After weeks of battling disease barons, inquisitors, and the filth of centuries, Kazuki Tanaka found himself staring at a humble pile of dirty laundry.
It belonged to the volunteers of Sanctuary Ward One—nurses, broom-wielders, messengers. They fought alongside him every day, but at night, they trudged home to scrub bloodied tunics and soot-stained rags by hand.
"This," Kazuki said, holding up a crusty pair of socks, "is the real enemy."
Gerald the Rat squeaked in agreement.
Kazuki set to work.
---
Two days later, he emerged from his workshop with something… strange.
A large, metallic cube stood in the middle of the square. It shimmered with faint blue lines—**enchanted runes** carved into each side. A circular hatch marked one face, and on the top, a small funnel gleamed like an invitation.
> "Citizens of Sanctuary," Kazuki proclaimed, "Behold the next phase of your freedom."
He placed a muddy cloak into the hatch, poured water and a bit of soap into the funnel, and tapped the cube's center rune with his palm.
A soft *hum* filled the air.
The cube shook gently. Runes pulsed. Inside, unseen mechanisms whirred and splashed. A gentle steam hissed from the seams.
One minute later: *DING!*
Kazuki pulled out the cloak—fluffy, spotless, and somehow *sun-warm.*
Gasps echoed through the streets.
"Laundry… magic?"
"No. Not magic," Kazuki said, grinning. "*Engineering.*"
---
> **Item Created: The Cube of Purity (Mk I)**
> *A hollow cubic appliance powered by rune circuits. Capable of dishwashing, laundering, and mild fabric repair. Requires water, soap, and a small mana input.*
> ★ Reusable
> ★ Whisper-quiet
> ★ Enchanted with \[Cleanse], \[Wrinkle Mend], and \[Steam Dry]
---
Over the next week, Kazuki installed **Cubes of Purity** in homes, markets, and healing tents.
* Peasant mothers wept openly as years of hand-wrung laundry disappeared in minutes.
* Tavern owners reported a 50% drop in broken dishes and a 300% rise in customer satisfaction.
* Street mages began using the Cube to clean their robes, causing a brief fashion renaissance in Thornwell.
Even former skeptics of the sanitation movement began to change their tune.
"You know," one old man muttered, watching his soup bowl sparkle, "maybe this hygiene thing ain't so unnatural after all."
---
But not everyone was pleased.
In the upper cities, **noble laundresses** and **dishwashing guilds** saw their profits crumble. Black markets tried—and failed—to create counterfeit Cubes (one exploded into frogs). And in the marble halls of the Guild Council, merchants argued:
> "If people clean for free, who profits?"
> "He's erasing entire trades!"
> "First disease, now dishes?!"
Kazuki responded the next day with a simple banner hung across Sanctuary Ward Two:
> **"We clean because we care. Not because we charge."**
---
The true turning point came when a **Baroness of the North**, previously dismissive of Kazuki's "soap cult," visited Thornwell under disguise. After one spin with the Cube, she reportedly returned to her estate and ordered 30 of them—along with enchanted loofahs and a "personal broom butler."
> **New Title Acquired: Architect of Comfort**
Suddenly, the sanitation movement wasn't just about survival anymore.
It was about *living better.*
---
One night, Kazuki stood atop his workshop, watching the flickering lights of homes now lit with the hum of enchanted cubes. Children no longer played in garbage but in clean courtyards. Families ate from dishes that sparkled. Streets smelled of lemon and eucalyptus.
He smiled to himself.
"This," he whispered, "is what peace smells like."
Gerald squeaked beside him, curled in a miniature towel.
And though Kazuki knew conflict still simmered—Duke Morbath was plotting, the Church sharpened its blades, and the Guilds whispered of sabotage—he also knew one unshakable truth:
**Clean was winning.**