kscans

Chapter 203 - A New Home and a Bath (with a Pinch of Mizuki☆)

After dinner, Claire and Maryanne went home. Both the One-Land Family and the Mateo Trading Company were in the middle of transitioning to new leadership. It seemed the two of them were quite busy.

I went up to the second floor, where a stark, empty space greeted me. There was only a bed and a small desk.

We would have to start furnishing the place.

"There's an icehouse behind this building. Mo made some ice with her magic, so we can store food now,"

Famu said.

At the moment, only Famu and I remained in this wing. The other members had retired to the building Mizuki had suggested.

"Are you sure you don't want your own room?"

"Yes. I like it here."

"This room is big. We could put up a partition to make a space just for you, Famu."

"Do you want to be alone, Master?"

Her counter-question left me at a loss for words. In my old world, there were plenty of amusements for spending time alone. I could fiddle with my phone, watch videos, read books, or look at manga. But in this world, there was nothing to take their place.

Furthermore, the nights here felt profoundly dark, with an overwhelming lack of light. And I had grown accustomed to the warmth of Famu sleeping beside me. I remembered the loneliness I felt when I first arrived in this world, and the sense of relief that washed over me when she began sleeping by my side.

"No, I don't want to be alone anymore."

"I will never leave you alone,"

she declared, nodding deeply.

"Alright, if that's settled, let's get down to business. Famu, take off your clothes."

"I-If you're going to do that, you could at least be a little gentler about it!"

"Not that. What you just said made me think. I can't forgive Mizuki for trying to make me be alone by splitting up the rooms, nor Myra, Mo, and Patricia for going along with it. I'm going to storm the bath and wreak havoc!"

"...If you do that, you'll definitely end up wanting more time alone!"

"Hmph, how rebellious. Fine. I'll go by myself."

"Even if you're going through with it, why do I have to get naked here?"

"In my world, there's a book of military strategy called The Art of War. It contains the phrase, 'In war, value swift victory.' It means it's more honorable to charge the enemy camp completely naked from the start than to waste time getting undressed in front of their lines."

I took off my shirt, and then my pants.

"I've never read it, but I know what it means. That's definitely wrong!"

she interjected, but by the time she finished, I was already naked.

"If you're going to argue, then I'll go alone. I'll just give your clothes a full wash with magic later, so you can stay here and guard the house, Famu."

"...There's no helping it. Understood. I'll go with you."

Resigned, she began to undress, so I decided to wait.

I watched as she diligently removed her clothes.

"Famu."

"Y-Yes? What is it?"

"Well, aren't you embarrassed?"

"Of course I'm embarrassed!"

she shouted, turning her back to me.

We stepped outside. It was pitch black. We hadn't prepared any kind of porch light, so we'd probably need to buy one eventually. For now, the only light was what spilled from the buildings. I should ask Marmi to teach me a light spell sometime.

"Let's go, Famu!"

"W-Wait, please!"

Famu called out, stopping me as I was about to break into a run.

"Getting cold feet? It's a little late for that!"

"No! That way leads outside. If someone sees us, they'll report us!"

It seemed walking around naked was against public decency in this world, too.

At her warning, I turned and ran in the opposite direction. A building soon came into view. The property was smaller than I thought. However, thanks to the clever arrangement of trees and a winding path, it felt much larger.

This was Mizuki and Myra's wing. Beyond that was Marmi and Patricia's, then two empty buildings, and at the very back was the bathhouse.

I peeked through a small window where light was leaking out. The center of the room was partitioned off by a thick, curtain-like cloth that extended to the front of a fireplace. In front of the partition stood a two-person desk, a bed, and a chest of drawers. The room, illuminated by candlelight, had a warmth to it, unlike the bareness of my own.

The area behind the partition was dark, with no sign of anyone. That meant they had to be in the bath. I pulled my gaze from the window and saw Famu standing there, awkwardly covering her chest and crotch.

"Famu... you look like some kind of exhibitionist pervert."

"And whose fault is that?!"

she yelled. I instinctively clapped a hand over her mouth.

Startled by her voice, the branches rustled, and I heard the sound of a bird taking flight. I waited in silence for the bird to fly away, and stillness returned.

