Chapter 40
At the mention of the owner of the vast mansion — the butlers’ employer — Cat Butler lit up.
"Oh! He hasn’t returned yet. But there was good news!"
Rabbit Butler smiled broadly along with him.
Throughout the entire game of Clean3, the master of the mansion was mentioned as something important.
The butlers waited for their master, who had gone on a long journey, working to keep the mansion in the most perfect condition possible.
They regularly hired cleaners to clean the place. The reason for going through such trouble was simple:
The cleaners were fresh sacrifices to be offered to the mansion.
Whether in the garden, the hallways, the bedrooms, the bathrooms, the basement — no matter where they died, the cleaners’ bodies were absorbed completely, leaving not a drop of blood, flesh, or bone behind.
And they became fuel to keep the mansion at its most brilliant state.
That was why the butlers personally selected which cleaners to bring inside.
Though if someone managed to survive seven days, they were let out alive.
They always brought in more than enough cleaners, so they had no need for the lives of those who managed to survive.
Occasionally, a cleaner who showed exceptional skill would be formally hired by the mansion.
When a player showed good behavior toward the butlers during the game, they would occasionally offer praise and suggest becoming a mansion employee.
But there was one ultimate praise line that only appeared when both butlers’ affection was maxed out.
"Roasted Chestnut. I shouldn’t say this, but... I’m sure the Master will take a liking to you too."
"If it’s Roasted Chestnut, the Master would be pleased. One shouldn’t presume to guess His Excellency’s intentions, but I can be certain about you!"
Praise that mentioned the Master.
After hearing this praise, stories about "the Master" would unlock, allowing you to find bits of information scattered around the mansion.
The Master, who had supposedly gone on a long journey, had actually disappeared suddenly.
Currently missing, but as a figure of extremely high rank and influence, calls and visits inquiring about him never ceased.
They’d set him up as a very important character within the world, yet during the entire game, the Master never showed so much as a single strand of hair.
Even after clearing all endings, it was the same.
The Master never returned to the mansion.
It wasn’t just a simple MacGuffin — even in the hidden ending where the player was treated to a feast, the butlers were still waiting for their vanished master.
Even after the ending, every time I thought of Clean3, I was haunted by a lingering unease that never resolved.
And now there was good news regarding that "Master."
I had a gut feeling this would be important information.
"What news? Did they set a return date?"
"Unfortunately, no."
Cat Butler bent forward, his metal face drawing closer.
"I’ll tell you specially, Roasted Chestnut."
Lowering his voice to a near whisper, he spoke secretively.
"We’ve found out where the Master is!"
Please don’t tell me it’s Earth...?
I wanted desperately to ask where, but held back.
I couldn’t act rashly.
With patience, I simply reacted like a friend hearing good news.
"That’s a relief. He’ll be back soon, then."
But the butlers didn’t answer. They just looked at each other.
Then Cat Butler said something strange.
"Maybe so. Now that you’re here, Roasted Chestnut."
The topic didn’t continue — it shifted to something else.
Rabbit Butler tapped the air.
"Roasted Chestnut. Give me your code."
A translucent blue screen, similar to the System window, appeared.
Rabbit Butler grumbled as he scrolled down.
"Only yours I don’t know."
With a flick of his long fingers, the blue screen slid across and stopped in front of me.
The screen was filled with unknown characters that seemed to be a list of codes.
In Clean3’s world, there was a concept called a "code," similar to a phone number.
It was used for interstellar communication — and of course, I didn’t have one.
I furrowed my brows and put on my most apologetic expression.
"I don’t have a code. Sorry."
"Good heavens!"
Cat Butler was horrified, and even Rabbit Butler was so startled his ears twitched.
Visibly shaken, Cat Butler asked politely.
"If it’s not too rude, may I create a code for you?"
I laughed awkwardly.
"It costs to maintain one. And it’s not commonly used on my planet."
"Oh dear..."
Cat Butler sighed. After a short cough, he scolded me in a rather stern voice.
"Roasted Chestnut. Sometimes you need to accept help from those around you."
Meanwhile, I clenched my sweat-slicked hands into fists, hiding them.
In Clean3, the player applies to a cleaning company because they’re poor.
Not knowing any better, they apply to an infamous agency and get forcibly dragged to the mansion that all cleaners fear.
So using money as an excuse for this conversation wouldn’t seem strange.
"Don’t tell me you came as a cleaner for financial reasons too?"
"Partly."
"I see..."
I naturally linked the reason I’d come through the agency to financial problems.
Cat Butler nodded gravely, and Rabbit Butler cut in.
"Roasted Chestnut. Don’t work as a cleaner."
"Huh?"
"Roasted Chestnut works as a butler."
"Exactly right! Roasted Chestnut, how about working as a butler?"
Cat Butler responded enthusiastically, saying it was an excellent idea.
I tried to decline carefully.
"I appreciate the offer, but..."
"Listen, Roasted Chestnut. I know you’re hesitant about formal employment. I won’t push for that. How about working as an apprentice butler here for just seven days, until the agency comes back?"
Cat Butler’s voice dropped low.
"How could we ever make you work as a cleaner? If you consider us friends, don’t make us do such a cruel thing."
I had no excuse to refuse.
I was going to stay in Clean3 for seven days anyway.
And being an apprentice butler rather than a cleaner seemed more advantageous for gathering information and supporting the Captain and Lieutenant Colonel.
"Then, I’ll leave it to you."
"Good thinking! We’ll give you a generous allowance on top of what the agency pays. Yes, I should pay in advance. I’ll deposit it right—"
Cat Butler summoned a translucent window like Rabbit Butler had, his fingers moving busily — then he stopped.
