Side Chapter: The maid exams

After that incident with the turning childrenand cleaning up the mess afterwards, life was partially back to normal. Paritally, because Mizuki started to introduce the "item" of interest. The item was a jar of blue and red candies.

"The red ones make you younger, the blue ones make you older." And she demonstrated by popping one of the red candies in Inuko's mouth. Effects were immediate. Inuko was a back into a kid, but unlike she was aware of the change. Even the clothes shrunk as well.

"Nee-chan!"

"How cute!" Rias runs to hug her. "Inuko, you really are cute like this. Even the scar on you looks adorable on you." Since then, Inuko had stopped wearing ofudas on her face, but still does when going out. But she still blushed when words like that were given. Rias seemed to be in higher spirits after that date. While she didn't get a full confession of sorts, She had a promise from Inuko, and for now that was have done the typical movies and dinner date, with Inuko being courteous enough not to order a lot of popcorn or food as to not embarrass Rias. But the latter didn't even mind, and insited if she was still hungry to order seconds, but Inuko declined, saying that wasn't proper of her to do on a date.

"Buchou-san, please let me have a turn." Asia marveled at the cute Inuko. The rest wanted a piece too. Even Sona could not keep her cool fascade. Seika was ready to kidnap her, but Mizuki held her back. Nina was amazed that she tinier than her.

"Here, Nina, you can eat the blue candy." Mizuki smiles, handing the said candy.

"Okay."

"No, wait!" Too late, Nina popped the candy into her mouth before Inuko could stop her. She turned to a highschool student!

"Amazing." Yuuto comments.

"Oh, bishonen, don't look at my imouto with those eyes!" Inuko yelled while being buried under Akeno's breasts. Yup, looks like a normal day again.


After that fuss, Seika comes forward.

"Ojou-sama, Inuko-sama, Nina-sama. It is time."

"Oh, Seika. Leaving already?"

"Hai." The girls could clearly see a suitcase by Seika's side.

"Where are you going, Seika-san?" Asia asks.

"I have to, unfortunately, renew my maid licence."

"They give licences to maids?"

"You'd be surprise what kind of maid she is, Buchou."

"Frankly, Inuko, I'm not that surprised anymore."

"Yes, and so, we will be off."

"We?" Sona looks to see Yuuma, Miltelt, and Kalawanar also with suitcases.

"They are to get their maid licences." Seika adjusts her glasses as she said that.

"They are under the Kusanagi employment." Inuko shrugs. "And as you may or may not know, we settle for nothing but the best in our household." Oh, they knew alright. Why else was Seika here?

"Worry not, Inuko-sama." Seika states. "I have DRILLED them to the best of my abilities. They know the consequences of failure after all." When she said those words, the fallen angels were all pale and white, shivering from memories.

''''What in the world did she do to them?'''' Was every devil's thought.


Waving off to Seika who dragged the stiffened lot to a waiting limo, Mizuki took the time to explain how they get their licences in the first place.

"They're going to some place to take the Maid Exams."

"Maid Exams? I didn't realize an examination was established for such a profession?"

"It's pretty much still new, So-tan."

"Please stop calling me that." Sona was ignored.

"In actuality, it was established to verify the usefulness of a high skilled and professional maid."

"Who established it?"

"Us." Inuko answered them, as she enters the living room. "Though we don't run it anymore. The exams are now evaluated by several retired professional maids we hand selected ourselves after they still wanted to work after retirement. Now they are instructors to the tests. And overtime, people found out and funded the exams to get their maids credibility via the Kusanagi name."

"Why make it?" Xenovia asks. Inuko replies.

"We needed to rely on someone who can do everything a master wishes, but within their dignity and honor as an individual."

"A maid is not a slave." Mizuki explains. "Many people forget that simple fact and exploit the service industry. When we made Seika our head maid, we felt that compared to other maids, she was the best of the best."

"But even the best needs a good challenge. That's why we made an examinational process to weed out the ones that have no qualms with losing their dignity." Inuko's face darkened. "Those people have no rights to be in the same profession as Seika-nee."

"But then, how did you establish the testing method?" Rias questions.

"Surprisingly, we took poll of several thousand different people on their take of a maid, and combine that with our views."

"Add a dash of appropriate challenges, both physical and mental." Inuko shrugs.

"And we get the Maid Exams." Mizuki smiles.

"But with all the maids gone, who'll take care to the housework today?" Mizuki's smile turned for some strange reason, dark, at Rias' question.

