Maid Chapter 174

Lunch was a set of omurice (omelette rice), soup, and salad.

The rice options were buttered rice and ketchup rice, with a choice of tomato sauce, demi-glace sauce, or cream sauce.

People could choose their preferences, and the maid dolls were flying around to serve.

I handled all the egg cooking, using my skills to simultaneously operate about eight frying pans, which surprisingly worked out.

I must say, it’s quite an experience.

In the afternoon, I spent my time sewing endlessly.

Everyone else went for combat training. Occasionally, I felt some pain, but I thought, “Oh, they’re really going at it,” or something like that.

There are also people who are reviving others and those trying to Share. Right now, everyone is doing various things.

Well, that’s a good thing.

At least it’s better than doing nothing.

Next, I sewed the equipment for those who explicitly said they would participate in combat.

It may be a considerable number, but if it means increasing the number of combatants, it’s not a problem.

I want to provide the best possible equipment for those who will be fighting.

For that reason, I added pleats and gathers to make it more comfortable to move, thought about the way to sew the fabric, and paid attention to the lining.

Especially the lining.

Having it or not makes a significant difference.

I used fabric with a different weave for the lining to improve its slip.

Oh, and the “Dance of…” series I received from Akashi. When I danced with them, patterns appeared around my feet.

So, I tried dyeing with them, and as expected, their effect transferred to the fabric.

As a result, the lining is quite colorful.

Well, there shouldn’t be any complaints. Performance comes first.

As I continued sewing, the general shapes of what I was making began to take form. While adjusting them to each person’s body type, there was a clear direction based on their occupation and gender.

For example, Hanamura-san. She doesn’t need to move much because plants move on her behalf. Therefore, it’s better to focus on increasing her defensive capabilities as much as possible.

On the other hand, someone like Akashi, who constantly moves around, needs to prioritize mobility, even if it means sacrificing some defense.

If someone wears armor, then the fabric doesn’t need to be heavy, especially if the armor doesn’t cover the entire body. In such cases, you can make some adjustments to the non-armored parts.

By thinking about these factors, the shapes naturally began to take form. Due to this approach, it ended up looking somewhat like a uniform, or maybe more like military attire.

Well, maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

Anyway, I managed to finish about ten sets of clothing for now. The embroidery is minimal, but I’ll add more when I have more time.

For dinner, I decided to go with dim sum. There were meat buns, red bean buns, xiaolongbao, leek buns, shrimp dumplings, fried bread, egg tarts, fried sesame balls, almond tofu, mango pudding, spring rolls, shumai, and more.

The maid dolls were flying around, carrying plates and steamers, providing service, which was well-received. There were quite a few dessert options, which seemed to be popular with the girls. Sweet treats are always tempting, after all.

I thought increasing the variety might be labor-intensive, but once I gave instructions, the maid dolls handled many aspects, and the knife work was all done in an instant, so it wasn’t that bad. In fact, the wrapping process took more time.

After finishing dinner, I inquired about the progress.

“We’re still short on ‘Abyssal Ash,'” I was told.

Given that we’re eliminating a significant amount of the Origin and resurrecting many people, the amount needed is quite substantial. It’s chilling to think that if we couldn’t do it this way, there would be no alternative.

“It seems there are still some Origins remaining, so we’ll continue the search tomorrow.”

Well, the fact that there are some left is reassuring. It would be problematic if they were all gone.

“How many people have been revived so far?”

“Not that many yet. People who are resurrected in the morning won’t necessarily be able to resurrect others right away.”

It seems we’ll have to wait for recovery. There’s no rush, and since there’s no time limit, taking it easy should be fine.

“Furthermore, I’ve been thinking about our strategy.”

Ah, here it is.

At this point, our President is no longer just the head of our department but a key strategist for the entire school. I can’t imagine anyone more efficient than him. In fact, I’d prefer it if there weren’t anyone else.

