Magical Girl and Rookie Magical Girl
The base that Arongante had prepared for us—a house—was located in the suburbs of London.
Let’s briefly recall some facts about England.
Originally, England was a part of a union of nations and held a top position in terms of military strength on a global scale.
However, with the appearance of monsters, it met a tragic fate.
Skipping over the details, ultimately Ireland sank into the sea, and parts of Scotland’s territory are now underwater as well.
There were discussions about using magic to restore the lost territories, but from a management perspective, they decided to leave things as they were.
The reason why England suffered such a severe blow was due to the initial response to the emergence of monsters and magical girls.
Perhaps because they were overly confident in their military might, the military insisted they could handle the situation themselves.
The government also sided with the military, but this decision led to the current state of affairs.
Both the government and the military have lost credibility, and while the Magic Bureau stepped in as a replacement, it too is heading toward the same fate after the recent disturbances.
On the side of the magical girls, many veterans have been lost in repeated battles, and those with the ability to lead have disappeared, leaving a bleak future.
Now, why am I telling you all this? Simply put, there are no spare hands in England.
Even a brief walk outside for inspection revealed an atmosphere far from cheerful.
Despite all this, we finally arrived at the house, only to find that issues had arisen.
Though the security system itself was fine, there was a problem inside.
“We need to clean,” someone remarked.
The appliances and beds inside were covered with protective bags, so they were fine, but overall, the house was dusty.
It seemed we’d have to air it out and clean thoroughly before it would be usable.
While one might expect cleaning to be routine, complaining about it won’t get anything done.
“Ah, I’ll do my best!” Rinde said, though she looked uneasy.
Rinde appeared willing to work, which was good.
“Will Ren go fight the monsters first?” someone asked.
“Yes. I’d just get in the way here, so I’ll go make an appearance elsewhere,” Ren replied.
“Understood. Please return by nightfall.”
With that, Ren used a simple teleportation device and disappeared somewhere.
Well then, let’s get started.
Just in case, I had brought along a full set of cleaning supplies.
“Where should we start cleaning?”
Rinde asked hesitantly, but there was no need to worry. The basic rule of cleaning is to start from the top and work systematically.
(“Demon”)
“Yes, yes.”
I asked Demon to retrieve the cleaning supplies, but for some reason, Rinde screamed when she saw them.
“I’ll ask you to clean the second floor. Can you reach the ceiling?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I’ll start with the kitchen and other water-related areas, so please let me know when you’re done upstairs.”
Although I wasn’t the one cooking, it’s always preferable to keep the cooking area clean.
Speaking of which, I probably shouldn’t entrust cooking to Rinde.
There’s a long-standing saying in England about their food being bad.
Apparently, it’s not entirely accurate, but Japanese palates don’t seem to match well with British cuisine.
Could this be why Arongante advised us to prepare our own meals?
Anyway, let’s focus on cleaning.
Also, while there might not be anyone hostile enough to attack, there will definitely be scouts watching us.
Arongante provided some information, but there’s clearly no comprehensive sharing of intelligence among us.
We need to be careful with our words.
Additionally, we must be particularly cautious of the eyes of the nihilists.
If they turn their attention to us, Demon can detect them.
(Surroundings?)
“For now, there are no concerning magical reactions.”
(That’s good… By the way, can you set up that barrier on the first floor?)
“I can, but why?”
(I want to try something.)
A few days ago, I used my lover’s abilities for the first time. If my assumptions are correct, we can do something interesting.
“Got it… It’s set up. And I’ve made sure no one can come down from the second floor.”
“Number 6. Lover Release.”
My hood transformed into a triangular headscarf, and while my robe remained white, my outfit changed to something more mobile.
My staff shattered, but in its place, I gained access to my abilities.
“…Probably Haruna was the first to use Arcana’s power for cleaning,” Demon commented.
(That’s an honor.)
This time, I specialized in cleaning mode.
I could move objects without touching them and suppress the power of my magic.
However, since it’s Arcana, the fuel consumption is high, and there’s a time limit, so caution is necessary.
Time is precious, so let’s hurry.
I opened all the windows and used wind magic to blow all the dust outside.
I removed the protective bags from the items, tapping or wiping them as needed.
The faucets and stoves were of the magic stone type, so they didn’t require any trial runs.
Lastly, I performed sterilization and checked for listening devices, finishing the cleaning of the first floor.
I deactivated Arcana and casually glanced around the living room.
What usually takes four hours was completed in four minutes.
All that’s left now is to wait for Rinde to finish. I’ll stock up on seasonings and food supplies.
Fortunately, the refrigerator has space expansion, so quite a bit can fit inside.
