Chapter 1367 - The Maid's Challenge ⑥
For some unknown reason, it was decided that Lilia-san and I would be attending the Maid Olympia, a festival for maids, and together with Luna-san, a participant in the event, we arrived at the venue in the Southern Demon Realm.
When we arrived there, there was a splendid stadium, and it was in a bit of a festival state with stalls and so on around it.
However, the line-up of the stalls was strange. The atmosphere around was completely different from that of a normal festival……
[Ahh, look, isn’t this the newest headpiece?]
[It has a nice design. I’ve been thinking that it’s time for me to get a headpiece of better quality.]
[While you’re at it, why don’t you get something branded?]
[As expected, I’m not confident enough in my Maid Power to wear a branded headpiece……]
While overhearing such an exchange between two women who were having a conversation in front of a certain stall, how should I say this…… Yes, whether I look to the left or to the right, all I see are maids.
If it’s a maid who’s shopping, it’s a maid who opened their stall…… Within this place where, no matter where I look, there are only these apron-dressed people, Lilia-san and I bizarrely feel out of place.
[……Lilia-san, we sure came to a most extraordinary place.]
[Yes…… I wonder what is with this place? It’s as if we’ve wandered into another world.]
[You two, the stall over there is a famous meidoyaki, so I recommend buying it during break time.]
While Lilia-san and I were walking under the pressure of being around maids all over the place, Luna-san, who was quite excited, introduced us to various stores, but to be honest, what she was saying didn’t really register in my mind.
Meidoyaki, Official Custom-made Apron Dresses being sold in stalls, in any case, all the shops only sell maid-related items, and just like Lilia-san, it does feel like we’ve wandered into another world.
[Even so, that was unfortunate. Sieg, Aoi-sama and Hina-sama couldn’t come. Well, if they’re going back to her hometown and have work to do, I suppose it can’t be helped……]
[……Kaito-san, Sieg going back to her hometown, did you just accept her words as they were?]
[Aoi-chan and Hina-chan also said that they remembered Adventurer work they had to do later.]
Yes, in short, Sieg-san, Aoi-chan and Hina-chan successfully escaped. Unlike me and Lilia-san, I guess it was easy for them to refuse because they were invited later.
[……To be honest, I wanted to run away too, but I couldn’t just let Lilia-san go here alone……]
[Kaito-san…… Thank you. Let’s give up together and start thinking that the world is actually like this.]
[Yes.]
After whispering with Lilia-san, we followed Luna-san, who was walking in high spirits. Nevertheless, seriously, no matter if I looked to the left or to the right, there were only maids and I really feel like I’m sticking out like a sore thumb.
It would be like, if there was someone other than a maid around, you would easily know……
[ [ ……Ahh. ] ]
At the same time as I found an acquaintance walking a few distance from us, the other side also noticed us and rushed over, looking as if she had seen Buddha within this hell.
[T- Thank Goodness! There’s actually someone decent around. Kaito, you appeared right at a good time…… As expected of a popular guy! Seriously, I’ve been so, so anxious here…… so seeing someone I know saved me a lot.]
[Akane-san, what a coincidence…… What brings you to this haunted place……]
[I didn’t want to come here! Frau forcibly brought me to this place, and apparently seeing some limited edition something, she went off shopping…… Can you feel my horror from being left alone in this place?]
[……I’m sorry to hear that.]
The person we encountered was Akane, whom I didn’t expect to meet here. Come to think of it, Frau-san was also someone neck-deep within the Maid World.
[On? Who is this, Kaito? Some great big shot again?]
[Ah, no, she isn’t really anything like that……]
[Ahh, I see…… Well, I guess that really would be the case. It’s not like the only acquaintances Kaito has been big shots like the Six Kings.]
As Akane-san looked somewhat relieved at my words, Lilia-san took a step forward and greeted her.
[Nice to meet you, I’m Lilia Albert.]
[……Albert?]
[Yes. I’m the Head of Albert Duchy.]
[Aaahhh~~ I see…… I’m the President of Mikumo Company, Mikumo Akane. It’s an honor to meet you…… By the way, Kaito, come here for a sec……]
After returning Lilia-an’s greeting, Akane-san pulled my clothes and making me squat down a bit, she threw a sharp tsukkomi into my chest.
[Like hell that’s not a big shot!]
……Now that she mentioned it, Lilia-san is the Head of a Duchy…… If you exclude the royalty, she would be one of the highest-ranking nobles, so she definitely is a big shot.
I mean, she doesn’t really feel like a big shot at all, so that kinda slipped my mind……
[……And why do you also look shocked at my words, Young Mistress?]
[No, it’s just, now that you put it that way, I’m also a pretty big deal, aren’t I? I’m someone distinguished, right?]
[That’s right. You’re a Duchess after all.]
[……Because I’ve often been meeting Kaito-san’s acquaintances and there were so few opportunities for me to be in a higher position, I had forgotten about it myself.]
Now that she mentioned it, Lilia-san’s acquaintances were people she got to know through me, and as for those with whom Lilia-san would be in a higher position…… I suppose it would just be Acht and Eva? Ahh, but Neun-san was there when she met them……
Serious-senpai : [Well, seeing not just Kaito, but the person herself reacting like that, you can really see Lilia’s hardships up until now.]
? ? ? : [As far as it goes, when you compare her with the others, there were so many people around Lilia-san who are stronger than her, both in terms of power and authority, but that would certainly be the image you’d get when she had only been meeting those with higher ranking than her.]