"Welcome, master!!"
No sooner had Luo Shu entered than four beautiful maids greeted him enthusiastically.
A golden-haired twin-tailed maid with cute fangs stepped forward, sweetly lifting her skirt:
"Is this your first visit, master? Would you like some... special service from me?"
She blinked innocently while emphasising "special service".
Yet Luo Shu keenly sensed a faint aura of misfortune beginning to coil around him.
'This feeling... If I agree, am I going to get drained dry tonight?'
He couldn't help an internal sigh. Having previously observed through divine projection on Utaha Kasumigaoka, he knew all the maids here were Succubi.
Thus, he understood this seemingly pure golden-haired girl was fundamentally a Succubus who fed on male essence.
Though curious about the sensation of essence-draining misfortune, Luo Shu raised his hand in refusal:
"Sorry, I'm here to meet a friend."
"Friend?" The black-haired, straight-haired maid on the right smiled as she spoke. "Which guest does the master refer to as his friend?"
Luo Shu glanced at her and replied with a smile, "She's in room six."
The four surrounding him showed subtle shifts in their expressions, though their smiles remained unchanged.
"Ah, the guest in room six. Please wait a moment."
As the words fell, the four maids casually moved to encircle Luo Shu.
The golden-haired maid who had spoken first had faint arcs of light flickering in her pupils, as if activating some form of mind control ability.
Yet at that moment, Luo Shu raised his right hand, pointing the ruby ring on his finger towards them:
"You just need to lead the way."
"Right?"
At his question, the eyes of the four Succubus maids suddenly turned vacant.
"Y-yes."
The black-haired, straight-haired maid's tone was somewhat stiff at first but quickly smoothed out.
"Please follow us."
"Good." Luo Shu adjusted his collar and followed the four maids into the private room area, giving the impression that he had ordered all four to attend to him at once.
Ascending the stairs to the second floor, they reached the innermost room near the fire escape.
Luo Shu waved his hand, leaving the four Succubi standing guard at the door while he stepped forward and knocked.
Knock! Knock!
From inside, Maria Naruse's puzzled voice came through:
"Is something the matter?"
"It's me," Luo Shu replied.
"You? Who are you?" Maria's voice sharpened with sudden wariness.
Then, Utaha Kasumigaoka's surprised voice rang out:
"Luo Shu? What are you doing here?"
Hearing Utaha's voice, Luo Shu nodded and responded:
"May I come in?"
"Wait, just a moment... give me some time."
"Maria, quick, quick—put all these books away! And you, go change into something more conservative, hurry!"
"What on earth is going on?"
Listening to the chaotic sounds inside the room while discreetly observing through a hidden vantage point, Luo Shu's expression turned peculiar.
'Does Utaha really think I wasn't watching earlier?'
'I specifically came over because I noticed you were almost done with the books...'
Recalling how he had teleported back to the Astronomy Club, then taken the Hidden Management Zone's passage to cut through and reach Akihabara, Luo Shu began to wonder if he had wasted his points.
'Maybe Utaha didn't actually want me to arrive early?'
After waiting at the door for less than a minute, Utaha's voice finally came, delayed.
"You can come in now."
Luo Shu knocked once more, then pushed the door open and entered.
His gaze swept over the tatami room. After removing his shoes at the entryway and slipping into indoor slippers, he crossed the short hallway to find Utaha Kasumigaoka, still in her Toyogasaki High School uniform, seated formally on the tatami, with Maria Naruse beside her, now draped in a white sleeping robe.
Maria tugged at her collar, exposing her pale collarbone while glaring with wide eyes:
"Why do I have to wear this? And who even are you?"
Maria Naruse eyed Luo Shu, the uninvited guest, with a wary gaze:
"I don't recall this establishment ever serving a guest like you."
"Likewise, I never expected to find a maid café staffed entirely by Succubi here in Akihabara."
As he spoke, Luo Shu approached Utaha Kasumigaoka, glancing at the pristine table devoid of anything but snacks and coffee before subtly scanning the walls with his peripheral vision. He then took a seat directly to Utaha's right, facing Maria Naruse:
"Let me introduce myself first. I'm Luo Shu, head of the SDS Hidden Management Department, and also the 'owner' of the person beside me here."
At the word 'owner', Utaha's hand suddenly shot out from beneath the table, pinching the soft flesh at Luo Shu's waist with an instinctive twist.
Absorbing the pain as misfortune, Luo Shu maintained an impassive expression while staring at the stunned Maria Naruse.
"Owner?"
Maria Naruse looked between Luo Shu and Utaha, who offered no rebuttal—seemingly accepting the description—before murmuring to herself:
"I see... So that's why there was a wild Succubus roaming about. She's being kept as a pet?"
"Still, I'd never heard of the SDS having a Hidden Management Department before now."
"Well, now you have," Luo Shu replied with a faint smile.
Maria arched an eyebrow at this before responding with a hollow chuckle:
"And then what? What business does an SDS department head have with a little demon like me?"
Baring her fangs in a mischievous, demon-like grin, she added:
"Could it be that you also require a Succubus's services?"
"Yes." Luo Shu smiled in response. "I need some question-and-answer services, though I'm not sure about the pricing."
"Question-and-answer services..." Maria Naruse looked at Luo Shu with a peculiar expression. "What exactly do you want to ask?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu's lips gradually curved upwards as he inquired:
"Is this maid cafe legitimate?"
'You come to a Succubus Maid Cafe and ask if it's legitimate?' Maria Naruse's eyes widened.
'Are you sure you're not here to pick a fight?'