What disappears during break isn't just lectures.
The club that serves as my main source of income and a way to maintain connections has also entered a state of effective suspension.
In other words, the opportunities for me to gain more experience disappear.
After coming to this world, I realized it intuitively.
Why the Karma System is called Karma.
Because it is literally karma.
Taking Princess Saya as an example, she was probably born with the aptitudes of royalty and a natural pilot.
Judging by her inherent nature, she likely bears constraints like arrogance or temptation.
Karma is about what environment a person is born into, how they grew up, and how they act.
The constraints accumulated in this body called Deep can surely be shaken off if I work hard enough.
To offset the constraints by exposing myself to people, I need to keep showing up at the maid cafe even in the second semester.
"So nice~ So nice~ Mopping so nice~"
Ah, not the maid cafe—the Employee Club.
"Deep?"
I clamped my mouth shut at once.
It's a song that lets you mop endlessly, but not one you want others to hear.
"What song are you singing like that?"
"Ah, nothing."
Senior Aila made a strange expression, then nodded and smiled.
"Work songs are a culture with a long tradition. You can work comfortably."
At times like that, she really seems like a normal person.
Looking around, I could see that the maids and stewards working at the cafe had decreased quite a bit compared to the first semester.
As the second semester began, cadets who found club activities bothersome naturally stopped coming.
Senior Aila said it was a very natural phenomenon.
Especially for clubs like the Employee Club that continuously do productive work, cadets uninterested in this sort of thing naturally have no choice but to drop out.
If I only considered economic reasons, I wouldn't necessarily need to come in, but the Employee Club is a better place than expected.
Not only do I learn basic liberal arts, but I also gain knowledge about nobility, and many high-ranking nobles are among the customers who visit this cafe.
The reason is simple.
Because they're used to receiving hospitality, they come to receive it.
They say that doing the Employee Club can even earn you regular sponsors.
In many ways, it's not bad for building connections or meeting new people.
"Ian said he couldn't come because he's busy, right?"
"Ah, yes. He has to finish a cu-custom before the club festival, after all."
"Really? I was going to introduce him to an unexpected guest who seems to be coming today, so it's a shame."
Senior Aila made a slightly disappointed expression, unlike her usual self.
"Y-you're going to introduce Ian?"
"Yes. Actually, my house is test-using a maid robot that Ian made."
My eyes went to the kitchen before I knew it.
They're using that tin can thing?
Perhaps because my thoughts showed on my face again, Aila let out a short laugh.
"House Dis Pater loves elegant and beautiful things. What we took from Ian was little more than the idea; the technology and exterior used in it are all House Dis Pater's own."
Except for the intended use, didn't they scrap and redo everything from the beginning?
"We're making it with artificial skin and artificial joints, with a sleek, streamlined form befitting the human body. And I gifted one to my younger sibling as well."
"Y-younger sibling?"
This was the first time I'd heard that Senior Aila had a younger sibling.
Come to think of it, she wasn't someone who often talked about herself to begin with.
I don't think she talked that much about House Dis Pater to begin with, either.
"That's right. It was to spread to my sibling how beautiful, magnificent, and wonderful maids are."
Ah, no.
"As can be seen from the fact that countless men love maids, cute maids are justice."
It wasn't that she didn't talk; it was that she couldn't.
"Personally, I like Victorian-style maids from the late 19th century, but I had slightly different thoughts regarding maid robots."
"Um."
"If one cannot create a perfect human form, then replicating the human form instead calls forth the uncanny valley. That's where I started thinking. That it is right for robot maids to pursue a charm unique to robot maids."
"Ah, Senior Aila?"
"Mostwonderfulofall,robotmaidshavenorighttorefusehumanordersso theyobeyanyorderwhat'smoretheirbodyproportionsareunrelatedtohumanones…."
"Sis!!!"
Boom!
The door burst open like a cannon shell.
Everyone inside the cafe flinched in surprise.
"I told you!!! Stop sending me these things!!! Didn't I say no!!!"
Thud, crash.
The person who came in threw something onto the floor.
It was in the form of a human woman, but at the same time, it had an obvious mechanical appearance.
And it was wearing a maid uniform. It was a design that clearly reflected Aila's aesthetic tastes.
Wow, the one in our kitchen is a tin can. What on earth happened during the break?
"Lucia von Dis Pater."
"What! That doesn't scare me at all!"
Lucia gritted her teeth.
"Do you even know how embarrassing this is?! Every single day, maids this and maids that, seriously."
"Lucia von Dis Pater."
"What!"
"We are open for business. If you have something to say, come inside and say it with a quiet voice, calmly and clearly, so as not to tarnish the name of Dis Pater."
The air was heavy.
Though she always says deviant things, Senior Aila is the eldest legitimate daughter of Duke Dis Pater's family.
She certainly possessed the dignity befitting that status.
Lucia shuddered and looked around.
