Tadokoro Megumi watched as Nakiri Erina tightly gripped the notebook and showed no intention of returning it to her. After hesitating for a moment, she didn't have the courage to ask for the script back.
Anyway, the plot in the script was very simple. The specific details were left for them to work out themselves, and the characters they were playing weren't very complicated either. It should be fine if she looked over it again tomorrow.
After saying goodbye, Tadokoro Megumi hurriedly turned around and left, carefully closing the door behind her before quietly returning to her own room.
However, after returning to her room, she didn't immediately go take a bath and rest. Instead, she first wrote the "People" in her palm and swallowed it in one gulp, using this mystical method to give herself some courage before sitting down alone to think over the chef character she would be playing tomorrow.
"Food should have no distinction between high and low."
"There are many secrets to cooking. But the most important secret of all is to have an absolute love for cooking."
Blue hair, braided pigtails, not pursuing rare ingredients...
It just so happened that she was good at rustic cuisine and knew quite a lot about local dishes, dried goods, and wild vegetables.
Come to think of it, Tadokoro Megumi also felt that the characters Nakiri Erina and she were going to play were very likely based on the two of them by Kijou Suzuka.
It was just that the chef girl she was going to play wasn't as timid as she was.
Did Miss Kijou Suzuka expect her to become the kind of person described in the script? Actually, she also wanted to become someone that lively and cheerful, confident and sunny, but could she really play such a role...
Tadokoro Megumi was somewhat lost, and also somewhat nervous and uneasy.
But she couldn't refuse. All she could do was work hard to play her role well.
Fortunately, she only needed to endure the King of Chefs competition storyline. She wouldn't have to participate in the subsequent Losers Take the Table storyline.
If Miss Kijou Suzuka really wanted her to participate... she, she didn't even know whether she would be able to refuse.
"...."
After Tadokoro Megumi left, Nakiri Erina continued staring at the notebook in her hands, as though she wanted to find evidence inside that this was all a joke.
She really wanted to tear up this script, but this wasn't something she could escape simply by tearing it up.
Unlike the timid and gentle Tadokoro Megumi, her thoughts weren't so optimistic.
Actually, as long as she put on that outfit and performed, it didn't really matter what the actual performance consisted of anymore.
The things Kijou Suzuka had said to her clearly meant that she wanted her to participate as well. It was just that it wasn't her turn to "take the table" yet, so she was being made to watch the others first.
At this moment, Nakiri Erina really wanted to find Kijou Suzuka and ask her whether this was truly the only way to join the Service Club, or perhaps just leave this place outright.
But then she saw the surname beginning with Yotsuba belonging to the actress playing that character who knew nothing about cooking.
And then there were the conspicuous surnames of the other program sponsors, participants, and those playing the lead roles or making friendly guest appearances: Shinomiya, Fujiwara, Yotsukusa, Kijou, Aoe.
Many of Nakiri Erina's thoughts instantly died away. She sat on the edge of the bed, silently staring at the names on the list one by one.
Totsuki Academy wasn't simply a cooking school. Its principal, Nakiri Senzaemon, was the general director of Totsuki Academy and also the leader of Japan's culinary world.
It could be said that centered around Totsuki Academy and the Nakiri family, together with the restaurants, food companies, high-end hotels, resorts, and so on established by the many outstanding graduates and partners of Totsuki Academy, the resulting interest group was also a behemoth in the food and beverage industry.
In that respect, Nakiri Erina truly was a genuine young lady of privilege.
However, an interest group was still an interest group. The food and beverage industry was ultimately not the Nakiri family's private territory where they had the final say in everything.
This time, Nakiri Erina was facing conglomerates that stood above the ordinary commoner class, and it wasn't even as simple as one or two major financial groups.
Even though Kijou Suzuka and the others weren't forcing her and were letting her choose for herself, allowing her to leave at any time.
But if she refused and left now, it would be difficult for her to get back in later...
