Chapter 62: Bathing With The Slaves Requires Ritual
Shortly after we returned to the house, a message came from Iris’s house.
It was to convey the results of the interrogation of Neuel Hoffimier and the information about the Marquis Eterina Hasburg.
It seems that after returning from the dungeon, the regular soldiers immediately rushed to the Marquis’s villa.
But the place was completely empty.
Perhaps they were in a hurry, dishes were left out and clothes were left on the floor.
There was a piece of unburned parchment in the fireplace and only one piece of paper under a chair that had failed to burn.
The document was a memo(remainder) addressed to the other port cities, asking them to give priority to the cargo she had designated in exchange for the downfall of Irgafa.
And the burning remains were fragments of some kind of contract.
Upon receiving the report, Iris deduced.
“I think the Marquis’s goal was to sabotage the Sea Dragon Festival so that Irgafa would not be able to receive the blessings of the Sea Dragon Kerukatoru.”
Supplies were sent to the frontier for the war against the Demon King via Irgafa.
It was mainly due to the ‘Blessing of the Sea Dragon’.
Marquis Eterina Hasburg came to the city to destroy the Festival of the Sea Dragon at the request of another port city that was jealous of Irgada. I think that’s why she approached Iris’ brother.
After hearing Iris’s theory, Neuel Hoffimier seems to have been screaming in the dungeon.
I agree with almost 80% of Iris’s theory.
The question was, where did the ‘cheat skills’ used in this case come from?
That Ice Golem was probably the product of a cheat skill. I’m almost certain that it was the Marquis who planted it. And when the Golem fought us, it was talking about the “quota for the Demon King”.
And the “Silver Mask” that ruled the Order of Divine was also a rarity in this world.
Considering the fact that they were mass producing them, I think that the person with the cheat skills – the visitor – is behind it.
Well, our quest was over, so it was the regular soldiers’ job from there on out.
The regular soldiers were currently setting up checkpoints at the entrances and exits of the town.
They’re also sending people to the port to check the ships in and out.
The Lords of Irgafa also sent a messenger to the Marquis of Hasburg in the royal capital.
The arrangements were perfect.
Now all that is left is Marquis Eterina Hasburg’s capture.
I hope they catch her.
“We’ll let you know if there’s anything else.”
With that, Iris’s messenger left.
I sat down on a chair in the living room and watched him go.
As I sipped the tea that Aine had made for me, I thought about the future.
I don’t want to get involved with the Marquis unless I have to.
I’ll decide whether or not to participate in the festival after my problems are solved.
Right now, I’ve got my priorities.
This is a party issue, an important one that will affect our strength.
So…
“Let’s stabilize your skill quickly, Rita.”
I called out to the pile of fabric in the corner of the living room.
Blankets, cushions, tablecloths. Cloths gathered from all over the house were piled up by the window, and a golden tail was sticking out of the gap.
It’s been like this since a while ago.
“You know, Nagi…”
A voice came from the pile of cloth.
“Darkness makes one bold, doesn’t it?”
“Maybe.”
“Just because we can’t see each other’s face we talk about things we wouldn’t normally, right?
“Yes. I know.”
I’ve heard that in my previous world when you go to stay at a friend’s house, as soon as you turn off the lights, you start talking about love. I’ve never done that though.
“I think the dungeon is dark.”
“The dungeon is dark?”
“So I don’t blame you for accidentally singing something embarrassing in the mood of the moment.”
“I couldn’t help it.”
“Uh-oh.”
Patapata
Her golden tail was swinging.
The toes sticking out of the blanket were pink.
When Rita came home, she gathered up all the clothes in the house, pulled them over her head, and huddled by the window.
It was the after-effects of [Binding Song LV1] – or rather, the after-effects of singing a very sweet love song.
She was hyped up during the battle, but when she cooled down, she felt embarrassed.
“Oh, no one heard that, right? People don’t care about my songs, right?”
“No, if they weren’t listening, the effects of [Binding Song] wouldn’t be triggered.”
“No!”
Bang
The pile of cloth swayed from side to side.
“I… Why did I say what I said? I should have used more gentle lyrics. Every time I remember that song I feel like digging a hole and never come out of it.”
Suddenly, Rita looked up, flinging off the blankets.
She opened her cherry-red eyes, looked straight at me, and then…
“But I didn’t lie!”
Rita’s face turned bright red.
