I had crossed paths with Akane Mikumo once before. Her Kansai dialect and those leopard-patterned clothes had certainly left a lasting impression. Since she was a Hero-role from an era even earlier than Kaori-san’s, she was definitely my senior, which made me a bit nervous as I waited for her in the reception room.
A short while later, there was a knock at the door. Anima entered, accompanied by Akane and another woman with chestnut, shoulder-length hair wearing a maid’s uniform.
Akane wasn't wearing her signature leopard-print outfit this time. Instead, she was dressed sharply in a professional suit. Despite her petite frame, she carried it well and looked quite the part of a successful merchant.
I guess she wears suits for business negotiations... I thought as I stood up from the sofa to greet them.
"It’s a pleasure to meet you. I'm Kaito Miyama. Thank you for making the time to see me today."
"The pleasure is mine. Thank you for the invitation," Akane replied. "I am Akane Mikumo, and this is my guard and secretary, Frau."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance..." Frau added with a bow.
Wait, what? No Kansai dialect? And if my Sympathy Magic was reading her correctly, she felt incredibly tense.
"There’s no need for us to stand on ceremony," I said, trying to put her at ease. "Please, have a seat. And you don't have to be so formal with me. I'm younger than you, after all."
"...I see. Well then, I'll take you up on that," Akane said. Her expression shifted as she considered my words, and she finally nodded, dropping the stiff formality. "You can just call me Akane. I'll call you Kaito too, okay?"
"Of course."
She took the seat I offered on the opposite sofa while Frau took her place standing behind her.
"Very well, Master. I’ll leave you to your conversation," Anima said.
"Thanks, Anima."
Anima had handled the introductions since she already knew Akane, but she had her own work to do and couldn't stay for idle chat. As I thanked her, she bowed and left the room. I caught Frau leaning in to whisper to Akane.
"...Chairman, is it really all right to be this informal?"
"I think so," Akane whispered back. "He seems like a good kid, not the type to get worked up over something like that."
I couldn't catch the rest of their exchange, but since I didn't have any reason to pry, I sat back down. Right on cue, there was a knock at the door, and Illness-san arrived with the tea I had requested earlier.
But that was when things took an unexpected turn. The moment Illness-san stepped into the room, Frau suddenly dropped to her knees.
"...No... It can't be..."
"Wait, Frau? What’s wrong?" Akane asked, startled.
"A-Are you all right?" I added.
Both of us called out to her, but Frau was staring at Illness-san with a look of pure terror, her voice trembling as she whispered.
"...Maid Power... 100,000... No, it’s higher. Much higher... Someone at my level can’t even begin to fathom it..."
"..."
I sat there, frozen. Ah, right. Maid Power. Here we go again. More importantly, she had said it so naturally. Was "Maid Power" actually common knowledge in this world? Was it not just some bizarre metric used by the fanatics obsessed with Maid Theory? What was wrong with this world?
"To think... such a maid existed... I can't win... She's in a completely different... maid dimension..."
"...What on earth is a 'Maid Dimension'?" Akane muttered.
"...What even is a 'Maid Dimension'?" I echoed.
Apparently, Frau was paralyzed by the sheer gap in their abilities after sensing Illness-san’s absurd Maid Power level. Was Maid Power really just a combat rating like in some battle manga?
I didn't get it, but it seemed I wasn't alone. Akane had asked the exact same question at the exact same time. Our eyes met across the table.
Without a word, Akane and I reached out and shook hands. I felt a wave of profound relief wash over me. Akane had been in this world far longer than I had, and seeing her just as dumbfounded by the concept of "Maid Power" was incredibly heartening.
"...Hey, Kaito. Do you understand any of this?"
"I’ve had friends explain it to me several times, but I still don't get it... and honestly, I don't want to."
"Same here," she sighed.
"But lately, I feel like I'm starting to get used to it, and I hate it."
"I know exactly what you mean! They talk about it like it's common sense... and before you know it, you find yourself thinking, 'I guess that's just how things are.' It feels gross."
It was a strange thing, but in that single moment, I felt like I had bonded with Akane more than I could have imagined. Though, considering the reason was the incomprehensible logic of Maid Power, it was a bit of a bittersweet connection.
Machina: "My children! Today, Mother is going to share some trivia that might make re-reading the story even more enjoyable!"
Serious-senpai: "Huh? Where did this come from?"
Machina: "Today’s topic is about Alice and the Fake Phantasm King, Pandora, during the Six Kings Arc. During that arc, Alice didn't use her own Split Bodies; she had Pandora pose as the Phantasm King instead. This was partially to drop hints for my beloved child, but it also highlights the technical gap between their Recognition Inhibition Magic."
Serious-senpai: "Right, Alice's magic is perfect enough to fool the Six Kings and even the Supreme Gods, wasn't it?"
Machina: "Exactly. Alice is in a league of her own, but unfortunately, Pandora can't quite match her. Pandora is the head of the Phantasm King's Subordinates and known as the Strongest Count-class, so her skill is elite, but those more powerful than her can still sense a certain 'offness' in her presence. Let's look back at some examples."
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Fending off the War King's Subordinates and First Encounter with the Phantasm King Machina: "In this scene, both Bacchus and Ein failed to realize Alice was Shaltier. But look at what happened next... the Fake Phantasm King, Pandora, only showed herself after Ein had already left. This was because the chances of Ein noticing something was wrong were too high, so Pandora avoided her."
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When Megiddo Appeared at Lilia's Mansion Machina: "In this case, neither Megiddo nor Chronoa realized that Alice was disguised as Kuromueina. Only my beloved child saw through it. Well, that’s just how it usually goes for him."
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Book Version Newly Written Scene Machina: "In the light novel version, there’s a scene where Alice kidnaps my beloved child, and Ozma, Illness, and the Fake Phantasm King Pandora appear. This part has a specific detail... Illness, who is lower-ranked than Pandora, didn't notice a thing. However, Ozma sensed an inconsistency in the Phantasm King's way of speaking and questioned her. If she had stayed much longer, he likely would have unmasked her."
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Scene where Alice's True Identity is Revealed Machina: "Even with the Supreme Gods present, Alice went unnoticed. However, the moment the Fake Phantasm King appeared, the higher-ranked Chronoa immediately noticed an inconsistency in her tone and pressed her on it. There have been several subtle hints like that showing how those of higher power could almost see through her."
Serious-senpai: "Huh... So, why are you telling us this now?"
Machina: "Mostly because I just felt like I needed more screen time!"
Serious-senpai: "...This girl is completely out of control."