Chương 73: Chapter 35 : Part 1 : Wash the Dishes

Aldric looked at the notification before dismissing it. — Is everything all right? Emma asked. — Yes. I was thinking about the best method. — For washing the dishes? — Exactly. — I have a feeling you're about to turn this into a military operation. — A rigorous method increases the chances of success. — Naturally. She walked over to the sink while Aldric examined the various items on the countertop. The sponge. The bottle of dish soap. The dish towel. The drying rack.

None of them were completely unfamiliar to him, but he had never had the opportunity to use them himself. — Where do we begin? he asked. — First, a little hot water. He turned on the faucet. — A little less. He reduced the flow. — A little less still. The sink began to fill. — There. That's enough. Aldric picked up the bottle of dish soap. — How much is required? — Just one squeeze. He pressed it firmly. A generous amount of blue liquid fell into the sink. For a second, neither of them spoke.

Then Emma burst out laughing. — I think you just prepared enough soap for the entire building's dishes. Aldric watched the foam already forming on the surface of the water. — Your instructions lacked precision... — That's true. I should have said... one very small squeeze. — I understand... He set the bottle down. Emma then handed him the sponge. — Your turn. Aldric dipped the sponge into the water before picking up the first plate. He scrubbed the entire surface, paying particular attention to the edges.

Once he judged the cleaning complete, he turned the plate over to inspect the other side, then repeated the entire process. — You know... this plate didn't fight in a battle. — I prefer to ensure that no trace remains... He then rinsed the plate and dried it with the dish towel. — Inspection complete. Emma couldn't hold back another laugh. — Approved? Aldric ran a finger along the rim. — No anomalies detected. — Congratulations. He placed the plate on the drying rack before moving on to the cutlery.

Every fork, every knife, and every spoon received the same treatment. — Are you always this serious? — A poorly executed task must be done again. I would rather succeed on the first attempt. — It's hard to argue with that... They continued washing the dishes side by side. Aldric turned his attention to the saucepan, scrubbing the inside carefully. — You inspect saucepans too? Emma asked with a smile. — Food residue could affect the preparation of the next meal. — You're learning very quickly...

— Since I've known you, I've learned how to find an apartment, furnish it, use a phone, open a bank account, work, cook... and now I'm learning how to wash dishes. — It seems logical to me. A home cannot function properly unless each of those skills has been mastered. — I've never seen anyone treat household chores as personal progression. — Every useful skill is worth learning. A few minutes later, the last saucepan had been returned to the cupboard.

Aldric rinsed the sink, wiped down the countertop, and neatly folded the dish towel. △ QUEST COMPLETE △ This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Wash the Dishes △ SKILL ACQUIRED △ Cleaning Lv. 1 — Is everything clean? Emma asked. The plates had been put away. The sink gleamed. The countertop was spotless. — I believe my kitchen has never been this clean. Emma then checked the time on her phone. — Oh... — Is something wrong? — No.

I just didn't realize it was already so late. She put on her jacket before picking up her bag. — You know what? She hesitated for a brief moment before smiling. — Come have dinner at my place the day after tomorrow. △ NEW SIDE QUEST △ Visit Emma's Home Difficulty: C Objective Become a Good Guest This mission seemed far more complicated than cooking pasta or cleaning a kitchen.

The rules of politeness varied from one world to another, and he had already discovered that modern customs were filled with invisible conventions. — Aldric? Emma's voice brought him back to reality. — My apologies. — So? Do you accept? — With pleasure. — Perfect. Tomorrow, seven o'clock. — I will be on time. — I never doubted it. She opened the apartment door before turning back one last time. — Good night, Aldric. — Good night, Emma. The door closed behind her.

Aldric remained standing in the middle of the kitchen for a few moments. Then he looked up toward the place where the System's last notification had appeared: Become a Good Guest. He had the strange feeling that this quest would require more thought than any of the previous ones. The next day, work passed more quickly than usual. Aldric completed the three scheduled moves with Patrick, Lucas, and Karim, yet his thoughts kept returning to the quest that had appeared the previous evening.

