After the maids helped him take his clothes off. Arad headed to the washing room where he met the three maids working inside the bath. They stared at him in silence for a second. It wasn't an hour since they heard the news of him killing the white dragon that visited.
Isdis had told them that Arad could beat a dragon the last time she came to the bath, but they didn't take what she said seriously. Beating dragons can never be a one-man job.
"I don't bite," Arad said, looking at their faces twisting, "If I was as dangerous as you think, I would have caused trouble long ago," He sighed.
"No! We didn't mean it," One of the maids gasped, rushing toward him, "It's more like..." She scratched her chin, "No one took the fact you drove a purple dragon seriously. Most thought that Isdis's previous guard's sacrifices and combined effort was what brought that win."
Another maid approached. "It's horrifying to label a lion as a cat. If your power was fully understood, everyone won't have this reaction."
Arad remembered the noble that attacked him before. This was probably the reason. He didn't know how dangerous Arad could be.
^As a dragon, I do respect strength...^ Arad looked at the flowing water of the bath, ^But why does this feel like...^
"Hypocrisy." He mumbled, "Me being strong or weak shouldn't change the fact we saved Isdis before,"
The third maid blinked, "In an ideal world that would be true. But in reality, people act upon what they believe you are. They don't know what you know, and don't act upon what you believe."
"You might see someone as a cruel evil person, but in reality, they are just people acting in their best interest. As everyone is." The first maid added.
Arad nodded, "The white dragon only wanted to raise his own fame and power. Typical dragon behavior." Arad smiled, "Even Prince Alfred, he only devised a plan to win the throne which he and his siblings are fighting for. Underhanded method, but in reality, those are the most effective ways."
Arad walked under the shower as the maids surrounded him, bringing the cheese grater with them. They knew from last time that Arad's skin was far tougher than to be wasted with mere sponges. Washing him felt like trying to clean rust off the steel.
CLICK! The changing room door opened, and everyone turned toward it, "YO!" Gojo waved his hand with a smile.
"Brother, what brought you here?" Arad sighed.
"Come on! I flew all the way to the northern kingdom and busted a whole clan of witches to find the curse user and save the sacrifice. Of course, I need a bath afterward," He approached them, and the maids gasped, lunging away.
"What's the matter ladies," Gojo stared at them with a grin, his eyes flashing blue, "Brother looks better than me,"
"It's not that..." The maids stared at each other. Arad had a brother? They screamed internally, and did he really just fly all the way to the northern kingdom? That's like a month's trip.
One of the maids approached Gojo, tapping his back with her fist. CLACK! CLACK! It sounded like dried wood.
The maid turned back with a passive face, "Bring another cheese grater. This one is just as hard."
Gojo turned his head toward them, "Cheese grader?" He then looked at Arad, "You didn't make anything for bathing?"
"Hands are usually enough," Arad lifted his palm, and Gojo nodded. It's true that their claws are the easier thing to use to wash their bodies.
Gojo closed his fist and then opened it. A ball of twisted green threads emerged in his hand, "This one is made of enchanted mithril, it's bard new so you can keep it." He gave it to Arad.
"Where did you get it?"
"The dwarf kingdom's colosseum, they used it to wash tough monsters before battles." Gojo smiled, "You should pay them a visit, but be careful."
"Careful of what?"
"I got laughed at for days for not having a beard. It's been painful being called bean sprout on each turn." Gojo giggled, "The women there find any man that is skinny or without a beard to be absolutely disgusting. I was their definition of unattractive to the point of repelling them away."
"I have some bulk, and I can grow a beard if I wanted to," Arad smiled, remembering how he looked by channeling only a bit of his lycanthropic blood.
After the maids helped them wash off and they rested in the hot water, Gojo smiled, "Well, there are two things I wanted to tell you. I had a change in plans. After we finish here, I will take Princess Lucy with me to the northern kingdom in search of a way to control her wild magic. I feel like her magic would be a vital component in solving our problem." He said, talking about the void dragons repelling each other.
"What would you do there?" Arad asked, "Besides helping the princess?"
"I will take that white dragon's place and horde, or should I give them to you since they are your kill?" Gojo smiled.
Arad thought about it, "Nah, keep everything. I don't plan on going all the way north right now. I would make more living around here,"
"Thanks, feel free to come any time you want and take anything," Gojo then looked at Arad, "And about treasures, I'm leaving the best one for you here."
"You brought something?"
"That frail old man, his name is sebas." A grin crossed Gojo's face, "They didn't use a random, person for the curse. His value had to rival that of the king, and that man is powerful albeit old age is catching up to him."
***
After the bath, Arad walked out and headed to check on the old man. KNOCK! KNOCK! He reached the room, knocking on the door.
"Who's there?" A maid replied from inside the room.
"It's me, Arad,"
CLACK! He could hear something fall. BAM! The door suddenly opened up, and the maid looked at Arad with a smile, sweat dripping from her forehead.
Arad looked inside the room, the old man was still asleep and the thing that fell was a wooden chair. She seems to have been sitting in the corner reading a book.
"How is he doing?" Arad asked.
"Yes! Ah, he's stable for the time being. There are no traces of poison in his body, but it will take someone of his age a while to recover." She replied, "I was stationed here to watch over him and inform the healers once he woke up."
Arad looked at the maid and then at the old man, "Tell me when he wakes up,"
"Of course," She bowed.
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