Maid Will Go On Through Thick And Thin! Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“This works for now.”
Since they brought back flasks full of water and a bunch of kindling, I gratefully used them to light a fire.
Usually, it would be bad to have an open fire indoors, but this is the chemistry lab. There are plenty of equipment for lighting fires.
I spread out wet newspapers on the table, laid out 4 bricks and rested an iron plate on them, I will be cooking the meat on the fire I’m building on top of that.
It’s not the ground so I can’t do something like stick sticks into the ground.
That can’t be helped, so I will be using the retort stands usually used to secure flasks, liebig condenser or burettes to cook about 10 spits of meat at once.
Ah, I didn’t forget to boil the water in the flasks. It was water collected from a clean river and according to President, it is water that can be drunk normally, but sterilise it just in case!

ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE

And so the meal was done.
The meal consists of bird meat on skewers with salt and soy sauce as well as fruits.
It’s quite extravagant considering our situation. It wouldn’t be strange if we couldn’t use fire in these kind of situations. Being able to use fire and water is a wonderful thing. Yes.
Normally meat tastes better if you let it ripen for a few days after cooking it over a fire, but fresh meat isn’t bad either.
It’s a good thing this was bird meat, if it was meat from a larger animal, then we wouldn’t be able to eat it because of rigor mortis.
really?

“Well, it tastes normal”
“This is quite nice for a mystery bird.”
The taste, salt and soy sauce were quite well received.
Because of the combo of walking a lot, moving a lot and tension, everyone other than me was very hungry. They wolfed the meat down. Wo—ow.
2 fruits and 3 skewers of meat was enough for me. It’s better for the others to eat more.
It’s not like I’m going out of this chemistry lab anyway. My calorie consumption isn’t that much.
We don’t know when our supply of food will run out. I’ll preserve the remaining meat tomorrow. Luckily we have the necessary tools.

wait 3 out of 10?

“……it’s inconvenient without light.”
After the meal, the only thing lighting the dark chemistry lab is the remains of the fire.
Normally we would be able to light up the place using electric lights. But there’s no way we could use electricity without the power cables connected to anything.
“Didn’t we have batteries and light bulbs?”
“We shouldn’t waste them now.”
“Candles……we should save them too.”
In the future, if the three of them had to explore some dark place, it would definitely be safer to use light from a light bulb rather than fire, so we should hold on to the precious batteries and light bulbs until then.
Similarly for the candles. We shouldn’t waste them in a safe room without reason.
……come to think of it, I saved the bird’s fats to see if it could be used frying on the iron plates. It will go bad anyway. Let’s use it.
Err, if I remember correctly, there should be empty cans in the dustbin. ……yep. There’s some, so let’s use 1. Just in case, I chose the one that was the most dented and didn’t seem useful. It doesn’t matter as long as the bottom is fine anyway.
for?

I cut the empty can into half horizontally and lightly washed it. I packed the bird’s fats into the containers that was made from that and placed it over the cinders. Melt. Release your oil.
I tore off a little of an old rag that had been left lying around as a dust cloth, stuck it into the oil that started to ooze out and used it as a wick.
I thinly cut off a bit of the empty can and used it as a wire to support the wick and secured it.
Then light it.
……mhm, it got somewhat brighter. It got brighter but……
“……the smell makes me hungry.”
“It’s bird after all.”
Mhm. It really smells like cooking chicken.

chicken candle

Since the lamp that let out a delicious smell was done, we moved on to making our beds.
“You’re on the counter.”
“Why?”
“It’s not as cold as the floor.”
Thanks to everyone’s gentlemanly spirit, I ended up sleeping on the counter.
I don’t need that gentlemanly spirit.
The ones that are actually going out and doing things is everyone else and if anything happens tomorrow, it is them who are going to do something about it.
So, I should sleep on the floor.
……I objected with the above argument, but they didn’t listen.
Their reasons were simply, 3 boys can’t sleep on the counter, a s.p.a.ce problem, or bad sleeping habits so he’ll roll off the counter, quite a serious problem, those kind of things, so there’s nothing I could do about it, I gave up.
Also our beds are cardboard on top of newspapers, with packing materials that was piled up in a corner of the chemistry store as sheets and spare lab coats as blankets. It’s quite warm with this.
Don’t underestimate newspaper.
It ended up with the three of them huddled together to sleep in the furthest position from the counter. ……this is a little lonely.

