465-Episode 267 Let's all make a public bath.




'Yashiro-san?Um, why?

There was a splash of water.
It sounded like he was in a hurry to take a dip.

No, why is my line. ......



Oh, so Jeannette came into the bath while calling out to me as well.
So, reassured that no one would be there since there was no answer,......

'Sorry, I fell asleep for a minute.
'You must be tired.'

The softness returned to Jeannette's voice.
It seems she was laughing at me.

'Hot water, are you okay?Are you cold?'

She's worried about me falling asleep in the bathroom and calls out to me.
It's just the usual Jeannette.
Even though we're in the bathroom with a wall between us, she doesn't get angry unless she has bad intentions. Well, she's probably embarrassed.

'Please be careful. They say you can catch a cold if you sleep in the bath.

Is it just an overheard information? It's a common saying in Japan, 'You'll catch a cold if you sleep in the bath.
In this town, bathing in a tub is the norm and there is no time to sleep.
Maybe Estella told him this information. ...... I'm sure she has an episode where she fell asleep in the bathtub and caught a cold.

'It's a little warm, but I'm fine.
'Excuse me. I put out the fire quite early in that room.

The water in the large bathroom was boiled, so the fire for the single person was turned off early.
It seems that it was not long after Lucia left the bath, so it must have been quite a while already.

'Ah, anyway, I'm sorry for startling you. I'll leave first, so take your time.
'Yes, sir!

As I stood up, the sound of rushing water echoed from next door.

'In the ...... changing room, there are undressed clothes ............ and also underwear .......'

............ Hmm.
Let's imagine for a moment.
I'm sure Jeannette hasn't left her clothes lying around, and I'm sure they're folded neatly in a basket.
She takes off her usual clothes, folds them, puts them in a basket, and then takes off her underwear and puts them on top of her clothes. ............ Mmm, don't look!

'No matter how many times I run the simulation, a few of Jeannette's underwear will be missing.'
'Da, you can't!You can't even look at ...... them.

No, no, no, of course you're going to look.
I mean, it's on display.

'Well, I'm leaving now, so if you could wait a little longer, ......'
'No, you just came in, didn't you?

It was the sound of water that woke me up.
That was the sound of hot water being poured over my body.

According to the rules of the Sunlit pavilion, you have to wash your body before soaking in the bathtub.
In other words, Jeannette hadn't been in the tub long enough.

'Soak slowly and get warm. You won't get tired, and you'll catch a cold.'
'But, .......'
'I'm going to stay in there a while longer too, so take your time. Don't worry, I'm not going to peek.'

I let my voice fly over the wall, and after a few moments of silence, I heard a small ...... sound of water.

'...... Yes. Then let's take a dip together.

Her voice was subdued and shy, but it was soft enough to make me think of Ginette's smiling face.

'Can I get the fire going?
'Oi-daki?Oh, wood. Here you go.

The water was indeed too warm for a longer soak.
I want to add hot water by reheating the water.

Can you do that?
'If I can't, will you come and do it for me?
'Ukyuu!...... Well, good luck with that.'

He didn't seem to be coming to do it.
I would have liked to have seen Jeannette with a bath towel wrapped around her body.

I open a small window and get firewood.
Throw the firewood into the iron cylinder, start a fire, and ignite it.
Now, I wonder how long it will take for the water to boil.

'I think the water will boil in about five minutes.
'With this amount?

That's a lot of water.It's going to take about twenty to thirty minutes.

'Norma-san's new invention, what was it again?Thermoelectric conductivity?I've heard that it's an amazing thing.



Norma, you just invented something amazing!
Thermal conductivity?I thought you said it was a non-burning tube.Which part conducts heat well and which part doesn't?It's beyond my understanding.
Trubec Construction Company and the Hardware Guild are overtaking us in technology. ......
Why don't you just invent an instant water heater?

I'm sure Norma would have been happy to tell Jeannette and the others how great this invention was.
Unfortunately, they never got the message.
But they do understand that it's something amazing.

Now that the fire in the kiln has stabilized, I soak myself shoulder-deep in the bathtub.
By the way, I haven't washed my head. Let's take the opportunity to wash it.

'I thought Yashiro-san took a bath before Lucia-san.
'No, Lucia said, "Let me get in first," and skipped the order.'
'Is that so?
'You almost got me into the changing room.

If I hadn't been stopped in the hallway, he would have gotten into the changing room.
Unlike a maiden's soft skin, my half-nakedness doesn't seem to have any value.

