertain where it would lead, yet warm and full of quiet happiness.
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Bonus Character Introduction Image from Volume 2 Book
Name: Kogami Inari
Job: Fox Shrine Maiden
Details: A fox deity who somehow appeared in a certain village. She ends up becoming involved in dungeon troubles and begins operating as an Awakener.Name: Yasuno Kaho
Job: Soldier
Details: A member of the Japan Headquarters of the Awakener Association, in the Management Support Division. She is responsible for supporting Inari and spends her days grumbling and being dragged around.
Name: Shikishima Eri
Class: Magic Fortress
Details: A maid at “The Servant Uniform Workshop.” Her love for maids led her to become one herself. She takes great pride in it.Name: Takigawa Sebastian
Class: Saint
Details: Head butler of “The Servant Uniform Workshop.” His appearance and manner of speech give off an aura, and he possesses considerable strength as an Awakener.Name: Akai Rina
Class: Brain Sorcerer
Details: CEO of “Connectus Corporation.” A cool beauty who makes quick decisions when it comes to work.
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I guess Vol 2 clean cover too