Chapter 42: Dungeon 2

My second request of the day came from someone very familiar.

“Erik came! Thank you, gods!”

“You don’t need to be that delighted… Also, is the reward correct? The amount seems wrong.”

The client was Marina.

As usual, the request was for household assistance, but this time, the listed reward was high from the beginning.

It offered an astonishing thirty silver coins.

“No, that’s correct. You’ll understand once you see inside.”

Marina led me into her home.

I’d braced myself for the living room to be filthy.

However, it wasn’t especially bad.

Some clothes had been discarded here and there, but by her standards, it was in good condition.

Then the kitchen must be the problem.

When I entered it, I found a cupboard toppled over and dishes scattered everywhere.

“…Well, this was unavoidable. It happened without warning.”

“Fortunately, these were only cheap dishes I used for guests. The expensive ones and my favorites are safe.”

Apparently, she’d properly stored her favorites separately, so she wasn’t emotionally devastated.

Still, cleaning this would be difficult, which was why she’d submitted the request.

“Also, this room is terrible, but there’s somewhere even worse…”

“Your workroom. It contained many shelves.”

“Nothing was destroyed, but everything is scattered. I couldn’t possibly handle it alone, so I submitted a request while praying that you’d come, Erik!”

“That explains the strange thing you shouted.”

Once I’d inspected the situation, I began immediately.

The broken dishes were sharp and dangerous.

If I placed them in an ordinary rubbish bag, the collectors might not know and injure themselves.

I decided to label the bag clearly as hazardous waste before putting it out.

“…Come to think of it, this morning’s request involved washing dishes and cleaning a garden, so I tried not to think about it. But perhaps I should consciously try to acquire [Cleaning].”

Ryan had told me about the skill for the first time yesterday.

From his explanation, it seemed related to cleaning.

I’d spent years doing that work, so I possessed extensive knowledge.

I displayed the screen at the edge of my vision and continued.

I’d removed the large fragments, but small shards still covered the floor.

Slime fluid was useful for situations like this.

When mixed with water in a bucket, it became a sticky liquid.

I spread it across the floor and waited briefly for it to become slightly firm.

It never hardened completely, so I gathered the mass and placed it in the bag.

◇

[Cleaning] training completed.

1 EXP acquired.

EXP until skill acquisition: 1/100.

◇

“Oh, it appeared.”

I’d acquired EXP after about one minute of work.

I then scrubbed the sticky floor clean with a mop.

After washing it with the wet mop, I carefully wiped it dry with a towel.

A carpet from the kitchen had become dirty too.

I washed it and hung it in the garden.

When I happened to glance at the screen while continuing to clean, I saw that it had updated repeatedly.

◇

[Cleaning] training completed.

1 EXP acquired.

EXP until skill acquisition: 2/100.

◇

◇

[Cleaning] training completed.

1 EXP acquired.

EXP until skill acquisition: 3/100.

◇

◇

[Cleaning] training completed.

1 EXP acquired.

EXP until skill acquisition: 4/100.

◇

It had updated several times in only a few minutes.

“…I’d guessed that intention and knowledge were important to this special skill before. It increasingly feels as though I was right.”

Intention was consciously deciding to acquire a skill, just as I had this time.

Knowledge referred to how much I understood about it.

In this case, I’d spent years cleaning.

My extensive knowledge was probably why the EXP accumulated so quickly.

“There are a few dishes in the sink. I’ll finish those quickly before going to the workroom.”

I returned to the kitchen and looked at the dishes.

I put detergent on a sponge and began washing them carefully.

◇

[Cleaning] training completed.

1 EXP acquired.

EXP until skill acquisition: 5/100.

◇

I’d acquired EXP from washing only a few plates.

“The difference knowledge makes is incredible…”

The EXP accumulated at a speed incomparable to [Swordsmanship] or [Body Enhancement].

Looking at the screen, I decided that if I wanted another skill in the future, I’d study it first.

After finishing the kitchen, I went to the workroom, my next site.

Marina was inside, attempting to organize it by herself.

“What? You’re finished already?”

“I am. I placed the bag containing the broken dishes near the entrance. I’ll carry it to the rubbish collection point when I leave.”

I took Marina to inspect the kitchen.

The floor had been polished until it shone, and not a speck of rubbish remained.

I’d even removed the dust from the edges. Nobody would believe how disastrous it had looked only a short while ago.

“Ugh, I’m so glad you came, Erik! Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to eat today!”

After she said that, I began cleaning the workroom.