'I told Lucia-san that Yashiro-san will be taking a bath now, so please be careful.
'You must have heard that and acted immediately. Didn't you notice?
'Yes. I was called by Loretta, so I went out immediately after I gave the message.

Is that why you didn't know what Lucia was doing?
By the way, Loretta called me when I left the kitchen. ...... So that was a flag.
I guess I should have picked it up better. Or break it.

'Loretta, what did you say?
'In the middle of the dumpling party, I asked Millie to help me weed out the wildflowers that had grown in the backyard.

Oh, so that's why Millie was there at that time.
I thought she could have done it the next day when it was light, but she listened to me and acted immediately.
Wild grasses and the like can be scary if left unattended.

'Ms. Loretta, who had heard the story, came to tell me that there were some wildflowers growing in the front yard.

What?
I only weeded the backyard, remember?

'Did they grow in the front yard too?'
'No . It was a native cherry tomato.'
'It's not a wild plant, is it?
'They didn't have any fruit on them, so they must have been mistaken.

I can hear Jeannette giggling.
Her voice is echoing, creating an echo. I feel strange. I feel strangely s*xy.

'So it's because of Loretta's mistake that we're in this situation now?
'No. It's because of my mistake in checking.

If you put it that way, it's also because my report was incomplete.

'I asked Magda to give you a message at .......'
'You sent Miss Milly to me, didn't you? ...... Hmm. I was thinking, 'Yashiro, you're bathing early!

Yeah, it took quite a while to weed.
The fact that I was helping with the weeding was not known to Jeannette, so she thought I was taking Millie home after her bath.

'There seems to have been a lot of misunderstandings.
'It must be a trick of the spirit gods.

The spirit god likes to do this kind of thing.
He must be rotten to the core.

'In Yashiro's mind, the spirit gods are very cute, aren't they?

Ginette says with a chuckle.
Adorable?That's the wrong word.

'But I'm kind of happy about it.

You hear the sound of hot water splashing.

'I didn't think I'd be able to chat with Yashiro while soaking in the bath with him, even through the wall.

Well, it's impossible for me and Jeannette to be in the bath at the same time. There's only one changing room. That's not good for anything.
That's what they said when they were planning the public baths.
It's not good for men and women with wet hair to come out of the same building.
Being in a bath across the wall must be pretty bad, too.

...... Oh no. I'm starting to get nervous.

'I'll wash my head.
I'm on my way. I was just on my way.
'Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.
'No, no. I was surprised, though.



The sound of Jeannette's voice giggling echoes off the bathroom walls, making it sound strangely s*xy.
The bathroom is amazing. All kinds of fantasies come up one after another.
I'm going to be in trouble if I don't douse my head in cold water to get rid of my worries.

So, I open the tap and fill the tub with water from the river.
Cover your head with it at once!

'Ooooh, it's even colder than I imagined!
'Nyaaah!What's wrong with you?
'No, I'm fine. It's nothing.
'You didn't sound like nothing. ......?

Even though the heavy snow season is over, the river water is still cold.
''d*mn, I shouldn't have done what I did.

'Ginette, I'll tell you something good.
'Yes, sir. What can I do for you?'
'When you put river water on your head, it's cold!
'Yeah, ...... yes, I suppose that's true, isn't it ......?'

Yeah.
That's how Ginette got rid of her worries. I'm sure Jeannette won't be splashing cold water on you.
It's bad for the heart. You'd better not.

'Oh, by the way, Regina-san said you're almost ready for shampoo.

When I was wiping myself in the tub, I couldn't use shampoo, but with this much hot water and a place where I don't mind being soaked, I can use it all I want. You can lather and rinse all you want.
That's why I'm asking Regina to research shampoo.
I gave her a recipe for a simple, primitive shampoo and left the rest to her.

I hope we can make a shampoo that smells as good as the ingredients for hot springs.

'You've got a lot to look forward to.
'By the way, Magda and I were talking about making a bath toy when we were playing in the river.
'A toy to play with in the bath?'
'Oh, you know, like ducklings floating in a bathtub, or sea turtles.
'That's very cute.
'Magda said I should make it because the manager would want it.'
'ugh. ...... I see. I'll look forward to it.

Jeannette doesn't say, 'I know you want it.
She just includes everything in her smile.

'Bathing is really fun when you take a bath with someone, isn't it?

Ginette says this wistfully.
Some people prefer to take a bath alone, while others like to frolic in a place like a hot spring. It depends on the person, but I'm sure Ginette would agree. From the heart. Genuinely.

'Puku-puku hexenbiest, remember?
'Yes. I've been practicing while Magda-san has been giving me a hard time.
'That guy's obsession seems to be loud. ......'
'Hmmm. It was very spartan.

