Not So Odd Mechanics: Skill Tints

"Wait, wait. Hold up.” Takuto moved the broomstick up and down to get Chia’s attention. And it was a success. Chia looked up, although with no change in her expression. And Takuto got distracted because her disheveled, gambler-like uniform kept exposing the beauty of her charming points—her boobs.

“I think there’s a mistake. No, I believe there is a mistake.”

“You don’t need… money?”

“I do need money, but can I at least get the F-Rank Adventurer license? I can use guns. And I have pretty good information. That should be enough to contribute to a dungeon expedition. No, even the Land Expedition.”

But Chia just kept looking at him. Cute. She didn’t say anything for a minute or so. And his manhood reacted. Then she asked, “What’s the most dangerous monster in the Land?”

“Boobs—” Shit! I messed up.

“…Clean the juices the elf made over there. Here’s a mop. Don’t wipe the other places, though.”

“Pfft.” There was no way GG wouldn’t make fun of him when there was a chance. But again, Takuto thought it wasn’t like Yukari’s typical reaction. However, he couldn’t argue in public without anybody. So he just made various grumpy reactions with his mouth. And what do you mean by “other places”, Chia?

“But hey, it’s not like janitor is a shameful job,” Takuto said. Coping.

GG reacted, “Well, you do ‘clean’ every day. So it’s okay.”

“…Isn’t that the blonde elf who slipped?” And Takuto just decided to ignore GG.

Instead of doing something with the stains, the blonde elf sat on the floor, crying. And no one helped her, except the “bottom” guy who was at her table. The guy cried, too, by the way. Takuto thought he was like saying “D-don’t cry, please” with his face. But he did not do anything else. Therefore, he was a bottom.

A man who cannot speak up is a bottom.

Not to mention, he has a beautiful boy aura.

There was another person at the elf’s table, likely a woman. But the woman didn’t do anything either. She was calmly eating. It seemed like she had already gotten used to her party members.

“How to clean the floor, by the way? GG, do you know?”

In reflex, GG sighed before answering his question. “Are you going to ask how to jerk off later? I mean, why don’t you use your brain, your creativity, a little experiment, and whatnot? Soon enough, someone would even ask about how to throw trash. Can’t you just throw the trash in the trash can?”

“Well, our home country makes throwing trash complicated, don’t you think so? We know we should sort things, like, burnable garbage, non-burnable garbage, cans and bottles, PET bottles, and so on.”

“Fine…” GG unconsciously mimicked Takuto’s, although she was just an AI girlfriend. “First, prepare the supplies. You already have a mop and broom, so get a bucket of water.”

“On it.” Takuto turned around and asked Chia, “Do you have a bucket? And where is the toilet?” Chia just hinted at the place with her hand. She was seemingly writing Takuto’s application. It seemed Takuto would really be a janitor in another world.

“Then remove the dirt or any undesirable debris with the broom. Afterwards, dip the mop into the bucket and wipe the floor. It’s great if you have a cleaning solution other than warm water. But it’s another world, so nah. Don’t forget to rinse and wring the mop to avoid spreading dirt. Sometimes there are stubborn stains, so scrub them. And finally, allow the floor to air-dry. But weren’t you always cleaning your apartment?” It seemed GG held back from saying how dumb or naive he was, just like Takuto’s girlfriend’s typical reaction.

“Well, I just wanted to tease you and make you talk. I like your voice.”

“Bruh.” Hearing Takuto’s flirtation, GG rolled her eyes. “Get some help, Takuto.”

Arriving at the elf’s table, Takuto let down his knees and collected the cutlery first. “Excuse me, let me clean.”

The elf, who was crying, stopped with some tears on her cheeks. “Are you a new janitor?”

“Yes, Miss Elf.” As you can see. Like, how dumb are you? But it’s not like I’m not stupid either, sometimes. Just sometimes.

Then she tilted her head and put her finger on her lips. “Are you single?” And she didn’t cry anymore.

Listening to what the elf said, Takuto paused. He wondered why she had asked that, or maybe he misunderstood her. Did she intentionally drop her cutlery? And she did not stop crying to get my attention. Nah, no way. That’s too delusional of me. Sigma Confidence is not being delusional, but based!

“Yes, I’m single.” For some reason, the job description from Chia resurfaced in his mind. So this is what Chia meant. Are adventurers this thirsty?

“Hoo… my name is Lopopo!”

I didn’t ask. But let’s test her. I’m also curious about the lore, anyway. The game didn’t explain much because the jiggle physics were more important.

“My name is Takuto. Elves tend to have names like yours. I wonder why.”

“Oh!” Like an excited child, Lopopo stood up rapidly and raised her hand. Her pupils were dilated, and so her orange iris shrank, but there was no way Takuto could perceive the small details. However, he could have predicted it. “It’s because! We love nature! And nature recycles. So our names remind us that we need to preserve the natural cycles! My mom's name is Momopo! Also for that reason.”

Hmm, not enough facts. She might be just happy because I’m interested in her stories. And so, Takuto just decided to enjoy their conversation. “And what’s about your dad’s?”

But Lopopo shut her mouth.

Huh? Thus, Takuto inquired, “If someone from an elf tribe doesn’t have repeated syllables in his name, is it dishonorable?”

“No, no, no, no! It’s not like that! But—” Lopopo bent her body, and she whispered, “Peeniiiiiiiiis.” Then she bounced. “Names in nature are also preferable! But even some elves made fun of him. How hypocritical!”

But of all names, why that one??

Takuto thought that the elf in front of him was kinda weird—just like other elves in the game. They claimed as the guardians of nature, like in the other franchises, but they weren’t vegetarians. They were also inclined to wear vampire or seductive clothing, but with natural colors and black. In the case of Lopopo, she wore a brown goth dress, like a chocolate.

“I heard you have some good information.” The woman who was eating finally spoke. She gave Takuto a sweet smile. Her wavy crimson hair, which she tied to one side, decorated her boobs, which were bigger than the guild receptionist’s. And for some reason, her armor revealed her bikini and skin around it.

Why the hell didn’t the armor protect the most important area? It makes no sense!

“You really have a good hearing, Miss Adventurer,” said Takuto as he finished cleaning and put the mop back on the bucket.

“It’s my skill.”

“Assassin Perception?” When Takuto guessed her passive skill, she looked surprised. Then she gave him a wider smile. “I’m the C-Rank adventurer, Laurel Beaumont, and the leader of this party. Incidentally, we have one spot left. It’s for a long-range damage dealer. I’m good with knives. This guy beside me, Soave Chamberlain, is our tank. And Miss Lopopo is our support. I heard you can use guns.”

Laurel Beaumont? Don’t tell me, these guys are…

As the woman took his interest, Takuto asked, “Can I sit over here?” But he did not wait for Laurel’s response. He just sat on their vacant chair, like a sigma, as he knew they were having a kind of fun conversation. A man with Sigma Confidence doesn’t ask for permission when things are clear or subtly clear, because asking permission turns off a potential tension.

“Yes, I played with an airsoft gun back then. You guys probably know about it. I remember an Event Venue gave that. A gun with BB pellets, something that only causes minor injuries, but the bruises heal quickly.”

“I never heard of that. But it’s possible I ever saw it. The Event Venue goodies are usually useless for me.”

“Then this information might give you assurance that I even have intel no one else knows.” As Takuto finished his speech, he stood up and got close to Laurel’s ear. He whispered, “Your Skill Tint is Super Speed, isn’t it?”

BAM!