He stared at me sitting there blankly, his mouth falling open.
Realizing belatedly that it had been rude, he closed his mouth again, but his gaze was still fixed on me.
"You have nowhere to receive a deposit, do you."
Cat Butler’s muttering voice was full of pity.
It felt like he was treating me like an extreme poverty case from a barbarian planet outside civilized society.
I do have an account, you know. Just not an interstellar one.
I wasn’t sure if this was a Trial or another space entirely.
The possibility was slim, but it might be connected to reality.
I knew better than to casually give out personal information to NPCs in this situation.
And if I gave the wrong info, they’d probably come find me on a spaceship...
"Pay me in cash."
"I suppose so."
Accepting Rabbit Butler’s suggestion, Cat Butler pulled something out of thin air.
"This is currency created by our Master. Usable anywhere in the universe!"
Cat Butler handed me a translucent coin with pride thick in his voice.
It was about the size of my palm.
I had no idea what it was worth, but the butlers didn’t seem like the type to give small amounts.
I acted surprised.
"This is too much..."
"Roasted Chestnut! Put it away. Please."
Rabbit Butler leaned his face close to mine. Black filled my vision.
"Roasted Chestnut. Take it. It’s a gift."
I could see sharp teeth inside his mouth as he spoke.
"We haven’t given Roasted Chestnut any gifts. We’ve only received."
"...Thank you so much."
It’s not like I accepted because I was scared or anything.
I pocketed the coin and quickly checked the item description.
Dark Star Fragment: Currency made from carving the core of a dead star. Usable throughout the entire universe. In His Excellency’s glorious name!
After reading the description, I felt deeply uneasy about carrying the coin.
But with the butlers watching right in front of me, I had no choice but to put it in my inventory.
If the System window were still here, it would’ve definitely said something about this coin.
Now that I was desperate for any information I could get, I felt its absence keenly.
When I had it, it was annoying.
So this is what they mean by a chicken rib — can’t eat it, can’t throw it away.
I was led by the two butlers to a guest room on the third floor of the East Wing.
The butlers’ rooms were on the first floor of the main building.
A guest room for an apprentice butler seemed too luxurious, but I figured asking would just earn me a scolding, so I accepted quietly.
The guest room wasn’t built for human height either — the doorknob was at about face level.
Cat Butler placed a small ladder next to the door for me.
I could open the door without stepping on the ladder, but I gratefully accepted his consideration.
"Don’t forget the evening feast! See you later, Roasted Chestnut!"
Apparently both butlers couldn’t leave their posts when the cleaners arrived, so Cat Butler left first.
Rabbit Butler stayed behind to teach me butler duties.
"Roasted Chestnut. Here, butler uniform."
The clothes Rabbit Butler handed me were identical to what the butlers wore.
I wondered if they’d fit, but since they counted as an item, they adjusted to my size when equipped.
Rabbit Butler looked down at me and clapped.
Then we headed to the main building.
When we arrived, another footman was assigning cleaning zones to the cleaners.
"Zeta."
"Yes, Butler-nim."
"You do something else."
Pushing Zeta aside, Rabbit Butler positioned me where he’d been standing.
"Roasted Chestnut does it."
I looked at the cleaners before me, feeling slightly awkward.
The ones who’d ridden the same spaceship here looked bewildered to see me as a butler now.
Feeling sheepish, I started my first butler duty.
It seemed I’d been granted some authority by becoming a temporary butler of the mansion.
Strangely, just by looking at the cleaners’ faces, I could tell their names.
I fluently pronounced a language I’d never seen before, one I didn’t know.
"■■■■■, go to the West Wing garden. ■, go to the East Wing first floor."
I assigned them weed removal and chandelier polishing respectively.
The ones who looked ill-tempered I sent to the basement.
Since I already knew what to do and how in each zone, assigning areas was easy.
Rabbit Butler stood a step behind, watching me and praising me constantly.
"Roasted Chestnut. Good job. Perfect butler."
While I was handling work amid the praise, the Captains finally appeared.
Captain Mo! Captain Kwak!
Both froze on the spot the moment they saw me.
Mo Haein’s expression was especially bad — she seemed really shocked.
I was overjoyed to see them, but kept my face expressionless.
Then I assigned them the zones I’d saved.
"Mo-rae, go to the West Wing second floor. Blue Thunder, go to the East Wing second floor."
Both were the safest zones in the mansion.
I gave them the easiest task too — cleaning the hallway floors.
The hallways were strategic points where you could run into a room or jump out a window into the garden if something happened.
And they were the most convenient for me to make contact with the Captains when I got the chance.
I’d separated them to search for Je Hyun-oh’s location.
I couldn’t ask the butlers or footmen where he’d been assigned.
It’d be weird for a butler to take interest in a mere cleaner’s assignment.
Anyway, I’d done my best with what I could.
Just as I was about to shift my gaze to the next cleaner —
Mo Haein covered her mouth with her hand and staggered.
Kwak Hanmuk sensed something wrong and quickly grabbed her, but it was too late.
Mo Haein’s body crumpled forward as she retched.
"Ughk...!"
The sound of stomach acid hitting the marble floor echoed starkly through the space.
A voice came from behind me.
"A defective one got in."
Rabbit Butler reached out.
"Roasted Chestnut. Don’t worry."
His fingertips extended past my shoulder, aimed precisely at Mo Haein.
"I’ll take care of it."
Fweee!
A sharp sound rang in my ears.
A beam shot forward.