Chapter 170 - Backyard of the Stray Priestess (7)
This is the open-air bath experience from Chapter 2, Episode 18.
It was partially published when Episode 18 was submitted, and because it was too long (I think it exceeded 9,000 characters), I intended to cut it, but I ended up posting it as is. This is a revised version of the deleted part.
The bath was a public open-air bath. It was located on the riverbank of a tributary of the Nakanohara River, where river water was drawn to create a small pond, and hot water, heated by fire magic, was poured into it. It was basically the same as Nakanohara's public bath, meaning it simply had no roof.
It was my first time in an open-air bath. Although we were on our way to subjugate Goblins, I had been shaken in a carriage all day, so I decided to enjoy it to the fullest.
I paid the fee at the reception, changed in the changing room, and went to the bath area, but I never thought having no roof would increase my embarrassment so much. I only brought a sponge and a towel to wash myself, so I couldn't hide everything. Of course, I knew the walls were sufficiently high and that I couldn't be seen from outside.
A board was hung on the wall with a notice.
Well, Nakanohara's bathhouse had the same, so there probably wasn't much difference.
1. Do not run or act violently on the premises.
2. Wash your body thoroughly before entering the bathtub.
3. Soap and towels are prohibited in the bathtub.
4. Do not swim in the bathtub.
Well, that's common sense. Those who can't follow these simple rules shouldn't come to the bathhouse.
5. If a peeper appears, repel them to the extent that they don't get seriously injured. Use magic and slingshots in moderation.
Wait a minute. It's assuming peepers will appear.
"Um, Mabel-san? About this notice, what does the last one mean—"
"Oh, peepers? This village is a bit famous for them."
"Peepers appear?"
"They do. But it's okay. They declare themselves before peeping."
"Declare?"
According to her, it's a coming-of-age ritual for the village's men. It's customary for men reaching adulthood or adult men who have moved in to peep into the open-air bath within the year, and if they don't, they're labeled as cowards. Priests are apparently the only exception.
"So, peepers appear as a matter of course?"
"That's right. But it's a ritual, you see. There's a procedure. So, most of the time, you won't be seen."
"Procedure?"
I don't quite understand. I thought peeping was a crime, but she says it's a village ritual with a procedure.
"First, they loudly declare that they are about to peep. This is to let everyone know that they are challenging the ritual fair and square. Then, the patrolling guards come to apprehend them. They evade the guards, somehow climb the wall, and peep. Of course, the customers in the women's bath can hear them, so the moment a peeper's face appears over the wall, they throw stones to repel them. Hunters are good at throwing stones, you see. Those who peep when such customers are in are unlucky. The meaning of the notice is to warn people not to use magic or slingshots seriously to kill them."
Normally, while the peeper is declaring, the patrol rushes over and apprehends them before they can finish climbing the wall.
Peeping without declaration, using ladders, or drilling holes are strictly forbidden sneaky acts. Those who do such things are tied up after being apprehended and chained at the village entrance. Of course, with a signboard stating they are a sneaky pervert. Unless they leave this village, they will live the rest of their lives as outcasts.
Conversely, those who successfully peep become instant heroes, are appointed as caretakers, and gain respect within the village. However, such heroes haven't appeared in recent years.
"Why do they do such a thing?"
In a sense, all men except priests have peeped at least once in their lives.
"Who knows, maybe it's a test of guts. But thanks to it, patrols are strengthened, and the village women seem to accept it."
Peeping by anyone other than those challenging the ritual is, of course, strictly forbidden. In a way, since you're not secretly peeped at and can fight back, it might be a countermeasure against peeping.
However. When told that peepers appear, I still can't help but worry.
I hesitated to take off my clothes.
While I was hesitating, the other four easily stripped naked. Beatrix, despite it being her first open-air bath, ran towards the bath area without any hesitation after stripping.
"Jeanne! Beowulf! Come quickly! It's amazing!"
Beatrix called out loudly.
There was a splash, so she must have jumped in.
I became embarrassed in another sense. Perhaps such behavior should also be subject to the 'tied up' punishment.
"Is this your first open-air bath?"
