Akihabara. Famous as the city of the awakener, it had several notable spots.
Shops like “Chakram’s Hole” and “Melon Axe,” which sold weapons and armor on consignment from independent craftsmen across the country, were beloved by awakener who weren’t satisfied with ordinary gear and wanted something special.
There were also large retailers carrying items from manufacturers all over Japan, but among the most famous were “FoxPhone,” the communication device for awakener with Inari as its image character, and its rival, “Lion Communication.”
And then… there were shops that were just a little—no, quite a lot—no, extraordinarily peculiar.
Chief among them was “Servant Uniform Workshop.”
Even those unfamiliar with it, upon seeing the storefront, tended to think “this looks kind of niche…” And indeed, what it sold was maid uniforms and butler uniforms. If you asked why they carried such things, you’d get questions like, “You don’t dislike maids, do you?” or “Don’t you admire the neat appearance of a butler?”—questions that were difficult to deny.
At Servant Uniform Workshop, the clothing was basically of the classic type. In other words, the kind of maid or butler uniform most people would imagine if asked, “What is a maid? What is a butler?”
And why was that? The reason was simple: there were very few people such clothes didn’t suit. No matter who wore them, they rarely felt awkward or out of place, thanks to the historical sense of cleanliness and formality behind them. They were, quite literally, wonderful clothes that anyone could wear.
The concern, of course, was whether they functioned as armor. To neglect that was nothing short of treating one’s life carelessly.
But rest assured. Even the cheaper maid and butler uniforms from Servant Uniform Workshop offered defensive performance on par with a standard suit of armor. Higher-end or custom-made versions were even stronger. And since they were clothing, they could be layered under additional armor.
Meaning… even shy people could use the excuse, “It’s excellent as armor,” to wear them…!
“And so, ever since the Akabane incident, sales have been climbing steadily. Looks like my wages will be going up too.”
“Eri, that’s unfair!”
“Lucky you! …Well, I guess it’s not something we should be happy about, but still.”
One of the awakener maids employed at Servant Uniform Workshop, Eri, was being teased by the other maids. Eri and Inari had known each other for a while—enough to call each other friends.
That was why Inari had come to visit Eri today… and the other maids she knew as well. As for the butlers, whenever Inari visited, they gazed upon her with eyes full of benevolence while keeping their distance—supposedly as a countermeasure against shady paparazzi. In Sebastian’s case, he looked old enough to be her grandfather, so apparently that wasn’t an issue. But that aside—
“…There, it’s done!”
“Kyaa, so cute!”
The one being fussed over on the desk was not Inari, but Atsuage. The members of Servant Uniform Workshop, upon learning of Atsuage’s existence, had pooled their money to create a wardrobe just for it. And the outfit it was currently wearing was… a maid uniform.
“We took careful measurements, so I wasn’t worried, but still—it looks amazing on it… oh no, I think I’m going to cry.”
“By the way, we put it in a maid outfit, but is Atsuage a boy? Or a girl?”
“I wonder about that myself… Atsuage, what say you?”
But the only word Atsuage could ever speak was “Beam,” so of course no answer came. When they dressed it in a butler outfit next, it drew another wave of delighted squeals from the maids.
“This one works too…”
“Honestly, just having clothes in this size makes it unbeatable, right?”
Atsuage had become a complete dress-up doll, but since it wasn’t resisting, Inari didn’t intervene. After all, the whole reason they had come was to see Atsuage’s new clothes. And she had to admit, the tailoring was impeccable—perfectly fitted to it.
“By the way, isn’t this interfering with your work? Well, not that it’s my place to say.”
“Oh, it’s fine. The head maid said, ‘As long as Miss Inari is in the store, sales will go up, so everything’s approved.’”
“I am not some beckoning cat…”
“If they ever make a Maneki-Inari figurine, let us know. We’ll buy it.” (T/N: Like Fortune Cat, but it’s Fortune Inari instead)
“…That’s exactly the sort of thing Akai would want to make,” Inari thought, nodding vaguely.
By the time Atsuage’s fashion show was over, it was nearly Eri’s time to clock out. And today, she had absolutely no intention of working overtime.
“Ah, that’s the time. Well then, I’m off! Tonight we’re having a pajama party at Miss Inari’s place for her housewarming!”
“Eri, so unfair!”
“Treat us next time!”
Amidst their playful complaints, Eri quickly grabbed her bag and got ready to leave… without changing clothes. At Servant Uniform Workshop, both clocking in and clocking out were done in maid or butler uniforms.
“Alright, let’s go, Inari! Let’s buy a bunch of snacks on the way home! I’ll send everyone pictures!”
“O-oh, very well.”
Inari could have invited the others who had been to her house before, but their schedules hadn’t lined up. So this time, it was just Eri. Just as she had invited Hikaru before, this time it was Eri’s turn to visit the new house. At her request—and thanks to having taken tomorrow off—Eri would be spending the evening at Inari’s new place for a pajama party.