A maid appeared, a knight in armor carrying a dragon appeared, a fairy appeared, a giant appeared, and a skeleton appeared. This barbecue had turned into an assortment of various races.
[Ein, these are all the participants for today correct?]
[Yes. Kuromu-sama said that Miyama-sama shouldn’t be intimidated by the presence of the other participants, so I’ve limited it to 5 people.]
[Ummm, I’ll leave the cooking to Ein then.]
[I respectfully obey.]
[Errr, then what we need is…]
The conversation between Kuro and the maid, Ein-san, seemed completely normal. If you only focused on the two of them, they could have easily passed for the most ordinary people in this place. But then, you look at the others, and it’s a whole different story. Especially the giant! They’re just too intimidating!
[By the way, Achato-kun, please change into your human form. You’re scaring Kaitokun-san, you know?]
[Eh? Me? I think Lord Sechs is scarier to look at than me though…]
[It’s because Achato-kun is too big.]
[No, but I’m like a child compared to “Magnawell”-sama, you know? Or rather, rather than me being too big, I have a feeling that Sister Raz is just too tiny…]
[…Are you trying to say something about me?]
[I-I’m sorry.]
The fairy, dressed in green with small wings on her back and long pink-blonde hair, called out to the towering blue giant. Watching their conversation, a fairy barely 50 cm tall speaking to a blue giant probably 5 meters tall, completely threw off my sense of perspective.
There are so many things I want to comment on, but for now, fairy-san…my name isn’t “Kaitokun,” it’s Kaito. And to think that there are giants even bigger than this one…It’s hard to imagine, but apparently, this giant would look like a child compared to them.
As I was processing that, the blue giant’s body glowed and transformed into a muscular man with two horns and striking blue skin. He was still massive, standing at least two meters tall.
[However, it’s such a shame for those people who couldn’t attend.]
[It can’t be helped. It would be a tremendous number of people if we had everyone who wanted to participate here…]
Just as the armored knight and the skeleton approached while conversing, Kuro wrapped up her chat with Ein-san and made her way over here.
[Sorry to keep you waiting, Kaito-kun. Well then, let’s leave the preparations to Ein. Once again, this child is Miyama Kaito-kun. He’s a friend of mine that I recently found, and this child’s from another world, so don’t scare him too much.]
[Alrighty!]
[Well then, let’s start introducing ourselves one after another!]
At Kuro’s words, the fairy cheerfully raised her hand and decided to introduce herself to everyone.
[Since Ein-dono has already been introduced, I suppose it’s my turn now. Nice to meet you, Miyama-dono. My name is Sechs. Well, you can just think of me as one of those rich folks you come across everywhere.]
[N-Nice to meet you.]
The gorgeously dressed skeleton introduced himself with a graceful bow. There are rich people everywhere? He kind of looks like a certain undead last boss from somewhere though…
[By the way, the person who sent the invitation to Miyama-dono is my subordinate, Sei Riverstar. I’m sorry to surprise you with the unexpected invitation.]
Apparently, this skeleton—–Zechs-san is the boss of the Chairman of the largest trading company who arranged my invitation this time. He certainly looks experienced and dignified, and as a close friend of Kuro, he’s no ordinary person.
[Then, Raz is going to introduce herself next! My name is Razelia, please call me Raz. Nice to meet you, Kaitokun-san!]
[E-Err, nice to meet you.]
The pink-blonde fairy, Raz-san, cheerfully introduced herself. Given her tiny size, she served as the calming presence in this group of formidable individuals.
[Hmm, then, I’m next huh…I’m Acht, an Ogre. Well, I don’t like being stiff with people, so I’ll call you Kaito, alright?]
[Ah, yes. Nice to meet you.]
[Yeah, well met.]
Even in human form, Acht-san still had the presence of a giant. With a lively personality, he flashed a fierce smile and extended his hand to me. I shook it, but wow, his hand was incredibly tough!
[Then, I guess I would be the last one…My name is Neun. I’m the youngest among the people who gathered today. I’ll be in your care from now on, “Miyama-san.”]
[Same here.]
Dressed head to toe in black knight armor, Neun-san’s voice sounded a bit unusual, slightly high-pitched, almost as if it had been altered by a voice changer. Despite that, it was easy to listen to. His appearance was hard to pinpoint, his armor made it difficult to tell if he was a man or woman, though his height, around 160cm, made me think of him as a knight of the human race.
