episode_0022

Of course, despite this, Linia could not willingly approach and touch the potion that Lesala was holding.

Even if the effect was shown right in front of your eyes, or perhaps because it was, it would have been difficult to accept such a sudden change.

Especially if the change occurs in her own body.

Lesala didn’t seem to expect her to accept it right away either, as he placed the pot containing the potion back on the floor and said.

“Rest assured. Because I’m not really forcing it.

In that case, I will keep you hidden among the other employees who have changed their appearance until you feel like it.

Of course, you have to be careful not to be noticed by visitors…

Still, not only are the employees from different races, but most of the human employees are runaway slaves anyway, so I won’t do anything to report you.

And Liber?”

She called me and suddenly rose from the surface of the bathtub.

When I slowly turned my head to avoid her brightly exposed bare skin, she laughed and continued.

“I will first tell the lady why you were late.

There will soon be boats that take the city’s river to the nearby islands, so if you take that boat, you will be able to make it on time.

Okay… I think the story is somewhat over at this point. Now, we should let the guests who came to Thermae rest for a bit.

I’m going to leave now, so you can relax and take a dip. Niella, if you want to stay in mermaid form for a while longer, do so.”

After speaking, Lesala tilted the jar once again and dropped a drop of magic potion into the water.

Soon, numerous tentacles rose, writhing, through the purple bubbles that reappeared.

Lesala held the jar again with one of them and closed the lid, skilfully sliding across the floor with its tentacles and quickly moving away from us, leaving behind only its back.

Soon another doorway opened and closed, and only the sound of lapping water echoed in this spacious room in silence.

“Hmm… the witch has finally gone.”

Rubia, who had suffered greatly from Lesala, spoke as if she had finally felt relieved.

Emma didn’t say anything either, but the way her ears were moving seemed to make her more relaxed.

I guess the punishment she received just now wasn’t very pleasant.

“Sir… Please don’t call Lesala like that anymore.”

Niella frowned at Luvia’s words and came closer and added.

“Oh, I apologize. Because the habit still remains.”

In fact, rather than simply a mistake due to past memories, it seemed like she was dissatisfied with the tentacle being shoved into her mouth, but it is true that she inadvertently broke the rules of Thermai in the first place, and mermaids like Niella are responsible for Lesala’s actions. Since she was a race that received a lot of help, Luvia also bowed her head and apologized obediently.

Niella also seemed to have accepted the apology, nodded, and without saying anything else, swam gently through the large bathtub to the end and returned with something.

The several glasses on the tray she brought were filled with drinks mixed with ice, honey, and fruit juice, making our tongues water.

“Everyone, have a drink while it’s cool.”

“Thank you. I’ll eat well.”

I readily took the glass and drank it, and the sweetness and coolness went down, quenching the thirst of my throat that had been warmed by the hot bath water.

“Haaah… As expected, Thermae’s VIP room is nice… They even prepared something like this…”

“Obviously, the only places where you can drink something like this other than here are the mansions of human nobles or the imperial palace.”

Luvia and Emma also took a sip, then nodded and said with satisfied expressions.

“Refreshing… It reminds me of the snow falling on the meadow. How can something like this happen in such a hot place…”

Linia is surprised to learn that even though it is not winter, people store ice and drink it in a hot place like a bathhouse.

And I opened my mouth as I looked at the nameless centaur emptying the glass he had quietly passed to me.

“Thermai Solarinae is the most famous resort facility in the empire. A lot of magic is used for the simple convenience of users.

Moreover, Lesala is one of the most outstanding wizards in the Empire.”

“…Who on earth is that person? How on earth did a person like that end up working as a close associate of the emperor?…”

Linia muttered while holding the glass in her hand, as if my words had intensified her doubts from earlier.

“That’s thanks to the people here.”

Niella answered Linia’s questions while taking away the already empty glasses.

As she said that, there was clear gratitude in her eyes as she looked at me.

“Lesala said so himself. They say it was Liber who saved him from running rampant as a monster and almost being subdued.”

“In the first place, we were originally dispatched to subdue her, so why…”

If things had gone even a little further back then, she and one of us would have been doomed.

Even after saying that, Niella’s gaze did not change.

And Rubia, who came to me, also helped her.

“Well, what do you think? In the end, it’s true that we saved her, and it’s also true that she almost died in the process, right?

Excessive humility turns into arrogance.”

“I agree with her, master. I wish they would treat themselves more generously as they treated us well.

That was definitely something to be proud of.”

Emma also joined me and added, and I had no choice but to nod.

Luvia and Emma, who were smiling next to me, seemed to be a little satisfied.

“…If you don’t mind, would you mind if I ask you what happened? Eun-in.”

Linia asked with curiosity, and after thinking for a moment, I nodded.

In fact, she would like to know a little more about her new boss, Lesala, who would hide and protect her and her people.

Especially right after people started calling Lesala a witch or a monster.

