105-One bath after the search
The hot water spouting from the lion's face on the wall, billowing with steam, is poured into a large receptacle directly below.
Although we were using it as a bathtub, the edge of the tub was at the height where the water would come to your chest if you sat on the bottom.
The width is more than two meters to the wall, so you can stretch out your legs slowly.
It was indeed a perfect place for a bathtub.
I thought to myself as I leaned my back against the back wall.
I placed a wrung-out towel on my head and enjoyed the comfort of the heat slowly seeping into my limbs.
The water near the outlet was hot, just the right temperature for my taste.
Thanks to the covering around the spring, the steam is contained and my face and shoulders don't feel so chilly.
"Huh. ......
It's a great way to get a feel for what's going on in the world.
They looked about the size of two or three year olds, and if they were left as they were, only the upper half of their faces would come to the surface.
At first, I was worried that they might drown, but it seemed that their lung capacity was not normal, given their unusual physical abilities.
They walked around without a care in the world with only their eyes out of the water, or tried to lie down on the bottom of the bathtub with blue slime as a pillow.
Today, they are floating on their backs, side by side, in the water.
They were occasionally moving their arms and legs, changing direction and moving from one place to another.
It looked like it was looking for something, but it seemed to be looking for me.
Yoru, with the tip of his ear tucked into my chest, smiled up at me.
Kuu, who had drifted in after him, thumped his head against my arm and let out a small laugh.
It's a game I don't understand.
"Does it feel good?
"Nice and easy.
Oh!
Yeah.
As I exhaled deeply once more, I heard the sound of water coming from behind the furs hanging in the middle of the bathtub.
Paula and the others were finally ready to take a bath.
"Miss, if you put your clothes on top of them, they'll dry faster.
"Oh, thank you. That's good.
The red slime comes in handy.
Apparently, he had already done the laundry.
If it's only a light stain, it can be removed by
Well, I don't have a hobby of closely observing other people's underwear either, so I'm grateful.
So I'm going to give you a back massage today.
"Yes, Miss. Please do.
I was expecting her to refrain from doing so because of her usual cocky attitude, but Noemi accepted Paula's offer with two words.
It seems I wasn't the only one who wondered about that.
"You two are getting along quite well, aren't you?
The lady and I spent many months together in the demon pool to become full-fledged wizards.
Right. If you're concerned about who should do what or whether you're a master or a servant, you probably wouldn't have survived there.
I was once impressed by Paula's ability to do a lot of things for a noblewoman, but I guess it was the result of being in a place where she couldn't take a caretaker for a long time.
Maybe it's something akin to military training.
The lather of this soap is really wonderful. I'm sure even the royal family doesn't know about it. And the scent...
"Yes, all of your creations make my heart sing.
I moved to the edge of the bathtub, embarrassed by their deliberate words of praise.
I don't mean to listen in, but a piece of fur can't block out the sound of talking.
In the meantime, the sound of running water reappeared.
"Well, that's refreshing. Thank you, Miss.
"You're welcome. Now it's Tinya's turn.
"Nya! I'm good. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask Miss Paula to wash my back!
Don't be shy.
Oh, please don't let me do your back for you!
Come on, sit down!
Noemi's voice sounded urgent, and then I heard the sound of her forcibly removing the cloth.
After a short pause, a muffled girl's voice reached my ears.
Ugh, my body's so dirty. ....... Don't show it too much. ......
"No, it's a very fine mane. You have a wonderful coat.
Thank you, thank you. ......
Beastmen are proud of the hair that grows densely on their backs, and Heimo has been showing it off to me a lot here.
I thought Tinya would be proud of it too, but her voice sounded strange.
It was Noemi's matter-of-fact pointing out that cleared up the new questions that had arisen.
I've always thought it was strange that you didn't take off your towel, but I wonder if it's this old scar you wanted to keep hidden. It's all over my armpits and shoulders and chest. ....... They seem to be all over the place, but how in the world did you get so many scars?
