Well, normally I would just relax, but today Carlo and Hurt are waiting for me, so I have to get back early.

I hurry to finish washing myself and come back to find Carlo and Hurt sitting with their feet in the hot water. It was hard for them to stay in the hot water with their whole bodies. The way they are sitting conveys this.

Here you go.

'You're late. You almost made me fall out of bed.

'I was just about to go up there and go home.

'I washed this in a hurry, though.

I had done it in a hurry, thinking of Carlo and Hurt, but from their point of view it was too late.

Well, let's put all that aside and take a bath anyway.

I walk next to Hurt, who is sitting down, and slowly get into the hot water.

It feels so good!

The fatigue of the day seems to seep out of my body.

I guess I should soak myself in hot water instead of just using wet towels.

How is Tori's lodging these days?

Carlo asks as I am enjoying the comfort of the hot water.

We may be kids, but we are already working as part of the store, so asking each other about the store is mainstream among us.

'The rooms are usually filled, it's nice,' he says.

'Is that because of that thing called a hamburger?'

'Hmmm, I guess it helps to fill the dining room rather than the rooms.

What's a hamburger?

Carlo seems to know about hamburgers, but Hurt does not.

'Simply put, it's meat mashed, kneaded and grilled.

'Oh, something like that.

I mean, Carlo knows a lot about hamburgers, doesn't he?

Hamburgers are something I've made recently, and it's not something I've been showing off that much. I sometimes sell them as sandwiches, and people who like them order them.

I guess they had hamburgers at Tori's inn and wanted to make hamburgers themselves, but lately more and more people are asking me for the right meat to make hamburgers. I've never even had it myself.

'Oh, I see.

You're having trouble picking the right meat for it, even though you've never had it before. That's a bit of a challenge.

Anyway, it seems that the hamburgers we serve are spreading little by little. I can't believe that you want to make and eat them at home.

So, can we go out to eat next time?

'Hmm, I'm interested too.

Not only Carlo, but also Harto, who seemed to like it as well, leaned forward and asked me about it.

'......Yeah, that's just fine. I'm going to make a hamburger with hamburger and vegetables in a bun. So, Dusty and I can both go along with that--''

'Oh! You're using veggies! Then leave it to me! I don't know what kind of hamburger steak you are talking about, but I will select the vegetables that go with it!

Before I can finish, an excited Hurt stands up and shouts.

Because he stood up so vigorously, the towel on his thighs fell off, exposing a skin-colored carrot in front of my eyes.

I was shown something terrible from an agitated angle.

'I don't know, but it looks interesting. Well, call me when you're ready to make it.

'Okay. I'll talk to Dusty next time.

Dusty, the baker's son, made the bread to go with the hamburgers, and Carlo, the butcher's son, made the meat to go better with the hamburgers. And if Hurt, the grocer's son, can choose vegetables to go with the bread and meat, I think we can make a good hamburger.

I'm in a strange position as the only innkeeper, but I'm the one who came up with the idea, so I don't mind.
I guess.

We then talk about hamburgers and our recent daily lives, and Carlo and Hurt, who were in first, go up.

As I like long baths, I don't go up with them and stay there by myself.

I feel a little sad that they are gone, but it is not so bad to occupy the spacious bathtub quietly.

As I soak alone, a stranger comes in, or an older brother comes in. If they were friendly, they would talk to strangers, but these two guys didn't seem to be that type of person.

We just sit there and enjoy the hot water.

Oh, it feels so good to be wrapped in hot water. I could stay in there for hours.

As I stare up at the ceiling in a daze, my father's face suddenly appears in my field of vision.

Tori, it's time to go home. Sierra and Letty are waiting for me at home today.

'Uh, yeah. I'm going up then.

Since Mom and Letty are going to be in the bathhouse today, we have to come back early and do some work at the inn.

I got out of the bathtub, feeling sorry that I had to leave already.

Then we promptly change our clothes in the changing room and return the wooden tag and key to the reception.

How about a cold drink after your bath?

Then, a small stall was set up in the lobby, where drinks cooled by magic tools were sold. On the table, cold air was wafting from the cups, perhaps cooled by the magic tools.

d*mn, this is a very shady business. Of course I would have bought a cold drink if I found one just outside the bathhouse like this.

This brother must be a member of the bathhouse.

'Brother, ale and fruit juice, please!

Yes, sir!

Dad, a cold ale. Me, a fruit juice. That's what we always ask for.

Dad offers money and the brother takes a bottle from a small refrigerator-like box on the table and gives us ale and fruit juice.

The bottles are ice cold, as if by some kind of ice magic.

As I enjoy the coldness with my hands, my father immediately tilts the bottle and drinks from it.

With a gulp, he drinks 70% of the bottle in one gulp.

Phew! I can't stand cold ale after a bath after all!

Dad exclaims, foaming at the mouth.

He looks forward to this moment more than the bath itself. He's drinking well, by the way. It makes me want to drink ale as well.

However, fruit juice is also a classic.

I tilt the bottle and pour the cold fruit juice down my throat. The taste of rich fruit juice fills my mouth. Several kinds of fruits are mixed together to create an exquisite taste and aftertaste.

Ah, it's delicious!

'Nothing like a cold drink after a warming bath!

We drank all of it in no time and returned the bottle to my brother, probably because we were thirsty from the bath.

Now let's go back to the inn!

Yes!



Refreshed in body and soul, we leave the bathhouse with satisfied expressions on our faces.

As we stepped out of the bathhouse, the gentle breeze felt cooler, probably because our pores had opened up after soaking in the hot water.

'Someday, when I have enough money, I want to build a bath in my house,' he said.

''Yes, I do. After that, I hope I can drink cold ale at home!

Dad tipped the bottle with a sip.

I don't think we'll be able to do those things anytime soon, but for those things I might be willing to work a little harder ......, I thought for a moment.