Life in Another World as a Maid Mage
Prologue - Housekeeping Services Available During your Adventure!
02 – Housekeeping Mage
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"… gah, so comfortable"
A mumbling murmur leaked. Next to me, Linus, the archer, nodded sincerely.
To tell the truth, I was ready to admit it since the first night, but I refrained since I can't give praises so lightly. But by the time the third day came around, I finally had to admit it.
It's all thanks to the wonderful care and work of Shiori, that we are able to take a rest overnight, and completely get rid of the fatigue of the previous day. No matter how uncomfortable the journey is, if you make it through the day, you are promised a hot meal, a bath, and a place to sleep at night.
The morale of the members is sky high, they are energetic and enthusiastic. Usually, it would take at least five days to reach the territory of the Manticore, but by the third day, we are already close to our destination. If we continue at this rate, we'll reach the destination before noon tomorrow.
A maid mage. Because of their low magic power, they are not useful as mages in combat, but instead use their magic to take care of miscellaneous tasks, such as cooking and laundry, during the adventure, hence the name of this unique profession.
Adventurers usually avoid cooking since they don't want to have to deal with it when they're exhausted from traveling and fighting. Although sometimes they prepare simple meals, many adventurers get by using only simple preserved foods such as dried meat and dried bread. Since Shiori is the only person in the camp who is doing all the cooking, you would be mistaken to think she is only a maid, but her presence makes the camp a very comfortable place to rest.
The first thing that surprised me on the first day of camping was that Shiori offered me a bath.
"The bath is ready, so please relax until the meal is ready."
"A bath?!"
I was taken back, I haven't expected to be offered a bath in a moving encampment, even more in the wilderness. I had intended to be unfazed by the rare occurrence, but my voice exposed me. I knew she was doing something while setting up the encampment, but I didn't expect her to be preparing a bath.
"If you have any laundry to do, please leave it out here. I'll have it washed and dried by morning."
How can you do that without a watering hole?! Clemens, who seemed to know before hand, dragged me into a simple tent, without giving me time to argue. It's a good thing that the ladies recommended that the men take the bath first, and I'll thankfully accept, but still, a bath. What kind of bath? I thought it would just be a bathing area with running water at best, but it was a splendid "bathroom". Steam was rising from the bathtub, dug into the ground, inside the tent; and on the floor next to it, I was delighted to find a small aluminum basin, linen towels and soap. I guess I'm supposed to use those items.
Clemens got into the hot tub while both, Linus and I, were stunned. Anyway, I take off my gear and clothes and stand on the edge of the bathtub. I could sense the residue of magic in the warm water that filled the cylindrical, hard-pressed ground.
"…magic?"
"What's the big deal?" — Clemens said, proudly, as if it were his own thing.
"She use earth magic to shape and solidify the ground, then filled it with water magic and finally used fire magic to bring it to the right temperature"
"…It's true that the magic output is low, but her accuracy is as good as an advanced mage. That's impressive."
The bathtub is small because of the low magic power output. Nevertheless, it's large enough for three large men to use if they take turns soaking in the water, cleansing themselves while they wait. I dipped my feet into the bathtub to get used to the temperature of the warm water; as I gradually sink into it, I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh. The warm water dissolves the stiffness in my body and disappears the accumulated fatigue.
"It's paradise, paradise"
Linus closed his eyes, delighted and dreamy. After enjoying the bath for a while, I borrowed some soap and cleaned the dirt off my body. I was expecting to go to bed with sweat and dust on my face, so I felt completely satisfied once I changed into a new set of clothes with a clean body.
"…Hmm?"
While the delicious aroma drifted around stimulated my stomach, I suddenly realized something at the same time that I tiled my head. The damp air that clang to me in this dense forest was somehow conditioned, leaving it dry and refreshing. The perspiration from the bath quickly dissipated.
"What does it mean?"
"… Is something wrong?"
Shiori, who was preparing the meal by the tent, looked up.
"No, the discomfort in the air is gone, when?"
"Ah, that"
Shiori smiled, while she kept cooking.
"I used fire and wind magic to regulate the humidity within the encampment's enclosure. I thought it would be difficult to sleep if left as it was. I reused the dehumidified moisture for the bath."
"So… Right?"
What a bizarre use of magic. While I was admiring the unexpected use of magic, Ellen had finished bathing and seemed to be ready to eat.
"You know, I'm sorry to ask this before we eat but, could you dry my hair? I've heard rumors about you and I've been wondering about it."
Ellen, who had been showing signs of reluctance for a while, asked hesitantly.
"Fine. In that case would, would you mind sitting here with your back turned towards me?"
What is she going to do now? I watched with interest as Ellen sat on the ground as she was quietly told, Shiori lightly spread her hands out and deployed her magic spells. Fire magic in her right hand and wind magic in her left. The two feeble magic melted together, creating a warm, heated breeze.
"Wait, wait, wait, and wait!"
The fact that the magic fusion, which is said to be the highest level of difficulty, was performed so easily in front of my eyes astonished me. My eyes widened up in disbelief.
