NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16 - Episode 16: Cleaning Stone Statues and an Immediate Explosion
Episode 16: Cleaning Stone Statues and an Immediate Explosion
“We’ve been expecting you. You’re the servants of Lord Dugga, correct?”
“Yes, we’re here for cleaning.”
“Very well, please proceed.”
When we arrived at Lord Bursa’s mansion, we were guided by the household staff. Upon seeing the overly spacious courtyard, I understood the reason for our assignment. There were numerous statues dressed in pompous attire.
The statues were oddly arranged, facing different directions, with varying poses. There must have been around 60 of them. Is there any significance to them…? They were all quite dirty.
“These statues resemble the nobles of this country. We clean them regularly. However, removing stone stains is quite challenging…”
“I see.”
Upon closer inspection, they were stained with green and black… it wasn’t paint but moss and mold. The kind of dirt that’s hard to remove, even with scrubbing, like in Japanese graveyard cleaning. Although brushing helps a bit, it’s still a troublesome type of dirt.
Some of them had been dirtied for decades or even centuries. Some were so deteriorated that their faces were unrecognizable. There were also signs of deterioration on the stone itself, with fingers and hair missing in places.
“You’re here! Oh, even Pakis is here! Good to see you!”
“Yes! I’m here! I’ll do my best today!”
“Ugh.”
Bursa Druggen, the brother of Boss Dugga.
He was wearing flashy clothes, just like the boss. It seems he already knows Pakis.
“I’d like to start work immediately, but some of the stones seem to be damaged, and we can’t take responsibility if they break due to magic.”
“It’s fine. These have already been polished… It’s always unpleasant to see, even for ceremonies, but oh well, they were originally like this.”
It’s important to confirm this; otherwise, it could be quite dangerous. Of course, I’ll start with low pressure, but even then, the risk of having my head physically chopped off should decrease significantly.
“I understand. I’d like to try it out first, so could you tell me which ones can afford to break?”
“I don’t want them completely destroyed… I’ll leave it to you with this one.”
“Understood. Since a lot of splashes will fly in a wide area, is it okay if you stay away?”
“It’s fine. I plan to take a bath today anyway.”
Perhaps I’ll be the one to draw the hot water? Oh well.
“Logan, please protect the noble from the splashes if they get too severe.”
“Yes.”
“”
I start cleaning with a splash from both hands. I’m quite used to it from cleaning the gambling den, so my pressure control is spot on.
The statues, worn-out and dirty, gradually start to clean up as I work. High-pressure cleaning is fun to watch, isn’t it? I understand.
“Wow!”
“W-What’s wrong?!”
“Your water is amazing!”
Even though I’m still splashing water, Lord Bursa rushes towards the statue. Phew, that was close.
High-pressure cleaning is fun to watch, right? I get it.
“I’ll gradually increase the pressure.”
“Good! I’ll be watching, so keep going!”
“Sorry, I’ll stop for a moment.”
I gather the water in front of me into a ball and drop it into the flower bed.
— I wish they weren’t so close by.
It’s common for dirt to fly towards me while I’m using water, and it’s not something that usually results in injuries. But still, being close means their clothes could get dirty, and I don’t know the noble’s minimum threshold of anger, which is scary.
“Noble, there’s a possibility that thin parts like hair and fingertips of the stone could fly off. For your safety, I suggest you step back.”
“Hmm… Well, I suppose I can see from the mansion?”
“It should be fine, but there’s a chance it could fly depending on the wind direction.”
“Bursa, you don’t have to worry about getting dirty. Leave it to the commoners.”
It’s a bit harsh, but I want to support this household staff. My neck is on the line here.
“I guess you’re right… Well, I understand. Do your best.”
“Yes, I’ll do my utmost.”
The noble seemed slightly displeased.
After bowing properly, the noble left with the household staff.
…
…
…
“Tch.”
Olmiroi and Talarine, the Lizardman siblings, and Markea are wide-eyed. And, of course, Pakis. I wish they’d go back.
“Miss Frim seems to speak very politely. I’m surprised.”