“First, regarding the treatment of those who don’t want to fight. Maito-san mentioned that even inside, there are creatures that can emit poison.”

Right, those slug or sea-cow-like creatures that were all slimy.

“For that matter, I’m planning to give everyone poison resistance.”

So, they’ll become resistant to poison gradually, as we mix a little poison into their meals?

“Yes, something like that.”

I see, well, that’s probably the best way to handle it. Doing anything too severe might lead to unnecessary complications.

“Fortunately, all the meals are under Maito-san’s control, so we can add a small amount of poison without anyone noticing.”

Oh, it was worth making food my responsibility.

Since no one can watch me cooking, I can do this openly.

As long as I gradually mix in small amounts of poison, it shouldn’t be noticeable.

“As for adding ‘poison resistance,’ does that mean non-combatants will stay indoors?”

“Yes, that’s right. At the very least, if Maito-san can manage it, it shouldn’t be too bad. Poison resistance should help deal with the enemies, and if worst comes to worst, I can maintain a barrier like the ‘Ark’.”

There are probably people who have such skills. Even without much combat experience, they should be able to maintain a barrier long enough. They have to be able to do it. Please do it.

“Or how about this: Maito traps everyone in ‘Sleeping Cocoon’ until the battle begins? Wouldn’t that be easier?”

Uh-huh, yeah, that’s true. If we use ‘Sleeping Cocoon,’ we can be invulnerable.

“But wouldn’t it be problematic if the creatures inside the classroom were all defeated while we’re still trapped in ‘Sleeping Cocoon’?”

Yeah, that’s true. We can’t be trapped while the enemies are still around.

“That’s right. So, while it’s not intended for that purpose, Maito-san will be in charge of the indoor defense.”

I see, that’s reasonable. With ‘Sleeping Cocoon,’ complete poison resistance, the ‘Cleaning’ skill, and the ability to use the ‘Ark’ if needed.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Well, I managed on my own last time, and I’ll be fine this time too.”

Everyone else will be fighting outside, so it’s not that big of a deal. So, I’m determined to fulfill my role properly.

Then night came, and morning came, and I continued to create equipment diligently while everyone else eliminated the Origins. Gradually, the dead also began to come back to life.

As time passed, the skill “Share” began to spread, allowing people to do things they couldn’t do before. Even those without combat experience started training to protect themselves, and some acquired new skills. It felt like the whole system had finally started moving again since the battle when the schools merged.

“Everyone has come back to life,” I heard a report from Kariya.

“That’s great. We couldn’t find the Origins,” Suzumoto said, visibly relieved.

Yes, I’m relieved too. We managed to bring everyone back to life.

Without “Share,” it would have been impossible. If we visit the temple, we can determine whether the Origin is at 0 or something else.

Since it wasn’t 0, it’s okay that we couldn’t find them.

“Well, maybe tomorrow or the day after… It will take some time to prepare mentally.”

That’s right. As Hariu mentioned, we need to prepare mentally, and we also have to distribute equipment.

“Shall we inform Senpai tomorrow?” Suzumoto asked.

“That would be the soonest,” I agreed.

Yes, it seems like it’s finally happening.

“Since we have tomorrow, let’s get some rest tonight. I’m quite sleepy,” Hariu said.

With a yawn from Hariu, it seemed to have a chain reaction as Katori, Toriumi, and President also yawned. A synchronized triple yawn.

…President yawns too, huh? Well, he’s human, so it’s not surprising, but it’s interesting to see.

“We’ll report to Senpai tomorrow,” Suzumoto concluded, and we each said our goodbyes before leaving the lab.

Now, I should go to bed too, I thought as I was about to leave the lab. However, as the moonlight shone through the window, something caught my eye.

Approaching it, I realized it was the compass we used to search for the Origins. It seemed someone had left it out instead of putting it away.

I should put it back on the shelf, I thought, and when I picked it up to do so, I noticed something.

The compass needle was pointing at me.