Between carrying boxes, during the truck rides, and even throughout the lunch break, the same words echoed in his mind: Become a Good Guest. When he returned home, he set his bag down by the entrance, took off his shoes, and spent a few moments looking around his apartment. Everything was perfectly organized. The plants he had bought with Emma still sat on the windowsill, and the books remained neatly lined up on the shelf. Yet despite the peaceful atmosphere, he found himself unable to relax.

A new mission awaited him. He sat down at the small living room table, took out his phone, and opened his browser. — If this society has rules... someone has probably explained them. He typed into the search bar: How to Be a Good Guest? A long list of results appeared. Aldric was still amazed by how quickly the Internet answered his questions. In his own world, gathering such a wealth of knowledge would have required years spent in the royal libraries.

He opened the first article:"Arrive on time and thank your host for the invitation." The advice seemed reasonable. Punctuality had always been considered a sign of respect in his own world. The second article added more recommendations:"Bring a small gift. Compliment the meal. Offer to help clear the table." He continued reading for several minutes.

The advice varied from one website to another, yet certain recommendations appeared again and again: arrive on time, greet your host, thank them for the invitation, take part in the conversation, avoid checking your phone during the meal, and offer your help before leaving. Just as he closed another article, a translucent window appeared before his eyes. △ HELPFUL TIPS △ • Arrive on time. • Bring a gift. • Do not criticize the food. • Do not inspect the house.

His eyes lingered on the final recommendation: Do not inspect the house. Not inspecting a home seemed to contradict everything he had learned throughout his life as a knight. Whenever he entered a castle, an inn, or an unfamiliar house, he instinctively observed the doors, the windows, the staircases, the possible exits, and every place where danger might be hiding. That habit had saved his life more than once. He read the line again: Do not inspect the house. — Why? The System remained silent.

Aldric picked up his phone. He had learned that whenever the System refused to provide an explanation, the Internet was often far more cooperative. He entered a new search: Why shouldn't you inspect your host's house? The answers appeared: "Looking around someone's home can make it seem as though you're judging the way they live."

"Respect your host's privacy."" Do not open doors or cupboards unless you've been invited to."" Avoid staring at personal belongings." In his former world, a knight naturally inspected his surroundings to protect the people within. Here, that very same behavior could be seen as rude. His eyes drifted across his own apartment. When Emma had come over to assemble his furniture, cook, or share a meal with him, she had never opened a cupboard without asking permission.

She had never searched through his belongings or explored the apartment out of curiosity. She always waited for him to show her whatever she needed. He had never paid much attention to it before. Now, he finally understood why. — I see... He committed this new rule to memory. Being a good guest wasn't just about being polite. It also meant respecting your host's personal space. Another question then crossed his mind: The gift. He performed another search: What gift should you bring when you're invited to dinner?

The answers appeared: "A box of chocolates. » « Flowers."

"A bottle of wine."

"A dessert." To him, flowers had one obvious flaw: they began to wither the moment they were cut. As for wine, he still couldn't understand why it was considered one of the most popular gifts when alcohol impaired a person's judgment. He read through several more articles. Chocolate appeared again and again. — That seems to be the most appropriate choice. He stood up, opened his wardrobe, and looked over his clothes.

He chose a shirt, checked carefully to make sure it wasn't wrinkled, then laid it neatly across a chair. Afterward, he walked over to the mirror by the entrance. — Good evening, Emma. The greeting sounded too formal. He tried again. — Thank you for inviting me into your home. This time, it felt more natural. He practiced for several more minutes, repeating different greetings. He had faced dragons, negotiated with kings, and commanded armies.

Yet the thought of being invited to dinner at Emma's apartment was enough to make him surprisingly nervous.