The Fervent Sand Baths

by Nagaharu Hibihana

  “Oh, there was a box in your cloak. I put it aside in a corner.”

  Roni gave us a helping hand. It was apparently left in the Unlimited Bath along with our dirty clothes.

  I opened the door, looked inside, and sure enough, there I saw an unfamiliar box. I handed it over to Rium, who took a slab and an envelope out of it and handed them over to me. The slab was a clay tablet enclosed in an excessively ornate metal frame.

  “Isn’t this one of the temple’s holy tools? The one that transmits messages?”

  “It’s a simplified version of that. It can only communicate with the other one connected to it.”

  She further explained how Haruno had caught on to me omitting information from my letter, and prepared a way for us to communicate without the temple’s involvement.

  Good job, Haruno. Now we’d be able to communicate without a problem.

  “...So, am I supposed to use this?”

  The only problem was that I had yet to learn the spell to properly utilize it. Apparently it was a basic spell that I could find in my textbook, so I should start learning it as soon as possible starting tonight.

  The envelope contained a letter from Haruno. She had drawn a heart in red ink on it, since she of course couldn’t find a heart-shaped sticker here.

  Yup, this was a love letter. I immediately opened the letter and read it.

  “...What’s wrong, Touya?”

  “N-no, it’s nothing.”

  For the sake of preserving her dignity, I wouldn’t get into the details of what was written in that letter. She conveyed her feelings loud and clear, but some of the contents were so bold I found it hard to believe it was really her. Though I was still truly happy about it.

  She had ended the letter with “Once you’ve settled down, please contact me.”

  Right, we’d be able to exchange love letters after I learned the spell. I’d have to practice hard so that I’d be able to send one back as soon as possible.

  After dinner and a short break, the four of us retreated into the Unlimited Bath. Rulitora would be resting on top of the boulder with the fire still going.

  “It’s windy out. I’ll move this fire up on top, too.”

  Clena dipped the tip of her sword in the fire and drew a flame to it. She was probably using spirit magic. Roni nimbly climbed up the boulder with a branch in hand, then waved it around and caught the ball of fire that Clena had shot off from below.

  “Rulitora, take an extra blanket.”

  “Are you sure? We have Rium here now.”

  “We already have a few spares. You’re keeping watch all by yourself, so don’t worry about it.”

  “Then, thank you.”

  I watched Rulitora effortlessly make his way up the boulder with the spare blanket. He really is a lizard, I thought.

  As we entered the Unlimited Bath, Rium’s eyes began to sparkle. She had been wanting to try out the bath since we were in Jupiteropolis, so she finally saw her wish granted.

  “Did it... get bigger?”

  “It was a combination of me getting stronger and receiving the Earth Goddess’ blessing. Look, we have a new washing machine, and the tub got a makeover, too.”

  “Ohhh...!”

  Rium, filled with curiosity, scampered over to the washing machine and started prodding it with her staff. After she realized it wouldn’t bite her, she put her staff down and started groping at it all over.

  Her reaction was in stark contrast with Clena and Roni’s. They had been more apprehensive of it at the time. In Rium’s case, her curious streak had taken the upper hand.

  While she was prodding about, she hit the button that opened the washing machine door, which slammed open right into her nose. For a moment she saw stars in her eyes, then rushed right over and clung on to me. She was completely taken by surprise.

  “It’s okay, Rium. Don’t be afraid of the washing machine.”

  Roni came over with a crate for the laundry. She had a prim and proper expression, giving off the air of an older sister.

  “Here, take off your clothes and put them in. I’ll show you how the washing machine works.”

  “O-okay.”

  Rium meekly took her clothes off. The leather cloak wasn’t meant to be washed, so I took it from her and put it on the hanger.

  I glanced over at Roni and Rium tossing their clothes into the bin, while I also stripped down and put on a men’s yuamigi. Clena had also stripped down without me realizing and walked over to me in her yuamigi. Roni picked up all of our clothes and put the ones that were safe to wash inside the washing machine.

