Sewer Bonding Time

"Sewer cleaning is… pretty rough…"

"H-hehe, y-yeah, it is… heheh…"

In Tsudon's sewers, two Spirit-Possessed who'd taken the cleaning job from the Adventurers' Guild — Tria and Penpen, both currently with their spirits dormant and their original personalities in control — were scraping moss and slime off the walls and ceiling with hoe-like tools.

The moss was apparently useful as a material, so Penpen was carefully collecting what they scraped off… Though I wouldn't want to use potions or medicine made from that. Even if alchemy could supposedly purify it.

"Ugh, I can't get used to this smell, Penpen."

"If I could make some deodorant, it might be easier…?"

"If you can make it, please do."

"If Spirit-sama permits, that is…?"

"Yeah."

A quest was added to Penpen's list: "Create Deodorant (for use in Adventurers' Guild requests)". Apparently, the moss growing here could work as an ingredient… there were some mixed feelings about that.

The sewer cleaning job itself was simple enough if you could tolerate the awful, muggy smell.

That said, if cleaning was all there was to it, they wouldn't hire adventurers for this.

Occasionally, undead, crocodiles, and Sahagin appeared down here. Slimes too, but since they helped with the cleaning, the guild said to just knock them into the waterways unless they started grouping up too much.

"S-so, Tria-chan."

"What is it, Penpen?"

"How are you and Spirit-sama… d-doing? Are you getting along?"

"… Probably good?"

After all, the Spirit-Possessed had offered everything to their spirit. Whether that was good or bad was up to Spirit-sama.

And she believed she was being cherished. She'd even gotten headpats, though not as much as Penpen.

"I-is that so. Um, do you think the Spirit-samas find us… cute?"

"? We had our appearances changed to Spirit-samas' preferences, right?"

"Oh. My appearance didn't change at all, so… m-maybe they already liked how I looked?"

"I think so. Penpen has a charming body. You should be confident."

Tria said this while looking at that chest that made people ask if she was part cow beastkin.

(In truth, it's mostly simplified in voxel display, so Penpen's spirit wasn't focused on that.)

"Anyway, we work for Spirit-sama. That's all."

"Y-yeah, that's right. I have to gather lots of materials for Spirit-sama and level up too…"

"That's the spirit. Oh, speaking of which, sandals might not have enough attack power. I'd like shoes with more kick to them."

"Mm, th-then maybe boots? With a h-hidden blade too?"

She imagined it. Very strong shoes. She couldn't hurt that Great Turtle while barefoot, but with very strong shoes…

And if there was a hidden blade, maybe this time she could gouge out the Great Turtle's eyes and offer them to Spirit-sama.

"Wonderful. Spirit-sama has permitted equipment upgrades, so please make them. Tria wants to strengthen herself. For Spirit-sama."

"Y-yeah! I was also told by Spirit-sama to make items I can make to earn experience, so it works out!"

During this conversation, an undead — a skeleton — slowly poked its head around the corner.

Tria kicked it away. The skull vanished and its body clattered apart.

"I'll take the bones?"

"Mm. Just give Tria the magic stone."

Magic stones could be exchanged for money, so Tria who killed it got that. Bones that Tria had no use for went to Penpen.

For the request, both got kill credit. And guild contribution too.

A good combo with no waste, Tria thought.

"I want to stay friends with Penpen from now on."

"M-me too, I want to stay friends with a cute girl like Tria-chan, hehe! Plus, our spirits are friends too?"

"Yeah. I can tell when Penpen's spirit is awake now."

"Ehehe… I never had any friends before… I'm so happy."

"Tria too, in the village, no one… yeah."

Finding they'd both been loners, they felt a bit happy.

"Hehe, our spirits are amazing, becoming friends so easily. I could never do that."

"Maybe all spirits are good friends with each other? Probably."

"Maybe they were friends in the spirit world…? Oh, but they seemed like they'd just met. That's incredible."

"Spirit world?"

Tria tilted her head at the unfamiliar term.

"The country? World? Where spirits live. Spirits come here from there, I heard."

"… Now that you mention it, I think I heard something like that long ago. So they come from so far away just to be with us. It's so nice."

"It's something the Spirit Church talks about, so it's famous? Hehe."

Spirit Church. That was also new to Tria.

From the name, it was probably a gathering of allies who worshipped spirits.

"W-well, the Spirit Religion is considered heresy, though…"

"Huh?"

Heresy? Spirit-sama? Why? Huh?

"… D-don't glare at me, it's scary…"

"Oops, sorry Penpen. I put too much force into my eyes."

"Uuu… I hate that I get scared even by such a small, cute girl…"

"So Penpen. Why is Spirit-sama considered heresy?"

She asked while kicking away a half-skeleton that still looked zombie-ish and had been attacking from behind.

"… Long ago, one of the Spirit-Possessed did something. Then other spirits said we shouldn't worship them. So openly following the Spirit Religion is heresy."

"… Mmm! If Spirit-sama says so, it can't be helped…"

"But! Privately admiring your own Spirit-sama should be fine, right? Right!?"

"Hmm, Tria just heard about this heresy thing from Penpen, so I can't really say."

"Then it's fine!! Aah, Spirit-sama, I belong entirely to Spirit-sama, entirely entirely entirely! These limbs and body and breasts and head and eyes and mouth and hair and mind and joys and sorrows and emotions and soul — all, all, all of it! … Ahh♪"

Penpen was usually timid, but she sometimes burst with intensity.

But as someone who had also offered everything to Spirit-sama, this seemed like proper behavior.

Tria would do the same if they weren't in public. Also, the sewers really weren't appropriate. Not the right place to offer one's love.

"Penpen loves Spirit-sama too, huh."

"O-of course… Tria-chan too, right? Aah, Spirit-sama, Spirit-sama, please use me…!"

Watching her writhe and express her love without reserve, Tria thought there was much to learn.

"! Tria-chan, let's hurry!"

"? What's wrong?"

"Spirit-sama will use me in 5 hours! I need to get home and clean myself properly!!"

"… Ah. A revelation. Nice… Tria wishes for revelations too, so I could always present a clean Tria."

Penpen's spirit gave revelations with plenty of advance notice.

Meanwhile, Tria's spirit barely gave any warning, so there was no time to clean up. But that meant Spirit-sama was rushing to see her, which made her happy in its own way. Tria would just show her natural self.

…

Still, being smelly from sewer cleaning was a bit much.

"… Yeah. We've met our cleaning and subjugation quotas, so let's head back. Let Tria wash up too."

"Okay! Hihihi! Spirit-sama, Spirit-sama, Spirit-sama!"

"Penpen, your nose is bleeding. You're too excited."

"Fwah! Aaa, even my blood belongs to Spirit-sama, down to the last drop, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Later, after Tria had finished washing up, a "revelation" came to her too. Spirit-sama would descend in 2 minutes.

Another happy time spent with Spirit-sama was about to begin.