The Maid’s Efficiency and the Hidden Leak

I reunited with Miroa in front of the bathhouse. She had just finished bathing, and while she was fully dressed, the way she kept her eyes fixed on the ground ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and fidgeted suggested she was still feeling shy. Is she embarrassed? It seemed she was deeply self-conscious about having let her guard down in front of others.

"Ahem."

With a single cough, Miroa returned to her usual cold, expressionless self. "My apologies for keeping you waiting, Master." Her voice was calm and settled once more, accompanied by that cool, detached gaze that seemed to observe the world from a distance. Even though she had shown a softer side earlier, Gwen’s movements stiffened slightly under that piercing look.

"And a pleasure to meet you. I am Miroa, the maid who serves the Master." Miroa bowed politely toward Gwen.

"Oh, right! I’m Gwen."

"You are a resident of this village, I presume?"

"Yes. I live down by the village entrance."

"Understood. We are newcomers to this place as well, so I look forward to your support."

"Then, I’ll just... go fetch some water now."

"Please, carry on."

That was the end of the conversation. While my bond with my maid was strong, there had never been any drama or catfights since our academy days. Miroa was simply too inscrutable, and the feelings she held for me were closer to blind, absolute loyalty. Gwen kept glancing at me with curiosity as she walked, flinching whenever she caught Miroa’s eye, before eventually heading into the bathhouse building.

Just then, a new message popped up before my eyes.

A few new lines appeared regarding Miroa. So, this was something I could have just had Miroa do for me all along. It meant that even if Miroa wandered around the village, she could build favorability with the residents. Even a rough estimate suggested the efficiency was more than double.

Should I ask Miroa to handle greeting the villagers? Normally, a lord doesn’t go around the territory visiting every single house personally. Distributing rice cakes for a housewarming or conducting a census is work for the servants. Of course, any loss in favorability would be shared, but she’s certainly not the type to be hated by others. Miroa wasn't the type to be disliked anywhere she went. If anything, she’d be praised for her silent, diligent work.

It would be great if she could provide help here and there, too. Public service, so to speak. If I leave this to Miroa, I can accumulate favorability while just standing still. It’s something lords who care about public sentiment do occasionally, so I didn't even need to rely on the system for it. It’ll help maintain my dignity and prove my qualifications as a lord. While the nobility of an aristocrat is fundamentally heaven-sent, a tiny bit of it comes from fulfilling one's duties. For a lord managing a territory, that goes without saying. It was work I had to do anyway, and now the system was handing me a bonus gift called "favorability"? I couldn't help but feel satisfied and full.

By the way, did this support party play? I had spent all last night scouring the status window and didn't know. Well, the information wasn't there at the time! It seemed like things were constantly being unlocked and added. I’d just have to keep updating my plans as I went. If I could share things other than the favorability system, the efficiency would skyrocket. Since it was just unlocked, I needed to look into it more.

Is there any additional explanation? As if on cue, new descriptions appeared in a flurry.

The content wasn't overly complex. Once you build favorability, you can recruit that person into your party, and furthermore, it means auto-hunting becomes possible. So, Miroa had been full of favorability toward me from the start. Since she was a party member from the beginning, the "promise" procedure hadn't been necessary. If so, how could I revise my plan to be more efficient...

"Miroa. Give me a moment to think."

"Yes. Please take your time."

Since I had been lost in thought for a while, Miroa just stood there. Perfect poker face, completely devoid of thought. It was only because of her atmosphere and looks that she seemed cool; sometimes, she just looked blank. What kind of thoughts were hidden beneath that cold exterior? I decided to check this, just in case.

And immediately— *Zap!* A spark flew from the status window and struck me right between the eyebrows.

"Ah!?"

Ow. I reflexively rubbed the bridge of my nose and stepped back, but Miroa only tilted her head slightly, showing no particular reaction.

"......?"

"No. It’s nothing. Just a bit of static electricity."

"Understood."

As expected, the contents of the status window weren't visible to others. It seemed to have caused some kind of error, and I soon found out why.

Because she wasn't a village resident. A very intuitive ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and certain reason. But then, why was she listed as a party member in the system? If she wasn't an existence under the system, shouldn't party play be impossible? —Thinking about that was a waste of time. Miracles are inherently incomprehensible. The mages who desperately try to dig into the roots of miracles all go mad. Rather than that, I should focus on how to utilize it. That is the attitude of modern mages, including myself.

"Miroa. I have a request."

"Please, speak."

"The girl who came to fetch water earlier—I’d like you to help her out."

