The First Task
"Is there a sunny spot somewhere?"
After waking up that morning, Reir finished the simple breakfast Hias had brought him, took a quick bath, and then decided on his first order of business.
"By a sunny spot... do you mean a suitable place to bury people, Master?"
Lucia asked from beside him. The room was packed with countless maids, their eyes sparkling with excitement at the prospect of performing proper "service" for the first time in ages.
Their bright, eager gazes left Reir feeling a bit overwhelmed, but he did his best to stay composed.
"Yeah. All those people in the underground cryogenic units... At the very least, I want them to rest in a peaceful place now that they're gone."
Lucia offered a faint smile.
"Understood. Then please issue your command."
"Please issue your command, Master."
The other maids echoed in unison. Their voices were refined and elegant.
With a slightly trembling voice, Reir gave his first order to the maids.
"C-carry the people out of the cryogenic units on stretchers. We're going to bury them."
"Understood, Master. We will obey your command."
"We will obey your command."
Lucia answered first, and the rest of the maids followed.
*
The underground cryogenic facility.
Reir descended with the maids and placed his hand on one of the units.
"There was definitely a forced override command..."
He dug through his memories, pulled up the sequence, and entered it into the main control board. After several failed attempts, a clear ding sounded.
Forcibly opening the device.
The units began to open, and the bodies tumbled out onto the floor. The maids rushed forward at once, loading them onto stretchers with practiced efficiency.
A few checked for life signs just to be sure, but not a single person had survived.
None except Reir.
"Master, there is one thing I am curious about."
Lucia approached with the crisp click of her heels.
"This facility remained completely dormant for hundreds of years. Then an earthquake opened it, we found you, and now everything is beginning to function again... What could possibly be the reason?"
"Ah..."
Reir tapped the side of his head, trying to dredge up the memory.
But he eventually shook his head.
"I don't know. They only told me the device would activate sometime in the distant future. That's really all I was told. I was just a participant, after all."
"I... see."
Reir let out a sigh as he watched the bodies being carried away on stretchers.
"Maybe one of them knew something... I have no idea what that something was, though."
He shook his head again.
"Well, it doesn't matter anymore. It's just me now."
"...No matter what the circumstances were, we will never regret meeting you, Master."
Lucia's voice was firm and resolute.
"After all, you are a kind person who would use your very first command for the sake of others."
"...Thanks. I appreciate that."
"Big Sister Lucia! Master! We've loaded everyone!"
Hias called out from a distance.
"It appears we have finished loading them all."
"Then shall we head out? You mentioned there was a park nearby, right?"
"Yes. Some maids still maintain it. The scenery is beautiful, and it receives plenty of sunlight."
Reir nodded, pleased with the description.
"Then... let's go."
*
"Master, we can handle this part..."
The maids around him tried to stop him.
"No. When humans die, a human should be the one to hold the funeral."
Reir gripped the shovel and dug into the earth, sweat pouring down his face. The sight made every maid—including Lucia and Hias—fidget anxiously, terrified he might collapse at any moment.
"I want to bury them myself. So the rest of you keep watch and make sure there are no Decommissioned Entities nearby."
"...Are you truly alright, Master?"
Hias crouched down to meet Reir's eye level as he dug, her voice full of concern.
"I'm fine. Being overprotective isn't healthy either. Besides, using my body like this once in a while is good for me. Keeps me strong."
Reir kept digging as he spoke.
"Even so..."
"...Hias."
Lucia stepped closer.
"Yes? What is it, Big Sister Lucia?"
"Let us trust in Master. He is a benevolent person. We must have faith in him."
"Hmm..."
"Everyone? Let's prepare drinks and a meal for Master while he works so hard digging the graves."
At Lucia's call, the maids sprang into action.
"Do what Lucia said! That'll be plenty!"
When Reir gave the order, the maids moved with flawless coordination. Everyone except Lucia and Hias headed off to gather food and drinks.
"Uh... I didn't actually expect them all to leave like that."
Their swift obedience left Reir momentarily speechless.
"The two of us are more than enough to guard you, Master."
"Even if she doesn't look it, Big Sister Lucia is incredibly strong~"
"Hmm..."
Reir accepted their reasoning and went back to digging with renewed focus.
One by one.
He dug the graves, laid the bodies to rest, and covered them again. All the while, he steadily replenished his energy and fluids with the food and drinks the maids kept bringing him.