After all, it's a memorable game with Mom and Dad. No compromise at all, I guess.

'In the end, I passed the test because this is the manager's original Pukupuku Zauberbiest.

I wouldn't deny Ginette just because her parents are the best.
Magda loves to be pampered in the Ginette way.

After that, they got back into the bathtub and warmed themselves up while having idle conversations.
When Jeannette said she was going to go up, I waited for her to finish changing and went up too.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find my pants anywhere.

I was a little nervous, though, when Jeannette was waiting for me in the hallway just outside the changing room.

'Well, I promised to reward you, Yashiro-san, but would you like a little massage afterwards?

I was also thrilled by the moist smile and suggestion of a reward for my hard work in making the dumplings, and--'

'......Yashiro and the manager returned from the bath together. ...... I'll have to report back to everyone tomorrow.
'No, Magda!There's a reason for this.
'Yes, that's right!It was an accident!

The fact that Magda was standing at the end of the corridor made me even more nervous.
...... I thought my heart was going to collapse.


It took me a long time to appease and pacify Magda, who was bent out of shape from being left out, and I went to bed very late that night.

My reward was postponed until a later date due to such circumstances.





'Is Yashiro there?The construction of the public bath finally started today. ...... What is this distance?

As soon as she entered the store, Estella frowned at the delicate atmosphere inside.
There were no customers at the Sunlit Pavilion before it opened, and Loretta hadn't arrived yet, so it was just me, Magda, and Ginette.

I'm at my usual seat, Ginette is by the counter, and Magda is standing at the table by the entrance.
An isosceles triangle.

Magda, feeling left out, bent her head, and Ginette and I made our excuses.
In order to clear up the misunderstanding that I had left Magda out, I had to tell the truth as it was.
In other words, I had fallen asleep and Ginette had taken a bath without noticing.


It must be very embarrassing for Jeannette, but she said that it would be harder for her to be misunderstood as hating Magda, and told the truth nakedly.

But that doesn't mean you have to tell me that you were a little nervous at the sound of water when you were washing yourself. I mean, don't do that, it's embarrassing.

As a result, Magda--

As a result, Magda said, '...... neither the manager nor Yashiro are bad.

That's what he said to me.
I was so tired that I accidentally fell asleep, and he cared for Jeannette, who had encountered me, the opposite s*x, while bathing, even if it was an accident, and said, '...... Magda is on our side.

At ......, Magda is now looking at us at the same distance, neither too close to me nor too close to Jeannette. Hence the isosceles triangle.
If only Ginette and I were closer, the three of us could be closer together. ......

After a night of thinking about it, I'm so embarrassed!
I've been in a terrible situation, haven't I?
I'm sure you'll agree.
I don't know how my milk lust didn't go into overdrive!

"Quiet, my milk lust!

I'm not sure what to make of that.
....... My heart hurts now.

And I guess Jeannette feels the same way, but she hasn't spoken to me since this morning.
When I try to talk to her, she makes a short 'ah' sound and moves away.
However, in order not to let me think that he is avoiding me, he always stays where I can see him.
If he were to stay in the kitchen, I would feel a little uneasy, thinking, 'Maybe he's angry about yesterday. If he had stayed in the kitchen, I might have felt a little uneasy.
It seems that Jeannette can't tolerate me thinking so.

Hence the isosceles triangle.

'Welcome to the Isosceles Triangle.
'What's this place?I've never heard of it.'

Estella comes up to me with her eyes peeled.
Don't come here. Go to Ginette's.

'You didn't do something bad to Jeannette, did you?
'You're always so suspicious of me.'
'Of course not. Jeannette would never do anything insolent to you, would she?
'I'm sorry for betraying your trust!I'm sorry for being an insolent girl!

It seemed that the tension from the morning had caused her to snap.
The gynette broke in a strange way.

'What?What's going on?What?

Estella looked at Ginette, who was apologizing with a red face, and was flustered.
She looks at me as if asking for an explanation.
I'm not going to spread ...... too much. ......

'...... Yesterday, Yashiro and the manager were ............ oops, no more of this from Magda's mouth.
'All right, I'll explain!



With Ginette's approval, I explain the unfortunate events of yesterday.
I also asked her to help heal Ginette's heart.

After listening to the explanation, Estella let out a huge sigh.

'You're too careless, you know.
'Why me? ......'

You're always favoring Jeannette again.

'Why don't you lock the door when you're bathing?
'Oh, ......'