I gently removed my hand and sighed.

"Mizuki and the others aren't in their rooms. They must be in the bath. Let's hurry."

"...I don't understand how you can say such a serious line while completely naked."

We arrived in front of the bathhouse.

Light was spilling from it, so someone was definitely inside.

I put my hand on the door. It wasn't locked. Careless fools.

Without a word, I used the pat-pat language to signal the charge to Famu.

"?"

She just tilted her head, not understanding. I'd thought Mizuki or Famu would have learned the pat-pat language faster, but surprisingly, I was the one who had excelled at it. Perhaps it was the result of my single-minded desire to get closer to Claire.

She was still using her arms and hands to cover her chest and crotch. I was overcome with the urge to pull them away and see what she was hiding, but I restrained myself, knowing any commotion would be heard inside.

"There's a changing room when you enter, and the bathing area is beyond that,"

Famu whispered in my ear. Her breath tickled my ear, and her skin brushed against mine as she leaned close. Feeling that soft touch, I wanted to push her down, but I held back that impulse as well.

The wooden door had a heavy feel to it, but it opened without a sound when I pushed it. It must be well-maintained.

Inside was a changing room, just as she'd said. I checked the clothes and found three sets in baskets. I hadn't checked the other wings, but I wondered if Marmi was here too.

I casually pulled a pair of underwear from Mizuki's clothes and placed it on Famu's head. They were shiny, strangely high-class striped panties. Probably something she bought from Laciel's mail-order catalog. While confirming their texture, I pulled her dog ears through the two leg holes.

"If you're going to put them on me, put them on my bottom, not my head!"

she protested with a clearly displeased look. I pressed my index finger to her lips to quiet her.

"It's proper etiquette for storming a bath. Besides, it suits you."

I grabbed a pair of underwear from another basket at random and put it on my own head. It was an unfamiliar pair, but it didn't have the tulip embroidery. It must be Myra's. Famu's gaze was ice-cold, but I paid it no mind.

"Alright, let's go."

As I reached for the door to the bathroom, Famu grabbed my hand.

"Wait. Let me borrow your smartphone."

I really didn't understand how her mind worked sometimes.

"It's waterproof, but be careful. It might break if you submerge it in the hot water."

I took the smartphone out of storage, handed it to her, and opened the door to the bathroom.

The room was shrouded in steam, and visibility was poor.

I had been imagining stone tiles and a wooden tub, but it was a rock bath made of rugged stones.

However, none of that mattered right now. I dashed across the slatted floor, leaped into the tub, and wrapped my arms around the nearest person from behind, groping their chest.

"Mizuki, this is divine punishment!"

A slender white nape that formed a gentle, feminine curve, and the soft sensation of breasts.

But it wasn't the usual weighty feeling. This wasn't Mizuki. Nor was it Myra, who was larger than her, or the flat-chested Marmi.

As I kneaded them, I pondered the sensation.

"This... isn't a B-cup... It's a C-cup."

Then, belatedly, I noticed vines mixed in with her hair.

"I see. So these are Patricia's breasts. Magnificent."

"KYAAAAAAAH!"

Patricia screamed and punched me with her fist. Then Famu got punched, and for some reason, Marmi and Mizuki got punched too.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-why did you just burst in like that?!"

She grabbed a towel to cover her body.

"Hey, bringing a towel into the tub is bad manners!"

"If you're going to say that, not washing your body before getting in is also bad manners! Besides, you have a towel on your head too, Mash... huh? Wait, that's not a towel, those are my panties!"

She punched me again. Famu quickly escaped to the washing area, but Mizuki and Marmi, trapped in the tub with no escape, were punched again as well.

"What do you think you're doing?! Now I'll never get married!"

She glared at me, her eyebrows raised. As if to calm her down, Marmi gently patted her on the shoulder.

"...I forgot to mention, but Patricia's marriage has already been decided, so don't worry."

"Huh? Is that so?"

Patricia turned to face Marmi.

"...I'll tell you if you want to know."

"Wait a minute,"

I interrupted before Patricia could respond.

"Myra isn't here. I charged in thinking Mizuki, Myra, and Marmi were here."

