To my statement in the coffee shop, but Ms. Illtimina didn't respond.
　Nor did she disagree.
　But she didn't say she agreed with me either.

　She just stared at me for a moment.

''........... Sol is waiting for me, is it time for me to leave?
Uh-huh.

　She smiled, as usual, and stood up from her seat.

　Puzzled, I too got up, held hands with Illtimina-san and walked the way back to the royal capital.

　On the way back, she and I had a normal, trivial conversation.
　However, she still didn't talk about the fact that I said 'I want to become an adventurer'.

　Eventually, the sisters' house came into view at the end of a gentle slope.

'Oh, it's Solstice,'

　The upstairs window was fully open, and there I saw a bespectacled girl dusting the sheets.
　She, too, noticed us.

Welcome back.

　She waved cheerfully at us.
　We waved back, and for the sake of the hungry little girl, we quickened our walking pace a bit.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


Well?

　In the middle of one of the rooms on the second floor, Solstice put her hands on her hips and smiled proudly.

　It had been a storage room until this morning, he said.
　But now, it was a shiny, clean, empty room.

(Oh!)

　There is not a single speck of dust on the walls or floor.
　The floorboards squeak when you step on them.

　Ms. Illtimina, next to me, looked impressed.

''I'm surprised. I didn't expect Sol to do so well...''
Uh-huh. I have to do it when I have to!

　Little fingers rubbed under my nose.
　Yeah, the finger was dirty, and it turned black like a choby whisker there.

　Illtimina smiles happily.

'You've worked hard for Merle too, haven't you?　That's great, Sol.
..........

　Solstice pouted.
　His face turned red and he waved his hands around.

'Nah, it's not!　Because it's not for this guy!　Wow, I just wanted my job to be perfect, because it's definitely not!
'Yes, yes. So, for all your hard work Sol, let's have lunch right away, shall we?
Listen to me, sister Irna!

　My sister chases after her as she descends the stairs to the first floor, pleading desperately.
　I see her off and look at the room again.

(I see. So this is my room.)

　A place for me to live with those sisters.
　My cheeks flushed a little.

　A cool breeze blew in through the window in the garden.
　Yes, it felt good.

Yeah. I had to say thank you to Solstice.

　My blue eyes narrowed, and I immediately noticed and hurriedly followed the two of them.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　Illtimina quickly made a delicious pasta dish with plenty of meat and vegetables, using ingredients we bought.
　Of course, Solstice's plate tripled in quantity.

'Thanks. Here's some for you.
'Oh, shit!　I'm not doing this for Merle!

　When I gave her a large chunk of meat, she blushed and turned away.
　But she ate the meat as it was.

(Yeah, yeah, that's very Solstice.)

　Illtimina-san was smiling at us with a very kind look in her eyes.

　After lunch, it's time for the three of us to clean up.

　The house has been neglected for a month, and dust is gathering everywhere. We have plans to cut the weeds in the garden as well.

　Both of them will tie up their long hair and put it in a bun.
　Ms. Illtimina thought that if she continued to wear kimono, she would change her class from young mistress to beautiful young mistress.

(Yeah, eye-candy, eye-candy.)

　Me and my beautiful sisters, hands clasped together in my mind, covered our noses and mouths with a cloth to keep the dust from getting in.

Then let's get started.
Oh!
Oh!

　At the patriarch's signal, he began to clean up.

　Thump, thump, thump.

　Sweeping with a broom, beating with a hatchet, and bedding beating on the bedding that had been dried.
　Dust escapes from the open windows of the house.

(Alright.)

　It's kind of fun when it's visibly cleaned up.

　And I try to open one of the rooms on the second floor as my next aim.

(Hmm...?)

　Googling

　But it won't open.
　It's not locked, but it's not working. Is it badly built?

　As I was desperately trying to put my strength into it, Solstice, who was passing by, spotted me and turned pale.

''Wait ... no, rag!
What?

　bang

　She pushes me away.
　In front of me, who was falling on her buttocks, she stands in front of the door as if to protect it.

''If you open it, all the stuff you rammed into it will come out!
...luggage?
The one from Merle's room.

　............
　Solstice wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled briskly as she looked into the distance.

'This place has become an unopened room for the rest of my life.

　And then she leaves.
　No, well if that's okay with you, that's fine.

(But I wonder if Illtimina-san will be mad at me if she finds me?)

　I'm a little worried.
　Half an hour later - sure enough, I saw her being scolded by my sister, but I continued to weed the garden.

'Phew.'

　The blue sky that I looked up at was brutally beautiful.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


Yes. Well, that concludes the cleanup.

　Pull out the last of the weeds and

I'm done.
I can't...