good guys

It’s morning. Good morning. Taking a look, the others were still sleeping.
I lit a fire and boiled water in a claypot. If we had miso I would’ve made miso soup tho—ugh.
Nothing I can do about that, so I threw in the bones of the bird from yesterday and tried making soup from that. After I adjusted the taste with salt, it at least became better than plain water.

it’s something

While boiling the water, I cleaned myself with the feather duster. With one feather duster there’s no need to bathe, it’s amazing.
While doing this and that, President woke up, so I also cleaned President with the feather duster.
“What is this.”
“Just stay quiet and be cleaned.”
As I pofu pofu’ed him, with that mystery glow, the cleaning was complete.
I also dusted Suzumoto and Hagasaki-kun in the same way as they were woken up by President’s noise.
“……heey, is this, that? Your skill?”
“YES. It is [Cleaning].”
Well, at times like this, we should bear hygiene in mind. Otherwise we can get sick.
“……[Maid] must be a support cla.s.s. Probably.”
Obviously, it would be scary if a maid was an active front line combat profession.

like Nanaki

After the miserable breakfast of bird soup and fruits, they once again went off the explore.
Just that if they went off like that I would have nothing to do, so I had them gather some branches from a sakura tree for me.
I requested as thick as possible and they brought back an entire sapling.
Oh m—y, how splendid.
It seems Suzumoto chopped it down with a swing of his sword. Mhm. Scary. Seems to be a result of the [Decapitation] skill, but scary things are scary. Why can you cut down a tree with a sword!

logic

I somehow peeled the bark off the sakura tree and made fresh wood shavings.
There’s quite a few tools in the lab so there was no problem. Right now I’m using a saw. Giko giko.
After making wood shavings, I poured them into an eighteen liter drum that had been lying in the corner of the lab.
I opened a hole in another eighteen liter drum and put it on top of the first one, leaving the first one open.
I lit the wood shavings and smoke started coming out nicely. Good good.
I roughly washed the breast meat I had salted since yesterday and wiped off the water.
After wiping it, I tied kite string to it and used wooden chopsticks and a bunch of other stuff to hang it in the eighteen liter drum and put the lid back on.
……basically, I’m smoking it. Smoked chicken break is quite tasty—. It has a light taste and is quite nice—.
But it’s a little smoky so I opened the window. Mh—m, the wind feels good. At times like this, it feels good to do laundry. But if I tried to hang laundry outside in this situation, I will probably become food for the birds.

yep let’s not do that

They came back around noon.
They looked slightly tired, but their expressions were even more lively.
It seems they got new skills. Suzumoto got [Leap], Hagasaki-kun go [Wind Magic] and Presdient obtained [Mapping].
That’s nicee. As for me, it is still [Cleaning] only. d.a.m.n it.
it is fate

“And here is a present.”
President brought back, what! A tuber! It looks like a potato! But it’s ridiculously hufe! It’s a soccer ball-size tuber. It really is huge.
But we can get carbohydrates with this. Yahoo! Obtaining calories from meat alone is quite tough.
“And we also stocked up on water. ……isn’t it kinda smoky?”
“Sorry, I’m making smoked meat.”
Thinking it should be done soon, I took a peek, and it seemed to be just right, so I removed the meat from the smoker and tied to string to the curtain pole and hung it up. Good. After it dries, we will have emergency rations.
“……skillful.”
Me? You can praise me more you know?
“Since we are in this situation, it’s better to have emergency rations if we can.”
“We don’t know when we can return to our normal lives either.”
……Hagasaki-kun’s gloomy voice somehow reminded us of reality.
When will we be able to return to where we came from?

