As evening approached, I prepared to take my leave after completing all my work.
"Are you still determined to go back?"
"I appreciate Lord Hohenhiem's kind offer, but I will take good care of myself."
Outside Anna's Support Group camp, I bid farewell to Hohenhiem.
A few players had secretly logged on, and I was quite curious about what this "doujin" was. Since everyone was unwilling to discuss it, I wouldn't be so tactless as to keep pressing the matter.
However, after learning that I had washed all their clothes clean, one person actually burst into tears on the spot, sobbing as he declared he would treasure the clothes I had touched as a family heirloom.
But I didn't wash the clothes for them to be treasured! In the game, clothes not only decrease in [Durability] but are also gradually affected by environment and time, reducing their [Charm] value. Therefore, you absolutely cannot wear the same outfit until the end of time—they must be washed regularly. Players generally have low [Cleaning] skill levels, and unless they do large amounts of cleaning, it's difficult to raise their [Cleaning] skill level. The problem is, how many people who come to play games are willing to specialize in cleaning? Surely, no game operator would be wise enough to force players to work as janitors.
Ordinary players who want to wash clothes can only do it themselves. If they have money to spare, they can go to bathhouses and ask female workers to do the washing. Those fortunate enough to become nobles or wealthy merchants who can afford servants don't need to worry about such daily chores at all.
My [Cleaning] level is Lv. Max—I can forcibly wash even clothes dirty as rags until they're spotlessly clean. Clothes I personally wash gain the [Refreshed and Invigorated] effect for a short period: "This garment has been carefully tended by skillful hands, granting the wearer additional charm bonuses."
But I never expected they would choose to treasure them—it seems to have had the opposite effect.
While my clothes all look identical on the surface, I actually have dozens of sets of the same maid outfit in my storage space, plus Maid Outfit (Christmas Edition), Maid Outfit (Swimsuit Edition), Maid Outfit (Lingerie Edition), and various other styles of clothing.
Hohenhiem had also changed into a different outfit. I thought he was a veteran of romance, but when I went to wash his underwear, he became incredibly nervous, his hands shaking the entire time. However, when I selected [Quick Wash], he suddenly collapsed like a salted fish that had lost its dreams. Sorry about that—having max-level cleaning skills really is problematic.
I waved goodbye to Hohenhiem, who stood at the tent entrance, watching me depart.
People say there are no normal people in Anna's Support Group, but after spending time with them, I don't think that's entirely true. Despite Hohenhiem's low [Cleaning] skill level, he persistently tried to help. Although he mostly just got in the way during the process, I can be sure that Mr. Hohenhiem is a good person.
The people in Anna's Support Group are definitely not as the world describes them. What everyone lacks is an eye that can discover beauty...
"—Damn it! The strategist is trying to secretly hide the chair Anna sat on!!!"
...Today's wind is rather noisy. I didn't hear anything.
Walking on the road home, though the scenery is the same as this morning, my mood has changed somewhat.
Living as a maid NPC in a game world—heaven really has played an excessive joke on me.
What's even more ridiculous is that the players' virtual world will serve as my reality from now on.
I died in the real world one year ago.
I learned a lot about that assassination incident from Hohenhiem and the others. I also asked what ultimately happened to the servant who protected the young lady of the Neumann family.
Most responses were confused and uncertain—did the Neumann family have a servant? It wasn't until someone logged out of the game to search that it was confirmed.
My death didn't even qualify to make the news—I was truly such an insignificant existence. People focused on various aspects of the Neumann family heiress being attacked. Only a few reporters didn't spare their ink to mention that the Neumann family had a servant who tried his utmost to protect the young lady and died in the hospital.
After a year, my body has probably been cremated, and even if not, it would have long since turned to bones. I can never return to the world where I once lived.
For the rest of my life on the Lemoria continent... what should I do? In this world that has granted me a second life, can I find a master worthy of my service?
Being both a gentle confidante at the master's side and the sharpest spear to clear all obstacles for the master—Anastasia possesses everything a perfect servant needs.
I was taught from childhood that if you cannot offer absolute loyalty to a person, don't acknowledge them as your master from the beginning. I was fortunate—from the start, I encountered the Young Miss right until the end of my life.
Servants also have the right to choose their masters.
"...?"
I turned into the forest where I had made marks this morning. Though the sky gradually darkened, I could still discern something abnormal in the forest.
[Night Vision] is a racial talent of elves, which I do not possess.
"Blood?"
At my feet were—bloodstains.
There are hunters in the forest, so animal blood wouldn't be surprising.
But this was human blood.
I summoned my weapon, activated my scouting skills, and stealthily followed the direction of the bloodstains.
It seemed to be a serious injury. If the person had stayed in the forest and not left, they couldn't have gone far.
Before long, my scouting skill provided feedback—ahead was a small humanoid figure lying on the ground.
I pushed aside the bushes, and what came into view was—
A little loli collapsed in grass stained red with blood, barely breathing. If there were wolves or similar beasts in this forest, they would have long been drawn by the thick scent of blood.
She seemed to not have completely lost consciousness.
Upon seeing me, she struggled to try to escape, but her utmost effort only resulted in crawling less than twenty centimeters. This brief journey exhausted her last bit of strength, and she completely fainted.
Eh...
What in the world... is going on...