Once introductions were done, Kuro motioned for us to move toward a nearby table. At the same time, a savory aroma filled the air, accompanied by the sound of meat sizzling on a grill. When I turned my gaze to the table—
[Eh? How fast!? You’ve already started grilling!?]
Although our introductions only took a few minutes, by the time I realized it, the three dragons, a mountain of vegetables, and even fish were all skewered on various large and small sticks, sizzling away on the wire mesh grill.
Wait, hold on, how did this happen so quickly!? Is she someone who has super acceleration!?
The number of barbecue skewers on the grill was ridiculous. Dozens of them were neatly arranged, and the mouthwatering aroma that filled the air was absolutely irresistible.
[As expected of Elder Sister, you do one hell of a job.]
[That’s right. If Ein-san is here, there’s nothing we can do to help with the preparation of food.]
Acht-san and Neun-san spoke as if it were completely normal. Apparently, Ein-san’s incredible work speed was just another day for them.
Now that I looked more closely, I noticed that, somehow, there were also drinks, both alcohol and juice, on the table. There were even small dishes for everyone to share. Maid-san is truly impressive…
[Ah, come to think of it, can you drink alcohol, Kaito?]
[Ah, yes. I can’t drink that much but…]
[Good. That’s good. Then, let’s go exchange drinks already!]
[Ah, that won’t do, Acht-kun. We still haven’t made a toast yet.]
[Don’t be so stiff, Sister Raz. Men should always talk to each other first after they’ve had a drink.]
[Ein-san will scold you if you sip your drink before Kuromu-sama.]
[…]
Raz-san attempted to stop Acht-san, who was laughing heartily, but Acht-san didn’t seem to mind her words. He reached for the alcohol on the table, but then suddenly froze when he heard what she said. His face, already a shade of blue, turned even bluer.
From the way they interacted, it was clear that there was some kind of power dynamic between them, and it seemed that Acht-san was, in fact, a little afraid of Ein-san.
[…Umm, could it be that Ein-san is actually an earth-shattering person?]
[Y-Yeah…Or rather, you could even say that she’s almost a mons—!?]
Acht-san was about to speak, but before he could, a cut appeared on his cheek as if something had slashed it with a small blade. Achato-san trembled in place, sweat streaming down his face like a waterfall. With swift and refined movements, he dropped to his hands and bowed low.
[M-M-My apologieeeeesssss! Elder Sister!]
(T/N: He’s calling her anego, the same way delinquents do in fiction.)
[…]
[Ein-san was Kuromu-sama’s maid long before Raz and the others were born, and she’s the strongest of all of us gathered here today. Well, except for Kuromu-sama.]
[I-Is that so.]
[It’s alright, Miyama-san. As long as you don’t make careless remarks like Acht-sama, she’s usually a gentle and kind person.]
What unfolded right before my eyes seemed almost surreal. As Ein-san both advised and, in a way, intimidated Acht-san, Raz-san offered an explanation, which was then followed up by Neun-san with more details.
It turns out that, aside from Kuro, the oldest and strongest member of this group is actually the maid, Ein-san. She’s nothing like the maids I’m familiar with.
[Kaito-kun, would you like alcohol? Juice?]
[Ah, then, I’d have alcohol—[Here.]—whoa!?]
W-What just happened? I’m 21 years old, a year younger than Lilia-san, and I don’t mind drinking alcohol. When Kuro asked, I said I’d have a drink, especially since Acht-san had invited me earlier. So far, everything seemed normal.
But the moment I answered, Ein-san was already there, holding out a cup of alcohol, neatly poured. She had been grilling meat just moments ago, yet I couldn’t even hear her approach. Did she just teleport here? Can she really teleport!?
It wasn’t just me, Kuro had her cup, and Sechs-san, Raz-san, Acht-san, and Neun-san all had their own cups, perfectly sized for each of them.
[Ah, Kaito. I know it’s unreasonable to tell you not to be surprised since it’s your first time seeing it…but seriously, as long as Elder Sister Ein is in charge, none of us can pour a single drop of alcohol ourselves…Well, you’ll get used to it.]
[H-Huh…]
Maid-san is amazing…No, could I even call her a maid at this point?
[Now that everyone has their drinks, let’s get started! This time is to welcome Kaito-kun from another world. Of course, I’ve spoken with him about various things, but I’m really happy to see that Kaito-kun is getting along with everyone. So, let’s just relax and have fun!]
