* * *
And so, having taken my first step as a maid apprentice, I am currently cleaning the hallway of the residence alongside Maid-senpai.
“……”
“Hiih…hiih…”
Maid-senpai is sweating profusely, trembling slightly, and single-mindedly wiping away the dirt on the floor.
That said, I don’t think this work is so strenuous as to make one tremble?
<…Doesn’t it seem like she’s scared of you, Emi?>
Ah, Extra agrees, huh?
…Come to think of it, even when she served us dinner last night, this person seems to tremble and look uneasy whenever I get close.
Is she afraid? Of me?
…Is it because I’m a cursed child…?
<Hmm, the discrimination against those with black hair and black eyes really runs deep. Yet in all the Isekai broadcasts I’ve watched from this world, it was never mentioned at all. No…come to think of it, were there even any black-haired, black-eyed characters in the Ardystian broadcasts…? If so, then that means…?>
Hey, Extra! We can analyze that later!
For now, I need to work hard at my job and get Maid-senpai to acknowledge me, overcoming this black hair, black eye handicap!
That’s what’s important!
So with that in mind, I start cleaning the floor too.
In this world…or at least in this region, it seems normal to walk around inside houses wearing outdoor shoes, so there’s quite a bit of noticeable dirt and mud.
Thanks to the physical strength tempered through my master’s harsh training, I can handle the usually tiring floor wiping with ease.
Thank you, master.
“Um…excuse me…!”
Hmm? What is it?
I look up to see Maid-senpai standing on the other side of the hallway.
The floor between us…eh, it’s already sparkling clean!?
The sunlight pouring in is reflecting so brightly, it’s like indirect lighting!?
Eh? Eh? What? Could it be that Maid-senpai finished cleaning this entire hallway floor in such a short time!?
“E-Emi, you can polish the floor around you. I’ll go finish cleaning the first floor.”
Ah! Maid-senpai is trying to make an excuse to get away from me!?
Wait, wait!
I use 【Grasshopper】 to move sideways and convert the momentum to land soundlessly, instantly closing the distance to Maid-senpai.
“Hiih!? Hieee!?”
“……”
“St-stop! Don’t kill me!!”
Why is she talking about killing all of a sudden?
I gently take the hand holding the mop from the flustered Maid-senpai.
“…Please teach me.”
“…Eh?”
“Senpai, your cleaning is amazing. Fast. Spotless. Please teach me how.”
Looking into her eyes while holding her hand.
I remember being told in my previous life that to convey sincerity, it’s important to look into the other person’s eyes when talking.
When I actually tried it though, I got punched with a “Don’t glare at me!”
But generally, it seems to be an important thing.
I may only be here for a month, but I’m a maid apprentice!
I want to be useful, even if just a little!
Please let me learn!
I convey those feelings through my gaze.
“O-Okay! I understand, so please let go of my hand!”
Maid-senpai finally acquiesced to my request.
For some reason, she’s almost in tears.
She must have been deeply moved by my ardent feelings!
<Or she’s just scared of you?>
Ignoring Extra’s very reasonable interjection.
Maid-senpai places the mop on the floor and begins wiping the area I missed cleaning.
I didn’t notice properly earlier when I was focused on cleaning, but Maid-senpai’s cleaning speed is abnormal.
There must be some trick to it.
“If you wipe while thinking ‘get clean like this’…ugh…uuu…”
For some reason wiping the floor with tears in her eyes, Maid-senpai simply ran the mop over it and…hey, the floor is sparkling clean!?
Cou-could it be…!?
【Magic Perception】 activated!!
<Oh!? I see, this is…>
Through 【Magic Perception】, I could indeed see the flow of magical power around Maid-senpai’s hands.
A familiar flow.
It’s the opposite of 【Silverfish】.
Not sticking things together, but peeling them off.
An application of the technique used in the jumping stage of 【Grasshopper】!
<So in other words, this maid was using magic to peel off the dirt and then wiping it away. Shall we call it 【Peel】?>
I try it out myself.
Since I’ve done similar magical power manipulation many times before, I was able to pick it up fairly easily.
Just a gentle wipe of the mop and even stubborn dirt comes right off! Squeaky clean in no time!
Wow, this is fun.
<Ah! Be careful Emi! If you get carried away…>
Eh?
…Ah! Oops!
I didn’t just peel off the dirt, but took a thin layer off the floor too!?
<Yes, moderation is key. Practice is needed.>
Ma-Maid-senpai didn’t…phew, she didn’t see that.
Well, I just peeled a little off the floor, that’s all.
If I keep quiet, she probably won’t notice! Ohoho!
The tricky part is dealing with these wood shavings I gouged out of the floor.
These wood shavings that came out like bonito flakes after planing.
I never imagined I’d be dragging out wood shavings from the floor with a mop.
What should I do?
How can I hide this?
…Got it, I’ll just eat them. munch munch
“So, if you clean like this…Emi? Are you eating something?”
Crap!
N-No, I’m not eating anything!
I quickly swallow the wood shavings and vigorously shake my head.
“Senpai, you’re really amazing. You can use cleaning magic.”
Rather than making excuses, I decide to just compliment Maid-senpai instead.
Applying magical power manipulation to cleaning is something I could only imitate because I was trained to a certain extent by my master. I don’t think it’s something ordinary people could easily learn.
“Ma-Magic? What are you talking about, I can’t use anything like that.”
Maid-senpai looks bewildered.
<Ah, this is one of those cases where she’s unconsciously activating magical power manipulation. A pattern often seen in skilled craftsmen.>
“…Senpai’s cleaning is magic.”
“Eh, um, you mean as a metaphor? Like ‘it gets clean like magic’, right?”
Hmm, I’m not getting through properly…
“Well…thank you for the compliment anyway.”
…Ah whatever.
Though a bit awkwardly, Maid-senpai finally gave me a smile!
After that, Maid-senpai and I, having closed the distance between us a bit, cleaned the first floor of the residence together.
Although I had learned 【Peel】, Maid-senpai was still able to clean the rooms much faster than me.
Feeling inefficient cleaning the same area, I used 【Silverfish】 to climb up the walls and clean the high ceilings and upper walls that are usually hard to reach and quite dirty.
It was fun seeing it get cleaner the more I polished.
Seeing me sticking to the ceiling, cleaning upside down, Maid-senpai’s face was contorted.
And the distance between our hearts grew a bit wider again.