Mabel-san spoke to me. When I nodded, she lent me a cloth large enough to cover my body. I saw that the two hunters were wrapping cloths of the same size around their bodies. She said she brought spares in case something like this happened. Lowry-san had also brought one, but since Beatrix had run off naked, there was no need to lend it to her.
Beowulf of the Royal Guard must always be like that. She said it's embarrassing at first but you get used to it quickly, and went in naked with just a towel hanging. She said it's important to just go for it. She would apprehend any peepers on sight. Female Royal Guard members are always like that, apparently.
Wait a minute, what about that process? That's excessively bold.
In the end, I decided not to worry about the Royal Guard and the wild mage, and entered with my body covered by the cloth.
I would have to take it off when entering the bathtub, but getting there was the problem, so I had no objection.
It goes without saying that I entered the bathing area by hiding behind Mabel-san and Lowry-san.
The open-air bath was wider than I expected, and there was no one else besides us. It apparently gets gradually crowded from this time until night.
Peepers also come at night, and are not present during the daytime when visibility is good. There are also patrols, so it's safe, apparently.
"We're hunters, and there's also a Royal Guard. Some can use attack magic. When we came in here, we told the proprietress. I'm sure it's posted outside. With this, if anyone dares to peep during the daytime when they're easily spotted, they're truly reckless. So it's fine."
I see. So the peepers also do their reconnaissance properly.
Then it's safe.
The water in the bathtub—or rather, pond—lined with large stones, was steaming. Seeing Beatrix swimming, it must be quite deep. Entering from the changing room, the right side was the washing area, with square stones arranged at a height suitable for sitting. I took a bucket of hot water and sat next to Beowulf to wash myself.
I had brought soap I made at the orphanage, and as I used it, the mage who was swimming like a frog approached, saying, "You have something good, don't you?" It seemed she had forgotten hers.
"Didn't you bring any?"
"Of course not. You don't normally carry something that smells like that, do you?"
Smells like that... It's personal hygiene, personal hygiene!
In the end, I was the only one who had it. Everyone else apparently intended to just scrub themselves with the provided sponge.
"I'm borrowing it, but don't take it with you when we go to the Goblin nest. That smell will give us away."
Even Mabel-san told me that. She said it with such an apologetic look that I felt bad for making her worry.
They apparently don't carry soap when they go hunting.
"That's right, what if they notice us?"
Beatrix grinned, rubbing it in.
You definitely didn't know that, did you!
I entered the hot water pond. Looking up, I could see the blue sky. It felt exhilarating.
Hot water flows from the spout, so it's apparently warm enough even in winter if you stay in the water.
An open-air bath in the snow would be quite atmospheric and nice.
"Here, take this."
Mabel-san handed me a bucket.
She said if I heard a peeper's declaration, I should put stones in it and float it in front of my body.
I saw that stones of a suitable size for throwing were scattered around the edge of the pond.
"You can also use it for close combat like this."
Beowulf wrapped a stone in a towel, tied it, and swung it around.
You shouldn't use that, the opponent will die! Besides, are you planning to engage in close combat?
The Royal Guard is too aggressive, this is not good.
Just then.
A young man's loud voice was heard.
"Those far, hear my voice! Those near, come and see with your own eyes! Behold, I am a resident of Higashi-Nakanohara—"
He appeared! A peeper!
"He's really going for it, isn't he? To challenge this group in broad daylight."
Mabel-san and Lowry-san already had stones in their right hands.
Beatrix began chanting.
Beowulf stood up naked, swinging the weapon she had just made.
No, the opponent will die.
"W-wait, both of you. Let's leave this to the two who are good at throwing stones."
I hastily pulled them, submerging them in the bath.
The peeper, having finished his declaration, became quiet.
I could hear the sound of him trying to climb the thick wall.
"Hey! What are you doing!"
The person shouting outside the wall must be a patrol. Several people seemed to be running.
"Alright, everyone. Get ready when his hand appears. We'll take him down the moment his face shows. Throw all at once when I give the signal."
Mabel-san went into full hunter mode.
Everyone simultaneously held a stone in their right hand.
One hand appeared...
"Ouch! This brat! He kicked me. Hey, don't resist. Be still! Hey, hit him down with a stick!"