"I also thought it would be difficult for a girl to do it alone, but in reality, there are few who extend a helping hand to commoners. I am moved by your heart, Master."

"While you're at it, greet the villagers to build rapport and spread the word that someone new has moved in."

At that moment, Miroa very cautiously raised her hand to ask for permission to speak. "Your command, Master. It is certainly not a difficult task for me, but..."

"Yes?"

"As I am in charge of your protection, I am extremely worried about leaving you alone. Besides, as you know, I have no talent for dealing with people... I fear I might inadvertently tarnish your reputation..."

It was true that Miroa had a cold atmosphere that was hard to approach. She wasn't the type to step forward and strike up a friendly conversation. But that was exactly why it could be more efficient.

"It’s more efficient for you to go than for me to go myself."

"Efficiency, you say? But I am more confident in physical labor than in dealing with people."

"First impressions are important, so it’s better for someone pretty to go."

She was certainly pretty enough to win favor, but not so much that she’d be looked down upon. And she was incredibly good at doing the dirty work while silently listening to others. From the villagers' perspective, they couldn't possibly hate her. At the same time, I could lay the groundwork to maintain the lord's dignity. Since explaining it in detail would be uncomfortable for both of us, I had compressed it into that one sentence.

"......!"

The hesitation was brief. Miroa maintained her usual perfect poker face. I wished she would at least answer if she understood.

"Miroa?"

"Ah. My apologies! I was listening. Then, as you wish, heh, I will follow your will."

It was only for a moment, but I definitely saw it. She had definitely giggled.

"Then, I shall go!"

Miroa entered the bathhouse, and a moment later, she reappeared, lightly carrying a tin bucket full of water in each hand. Inside the large buckets, the water, which could easily splash violently with even a small movement, remained perfectly still beside her.

"Master. Shall I head to the village now?"

"Yes. Thank you for your hard work."

Miroa reported back nonchalantly. Meanwhile, Gwen, who had followed along, was restless. "Hey. Is this really okay!? You filled them to the brim, your arms must hurt, and, is it really okay to carry them like that? You’ll have muscle aches tomorrow!"

It was understandable for her to say that, as Gwen was also carrying her own share of buckets. She seemed to have found two more inside the bathhouse. However, Gwen was carrying hers balanced on her shoulders. Carrying them ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on her body versus carrying them with arm strength were two completely different stories.

"It’s incredibly hard if you don't put them on your shoulders and use your arm strength!"

"I have no problems at all."

"What about the sword? Is it because you have a sword strapped to your back!"

"It is an item I always carry, so it is not particularly uncomfortable."

Even so, Miroa remained as expressionless as ever.

"Let’s go, Miss Gwen."

"Oh, oh my. Ye-yes!"

Gwen, overwhelmed by Miroa’s superhuman strength, followed her down the mountain. Well, if she’s like that, the territory’s reputation will rise on its own. Now, shall I do my work? Since I’d left the favorability work to Miroa, it was my turn to achieve my original goal. Specifically, searching for oak trees to tap for sap. And while I was at it, I needed to check the condition of the water pipes connected to the village.

I began to climb the mountain path in the direction of the landslide Gwen had mentioned.

Walking with the help of the status window, I soon discovered a grove of high-quality oak trees. The trees were in good condition, and there would be no problem at all in extracting sap to make barrels. I had confirmed the lumber farming location; next was the plumbing.

Search Magic. I planned to use search magic here. The attribute I brought to mind was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠"finding by sight." I vividly imagined a finely crafted glass lens in my mind, using it as a symbol for the magic to boost the efficiency of the search. The target to find was the water pipe buried in the soil, and the shape of the water flowing inside it. Adding a few more attributes and symbols would help.

Afterward, I added a bundle of calculation formulas to properly tune what I had imagined. Thus, like a stream flowing from top to bottom toward a set destination, I gathered my spirit and chanted.

"Reveal that which was unseen."

Then, blue afterimages appeared on the soil beneath the oak grove. The traces, shimmering like water shadows on the surface, gradually deepened and gathered into a line. It was the appearance of the old magic-engineered water pipe buried underground. I walked along the path revealed above the tree roots and fallen leaves.

Usually, the pipes should have been well-buried in the ground. But due to the landslide, many sections were exposed above the soil. However, while examining the area around the plumbing, I discovered a strange trace.

What is this?

Between the piles of dirt, around the pipe joints, sticky blue slime was smeared. It felt different from ordinary mud, water stains, leaf debris, or moss. It was an acidic liquid that felt like a remnant of magic. I finally understood why the pipe-clearing magic I’d used on the first day hadn't worked properly.