episode_0083

“… … .”

“… .”

An awkward current of air cut through the heat of the hot spring and washed over us.

I had never expected that I would be in an outdoor hot spring alone with a woman for the first time in my life, past or present, and my lips, at a loss for words due to the awkwardness brought about by the unexpected situation, seemed to be parched even in the humid air.

Of course, the awkwardness wasn’t unpleasant or uncomfortable.

It’s just that he feels embarrassed, ashamed, and embarrassed by the strange situation of bathing with a mature woman.

I was cautious because I thought that the saliva that was flowing naturally due to the tension might be seen as a sinister pervert who didn’t regain his appetite, and I was worried that the gaze I was turning away from to avoid misunderstandings might be seen as a ploy to catch a glimpse.

By the way.

‘It seems like our teacher really enjoyed hot springs.’

The Middle Ages were also a time of historical plagues.

And it was also a time when washing one’s body in hot water was taboo due to the plague.

This is because the pores are opened due to heat, allowing the disease to enter.

The reason wigs were popular in the Middle Ages was to hide the skin rashes and hair loss caused by syphilis, which was spread through unsanitary relations, and the reason perfume was popular was to hide the foul body odor.

Of course, it was just a past history based on reality, and it was too far removed from modern people’s awareness of hygiene to be applied to medieval fantasy, especially romantic fantasy, so as a novelistic permission, the main characters are concerned about their physical cleanliness.

Because no readers will praise protagonists who are shabby and smelly.

In romance novels, the funny episodes that occur through the ‘bathing’ of a man and a woman are also something that cannot be missed.

“I guess you liked hot springs before?”

Usually, women are more reluctant and uncomfortable with such hot situations, so I asked if their longing for hot springs was enough to overcome such things.

Just as they say that a familiar taste is scary, the memory of having experienced a hot spring may have overcome my patience.

Of course, Rachel might not have thought much of mixed bathing between men and women.

But.

“This is my first time.”

An unexpected answer came.

“First time?”

“Yes. I’ve only seen it. This is my first time getting in it.”

As I said before, the history of the times was simply ignorant of cleanliness and hygiene.

Romance fantasy.

In this world of the novel, people wash their bodies clean using water heated by fire.

When that didn’t work, I washed it in cold water, of course.

When Rachel said first time, she meant soaking in a natural hot spring.

“I see.”

“Why are you like that?”

“Ah. What. I was just asking.”

“I guess this isn’t your first time, Confucius?”

I felt Rachel’s gaze, but I answered while just looking up at the pitiful sky.

“This is my first time too.”

This is the first time I’ve enjoyed a hot spring in my life, past or present.

In my previous life, I didn’t even have a small bathtub at home, let alone a hot spring, and I couldn’t even afford to pay the heating bill, so I often washed in cold water rather than hot water.

For me, an open-air bath is like a paradise that I can only enjoy in my imagination.

In my current life, I had no place to enjoy hot springs, so I had only just come across one. The warmth that enveloped my skin penetrated deep into my body, washing away the waste accumulated inside, and soothing my empty insides. It was definitely an ecstasy that could not be compared to paradise.

Perhaps, just as there is a theory that the reason we like the sound of rain is because it is similar to the sound we heard in our mother’s womb when we were fetuses, the feeling of swimming in warm amniotic fluid may be similar to this hot spring, making it feel like a living mirror.

anyway.

A moment when such vital reflection passes by.

Once again, an unexpected answer came.

“Thank goodness. First time… .”

“Huh?”

And only then was I able to see Rachel’s face for the first time.

From the moment Rachel dipped her toes into the open-air bath, my gaze wandered here and there, lost.

And only then could I see it.

Rachel’s blushing face.

Even after the arduous training and the slight intoxication, his indifferent face, which had never once shown a hint of red, was now flushed red from the heat of the hot spring.

It seemed like he was quite taken aback by the heat of the hot springs, which he was experiencing for the first time in his life.

“Yes, yes?”

“Thank goodness? Why?”

“Ah… No. Let me hear it. My words came out wrong.”

Rachel, whose personality was always calm and indifferent and did not show any emotional ups and downs, naturally never showed any sign of panic.

That is the basic virtue of an escort knight.

I had never heard him stutter, and it was the first time I had seen his face turn bright red the moment he stuttered.

and.

It was also the first time that the gaze that had always been looking straight into my eyes had shifted.

It was Rachel’s avoidance, not mine, that caused our gazes to shift.

A face flushed red, lips biting in embarrassment, and pupils wandering as they look down at the empty water surface.

