Hachiman followed Shion into a bathroom where the floor was slightly damp. As soon as he reached out, he touched two girls who were probably wearing maid outfits with decorative ribbons on their heads, and he instinctively thought of two maids he hadn't "eaten" yet.
The two maids from the Rurikawa family, Sayo and Akira, he didn't avoid them on purpose, he just hadn't found the right opportunity.
Whether it was the blue-haired, short-haired, expressionless, slightly useless maid Akira, or the pink-haired, lively and cute but unlucky maid Sayo, both were very adorable girls.
They said they worked at the Rurikawa household, but in reality, neither of them had any intention of changing jobs. They were even planning to stay there for life.
By now, they were practically dowry maids for Rurikawa Tsubaki. But every time they were around, they always had work to do, or after he finished, he would leave for somewhere else, so they never needed to replace Rurikawa Tsubaki.
Mm… under normal circumstances, they should have already been in bed taking Tsubaki's place, helping their young lady share the burden.
It was just that Rurikawa Tsubaki had been pushed forward by Kaede and Iris to take the front line. Even Maid Shion would actively push her own young lady forward. After that, there were usually other girls waiting behind Tsubaki, so most of the time, Sayo and Akira didn't need to step in personally.
Tonight's service activity had both veterans and newcomers. Hachiman figured there was a high chance those two experienced-but-inexperienced maids, Sayo and Akira, would be brought out.
"Hachiman-oniisan, you can't just guess randomly~"
Shion looked at the maids around him in all kinds of maid outfits and smiled as she shook her head, signaling them with her eyes to begin.
"That one just now doesn't count. You can only guess each person once. You can wash for a bit first before you start guessing."
"The cleaning time is half an hour. There are many stages afterward, so you don't have much time for the first stage."
"There really aren't any hints at all? Then aside from taking off the blindfold, is there anything I'm not allowed to do?"
Hachiman could clearly feel several maids around him reaching out to remove his clothes.
Two maids took his hands and guided him to sit on a stool. One maid knelt in front of him, while two behind him began scrubbing his back.
One in front, two behind, plus one on each side holding showerheads to wet his body, there were already five maids.
He reached out and touched the maid in front of him who had her head lowered. His fingers traced along her soft, smooth cheek and up into her hair, discovering it was tied in a single ponytail.
'A bold yet inexperienced single-ponytail maid… this really is hard to guess.'
And just because they were called maids didn't mean they actually were maids. More likely, they were just wearing maid outfits.
"There are no other hints. You can only use your usual way of interacting with us to greet the maids. Based on their reactions, you can analyze and judge their real identities. As long as you don't remove the blindfold, anything you say or do is allowed."
Shion looked at Hachiman, who was surrounded by five beautiful girls in soaked maid outfits. She lowered her head, kissed his cheek lightly, and whispered a reminder.
"Even if the maids aren't people you've personally met, you've seen their profiles. You can try to guess who they are."
"Mm… time's about up. Hachiman-oniisan, I need to leave and prepare other game areas. But this place has already been covered by Gabriel-oneesan's divine technique. Everyone is watching, so you can't secretly take off the blindfold while I'm gone."
These maids weren't mute, they were just choosing not to speak. Since Hachiman couldn't determine their identities through touch, making them produce sound would be enough.
Actually, she thought this tutorial stage was easy. It was just to let him obtain a beginner maid, who would then serve him and accompany him through the next stages.
"…"
Gabriel was probably feeling helpless too, getting dragged into this kind of thing again. The pure little angel was straying further and further down the path of a "fallen" angel.
He hadn't asked about her living expenses recently. If they got cut, it would definitely be his fault.
Still… he really did feel tempted to take off the blindfold and cheat.
He had only made brief physical contact with the maids around him, yet from the instinctive stiffness in their bodies, he could tell that none of them had an intimate relationship with him. They were all newcomers experiencing this kind of closeness with him for the first time.
He even felt that among these five, there were no Sayo or Akira. Those two had watched plenty and even undergone maid training with sensory collars from Maid Shion. There was no way they'd still react so stiffly upon touching him.
He had to admire Iris. She actually managed to bring so many newcomers to serve him. He had no idea how she did it.
While there were plenty of girls willing to give themselves for the first time, getting so many newcomers together to play a blindfold game with him wasn't easy.
Rustle! Rustle!
