Chapter 122
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Salary
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A glance at the main quest shows the contamination level sitting at around 49 percent. We broke past 50 percent not long ago. It's been quite a while since I transferred here, and even with occasional massive drops in contamination from time to time, we've only just hit about half when measured in percentages. It really hits home how vast this ruin is.
Even with max-level cleaning gear, a bunch of staff members, and additions like the [Robot Vacuums] since I arrived here—all mobilized—we've barely scraped half.
'No, not even half. The lower the contamination percentage gets, the harder it is to find the dirty spots, so it barely budges.'
From now on, things should be different. Up until this point, heroes kept barging in talking about dungeons and whatnot, so we couldn't fully focus on cleaning. Plus, things kept getting dirty again in between, and there were all sorts of issues. But we've taken down a 5-star hero now, so no average hero should come sniffing around anymore.
'Since a 5-star hero already bit the dust, if another one shows up, they'd at least have to send a different 5-star...'
As I've said time and again, there are only six 5-star heroes on the continent. And now one of them is gone, leaving five. I hear those heroes are mainly tasked with suppressing demonic threats across the continent.
Would the Empire really move another 5-star hero carelessly? In this chaotic time?
'If they have any sense, they won't.'
...Probably.
That said, there's a chance the Empire could get really pissed and send another 5-star or even team them up. But I really hope they don't. That would just be a death sentence for everyone.
'More than that... cleaning. Cleaning.'
I glanced at Jeanne, who had first taken it as a joke but was now diligently sweeping the floor with a look like she thought something was seriously off.
I deliberately didn't give her any of the system-provided cheat cleaning tools—just a plain broom—and she's doing it without complaint. I did bind her with a few prepped magic contracts, but still, gotta stay cautious.
For a while, I'll have her handle menial tasks like this and keep info on important tools under wraps while observing how she acts. Her traits from [Employee Management] look decent, but traits are just traits—you can't fully trust them.
For now... for cleaning.
"Awaken. [Durandal]."
I drove Durandal, strapped to my waist, straight into the floor. At once, [Durandal]'s holy domain unfurled, turning the ground around me white within a certain radius.
A little time passed, and when I pulled the sword out, the whitened earth vanished completely, leaving not a speck of dust—just pristine ground.
'...It's really a cleaning tool.'
This was the reward from hitting 50 percent contamination: [Tool Designation]. A system that didn't exist in Cleaning Game. Designate something that's not a 'cleaning tool,' and it gains cleaning tool effects.
The moment I got this ability, I pondered its uses. But before I could think long, heroes came charging in, so I impulsively designated the first thing that popped into my head. The result? [Durandal] became a usable cleaning tool.
"Was it originally capable of this?"
When the Apostle of Radiance used it before, Durandal's power was that holy domain I'd just deployed—buffing allies and himself atop it while debuffing enemies.
It worked properly on the Radiance Hero, so the holy sword's core abilities seem intact...
-[+540p]
"...What's with the cleaning function?"
As if to emphasize that this was purely from designating it as a 'cleaning tool,' Chris never had this effect when he used it. But deploying the holy domain swept away all filth in the radius.
On top of that, I can use [Durandal], but I wasn't chosen by the holy relic or anything, so the key hero symbol—stat enhancements—didn't trigger. My body still has ordinary human strength.
'Not quite ordinary? I ate that fruit Dryad gave me and got a bit tougher.'
Anyway, I'm still weak as ever. At best, I can act as a totem that buffs allies in a pinch. Still handy for cleaning, though.
"You're using a holy relic like that...?"
Jeanne stared in disbelief at Eugene treating a relic called the miracle of the gods as a cleaning tool, but when he shot her a sharp glare, she flinched and got back to sweeping.
Tsk tsk. Sweeping like that just kicks up more dust. I've got a lot to teach her, huh?
Alright, one more time...
"Awaken. [Durandal]."
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"Hm. Can't use it consecutively, huh."
I tested out a few of [Durandal]'s functions.