When I told her that I would tell her the story of that time, Niella’s eyes also sparkled and she lightly flapped her mermaid’s tail.

‘…I’m not used to bragging about sagas, but… I just heard that, so I guess I can’t leave it out.’

“…It was probably the third request I received after becoming a gold-level adventurer.

The Empress told me about the Empire’s ships being continually attacked by an unidentified monster in the Strait of Messina, and commissioned me to subdue the monster.

We headed to Messina with a ship of the Imperial Navy-”

I slowly told the story of the day we first met with Lesala, the manager of this luxury bathhouse, Thermai.

——

“Woo-eup…”

“Ema… just wait a little longer.”

“I…I’m fine… Master…don’t worry- Ugh…”

He was a centaur who could run across the plains faster than anyone else, but perhaps the choppy sea and the ships floating on it were not suited to his constitution?

After boarding the Imperial Navy’s galley at a nearby port, Emma’s condition could not be said to be good.

I kept feeling nauseous without being able to get out of the boat.

I was worried that if this was the case, we would be able to face the monster together when it appeared.

“Hmm… Will that help?”

Luvia, who came up to me and whispered in my ear, seemed to have similar thoughts.

Even if it was just a whisper, it was clearly audible to Emma’s sensitive ears, and considering that he referred to her as ‘that’, it seemed like there was more of a mocking intention.

“Kuup… Just open your mouth… San… I’ll be better than you. Vampire…”

“Okay. I’m not sure who’s talking now.”

Emma got angry because the whisper was so humiliating, but Luvia just smiled sweetly and ignored him.

‘…Will those two be okay in battle?’

Well, neither of them were immature enough to bicker like that even in the middle of a dangerous battle.

However, cooperation in battle was not easily achieved simply by not fighting with each other.

‘But leaving one of them behind would be a waste of energy, and the person left behind could be dangerous, so of course I had to bring them both…

Since both of them have excellent skills, I can only hope that they can quickly come together in practice. Until then, it would be best for me to cover.’

On the other hand, regardless of their appearance in battle, it was one of the few precious relationships they both gained in this world, so I hoped that their relationship would improve quickly.

Even though we’ve only just met, it feels like we can’t stand the other person’s presence, or more specifically, the other person’s presence next to me… How can I mediate this?

However, there was one more problem besides those two bickering.

The legionnaires of this military ship, who were whispering to us from the watchtower, on the deck, and below, were also quite unsettling.

Fortunately, they did not show open hostility because of the medal and the imperial name, which are symbols of a gold-level adventurer, and the order with the imperial name written on it…

‘Ema is okay. Even though he may be looked down upon as a slave, his fighting ability as a centaur seems to be high.

But if I mediate, it won’t be a big problem. The real problem is Rubia…’

After Luvia revealed that she was a vampire, the legionnaires’ looks towards her were full of contempt and fear.

The notoriety of the vampire rebellion that swept the southern part of the empire was still vivid.

The truth was that it was a tragedy caused by the head of the Catenis family behind the scenes, but there was no way or power to prove it.

Some of the legionnaires could not take their hands off the hilts of their swords, even though I repeatedly emphasized that she was under my complete control as my slave and that this was something the Emperor had permitted.

However, I couldn’t not say anything because if Luvia’s identity was revealed during a battle with a monster that was about life or death, there would be more chaos, but I was worried that a spear would come flying at Luvia from behind.

I just hoped that neither I nor Rubia would have to hit it off themselves.

And the most important monster, the target of subjugation this time.

This monster, which is said to be attacking ships passing through the narrow strait in this area, both commercial and military ships, shoots out numerous tentacles from the sea and wraps around the oars and mats of the galley, destroying them.

It seemed that the ship, which had become unable to move, was completely destroyed and sunk.

Thanks to this, nearby commerce seems to have been completely paralyzed, so the empire is attempting to subdue it through a direct request…

‘I’m anxious. ‘Can I catch it?’

Most of the enemies I’ve hunted and defeated so far haven’t been much larger than a human.

It’s true that there weren’t enemies like trolls, ogres, and giants, but even they weren’t monsters that could sink a military ship on their own, and the battlefield where I fought them wasn’t on a sea or ship that I wasn’t familiar with.

But since I couldn’t back down now, I had no choice but to do my best…

-Rock!

At that time, the ship shook violently once.

As if something huge had hit the bottom of the ship.

“It’s him! Everyone, prepare for battle!”

As the commander’s shout rang out, the sounds of soldiers running around, and the sound of the ballista on top of the watchtower being loaded, I too held my spear tightly and glared at the surface of the water.

As time filled with tension passed by, Ema stumbled and barely managed to maintain her balance by holding on to Luvia nearby and spoke in a gasping voice.

“Lord.. Master…”

“Ema I know it’s difficult, but I think a battle will probably break out right away. First of all-”

“Not to the side, but below!”

“What?”

The moment she gave a warning.

-Kwazizig!

“Ugh!”

A scream echoed from below deck, and the sound of something breaking through was heard.