Cyber City, Akihabara– an underground shopping center in the top district, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
Tokyo in the Esco world is modeled after the real Tokyo. However, not everything is precisely the same, as there are significant differences in several locations.
For example, in this world, Akihabara is called the Cyber City. A city where there is a glimpse of the real Tokyo on one end and a Technopolis created by the most advanced holography technology activated by a holography machine using a constructor magic device on the other end.
Adding to the chaos, there are also anime characters, Maiko-san1, and avant-garde art in the form of holography, promoting their own business. There might even be people who feel that the situation in the city was rough and that they retire just three minutes after entering the city.
In the game, you can visit Akihabara at any time, as long as you include it in the schedule and pay the train fare. Players basically visited Akihabara to make money, shop, do dungeon exploration, and events. However, making money and shopping are especially the most important among them.
In Akihabara, there is a part-time job called 『Human Generator』, a part-time job where people need to convert their magic power into electricity and receive money according to the amount of magic power.
That is natural. I mean, there is an energy source called magic power in this world, after all. So, as long as people can invent a converter, we can use it as a substitute for electricity to power electronic devices.
Since there are many shops that handle hardware/software, niche magic devices, and console, players who do special ways to play the game (such as members of the Esco society) use Akihabara as a supplier.
For example, perfect-clear players usually purchase a large amount of electronic equipment, connect it to themselves, set up cracking, and continue to withdraw money from Devil Religion’s net bank (the most efficient way to make money in the game).
However, every individual magic power has its own characteristic, so it is actually not that easy to convert own magic power to electricity. Unlike magic devices that are made to be used by everyone, in the case of electronic equipment, it is necessary to draw a conducting wire under the expertise of the subject to skillfully convert people’s magic power into electricity.
By the way, in the Sacred Yuri Empire, Ruby was using the country base’s magic power (a large amount of magic power sucked up from the occupied area) to operate the PC and the installed constructor magic devices.
To be honest, in my opinion, that magic ⇔ electricity conversion wasn’t something that an individual should do… even in the game, I had paid experts in Akihabara to do it. From that point, we can already see how abnormal Ruby is.
However, this time, our goal is neither to make money nor to shop. It’s a maid café.
“But, why?”
“You’ll know when we arrive!”
No matter how many times I asked, Mulle, who was walking confidently, only answered with, 『You’ll know when we arrive.』.
As we walk to the maid café, I saw a maid with a translucent blue body walking down the street carrying an advertising board. It is, undoubtedly, holography.
If the window screen constructed by collecting magic operators in the air is two-dimensional, the three-dimensional image is called Holography. To create such holography, a constructor magic device that powered the image is probably enshrined in the store. The owner of the store doesn’t even have to control it, he can just smoke a cigarette while looking at an information magazine.
In the store next door, used PCs were piled up from the floor to ceiling, and of course, there is probably chaos in Shutter Street2 in the underground of that store.
“We arrived!”
We then proceed to the underground.
Mulle steadily descends the narrow stairs and I followed behind her while feeling a little suspicious.
That was until I saw a sign on the road that read:
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『Maid Café (Real One)』
Well, a real one usually won’t write ‘real one’ on the signboard. Why? Because it’s real (Famous deduction3).
To be honest, I can’t help but feel that this shop is too shady. With such a feeling, I opened the door and entered the store– and saw Snow, wearing her usual maid outfit, turned around and staring at me.
“It’s the real one!”
“That’s why it is said ‘Real One’ on the board, right?”
“Rather than that, why the hell are you here? Can you not show up all of a sudden? It’s bad for my heart, you know?!”
“What are you talking about, you idiot master… I don’t mind you shouting with joy at the appearance of a beautiful girl like me, but please be a little quieter. This is a maid café (Real one), after all.”
That is true. Because if I look inside the store, I can see several maids with refined behavior working elegantly. The tableware used in the store is something introduced as a luxury item on TV, and the furniture in the store is all first-class items.
Unlike the cosplay café that inside is just like a cabaret4, I can even feel the pressure of the “Real One” and that concept is conveyed through my five senses.
“… Could it be, this is an order from Mulle?”
“No, I am very sorry. I am the one who invited Snow-san.”
Lily-san bows her head, looking apologetic.
“Oi, why did you directly doubt me?”
“Ah, so it was Lily-san’s invitation. Then it’s fine.”
“W-H-Y did you doubt me? Answer me! You bastard!”
While lightly getting hit on the waist by Mulle, I stared at Snow who was spinning the silver tray, and she responded with a wry smile.
“I asked her to not tell you, Master. It’s obvious that Master won’t be able to graduate from me, so I thought if I said I would work, you would start talking nonsense. Good grief, having a darling who likes to restrict you is truly troublesome.”
“I’m sorry for proceeding with the matter without talking to Sanjou-sama, Snow-san’s fiancée, first. As expected, we know we can’t keep this a secret all the time… So, we were planning to tell you at this time.”
“Then, how about using a maid café to prepare for the new students’ welcome party? Was it also a lie?”
“That is real. I won’t lie. As someone who manages the dormitory, it is unacceptable to lie, after all. Also, little things like this will be added to my reputation. Sooner or later, everyone will follow me.”
Mulle snorted softly while puffing out her chest.
“Why don’t we stop talking and sit down first? I’ll give Master a special service, water, which is self-serve.”
“Oi, if I’m the only one who gets special treatment, people will find out that we’re a lovey-dovey couple. So, quickly, respectfully, bring water to me as if you were offering it to the Gods. You are not allowed to raise your head in front of me.”
“Eat this (water splash)!”
“Manager-san! (Hit)”
As I got soaking wet from the water splash, Lily-san gently wiped my head with a handkerchief. Watching that, Snow clicked her tongue and threw a menu at me, then withdrew into the back in a bad mood.
“So, Lily-san, why is Snow here? In the first place, what is this place?”