“I said the truth. It’s what I’ve always thought. But…”
Gaba
She put on the blanket again, but I could see her twitching tail.
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s stabilize the skill first.”
“No. I’m soaked in sweat. I have to clean up first.”
“It’s all right, Rita. The bath is just ready!”
Cecil peeked out from the entrance of the living room.
“Come in before it gets cold. You and Nagi.”
“Woooooooooooooooooooo!”
From my right arm, a thread of magic power was stretching towards Rita.
Because of this, Rita and I can’t be separated.
The length of the magical thread is about three meters.
And the bathroom in this house is unnecessarily large, from the bathtub to the changing room is more than that.
So Rita and I had to take a bath together.
It can’t be helped.
“No, I can’t! My heart will break if I go naked in front of Nagi when I’m feeling like this. I can’t, I can’t do it today.”
“So, do you want me to stabilize your skill first?”
“I can’t ask Nagi to do that when I’m soaked from the sea breeze. I can’t be so rude to my master.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I know that. But I don’t want to lose my virginity like this.”
Peeking out from the pile of cloth, Rita put her nose close to her arm.
Then she made a face as if she was disgusted.
Rita, being a beastman, has a more developed sense of smell than I do. She can’t help but notice the smell of tide and sweat. If that’s the case.
“Well, how about I go in blindfolded?”
“I can’t let my master do that.”
The pile of blankets shuddered.
I understand.
If that’s the case, then let’s think of another way.
The reason for this is that I used [Quick Structure] on Rita in the first place, and it is the master’s role to solve the slave’s problems.
Rita’s problem was that she was worried about being sticky and sweaty. That’s why she doesn’t want me to stabilize her right now.
In other words, before that, Rita wants to take a bath and clean herself up.
But since Rita and I are connected by a magical thread, she can’t take a bath alone.
This problem is easy, isn’t it?
“All right. Then help me, Cecil.”
“What? Me?”
I want Cecil to block my gaze so that I can’t see Rita while she bathes.
“…Huh! I understand! That’s Nagi for you!”
As expected of Cecil, she understood.
She understood what I was trying to say right away.
“So I should stand between you and Rita, and cover her as she bathes?”
“Yes. All Cecil has to do is turn to Rita, stare at her to see what kind of movement she makes, and then move accordingly.”
“I see. I think it’s a great plan.”
“But be careful. Rita is quick. She might make a move that you can’t predict.”
“Rita’s athletic ability is amazing, and I’m tiny. I might not be able to hide her entire body.
“All right. Then I’ll ask Aine and Rafilia to do the same.”
“Three of us?”
“Yes, the three of you will surround Rita. If you keep your eyes on Rita from three different directions, you won’t have any trouble keeping up with her movements. If Cecil misses covering Rita, the other two can follow up.”
“A brilliant maneuver using party coordination! It’s perfect!”
The magic thread was about three meters long.
It is not hindered by physical obstacles.
It doesn’t matter if Cecil, Aine, or Rafilia stood between me and Rita.
I asked the three of them to keep a close eye on Rita’s movements and block my gaze.
Of course, I’m going to turn my back while I’m doing this – but I might accidentally lose my reason, or rather, the sound of a girl washing herself might make me turn around.
So I asked the three of them to watch Rita with six eyes, so as not to overlook each of her behavior.
And if my gaze were blocked, Rita could wash herself without worrying about me.
It’s perfect.
“This way, Rita can take a bath in peace.”
No way! What kind of ritual is this, where everyone stares at me and blocks Nagi’s gaze as I move?”
It was very unpopular.
That’s funny. I thought of the quickest and least expensive way to do it.
“Oh well. Let’s stabilize Rita’s skills first then let her take a bath without anyone seeing her.”
“What? What?”
“Then how about I faint for a few minutes?
“You don’t have to do that much. Master!”
With a thud, Rita flung off the blanket.
“That’s enough. I’ll take a bath with Nagi!”
She said this and puffed her chest out in front of me, still wearing her slightly damp “Fighting Priest’s Clothes”.
She was holding her chest with one hand. She was still trembling.
As for me, I don’t want to force my slaves.
I’m a master from the civilized world.
Bathing together and that sort of thing can only be done after we’ve settled down properly, right? Yeah.
But Rita spoke up in a quiet voice, curling her golden hair around her fingers.
“I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to take a bath with Nagi. I won’t say anything selfish. Because I belong to Nagi. I just needed some time to prepare myself.”