After stuffing it randomly, I concluded my task.
Now, I’ll wait while drinking coffee.
Grinding beans manually, I brewed a cup and sat on the sofa in the living room.
The TV happened to be airing a program about the current state of England.
Before I was born, each country had its own language, but thanks to fairies, all languages became mutually understandable in meaning, though written text still doesn’t work. Listening comprehension is fine, though.
Unfortunately, the broadcast content was troubling.
“Um… Is something wrong?”
“What is it?”
“I’m done, could you check?”
“Understood. The first floor is already finished, so please rest. I’ve prepared drinks, feel free to help yourself.”
After quickly finishing the remaining coffee, I headed upstairs.
There were three rooms and a bathroom on the second floor.
At a glance, it seemed none of the places were dirty. Being skilled at housework certainly pays off.
Returning to the living room, I found Rinde drinking cocoa.
Thinking of children makes me think of cocoa for some reason.
“Looks good.”
“Thank goodness. Um, what’s with your hood?”
“Oh? Do you not know who I am?”
I thought I was quite famous, but given how preoccupied everyone has been domestically, they might not know much about foreign affairs.
“It’s not a pleasant sight, so I’ve used magic to make it invisible.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. So don’t worry about it. Anyway, I intend to hunt monsters. What about you?”
I’ve done what I needed to do, and I want to explore England a bit.
Arongante mentioned that even if I overdo it slightly, it wouldn’t be a problem.
“I’ll come along! …But, are you sure it’s okay? Monsters have been getting stronger lately, can you really defeat them?”
“…What have you heard from Bayern about us?”
“They only said that a ranked person and her assistant magical girl would come… Sorry, I’ve been so caught up in my own affairs that I haven’t kept up with worldly matters.”
As expected, but there’s no need to talk further.
“It’s fine. I can handle minor monsters, so if you wish to come along, hurry up… No, take your time finishing your cocoa.”
“Yes!”
For a moment, I noticed her looking slightly dejected.
I decided to wait silently as she finished her cocoa, though she seemed a bit embarrassed.
“Sorry to keep you waiting! Where are we going?”
“Just as I said earlier. Please touch my shoulder.”
I pulled out my staff and prepared for battle.
Rinde hesitantly grabbed my shoulder.
(Take us somewhere where we can easily encounter monsters.)
“Righty-o.”
In a flash, the scenery changed, and we teleported to a beach.
“Eh? Eh! Did we teleport?”
“In a few seconds, they’ll appear from the sea. There are four C-class monsters,” Demon informed.
Four or a hundred, it makes no difference, but it’s unusual for them to emerge from the sea.
The sea and sky are generally the domain of monsters, but they rarely initiate attacks.
Part of the reason is that high-ranked individuals regularly reduce their numbers, though the exact cause remains unknown.
Since we can travel between countries via teleportation, it hasn’t been an issue, but if teleportation weren’t possible, we’d need at least one high-ranked individual to travel across seas and skies.
…Someday, it might be fun to go fight airborne monsters.
“Ice Spear.”
Upon confirming the appearance of the monsters, I skewered and defeated them.
One of the three tried to evade, so I detonated the ice spear right in front of it to bring it down.
“Uh… What’s your ranking?”
Rinde, who had screamed and clung to me as soon as the monsters appeared, asked.
“Unknown.”
Normally, I’d be ranked around 11th, but officially, it remains unknown.
Incidentally, I’m apparently within the top ten in terms of monster slaying records.
“Unknown… Could it be that you…?”
She quickly distanced herself from me, panicking wildly.
She’s certainly expressive, but what exactly did she think after “could it be”?
“You seem to have misunderstood, but I am a legitimate magical girl. My ranking simply hasn’t been finalized due to technical issues.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Besides, if I weren’t legitimate, how could I be with a high-ranked individual?”
“…That’s true. Sorry for doubting you!”
She bowed her head in apology, but it’s not worth worrying about.
Still, why did Bayern send someone so awkward? If they’re truly short-staffed, the country is in trouble…
“We’re moving on. If you’re coming, hurry up.”
“Yes!”
With one nuisance tagging along, I went about defeating random monsters.
As Rinde had mentioned, these were mostly C-class monsters, which would likely prove challenging for lower-ranked magical girls.
Usually, after defeating them, I’d cross paths with other magical girls who came to claim the kills, but that didn’t happen once today.
Additionally, there were visible damages on buildings here and there, and signs of battles were left unattended.
It seems like the problems extend beyond just the Magic Bureau; the magical girls’ side also has its issues.
Once Ren returns, we should decide on our next steps.