In the spacious bathroom, only the sound of the shower, the soft friction of foamy soap, and the uneven breathing of Hachiman and the five maids remained.
If he were playing with Iris, Lala, Shion, Kaede, and the others, he'd definitely say things to provoke them and enjoy their reactions.
But since these were all newcomers, he didn't want to use methods that might affect his image. Even making them cry out through stimulation was something he didn't want to do for now.
Though, considering they had already come here to play this kind of game with him, there wasn't much of an "image" left to preserve anyway.
Did he really have to play dirty? Everyone was watching him now, he couldn't perform poorly.
Hachiman quietly enjoyed their bathing service. His fingertips brushed across their cheeks, gently kneading, sensing their size and softness.
Some had studied theory and were just inexperienced. Others hadn't even learned that and relied entirely on brute force.
Unfortunately, the girls Iris sent over were all pure. These differences alone weren't enough to identify them.
'Just who would be willing to play this kind of game with me? Agreeing to serve me without even properly meeting me first… they definitely have their own motives.'
'Saegusa Mayumi from the Saegusa family? Shinomiya Kaguya from the Shinomiya family?'
'Or foreign princesses like La Folia or Charlotte? Or maybe someone dragged their close friend along?'
There had been many demi-human newcomers recently, but these five didn't feel like snow women with cold bodies, nor vampires who couldn't control themselves upon seeing him. They felt human… or at least without obvious racial traits like tails or horns.
The long-haired maid had long legs. The twin-tailed maid had a nice figure. The short-haired maid had a large chest. But this single-ponytail maid… was flat.
Hachiman's thoughts suddenly shifted, and he realized a blind spot, the single-ponytail maid in front of him hadn't fully completed her service.
"Hayasaka Ai, is that you?"
There weren't many ordinary girls around him, even among newcomers.
A girl willing to serve him for the first time, yet the only one among the five with a completely unremarkable figure, it was highly likely to be Shinomiya Kaguya's personal maid, Hayasaka Ai.
"Cough! Cough! Ha… Hachiman-sama…"
The black-and-white maid outfit was soaked from the shower spray. Only a few buttons at the chest were undone for convenience. The blonde, single-ponytail, blue-eyed girl knelt on the wet floor, strands of gold hair sticking to her face.
Hearing Hachiman call out her name, she froze, then slowly raised her head, staring in disbelief at him, his eyes still covered by the black cloth.
'How did he know it was me?'
'I have never even met Hachiman in my life!'
'And yet among the five maids, he called my name first?'
"Looks like I guessed right."
Feeling the momentary hitch in Hayasaka Ai's movements, Hachiman let out a soft breath, realizing he had gotten her name correct.
So it really was Hayasaka Ai.
At this point, he did have enough power for a major financial conglomerate to send women over to accompany him for fun. It wouldn't even be strange if they sent Shinomiya Kaguya herself, let alone a maid like Hayasaka.
Still, this kind of direct approach was a first for him. Usually there would at least be some buildup, meeting first, chatting, talking about support and concerns.
Even Iris, when she first met him, had explained the elves' difficulties before throwing herself into his arms and asking for his help.
If he hadn't seen the transfer student list and known that Hayasaka Ai was secretly flat-chested, skilled at disguises, and had used padding before, he wouldn't have guessed that the ponytailed maid in front of him was her.
"I am Shinomiya Kaguya-sama's personal maid, Hayasaka Ai. It is my honor to participate in tonight's service game and serve Hachiman-sama together with everyone else."
Looking at Hachiman, who remained calm and composed with his eyes covered, Hayasaka swallowed.
She wanted to ask how he had identified her, but didn't know if it was appropriate given her position. In the end, she licked her lips and, under the gazes of the other girls in soaked maid outfits, lowered her eyes and softly admitted her identity, briefly mentioning her mistress, Shinomiya Kaguya.
Being identified wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Although it likely meant she would have to accompany Hachiman through the rest of the game, that was exactly why she had come in place of Kaguya.
To draw more of his attention to herself, to let him enjoy her service, and ultimately to focus more on Kaguya.
Still, she couldn't understand how he had recognized her so quickly.
Unless he had been told their identities beforehand and was manipulating things.
But… if there were manipulation, it should favor someone else.
The Shinomiya family was indeed a powerful conglomerate, and Kaguya was its young lady, but she was only a child of a concubine, with little power in a patriarchal family that treated women as tools.
