I no longer had any way to escape the mixed bathing. To be honest, I never had a choice to begin with. On one side stood four beings who were essentially at the pinnacle of this world, led by Kuro. On the other side was me—someone often described as being weaker than a slime. Escaping physically was out of the question, and since I was outnumbered, I stood no chance of winning via democracy either.
Well, I suppose it didn't matter now. I steeled my resolve. After all, I’d managed to overcome countless mental hurdles up to this point.
I had to admit, this lineup was probably the strongest in history. My heart was racing... Though the trembling in my limbs and the chill running down my spine were likely just a case of pre-battle jitters.
Alice was the one who really worried me, though. Despite her usual antics, I knew she was deeply shy at her core. She’d even mentioned that a previous incident had left her traumatized.
And yet, Alice had given in after just a single word from Kuro... What on earth could Kuro have said to her?
Lost in these escapist thoughts, I wrapped a towel firmly around my waist, took three deep breaths, and pushed the door open.
Considering how incredible the rest of the accommodation was, I had expected the hot spring to be amazing. However, the scale was more like a pond than a bath, and the view was breathtaking, filled with various lush plants... I mean, was that a mountain? Was this place really indoors?
Overwhelmed by the gargantuan scale of the hot spring, I walked across the stone-paved floor toward the water. Through the thick steam, I spotted three silhouettes. They became clearer as I approached.
"Ah, Kaito-kun! Over here, over here!"
"A-Ah..."
Kuro, who had spotted me and was now waving, was already soaking in the water. I was safe.
"...Kaito..."
"Sorry I’m late."
Isis-san waved back slightly with a bashful smile. She was sitting on the edge of the spring wrapped in a large towel, so nothing scandalous was visible either. Thank goodness. She was properly covered.
"Geez, I was getting tired of waiting~"
"..."
The one who spoke to me was a glamorous, tall, blonde beauty. I see—so that was her game.
It was a strategy to ease her shame by transforming into a completely different person. Moreover, her physique and height were clearly different from the real Alice. It was basically a magical costume. I had wondered why she agreed so easily, and now I knew.
"Fufufu. Are you so captivated by Hot Spring Edition Sexy Alice-chan that you've lost your voice...?"
I’d concede a hundred times over that her current appearance was sexy. But that wasn't Alice! Her face belonged to a completely different person!
Well, if she was comfortable with it, I suppose it didn't matter. It wasn't like she was bothering anyone else. Her smug expression was annoying, though.
"You can look even more closely, you know? Come on, don't be shy!"
Alice seemed to have recovered her mental composure, approaching me in a teasing tone and playful poking my side with her elbow.
"N-No! Shaltier!? That magic is being used with the intent to deceive Kaito-kun, so it’ll be recognized as hostility—!"
"...Eh?"
By the time Kuro shouted her warning, Alice’s elbow had already brushed against me. Immediately after, the sound of shattering glass rang out as Alice’s magic was forcibly dispelled.
And what happens in a situation like that? Alice had transformed into someone much larger than her true self and wrapped a towel around that body. When she snapped back to her original petite frame, the towel naturally fell right off.
"...Ah... wait..."
Unblemished, beautiful skin, and suggestively lovely pink points... Perhaps because my brain couldn't keep up with the sudden turn of events, or perhaps it was just my primal masculine instincts, but I reflexively stared.
A heavy silence followed, lasting less than a second as if the very air had frozen. Then, Alice’s entire body turned beet-red as if she were boiling over.
"Hyaaahhh!?"
"!?"
At a speed I couldn't even perceive, she dove into the cloudy water of the hot spring. Bubbles began rising from a spot a short distance away where she remained submerged.
That was a tragic incident in every possible sense. My face felt hot enough to burn. It was a total surprise for Alice, but it was a complete shock to my system as well. The image of Alice’s naked body was now burned into my mind, driving my hormones wild whether I liked it or not.
I considered it a miracle that I managed to hide my lower body instantly.
Look, I’m a healthy man. If I see the naked body of a girl I like, it would be weirder if I didn't react. Yeah... I probably wouldn't be able to actually get into the bath for a while.