A struggle seemed to be unfolding beyond the wall.
Bang, bang, the sound of sticks hitting was heard.
The other hand appeared.
"He's coming! Between his hands! Aim well—"
Mabel-san was timing her breath. She intended to aim for the moment he lifted his body, watching his finger movements.
"Now!"
We all threw stones at once.
Incredibly, a Fire Ball also flew.
The stone wrapped in a towel hit the edge of the wall with a loud thud, scattering fragments of chipped wall.
Two of the thrown stones flew at the perfect height, just grazing the wall.
"Guh!"
Both hit! I saw his face for a moment, and it took a direct hit. He seemed to have fallen backward, and his hands disappeared immediately after. Beatrix's Fire Ball then passed through where his face had been. It seemed he was taken down, but if Beowulf's stone or Beatrix's magic had hit him, he might have actually died.
"We did it! Lowry. You did well. It hit!"
As expected of hunters. The stones thrown by the two hit perfectly. In a way, they might have saved his life.
Mine, by the way, fell short of the wall.
"Oh, everyone, thank you for your cooperation. Thanks to you, the peeper has been apprehended. We will now station women here to keep watch until you leave, so please rest assured. Please enjoy yourselves. However, you are all hunters, aren't you? And there are mages and people in leather armor, too. In broad daylight like this. Please praise the courage of the man who peeped at all of you. He will surely become a good village elder."
He was saying something incomprehensible from beyond the wall. It was a complete nuisance. Well, at least now we could enjoy the open-air bath in peace. Good grief.
After that commotion, we enjoyed a refreshing soak in the open-air bath, then decided to have dinner at a restaurant on the way back to the inn. This village is a distribution hub in eastern Nakanohara, so various kinds of ingredients gather here, and river fish are especially famous. We decided to try it. After all, I had never eaten at a restaurant outside of Nakanohara town. Today's lunch was a bento. Besides, I usually eat only meat at the Bird's Head Tavern and Forest Bounty Tavern, so fish was a rare treat.
I was looking forward to it, and then catfish appeared. I had seen them before, but their faces were, well, that. Moreover, they were expensive for their appearance, so we never ate them at the orphanage. Indeed, I'm sure no child would want to eat them. The first time I saw one, I thought it was a monster.
Honestly, I wondered if I could eat it, but when I did, the fluffy white meat was quite delicious.
It just goes to show that you can't judge everything by its appearance.
Before I knew it, the white wine spritzer was flowing, and everyone became more talkative.
Beatrix and I were neither Royal Guard nor hunters. We were, so to speak, out of place, and were immediately bombarded with questions.
"You came with Paul-san, didn't you? Has he recovered?"
Mabel-san had apparently gone hunting with Paul-san in the past.
When I briefly explained Paul-san's current status and his recovery, she looked delighted. It seemed Paul-san was indeed famous throughout the Nakanohara area.
The conversation also touched upon the Class of 175's earnings. They worried that we couldn't make a living just by subjugating monsters around town.
There was no point in hiding it, so I told them honestly. Last month's total reward money was about thirteen silver coins per person. With earnings from selling medicinal herbs, furs, and meat, it was effectively nearly fifty percent more. On top of that, a special reward of one silver coin for participating in the Revenant subjugation. My monthly income was about one gold coin. Adding my income from making scrolls, which is one silver coin a week, that's my total personal income.
The average monthly income for a town hall employee is apparently about two gold coins, so unfortunately, it's not a very good income. However, Beatrix receives a salary as a Marcelo Company magic tool shop clerk, and Beowulf receives a salary as a Royal Guard, so I was the only one with poor earnings.
"I see. That's quite tough, isn't it? If the earnings were good, I might have asked to join your group, but that's not possible, is it?"
If the number of people increases, the share decreases. It's tough that we can't invite them to join us.
"How are the hunters' earnings?"
It was the brazenly beautiful girl Beatrix who asked such a difficult question informally.
"It varies. We're not after reward money, you see. We usually hunt game in the nearby forest, and about once every two months, we go on expeditions with the mountain folk to hunt wolves and bears deep in the mountains, and that's how we manage."
