InsomniaWL
patreon
Chapter 167 — The Perfect Part-Timer
🕑 Added 2025-07-11 15:43:11 +0000 UTCMorning sunlight filtered gently through the dark curtains, casting a faint glow over the quiet room.
Nagami lay on his side in bed, gazing down at the sleeping girl nestled in his arms—Yuzuriha Inori.
Her delicate hands were folded near her cheek, and her face still held a soft blush from the night before.
In the light of dawn, her features appeared almost translucent, her calm and even breathing carrying a faint, sweet fragrance uniquely hers.
Don’t get the wrong idea—Nagami had no intention of doing anything.
Not now, anyway.
At the very least, he’d wait until Inori could fully understand and express her own feelings.
Still, sleeping together had already become something of a routine for them.
Even though Kotori had prepared a room just for Inori, the moment she realized Nagami wasn’t there, she’d sneak into his bed on her own.
For someone with such a kuudere, expressionless vibe, she was surprisingly clingy.
…But yeah, he probably needed to do something about this habit sooner or later.
If she pulled this back in the Honkai world, it would be chaos.
“Ara~ What a surprising sight.”
The door opened without warning.
Kurumi Tokisaki strolled in, eyes twinkling with knowing amusement as she took in the scene: Nagami and Inori curled up together on the bed.
“My, my~ So Master has already made his move on this adorable girl?”
“Click your heels, drama queen. Without evidence, that’s defamation.”
Nagami shot her a look, then gently pulled the blanket over Inori and stood.
Blue light shimmered around him as his pajamas morphed into an elegant, cultivation-style outfit.
“And what the hell are you wearing?”
“But of course, it’s to match my new role~”
Kurumi did a graceful twirl, her pure black maid outfit blooming like a flower.
The skirt flared elegantly, revealing slender, shapely legs wrapped in sheer black stockings with garter straps.
With her wine-red eye hidden beneath long bangs and a charming smile on her flawless face, she radiated a dangerously seductive aura.
“After all, starting today… I belong to you, Master~”
“So, you’re officially accepting the contract then?” Nagami smiled, ignoring Kurumi’s usual teasing.
The deal had already been made.
In exchange for Nagami purchasing a Fated One system that allowed Kurumi to travel across worlds, and supplying the time she needed to return to the moment of the First Spirit’s creation—
Kurumi agreed to use her Zafkiel’s Twelfth Bullet twice, sending Nagami into the past to revive those he’d lost.
While bringing her to the Honkai world was technically his request, it was also an opportunity for Kurumi to grow stronger.
So when Nagami explained the Fated One system in detail, Kurumi realized something very important:
She had struck gold.
If her powers weren’t so uniquely suited for time manipulation, there was no way she’d get this kind of treatment.
And since she was already benefiting from this deal, she couldn’t shamelessly ask for even more “time” on top of it.
Still… venturing into another world meant battles—and for her to fight freely without worrying about energy depletion, she’d need much more time stored up.
When she expressed this need, Nagami proposed a simple solution:
He’d hire her.
In exchange for time, she’d become his personal live-in maid—responsible for his daily care.
Meals included. Lodging covered. Health insurance, paid leave, and even a promotion track to “Wife.”
Honestly, after being spoiled rotten by Mei and Rita in the Honkai world, living alone had nearly killed Nagami.
Now he had to do everything himself—and take care of Inori.
Compared to getting hand-fed during meals, this was like being booted from heaven straight into hell.
He didn’t even bother doing laundry anymore—just conjured fresh clothes with Herrscher of Reason powers on the spot.
Sure, he was a shut-in otaku, but back in his early solo days, Nagami had been ridiculously disciplined. Cooking, cleaning, organizing—he did it all.
So what happened?
Mei happened.
Once a man gets used to being lazy, it’s damn near impossible to go back.
“Breakfast is ready, Master~”
Kurumi gave a graceful bow, smiling like the perfect maid.
“Huh… You’re really committing to the bit—wait, what?”
As Nagami stepped out into the living room, he froze.
From the kitchen came another Kurumi—identical to the first, down to the luxurious maid outfit and elegant expression—carrying a breakfast tray.
