Floria, watching something in the Lounge Space, murmured.
“Hey, Kousuke.”
“Mmm…?”
Kousuke, who was lounging on the sofa, responded lethargically to Floria’s question.
In fact, he was in a state of being half-conscious.
“How long are we going to leave Sura’s *that* as it is?”
“Mmm… Is it an obstruction?”
If Sura had been able to make even a small sound, she would have exclaimed in surprise at this timing, “Eh!?”
However, unfortunately, she couldn’t make a sound, so instead, she showed her surprise on the floating cloud (also known as the Sura-exclusive levitation device) she was drifting on.
…But again, unfortunately, it was only a slight swelling of her body, and Kousuke and Floria, who were talking, didn’t notice it at all.
Floria didn’t say that because she thought it was an obstruction and wanted it removed.
She simply brought it up because it happened to catch her eye while the atmosphere had become relaxed.
“No. It’s not that.”
“Sura seems to have completely taken a liking to it, you know. I don’t plan on taking it away as long as she doesn’t get tired of it. For now, at least.”
“…Is that so.”
That’s why, without any particular objection to Kousuke’s reply, she nodded as if convinced.
However, at this point, Kousuke, who had a mischievous streak, cast a glance at Sura, who seemed somewhat relieved, and continued.
“But lately, she hasn’t even been cleaning the rooms.”
“That’s true.”
“If we take that away, will she start cleaning properly like she used to?”
Floria casually went along with Kousuke’s overly theatrical proposal.
At this point, Kousuke and Floria were completely complicit in their naughtiness.
“What do you think? Won’t she just sulk and stop doing anything?”
“Ah, that’s possible. …Mmm.”
Kousuke, still lounging on the sofa, then intentionally let out a troubled voice.
Of course, he wasn’t genuinely troubled.
Sura, as if taking Kousuke and Floria’s playful banter seriously, was completely focused on the two of them.
She looked as if her very future depended on it.
Even though she didn’t have facial expressions like a human, it was a strange sight.
Seeing Sura trembling on the cloud, just like Kousuke had done earlier, Floria said,
“Even so, the way things are now, it’s just an obstruction?”
“That’s right.”
Kousuke nodded in agreement with Floria, who was completely caught up in the mischief.
“…Shall we just send her back to Slime Island?”
“What about the *that* (the cloud)?”
“Of course, we won’t be taking that.”
“Ah, so that’s how it’s going to be.”
Slime Island aims to be an island solely for Slimes, so they try to minimize bringing in any artificial objects.
Considering that, the rule Kousuke had established was that, in principle, even items he created wouldn’t be brought onto the island.
Kousuke and Floria’s conversation, which would be obvious as acting to anyone who looked closely, unfortunately did not reach Sura.
The trembling Sura, who had been shivering, eventually began to change into various colors, showing signs of panic.
Then, with a hop, she jumped off the cloud. Noticing the moment Mitsuki entered the room, she darted away as if to run.
It was an astonishing speed, unbelievable compared to her usual sluggish movements.
Watching this, Kousuke and Floria burst into laughter.
Mitsuki, who had confirmed the scene, turned to Kouhi, who was standing by as Kousuke’s guard, and asked,
“Did you do something to Sura again?”
“Yes. That’s right. Although, this time, it’s also Sura’s own fault.”
“I see. Well, in that case, it’s fine to leave her be.”
“Yes.”
Fortunately for Kousuke and Floria, they couldn’t hear the conversation, which was whether this was good or bad for Sura.
***
“Oh, Sura? What’s wrong?”
Sylvia, who was heading to the Lounge Space, spoke to Sura, who was running down the corridor of the Management Layer.
However, Sura herself seemed to be beyond that, heading towards the edge of the Management Layer.
Seeing that Sura did not react to her words, Sylvia tilted her head slightly but, as it was a common occurrence, continued towards the Lounge Space.
She would later hear the details from Kousuke and Floria, who were having fun there, but that was a different story for Sura.
Sura, who hadn’t even noticed Sylvia speaking to her, was determined to “clean” every nook and cranny of the Management Layer to restore her damaged honor (?).
She genuinely believed that if she didn’t give her all now, her precious place would be taken away.
For Sura, the Management Layer was a place she knew inside and out, with only a few exceptions (e.g., Kousuke’s Divine Realm).
She began to clean with all her might, ensuring not to miss a single speck of dust.
However, the current Management Layer was being cleaned by Maid Golems, so there were hardly any dust accumulations that Sura needed to work on.
That said, places behind large items like shelves, which weren’t frequently moved for cleaning, were where Sura would come in handy.
Sura knew this well, so she mobilized all her abilities and thoroughly cleaned “her designated areas.”
If any of her kind had witnessed her at this moment, they would have seen a sight of intense determination.
But unfortunately, Sura was currently in a place behind the shelves, invisible to ordinary people, so her desperate efforts went unnoticed by anyone.
In either case, Kousuke and Floria had no intention of driving Sura out of the Management Layer, even if she hadn’t been so desperately cleaning, but Sura was completely unaware of this.
Initially, Sura diligently cleaned to avoid being expelled, but over time, she forgot her original motive and became engrossed in cleaning.
This was Sura’s personality, for better or worse.
Once she started something, she would pursue it until she was satisfied, so it was common for her to hide behind objects and clean until Kousuke’s voice could be heard.
In the first place, Sura’s obsession with the cloud was also due to her tendency to fixate on one thing.
Entering one room, she would clean behind objects until she was satisfied, then move to another room and continue cleaning.
After repeating this and finishing about half of the Management Layer, Kousuke’s voice was heard.
“Sura, it’s time to eat!”
No matter how engrossed she was, she never missed Kousuke’s voice.
She felt a pang of regret about the unfinished cleaning in her current room, but she couldn’t miss her meal.
Just as she had started cleaning, Sura darted away towards the dining hall where Kousuke (should be) waiting.
By the time Sura arrived at the dining hall, Kousuke and the others had already begun their meal.
Sura, who had started eating the meal prepared for her, had already forgotten what Kousuke and Floria had told her and finished her meal with satisfaction, as usual.
Despite their occasional grumbles, this was Sura’s usual state.
Initially, I intended to write a scene where Kousuke and Floria were relaxing, but for some reason, Sura took center stage.
…If you thought of Sura as having a bird brain, prepare yourself for Sura’s Puni-Puni attack.