"Wait a minute. There are not that many successful cases of casting and fusing two different types of magic at the same time, even an advanced mage would be hard pressed on to do it. You're a junior (low) mage, right? What is going on?"
"Yeah, you're right."
Shiori sent a warm breeze into Ellen's hair as she answered. Ellen's wet beautiful blonde hair gradually dried as it was gently caressed by the wind.
"I'm very good at detailed work. It also seems that low magic output makes it easier to fine-tune"
I'm not sure if she is aware of how important this is. I'm sure there are some great mages who have left their mark in history, but fusing multiple magic spells together is a mage's longtime unreachable dream, an eternal research topic.
Shiori dried Ellen's hair with warm air and then let the cold air soothe it.
"Amazing… I've heard the rumors, but you really can fuse magic spells together."
Ellen murmured as she stroked her glossy blonde hair with her fingertips.
"I heard this from an acquaintance who accompanied me before that also tried to fuse magic spells together a few times. He said that inevitably the magic power is unbalanced to one side, making the weaker magic spell to disappear rather than fusing with the other. He said he'd love to have your help in researching it eventually."
Shiori blushed, embarrassed by Clemens' words, but then laughed regaining her composure and spoke.
"Come on, the food is getting cold, let's have it while it's warm."
Unsure of what to expect, I accept the plate that is offered to me. The plate, with aluminum dividers, contains a spicy and aromatic candy colored pork and pilaf.
Pilaf (US spelling) or pilau (UK spelling) is a rice dish or, in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat, and employing some technique for achieving cooked grains that do not adhere. Served along it, was a cup filled with golden broth, with vegetable scraps and pieces of pork floating around. Someone gulped.
"Go ahead"
"Bon appetite!"
I took a bite of the pork while sitting next to Linus, who didn't wait for Shiori's signal and was already wolfing down his food. I believe that you are supposed to start with the soup, but I couldn't resist the fragrant yummy aroma that stimulated my stomach and appetite. The exquisite sweet and spicy sauce, seasoned with the perfect amount of salt and sugar, and the savory flavor of the grilled pork filled my mouth. Along with the rich flavor, the aroma of ginger and garlic tickled my nose.
In one word, delicious.
I started wolfing down my food and ate it in a flash. The flavor impregnated sauce, remained at the bottom of the plate. 'Oh, what a waste.' – I though.
I glanced at my side and saw that Clemens had poured the leftover sauce over the pilaf. I see, it's a cleaver solution, that way I can eat up all the sauce without having any leftovers. With admirations, I brought the sauce soaked pilaf to my mouth. The crispy pilaf and the thick, flavor rich sauce merged exquisitely. It was so delicious. I finished drinking the broth soup without leaving a single piece of vegetable, I cleaned up my plate, leaving me full. Since we were in the middle of our journey, the amount of food we had was not much, but we were completely satisfied with the warm bath and the delicious meal we enjoyed.
This alone is quite something, but I'm surprised that there's more to it. Shiori said she would prepare the bed before finishing washing the dishes and doing the laundry. I wondered if there was a bed to be prepared in the first place. At best, it'd be a sleeping bag and a blanket to spread out.
I watched Shiori explore the ground with both hands some distance away from the campfire and casted her earth magic spell at a place that she decided was adequate. In the blink of an eye, the ground was leveled out, and the soil transformed into soft, fine grains. Next, with one hand she casted a wind magic and blew away the dampness of the soil. When it was done, the smooth, fine, and dry particles of soil were gradually pushed down, settling as a neatly leveled area. It's big enough for all the party members to sleep side by side. When I touched it, I found that the ground that had been pressed down was not as hard as I had expected, but instead retained a good amount of elasticity.
"You'll have to rest here. It's not quite as good as a bed, but I think it's somewhat better than lying on the ground as normal."
"No, thank you. That alone makes a world of difference. It seems that we would be able to rest comfortably."
After everyone had finished eating, they started to get ready to go to bed, they tended their equipment and prepared for tomorrow. Once it was done, it was time to sleep. The lookout would be rotated every three hours in teams of two. Shiori wanted to prepare breakfast as well, so she requested the last shift. With two people per shift, Shiori would be alone in the last shift. I was told it would be ok because her slime familiar, which its name is Rurie, has the ability to sense danger. Still I'm still worried about it so I decided to take part on the last shift as well. From the beginning, I'm used to travel alone from so it's not that much of a problem, even if I end up sleeping less.
After setting up the bed area, Shiori rinses the dishes with water called forth from a water magic spell, and Rurie gleefully (it seemed) drinks up the drainage water. After storing the wind-magic-dried dishes in the backpack, the next step seems to be laundry and then taking a bath. I energetically call out to her.
"…How do you do the laundry?"
"Would you like to see?"
Linus and Ellen approached with curiosity. Clemens, whom already knew, continued to tend to his equipment, but in his face was a grin as if he was smiling at his companions.
Shiori takes out several pieces of fine sewn mesh in the shape of a bag from the backpack, apparently it is called a washing net. Then separates the dirty stuff by each member into the bags, one mesh for each member.