Both of them, like Angus-san, were from the same village, meaning they operated under Angus-san's direction. They said they were glad to be called for this survey, as it was relatively safe and profitable. Mabel-san has two children, who are staying with their grandmother. Her husband will return with Lowry-san's parents around the time the survey finishes, so the family will be reunited after a long time.
The future of monster slayers doesn't seem very bright, but we just have to keep trying.
Mabel-san moved only her eyes without changing her expression at all. The old men at the table in that direction were talking about the peeper. We all put our heads together in the middle of the table, pretending to whisper and eavesdropping.
"It seems a hero has appeared after a long time."
"Ah, I interrogated him. It's Scott, the river fisherman. In broad daylight. And he apparently boldly declared himself, knowing that hunters, Royal Guard, and even a mage were present."
"He's got guts, doesn't he?" Mabel-san muttered.
"He's good. I thought the young ones these days were all talk, but there's a lively one, isn't there?"
"That's not all. Eight patrols rushed to the scene!"
"Eight? That's double the usual!"
"That's right. Apparently, a guest of the Nakanohara mayor was staying, and they didn't want any disrespect, right? So, they had arranged to apprehend anyone quickly, but it happened in broad daylight. He apparently declared himself, taking advantage of a shift change."
If you don't want any disrespect, then don't create a gap during a shift change.
"He was clinging to the wall, and they tried to apprehend him, but he kicked and kicked the patrols' hands, somehow got both hands on the top, and despite being repeatedly hit with sticks, he managed to show his face over the wall."
"He did it! He's definitely an elder now."
"Ah, his father lost an arm in the war, and honestly, life was tough for them. He must have aimed for a complete turnaround. After all, he's the first hero in seven years. He'll be in jail tonight, but from tomorrow, he can walk with his head held high."
So that was the reason. When I asked Mabel-san, she said that becoming a village elder comes with a monthly allowance of ten silver coins. It keeps them busy going around, but it's apparently well worth it.
"Hey, remember that cheeky kid who became an elder last year, succeeding his dad?"
"Ah, the moneylender's son."
"That's right. At the emergency elders' meeting today, everyone except that kid unanimously decided to fire him, and Scott is taking his place."
"That's perfect. He always acted so high and mighty just because his family had some money. He deserves it."
"That kid knew his dad lent money to Scott's family and used to bully Scott. He deserves it. From tomorrow, he'll be Scott's messenger. He'll be running around everywhere, carefully carrying Scott's letters in his pocket. He deserves it."
"But the debt will remain, won't it?"
"Well, they said it was problematic for an elder to always have debts from villagers. So the elders' meeting apparently covered it. Of course, he has to repay the elders' meeting, but without interest."
We all exchanged glances at the unexpected turn of events.
In this case, the peeping ritual might not be entirely bad.
"By the way, what about that guest from Nakanohara? Did Scott see her?"
For a moment, I thought my breath stopped.
I was sure I hadn't been seen. I quickly wrapped the cloth around my body and moved away from the wall. If anyone was seen, I thought it would be Beowulf, who was at the front, but...
"He saw her, apparently."
"Really!"
"Ah, but as soon as he lifted his head, he took two stones to the face, recoiled, and only saw one person."
Ah, Beowulf. My condolences. It must be due to her Royal Guard sense of justice.
"So, how was she? Was she, like, N-A-K-A-N-O-H-A-R-A?"
What is that? What does that mean?
"Unfortunately, that girl was apparently wrapped in a large cloth. By the way, her chest wasn't very full, so it didn't bulge much."
"What, that's boring. You got my hopes up. From next time, let's make the eldership include what they saw."
"Don't be stupid."
Damn it... I was seen...
At that time, I was the only one who had wrapped a cloth around my body.
The peeper took stones to the face and recoiled. That means the wall blocked his view of the front, and I, who was furthest away, was seen.
"Jeanne. Don't worry about size."
"That's right. Being big is just a hindrance."
"That's right. You can live even without a chest."
"Look, there are all sorts of men with different tastes in the world."
That's not the problem. The problem is that I was seen bathing, even if I was covered with a cloth.
Can I cry now?