“That’s right. And start on making dinner, too. For all the help and kindness they’ve shown us, this is the least we can do. Plus, I hate feeling like I owe anyone anything.”
Claire has a stern tone to her voice, but I know a part of her wants to cheer them up after they come home, tired and worn out.
Come on, Claire—be more honest with yourself!
“Hey, Claire?” I glance at Claire as I speak. “Those three aren’t that bad. Rinny and Macro might fight constantly, but it’s clear they’re good people at heart, and I know Ektor is looking out for us. I’m not in love with him, so you don’t have to worry… I just wish you were a little more friendly with them. It’s kind of a shame that you’re so standoffish all the time.”
They went out of their way to take us in, so the least we can do is be a little friendlier.
“I know that,” she says, pouting. “I know they’re all good people, and, in fact, I know exactly what type of people they are—if they really match their profiles down to a T. However, knowing that Ektor might be a Reborn means I have a hard time letting my guard down around him. If he really is one, then why is he so intent on following the original storyline? It doesn’t make sense. It feels like he wants to protect us…but I don’t understand why he wants to take us down the path that’ll lead to our doom.”
Now I get it. Claire’s suspicions are all based on her memories from her previous life. It’s easy for me to be so carefree since I don’t have any preconceived notions, while Claire is left to bear the brunt of the worrying. I wish I could help. I want to support her in some way, as she struggles to take this all on by herself. If only I could lighten her load.
“We can’t think of a logical explanation yet for any of this, but we shouldn’t assume anything bad either, right? For now, we should try to get used to our new life here. Can we really fit in as members of a mid-tier guild? That should be our main worry for the moment,” I try to convince her. “Maybe, after spending time with the three of them, we’ll learn things we wouldn’t have otherwise.”
Our everyday life has changed along with our surroundings. Throw in all this “otherworldly game” mumbo-jumbo, and she’s just asking for a mental breakdown. I gently clasp Claire’s hand in both of mine.
“And if anything goes wrong, we’ll get through it together. Okay?”
That’s how we’ve dealt with all our problems up until now. We always have each other, and together, I believe we can deal with any problem thrown at us. As it was, as it always will be.
“Yeah… Yeah, you’re right, Miku. Thanks.”
Her ears, folded back against her head, and her droopy tail, suddenly perk up. She even laughs!
Good! A smile suits you much better than a frown, Claire!
“Okay. With that out of the way, let’s start cleaning!”
“Yeah!”
She raises her fists to the sky with a shout of encouragement, and I copy her before we burst into giggles. Claire seems to be in a pretty good mood.
“Don’t worry! I’ll always be here to protect you, Miku!”
“Huh? We don’t have to worry about that for now…”
“I’ll protect you from the dusty mansion and from the game story! I’ll take care of everything!”
Huh? She doesn’t seem to get it at all! We’re supposed to put that aside for now, but she isn’t! Come on, Claire! You’re still taking this all on by yourself! I guess I’m a little too dumb to help in any way, but I wish my opinion meant something, anything! …I guess all I can do is keep an eye on her and try to stop her if she gets out of control.
With my tail all bushy from renewed determination, I get ready to eliminate every speck of dust in the house!
It really will be sparkling clean if I have anything to say about it!
Claire heads off to start with our bedroom, leaving me in charge of the main hall.
“I don’t want to sleep covered in dust, so our room is top priority!” she shouts triumphantly before dashing off. I agree completely, which is why I’m content to leave it in her capable hands.
There’s a reason why I’ve taken on the largest task, the halls. You see, I can use magic to help me out!
“Light magic! Cleanse!”
My magic is light based. This type of magic, originally intended for purifying evil spirits and impurities, is also helpful in cleaning stuff. I’m sure I’d get a lot of strange looks for using my magic like this, but it’s incredibly helpful. If you’ve got it, flaunt it!
Wings of light spread from my back as I fold my arms in front of my body. Let’s get every nook and cranny of this hall spotless! A ball of light forms in my chest before spreading out to fill every corner of the hall. Light can easily get around any physical obstacle! It can find any speck of dust, no matter how small or tucked away it is!
“Yep. Looking good!”
Just as expected, every last speck of dirt and dust that covered the hall moments ago is gone, and everything is clean! Even the window glass sparkles! Hee-hee! Now I just have to do the same in every room. Our bedroom can wait until Claire finishes moving the furniture in and arranging our stuff the way she likes. For now, I’ll focus on the living room and bathroom. Considering Ektor had said we could go wherever we wanted besides their bedrooms, I skip them for now. If they want me to clean their rooms, I can always do it later.