The Painter

The Painter

The day after receiving a strange invitation from Kinue-san.

"All right, let's go."

"Yes, milady."

We soon found ourselves in front of a certain dungeon. A bus pulled away from the bus stop behind us.

Leaving aside why Inubosaki-san was here, I looked at the Boston bag she was holding so reverently.

"Um... Should I carry that instead?"

"No. A maid must never have the young master carry luggage entrusted to her by her master."

"I'm not a young master, and you're not a maid, either..."

"...Huh!?"

With a snap, Inubosaki-san's eyes flew wide open.

His face abruptly changed from that of a demure maid, and he glared into empty space as cold sweat trickled down his face.

"That was close... I'd satisfied my desire to serve too much, and the maidification phenomenon was progressing instead..."

What should I do? He was clearly desperate, but the way it sounded and looked was nothing but a gag.

"Well, whether Mei's a maid or not, I don't care as long as she helps."

"That aside, Kinue-san... are you serious?"

"About what?"

"About drawing monsters in a dungeon."

"Huh?"

The slightly stooped woman glared up at me.

"What? If you had a problem, you should've said so yesterday."

"No, it's not a problem. More like a question..."

"Oh, I see. That's what you mean."

The wrinkle between her brows vanished, and she let out a small sigh.

"I'm completely serious. Dead serious. Serious enough to risk my life."

"Why...?"

"What a ridiculously stupid question."

Kinue-san gave a small snort and laughed.

"I'm a painter, aren't I?"

As though that answer were sufficient, she walked toward the automatic doors.

I felt that asking anything more would be tactless, so I entered the cordoned-off area with Inubosaki-san.

The receptionist and the officer from the nearby police box both stared at Inubosaki-san, but Kinue-san ignored them all and headed for the changing room.

I headed for the men's changing room as well, then glanced at him, wondering what he would do.

"Um... Inubosaki-san, what are you going to do about the changing room...?"

According to him, his mind was still male. However, his body was female.

There were only two changing rooms in the cordoned-off area. Would we have to use one or the other in turn, perhaps...?

As I wondered about that, Inubosaki-san gave a small shake of his head.

"No. I have no intention of wearing anything but a maid outfit. If I were to wear something else, it would be a servant's uniform, a maid bikini, or the original maid outfit."

"The original...?"

"A linen outfit with a long skirt, and a bonnet on my head."

"Oh. Right."

"If I wear anything other than maid-related clothing... the maid factor within my body will trigger a defensive response and suddenly become hyperactive. It will accelerate my maidification...!"

"That sounds difficult."

I somehow managed to hold back my retort as Inubosaki-san spoke with an extraordinarily serious expression.

What even was a maid factor? I'd never heard of such a thing. I couldn't tell whether this was a gag or serious...

However, he was desperate, and since the Day of Return, it had been considered bad manners for outsiders to comment on matters concerning someone's Race.

I mobilized every facial muscle I had and maintained a serious expression.

"So I'll wait here. You go get changed."

"Yes, understood."

After saying that and closing the changing-room door, I thought about it as I changed.

Wait, was that person really going into a dungeon in a maid outfit...?

The Anti-Spiritual Disaster Agency had indeed told us to wear clothes that would make us easy to carry in an emergency, but that wasn't an enforceable obligation. If a serious employee happened to see Inubosaki-san, he would probably receive a stern warning, though.

However, if he happened to lose consciousness inside the dungeon, he looked incredibly difficult to carry...

Thinking that, I finished getting ready.

＊　　　　＊　　　　　＊

Kinue-san in a tracksuit, me dressed like some kind of worker, and Inubosaki-san in a maid outfit.

Naturally, the receptionist gave us a strange look, but we were led farther inside and passed through the iron door.

Beyond it was the now-familiar entrance to the otherworld.

The heavy iron door closed behind us. As its sound echoed through the room, I deployed 'Spirit Armor.'

As usual, I checked the condition of my forehead guard and chest plate, then visually inspected my staff's magazine and chamber just in case.

Afterward, I turned my eyes toward the other two.

Both of them were dressed in outfits that looked exactly the part.

First, Inubosaki-san. Honestly, you couldn't even tell it was 'Spirit Armor' unless you watched the flow of his mana. After all, he was wearing the same maid outfit as before.

The only noticeable change was that he wore a maid headband instead of a mob cap.

In addition, his expression and overall air had become completely those of an elegant maid.

Next was Kinue-san. She looked vaguely like a medieval artisan. Not that I actually knew what people in the Middle Ages looked like.

She wore a simple pale-green shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, along with a beret of the same color. Her long, light-brown skirt was paired with a cream-colored apron covering most of her front.

A cloth bag hung diagonally from her shoulder, and she wore shoes braided from leather strips.

It might have been rude to say so, but neither of them looked suited for combat. Of course, judging ability users by their appearance was foolish.