When Kuro speaks with the usual smile on her face, I felt my heart warm up a bit. In fact, after coming here, I have the impression that everyone, including Achato-san, has been welcoming me, and it’s so easy to talk with them.
In Lilia-san’s mansion, other than Lunamaria-san, I’m not sure “how to deal with other people” or should I treat them like “a guest does to servants”. It’s as if we’re talking to each other very naturally, without taking a step back in consideration for the other people. The fact that I can sense that they’re welcoming me without any malice nor curiosity for being an otherworlders, but just as Kuro’s friend. I guess that’s exactly what Kuro wanted when she planned for this barbecue.
Lifting my cup in time with Kuro’s movements, I felt a natural smile come to my face.
When Kuro spoke with her usual smile, I felt my heart warm a little. Since I came here, it’s been clear that everyone, even Achato-san, has been welcoming me, and talking with them feels so easy.
At Lilia-san’s mansion, aside from Lunamaria-san, I wasn’t sure how to interact with others. I didn’t know whether to treat them as “guests to a servant.” But here, it feels so natural. There’s no awkwardness or formal distance, just a sense of mutual respect. I can tell they’re welcoming me without any malice or curiosity about me being from another world, just as Kuro’s friend. I think this barbecue was exactly what Kuro wanted: a way for us all to relax together.
Lifting my cup in sync with Kuro, I felt a natural smile come to my face.
[Well then, cheers!]
[ [ [ [ [ [ Cheers ! ! ! ] ] ] ] ] ]
The “seven” cups clinked together, accompanied by our cheers, and of course, Ein-san was there too, as if it was the most natural thing in the world!
I brought the slightly bitter, beer-like drink to my mouth, and when I set the cup back down, a freshly grilled skewer appeared on the small dish in front of me. Your timing was so perfect, it almost felt a little eerie!
I picked up the skewer, which had meat and vegetables spaced evenly, and glanced at Kuro, who gave me a nod of approval before I took a bite. And then, it hit me, wasn’t this dragon meat? I had imagined it would taste like lizard… but wow, it was delicious!
The moment I bit into it, the meat was so tender that the fibers practically fell apart, and an explosion of umami filled my mouth. It tasted like the finest beef, simply seasoned with salt and pepper. The flavor was so exquisite, I found myself devouring it without hesitation.
Honestly, it wasn’t just the meat that was amazing, the colorful vegetables interspersed on the skewer were grilled to perfection, enhancing the overall flavor in a way that made each bite even better.
[As expected of Ein-dono…Excellent work.]
[That’s right, It seems like all the vegetables are well grilled, enhancing the flavors!]
Sechs was munching on a fish skewer, and Raz-san was holding one with just vegetables. Each of them had skewers in sizes that seemed to match their preferences. Acht-san, for example, had a skewer with a massive chunk of meat, while Neun-san, oddly enough, was holding the same kind of skewer as mine…Wait, Neun-san, you’re still in full armor!? How on earth can you eat in that thing!?
But honestly, this barbecue was so delicious that I barely had the time to think about it. In fact, I finished my skewer in no time at all. What should I try next? Sechs-san’s fish skewers look really tempting…I think I’ll give those a go.
[Here.]
[…T-Thank you very much…Errr, I don’t think I’ve said anything yet though?]
As if she knew exactly what I wanted, a fish skewer was suddenly held out in front of me. Wait, are you an esper, Ein-san? Can you read my mind too!?
[Knowing what a person wants is one of the bare minimum needed for a maid.]
[I-Is that so…]
This maid is incredible! She’s out of this world!
And these fish skewers are freshly grilled to perfection…Wait, did she somehow predict that I’d want this and timed it so the flavors would be at their peak? Haha, no way…
But, if that’s the case, what if I finish my drink in one sip and want another one?
[You’ve already poured one!?]
The moment my cup left my lips, I noticed that my drink had already been refilled. What’s more, the rim of the cup was perfectly wiped clean…Ein-san, could it be that you can stop time? No, I’m actually starting to believe that’s possible…
It’s only now that I truly understand what Acht-san meant when he said we wouldn’t be able to pour a single drop of alcohol for ourselves as long as Ein-san is in charge.
Dear Mother, Father—I have met lots of people. However, the strongest profession in this world may not be the Hero or the Sage—it’s probably the maid.
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It’s probably something like this…
Name: Ein Skills: Housekeeping Lv. Limit Break Super Acceleration Intimidation Invisible Attack Teleportation Time Stop Mind Reading etc.
Job: Perfect Maid