"Oh, there's nothing that says we can use temporary maids" the smile was wider, the fear was creeping. "So long as they have no intention of working in the industry forever."

"T-temporary maids?" The look in Mizuki's eyes gave a sense of dread to Asia. It was confirmed when Inuko handed her and Rias a set clothes.

"Here girls, your uniforms." It was maid uniforms.


Meanwhile with Seika and the fallen angels, they have reached their destination. It was huge manor in some secluded mountains. The drivers had made them wear blindfold to conceal to whereabout of this location. Just on the grounds of the manor itself, they can see hundreds of maids in different, but similar attires, all lining up for licence get and renewal. The minute Seika stepped out, murmurs and whispers were all over.

"It's the great maid!"

"The great maid…"

"They say no one has still been able to beats her records."

"I heard she took care of an entire mob for her master's safety."

"That's not what I heard, it was an army of robots."

"Look at that. She brought some girls, are they the new help in her place?"

"They're so lucky to be working for someone so grand." Praises were what Yuuma, Mitlelt and Kalawanar heard. They smiled slightly at the navietivity.

'''If they only knew….''' They all thought, remembering the terror of the super maid. Of course, praises weren't the only things they heard.

"I bet she had her master rigged the exams again so that she gets high scores."

"With a body like that, I'm not surprised." Kalawanar was about to give them a piece of her mind, and a light spear through their throats, when Seika stopped her.

"Words like that are meaningless." She pulls Kalawanar back. "Let them talk, it's all they can do until Inuko-sama gives me the word." When she said that out in the open, the maids who insulted her started paling in fear. "Just remember girls, the Kusanagi name is riding on your shoulders. Show these girls the power of maid of Kusanagi."

CLAP CLAP CLAP

"Such fine words from a maid such as yourself. Wonderful, Seika-sama." Seika looked to the source of the voice.

"Greetings, once again, Grayfia-sama."


"Now that I think about it, Grayfia should be there by now." Mizuki thinks out loud as she watching TV with Nina.

"Eh, Onee-sama is?" Rias looked back from dusting.

"Sure. She was one of the first to know. Has a rivalry with Seika-nee like a hurricane. Fierce for first place,though sadly Grayfia always end up second." Inuko walks over to examine the work before going to her room. "You missed a spot, Buchou." Rias sighs in frustration.

"And why do we have to be the maids?" Mizuki turns back and smiles.

"Well, Rias-chan. This is punishment for breaking my house rules. You can either be a maid now, or be something else later. I don't mind doing the later if you and Asia-chan prefer." The smile was terrifying.

""We'll be maids today."" They unanimously agreed.

"Don't worry, girls. I'll help you out." Inuko comments while she comes back, wearing a butler uniform. "The house is quite large now after all." The girls were star struck at the handsome sight. Mizuki smiles.

"Oh, that's right. Butlers don't have exams yet."

"Please no, I'm not making this a profession. Also, don't forget I'm not a man!"

"Butlers don't have to be men!"


"This year seems quite a large number this time." Grayfia comments as she looks at the crowds.

"Ever since the reform, there have been quite a ruckus of numbers. It makes no difference however." Seika aura of a hydra suddenly emerged. "I will continue to be on top. For the sake of my Inuko-sama."

"That is where you are mistaken, Seika-sama." Grayfia, too, showed an aura. It was that of image of a red queen. "This time, I will the one who will defeat you." Oh boy, a battle between the super maids.

"Very nice determinations, girls." An old distinguished woman comes between the two. "But save that enthusiasm for the test."

""Miss Maria!"" The auras died down and both maids curtsied before the old woman. ""We apologize for our undignified behavior."" This was Miss Maria Graceburth, one of the chief examiners of the Maid exams. Many in the service industry know her as being a highly distinguished family of maids in her time, serving royal families such as Queen Elizabeth, and her grandmother King Louis VIII. Now retired, she entrust her values of maidhood to those she recognize, particularly Seika and Grayfia who have earned her respect.

"Very good." Maria approached the fallen angels. Her stern face brought a chill on their backs. "These are…?"

"They are new members of our Kusanagi family, Miss Maria."

"I see…" She turns back to Seika. "They look to show quite some potential. It seems you been training them well."

"Thank you for your praise."

"Well then, shall we being the exams?"


"Wonder how their doing their exams?" Mizuki looks up form her book.

"Probably already half gave up on the first part." Inuko comments, wiping a window. Now Nina was also wearing a maid uniform, helping out using her snow knights.


The first test: Balance.

