Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Experiment Arc (13)
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I'd forgotten to put up the "Cleaning in Progress" sign at the entrance in my rush. It should have been in the cleaning supply closet.
Considering how the servants were usually treated, this was definitely something that warranted punishment.
Right now, I was in the inner stall of the two toilet compartments.
Anyone who saw me would probably think I was sitting there hugging the toilet. I'd been wiping it down with the rag when I froze in place.
"Please go to the outer toilet... please go to the outer toilet..."
—Tap, tap
Did they stop in front of the next stall? The door wasn't closed, so even a slight lean would reveal me.
A few seconds passed like that.
—Tap, tap
"...?"
My eyes met Mere's. She was in her robe.
'Gasp.'
My pupils must have been shaking like crazy.
"...Your cleaning method is quite unique. Do you clean while hugging the toilet?"
My mouth dropped open wide.
"I need to use the bathroom, so get out."
With that, Mere turned and entered the adjacent stall.
'She doesn't seem to have gotten the wrong idea...'
I couldn't disobey Mere anyway, so I quickly stood, put the rag and powder back in the supply closet, and left.
'Haa...'
The thought that Mere of all people had seen me made my heart pound.
I was relieved she didn't punish me or say much.
But this wasn't the time for that. Time was short.
Next up was cleaning the shower room next to the women's restroom.
"I'm entering to clean."
After waiting about five seconds with no response, I opened the door and went in.
This time, I grabbed the "Cleaning in Progress" sign from the supply closet and placed it in front of the door. I quickly scanned the shower room interior and only handled the noticeable spots.
'Hair removal, organize items, fold towels.'
It took about five minutes. It was nearly seven anyway, so I couldn't spend more time and wrapped up the cleaning.
'No obvious stains, so it should be fine.'
Even amid all this, the mana had steadily seeped into my muscles, making them feel lighter and stronger.
Was this the law of balance? When something bad happens, something good follows.
...With mixed feelings of relief and discomfort, I spent the rest of the day and finished my duties.
A few days passed, and June 1st arrived—the day of the secondary sexual characteristic check.
I started the morning cleaning the women's restroom as usual.
My greatly improved cleaning speed was thanks to reinforcing my body with mana.
Recent training had finally allowed me to reinforce my body with mana, but I still lacked the knack, so it only worked on areas where I'd deliberately fatigued the muscles to drain the power.
I suspected my body was unconsciously repelling mana before fatigue set in.
The faster cleaning speed also owed to figuring out a new way to use Dirt Clear.
By placing the rag over a soiled spot and casting Dirt Clear, even the area under the rag got perfectly clean.
The day I ran into Mere, I'd started cleaning late too, but now I could begin at 6:05 and finish the shower room thirty minutes early.
'That's why I haven't run into Mere again.'
Today was also the weekly visit to cast Preserve, and the check-up day, so it was the first time seeing her since then.
Mere was a cold, mechanical adult, so I hoped she wouldn't make weird assumptions or nitpick about that day.
After finishing servant duties, evening came, and I headed to the lab.
"No need for records... or rather, no more video recording."
Was the experimentation and research finally over? Mere didn't activate the black crystal orb for logging experiments.
"Bark, wait outside the lab entrance."
"Understood."
For once, Mere sent Bark out. What did this mean...?
"It's just a check-up. No need for Bark's help since it's neither an experiment nor research."
She said that as I watched Bark leave.
"Take off your shirt."
At Mere's following command, I hesitated and moved my hands to the servant uniform's top.
"Why are you dawdling?"
Mere stepped closer.
"...It's nothing."
I grabbed the collar, pulled it up over my head, and slowly removed the shirt, placing it on the floor.
It was early summer, but the room's air felt chilly, slipping between my thin undergarment.
Mere sighed.
—Slap!
The slap was harder than usual; my head snapped to the side. My cheek burned and stung like a burn.
"Did you forget what today's check is for? Did 'take off your shirt' sound like 'keep your underwear on'?"
Mere's words stabbed my heart like a dagger.
"...I'm sorry."
I then removed my undergarment the same way, grabbing the collar and pulling it off.
I slowly lowered my arms and let it drop.
—Plop
The undergarment fell atop the shirt.
From the waist up, my bare torso was exposed to the cold air. My head hung low, as if to bore into the floor.
Mere's cold voice rained down.
"Raise your arms. I need to check your armpits."
At her words, I lifted both arms to expose my armpits.
Mere lowered her head to inspect them, then even touched them with her hand.
'Aah...'
It was a chilling sensation.
In this situation, touching Mere's skin like this felt utterly horrifying.
"No stubble. You haven't been shaving in secret either. So the hair just hasn't grown yet."
I had no response to Mere's words, so silence fell for a moment.
Then Mere slowly circled me, scanning my body with eyes like she was appraising livestock.
"Hmm, no acne either... This won't do. Take off your pants."
'Haa...'
I really didn't want to.
But staying still would just earn another slap like before.
'Why do I have to bare myself like this in front of Mere of all people?'
With humiliation and resignation, I grabbed the hems of my pants and slowly lowered them to the floor.
Now, clad only in my lower underwear, my body stood pathetically exposed.
Cold air crept between my legs, mingling with the shame binding my whole body. I trembled faintly, overcome by an indescribable misery.