I've never locked my door while bathing, if you ask me.

'Originally, I was just going to close the door of the blindfold fence that was left open because of Lucia. ......'

Yes, I didn't lock the door to the corridor because I just wanted to go and lock it.
Besides.

'I didn't think I'd need to because I didn't know anyone who'd be spying on me.

I don't think Jeannette or Magda would be peeping into my bath.
I'm the only one in the sunlit pavilion who really wants to peep into other people's baths.

'Don't neglect to lock your door, not only to be peeped at, but also because events like this can happen.
'...... hey hey'.
'What would you have done if Jeannette had been in the single-s*x bathroom you were in instead of the main bathroom?

What if Jeannette had come in on this side of the wall instead of the other side? ......

'Worship!
'I know how you feel, but I don't!
'...... I know how you feel, I'm sorry Estella.'

'I know how you feel, but I don't!
I've seen God! and start a new religion!

'I'll be very careful in the future. ......'

Jeannette folded her hands and squeezed her eyelids shut.
She's probably repenting.

'It's not Ginette's fault, is it?
'Yes, it is. It's just that Jeannette didn't notice.'
'The ...... manager can't notice anything unusual.'
'It's not that he's distracted, it's that he doesn't have the ability to sense danger in the first place.
'Come to think of it, you fall down a lot.
'...... When I fell right after I said, "I'll be careful," I wondered if I should stick with it.


'When it was snowing heavily, you fell down while saying, "Be careful, Yashiro-san."'
'Oh, in that case, "It's starting to rain. Let's run home so we don't get wet! And then he dived into a puddle, which surprised me.
'...... The other day in the bath, I missed a bar of soap and couldn't catch it for a long time.
'I once saw an orange that had fallen to the floor and rolled around and got away with it.
'When I was a kid, I tried to save a kitten that was about to fall into a canal, but I ended up falling in .......'
'...... So Magda, the other day--'
'Oh, hey, can we stop there already?

Jeannette, who has been witnessed by various people at various decisive moments, interrupts him, her face turning red.
I still have a lot of stories to tell you, if you want to hear about Ginette's mistakes.

'Well, that's why I accidentally forgot to lock the door. I'm sorry.'
'Oh, no ......, I'm sorry for the inconvenience.'
'Okay, so now that both of you have reflected on your actions, this conversation is over. And that's it, right?Then, hurry up and go back to the normal sunny pavilion that I love.
'Yes, sir. Thank you for your help. Estella. Magda-san too.
'...... I'm fine.'

Talking to Estella finally brought a smile to Ginette's face.
I guess she could repent by telling someone. Someone close to her, not a relative.

'That's why I decided to make a toy to play with in the bath.
'I don't know what 'therefore' means.

Magda missed last night's rather bizarre bathing experience.
Magda missed out on a rather bizarre bathing experience last night, and when I asked her to join me on ...... this time, Ginette was embarrassed. It probably won't happen a second time.
I mean, it's not a very respectable thing to do in this town. Don't involve Magda in this. ...... If I do this with Magda, Loretta will be upset and say, 'I'm not part of this group! And if you go that far, there may be others who will follow suit and say, 'Well, me too.

The members agreed to keep this matter to themselves.
It's Ginette's honor, too.
Loretta's the only one who doesn't know, but it's not like she's going to tell anyone. Let's not worry about that.

'Good morning!

Loretta comes to work with a unique greeting.
She's early today. She comes to work at different times, sometimes at the church, sometimes after the donation, but today she's full of energy from this morning.

'Listen, big brother!Yesterday, when I was taking a bath with my sister, my little brother barged in and gave us a hard time. I scolded him, saying it's outrageous for boys and girls to bathe in the same space, even if they are in the younger group.
'I'm sorry for being outrageous!
'What?What is it, manager?What's wrong!
'Actually, it's ......!

Ginette couldn't stop feeling guilty, and ended up explaining the situation to Loretta as well.
Oh, I'm sure I won't tell Bertina about this either. I bet you'll tell her and then repent once more.

No, that's fine if it makes you feel better. ......
If it makes you feel better, that's fine,......, but every time I do it, people look at me like, 'Wow,......,' which is,......, well, my fault too!

I'm sure you'll be able to understand why I've been so impressed with your work. You know, manager, right?

Loretta is trying her best to comfort the reddened Jeannette.
Oh, I see. So it's okay for family members to come in together.
Then we who live in the sunny pavilion are like a family, so it's OK for us to go in together!

I can't even joke about such embarrassing things like .......
Family is .........





The groundbreaking ceremony was both grand and quick.