"Maids must be able to remain poise at all situations." Maria was lecturing. "One must never allow any situation to destroy their form." How could say such things when the testers were actually walking on a floor of spikes and balancing fifty encyclopedias on their head. It turned out more than half of the maids quit when seeing the first test ground. Those that attempted couldn't even get the books on their head and some that did, got struck by the cannon fire of volleyballs. Luckily they had straps on to prevent being impaled by the spike floor. But most of those were disqualified. Seika and Grayfia were well into the lead, keeping their heads high, the forms straight, and not even the cannon fire was phasing them, even when they were well past a good half and cannons fire had cannonballs in them.

"You fail." Maria was failing another one who almost fell. But she looked up and saw that while they were slow, the fallen angel maids were actually passing the course quite well. Great form, and surperior balance. "Impressive, you girls trained well."

"""Thank you for the praise, Miss Maria.""" And then they all thought. '''Fifty are better than 1000.''' For the first test out of 175,000, 25,000 maids passed.


The second test: Cleaning.

"The house of the master must remain ever so spotless, so that the master themselves can be welcomed in a clean and warm home, free of worries." And she walked around observing how they handle their items, Maria narrows her eyes at one point.

"You fail, get out."

"W-What!" A flustered maid looks up.

"You must never clean the silverware with newspapers, that invites tarnishing. Now get out."

"Miss Maria is tough as always." Seika comments while dusting the bookshelf.

"I agree. It's good she hasn't changed." Grayfia agrees which cleaning the dishes. After the second test, from 25,000 to 10,000


The third test: Manners

"A maid must be polite and respectful to their master and their guests. A maid that fails these proper etiquettes fails their master." Yuuma had a hard time as she was being groped by some unsavory individual, but quickly remembered some words from Seika.

"A maid is not a slave. You have as much dignity as any individual." With that in her heart-

SLAP

The others were stunned that she slapped the person she was serving.

"Kind sir, my profession is not that of any provocative nature you think of it to be. If you wish to do that once again, I will call the proper authorities upon you and inform my master of your misconduct." She bows. "Excuse me." And walks away. Maria smiles.

"You have a good apprentice, Seika." She calls out to Yuuma. "You pass." With that from 10,000 to 700.


The last and final test: Combat

"Fighting is crude method of any individual to use. However, as a maid who serves, one must be able to defend their masters when necessary from such uncouth individuals." The fallen angels smiled. THIS was something they were good at. Nothing bloody occurred, but a lot of girls are gonna wake up feeling bruised up. With that test, only 50 passed.


"Hmmm…." Mizuki looked at the clock. It was about nighttime already. "It's about time we get we get ready."

""Hai."" Inuko and Nina agreed. Inuko goes to everyone and announces the plan. Everyone agreed and and got ready.

"Begrudlingly, I'll call that chicken." Seika opens her cellphone.

"And I'll call Sirzechs." Inuko did the same.


The ceremony of licencing was underway now. Maria gave the new licence to Seika and Grayfia.

"Excellent work as always, Seika."

"Thank you, Miss Maria."

"It is unfornate you have lost again by a few points, Grayfia."

"There is always next years to polish my skills, Miss Maria."

"Good attitude." Then she smiled at the three fallen angels who passed her hardest exam ever.

"I expect a lot from you girls." She says. "Serve the Kusanagi well." Yuuma, Miltelt, and Kalawanar stared at their licences. They had realized that it was tough being such a maid, but for some reason they didn't mind the work because of their current masters. They smiled and said with conviction.

"""Yes, Miss Maria!"""


POP POP POP

The sound of the party poppers surprised the fallen angel maids who returned home with Seika.

"Welcome back girls." Inuko comes out of the group of party poppers. Now that they take a good look, they saw that they was balloons and fanfares, and a large sign on top of a food spread saying 'Congratulations on Passing!' To say they were surprised is an understatement.

"We're home, Inuko-sama." Seika pushed the girls into the house, lightly scolding. "Come now, didn't you pass the exams? A maid must be able to control themselves in these situations."

"""Master/Inuko-sama…."""

"Oh come now, girls. How we ever even mistreated you during your stay here?" Inuko says as Nina puts party hats on them. "You are now under the employ of Kusanagi. Of course not."

"Oh, Grayfia, welcome." Mizuki sees the newcoming visitor and approaches her smiling. "You lost, didn't you?"

"There is always another time."

"That's right, my Grayfia will not lose next time." Sirchezs walks forward, putting a party hat on his wife's head.

