episode_0071

The bath in this inn is much larger than usual, but it can only be used once a day per room.

In other words, it means we all have to bathe together in the spacious tub.

“Hmm…”

Earlier, I handed over a gem to the innkeeper.

Maybe if I ask, she’ll let us use it twice.

But it seemed quite bothersome to do such a thing.

I guess I’m pretty worn out too.

“Is there enough space?”

“Yes, there’s enough room for four people.”

“Got it. I’ll go first. I’ll be quick.”

“Okay. Oh, and the bath is to the right when you enter the inn’s first-floor counter.”

Steria went back outside.

I completely removed my armor.

In the past few days, or maybe weeks, I hadn’t taken off the inner clothes I wore, and a foul smell emanated from them, surpassing the mustiness.

The armor itself had a clean magic spell on it, so it didn’t smell or get dirty, but my body and accessories like the cloak would get dirty as usual.

I went back to the counter with only the helmet to cover my face.

“Welcome… Ugh!”

The innkeeper wrinkled her face at the stench emanating from my body.

“Could I get some clothes to change into?”

“Oh, yes. You’ll be bathing with them, right? I’ll have them ready in front of the bath. I was going to prepare their clothes too.”

“Thank you.”

I left the counter and went to the bath Steria had mentioned earlier.

As I opened the door and entered, a warm heat and steam immediately touched my face.

The bathwater seemed decent.

There were dirty clothes that Steria and Kona had taken off in a basket on the floor.

I also put my clothes in that basket and left only the helmet beside it.

As I went further inside, there was indeed a large wooden tub as Steria had described, and Steria and Kona were already soaking in it.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

I picked up a ladle nearby, poured some water over my head, and scrubbed myself with my hands inside the tub.

There was, of course, no soap or bath salts, but just washing with warm water felt refreshing.

Unlike modern Earth baths, there were no continuously running faucets or shower hoses, so we had to use only the water in the tub.

If you poured too much, you wouldn’t be fully submerged when you got in.

I washed myself with as little water as possible and then entered the tub where they were.

“Ah…”

As I immersed my body in the warm water, a deep sigh escaped me unknowingly.

The temperature seemed a bit hot, but it was just right for my tired self.

“Be a little more careful, okay?”

Steria said.

“What?”

“I mean, be more discreet when you come in.”

“…What?”

What’s the big deal?

We’ve seen each other’s naked bodies enough.

Not just the naked bodies, but also what’s inside.

“…”

Steria wordlessly gestured towards Kona.

The dark elf hybrid with a dark complexion blushed noticeably.

And it seemed like our eyes had just met, but she quickly looked away.

“What…”

Kona may be over thirty in actual age, but emotionally, she’s still a child.

When her father was around, they probably bathed together, but is she already conscious of men?

A slightly precocious child… Well, she had to be in that environment.

I was too careless.

“I-I’m fine…!”

Kona said.

“I’m not fine. Get out of the tub, you perverted brat.”

“Don’t. The water’s spilling out.”

And so, we relaxed in the bath for a while.

Briefly, Steria’s words from yesterday crossed my mind.

If the three of us become a family…

Well, it wouldn’t be bad, but let’s leave it as a fantasy.

We emerged from the bath feeling much cleaner and refreshed, and the innkeeper had already laid out clothes on the floor.

They were a bit off in size, but not unwearable.

First of all, it’s much better to have clean clothes.

We returned to the room, and after Kona’s bath, fatigue seemed to hit her all at once as she sat on the bed for a moment and then fell asleep.

Steria also sat on the bed, and I sat on a chair, looking outside.

The evening sunset was fading in the distance.

“…So, what are we going to do from now on?” Steria asked.

“First, we have to go back to the Labyrinth City to finish what we started. I need to be there to either increase our kin or not,” I replied.

I vaguely knew what Steria wanted to talk about.

Perhaps she also realized that about me.

“…That child. I can have it.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I actually look forward to it.”

Steria got up from the bed and approached me.

“Rashwood. It’s been centuries since Batori.”

“I still can’t forget it completely.”

“It’s not unbearable, though.”

“…”

“Now it’s time for us to change. No matter how long we live, we may eventually die. We’re not immortal like the gods.”

That’s right.

Even though we don’t age, we bleed if we’re pierced.

The death of Sangcheol proves that.

“Rashwood.”

Steria grabbed my cheek and turned my face towards her.

“I like you. I can have your child anytime. So you don’t have to worry about anything. You won’t cause any trouble to others.”

“…Okay.”

Linde’s face flashed through my mind.

When I first met her, if she had been pregnant, I would have just given her money and sent her away.