If a child who hasn’t even been to elementary school can speak properly, even the past me would be surprised. Shouldn’t I speak more childishly to not seem creepy? …No, that would be dangerous. If I didn’t do anything, there was a possibility of starving to death. If adjusting my way of speaking could make me even slightly safer, it had to be done. There must be a way to speak more fitting for this country, and it might seem even stranger, but…
“Is that so? Then I’ll assign the tasks. Logan will assist me, Olmiroi, Talarine, Markea, and Pakis will be cleaning nearby and—”
“Wow, Frim, you’ve gotten quite high and mighty.”
Pakis, I expected him to do something, but couldn’t he just hold it in?
“Pakis, this is also part of the job. It’s a task ordered by Boss.”
“Like hell it is! Who the hell do you think you are? You’re getting cocky!!!”
A boy bigger than me clenched his fists and came at me. I instinctively put my hands in front of me to protect myself from harm.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Logan stopped Pakis’ fist. Despite being larger than me, Pakis seemed unable to match Logan’s sturdy frame. Pakis struggled to hit me, but Markea, Olmiroi, and Talarine intervened.
“We’re tasked with protecting Miss Frim.”
With his free hand, Pakis drew a knife. What… What’s bothering him so much? A chilling feeling coursed through my body from the murderous intent emanating from him. The knife fell to the ground when Logan grabbed Pakis’ wrist from behind.
“Huh?! Let go, Logan!! You damned idiot!! Damn it! Damn, damn, damn!!! Die, you piece of crap!!!”
Even after losing his weapon, Pakis’ anger escalated rather than subsided. Despite having his wrists held by Logan, Pakis kicked out with his feet. Olmiroi, who was in the way, punched Pakis.
“What the hell?! You lowly slave!!”
“What’s with this little troublemaker? Logan, what do we do?”
Markea asked Logan with a look of disbelief.
“I’ll kill him! I’ll freaking kill him, Frim! Damn it all!!!!”
Pakis screamed. What does he think this place is? How does he not understand that he’s tarnishing Boss’s reputation? But I’m in charge here; if there’s a risk of someone getting killed, it’s on me.
“This is getting out of hand. Frim, may I knock him out?”
“Please, don’t kill him.”
Before I finished speaking, Logan swiftly applied a chokehold with his strong left arm and gently tapped Pakis’ head with his slightly opened right hand, causing Pakis to faint instantly.
“You didn’t kill him, did you?”
“No, I just put him to sleep.”
“Thank you. Logan, Markea, please take Pakis back to Boss and tell him what happened.”
As a slave, both Logan and Markea are in a position to do so, but maybe I should go as well. However, I can’t leave here. Only I can do this cleaning.
“What about Miss Frim?”
“I’ll continue the assigned cleaning. I can’t afford to do anything that would tarnish Boss’ reputation further.”
“Understood. Please excuse us for temporarily leaving our escort duty.”
I’m scared of how Boss will react. Will he be angry at Pakis, at me for not controlling him, or at Logan? Not knowing is terrifying.
“Yes, sorry we can’t accompany you.”
“It’s unavoidable. Markea, let’s go.”
“What a pain… What kind of job is this?”
With Markea carrying Pakis and Logan leading the way, they left the garden. Why did this happen… I’m worried that Boss will come out and execute someone. If that happens, would it be a relief that I let Logan and Markea escape? I feel like throwing up from the stress of not only my own life being at stake but also others’. I’m really worried that Pakis will come up with some false excuses.
Only the Lizardman siblings remained. We’ve hardly spoken to each other, and this is scary in its own right…
“Thank you, Olmiroi, Talarine, for what you did earlier.”
They were trying to protect me. It’s essential to inform them that if they see anyone else, they should be cautious as they might get splashed. Since the high-pressure cleaning makes a sound when the water hits, I might not notice someone approaching, so it’s quite important. My heart is still pounding. Not in a good way, but from the unfounded hostility and the fear of having a knife pointed at me. And what Boss decides after this… What an unpleasant thought to have.