———
"Master... will the hot spring inn really only receive female guests from the Service Club in the future?"
After finishing the perfectly rounded dinner, the blonde maid Hayasaka Ai stood up and began cleaning up the messy low table.
The black-haired poster girl Yukino Chitose kept her eyes tightly shut, her entire body limp as she curled up in Hachiman's arms. Ignoring the kimono that had slipped down to her waist, her soft pink lips rested against Hachiman's firm, powerful chest as she murmured softly, a hint of unease faintly revealed in her voice.
Although Kijou Suzuka had already given her a promise, she was still very worried about her future, afraid that she would become the poster girl of one of those special inns.
After all, there was an enormous difference in status between Hachiman and her. Even if Hachiman wanted to abandon her, she had no ability to resist at all.
"You're my person now, and you'll always be my person. Even if you want to run away in the future, I won't possibly let go of you, let alone let you have contact with other men."
Hachiman understood what Yukino Chitose meant. Looking at the Yukino Chitose in his arms, who was gradually getting used to him, he tightened his arms around her soft, rounded body and pulled her closer to himself. He opened his mouth and bit her earlobe, soothing her in a low voice.
"Don't worry. Everyone in the Service Club besides me is female. You only have to serve me."
He didn't like forcing people. Under normal circumstances, he also preferred being passive, but that was the treatment before getting on the ship.
Once they were on board and still wanted to run, it was no longer a question of whether he took the initiative or not. Even if he had to be more forceful and rough, he would tame them.
Although he had never worried about these things. They couldn't hold out against him in the first place and could only put up a little verbal resistance.
Now, as the various abilities he possessed continued to increase, there wasn't even anyone left who could merely talk tough.
His childhood friend Kaede had his good friend Tsubaki come accompany him and help him set up the Service Academy. The bratty demon dragon clan leader Uluthula had turned into a timid lizard. Even Raphiel, who wanted to have some fun with him, had to drag Gabriel and Vignette along to take the hits for her, not daring to face him head-on.
"All of them are women?"
Seeing that Hachiman made no attempt to hide the fact that the other female guests would be serving him, the huge weight in Yukino Chitose's heart slowly fell away. The various sensations from having just been conquered surged back into her mind. Her fair jade arms wrapped around Hachiman's neck, and she couldn't help sitting upright again.
Just what kind of person was this master she served, to actually make so many wealthy young ladies and noble wives kneel beneath him?
Originally, she thought only some of them might have a special relationship with her master. She never expected it to be all of them?!
If she considered him as a lover, she might still worry about whether he was a philanderer. But as a master, naturally, the stronger his abilities were, the more she would admire him.
Although she didn't know how her master had managed to win over so many outstanding young ladies in every respect, who all knew of one another's existence yet were still willing to serve him together, if that really was the case, then her usual job of receiving the club members could simply be described as extremely easy.
After all, the people coming and going were all wealthy young ladies or girls who had served her master before, so there was no need to worry at all about getting along with them.
No wonder Miss Kijou Suzuka didn't care at all whether they would redeem the hot spring inn they had sold in the future. Now that she had the chance to redeem it, she didn't even want to anymore. A life with someone to rely on was much happier than a life without anyone to rely on.
"Are you wondering why they would join the Service Club? Seriously feel the changes in your own body and you'll know."
Seeing that Yukino Chitose still wanted to serve him, Hachiman smiled and reached out to stop her from continuing.
"You already have the ability to transform into a magical girl. If any club member asks you how you became a magical girl in the future, you can tell them honestly."
"As the number of club members increases, more and more people will stay at the Service Inn. We may be short-handed here, so you can recruit some maids later."
"Of course, they have to become magical girls as well, so you'll have to screen them carefully when recruiting."
Hachiman knew why Kijou Suzuka had specifically arranged for two poster girls to serve him.
If even the poster girls hadn't served him and become his magical girls, there would be no way for the hot spring inn to become the Service Club's exclusive entertainment grounds.