'All right, fellas!Let's finish it before the end of the year and have rice cakes at the church!
'''Whoa, whoa, whoa!Sister Bertina is so glutinous!

What's with the shouting?
'' '' ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

''Yashiro-san, ......?

Bertina, who had come to watch the groundbreaking ceremony, walked straight up to me without any hesitation.
With a scary smile on her face.

Why are you doubting me without a doubt? ...... Are you doubting me or not?
You can't help it.

'Mo Mat spread it. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.

I'm the one who said it. I didn't spread it.
It's been spreading on its own without my knowledge.
Yeah, I'm not lying about anything.
Go ahead, call "Judgment of the Spirits" or whatever you want!

'Oh, is that so? ...... Not at all, Mr. Mo-Mat. I'll scold you later.

Good for you, Mo-Mat.


Bertina, the woman of my dreams, is going to give me a gentle lecture.
I'll have to take a lot of vegetables as a reward.
That's right, let's get some yuzu and kabosu to float in the bathtub.
The citrus fruits in the bath will warm you up. They also smell good.

As soon as the ceremony was over, I started to move quickly.
I grab a certain person who was at the ceremony and start negotiating.

'Norma.
'Ah, Yashiro. You're meeting with the carpenters, aren't you?
'No, they're going to do whatever they want. There's nothing I can do about it.

The structure of the bathhouse has been decided and the blueprints are complete.
All that remains is for the carpenters to do their best to build it.

'I'm sure the kids won't get burned if they go in that way.

A smiling Norma.
You're talking about how to boil water in a public bathhouse.

In public bathhouses, they build a boiler room and boil all the water in all the baths at once.
They build big metal kettles and build a fire to boil the water at once.
From there, the water is poured into the bathtub using the water supply system.
In this way, the children do not get burned by touching the cauldron, and the bathtub does not need to be prepared to boil the water as in a gun bath, so a spacious bathtub can be set up.
Above all, only one person is needed to keep the kettle running.

If you turn several bathtubs into a gun bath, you will have to manage the fire one by one.
This is simpler and simpler in principle.

The main bathtub.
And a daily changing bath with a different scent each day.
For the kids, a shallow, wide and slightly warm bath.
Then there is a hot hell bath and a water bath. We also built a sauna where hot water is poured over burnt stones and steamed.
Now, let's see how many baths are accepted.

The carpenters were interested when I told them about the significance of the sauna, so I'm sure there will be challengers.
I'm sure old man Zelmar would be willing to endure the heat. I'm sure the stubborn old man will like it.

So, I'm going to make something for the public baths as soon as possible.
I have an appointment.

'I'd like you to share some of the tin.
'You're going to make something, aren't you?
'You said it before, toys to float in the bath.

Tinplate is a processed product made by plating tin on the surface of steel, which is water-resistant and rust-resistant.
Tinplate is water-resistant and rust-resistant, but it's not rustproof.
A thinly stretched steel plate is easy to process.
In addition, tinplate can be easily colored, so you can make colorful toys with it.

'I've made a few wooden toys during the heavy snow season, but I think I can make something more interesting with tinplate.

I hollowed out the wood and coated it with preservative to make a wooden toy that floats on water. ...... It was a little different from what I expected.
It was a little bit different from what I was expecting. It was a little bit ostentatious and unrefined. ......
Also, wet wood is a bit heavy.

If I had plastic or vinyl, I would have made it, but I don't.
So, it's tinplate.

I'll try to make a goldfish and a duck for now.
There are wooden ship toys made of wood, so it would be interesting to have a tin ship in contrast.

Oh, speaking of ships, ......

'The Hardware Guild knows how to make tubes, right?
'Not to brag, but we're pretty good at it!See the tube in the gun bath?Beautiful cylinders, aren't they?

Norma, who is convinced that the gun bath will spread, has started improving the cauldron part at the hardware guild.
It may take a little while for the general public to see it, but the nobles will want it.
Masha, Imelda, and Lucia, for example.
Javier might want it after he gets the information from Imelda.
He ordered a flush toilet very early on.

'From a small bathtub in a private home to a large bathroom in a large nobleman's home, it can be used for any size tube!
'I see. Then can you make me a copper cylinder with a diameter of five millimeters?
'Five millimeters?

A long, thin copper tube with a diameter of five millimeters.
Like the size of a straw. A little thin, but...'

'Seal the seams completely so that no water or air can leak out. Oh, and make it as round as possible.'
'Another difficult request from ......!

It is easier to make a tube if it is of a certain size.
A small tube requires a certain amount of skill.
After all, all processing in this town is done by hand.

