Chapter 206: Maid Kurumi

Waver's rented apartment is not far from the neighborhood belonging to the Modern Magecraft Theory Department. It's just a few minutes' walk along the Thames River, south of the London Bridge, built by Queen Elizabeth II, who is known for her mastery of the legendary super magecraft spell "Land Formation." Passing through the gray area where various races mix and where the black market and underground order prevail, one arrives at a district called Druid Street.

Druids, originating from Greece and prevalent in Western European civilizations such as the Celts and the Britons, are a collective term for certain types of magus. They are mysterious and skilled in divination, meticulous in ritual sacrifices, and knowledgeable in calendars, medicine, astronomy, and literature. They are also synonymous with law enforcement officers, bards, and adventurers. Of course, their greatest expertise lies in nature-related magecraft. In Celtic history, the famous figures Cú Chulainn and Merlin are also considered part of the Druids.

In London, if a neighborhood is named after such a name but has no connection to magecraft, the Mage's Association wouldn't tolerate it. Perhaps due to the influence of the name "Druid," this street has a naturally occurring "barrier." No matter how noisy the surrounding neighborhood is, once you step inside, it immediately becomes peaceful, as if entering a different world. Because of this, despite the old houses and poor public safety, many magus are willing to choose to live here. Waver, who prefers tranquility over activity, is one of them.

Turning into a certain side road on Druid Street, a reddish-brown building comes into view. This is the apartment where Waver resides.

To be honest, Waver's apartment is terrible. The lush ivy and overgrown weeds can be laughed off, but the reddish-brown brick walls and chimneys are riddled with cracks. Whenever the wind blows, debris falls with a clattering sound. Conservatively estimating, this building is over a hundred years old, or more daringly speaking, it has gone through the Industrial Revolution. Shinji seriously wonders if one punch with all his strength would collapse it—not because Shinji is particularly strong, but because the building is just that dilapidated.

Opening the door and entering the lobby which also functions as a stairwell, the spiral staircase in the center leads to the first, second, and third floors, with rental units behind each floor's door. There is an area next to the lobby for the use of the building manager, an old lady who leisurely rests on a rocking chair in the afternoon before dusk arrives.

Waver helped Shinji with the temporary check-in procedures, and Shinji's room is located adjacent to Waver's, allowing for direct entry through violent means in critical moments. As for the repair fees, it's not Shinji's responsibility to pay. This property belongs to the El-Melloi estate, and Kenneth won't let him spend money.

Ascending the stairs to the second floor, and opening a door that is no different from the others, a mixture of dust and unpleasant odors rushes toward them, causing them to cough repeatedly.

The interior of the room is exactly what one would expect from a cheap apartment. Although it's relatively spacious, the level of clutter has already wasted the available space. The discarded items have no common theme among them. They range from piles of books and an aging desk to moldy leftover bread and several frequently used home video game consoles. Everything imaginable is present, making the room uncomfortably crowded.

Overall, it's a room that matches the lifestyle of a recluse or a shut-in.

Sketching a wind rune effortlessly, while opening the window and blowing away the dust along with it, Shunji couldn't help but comment, "The office is one thing, but it's a complete mess here. Are you trying to show off, El-Melloi II?"

"Tidying up the workplace is only natural," Waver replied nonchalantly. "And please, don't address me by that title. I'm not worthy of it, and it could cause various problems if others were to hear."

El-Melloi II is the title bestowed upon Waver by Reines, who inherited the El-Melloi family's lineage in another timeline after Kenneth's death. But since Kenneth is still alive in the current timeline, Waver naturally wouldn't receive that title. Regardless of the timeline, Waver dislikes that title.

"Yeah, yeah," Shinji replied dismissively, making it hard to believe that he took the statement to heart.

"Although I don't mind a messy room, your place is excessively chaotic. How about cleaning it up a bit? It would be a good opportunity to test the maid's housekeeping skills."

"No, if I tidy up, I might not be able to find things," Waver shook his head. Many people who have had rooms in a messy state for a long time often have such concerns when cleaning up.

"But it puts me in a difficult position," Shinji said with a wry smile.

"If someone invades your room and accidentally damages something, it will be a problem. The trash is one thing, but if the game consoles, cartridges, and discs get damaged..."

"Stop, you win. Use Trimmau.'

Upon hearing this reason, Waver immediately changed his stance. Shinji's suitcase opened with a sound, and the liquid mercury maid returned to human form, speaking in Japanese.

"Master, please give your command."

Kurumi is the name Waver gave to the liquid mercury maid, derived from the classic moe-style maid manga "Steel Angel Kurumi" created by the manga artist duo Kurogane Gumi. The main female character, Kurumi, is a robot controlled by an angel and shares a similar concept with the liquid mercury maid.

The manga, which started in 1997, was published in the prominent Japanese publishing company Kadokawa Shoten's magazine "Shōnen Ace." In each issue of "Shōnen Ace," the members of the Matou family would specially deliver new games or handheld consoles from Tokyo to London via international express delivery. That's why Waver and Shinji haven't seen each other for a long time but still have such a close relationship. The bond of friendship among anime and manga enthusiasts is strong like that.

"Clean the room, and I will tell you where to place the items."

"Understood."

The maid who received the order immediately began cleaning, with a slightly peculiar artistic style.

Only Kurumi's upper body remained unchanged, holding a broom in one hand and a mop in the other. Her lower body transformed into a liquid state, forming seven or eight tentacles that wrapped around cleaning cloths, trash bins, and buckets, and tidying up various books and miscellaneous items, leaving the two otaku men dumbfounded.

"Well... how should I put it..."

"Uh, at least the efficiency is high. One person can do the work of four or five people. From that perspective, it's indeed an excellent Mystic Code. It's no wonder it's one of Professor Kenneth's proud creations."

"That's true. At this rate, I estimate the room will be cleaned up in another ten minutes. Oh, I suddenly realized that accepting this artistic style feels quite cool. After all, magus creates things much more exaggerated than this."

"Indeed, it seems my days will be much easier from now on."

"To celebrate our wonderful life, let's play some games."

Shinji said as he opened his suitcase. The suitcase had two layers, with the first layer containing the liquid mercury maid and the second layer containing his belongings.

"This time I brought several new game releases, including some internal versions that haven't been released to the public."

"Oh, let me see... Advanced Grand Strategy 98!"

Seeing the game box placed on the top layer, Waver's eyes almost welled up with tears. It was the game beloved by the King he pledged allegiance to, and it was also his gateway into the otaku culture.

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