"Myra took the Crystal Core to the church. She said she was staying the night and coming back tomorrow,"

Mizuki answered. As I tried to move closer to her, she scooted away, shifting her position in the tub.

"I see. So even though Myra said it was her own fault, she was still worried. Laciel destroying the grand cathedral might have had a bigger impact on the church than I thought."

"Of course it did. The reason she follows you is because of the church's orders, after all."

The current situation looked as if Laciel was rejecting the church. My gesture of reconciliation would serve as proof that the relationship between the goddess and the church remained strong.

As I mulled this over, I reached for Mizuki's chest and was splashed with hot water.

"Now that things have calmed down, I'd like to ask. This concerns my entire life. Could you please tell me?"

With my own question answered, Patricia turned back to Marmi.

"...Same as me. You'll marry Mash."

""HUH—?!""

Mizuki screamed along with Patricia.

"I wanted someone young, around my own age, tall and slender! Not some pervert who wears my panties on his head! Someone kind and strong!"

Patricia cried out.

"That's too cruel! I may be an old guy, and I'm not tall, but people say I round up to fudge the numbers, and even then I'm still just barely above average height! Plus, I'm strong when I summon Laciel, and if you ask any woman about my best quality, they'll always say 'he's a nice person'!"

"Isn't that just what people say when they can't think of anything else to praise..."

Mizuki cut me down with her words.

"Mizuki, are you going to say my best quality is that I'm 'nice,' too?!"

Her tone was clearly laced with pity. To shut her up, I pulled her into an embrace. Then I grabbed her breast. The sensation I had been craving was right there. I tormented the tip with my index finger.

"Ngh!"

Mizuki turned her back, trying to escape. She had her hair tied up in a bun to keep it from getting wet, revealing her white nape. A long, slender neck. No matter how you looked at it, she was beautiful. To keep her from getting away, I buried my face in it.

"M-Mash... something hard is pressing against my back!"

"Of course it is. I came here intending to put it inside you."

"Here? Are you serious? The water will get in."

She tried to escape by getting on all fours, so I pierced her from behind. There was no foreplay, but she was wet enough that I slid in smoothly all the way to the hilt. I was enveloped in a soft, slick sensation, different from the bathwater. And as always, she squeezed me tightly.

"Auuuugh, w-wait, it's in. It's really in!"

I lifted Mizuki up as she tried to get away again, shifting us into a reverse cowgirl position.

"Mo-sama, I really don't want to marry Mash."

I had gotten so caught up with Mizuki that I'd almost forgotten about Patricia.

Her face was beet red as she watched Mizuki and me. Mizuki was completely shaven. Even through the water, our joining must have been clearly visible. A tulip, which hadn't been there moments ago, was now blooming on her head.

"...Finding someone else is too much trouble. And there's the matter of the Slave Mark. If you really don't like it, we can break it off. I'll ask Mother to find someone else for you then,"

Marmi said. Patricia shook her head.

"No, that's not it. Mash is the one you chose for yourself, Mo-sama. I understand you probably intend to give me your best as well. And I am a little drawn to him. If he wasn't the kind of person who storms into a bath wearing my panties on his head, I think I would have liked him even more. But it's no good. Mash... that man will love you and me equally, without distinction. I understand that is a virtue of his. But for me, that is above my station."

Patricia's face twisted as if she had bitten into something bitter.

"...I see. Then let's do a trial period for now."

"During that trial period, you'll mess me up so badly there'll be no going back!"

"...Patricia. A hero from another world has come to Miglutt. It's only been about a week, but the church, the Star Union Family, and the One-Land Family have already been changed, and the Sky-Lot Family is about to be touched by it too. If three of the families change, this city will change. The hero might not want it, but we are about to change according to his values. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. But the gods wish for it. I want you to see it with me."

"Mo-sama... Understood. For now, a trial period it is."

As the two of them gazed at each other, I couldn't hold back any longer and moved my hips just a little. Mizuki couldn't help but let out a moan. Beside her, Famu, having finished washing, slipped into the tub.

It was a chaotic situation.

If they were going to have such a serious conversation, I wish they would have told me beforehand. I can read the room, you know. With that thought, I moved my hips one more time.