Well, if you can't do it, you can't do it.
I just thought that if you could make it, you could make something interesting.

You don't have to do it. If you can't do it, don't do it. ......'
'I never said I couldn't do it!Yes, you can!A copper tube five millimeters in diameter!
'I'm glad you're so ambitious, but the public bathrooms come first, don't they?


'Of course!It's just a matter of getting the men to assemble it. I've already finished the main part, so I was just about to free up some time.'
'That's convenient.

With Norma here, we'll be able to make some pretty good toys.

'Why don't you come with me and make some toys for the kids?
'You know, the ones that float in the hot tub?...... Hmm. When I saw the blueprints, I thought, 'Oh, that's just like Yashiro.

What do you mean?

'Even in the bathtub, Yashiro gives the children something to play with, doesn't he?
'You know. The top three things kids hate are helping, studying and bathing.

They don't like to soak in a hot bath, they don't like to wash their hair when their face gets wet, and they don't like boring bath time.
Anyway, kids hate boredom.

'Therefore, if there is a bath where such children can play enthusiastically, the adults who brought them there can take a relaxing bath,' he said.

In the bathtub, there is a rule: 'You must wash your body first before getting in.
In this way, children who want to play will voluntarily wash themselves.

'If we create an environment where adults can take a bath slowly, they won't be bothered by it, will they?
'Well, it may become troublesome to take a child who doesn't listen to you every time you go to the bathroom.
'Moreover, the more you go, the more you'll hear the chorus of 'I want to get out of here, I want to get home. Isn't that tiresome?

I've been to public baths and hot springs where kids are screaming, 'I want to get out of here! I've seen kids screaming in public baths and onsen many times.
I'm sure their fathers want to take their time.

That's not the case in the public bathhouses in the 42nd district.

'You have to come again and again, every day, and drop your money. ......
'Yashiro. Don't show your evil face in broad daylight. The kids will cry when they see it.

Hmph!
You can cry if you want.
I don't give a d*mn about kids!
I'm an adult who doesn't overlook scandals caused by kids because they're kids.

I'm an adult who won't overlook a child's misconduct because it's a child's misconduct. Kids are selfish creatures who don't work, don't have any duties or responsibilities, and are just selfish because they don't want to do this or that.
On top of that, they even have the privilege of unconditional access to women's baths!
Can you forgive them?
No!

Definitely, no!

I'm going to change the toys in the baths between the men's and women's baths, and make sure that men and women bathe separately. ...... The kids themselves will say, "I prefer the men's bath! I'll prepare some interesting toys so that the kids themselves will say, 'I prefer the men's bath! You can grow up to an age where you can't exercise that privilege without knowing its value!
'Yashiro, isn't there some kind of personal grudge involved in this?
I'm not going to let a man, even a zero-year-old, into a women's bath that I can't get into!
'...... That's the kind of thing you're ............... no, it's nothing.'

I'm not going to let you get away with this,' said Norma, letting out a puff of smoke from her flue.
What's that?
I'm just following the rules.
I'm just following the rules. Isn't that great?Hmm?

'A man and a woman can't take a bath together at the age of seven!
'It's the seats that don't stay the same.

If you can't have a seat, why can't you have a bath?
What kind of ethics are you talking about when you say, 'You can't sit near me, but we can take a bath together'?

What kind of ethics are you talking about? It's because I built a public bathhouse. ...... 'What, we used to take a bath together when we were kids.You don't have to say that now! I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who's a fan of your work.
'Yes, yes, I'll make lots of cute toys to prevent that from happening. Come on, let's go to the workshop.

A gentle hand pushed me back and took me to Norma's workshop.





A high-pitched clank-clank-clank sound rang out.
She cut a thin steel plate with metal shears and bent it with a hammer and punch to form a plump form.
This is the same procedure as when I made Millie's hair ornament.

This time, however, the design is more elaborate than that, and requires a higher level of skill.

'Here, duck.
'Wow, they're cute.
'It'll be even better if you add some color later.
'Then you can use my foot-operated compressor.

Apparently, there is a compressor that compresses the air in the tank and blows air out by stepping on the pump with your foot.
Stepping on the pump is ...... hard work.

However, if you have a compressor, you can apply the color evenly.
The compressed air can be ejected through a narrow jet and sprayed like a 'puff! like a spray.

'By the way, is there any way to prevent the color from fading?
'There's a surface treatment I use for plating. It's a little yellowish, but it's almost colorless.

Well, let's assume that the color will be yellow.