"It's used to protect the fabric because the wash put some strains into it"
As she said that, she created a water column with water magic, dissolved the soap shavings into it and threw a washing net into it. Then she poured magic power into the water column, and a gentle flow of water was generated inside the water column. The laundry net spun around and a faint scent of soap drifted around the area.
"If it's something as delicate as silk or lace, or if it has dirt, you have to wash it by hand, but if it's just sweat or dust, it is good enough."
After washing it for a few minutes, the laundry net was removed. The dirty water was drained out of the encampment through a trench made with earth magic. The washing net was thrown in again, with dissolved white vinegar, into a new column of water that had been created.
"Why did you put vinegar in it?"
"The acidity of the vinegar neutralizes the alkalinity of the soap. That way it will be fluffy when it dries."
"Oh, I see"
Half of what she said didn't quite make sense to me, but the bottom line is that the finish results apparently will be better. I glanced at the column of water as it was spun again, it seems to be the last part of the rinsing. The clothes that were taken out were lightly drained by wind magic and then hung on a rope strung up on a tree branch.
"How crafty…"
Linus blurted out at the whole process, and Ellen and I agreed to it.
After hanging the laundry I thought that would be the end of the story, but a fusion magic spell of wind and fire was cast and a warm wind generated around the damp clothing. The thin items began to dry immediately, and in the thicker items the surface moisture was also dried. This time, I decided not to touch into the subject that fusion magic was used again so readily.
"As expected, it's hard to keep it activated until it dries completely, so once the moisture is roughly gone, all that's left is to leave it hanging until morning so it finishes drying"
"Wow…"
Linus was only able to mutter a single word. Ellen looked to be thinking intensely, wondering about how Shiori used her magic.
(That's quite something)
I don't praise people lightly, but I was impressed. In a sense, she has mastered magic completely. At first glance, it looks like a large scale magic, but of magic power output is actually rather low. That is probably the reason why she isn't tired despite the fact that she has been casting spells one after another. Furthermore, the low magic power output is an advantage since it will almost be completely recovered after a night's rest. The way she turned her own shortcomings into advantages might be a good reference for other adventurers as well.
"Then I'm going to go and enjoy my bath, too."
I thought about that as I looked away from Shiori, who spoke and then disappeared into the tent.
The next morning I woke up refreshed. I haven't recovered completely, but it was more than enough considering that we are camping.
In the lingering darkness, I got up from my bed and stretch lightly. I take a step forward to get ready for the day and…
"Whoa!"
I noticed a large puddle of water at my feet and hurriedly pulled my feet back.
"Eh, what?"
Why is there a puddle of water here? Did it rain? I looked up at the sky, but there was no sign of rain. As I wondered, the puddle began to transform, and soon it turned into a bun. I sighed in relief at the familiar sight of it.
"…Don't startle me. Rurie?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. That child reverts to its original form when she relaxes"
Shiori, who had gotten up first, replied.
"…Feeling, relaxed"
I honestly doubt if there is anything about a slime that relaxes or stiffens up or anything like that, but since the familiar's master says so, it must be true. Perhaps I shouldn't think too much about it.
Parts of Rurie's body squirmed and stretched out, as if she was holding one hand up. It felt as if the slime was greeting me with a friendly, "Yo!" and I couldn't help but say, "Oh, good morning. Apparently that response wasn't wrong. Rurie shivered with a satisfied (it seems) plop, and moved to Shiori's side.
"Good morning"
Shiori had already finished her morning preparations. Clemens and the other who were on guard before had already begun to prepare to go to sleep. Shiori offered me a small basin filled with water from water magic; asking me if I wanted me to wash my face with it. I gave her a short acknowledgement, washed my face, rinsed my mouth and dressed myself. As I was about to throw away the dirty water, when I looked down at my feet; my eyes met (or so I thought) with Rurie, who was looking up at me with a gluttonous face (it seems).
"…if you want a drink, you'll have to share soup or some fresh water with me."
As expected, I was not comfortable giving Rurie the sewage water that had resulted from my own preparations. When I told Rurie that, it went back to its master quietly. After exchanging several times with this slime, I found out that apparently I'm able to communicate with it. It's completely unclear which organ of the slime, which has a simple structure of just a small core inside its transparent gelatinous body, is thinking, but its existence as a familiar is proof of its high intelligence.
Shiori finished preparing breakfast and started reading by the magic light. I looked blankly at Rurie, who was playing with itself while shifting its body shape around. Soon I realized that dawn is breaking and my companions are waking up.
Breakfast consisted of hard baked bread, reheated soup left over from last night, and seared intestines. I dipped the shredded bread into the soup and ate it, then bit into the herb-spiced intestine. It was simple enough, but the hot meal was a source of energy all by itself.
(I see, so this is a maid mage.)
A maid mage who manipulates magic at will to prepare the environment and take care of life in the camp, making life easier for her companions. This profession, which is said to be of Shiori's own devising, will certainly help in the depressing journey ahead.
[1] TL Note: This name was in katakana so that's the name of the dish, I don't know how popular it is but I didn't know it so I am adding a definition for those that are like me.
Pilaf (US spelling) or pilau (UK spelling) is a rice dish or, in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat, and employing some technique for achieving cooked grains that do not adhere.