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“It’s finished!”
“nya.”

I’d just woken up and opened my eyes when that loud voice suddenly rang out, startling me.
I sat up abruptly from the blanket I’d spread out on the floor to use as a mattress.
Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw Kuzuha-chan looking in high spirits as she hugged something close.

……Oh, she means my clothes.

Yesterday, right after she finished taking my measurements, Kuzuha-chan immediately set to work making the clothes.
And she wasn’t working alone—she used one of those “Tailed Beast Clones” to split herself into three.
She had brought the fabric and tools herself. Since she said it would take a while, I decided to take a nap and wait.
Looking up at the sky, I could still see traces of crimson. It must not have been long since sunrise.
Could she have been sewing all night?
Wrapping the blanket around myself, I called out to Kuzuha-chan.

“Did you stay up all night making this?”
“I had my doubles take over partway through, so I did get a proper night’s sleep.”

Huh, so clones can do that too? That’s handy.
In that case, I should’ve become a fox beastman. Why didn’t that loli grampa recommend that option? Geez, she’s useless.

“Arje-san? Is something wrong?”
“Ah, no. It’s nothing. Good morning, Kuzuha-chan.”
“Yes, good morning.”

Kuzuha-chan approaches me with a happy expression. She seems to have put her doppelganger away, and her three-pronged tail is wagging happily.
I can’t see the details of the outfit because I’m holding her close, but it looks like it’s black and white.

“Come on, Arje-san. I’ll help you get dressed, so please come this way!”
“No, I can dress myself.”
“I made it, you know. Let me dress you properly and check every little detail, won’t you?”
“Alright. If that’s the case…”

If the creator herself says so, there must still be something she’s concerned about. I decided to just go along with it.
I took off my blanket in front of Kuzuha-chan, and she immediately started dressing me.
She took my arms and dressed me as she pleased. I thought I looked like a mannequin or something, but since it was a hassle, I closed my eyes and just let her do it.

“Now, just put this on your head… and we’re done!”
“…Hmm.”

It seemed she was done, so I took a good look at myself from head to toe.
I was wearing a long black skirt and a long-sleeved top. On top of that, she’d put a frilly apron over me.
When I touched the hair clip on my head, I found frills there too.
Despite the fluffy decorations and the apron, the chicness of the black somehow kept everything in harmony.
That impression was confirmed when I looked into the large hand mirror Kuzuha-chan happily handed me.
The silver-haired girl reflected in the mirror is wearing a headdress called a “white brim.”
It’s not a mirror that shows my full figure, but just seeing down to my shoulders is enough to understand the outfit.

“Maid uniform?”
“You know about that!?”
“Well, yeah.”

Among the ‘caretakers’ at Kuno’s house, a few of them dressed like this. This, or something resembling a kitchen apron, could be considered the work uniform for female ‘caretakers’ other than the bodyguards.
Of course, the details are different, but it’s generally the same. You could say it’s an outfit I’m used to seeing.
Partly because I’m used to seeing them as work clothes, they give off a calm, composed vibe.

……It’s actually pretty easy to move around in.

It looked a bit restrictive when I saw them at the mansion, but trying it on, it’s actually quite comfortable.
As a servant’s uniform, it might be surprisingly practical.

“Haaah, not to toot my own horn, but it’s perfect…”

Kuzuha-chan seems pleased with her handiwork and is in high spirits. Wagging her tail and ears, she circles around me, spinning and admiring the outfit from every angle.
Given Kuzuha-chan’s own style, I’d assumed she’d make me a kimono, but she’s created a surprisingly different outfit.

“Is it too tight anywhere? I’ll adjust it right away.”
“It’s fine. It fits perfectly.”

As I bend and stretch my arms, I don’t find anything snagging.
And yet, it doesn’t feel too loose, so it’s finished in a way that feels natural to wear.
I’m genuinely impressed. Even though it took three of her, not only did she manage to make this seemingly complicated outfit in a single night—and by hand, no less—but it also turned out exactly as measured.

“It suits your silver hair so well, Arje-san… Ah, I’m absolutely delighted with how it turned out. If it gets torn or anything, I’ll fix it right away, so please don’t hesitate to let me know, okay?”
“Got it. Thank you.”
“Please wear that for now. Next, I’ll make you a kimono, so let’s get matching outfits and be friends!”

……Oh, so she’s going to make a kimono too.

It seems Kuzuha-chan is something of a “dress-up enthusiast”—or rather, she just really enjoys that sort of thing. I suppose the maid outfit is just the first step.
I don’t really have a say in the matter, and even if I refused, she’d probably make it anyway, so I’ll just leave it to her.
Besides, it’s nice to have a spare set of clothes in case mine gets burned again.

“Well then, shall we have breakfast? Um… would dried meat be okay?”
“No. I’m fine without eating… Let’s set off once Kuzuha-chan is done. I’ll carry your luggage.”

Kuzuha-chan’s luggage looks like a lot.
Her bag, which is about as tall as she is, is clearly stuffed to the brim. There’s no doubt it’s quite heavy.
It would be a problem if she followed me carrying such a heavy load and slowed us down.
Since I have infinite storage capacity, it would be better to put whatever I can into the Blood Box.

“My luggage is quite heavy, you know? Even if we were to put it on that horse, we don’t have the equipment for that…”
“It’s fine. I can handle everything except meat with my ability.”
“Handle…?”

Seeing Kuzuha-chan’s puzzled expression, I decided to explain the Blood Box’s ability to her.

……Huh. We still don’t know anything about each other, do we?

She says we’re friends, but what exactly does that mean? What does it mean to be friends?
I’ve only just started trying to understand her, and getting her to understand me.
There’s no way I could possibly know how to get along with a girl like that.
It’s a hassle to keep thinking about things I don’t understand, so I decided not to dwell on it too much.
For now, I’ll just stick to talking about what’s necessary.