"Sirzechs-sama…"

"That's right, the important thing is that you all got your licences, right?" On cue, they showed their cards. Mizuki smiles. Someone walks forward. It was a woman with long purple hair. Her demeanor gave that of a strict woman, with evidence she was walking to them while draggin Azazel by the ear.

"Please, no more!" Azazel tried to save his ear in vain.

"Congratulations, you three." The woman smiles to them.

"""Penemue-sama."""

"You have integrated yourselves well into the household." Penemue looks and smiles at Yuuma. "You seem to be well."

"Yes." Yuuma replies. "I have received a new name and purpose to live for my master, Inuko-sama."

"That's good, that's good." Penemue pulls on Azazel. "Don't you have something to say?" She lets go and Azazel straightens himself.

"I'm so proud of you girls." Azazel says with a smile. "Especially you, Miltet, Kalawanar. You two have really shown to get over your fears."

"It was a hard battle." Kalawanar states, deadpanned.

"But for our Mistress Seika, we endured." Miltelt finishes with a smile. Penemue smiles wider and looked to Mizuki.

"What do you think, darling?"

"I actually have no problems with them. You should be asking Seika that question though."

"Well, Seika. What do you think of them?"

"They are very much like ores. Raw material, when I first them." Seika adjusted her glasses. "Miltelt and Kalawanar were only polished a bit before they were sent out, undefined and jaded by lies." The two remebered their first meeting with the maid and cringed. "However, I have polishing them all myself. And I can honestly say they are quite beautiful jems now."

"""Mistress Seika…."""

"Dry your tears. Haven't I made it my point to share my bed with you girls?" In happiness, the two fallen angels run and hugged the maid. Yuuma went to hug Inuko, which cause jealousy among the girls.

"So you did acquire mistresses?" Inuko says while getting her cup refilled.

"Is that wrong? I'm a Kusanagi, after all." Seika smiles, a rare occurence. "I still have intentions making you my first spouse though."

"As long as they're okay with it…."

""We diffinetely are okay with it!"" The two agreed so readily.

"Master, will you still make me your mistress?"

"""Inuko…""" The girls were putting on heavy auras. Inuko just waves at it.

"Yuuma, let's talk about that again when I actually married my first wife." Mizuki decides to save her sister and raise her glass.

"And so…with all our maids successfully getting their licences. We're all drinking hard tonight."

""YES!"" Inuko and Neptune pumps her fist in the air. Then Inuko sees her kid.

"Neptune…"

"Pops, I'm legal too, remember?"

"I keep forgetting." With that, the party lasted for a while.


"Azazel-sama…." Azazel looks up from his drink to see Seika approaching him, with no killing aura at that.

"This is rare, Kusanagi maid. You're not going to try to kill me?"

"Another time, perhaps." Azazel cringed at that. "I was hoping you would do something for me."

"Are you asking me on a date."

WHAP

He got bit by a harisen. Actaully Seika almost went for the nail bat, but she didn't want the floors to get bloody today.

"Be serious, Azazel-sama."

"That's seriously hurts." Azazel clutched his head. "So what do you want?"

"An investigation of sorts. Please keep this a secret from Inuko-sama." She hands him a small bottle. He looks at it.

"What is it?"

"I got this from Cattleya Leviathan's body, I think it is a source of power."

"? Alright, I'm intrigued. Give me some time and I'll get back to you. For now, you should enjoy your party."

"I'll do just that." And Seika runs to Inuko, hugging her in the process.

"Yes, Seika-nee?"

"You've done a wonderful job cleaning the house, Inuko-sama."

"Well, it was a team effort." Inuko points to Nina, Rias, and Asia.

"Good work to you all as well."

"We should be saying that." Rias actually for now didn't mind Seika hugging Inuko. Remebering all the cleaning they did, never mind more than half was takne over by Inuko and Nina. "Such a large house. With such specific ways to clean the contents of a room. And everyday at that. You have no easy task, Seika-san."

"What are you saying, Rias-sama?" Seika smiles yet again. "It's easy enough, when you do it for the one you love." Another day that was all good.


Author's Note (7/20/13): One more story, and book 5 is next. Next is my take on 300 Ise. (7/20/13) Readers, I just realized that 300 Ise occurs after book 5. As such the next side story is suspended until I finished book. Book 5 is now coming up!

Author's Note: The woman, Maria, is reference to Mai Otome. I actually can't picture anymore old woman as stern as her really. And the rules of the maid is something I thought off, I take this off no reference. It's actually surprising how little I can find on rules of victorian-aged maids.