Above all, I didn't think I could look Alice in the face. I needed to pour some cold water over my head and calm down.
"I-I’m going to... wash up for a bit—Hm?"
As I turned to leave the area, I caught sight of something strange. It was so shocking that I froze in my tracks.
"H-Hey, Kuro?"
"Yeah?"
"If I'm not seeing things... that person huddled in the corner, radiating a massive negative aura while hugging their knees... that’s Ein-san, right?"
"Y-Yeah... I completely forgot about her. I feel bad."
There sat Ein-san, wrapped in so many towels she looked like a bagworm. She was hunched over, facing the wall in a total state of despair.
The negative aura was so intense I could almost swear the light was being sucked out of the corner. What on earth had happened?
She was a far cry from her usual cool self, looking more like a gloomy, shut-in introvert. I timidly approached her.
"U-Um... Ein-san? Are you okay? Are you feeling sick...?"
"...ase..."
"Eh?"
"...Please don't look... Please don't look at my miserable form while I'm not wearing a maid uniform..."
"..."
That was the problem!? What? Was that really it? The reason she had been so reluctant to join us was that she didn't want to be seen without her uniform?
"U-Um..."
"...I'm not a maid... I'm not a maid right now... I want to disappear... so no one can see me... I just want to vanish."
Her voice was thin and weak. What a soul-crushing aura... I had no idea she became like this when she took off her clothes. Well, it was true I’d never seen her in anything else, but still...
The air around her was suffocatingly bleak. I felt terrible for her. She clearly hated being seen as anything other than a maid.
What should I do? To be honest, I regretted speaking to her. But I couldn't exactly ignore her and walk away now. I had to cheer her up.
"...Ein-san, listen to me."
"...Kaito-sama?"
"You take immense pride in being a maid. You pour your entire soul into it, don't you?"
"Yes... being a maid is my entire purpose for existing. Without that... I am nothing..."
"Is your conviction as a maid really that shallow?"
"...Eh?"
Driven by the strange intensity of the situation, I felt a sudden heat enter my voice as I pressed on.
"Are you a maid just because you're wearing a uniform? Of course not! Your passion for your craft shouldn't be so flimsy that it vanishes just because your appearance changed! What defines a maid isn't the clothes she wears! No matter what you're wearing, as long as the pride of a maid remains in your heart... then you are a maid!"
"Ah..."
To be honest, I was starting to lose track of what I was even saying. But Ein-san looked like she had just been struck by a divine revelation. Whatever! I’d just keep the momentum going!
"Stand up, Ein-san! If you aren't wearing your uniform, then you have to project your presence as a maid with your spirit alone!"
"Ah... ahh... I-I am... a maid, aren't I!"
"That's right! If you believe you are a maid, Ein-san, then you are a maid! Don't give up on who you are! Believe in the maid within yourself!"
I’d said the word "maid" so many times that the concept was starting to lose all meaning to me.
Despite my internal confusion at my own nonsensical encouragement, I finished with as much spirit as I could muster.
Then, before I knew it, the mountain of towels she’d been wrapped in had been shed until only one remained. Ein-san stood up, her expression returning to its usual dignified composure.
"...I thank you, Kaito-sama. It seems I had forgotten the most important thing. It is not because I am a maid that I exist, but because I exist that the maid exists!"
"Eh? Y-Ye-Yes! Exactly! That's it!"
"In other words, 'I am the maid, and the maid is me'... I apologize for showing you such an unsightly display. I am quite alright now."
"...I see..."
It seemed she had completely recovered her spirits, and I was glad for that.
However, I had to ask... what the heck was this woman talking about?
Dear Mother, Father—two major incidents occurred before the mixed bathing even really began. Alice accidentally blew her own cover, and Ein-san fell into a deep pit of despair. The road ahead is looking very rocky, and I'm worried about the future... but before all that, I have to ask: in the end, what even is a maid!?
[Ein's Affection Level increased by 100,000]
[Kaito was certified as 'Maid Advisor' by Ein]
[Kaito 'forcibly' equipped the title: Maid Advisor. This title cannot be removed]
[Summoning of Ein has become possible]
[Kaito is confused]
[Alice is currently underwater]