"Huff..."
But no amount of snacks could fix his fundamental lack of stamina. By the time he'd buried about half of them, he was starting to falter.
"This is harder than I thought..."
"Master, please let us—"
"No..."
Even so, Reir refused to stop. He drove the shovel into the earth once more.
"I have to do this."
He scooped out another shovelful of dirt.
"This is the duty of the last surviving human. The only one left."
Because he was human.
Because it was the sense of justice—or obligation—that came with being human.
An impulse he couldn't quite trace, yet one that felt absolutely necessary.
"Master..."
Lucia watched with a mixture of worry and deep admiration.
So this was her new Master.
What a truly wonderful person, she thought.
Anyone else would have simply ordered the maids to handle everything.
Of course, it was a shame she and the others couldn't serve him directly, but the sight of him acting on his principles was so admirable that Lucia found herself moved.
"Master's so cool, isn't he?"
Hias clearly felt the same. She walked over and gently patted his head.
"Cool, so cool! Our Master is the coolest!"
"...Thanks, Hias."
Reir continued working in quiet determination.
*
"Whew... Finally done."
He had successfully buried the last person.
Reir stepped back from the neat row of graves and knelt in the center.
"Haa..."
He bowed twice, then took a deep breath and spoke solemnly.
"May you find peace in the next world. I humbly pray for the repose of the departed."
"We humbly pray for the repose of the departed."
The maids repeated after him.
"Ah, could you bring the rest of the food on a table as well?"
"A table...? Do you mean a dining table, Master?"
Lucia asked for clarification.
"Yeah. I think we should hold a proper memorial service."
"A memorial service..."
Lucia quickly searched her database for the term, realized it was a ritual for the deceased, and nodded.
"Understood. It is a funeral rite."
"Right."
Soon Lucia returned with a simple memorial offering. Reir performed the rites as best as he could remember them.
Once every part of the funeral was complete, Reir stood up to leave when—
"H-human... really came back...?"
An unfamiliar voice spoke from nearby.
A massive android who appeared to be a maid—well over 180cm tall with striking red hair—approached. She carried a teddy bear in one hand. Her hair was tied in a low braid that fell over one shoulder. Her figure was extremely voluptuous, especially her chest.
Oddly, although she wore a maid headband, she was dressed in plain black clothes rather than a maid uniform.
"The maids were suddenly rushing around saying they had to prepare food for their 'Master'... I wondered what was happening. So a human really has returned..."
She moved slowly, hesitantly, her eyes scanning Reir from head to toe as if confirming he was real.
Hias's gaze sharpened. In one smooth motion she pulled a rifle from beneath her skirt and took aim at the towering red-haired maid.
"Who are you? You're not part of our faction."
"Ah, um, well..."
"Hias, she does not appear to be a hostile entity. If she were, she would have attacked by now."
"Attacking when she's outnumbered would be stupid! She could be hostile but just playing it safe!"
"Human... May I... touch you?"
The large red-haired figure drew closer.
Lucia stepped protectively in front of Reir.
"What exactly are you thinking? To dare reach for our Master..."
"I-it's just curiosity... R-really!"
The red-haired giant scratched her head awkwardly.
"Let her come closer."
"Pardon?"
"You said she's not hostile. Then we might as well get acquainted."
"..."
Lucia glanced between the giant woman and Reir with clear concern, but eventually nodded and stepped aside.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Reir."
"N-nice to meet you... I'm Karin..."
Karin approached and gently touched Reir's cheek.
"Wow... This is real skin..."
She felt along his arms and torso, then—
"?!"
—slipped her hand straight into his pants and began exploring.
"So this is what it feels like..."
"That girl dares to touch somewhere even I haven't touched yet!"
Hias exploded in anger.
Karin withdrew her hand and sniffed her fingers.
"Mm... Yes... So this is the scent... How fascinating..."
"..."
Reir wondered internally if she was some kind of broken maid.
"Ahem."
Lucia shot Karin a terrifying glare.
"Ah... Oh dear... Was that too much? H-haha..."
"Karin. If you are an android maid, you will greet Master with proper respect."
"B-but you're not my Master..."
"Greet him."
Under Lucia's firm, charismatic pressure, Karin flinched and gave in.
"O-okay..."
She bowed her head.
"N-nice to meet you... Once again, I'm Karin..."
Karin smiled awkwardly.
"I'm a maid created for... various purposes..."