That way, the color won't fade the moment it's soaked in the bath, and the bath water won't get dirty.

Then I made a toy by pounding tinplate, while I asked Norma to make a copper tube.
Norma, you look like you want to make a toy so badly.
He stops every now and then to look at my hand.
I know you're trying to steal my skills, but you'd better get on with your work, too.
Don't just say, 'Wow, I didn't know you could get that kind of result if you used it that way. Don't take notes or anything!



From then until nightfall, I continued to make toys without a care in the world.
I kept pounding on the iron plate, pounding, pounding, pounding.

At any rate, I made all the toys I had imagined.
Ducks, goldfish, turtles, boats, mermaids, and boobs.

'What are you making that's unnecessary?
'No, it's necessary!

A pair of boobs floating in a bathtub.
It's the best!

'I'll leave this in the men's room.
'I'll tell Estella about it.
'Norma, what a cruel thing to do!

I worked so hard to inflate the steel plate!
I made her G-cup tits!
And the painting, 'Wow!I'm so proud of myself! I was so proud of my work!

'I can't let the kids see this, can I?
'Then we'll use it at home.
'I'll tell the manager.
'Norma, what a cruel thing to do! (Twice.)

Norma's heart is small.
She has such a big, soft heart!

'Well, it's okay if your heart is small, as long as it's big.
'Who's heart is too small? ...... Everyone can stop this, can't they?

And then he picks up the finished tin tit and looks at it closely.

'It's too ...... realistic.
'If you have a model, you can make it more realistic.
'I'm saying it's not realistic enough!
'So you're okay with these deformed tin tits?
'How many tin tits have you made?

The deformed boobs that look like you drew a circle and popped it were also confiscated.
I tried my best to make something suitable for the 42nd district, the city of boobs!

'I was going to put it in the 'Bath with Father' and the 'Bath with Tits'!
'I won't let you give it such a strange name!

Oh, no.
This was an idea that Estella had rejected in two seconds.

During the meeting to decide on the name of the public bathhouse, Estella brought up the idea of 'Hero's Bath' and 'Princess's Bath', and I said, 'What, is that a pun on 'hero' and 'bath'?I made him drop the idea by saying, 'Pfft, that's so funny.
...... Because some people called me a hero, I felt a little like they didn't want to name me, a little, but a little.
And this is probably Estella's clever harassment, anticipating that I would think that way.

In the end, we settled on the names "men's bath" and "women's bath".
The public bathhouse itself was given the name "West Bath", meaning that it was located on the west side.
It is said that they are planning to build another public bathhouse on the east side, which will be called 'Higashi no Yu.

'So, Yashiro. What's with the baby doll?

I really wanted to make it out of vinyl chloride, but I didn't have any, so I made it out of tinplate in the cutest way possible.
The coloring of the doll has been carefully chosen to give it a lovely expression.
Of course, she is bareheaded.

'This is a make-believe doll.
It's a game that the kids at church sometimes ask me to play with them.
'...... are you playing with them?
'You know, when they ask, you can't say no to ...... them.'

Norma is playing make-believe with a group of little girls: ......

'It's not like there's going to be any horrible carnage, is there?
'What do you think I am?It's child's play.

No, because the make-believe situation Magda told me about before was rife with carnage.
It was a love-hate drama interwoven with an afternoon affair.

'Little girls like to play the big sister and imitate their mothers, don't they?So, I think she'll be happy if you let her play with these dolls and give her a bath.'
'Oh, I see. I'm sure the kids would love it. You could say, 'Yes, please close your eyes,' and wash their hair. ......

You may be imagining a young girl playing make-believe in the bathroom, and Norma smiles happily.
But, you were cuter than I was!
What?I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun doing it!I can see it in your eyes!

'Does Norma play a lot of mothers?
'U......'

I thought she was just playing around with such roles because of her familiarity with them, but apparently not.
Norma's expression stiffened, and her lips moved awkwardly as she looked away, as if she was having a very hard time saying it.

'You know, kids like to act all grown up. That's why they go to .......'
'You're playing a daughter?
'...... as a baby.'
'Okay, Norma!Come play house with me!
'No, I'm not!
'Come on, baby, it's boob time!
'Boob time is when the baby drinks from the mother's tit, not when you squeeze the baby's tit!Just stop that hand!



He hit me on the back of the hand with a cigarette.
What's the matter with you~, you're not even letting me do anything.

'Well?What are you going to use this copper pipe for?

In such a short time, Norma had made a copper tube that met our request exactly.
Five millimeters in diameter. No gaps, uniform thickness, first class.