Likewise, the maids at the hot spring inn would preferably all have extensive experience serving him. That way, they could also make newcomers who had yet to undergo the magical girl awakening ceremony feel more at ease.
Any questions that were difficult to bring up with friends could be asked of the maids, and when necessary, the maids could also assist from the side.
Although having to both serve people and help with herbal medicine meant the workload could sometimes be quite heavy, they would need to recruit more people.
"I really became a magical girl? M-Master... I can still do it..."
Yukino Chitose lowered her head and looked at her body. She still wanted to try and see what transforming into a magical girl was like, but when she noticed that Hachiman was about to pull away and stand up, she hurriedly propped herself up.
"Don't force yourself. Chitose, rest for a while first."
Hachiman smiled and shook his head. He lowered his head and kissed Yukino Chitose on the cheek before standing up, not continuing to wear her out.
Girls who hadn't spent much time with him and didn't like him that much yet still had plenty of resistance to him and wouldn't be so sensitive.
After becoming magical girls, their physical recovery ability would gradually improve with the number of training sessions. Once they were exhausted and weak, they would recover very quickly, although they also lost each time very quickly.
Yukino Chitose had only just become a magical girl, and she had also come to regard him as someone she could rely on in the future, making her like him to an extreme degree. In other words, Yukino Chitose was currently at her weakest stage, she would suffer real damage from critical hits, yet she couldn't recover quickly.
"Mm..."
Yukino Chitose didn't know that Hachiman was giving her, as the poster girl, some dignity in front of the maids, so that she wouldn't be teased for being unable to even leave her room tonight. She raised her head and saw that Hachiman really didn't intend to let her continue serving him. She could only purse her lips and silently do her final bit.
However, while serving him, her gaze couldn't help drifting toward Matsumae Ohana, who was sitting with her head lowered nearby.
Could it be that it was finally Ohana's turn?
After all, Ohana was the poster girl whom Master had actually singled out by name.
"!"
Matsumae Ohana, crouching in the corner, saw Yukino Chitose finish her cleaning and serving. When Hachiman seemed to be walking toward her, she, who had nowhere left to retreat to, immediately closed her eyes in panic.
She had no intention of running. Not to mention that she didn't even know where she could run to, the entire hot spring inn was filled with Master's people. She couldn't possibly escape.
It was just that she had never experienced any of that before. Having just witnessed Yukino Chitose's various uncontrollable reactions at the low table, she instinctively shrank back.
She was a little afraid, but also faintly looking forward to it. Her body wasn't as plump as Chitose's. She hoped Master wouldn't squeeze too hard, and hoped she wouldn't roll her eyes back.
"Hm?"
"Strange..."
After a while, Matsumae Ohana quietly opened her eyes and discovered that there was neither Hachiman's pat-pat slap in front of her nor the teasing smile he would have while waiting for her to open her eyes.
She climbed up and looked left and right. Only then did she discover that Hachiman hadn't walked toward her at all. Instead, he had gone to the floor-to-ceiling window by the balcony and was looking down at the open-air hot spring.
"?"
Matsumae Ohana didn't know what kind of feeling she should use to express what she was thinking at this moment.
Hayasaka Ai, who was slowly cleaning up the messy table, glanced at Matsumae Ohana, whose mood had risen and fallen dramatically and was now complicated.
Master really was bad, deliberately playing with a girl's feelings.
Normally, Hayasaka Ai would have been right to think that way, but this time, Hachiman really hadn't intended to tease Matsumae Ohana.
He had simply remembered something.
Normally, when looking out from an upstairs room, there would only be a pond or lake below. But when he looked down from this room, he could see the open-air hot spring.
Originally, many hot spring inns had separate men's and women's baths, or public baths divided by gender according to different time periods and so on. But the Service Inn was an exclusive facility for the Service Club, so there was naturally no need to make so many distinctions.
At present, the Service Inn only had the distinction between the open-air hot spring and the indoor hot spring.