She couldn't compare to genius girls with awakened magical talents, nor to other noble daughters, nor even to princesses of small kingdoms who would inherit thrones.
In a way, aside from family status, Kaguya's situation wasn't much different from Rurikawa Tsubaki's before. If anything, she had even less freedom.
Tsubaki could choose whether to sacrifice herself for her family.
Kaguya, however, lived under strict control, and when needed, she would simply be sent off for political marriage.
If even her mistress was in such a position, what about her, a mere maid?
She truly couldn't understand. Unless… this had nothing to do with benefits.
Unless Hachiman had taken a special interest in her and understood her well.
Among so many noble ladies and princesses around him, he had singled her out. The former noble-born girl who was now just Kaguya's maid?
Was this some kind of Cinderella story? Was it real?
Yet strangely, that most unbelievable possibility felt like the most likely.
"Hachiman-sama, would you like to continue guessing the others' identities?"
After thinking quietly for a while, Hayasaka noticed that Hachiman showed no intention of proceeding further. He simply enjoyed the service of the other four maids while lightly playing with her ponytail, so she bit her lip and softly reminded him.
Since her name had been guessed, she was now allowed to speak. The others still couldn't.
Although only one person could accompany him to the next stage, it didn't mean he could only guess one.
He could guess them all, then choose one among those he identified.
"No need to keep guessing. I'll go with you, Ai."
Hachiman gently played with Hayasaka Ai's smooth, soft cheeks, feeling her real, unpadded figure.
By provoking them one by one and observing their subtle reactions, he could figure out each identity. That was how the game worked.
He could even hold one while approaching another, using their reactions to deduce relationships.
But since this first stage was filled with newcomers, he decided to hold back a bit. Once they became more familiar, he could play more freely.
After all, even if he guessed everyone correctly, he could only take one along. Playing with all of them only to pick one felt a bit… off.
"Ah? Yes… it's my honor to serve you, Hachiman-sama."
Being suddenly called "Ai," Hayasaka didn't react immediately. She was usually just called Hayasaka, being addressed like that was a first.
But seeing Hachiman choose her without hesitation, she accepted the new form of address, lowered her head, and continued washing him alongside the other four maids, enduring their surprised, curious, and slightly resentful gazes while waiting for the cleaning time to end.
She didn't mention her lack of experience, none of them had any. If they had, they wouldn't have been sent here.
Still, she hadn't expected that she, who should have had the lowest status, and even the worst figure, would receive Hachiman's attention.
'Mm… worst figure?'
'Does Hachiman have that kind of preference? Did he notice me precisely because I rank among the least endowed among the transfer students?'
Only then did Hayasaka realize the one obvious difference between her and the others.
Even figures like Iris, the elf princess, and the famous mermaid diva Elio were petite and cute types. With mixed feelings she couldn't quite define, Hayasaka Ai completed the bathing task with the other four unnamed maids. She smoothed her disheveled golden hair, stepped forward in her damp thigh-high stockings, and led Hachiman out of the bathroom stage.
"Master, this stage is the Barrier of Desire. Here, you may temporarily remove your blindfold and punish the 'prisoners' confined within."
Hayasaka brought Hachiman to the next stage. Looking at the line of slender, upright girls embedded in the wall ahead, she took a breath and immediately switched into her role, smiling as she explained the rules.
"There are no particular restrictions here either. However, among the five prisoners, you may only release three."
"Each prisoner has twenty minutes to pray for your forgiveness."
"Only when you call out their names can they be freed from the barrier and continue participating in tonight's game."
"The remaining two will not be allowed to participate for the rest of the night and must keep their sensory-sharing collars activated the entire time."
"They can only continue if I say their names? Out of five, only three slots? I can't release them all?"
Hachiman was genuinely surprised that the punishment in this game was so severe. Normally, missing one or two rounds was already frustrating enough, but being barred for the entire night. And having to endure sensory sharing the whole time… Even girls from the hidden world might not handle that, let alone ordinary ones.
Previously, when Ichinose Ayano used a shared-sense bracelet, she almost ended up hospitalized. Only her enhanced recovery saved her from more than a visit to the infirmary.
Now, she probably couldn't endure it either.
Even though her physique had improved, her tolerance in that aspect had actually decreased. If she pushed herself all night, she'd probably be bedridden for days.
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