'It's perfect, Norma. You've done an excellent job.'
'No, it's not. ...... Well, that's pretty much what I can do.

It seems that Norma is happy to be praised, and the flue is spinning in her fingers.
It's spinning more than usual.
That's amazing!Isn't it more complicated to spin than the world champion pen spinner?

'So, what are you going to make with this?

Norma, in a good mood, pesters me.
Oh, that smells good!
It's a nice change from the stench of the heat wave, and the flavors are fantastic!
The fruit ...... is apricot!
I'm not sure if there is such a thing as bath salts or soap.

It'll definitely sell!

'Let's make bath salts with the scent of Norma!
'Did you make me make this copper pipe for that?
'Oh, no, it's for making ships.
'A ship, right?

Yes, yes.
It's no exaggeration to say that it's one of the most popular toys for floating on water, the pompon steamship.

'I'll make you an interesting toy. I'll make you an interesting toy, along with Norma-scented bath salts!
'I don't need bath salts!Or rather, I won't let you make them!

Oh, no... I could have been a millionaire...

'First of all, I want to bend this copper tube into a spiral, do you have a jig?
'I've got a good one for that. Give it to me.

Give the copper tube to Norma and ask her to bend it into a spiral.
Make a circle with the same diameter as the spring, and wind it around twice.
Make another one and make a set of two.

'Now it is almost complete.
'What's so special about this one that it's a ship?
'It's the engine part of a steamship.
'I don't understand.
'The hull is already finished!

I made a tin boat while I was making toys.
All that's left to do is to build this engine section and the boiler.

'If you put water in this copper tube and heat it from the outside, the water inside will boil, right?
'Well, copper has a high thermal conductivity.
'If it's as thin as this, it will boil easily with a candle flame.

The hull of the tinplate is hollow, and there is a place for a candle.
It is designed so that the flame comes just below the boiler.

'Copper tubes wrapped around a hollow ship. It's a very simple structure. Do you want to play with it on the water?'
'No, it's going to work.
'Are you sure?
'Let's try it. Do you have a tub?
'I'll give you a minute.

Norma is making the preparations quickly.
He seems to be interested. He's a little fidgety.
Like a child with a toy in front of him.
Perhaps he has been playing the role of a child too much, and has become easily reverted to his childhood.

'First, fill the copper tube with water.

Once the boat is submerged in the water in the tub.
Bubbles will appear and the copper tube will be filled with water.

Then, set a lit candle in the boiler section and you are done.
All you have to do is wait a moment and--


Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop......


The ship began to move forward with a lilting sound.

'It's moving, isn't it?And there's a pretty sound, too.

Norma gazes happily at the little boat as it moves along, inch by inch, in the tub.

'How does it work?
'When you heat a copper tube, the water inside boils, right?When the water boils, it expands. When the water expands and has nowhere to go, it spurts out of the copper tube with great force. It's the reaction that propels the ship forward.
'But what happens after the water runs out?Well, that ship is still going.


'When the water inside the copper tube spurts out, it pulls the air pressure inside the tube down, right?When the air pressure drops, the space tries to maintain zero pressure, so water is sucked in from outside.

And as water is sucked in, the temperature of the heated air inside the copper tube drops rapidly, increasing the force of suction. Therefore, the copper tube is filled with water at once.

'However, there is still a candle burning outside the copper tube, and it continues to heat up, so the water inside the tube boils again, expands, and is spewed out of the tube. Then the air pressure drops, and the water is sucked into the copper tube again, heated up and spewed out again, and then sucked in again and ...... and so on and so on until the fire goes out.'

It's not a jet. Rather than jetting in and out in small increments, a popping steamship can keep going as long as it has the energy of a candle flame.

'If the ship moves forward when the water comes out, doesn't it move backward when the water is sucked in?
'The water that comes out of the tube is covered by the tube and there is no place for it to escape, so it shoots out with great force, but on the other hand, when the water enters the tube, it can flow in from all directions, so the energy is weak in terms of propulsion.

If you concentrate energy of the same magnitude at one point, the power will increase. On the other hand, if you put it on a surface, the power is weakened.
So it moves forward, but not backward.

'Wow, ...... is interesting...'

Norma's mouth slackened in amusement as she watched the steamship circling in the tub with a popping sound.
She smiled with the innocence of a child.

'...... They'll be up all night from today until the new year.

...... Though inside his head, he is the boss of a black company.
I'm sure the maidens will be forced to make rotten copper pipes. ...... Too bad.

Okay, I'll stay away from the hardware aisle for a while. Let's do that.