Chapter 99

After traveling by carriage from morning to evening for a full half-day, we arrived at the Island of Knowledge, where Luminor Academy is located.

Ethan and I decided to stay at an inn to take the entrance exam at the academy the day after tomorrow. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

This was actually a common method used by students coming from far away to take the exam, regardless of whether they were commoners or nobles.

The Island of Knowledge was somewhat isolated compared to other cities due to its unique location, and if one were to be late, one could waste an entire year waiting for the next date.

Of course, in this world, luxurious ways of room reservations like phone bookings weren’t possible, so we naturally had to check for vacant rooms at the inn on the day of arrival.

At the inn, where we had even left our horse and carriage, an unexpected problem arose for Ethan and me.

“You’re saying there’s only one vacant room?”

“That’s right, young master. At this time, all of the rooms are always full because of the academy entrance exam.”

“Hmm…”

In a situation where we needed to stay at the inn for five days from today for the entrance exam, there was one major problem.

Only one room remained in the inn we intended to stay at.

“I see. Maid, let’s look around at other inns for now.”

“Yes, young master.”

“I’m telling you this because I don’t want you, noble young master, and your maid to have your trip wasted, but it’ll probably be the same at other inns.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Our inn still has one room left because we’re a bit far from the academy, but you’ll probably find it hard to find vacant rooms as you go deeper into the island.”

“…”

“And even if you come back some other time, I can’t guarantee that the room I just mentioned will still be available. We need to accept guests too, after all.”

The innkeeper’s words stopped Ethan, who was about to go out to search for other inns.

Judging by his composed attitude, he didn’t seem to be lying.

In fact, the people still remaining in the restaurant on the first floor at this late evening added to his credibility. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

Most of them appeared to be a mix of males and females in their late teens to early twenties. It wasn’t hard to deduce that they were also here to take the academy entrance exam, just like us.

“Is there any chance for you to sell another room for a premium…?”

“All other rooms are already booked. And at this time of year, noble children like yourself frequently come to stay even at out-of-the-way inns like this. I’m sorry to say, but I have no intention of offending the other nobles by being blinded by a momentary greed for money.”

“…”

He didn’t seem to realize that he was actually offending the eldest son of the Blackwood family with that attitude.

Well, even between commoners and nobles, using force or pressure on an innkeeper who wanted to follow principles was quite against proper conduct.

Ethan seemed to know this and didn’t intend to reveal the Blackwood family crest.

“If you really need a vacant room, you’ll have to negotiate directly with other room guests. But, all of them are students who came to prepare for the academy entrance exam, so I highly doubt they’ll be willing to give up their rooms.”

“Ugh…”

“And you’ve already left your carriage with our inn, haven’t you? It won’t be easy to go around pulling the carriage again at this late hour, and it would be troublesome to stay at another inn while leaving just the carriage here.”

The innkeeper’s expression indirectly suggested that we should just sleep in one room together.

Certainly, following his suggestion would be the most amicable solution right now.

The academy entrance exam was an important test with one’s life at stake, whether commoner or noble. So, it’s understandable that they wouldn’t want to risk disturbing their well-being on the day of the exam by selling their room for extra money.

Of course, it wouldn’t be impossible to use the Blackwood family’s status to semi-forcefully take over a room from someone else, but that would be no different from the improper conduct mentioned earlier. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

Moreover, since the coachman was supposed to find his own lodging and meals while Ethan and I stayed here, it would be troublesome to now take the carriage from the stable and move it somewhere else.

As the innkeeper said, the problem would be solved if Ethan and I just slept in one room.

For some reason, Ethan seemed unable to come to that conclusion and kept looking at me cautiously.

‘Is he uncomfortable sleeping with me, his exclusive maid?’

It might seem strange to be uncomfortable just sharing a room when we’ve already gone as far as me offering my chest, but human feelings are complicated, so you never know.

I also momentarily felt my mind being filled with complicated thoughts at the thought of having to stay in the same room for one night, or possibly more, and it reminded me of last night.

But that’s that, and this is this.

My allowing Ethan to touch my chest was just a reward for his winning against Harold in their duel, it didn’t mean I was permanently entitling him to part of my body.

In other words, as long as Ethan didn’t do anything strange, sharing a room with him wasn’t really a problem.

After all, once we entered the academy, I, as his exclusive maid, would be using the same dormitory room as Ethan, so this could be seen as a practice run for that.

…The problem, however, was Ethan.

Considering he was facing the entrance exam, he would want to maintain his condition as best as possible, and having someone else in his bed could certainly be a disturbing factor.

I thought he might be worrying about that.

Well, if he found us sharing one bed uncomfortable, I could just lay some clothes on the floor and sleep there. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

Thinking the conclusion had been tentatively reached, I conveyed to Ethan that we should stay here instead of wasting a trip to find accommodation elsewhere.

