Even if my only strength is water magic, having modern knowledge should be sufficient, right?

Episode 33: Fire, Ghosts, Father, and Dream of a Deviant.

The mayonnaise turned out to be incredibly delicious, and the head chef ate it to the point of nearly dying. Did he drink about two tubes’ worth? It felt a bit dangerous, but it was good to be liked by important people. When asked about spices and vegetables that would go well with mayonnaise, he told us anything we wanted to know.

The appearance of the ingredients was quite unique and interesting, but once you knew how to eat them, they were ours for the taking! Though I got a bit carried away and said something like “Hell yeah, bring it on!”, he was quickly defeated. It was because the direction of the ingredients was quite different. Things like Australian finger limes… They were delicious on their own and seemed fun to combine with other ingredients, but mustard resembling cactus, snakes, bats, creatures bigger than humans resembling salamanders… moss? How do you even eat those?

I think the minimum requirement for cooking methods is that they should be edible as is once washed, but there were many things I didn’t know if I could do that with. It wasn’t as easy as instantly solving them with modern knowledge. You have to gradually learn about the characteristics of the ingredients by boiling or baking what you know is safe. Still, it’s good that I was able to accumulate knowledge.

Three days later, the mayonnaise began invading the castle. Thanks to the strong will of the head chef, who became a mayonnaise enthusiast, it spread throughout the castle. It wasn’t accepted by everyone due to personal preferences, but it was highly praised as an innovative sauce unlike anything before. The mayonnaise burger became very popular.

“It’s thick and good.”

“Dugga might like it too.”

“Thank you.”

Personally, I feel like it’s missing something for a sense of unity, but it’s delicious as it is. Bursa-sama has won the negotiations. Bursa-sama’s superior was praised for my cleaning skills and seemed to get carried away, giving instructions here and there.

With a smile, Bursa-sama said, “I disciplined the scum of the main house with my fists,” and gave me an overwhelming amount of gold coins. I fell on my butt and it hurts.

It was decided to accept the reward and return once, but it was also decided to clean up only the places where the cleaning was incomplete. The job here wasn’t all good, but I think it was bearable. It would have been better if I had been protected by a noble who was upright and didn’t use people as water magic devices… but that was wishful thinking. The head chef’s name is apparently Rorai, and he tried to take me in, but he’s more of a food enthusiast or a deviant. He’s been acting strange since eating mayonnaise, and his life seems a bit… concerning.

“I’ll probably be back to work soon.”

“That can’t be helped. It’s what the important people say.”

With a backpack filled with cleaning tools, lifting it was already a struggle, and now there’s even more baggage that I can’t carry. Bags of contributions and gold coins… There’s more than three times as much baggage as when I came. I wonder if the people at the gambling den are doing well. The water must have run out long ago. I also have to clean the toilet… But even though I’m about to go home soon, I’m already thinking about what to do after I get back. There’s delicious food here, and there’s a nice cabin where I can do whatever I want… and I even got some soap. I’ll finish cleaning tomorrow and go home for a while, but I know I’ll be called back again. Let’s decide what to leave here and what to take back. I have the key to this cabin, so I’ll just lock it up. It seems like it hasn’t been used for years, and I got permission to use it.

Wearing magic-like clothing instead of protective gear, I sprayed high-pressure water. Since there’s also preparation for returning home, I deployed a double-layer water barrier and sprayed high-pressure water beyond that so that my clothes wouldn’t get dirty.

When I finished work and tried to leave, a bunch of contributions arrived… A handkerchief with a family crest? Um, I’m scared to use it, so is there some kind of meaning to it? No thanks.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Just for the last time, please, only the western corridor, just that.”

“Um…”

“Frim, let’s go.”

“Lord Bursa, I apologize for my father. However, there are also constraints, so could we please stop this matter for a moment?”

“Hmph!”

A noble boy, being dragged by Lord Bursa’s waist, walked sideways. I can’t sympathize with him if I consider him as one of those who conveniently used Frim-chan as a commoner mage.

“The honor of the country is at stake! Look, in front of the Red Dragon Knight’s passage!”

“Is that so… Bursa, can’t you do something about it?”

When Lord Forblin, who was walking beside us, said a word, Lord Bursa stopped, so I also stopped walking.

“Isn’t it cowardly, Craig?! … Frim, can I ask for one more day?”

“I have no choice but to obey Lord Bursa, but are you alright, Lord Bursa?”

“It’s obvious Dugga will taunt me. I already hinted that I’d deliver you today…”

Lord Forblin was wearing knight attire with a red theme and a cool-looking dragon-like mark. If it’s about the work location related to the original knights, it’s unavoidable for Lord Forblin to intervene due to his position. Lord Bursa also needs to consider what Lord Forblin, who is Dugga’s senior and Lord Bursa’s senior, says.

—That’s why the work was extended.

It seems that local units centered around the Red Dragon Knights have gathered here. Due to the suspicious person incident, the situation was on the brink of war, and several generals moved their troops, so knights from various places gathered for reorganization. And if this area alone hasn’t changed at all while some parts of the palace have clearly become cleaner, misunderstandings such as budget shortages and mistreatment of the Red Dragon Knights may arise. They wanted us to clean it up with political considerations… I hadn’t cleaned around here, but do I really need to be so careful?

Well, I kind of understand the situation. If the supervisor tells me to do it, I’ll do it, and if he tells me not to, I won’t. It’s too much trouble to go back and change clothes, so I’ll just start cleaning as is. It’s the cleaning of the big stone-paved road and the imposing statues lined up beside the road. It’s still fun to see the dirt visibly coming off with high-pressure washing.

As I continued to clean vigorously, knights gathered around me, but since no one said anything, I continued. I was told in the middle to “return to training” and disappeared, but high-pressure washing magic is still unusual. I was planning to finish the job, but since I didn’t have clothes to get dirty, and the area was wide and time was short, I ended up staying for another night.

I know I’ll probably come back here soon, but I still feel a bit nostalgic and want to return soon… Taking a bath, washing my body with soap, and preparing for tomorrow. When I’m alone, I think about that young man, but I wonder what would happen if I fed mayonnaise to Markea and Talarine? I’m looking forward to it a little as I sleep in bed. I’ve worked hard and I’m tired, so I’ll probably sleep well today too.

Late at night, I woke up feeling like I heard a strange noise. I locked the door, and there are no windows. I thought it was my imagination… but I can still hear the noise. Moreover, it’s coming from inside this cabin. Slowly opening my eyes, even though it’s pitch black in the middle of the night, there were people inside.

“Aaaahhhh!!!?”

“Eh!?”
“What the…!? Urghh!!?”
“Bardy!! Where are you!? Ugh!”

When I shouted, there were three people in this small cabin, grappling with something. Maybe because I was sleeping and my eyes were closed, I could see just a faint glimpse in the darkness. There was a middle-aged man who seemed like anyone, a skinny man wearing a maid outfit, who seemed like a dangerous pervert, and… a young man who had been decapitated and was floating.

“Who are you!?”

“A severed head!!??”

“Who are you?! Why are you here!”

The pervert and the middle-aged man who had just been killed by the floating severed head. And it smells bad… a disgusting smell of burning wood.

“…Oh, this must be a dream.”

Because it’s too incomprehensible, and I definitely locked the door… This must be a bad dream.