Perhaps that was the most human reaction the Iron Master had ever shown, as he had never shown a single hint of confusion or confusion.

It was the first time that I, as a disciple, had the childish thought of wanting to tease my master.

I thought it would be a good tip to help me get through this awkward moment.

“And fortunately, I think you said “first class”? What does that mean?”

It’s like lingering on and on about something that ended in an ambiguous manner.

Rachel clearly said ‘the first time’ and swallowed the words that followed with a surprised expression.

Immediately after, my face turned red.

I was also curious about what “fortunately” meant and what would come next.

I wondered why Rachel, who had never talked about bathing in a hot spring before, had such an impulsive desire to bathe with another man.

Above all else.

The behavior I’ve been seeing lately has been a bit strange.

After the request for sparring that didn’t fit the flow, he intentionally pulled me towards his chest where the pressure bandage was removed, and asked if we had slept together if he could smell Ariel’s scent.

And he left a curious answer saying that it would depend on who the person is when it comes to abstinence.

It had been over half a year since they had been together, and during that time they had not been apart even for a single day, so it would have been strange not to notice Rachel’s strange reactions.

However, I did not respond in any way because it was unclear what exactly those reactions were pointing out.

Because there is nothing more embarrassing than being flustered.

Following the questionable reactions, there was also the questionable act of mixed bathing.

I thought that if I took the opportunity to tease the teacher, I might be able to find a way to resolve my doubts, so I asked in a cheeky manner. After a moment of hesitation, Rachel answered with a blush on her face.

“… … first slope… . Oh, no! First case… ? No… … … .”

But Rachel is unable to continue speaking.

Rachel’s lips reflected in the water were chewed hard, as if she was complaining about not being able to do her job, even though her head was lowered above the water.

“First slope? Well, it is definitely a slope to be able to enjoy hot springs in such a small town.”

“… … .”

“The first case? Well, it’s certainly rare to enjoy hot springs in a small town like this.”

“… … .”

Could this be a small rebellion by a disciple who has been breaking and rolling around with his master?

Moreover, Rachel, who was always cold and blunt like a cold-blooded ironman, blushed and looked flustered, showing a fragile humanity that was enough to arouse a desire to play a prank that she never had before.

Just as the flaws inherent in perfection stand out, Rachel’s flaws, which were so dry that it seemed as if she had any emotions, seemed to be showing childish pranks as the wall between the teacher and student was lowered and the employment relationship became softer.

As he made a joke, nitpicking as if he was taking medicine, the water around Rachel began to create small ripples.

It was a wave created by the vibration of mana.

“… .”

At this point, I thought I should stop my disciple’s rebellion.

“It’s too hot. I’ll get up first.”

Bam!

Rachel sat up.

Sleep surges along the curved body.

Then, as the rising wave followed my body and fell back to the surface, I realized that my master’s sloppy side was not over yet.

And then I thought, maybe, outside of the swordsmanship and bodyguard skills I’ve honed my whole life, I’m just a fool.

It is also true that there is no such thing as a perfect person in every way.

anyway.

“… … .”

I couldn’t take my eyes off of what was appearing before my eyes, to the point of cognitive dissonance, and I was speechless at the sight of a beautiful woman who looked like a goddess from Greek mythology.

White jade skin that makes it hard to believe it commanded the battlefield.

Two water drops showing off a woman’s maturity.

Two pink cherry blossoms in full bloom on a hill of water drops.

Healthy beauty boasted by a trained body.

It is no exaggeration to say that her physical beauty, which is truly that of a goddess, has captured everyone’s attention.

“Rachel…?”

Did daring to bathe in the bathhouse of the gods cause their wrath and cause the towel to melt?

Did the gods loosen the veils that bound the poor creatures who had invaded their domain?

Whatever it was, it was inevitable that from this moment onwards a great storm would break out among the priests.

“Why, why do you see it that way?”

Rachel, sensing something strange in the involuntary gaze, instinctively flinched and lowered her gaze.

I could see a single piece of cotton floating on the surface of the water.

Right after.

Rachel’s screams echo throughout the backyard.

“Gyaak—!”

And that scream was the first I had heard in all of Elden’s original memories.

Because it was not the shout of a knight, but the shy scream of a woman.

“Look, don’t look—!”

Hmm.

Oh, what should I do… … .

“Me? No, I haven’t seen it!”

“Huh?! Are you saying it’s a shame you couldn’t see it?!”

“No!? Oh, I didn’t see it! Really!”

I’ve already seen it all.