　We sat down on the ground, drenched in sweat.
　Iltimina smiled at us as she dropped the one she had pulled out into a pile of mowed weeds gathered in the corner of the yard.

'Good work, both of you,'
Yes.
Good work, Irna.
'Huh, I've just boiled the bath for you, so you can start with Merle.

　Oh, are you sure?
　Solstice is still protesting beside my surprise.

'Hey, is this guy the best bath?'
'Yes. Also, Sol, please keep these mowed weeds in a bag, okay?
Why would I do that?

　She was taken aback.
　Miss Illtimina smiled at her sister.

''Who packed too much luggage and warped the upstairs door?''
.......... Now, come on, I'll do my best~

　Solstice stood up gingerly.
　Ummmmm?

Can I help you with that?
No, Merle. This is Sol's punishment.

　Mr. Illtimina said once and for all.
　Then she stroked my cheek like a feather with the back of her pristine hand.

Truly, you are a sweet child. --Come on, Merle. You need to take a bath and get cleaned up.
Yeah, okay.

　I laughed, taking him up on his offer.

"Well, I'm going to take a bath first, okay?
Yes, sir.

　Iltimina smiled and nodded widely.

　The baths in the sisters' house were in the basement.

　The changing room was small, but the bathroom was large and the walls were bare rock.
　The bathtub was made of slippery black stone, the surface of the water was at the same level as the floor, and it was big enough to hold about three people together.

(It looks like an onsen at an inn.)

　I, as a pompous person, pour the hot water over my head, enjoying the atmosphere.
　Oh, the heat is nice.

　Sweat, dust, and dirt, along with the tiredness of my body, flow away.

"Ahh~

　I soaked in the bathtub, making an old, stinky voice.

(I'm so happy to be in the bath...)　　

　Sullenly, I savored the happiness of it.

　--It was that time.

'How do you like your hot water, Merle?

　The wooden door in the changing room opened and Illtimina-san walked in.

(Huh?)

　She was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
　The front of her naked white body was hidden by a single towel. No, her breasts, which were too large, were sticking out more than halfway, and the towel was too short, or perhaps the way it hid her crotch was too risky.

"Wha-na-na...?

　Why!
　As I stiffen, Illtimina smiles a little shyly at me.

'I told you to start with Marle, didn't I?　I'm next.

　Yeah, you were going in there with me!

　Anxiously, she says.

'You don't like it?'
I don't mind.

　But I'm embarrassed........
　In front of my stammering mouth, Illtimina-san smiles as if reassured, "Good.

(Ugh, I can't say no anymore if she gives me that look.)

　In front of me, who looks like she's about to blurt out, she scoops the hot water from the bathtub with a wooden tub and pours it over her body.

''Ah ... it feels so good ...''
..........

　Hey!
　Don't think like that, me.

I'm a gentleman, a gentleman, a gentleman, a gentleman, a gentleman...

　I desperately wanted to tell her and make her believe it.

　Illtimina's white skin was so beautiful, and the hot water flowing through it was beautiful. Her hair, tied up in a knot, even the stray hairs at the nape of her white neck, were very s*xy. She was tall and beautiful, yet her breasts were large and fruitful and her hips were flabby. And yet, her well-trained waist is nipped in and her legs are long and in great shape.

　Her cheeks are faintly upturned and her cherry-red lips seem to be very hot on the breath she exhales.

(Yea, Illtimina-san, you're too perfect.)

　I try desperately to keep myself rational.
　But then I hear.

Hey, Merle?　I'll flush your back for you, come on out of the hot tub?
..........

　Are you kidding me?
　As I buzzed and shook my head, Illtimina-san smiled lustily.

　Her white hands are slipped under my armpits.

(Ah.)

　The next thing I knew, I was easily pulled out of the hot tub. Hiyah!
　Hurriedly, he hides only his crotch with his hands.

''..........''

　Ms. Illtimina stares there for a moment.
　Her cheeks flushed.

Kohon ... come on, Merle. Have a seat there.

　He set me down on the bathroom floor and made me turn around.

(Already ... whatever you want?)

　I'm no longer on the verge of giving up, and I'm sitting on the floor as she tells me to.

　Ms. Illtimina poured yellow powder on my towel. I crumpled and rubbed it and it was covered in white foam. Apparently, it's soap powder.
　My white hands, covered in bubbles together, put the towel against my back.

(Ugh.....)

　I jerked a bit.
　The towel moved up and down slowly.

'It's a little different from Sol's back, isn't it?　........Merle is a boy, after all.
..........

　For a moment, I almost pictured the girl with the glasses naked.
　Oh no, this is not good.

From tomorrow, you won't be able to see her face...