The girl didn't respond to his deep question.
The only sound was the gentle scrubbing of her back, which echoed gently through the tub.
After a moment of silence, Tinya's hoarse voice could be heard.
"I got this way through special training. ......
"Training for the Knights of King's Landing?
Yes. ......
You could have done a lot better without all these wounds. ......?
If you avoid ......, you won't be able to practice. If you are going to be a ...... knight, you have to be patient.
"Of course not!
Noemi suddenly shouted, and I could feel the girl gasp.
Then Paula's soft voice came over her without pause.
You said so, Noemi. It's not her fault at all.
The sound of water washes away the awkward atmosphere, and the gentle voice is heard again.
"Yes, you're clean now.
"Oh, thank you.
I'll wash your hair later. Now, let's get into the hot water before you get cold.
The surface of the bathtub was shaking, and I could feel that more people were coming.
The water in the tub shook, and I could feel more people coming in.
"Oh, that feels so good.
"Ohhhh, that feels so good!
"Ohhhh. It's really good.
There was another short pause, and then three small chuckles sounded.
It must have been amusing to hear them unintentionally say similar words.
Only the sound of the hot water dripping from the lion's mouth and rippling the surface of the water reverberated within the space separated by the black fur.
As I surrendered myself to the sensation of time slowly fading away, I heard a voice say.
I knew it all along. ......
No one says a word.
Yoru and Kuu, drifting on the surface of the water, look up at the ceiling in silence.
No, if you look closely, you can see their eyes closed and hear them breathing softly in their sleep.
But we're the lowest of the low. We have to be patient. You have to be patient. You have to be patient all the way. ......
"And you were going to be a knight?
I wonder if he shook his head.
The only thing I heard was the sound of splashing water splitting left and right.
So I thought if I caught him, I might get knighted for my good work.
So you did. ......
But that's enough. I'll never be a knight anyway. ......
Well, I guess you're right.
You can find many different types of knights in the market.
In the event you're not sure what you're looking for, there are a number of things you can do.
The rest are subordinate organizations, the guardian knights who guard the gates of the north, south, east, and west.
There are hundreds of knights and apprentice knights who belong to these groups, and they are all demons.
They take pride in having horns on their foreheads and would never accept knights from other races.
Tinya was probably working as an apprentice to a knight.
It seems to me that the training was just a pretext, and he was just a guy who wanted to vent.
If I had been patient, I could have gotten food for the little ones. But the food here is much, much better, and they feed you a lot more. It's the first time for all of us to wear such beautiful clothes and to take such a nice bath.
After a pause, the beastly girl added in a booming voice.
So this must be heaven. I've decided to stay here forever. Hans' old man promised to bring the little ones here too. So you don't have to keep an eye on us with that black bird anymore, Noemi-san.
Oh, I see you've noticed.
The black bird is the forest crow that Noemi uses to guard the village at night.
When I was relieved that I was able to get Tinya's situation and true feelings out of her, I heard Paula's voice talking to me.
You've been standing at the front of the line all day, attracting the attacks of the demons.
You've been at the forefront of the attack all day.
"That's about as good as a loaf of bread before breakfast. Your bravery and fearlessness are the marks of a great knight, Tinya.
"Yes! We're knights?
You're right, you're more than just a knight. Yeah, you're a knight now.
Yeah! Really?
The sound of noisy water echoes, and then a soft sound is heard.
I'm sorry.
Come on, don't stand up so fast.
Oh, my God, Miss Paula's tits are so soft.
Come on, get off me. You're disrespecting my daughter.
Hey, can you hold it a little longer? ......
Yeah, sure. Would you like to join us, Noemi?
"Oh, me too? Well, I'll be back in a bit. ......
As the bathtub regained its silence, I exhaled slowly and deeply again.
It seems that a new knight has been born in the village.