Mere, indifferent to my feelings, circled me again.
"No acne scars on the legs either. Just peach fuzz for hair."
Mere's low voice came from behind.
The cynical tone burrowed into my ears, sending chills and cold sweat. Dread rose at the thought of what she might do next.
Thankfully, nothing happened after a moment, but Mere's chilling voice pierced my ear again.
"Tch, still just useless trash after all. The day you're truly useful is still far off."
Her words seared into my ears, and I turned my head.
Even breathing hurt. The shame wouldn't subside.
All that remained in my chest was a deep, piercing humiliation.
Imperial Year 1484, June 1st. It had been a few days since I turned twenty-four.
Secondary sexual characteristics still hadn't appeared, but my body had thickened a bit more.
Since the "First Secondary Characteristic Check" two years ago, I'd trained relentlessly.
With the goal of eventually escaping, I'd skimped on sleep and secretly trained during duties.
As a result, I'd mastered all remaining intermediate blue magic, and my mana capacity had greatly increased.
I'd also mastered concealing mana, and Rat Pup acknowledged I'd reached the cusp of intermediate warrior.
Aside from the Dirt Clear and Preserve Mere demanded, I'd learned all other spells as personal-use versions, like the beginner blue magic.
'Reflexive Filum Stasis: While active, no changes appear in body hair.'
Among intermediate blue magic from Karashi, she called it mediocre compared to others—somewhat divisive.
Like Dirt Clear, it's convenience-oriented, so it might feel underwhelming for an intermediate slot.
'If a beard ever sprouts, I could use it to hide from Mere.'
But there were no signs of secondary traits like facial hair yet.
'Reflexive Aura of Focus: While active, concentration greatly increases.'
Though called mere concentration, viewing the magic circuit showed broad effects: cognition, judgment, precision, psyche, etc.
I shorten it to "Focus."
'Reflexive Balance: While active, maintains acrobatic balance; stable movement even when shaken.'
Testing it with tumbling made me feel like a circus freak.
It evoked guilt, like gaining decades of effort with one spell.
Personal-use enhancement amplified the effects.
That's all the new intermediate blue magic I'd learned.
As old man Karon said, "Reflexive" personal spells can't be used on others but are stronger, mana-efficient, and sustainable.
Indeed, I'm maintaining all personal spells now.
'No chance of a support job anymore, but these make me far stronger as a warrior.'
Plus beginner Reflexive Heavy Blow for weight manipulation, and beginner Reflexive Night Vision for night sight.
Others: convenience spells like Warms, Cooling, Dirt Clear, Preserve, and fog-summoning Fog Call.
Thus, an intermediate blue mage using ten spells, and a beginner warrior.
'Magic warrior maggot, advancing...'
....
'Sigh...'
Another hard day passed.
Evening came.
I returned after the monthly secondary characteristic check on the first.
Check-up evenings always left me downcast.
"You okay?"
And every first of the month, Rat Pup visited the laundry at night.
He was looking out for me.
—Thud
"Mere seems to... find me more repulsive lately."
—Crack
"Two years of repeat checks must make her see you as a freak."
—Ting
"Thinking of me as a magic factory... plus repulsion... I dread how she'll... treat me later... Of course, that day must... never come. Huff, huff."
My breathing faltered, guard dropped, and Rat Pup's fist hammered my mana coat unerringly.
With that final strike, he stopped the spar.
"Get a bit stronger, and I might lose."
"The gap between beginner and intermediate? No way. Prompt to Magic Cast—"
We'd sweated from sparring in early summer heat, so I cast Dirt Clear and Cooling on us both and sat on the floor.
"I'm just average intermediate. You've got magic power and excel at mana control."
"With weapons, you'd crush me. I've never used one."
"You'll learn weapons later. Don't be so humble—your growth is incredibly fast. Average folks take six or seven years for intermediate; you'll hit it in one or two more."
"Is that so...?"
My mage training in mana handling clearly aided warrior mana use.
His praise for my speed likely stemmed from that.
But I couldn't tell if it was truly fast without peers to compare.
'One or two years fast...? Then when for advanced? Anxious about puberty too.'
We chatted while cooling off.
Even with Dirt Clear, post-sweat was inevitable, but Cooling dried it quickly.
"Hiding warrior strength from Mere while reaching advanced... no idea how long."
"Eighty years of chipping away. Mere'd die of old age first. ...Kidding. As lifelong intermediate, advanced is alien to me. But you'll do it."
"...I'll train body reinforcement more during duties."
"Someone might spot the mana gathering."
"Only when alone..."
Half-joking, half-serious talk flowed as time passed.
Soon, it was time for him to leave the laundry.
"My name is Aroin."
Rat Pup turned to look at me.
"Aroin. Not very manly."
Absurd, I retorted.
"How manly is 'Rat Pup' then?"
He chuckled.
"Kiru."
...?
"Kiru?"
He burst laughing, amused himself.
"Yeah, Kiru. Heh, no clue why they named me that."
"Heh, not that funny... Mr. Kiru."
Not hilariously so. Just a bit.
"Mr., huh? Like short-ear lingo. Fitting, both short-ear mixes."
"Call you that when alone?"
I asked cautiously, gauging his face. He met my eyes and nodded.
"Yeah. Let's. Aroin."
A day our bond with Mr. Kiru deepened.