a while

Next, lunch was boiled potatoes and salted potatoes along with the smoked meat that was just made. Hagasaki-kun taste-tested it after staring at it for a while. What was the point of emergency rations!
emergency taste test
Oh yeah, in the middle of cutting the potatoes, I also got the skill [Dissection].
There was suddenly a glow at my chest, so I pulled out my dog tag and took a look and under the skill column there was an additional [Dissection].
According to Suzumoto, by repeating actions that are related to a skill, you will get it as a skill, or possibly there is apt.i.tude and when the situation requires it, you will get it or something.
Suzumoto’s [Leap] and President’s [Mapping] are the former, Hagasaki-kun’s magics are the latter.
Since I dismantled the birds yesterday, with these potatoes, it finally became a skill.
By the way, after obtaining the skill, I became able to use the kitchen knife faster. I already had quite a bit of confidence in that though.

well, it helps

And so, actual taste. The potato tasted like potato. It was seriously potato.
The taste is closer to an Irish cobbler rather then May Queen. ……are there tubers like May Queen in this world?
The smoked meat was made without any spice, just salt, so it’s taste was kinda okay. It’s not bad. A—h, I want pepper.

find the cooking lab

“Then we’ll be off. If there’s any protein foods we’ll get some.”
“Mhm. Good luck. Take care everyo—ne.”
As I sent them off again with a wave, each of them raised a hand lightly in response.
As they raised their hands, Hagasaki’s arm that had been hidden by the sleeve peeked out for an instant.

That thin red line, is probably, a wound.
ag

“W, wai……”
“……what?”
I reflexively called out, but seeing Hagasaki-kun casually put back his sleeve and hide the wound as he turned around, I couldn’t say anything.
That bad mood is probably to hide it.
I can’t tell them to not do dangerous things. I know that going out is dangerous. But they have to go to get both their and my share of food.
If they don’t go, we will starve to death eventually.
“Be careful.”
That’s why I cannot say anything more than this.
Watching them walk off after making brief responses, I was tortured by the feeling of helplessness.

….can’t do anything

Since just waiting blankly would just make me feel impatient, I cleaned the chemistry store I had not touched yesterday.
Pofu pofu. Pofu pofu.
Focusing on moving the feather duster allowed me to distract myself and I eventually became able to sing while working. Singing helps distract me too.

don’t focus on bad stuff

After singing and moving the feather duster for a while, there was suddenly a glow at my chest.
Whwhwhwhat!? Did I do something? I already have the [Cleaning] skill!
…… but when I took a look there was an additional skill, [Ballad].
A—h, that scared me. It comes so suddenly, so it gave me a shock.
But, [Ballad] huuh. ……I, I want an explanation.
And on the reverse side on the second dog tag, [Prayer Song] was written. ……ex, explanation……
….no idea
Fo, for now let’s try singing. I might be able to figure something out. E, err, what to sing.
…… [Prayer Song], right? Prayer song, prayer song, repeating that, I chose a fitting song and started singing.
A pale gold pattern appeared at my feet.
Hi, hieeeeeeee! What is thiiiiiiis! Even more mysterious lights! Aaaaah I don’t get it anymore!
I don’t get it, but something might happen so I continued and sung one song, the design at my feet grew deeper and then paler, continuing to glow and pulse, even after I finished singing. And then after 30 minutes it finally disappeared.
……I, I don’t get it……

uff?

And after doing those things, it was four in the afternoon when I took a look at the clock. (The clock runs on batteries so it’s still working. It’ll probably keep working until the batteries run out.)
They’re late.
……did something happen?
Like they got injured and can’t move? Or something worse?
I can imagine as many scenarios as I want. My precious friends, might have, died.
It’s not a joke, it really feels that way. Yet I cannot do anything.
Because I’m a maid! I have no combat ability or anything!
I only have a feather duster! If I’m attacked I really will die.
……but in the end that might just be an excuse. I’m simply just a coward.
Hagasaki-kun had a cut on his arm.
I think there were dents on Suzumoto’s armour.
Does President have a wound somewhere too?
Those tell me about the dangers of outside. That’s why it’s scary. I’m scared. I’m a coward.
not moving is smarter

But thinking logically, I should wait.
Even if I go, the most I can do is get injured, or at worst die, before finding them. Then I should at least prepare to be able to respond when they come back.
That is probably my role. The role of the profession called maid.

wait for the master’s return

And so, I decided. I decided to bet on it if there is even a small chance.
Specifically, obtaining a new skill!

end