"Huh. Your 'Spirit Armor' is pretty flashy."

"Oh, thank you..."

Kinue-san examined my outfit intently.

"Black and gold, with an oni face guard... Your demeanor is subdued, but your outfit is pretty wild."

"Is it?"

I wasn't sure whether she was complimenting me, but I felt embarrassed under such close scrutiny.

Aware that my cheeks were turning red beneath the face guard, I cleared my throat softly and stood before the gate.

"Ahem... Shall we go?"

"Yeah."

"Yes, milady, young master."

...I gave up trying to say anything.

After confirming that the two of them had each taken hold of one of my shoulders, I stepped into the oval entrance.

I never got used to the sensation of being sucked inside. Immediately afterward, I felt hard stone pavement beneath my feet.

The lantern-shaped LED light hanging from my sword belt illuminated the cracked stone passageway.

It was roughly ten meters wide and four meters high. Tattered tapestries hung from the walls. They had deteriorated so badly that it was impossible to tell what patterns they had once depicted.

There were candleholders, but no candles or oil in them. The only light came from what we had brought with us.

I slowly drew my sword and looked behind me. Inubosaki-san had attached an L-shaped light to the shoulder strap of his apron, so I could see him clearly. Kinue-san stood beside him.

"As arranged."

"Yes."

"Yeah. I'm counting on you."

When Inubosaki-san shone a blacklight over the surrounding walls, a Self-Defense Forces marking reading "D-11" appeared.

He checked the map on his smartphone and nodded faintly.

"I have a general idea of our location. Let us proceed."

"Understood."

I replied briefly and began walking carefully, our footsteps echoing through the dark passage.

After walking for about a minute—having advanced only that far—my Demon Eye announced an enemy's approach.

It was still far away. However, the flow of mana told me that it was approaching.

"Enemy ahead. Coming straight toward us. One target."

"Understood. Behind me, milady."

"Yeah. Don't let either of you get hurt."

"Yes."

Once we stopped, the footsteps in the passage ceased.

However, something was definitely approaching from straight ahead. Its form gradually emerged from the darkness.

It was a white skull.

Its shape was similar to a human skull, but its size was clearly wrong. It was as large as an adult man's torso.

If I had to describe it, it was the skull of a giant. It floated toward us slowly.

'Ga... gaga...'

An eerie laugh came from its open mouth. Red light shone in the empty eye sockets.

'Adelbrandt.'

A ghost from German legend, it was said to have been a knight who developed a one-sided obsession with a princess living in Forbesrate Castle, then murdered her, making him a criminal.

Even after death, its evil thoughts had not disappeared. It was said to emerge from its grave even after becoming nothing but a skull and attack people.

I didn't know whether this monster had actually been a former human.

There was only one thing I knew.

'Gagagaga...!'

Its malice was directed even at the living.

Amid its laughter, Adelbrandt accelerated. The enormous skull rapidly closed the distance. No legend described it as a giant, but its head was large enough to swallow a person whole, as though it were proportional to the resentment it carried.

However, before its yellowed teeth could bite down, the empty eye sockets emitted a single, intense flash of ominous light.

What had sounded like laughter was a spell. The incantation was complete, and a curse attacked me.

...Well.

'...Ga?'

It didn't work, though.

I did possess a Unique Ability, but there was also a difference in the amount of mana we possessed. I simply resisted it, and Adelbrandt let out a questioning sound instead of an incantation.

Ignoring that, I marched toward it.

"Hmph."

'Gaa!?'

I lightly struck the skull with the flat of my sword.

It was brittle. A single blow cracked it, and it crashed onto the stone paving with a loud noise. Its jawbone also seemed to have chipped slightly.

"Hey, don't break it too badly before I sketch it."

"Ah, sorry."

'Ga, gaga...'

"Up you go."

'Gaa!?'

I drove my sword into a gap in the stone paving and placed the enormous skull on its pommel. I gripped the area around its left eye socket with my left hand and its jaw with my right, preventing it from chanting or moving.

It struggled desperately, but apparently it wasn't very strong. The Anti-Spiritual Disaster Agency's website said that its only attacks were a curse that weakened its opponent and telekinesis that hurled stones and knives.

Telekinesis was also a form of magic, so it was irrelevant if the monster couldn't chant.

It was weaker than even a Zmeu or a Lycanthrope, so restraining it didn't seem to be a problem.

Well... even in the legends, Adelbrandt was merely a petty "stalker."

"It's secured."

"Good. Hold it there, and keep watch, Mei."

"Of course, milady."

"And as for me..."

Kinue-san took out a sketchbook, raised her pencil, and grinned.

"It's time for some fun, fun drawing."

'...!?'

With its mouth held open, the restrained Adelbrandt seemed to let out a voiceless scream.