The indoor hot spring was actually also a type of open-air hot spring. It was simply located in the small courtyard on the first floor, making it convenient for enjoying some quiet time alone.
The open-air hot spring, on the other hand, had been remodeled so that it circled around the Service Manor. Its area was larger than several swimming pools combined. It was no longer something that could simply be used for soaking in a hot spring. People could also play and fool around in it.
Although ordinary people couldn't use a hot spring like a swimming pool, magical girls were different.
"Hot spring..."
Looking at the girls below who hadn't eaten much dinner before gradually entering the open-air hot spring to enjoy themselves, Hachiman remembered the Fountain of the Moon he had obtained after completing a mission earlier.
[Fountain of the Moon: A movable springhead that automatically produces special spring water at night. Within a certain range, it increases the rate at which elves recover physically and mentally. Elves injured within its coverage area can recover from their injuries more quickly.]
(PS: The more elves he serves, the larger the Fountain of the Moon's coverage becomes, and the faster the Fountain of the Moon produces spring water.)
The Fountain of the Moon, which was practically a clan-protecting divine artifact, was actually more suitable for being placed in an elf tribe, deep within the Elven Forest, so that most elves could enjoy its benefits. But the key point was that he hadn't been to another world.
In terms of the number of elves he served, there were actually more here. Moreover, the elves he served would certainly serve him frequently. It was impossible for him to remain in another world just for the sake of the Fountain of the Moon, so naturally, it was better to put it somewhere he could visit at any time.
Now that the Service Inn had become a special scene and the members of the Service Club could freely come and go in the future, he suddenly remembered the Fountain of the Moon and wanted to take it out and use it.
He wondered what changes would occur to the hot spring in the Service Inn if the inn's own special benefits for its guests were combined with the Fountain of the Moon's benefits.
Actually, the Fountain of the Moon's recovery enhancement was one thing, while its special spring water was another. The two should not conflict with each other. Otherwise, it would directly say that the spring water had a recovery effect instead of saying that it provided an enhancement within a certain range.
[Would you like to place the Fountain of the Moon springhead in the special scene, Service Inn?]
[Confirm.]
As Hachiman selected the Fountain of the Moon springhead and placed it in the special scene, Service Inn.
"This is... magic power?"
"There's actually magic power in the hot spring water?!"
The goddess angel Shizumi Suzune, the head of the Aoe family and snow woman Aoe Maito, the magical girl Alisfiel, the princess Farma of the human kingdom from another world, and the elf princess Nina, who were distributed among different groups in the open-air hot spring and soaking in the water, sensed the special change in the Service Hot Spring. Almost at the same time, they raised their heads and looked at the tall, upright figure above them.
"Princess Nina, you can't drink the hot spring water, hey..."
Kijou Suzuka suddenly noticed the elf princess Nina scooping up the hot water in front of her and bringing it to her mouth. She instinctively spoke up to stop her, but the moment she said it, she froze and slowly stopped trying to dissuade her.
Aoe Kuon, Senga Seira, Meroune, and the other demi-humans beside the two of them also stared at the elf princess Nina without saying anything.
Normal hot spring water naturally couldn't be drunk, and swimming in it was even less advisable. But none of them were ordinary people, so some hot spring water wouldn't have much effect on them. Princess Nina was obviously trying to investigate the reason for the hot spring water's obvious change.
"This hot spring water... is even stronger than the ordinary elf spring water we brought with us... It can restore physical strength and spirit, and heal injuries..."
Nina scooped up the hot spring water and drank it in one go. She closed her eyes and sensed the changes in her body. Only after a while did she open her eyes again, lowering her head to stare at the surface of the water, where tiny bubbles were gurgling up and hot steam was rising.
"Although it's diluted by the ordinary hot spring water right now, so the recovery effect is very small, special spring water is surging up from beneath the hot spring for no apparent reason, gradually replacing the hot spring water that was there before."