Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“It’s fixed!!”

A cheerful voice rings out, snapping me back to consciousness.
Through my hazy vision, I see Kuzuha-chan, the fox girl, hopping around the meadow clutching a frilly maid outfit.
Kuzuha-chan is now hopping all over the place, just like a fox playing in the snow.
With every hop, her short kimono—which resembles a shrine maiden’s outfit—flutters in the breeze, but is it really okay for her to be moving around like that without any panties on?

……So my outfit is fixed, then.

During the battle with the Terrier Bandits, the frills and hem of the maid outfit Kuzuha-chan had made herself got slightly singed. It seems Kuzuha-chan really didn’t like that at all.
After we finished eating and were taking a breather, Kuzuha-chan suddenly said, “I’ll fix it!” and in the blink of an eye, she stripped me naked and started mending the maid outfit.
Since there wasn’t anything I could do to help, I’d been sleeping wrapped in a blanket… but it seems the repairs are finally done.

“Ah… Good work, Kuzuha-chan.”

Putting aside my honest desire to keep sleeping, I decided to commend her first.
While I could manage something like sewing on a button, I don’t have the skills to make clothes from scratch or perform major repairs, so I figured I should just thank her sincerely. If it weren’t for her ability to make clothes, I’d be treated like a pervert wherever I went.
Well, to be honest, the reason my original clothes and accessories disappeared in the first place was because Kuzuha-chan caught me off guard and seared me over high heat, but that’s that, and this is this.

“No, no. It’s no big deal. Come on, go ahead and try it on right away!”

I took the maid outfit she handed me and slipped out of the blanket.
Even though Kuzuha-chan had helped me put it on before, I’d worn it once already. I remembered how to put it on, so there was no need to hesitate. Without wasting any time, I quickly changed on my own.

“I’ll make you some other clothes as soon as possible. After all, if something like this happens again, you wouldn’t want to be left naked, would you, Arje-san?”
“If it’s just a small tear, I think it’s fine to leave it as is…”
“Absolutely not! A sound mind resides in sound clothing, you know!?”

What? I’ve never heard that before.

“If you wear clothes with holes or look unkempt, holes will open up in your heart too, and your heart will become unclean! So I’ll make sure you wear proper clothes as much as possible!”

Kuzuha-chan’s tone was so fierce that I decided to just nod silently and obey.
The fact that her lecture carried a subtle sense of genuine conviction made it impossible to argue with. It seems slave life really was tough for her after all.

…Well, Kuzuha-chan and Cloneha-chan are the ones making them, anyway.

If they’re going to be ready while I’m sleeping, that’s a blessing, so I guess I can just leave it to them.
Ideally, I’d prefer clothes that are easy to move in, but I’ll leave that up to the makers’ discretion. Since I’m the one getting them made, it wouldn’t be right to make too many demands and dampen their enthusiasm.

“If that’s what Kuzuha-chan says, then let’s do it that way.”
“Yes, that’s fine.”

Even though my response was vague—or rather, I was just going with the flow—Kuzuha-chan nodded contentedly. She’s such an honest girl.

“Well then, shall we set off?”
“Ah, please wait a moment, Arje-san.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No… well. Arje-san, where in the Republic are we headed?”
“…For now, I’m thinking of heading for the capital.”

If you mean my final destination, it’s something like “the bed in the home of someone who’ll take care of me—three meals a day, a nap, and snacks included”—but to get there, I figure I should head to a crowded place first.
I don’t even know where the capital is or what it’s called, but if I just walk around aimlessly, I’m bound to come across a town or meet some travelers, so I can get information then. If the person I meet seems like they’d be willing to take me in, that’d be fine, too.

“Um, is it urgent that you go to the capital?”
“No, I’m not in any particular hurry.”

It’s true that I want to start that kind of life as soon as possible, but it’s also true that I’m not in a rush.
I know from the start that people willing to do that are a rare find, so I plan to take my time looking without rushing.
Or rather, I don’t want to get exhausted, so I want to take moderate breaks while I look. It’s important to go at my own pace.

Kuzuha-chan heard my words and smiled. Wagging her three-pronged tail, she looked somewhat relieved as she said,

“In that case, there’s a town I’d like to make a little detour to… um, is that okay?”

I’m not sure what she has in mind, but Kuzuha-chan seems serious.
Come to think of it, Kuzuha-chan was taken advantage of by Roots-san for quite a long time.
I don’t know exactly how long that was, but during that time, she probably didn’t have any opportunities to interact with anyone else. It seems like she came after me right after burying her mother.

…Well, sightseeing in another world isn’t a bad idea, I suppose.

What comes to mind is Alrescha, the port town in the kingdom.
The sea breeze felt great, and the food was delicious. It was a great town for taking a nap.
If other towns are nice places like that, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check them out. It might even give me some ideas about where to laze around and live in the future.

“Got it. So, could you show me around?”
“Yes! Leave it to me!”

Kuzuha-chan puffed out her flat chest and transformed with a snort.
Her body, along with the clothes she was wearing, shrank all at once, and even her body shape changed. In the blink of an eye, she was walking on all fours. Kuzuha-chan in fox mode was complete.

“I’ll show you the way. Let’s go, Arje-san.”
“Yes. Behaki, please.”

I picked up Kuzuha-chan, who had hopped over to me, and called out to the figure behind me.
Just then, Behaki was getting up from the ground. It seemed he, like me, had been resting for a bit.

“Time to set off, Arje?”
“Yes. I’d appreciate your help for a little while longer.”
“Ah, sure. Hop on, young ladies.”

Following his gentlemanly invitation, Kuzuha-chan and I both climbed onto Behaki’s back.
Our vantage point rose, and we could see much farther. The breeze felt so pleasant it made me drowsy, but since Behaki and Kuzuha-chan couldn’t communicate, I had to stay awake to interpret for them.

“Is the town we’re heading to far away?”
“Even if we walk slowly and rest at night, we’ll arrive by noon tomorrow.”
“Is that so? Well then, shall we go? Which way?”

I relayed Kuzuha-chan’s instructions to Behaki, and we resumed our journey.
The Republic, huh. I wonder what kind of country it is. I hope there’s someone there who’ll take care of me.