In the mining city of Novan, there is a public hot spring bathhouse.
However, the bathhouses are very crowded with Novan citizens, or to put it more simply, they are in a state of washing potatoes, and it does not seem to be an atmosphere to enjoy a relaxing bath.

However, in addition to public bathhouses, there is another facility in Novang that has a hot spring.
It was in a high-class inn for travelers.

At Satsuki's request, we decided to stay at a high-class inn called the Swan's Wing Pavilion, thinking that a little luxury would be nice once in a while.
After checking in at the inn, we headed for the bathhouse to take a quick bath.

Satsuki, who was excited like a child, dragged me to the changing room together with Mee and Cyril.
Even though it was a mixed bath, the changing rooms were indeed separate for men and women.
I left the three of them and undressed in the men's changing room.

'Hey, Willow! Are you done changing?

I hear Satsuki's voice from behind the threshold separating the men's and women's changing rooms.
There was no one else in the men's changing room.
Judging from Satsuki's behavior, the women's changing room is probably the same.

Incidentally, it is somewhat inappropriate to call it "changing clothes" since it is undressing, but it is not completely wrong since you wrap a towel (bath towel) for mixed bathing around your undressed naked body.
I finished wrapping the cloth around my waist, which must have been made with an arranged cross-form spell, and headed for the bathhouse.

'Yeah, I'm ready. I'm going to the bathhouse first.'

'Oh, wait! I'm coming with you!

I heard the sound of running across the threshold.
Laughing at myself for being such a child, I went through the door from the changing room to the bathroom.

'Wow, wow, ......! It's huge! Outside! The atmosphere is great!

At about the same time I stepped out into the bathhouse, Satsuki came out from the door of the women's changing room a little further away.
She looked around the open-air bath and seemed to be very impressed.

The bath was indeed an open-air bath with a relaxing atmosphere.
A large round bathtub was built on the rocky ground, surrounded by a wooden roof and a fence.
It was almost dark in the evening, and the lanterns set up to light the way had a certain charm.

There were also places for ten people to wash their bodies, each with a chair to sit on, a hand tub, and soap.
This sense of completeness was as one would expect from a high-class inn.

But more than that...
I was more fascinated by the sight of Satsuki herself, looking around the bathhouse with such emotion.

She came out looking innocent, but her body was not childish.
Even with a bath towel wrapped around her, you can see her excellent proportions.
Her fresh limbs, which are in the transitional stage between a girl and an adult woman, are so attractive that I think any man would be captivated by them.

What also made me a little nervous was the fact that she was not wearing her usual ponytail, but her beautiful long black hair untied.
I always thought she was beautiful, but when she showed me something different from her usual appearance, I felt fresh as if I were meeting her for the first time.

Then she noticed me and looked at me.

'Ooh, Will's naked! Oh, man! I've never seen him before!

Then Satsuki comes running toward me, pacing.
I thought of warning her that running in the bathhouse is dangerous, as if she were a child, but then I thought better of it as something to say to Satsuki, who has outstanding athletic ability.

While I was thinking such useless thoughts, Satsuki was right in front of me.
And Satsuki said...

'Hmm, you're a sorcerer, you don't have much muscle. I don't feel like I'm skinny, but ...... normal?



'......Oh, hey, Satsuki, what are you doing......?

'Hmm ......? Oh, I'm sorry, did you not like it?'

'No, I don't mind. ......'

...... I'm strangely embarrassed.
I don't know if this girl has any shame at all.

It's not like that, Will, let's go to the hot springs! Together!

She takes my hand and pulls me toward the bathtub.
No, he should take a bath first, I thought...

'...... Hey Mee? Is that Satsuki's natural body?

'It looks like it. ...... I sometimes feel threatened by Satsuki, who can do that naturally.

When I looked at the entrance to the women's locker room, I saw Cyril and Mee emerging from there.
But when I saw them, I was stunned.

What stunned me was the looks of Cyril, the beautiful blonde girl who had taken off her priestly robe.

Of course, she was wearing a bath towel, but Cyril's body was so lush that I felt as if the towel would tear off at any moment.
I described Satsuki as having excellent proportions, but now that I have described Satsuki in that way, how can I describe Cyril?
I don't know if it's enough to describe her as voluptuous or matronly.
Even in her usual priestly robes, she is striking, but even so, I am reminded that she looks more mature than she really is.

On the other hand, the cat-eared girl standing next to her looked very cute.
I guess you could say that she has a charm that expresses her childlike innocence rather than femininity.
It was exactly the kind of loveliness that made me want to go over to her right now and pat her on the head.

...... And as I was taking a closer look, a blushing Cyril came to me with words of reproach.

'...... Oh, um, William? It's a good idea to take a look at your own personal information before you make a decision. I'm so embarrassed. ......'

...... She was absolutely right.
I don't know what I'm so rudely inspecting.

'Sorry, sorry, ......! It's just that it's so beautiful, I was mesmerized.

'Ugh,......, yeah. Well, no need to apologize. I should have been prepared for this.

'I'm afraid William is a bit of a natural at times.

She walked over to the bathtub and poured hot water over herself.
Satsuki, who had been pulling me along, realized, 'Oh, I see' and followed Mi.

I've never been in a mixed bath before, so I don't know what to do.
I know I should just act normal, but I can't help but feel uncomfortable with all these beautiful girls in the room, and since I'm almost naked, I can't help but be conscious of them.

I'm not sure if it's the same for them... Satsuki looks completely natural, and Mi seems unconcerned or unconcerned.
Cyril was the only one who seemed to have a strong awareness of me, and he seemed to be glancing at me from time to time.

We agreed to take a bath together in a mixed bath at Satsuki's insistence, but I don't think this will be a good way to unwind.
I'm very tense, and I have to be very careful in other ways as well.

It is said that the culture of mixed bathing has been a hotbed of disorder in s*xual manners and customs in some regions and times, but experiencing it like this, I can't help but agree.
It is obvious nonsense to say that wearing a bath towel is not a problem.
I would like to tell those who say such things to come here and experience it for themselves. There is no way there is no problem.

I was thinking of .......

'Hmm.



'Huh, that feels good.'

'It is. I think I'm going to melt.'

'That's true.

Once we were all in the bathtub, I found myself surprisingly comfortable with the situation.
Familiarity is a terrible thing.
From the looks of it, Cyril's tension seemed to have eased and he was enjoying the hot water.

In the midst of this, Satsuki spoke to me in a loosely melted voice.

'Hey~, Will~'

'What is it, Satsuki?

'I love you~'

'Bu......! Geez, ......!

I slumped in the bathtub and drank the water.
I was out of it, and this came as a surprise to me.

'What are you doing ......?

'Ehehe~, I said it again~'

When I looked at her beside me, the girl's relaxed profile looked completely innocent.

...... It is very difficult to deal with.
It's still fine if you're making fun of me, like Cyril, but .......

'William is a sinful man.

'That's true!

Mee and Cyril agree in a relaxed manner.
I've heard that nudity can shorten the distance between people's hearts, but I think it's shortening in a strange way.

'...... Okay. You can hit me any way you want. It's all my fault.'

'Hahaha. You're right, it's all William's fault.'

'It's all William's fault.

'It's all Will's fault.'

I'm starting to enjoy this.
Isn't that all there is to it?

I even started to dissolve my thoughts like that... and then...

'Oh, what is it? There's a pretty special guest here.

A man emerged from the men's locker room.