Having confirmed that all eyes were on her, Lucia let out a deep sigh.
"Fine. Let's talk inside."
***
"I'm Lucia von Dis Pater. A member of House Dis Pater. I assume you can figure out the rest without me saying it."
I nodded.
Though they were clearly sisters, the atmosphere between the two was completely different.
If Senior Aila had a calm atmosphere unique to black hair and pomegranate-colored eyes, Lucia had the same colors yet seemed much more prideful.
No, perhaps you could say she was already unbalanced from the twin tails alone.
"Lucia. Mind your tone."
"Why should I? I know the person in front of me is a commoner, at least."
"Deep, I'm sorry. I've indulged Lucia's whims ever since she was little."
"Don't talk like you're my mother!"
Ah, right. I'd been thinking she reminded me of someone since earlier, and now I realized who.
I leaned in close to Senior Aila's ear and whispered.
"She feels like a more pushover version of Senior Karina."
Senior Aila flinched and raised her head, then bit her lower lip hard and fell silent.
"What, what are you two whispering about? Why are you holding back laughter right now? Did you insult me or something?"
"I-I'm merely testing a maid's limits."
Ahem.
Senior Aila quickly composed her expression and straightened her back.
Lucia sighed deeply and jutted her chin.
"Anyway, stop sending me these weird things. I hate them. No, honestly, I hate that my sister is here doing employee-this, maid-that, too."
I have to agree with that somewhat.
If I were from a ducal house and my family member was out working as a maid or whatever, I wouldn't feel entirely comfortable about it either.
"And the most important thing."
Lucia slammed the table.
"If you're going to send me something anyway, you could've sent me a handsome butler!"
Ah.
So that's not it.
It was just a matter of taste.
"Oh my, Lucia. Of course our Employee Club has stewards as well as maids, but maids are our main focus above all."
"That's why I'm telling you to fix that! There are so many handsome guys at the Academy, so why are you only gathering girls?! You're a woman to begin with! Shouldn't you like men more than women?!"
"I merely follow an absolute aesthetic ideal. Think about it. There are few men who prefer stewards, but there are many noble ladies who prefer maids."
It was a logical statement.
I wish she weren't logical about things like this.
"I just said I like butlers!"
"If you like butlers, we could modify it to be a woman wearing a steward uniform…."
"No, I said a male butler! Steward uniforms are obviously meant to be worn by men!"
"Are you aware that demand for women in steward uniforms is also quite high?"
"I don't care!"
Good.
Let's run.
I don't think I need to keep listening to this conversation.
If I went outside and waited quietly, Lucia would probably tire out first, and I could just wait for that before coming back out.
As I was slowly getting up, Lucia suddenly grabbed me.
"Urk."
"Then lend me this guy instead!"
Me?
"People aren't things you lend."
"So what if I borrow a commoner for a bit!"
"You've been calling him a commoner since earlier, but Cadet Deep's rank differs from yours by less than ten places. Could you show a little respect?"
Lucia flinched, then turned her head to glare at me.
"Yeah, now that you mention it, there were rumors. The kids who went to the western front talked a lot about you. Are they all true?"
"W-well, I'm not really sure what rumors…"
"That you defeated 133 enemy Titans with 13 Titans."
Wow, she's swallowed the whole legendary hero hype too.
I have no idea where these rumors came from.
"Th-that's way too much of a lie."
"Hah? Then what about the one where you fought against 100 drones and Fafnir alone and came back?"
"Th-that one's true, actually."
"Hah! It's common to ride on rumors and blow things way out of proportion compared to what you actually did. Did you think I couldn't tell that much?"
But it's true.
"Lucia."
"The butler you cherish?"
"There is no club member I don't cherish."
"So he's not someone you particularly cherish? Then it's fine if I challenge him to a spar with a bet, right?"
Crap.
"You, spar with me!"
Huh?
"You're 28th, right? I'm 19th. It's not a bad offer for you, is it?"
"Lucia."
"If you win, I'll grant you one request, whatever it is. But if I win, you become my exclusive butler."
"D-do bets normally get involved in spars?"
"Well, it's not officially recognized by the Academy, but people do it for fun. Why, don't want to? You don't have to if you don't want to?"
I haven't said anything about the spar yet, and she's already taunting me?
Sorry, but I've been provoked like this many times before.
I know the magic words way better.
"Seeing you get worked up already, you seem sc-scared."
Lucia's expression soured instantly.
"Clear your schedule within a week."
Lucia immediately rose from her seat and stomped outside.
"I'm sorry. Can you win against Lucia?"
"Yes."
No need to even think about it.
Lucia von Dis Pater.
I don't know the exact details, but I already know what kind of Titan she pilots.
Heavy armor, high-mobility shotgun akimbo type.
"I can win."
Commonly called the 'high-mobility killer' build.
But I can win.
"If Deep wins, I'll make Lucia become Deep's exclusive maid."
"I d-don't need that."
If it were me.