It's strictly the 'holy domain'—white energy spreading along the ground—so it's specialized for floor cleaning but useless for walls or decorations.
Cooldown check: about 5 hours until reuse.
Bonus: It has a level, but shows as ???, so it's a cleaning tool but can't be upgraded. Instead, like other tools, it can be stored in the [Cleaning Tool Storage]... or what I call my inventory system function.
'This one's kinda cool.'
Honestly, that last feature is pretty badass. Summoning a sword wherever you want... I'll have to play around yelling 'Sword, come forth!' when no one's watching.
"Master! The witches from Walpurgis brought potions!"
"Yeah, got it. Lil? Why you reporting instead of the others...?"
"The other elves are all busy replanting trees outside the dungeon right now!"
No, what I meant was, aren't you slacking...? But words aside, Lil does her share, so it's fine. Gotta greet the witches and take the potions... Hm?
💰 Salary:3,000p (Remaining Period: 1 Day)
...Oh, fuck.
I absentmindedly opened Lil's [Employee Management] window as she came to me, and one line jumped out at me.
'...Right. Salary!!!!'
I'd forgotten, but the [Employee] registration system isn't all-powerful. To keep registered employees, points deduct monthly like salary, scaled to their rank. The points spent on registration are like signing bonuses.
Draina, Lilith, Erzsebet, and Desmond have special [Talents] or racial traits that exempt them from salary costs... But for the others—Lil, Pandora, Rio, and Aqua—points deduct normally.
...Hopelessly short.
I hurriedly checked the other employees' [Employee Management] windows. They had some time left, but soon we'd have to pay out massive points in salaries.
Rough total needed... about 20,000. The others are manageable, but 5-star Aqua’s salary is the killer.
'This is bad.'
Is this how office workers feel at month-start, getting paid but dreading management fees and taxes? Damn. Pouring all points into blocking heroes without thinking ahead... this is the price!!
In Cleaning Game, as employee count and star ratings rose, the periodic point drain became unmanageable for casual players. They stuck to 3 high-star (4-5) employees or seven low-star (2-3) ones—proven most efficient after user calcs.
But me? Five 5-stars—no, six with the Saint. Two 4-stars and one 3-star!!
Nine employees total. Four cost no maintenance points, but five do. Heroes' gear disassembly covered it before when they invaded...
'...Wait. Even if I scrape together points for this month's salaries somehow, won't I need this much every month from now on?'
...A chill ran down my spine. I'd been relieved no more heroes would come, but realized I couldn't relax.
'Sure, failing to pay doesn't directly harm the player, but...'
The problem is not knowing how it'll play out in reality, not the game.
Back in game days, unpaid salaries made the employee grab their gear and bolt, tanked other employees' trust, and locked new hires for that slot for ages.
But now that it's real?
'...No clue how that 'desertion' event triggers.'
Worst case, it mirrors the game: unpaid employees grab cleaning tools and bail from the ruin.
"That can't happen...!!"
I've built a whole system here. Losing even one employee now would be disastrous.
Lil leaves? Her controlled elves follow. Rio? Red Demons. Pandora? Lose my hard-won mage. Aqua's my solid insurance against 5-star heroes...
'Points. I need to earn points!'
But how? Heroes' gear from this time—I saved a few useful ones for future [Tool Designation]—got scrapped already. Points went to healing the badly injured via [Status] recovery.
"Master? Your face looks bad. Something wrong...?"
"...Nah. Just tired."
Did I brood too long? The witches, who'd rushed potions for the injured, were getting anxious watching me.
'Future worries later. Urgent is this month's salaries. About 5 days buffer? Lil's one-day left I can cover with hard cleaning...'
Need points for everyone else's this month. But short-term 20k points method? None obvious...
"We'll head out now. Everyone in the dungeon's pitching in on recovery potions, so we should have plenty in two days."
"Yeah, go..."
As I waved them off mid-brood, a thought struck me, and I looked at the witches.
"W-Why...?"
"........."
...Come to think of it. Dungeon cores gave 10,000 points each as reward, right...?