Efficiency is not an act, it is a habit. The domestic chaos of the Roswaal mansion presented itself to me as a puzzle waiting to be solved.
I kept the rhythm of the broom against the marble of the east hallway with a precise sequence that covered the surface with the exact pressure. My bandaged shoulder sent twinges of warning every time I forced the angle, but I ignored them. Pain was simply another indicator of my current physical limits.
"Barua-kun, you're going to wear yourself out before lunch if you keep this up," Emilia said, leaning against one of the doorframes.
I paused for a moment and gave her a calm smile.
"A job well done saves time in the long run, Emilia-sama. If I leave this hallway spotless now, Rem can focus on other more important tasks. Like looking after you."
Emilia blinked, surprised by the naturalness with which I had mentioned the maid.
"You're... very considerate. Although I still think you should rest. That shoulder wound didn't look like a joke."
"I'm more resilient than I look," I lied smoothly.
In reality, my `[Minor Physical Reinforcement]` was doing most of the heavy lifting, stabilizing my muscles to compensate for the damaged tissue. This discrete improvement of my internal integrity allowed me to advance without resorting to flashy magic.
"Look, look, Rem. The guest seems to have confused his position with that of a dedicated slave."
Ram's voice came from the end of the hallway. She was accompanied by her sister, who watched me with that mixture of professional courtesy and latent suspicion that so characterized her.
"Rem sees it, sister. The guest-sama has an unhealthy obsession with the order of this hallway."
I leaned the broom and wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.
"This is respect for the space that has welcomed me, Ram. Besides," I glanced at Rem, "I noticed you skipped breakfast to finish organizing the laundry. If I take care of this, maybe you can afford a five-minute break today."
Rem tensed imperceptibly. Her blue gaze locked onto mine, searching for any hidden intention, any trace of falsehood. But she found nothing more than a pragmatic truth.
"How did you know Rem didn't eat breakfast?" she asked, her voice barely a frigid whisper.
"Your face is a bit paler than usual, and your pulse... well, let's just say you're moving a bit slower."
Ram let out a snort, hiding her surprise behind an elegant gesture.
"It seems the guest has eyes in the back of his head. Or maybe he's just a pervert who watches the maidservants too closely."
"I prefer to think I'm a good observer of my surroundings," I replied with a light laugh. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have three rooms left before Roswaal-sama starts asking for his tea."
I resumed the work with a fluidity that left them in silence. Every movement of my arms, every coordinated step, was a lesson in economy of effort. I didn't need technical words to know I was operating at the peak of my current capacity.
The system within me remained silent, but I felt its comforting weight.
[Mansion Integration: Level Bronze][Reward: +10 Soul Essence]
It represented the first step. The mansion's board was complex, full of emotional traps and crossed loyalties. If I wanted to survive what was coming, I first had to become an indispensable piece. A shadow that, despite its brightness, no one would want to push away.
"Rem will go prepare the tea," the blue-haired maid said after a long silence. "If the guest-sama finishes soon... there might be a little left over for him."
"Count on it," I smiled without looking at her, focused on the shine of the floor.
The kitchen door closed and the echo of their footsteps faded. I sighed, feeling the burn in my shoulder intensify. Calm was a necessary facade, a veil covering the urgency of my knowledge.
Somewhere in this forest, time was running out. And I needed to be more than just a sweeper to stop what was about to wake up.