“If it’s not uncomfortable for you, young master, I’ll use the same room as you until a vacant room becomes available.”

“M-maid? Are you serious?”

“If you find it uncomfortable to share the same bed with me, I can sleep on the floor with clothes laid out. I brought clothes for three days so I can lay one set on the floor and use another to cover myself.”

“Ah, no! That’s not what I meant when I asked if you were serious…”

“If you find even sharing the same room uncomfortable, I can sleep in the carriage in the stable. If you could just keep my luggage in your room, considering the risk of theft…”

“H-how much do you charge for one night in that vacant room you just mentioned?”

“At this time of year, it’s two silver coins per night.”

Clink.

“I’ll rent it for five nights.”

“Oh my, thank you very much~.”

The innkeeper, who received ten silver coins from Ethan, handed over the room key with a brazen expression.

Ethan, replacing his previous troubled expression, quickly took me up to the second floor, where the guest rooms were located.

“I understand, so let’s just go up and rest for now, Maid. That’s enough of the strange talk.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m not particularly uncomfortable with you using the same bed. I mean, don’t say things like sleeping on the floor.”@@novelbin@@

“Yes, young master.”

Fortunately, it seemed Ethan wasn’t particularly bothered about sharing a room with me or lying on the same bed.

It’s a relief that I won’t have to sleep on the floor.

After receiving the key for the room Ethan and I were to use and entering, we were greeted by a room that was surprisingly spacious.

It was fortunate that the one remaining room happened to be a double room. If it had been a single room, I would have had to lie on the floor regardless of Ethan’s consideration.

Of course, even though it was a double room, there was still only one bed, so it was still an environment that required some attention, but I wasn’t so tactless as to grumble about such things.

Well, just having an attached bathroom where we could wash ourselves was enough.

While laundry could be handled with Clean without any problem, washing one’s body was impossible with Clean.

You might ask why Clean, which can handle dishwashing and even peeling vegetable skins, can’t wash bodies. Well, that’s obvious, isn’t it? It’s because they need to collect CG scenes of female characters bathing. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

We must never forget the fact that this game is essentially an eroge (T/N: Japanese slang for an erotic game) disguised as an academy game. No matter how good the story is or how high the degree of freedom is, an eroge is still an eroge.

Of course, in the game, there was content about how the sacred act of making the body clean shouldn’t be replaced by magic and such, but to a gamer, it seemed nothing more than an excuse to collect bathing CGs of female characters.

We must never forget that the game developers were serious about collecting erotic CGs to the extent that even a personal room in this out-of-the-way inn comes with an attached bathroom.

“Do you want to wash up first, Maid?”

“…”

“…Maid?”

…Why does a simple question about who wants to wash first seem to carry a different meaning today?

Let’s not think strange thoughts. It’s just sleeping and waking up in the same lodging for five days, right?

…And if a vacant room becomes available, we can move then.

The Swordsmanship Department entrance exam, which is expected to have the most applicants, starts the day after tomorrow, so empty rooms will probably start appearing from then on.

I collected myself and shook my head as I answered Ethan.

“No, even though we’re outside the mansion, you’re still my master, young master, so it’s right for you to wash first.”

“Th-then I’ll wash first, Maid…”

“I’ll prepare the clothes you’ll change into in front of the bathroom.”

“Okay…”

With those words, Ethan entered the bathroom to wash off the fatigue of half a day.

After confirming the sound of water splashing up and down from inside the bathroom, I immediately started unpacking and organizing the luggage we had brought.

I unpacked Ethan’s clothes bag first, of course, rather than my own.

Since I had packed most of Ethan’s clothes bag myself, I could easily find where everything was.

I took out his clothes to change into, underwear, and a towel, stacked them neatly, and then used Clean to wash the clothes Ethan had taken off before entering, organizing them inside the now-empty luggage bag.

It’s quite convenient to be able to use Clean without having to worry about other people’s gazes. Before, I could only use it in the kitchen, the only place where magic use was allowed, for fear of being caught.

“I wonder if preparing and placing this much will be enough.”

We had already eaten dinner adequately with preserved food in the carriage earlier, and there was no need to go outside the inn again now, so it should be fine to change directly into my nightwear. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

Since I’ll need to wash up right after Ethan comes out, I should take out the clothes I’ll wear in advance, too.

After setting up two sets of nightwear to change into, I opened the door leading to the bathroom and went inside.

As usual, I put down the clothes to change into in the changing room between the bathroom and the room.

“Young Master Ethan, I’ll place the clothes you’ll change into in front of the bathroom door in the changing room…”

“M-maid? W-why are you suddenly coming into the bathroom?”

“…Ah.”

…Oh, right.

This isn’t the Blackwood mansion.