As a human, I have lived for a very long time and done many things.

A warrior roaming the battlefield.

A carpenter building houses.

A sponsor of alchemists.

An elf’s disciple…

But I have never been a father even once.

Even though I have lived for so long, I don’t feel ready to be a father.

“Have you ever raised a child?”

I asked out of curiosity.

“I haven’t raised one much, but I’ve met a lot of children.”

“How many?”

“A lot. A whole lot… Like I said, the Kapsella family is my disciple. The child of that child, the child of that child… They were all trained by me since they were young. Even the current head of the family…”

“Oh, so Pestor too?”

“How do you know about Pestor…?”

“What? He came to the Labyrinth City?”

“Huh?!”

I gestured to Steria to keep her voice down.

Kona was sleeping.

“Oh…”

“…You didn’t know about Pestor.”

I explained that Pestor came to the Labyrinth City to give up the position of head to his superior sibling.

“I see…”

Steria’s face darkened.

“Actually… dealing with the current head, Brashika, was a bit… difficult.”

“Huh? Not Pestor?”

“I prevented Brashika from getting close to Pestor. I taught her swordsmanship in my own way, but it was brief.”

“…Why?”

Was it because she was disheartened after losing to Specter in a previous match?

No, that story would be irrelevant now that Pestor has grown up to some extent.

“…”

Steria hesitated.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“No… I want to. You should hear this story too.”

A story I should hear?

“Brashika… confessed to me a long time ago.”

“…”

“She asked me to marry her. Of course, I refused, but… I think it hurt that child.”

Oh…

Honestly, I never thought of Brashika in that way. The little troublemaker who wet the bed… To me, Brashika was like a son. Just like all the others before her.

“…”

“Ever since I rejected him, Brashika has married other nobles… but he seemed noticeably more melancholic after that incident. Perhaps losing in the previous match had something to do with it.”

…But you agreed to send Steria to Brigal?

Well… I suppose that could be the case.

The human heart can be like that sometimes.

If you can’t have it, you just send it far away so it doesn’t show…

That could be one way of thinking about it.

Maybe Steria didn’t refuse because she knew Brashika was going through a hard time.

Steria is kind-hearted, after all.

“In the future, since we will be married… I thought it would be best not to hide this kind of conversation.”

“Marriage…”

Me and Steria.

A marriage between kin that has been forbidden for centuries.

Of course, it could work without marriage, just having children, but that wouldn’t be a proper show of respect for Steria, who has shown such sincerity up to this point.

“…Do you not want to marry me? Because of the others?”

“It’s not that. I just… never thought of you in that way. To me, you are a valuable comrade but…”

“I see… I think I can understand a bit. Brashika… I was truly a terrible woman…”

“Yeah. I should have raised him to be stronger. To brush off heartbreak like it’s nothing, like a strong man.”

…”

Well, this reaction is quite unexpected.

Perhaps I was too rash.

“…Thank you.”

Steria leaned in close to me.

And the softest parts of us touched.

“…”

“…Hey, Rashwood.”

Steria, with a slightly flushed face, spoke up.

“Tell me more about yourself this time. Starting with this person named Mistira, everything.”

“Oh… her…”

Mistira…

Where should I start?

No, I know where to begin.

But why lie to me about the hairbrush…

As I was organizing my thoughts for a moment, there was a knock on the door.

When I opened it, the landlady came in with a basket.

“Here’s your meal.”

I thought she would charge us, but as I looked at the contents of the basket, my opinion changed.

There were freshly baked bread, smoked meat, and wild strawberries in the basket.

It was a very good meal for an ordinary inn, with generous portions.

It was enough for six people to eat, and most importantly, there was plenty of smoked meat, which we could take with us on our journey back.

“I could have served you a proper meal downstairs, but you all looked so tired, so I brought it up here.”

“Thank you.”

I bowed my head as I took the basket.

“No, it’s nothing. Compared to what the knights gave you, this is nothing… By the way, you’ve cleaned up really well. I almost didn’t recognize you! And with black hair, too.”

“Oh…”

Oh, I forgot to wear my helmet.

“It’s quite noticeable. Please don’t mention it to anyone else…”

“Oh, of course. Anyway, enjoy your meal.”

After the landlady left, I approached Steria.

“Are you hungry?”

“Yeah.”

And I picked up the bread from the basket.

It wasn’t the fluffy, soft bread made by a skilled baker, just a lump of flour baked, but if it was freshly made, the taste wasn’t that bad.

Warm and fragrant…

“…Wait a moment.”

I grabbed Steria’s hand as she reached for the basket.

“Why?”

“…This bread is poisoned.”