Please to Kitsune-sama!

Well, setting aside the matter of Inari’s photo in a maid outfit now being proudly displayed at the maid shop...

Evening had fully settled over Akihabara, and the city still buzzed with life as if the night were just getting started.

“Feels like the crowd hath grown, does it not…”

More than simply growing, it was actually that the people had begun to shift—new ones arriving, old ones departing.

After all, being an Awakener meant your life revolved around dungeon diving, where day or night didn’t always mean much.

You could exit a dungeon and find it was night—or three days had passed, or even a whole week. Even if a dive only took half a day, afterward you’d need to visit a workshop for gear maintenance and supplies.

Sometimes you’d have to buy replacements altogether.

But if those workshops only operated from 9 to 5, it’d be a major inconvenience for Awakeners.

Sure, the Awakener Association offered some services, but those with specific preferences tended to have their favorite workshops.

And on the workshop side, missing out on loyal customers wasn’t ideal either.

So, for any workshop with more than just a handful of staff, running 24 hours a day became the standard.

That allowed them to meet demand from anyone who didn’t insist on a particular craftsman—and more demand meant more income. So naturally, most workshops proudly put up 24/7 operation signs.

Even smaller workshops had started hiring part-timers for night shifts to handle things like “repair drop-offs” and “finished product pick-ups.”

Inari, perhaps having sensed this in her own way, quietly observed the cityscape of Akihabara—the city that never sleeps.

“Aye… a city that knoweth not rest. Truly, human enterprise be a wondrous thing.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Hyuh!?”

Startled by the sudden voice behind her, Inari turned around—only to cry out, “Kyehh—maid!”

Standing there was the same maid from earlier—still in her maid uniform.

And judging from the gear strapped to her waist, she wasn’t just cosplaying; she was the real deal.

“Yes! Bringing peace to weary lives, answering the call of both passion and practicality, here for the good of the world—Eri, maid of the Servant Uniform Workshop, at your service!”

She struck a sharp pose, to which Inari gave a suspicious squint.

“Er… That whole routine just now. Didst thou rehearse that, perchance?”

“Oof, that hurts! Getting hit with a straight-up reply is the most embarrassing thing!”

“My apologies. I am yet a stranger to the customs of this modern age, thou see…”

Inari truly did sound sorry, and it helped Eri recover from the moment of mortification.

“Well, our work is kind of image-based, so we don’t let our guard down much!”

“Not much, thou sayest?”

“Just enough to let a little vulnerability pull people’s hearts in! It's all part of the job when you're the Tank of the Maid Corps!”

“Is that so. Well then, I shall take my leave…”

“Wait, whaat!? After all that, you’re just going to walk away? That’s too sad!”

“But thou see, it just… feels like I wouldst not be able to keep up…”

“Mmm… Then we’ll take our time and learn about each other!”

Eri held out her hand, and with a “well, I suppose so” air, Inari accepted the handshake—prompting applause and cheers to erupt from the bystanders.

“Nice one!”

“Eri-chaaan!”

“Join my party instead!”

“Fox Shrine Maiden-chan is adorable!”

Apparently, they had become a public attraction without realizing it. Eri waved to the crowd; Inari did too—causing the cheers to grow louder. She didn’t quite understand what was going on, but she did understand that it would be bad manners not to play along.

“Alright everyone, thank you! Don’t forget to visit the Servant Uniform Workshop! We’d love to see you!”

Eri waved Inari’s hand while making a quick dash with her, disappearing behind a corner out of the crowd’s sight.

“Phew, crisis averted.”

“Ah… Might I ask… didst thou approach me on purpose?”

“Absolutely. You caught attention, you know. I saw a few sketchy types tailing you.”

“Hmm. Then I am in thy debt. My thanks to thee.”

“Not at all. In my line of work, I’m pretty sensitive to that kind of gaze.”

Inari had sensed the crowd's attention, but she hadn’t realized that some of it came from more malicious sources.

Now that she thought about it, the situation chilled her.

She had prepared herself for danger—but hadn’t expected it quite this way, or this soon.

“With that much attention on you, they probably weren’t going to make a move. I called for a car during our little show. If you trust me, I’d like to take you somewhere safe.”

“…Very well. I shall place my trust in thee.”

Whether or not it was the right choice, Inari couldn’t say. But trust had to start somewhere.

When the car arrived, Inari and Eri hopped in. Behind the wheel was the manager from the maid store—no, the head butler.

“Thanks, Mr. Sebas! You’re a lifesaver!”

“Think nothing of it. I’m used to this sort of thing.”

This impressively refined middle-aged man—likely to earn approval from 32 out of 50 people at first glance—was named Takigawa Sebastian. That was his real name, by the way.

“So we’re talking stalkers?”

“Still not sure. But I spotted four very shady stares fixated on Miss Inari. I figured we should act before something actually happened.”

“Ahh, good call. Less information out there, the better. Also… Are your seatbelts fastened?”

“Seat… belt?”

“I got it! This strap here goes… like this!”

With a satisfying click, Eri secured Inari’s belt. Sebastian grinned, eyes sparkling with resolve.

“One suspicious luxury car. Time to shake them off!”

“Let’s gooo!”

“Whuh-whuh-whaaa!?”

As the car roared into action like something out of an action movie, Inari instinctively clung to Eri.

Seeing that, Eri grinned from ear to ear—looking absolutely delighted.