“Master~ Would you like to eat breakfast… or would you prefer to eat me first?”
She gazed at him with eyes like glimmering jewels, her voice dripping with seductive charm.
“Wh—?!”
Before Nagami could process what was happening, two more Kurumis appeared from who-knows-where, one on each side, gently linking arms with him and guiding him to the table.
One of them picked up a fork and held out a bite-sized piece of cake to his lips.
“Say ‘ah~,’ Master~”
The other dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin, one hand affectionately resting on his shoulder.
Nagami sat stiffly in the chair, mouth mechanically chewing the cake being fed to him—expression frozen in disbelief.
The scene before him was undeniably strange, but Nagami, well-acquainted with Kurumi’s abilities, immediately figured it out.
The Eighth Bullet—Yud Bet!
It allowed Kurumi to summon versions of herself from the past.
These clones weren’t as powerful as the original, but in terms of quantity, there was no limit.
In the anime, she often escaped death by swapping with one of her clones—this was the trick.
However, these doppelgängers could only remain active for a limited time, depending on how much time energy was consumed to summon them.
So...
The real Kurumi gracefully took the seat beside Nagami. Her crimson lips parted in a gentle smile.
“Master, you will reimburse me for the ‘time’ I use during maid duties, right~?”
She batted her lashes, acting the innocent.
Surely, asking for a bit extra reimbursement wouldn’t be too much trouble~?
“Reimburse it! Reimburse it all!”
Nagami didn’t hesitate for even a second.
His raised voice clearly reflected his excitement.
This—this was the perfect maid!
Even better than Tohka in maid mode!
No—Kurumi was the very definition of the ultimate employee!
One salary.
A whole legion’s worth of work.
She was the undisputed Queen of Corporate Efficiency.
Of course, Nagami saw through her little scheme instantly.
Having once been a corporate slave himself in a past life, he knew that kind of logic all too well.
But he didn’t care.
It was a win-win.
“What the hell are you two doing this early in the morning!?”
A sharp voice cut through the air as Itsuka Kotori stepped out of her room, now wearing her signature black commander's ribbon.
She froze in disbelief at the scene before her.
“Kurumi’s Eighth Bullet. You should know how it works.”
Nagami explained casually while enjoying the slice of cake a Kurumi clone fed him.
With another clone giving him a shoulder massage, he was fully basking in paradise.
Kotori’s expression turned oddly conflicted as she took her seat.
Across the table, one Kurumi clone rather rudely tossed a plate of breakfast down in front of the original Kurumi.
The clone then stared her down with an unapologetic glare, as if saying:
“Look, I’m only feeding you because you are me. But my paycheck comes from Nagami, not you.”
Some of the clones were even already scheming—plotting how to become Nagami’s new "mistress" and rub it in the original's face, maybe even sabotage her in petty ways.
This was the downside of Yud Bet:
The clones had minds of their own.
And if they didn’t feel like following orders... well, they wouldn’t.
“By the way, Kotori,” Nagami said, leaning back in his chair, “do you know anything about Neryl Island—the one controlled by DEM?”
Thanks to his powerful soul and mental strength, Nagami could recall information from his past life with crystal clarity.
While he hadn’t read all the Date A Live novels, he’d definitely done his homework on the spirits.
If his memory was right, Tokisaki Kurumi’s target—Nia Honjou—was currently being held in an underground DEM facility on that island.
Kotori’s brow furrowed slightly as she thought for a moment.
“Neryl Island? Yeah, I know it. It doesn’t show up on any standard Pacific maps, but Ratatoskr definitely has its coordinates on file.”
“Master, do you have business with that island?”
Kurumi, still acting the part of the dutiful maid, tilted her head with a sweet voice.
“Yeah. Nia Honjo’s probably being held there. I’m planning to break her out.”
“Do you need help?” Kotori offered without hesitation.
As the commander of Ratatoskr, whose mission was peaceful resolution with spirits, she was naturally inclined to support the idea.
“No need,” Nagami replied with a calm smile. “Kurumi and I are more than enough.”