　I shake it off hurriedly, and I zip away.
　Ms. Illtimina didn't say another word, she just gently washed my back.

　I don't know how much time has passed.

"...Merle?

　Suddenly, she said.

'Back at the coffee shop how did Marle decide she wanted to be an adventurer?
What?

　The question was so abrupt that I tried to turn around.
　But a white hand holds my head.

You can't look at me. You shouldn't look at me.
Uh-huh.
"...Can you tell me a little more about Marle's feelings for me here?

　Iltimina's voice had a serious color to it.

(Maybe she's been thinking about it all along?)

　Maybe she needed some time to accept those words, too.
　I cleared my head and answered honestly.

'Well ... for what, two reasons?'
Two?
Yes, firstly, to continue to be with Illtimina and her friends.

　I stare at the steam in front of me.
　From inside it, I can hear the voice of that time.

'Didn't you say, Mr. Kilt, in the city of Medis?　He said if I was slow to walk, someone would die. When I heard that story, I thought so too. But then I traveled to King's Landing, and I knew I wanted to be with you guys.
..........
I knew that in order to do that, I had to be a part of it, not a liability. I needed to be an adventurer. I needed to be there for everyone.

　Maybe not right away.
　But if we don't walk one step at a time, we won't get to our destination forever.

　Ms. Illtimina is silent.
　She just rubbed my back slowly with a towel.

'Secondly, I needed the strength.
..........

　I wasn't sure if I should say it or not, a bit.
　But can I tell Illtimina all about it?　I thought so, too.
　So I'm gonna say.

"I want the power to defeat a demon.
The Devil?

　He sounded surprised, as expected.
　I nodded.

'Maybe it's just a lost memory that demands it. I don't know why," I said, "but this body keeps screaming at me. But my body keeps screaming,
..........

　I close my eyes.
　Even now, I can hear the voice of 'Marl's Body'.

'Child who turns people into demons, stop your deeds!
..........
We need to get to the Dark Continent where the demons might be, and we need to get there now!
..........
"Down with the demons in this world!

　I opened my eyes.

"There's a voice inside me that keeps rushing around. ...What am I?

　The hand rubbing his back had stopped before we knew it.

　We didn't say anything.　

　Pichon.

　The sound of water droplets from the ceiling falling into the bathtub.
　A ripple spreads and then disappears.

'So that's why I want to be an adventurer,'
Okay.

　As I say this, Illtimina's hand holding the towel begins to move slowly again.　
　Eventually, she scoops hot water into a wooden tub.

　Zabaa.

'Yes. You're looking good, Merle.
"Hm.

　The bubbles and grime flowed off me.

(Oh, that felt so good.)

　I stand up and walk around behind Illtimina-san, toto-toto........

''Marl?''
I'm going to wash your back. I'm going to wash your back, Miss Illtimina.
What?

　I chuckle at her, startled.
　She giggles.

'Okay, please.'
Yes.
'Hmph ... I have long hair, so it would be great if you could help me with that as well.
No, it's fine.

　I'm ready for anything!
　I borrowed a towel from Illtimina, dipped it in powdered soap and lathered it up.

　Fluffy.　

　Meanwhile, her fingers untied the beautiful hair that had been gathered together. The forest colored hair spilled down her white back.
　She touched the hair with her bubbly fingers.

(Wow ... that feels good.)

　It's a strange hair that runs through my fingers and makes me want to keep touching it.
　I wash it carefully.

'Oh that's very good, isn't it, Marle?'
Yeah?
'Yes, sir. You're going to want to keep washing it all the way down.

　Haha.
　Illtimina praised me and I tried my hardest.

　After I finished washing my hair, now my back.

(...it's bigger than I thought.)

　Maybe it's because I'm just a kid, but she looked so dependable.
　But her skin was moist and very beautiful.

　I covered its back in foam and then poured hot water on it, and the water droplets formed into beads and flowed away.

"Yes, we're done.
Thank you.

　And we soaked in the hot tub together.

　I was thrilled.
　But I also felt a sense of relief.

".....
..........

　We didn't say anything, just sat in line.

　Eventually, I felt like I was going to get soaked and was about to get out of the hot water, when Iltimina-san looked forward and said, pouting.

''Shall we go to the guild tomorrow and register as Marle's adventurer...?''
..........

　His profile was glossy and beautiful, with frayed hair clinging to his upturned cheeks.

'Yes.'

　I looked ahead and nodded.

　Illtimina-san's hand gently squeezed my hand that was in the bathtub.
　I squeezed it back too.

''..........''
..........

　For a while longer, the two of us were just soaking in the warm tub - and we were just soaking in the warm water.