I Need Money.
That's not a new sentence in my life.
But this time, I need it bad enough to willingly clean a sacred object that might curse me or summon something from the 17th dimension.
Every quest on the Guild board is either about hunting a starving dragon, weaving giant spider silk, or becoming live bait for a sea monster.
And then, in the lowest, most ignored corner of the board…There's a crumpled paper with strange handwriting:
"Wanted: Sacred Mirror Cleaner.
Cash payment.
Snacks provided.
Death rate: only 5%.
Mirror Cleaner experience preferred."
Valmor read it with me.
His mouth full of bread.
"Mirror? Heee, Easy. What's so hard about wiping away the reflections of your past and trauma?"
I let out a long sigh.
"If I die, please don't sell my stuff at low prices."
"Relax. I'll sell it at a premium. You're a limited edition."
The Temple of the God's Eye was located in the middle of a foggy forest that—
surprisingly—smelled like lavender perfume.
"…Weird," I muttered.
Valmor nodded.
"Haunted forests usually go for more of a 'rotting corpse and despair' vibe."
We reached the temple doors—tall and covered in carvings of eyes.
A large sign hung above:
"Do Not Stare Into the Mirror Too Long."
"Do Not Speak to the Reflection."
"Do Not Believe What You See."
I nodded.
"Noted. Like my social life."
Inside the temple stood a single massive mirror.
Tall.
Elegant.
Creepy.
Eye-shaped.
It stared back at me.
"I don't like the way it's looking at me,"I muttered, opening the bottle of cleaning fluid (borrowed from the Guild—mango scented).
I started wiping the bottom first.
Then the right side.
All good so far.
Until I glanced at the reflection.
My reflection
in the mirror
was smiling
like it knew all my browser history and felt smug about it.
And I know my actual face looked more like a closed food stall sign.
Then the reflection…
Waved.
I kept wiping.
Casual.
Nothing weird here.
Just a fake reflection waving at me.
Standard Monday.
My reflection spoke.
"Let's switch places. I'm bored in here."
I kept wiping.
"Ariaaaaa~"
My reflection started mimicking my movements…
with a delay.
I moved randomly on purpose.
Hip shake.
Knee lift.
Dab.
It followed.
"You know I could suck your soul out, right?"
I held up my cleaning cloth and gave it a thumbs-up.
"Well, Good luck then."
After I finished, I walked out of the temple with a calm expression.
Like I'd just bought tofu.
Valmor looked at me, munching an apple.
"So?"
"The mirror said hi. Asked to switch places. I gave it the silent treatment."
Valmor blinked.
"…That's not a problem?"
I sat on the grass.
"Valmor. I live alone, have a job that barely qualifies as employment, and once pretended to be a human clothesline for inn rent. A talking mirror? That's just a Tuesday."
Valmor looked thoughtful.
"…Do you need a hug?"
"No. I need ice cream and a bank account without a minus sign."
The next day, the temple sent a gift:
"As a token of appreciation for your calm and professional handling of the Sacred Mirror, we present a mini version as a keepsake."
I stared at the little mirror.
My reflection…
winked.
I put it on the shelf.
Next to my toothbrush.
And said:
"Try bothering me before afternoon coffee, and I'll dunk you in the laundry bucket."