“I have good news for you, Rita!”
“Hmmm?”
Aine, Rafilia?
Two people, dressed in their normal clothes, came into the living room carrying a small box.
How long have they been gone?
“I thought this might happen so I arranged a ‘bathing suit’!”
“What the hell?”
Cecil and Rita’s voices overlapped.
I was surprised too.
She did too good of a job in such a short amount of time.
In the first place, was there such a thing as a bathing suit in this world?
Even if there is, it’s probably pretty expensive because people don’t use it.
“Perhaps you bought it with the reward for guarding Iris?”
“You are correct. That’s what I did.”
Aine nodded her head in satisfaction.
For this quest, Aine and Rafilia were supposed to be paid by Iris for guarding her, separately from us. I knew that Aine probably wouldn’t buy anything for herself, but she used it for this.
A long and expensive bathing suit
A bathing suit used by royalty and aristocrats on short trips.
It is for noble people to deepen their friendship by soaking in hot water together.
It is made of a special fiber that allows water and air to pass through it well.
The surface is woven with intricate patterns, and the threads are colored so that even when wet, they do not expose the skin to public view.
If you just want to rinse off your body with hot water, you can do it with your clothes on.
“Iris is amazing. She arranged it as soon as I requested it.”
“It looks really expensive.
It was really smooth and fine to touch.
There was one for each of us.
“I don’t suppose you spent all of your money on this, did you?”
“You know everything about me Na-kun?”
Oh, I knew it.
You are indeed a big sister.
In this quest, the rewards for Aine and Rafilia were accounted for separately. And Aine spent the entire amount she received on these bathing suits.
“How much was the reward?”
The reward for this quest was 4,000 Arusha. The reward for Aine and Rafilia’s escort mission should be lower than that, so even if they didn’t earn 1,000, they at least earned a few hundred Arusha, enough for a month’s living expenses.
“Because I wanted to wash your back.”
Aine put her left and right index fingers together, poking and prodding.
“I was wondering if Na-kun would allow me to take a bath with him if I wore a bathing suit.”
Aine, that was a waste of time.
…If I knew she was going to do this, I would have at least let her wash my back.
I didn’t like the idea of having her work during the day and then having her do that at night as if I was asking her to work overtime.
“Okay. Let’s wear these and take a bath together. It’s your reward for working so hard today.
“Na-kun.”
Aine put her hands together in prayer and smiled.
“I’m glad. Now I don’t have to tie Na-kun up.”
“You were going to tie me up!?”
If I don’t do that sometimes, my ‘big sister spirit’ will go out of control.”
Aine held her chest as she said this.
There were various hidden parameters within Aine.
“Rafilia’s reward.…”
“I am saving it.”
“You’re more sane than I thought.”
“You never know what will happen in life. When the time comes, you will need at least a little to survive.”
Perhaps remembering the past, the light faded from Rafilia’s eyes.
She used to have an unhappy constitution.
Even if her skills have been rewritten, will your vigilance not disappear?
“…Aine. Thank you.”
The next thing I knew, Rita was holding Aine’s hand.
Her cherry-red eyes sparkled, and she looked serious.
“No. Aine just wanted to take a bath with Na-kun.”
“Bathing with Nagi is one of the biggest challenges for our party.”
“It’s a matter of life, death, and family planning.”
Aine too, with a serious face, murmured.
It seems that our party is working on a different principle than others.
“I’m glad you’re with us, Aine. Really.”
“Oh, no. You’re making me a stranger now.”
“No. No, not at all. I’m really grateful. I’d do anything for you.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. In the name of Rita Melpheus.”
“Okay. Let’s take a bath together Na-kun, Rita.”
Aine wrapped both of her hands around Rita and nodded, looking like a benevolent goddess.
“Oh, um… Aine?”
“First reason, I want to wash your back, Na-kun. I feel like I will burst otherwise.
I want to see how it feels to use the bathing suit that I bought.
The second reason, you just used [Quick Structure] on Rita and she is currently unstable, so I want to take care of her if anything happens.”
It was the perfect reason.
She was the perfect, big sister.
I could no longer object.
I couldn’t even find a way to argue with her.
“Do you mind? Na-kun, Rita.”
Aine asked with a smirk.
Rita and I looked at each other, but there was no way we could compete with the “big sister” who gave up all her rewards for the party.
In the end, the three of us decided to take a bath together.
Read latest chapters at f(r)eewebnov𝒆l Only