  “Um, uumm...”

  Still not used to it, she was trying to remember the next step, so I whispered “detergent” from beside her. Roni perked her ears up and cheerfully went to grab the detergent. There was a place to put the detergent in on the upper right side of the machine. Rium was watching Roni with keen eyes all the while. Learning about the unknown was a thrill for her.

  Roni started up the wash cycle, her tail wagging. The machine started making noises and the drum filled with water. When the drum started to spin, Rium gasped out “Ohhh!” in astonishment. As I gazed upon these girls, peering into the washing machine like two kids in a candy store, I turned my attention toward Clena.

  “Clena.”

  “What’s wrong? Though... I might be able to guess.”

  “Teach Rium how to wear a yuamigi. And tell Roni to wear one, too.”

  My gaze fell upon their butts—one a healthy tan and the other small and pale.

  The two noticed they were butt-naked. Roni looked a little embarrassed, but Rium was unaffected by my observances. She looked like a middle schooler, but in this world, she was already considered an adult.

  “Um, now we’re even, I suppose.”

  “I-I guess so.”

  Roni fidgeted as she talked. She was probably referring to the incident back at the temple. I didn’t know if my naked body held the same value as Roni’s, but at least she seemed to forgive me for now. I was just relieved things didn’t become awkward between us like last time.

  Now that we were all in our yuamigi, we headed for the bath.

  “...It’s made from wood now.”

  Those were Rium’s first words after she put on her yuamigi and entered the bathing room. The room itself was larger than before, but the first thing that stood out was how the bathtub had changed into a Japanese cedar wood tub.

  “It became like this after I was blessed by the Earth Goddess.”

  “What are you doing, goddess...?”

  That’s what I wanted to know.

  The higher-end bathtubs in this world were all made of stone. This was the case for the bathtub back in the temple in Ceresopolis, as well. The nobility would use tubs made of marble. If a person from this world were asked to picture a wooden tub, they’d probably just imagine a small bucket used by someone who couldn’t afford a bath.

  “I was hesitant about it at first, too, but it has a nice smell.”

  “Like sandalwood?”

  “Personally, I like this more than sandalwood. It smells like you’re inside a forest.”

  It was a description befitting of Roni, a lycaon with a keen sense of smell.

  In this world, it was a matter of course for nobles to use sandalwood. Clena said she hadn’t used it much, but that was because Roni wasn’t very fond of the smell.

  “But we only enter it after cleaning ourselves first,” Roni said, then grabbed Rium’s hand and led her to a stool near the wall. Roni wanted to play the older sister and wash Rium.

  Rium hadn’t quite gotten comfortable with the new faces yet, but she forced herself to stay there and let Roni do as she pleased. Roni had gotten used to the bathroom by now, so I could leave it to her.

  “Alright, then I’ll wash Clena’s back.”

  “Don’t touch me anywhere weird, okay?”

  “You mean your stomach?”

  “...My stomach is fine.”

  Apparen
tly she was okay with that.

  I had noticed something after we grew close and started taking baths together. Or rather, it was something I’d picked up on from hearing Clena talk about it here and there while soaking in the tub together.

  She was pretty curvy overall, but she seemed to be particularly concerned about her waistline. She had told me this was due to being constantly compared to other nobles’ daughters who were raised like princesses. It wasn’t that bad, and at worst you’d call her a little plump. She hadn’t been told much outside of “Are you eating okay?” I didn’t know what played in the minds of aristocrats, but it was nothing I myself would mind.

  Ever since Clena set her sights on the desert kingdom a few years ago, she started training with Roni, and grew more distant from the noble daughters she’d been friends with before. From those days, Clena thought of herself as fat and brawny. It was some sort of PTSD to her.

  If you asked me, it was the most normal thing in the world that she’d gain muscle from all that training. In fact, retaining your womanly charms despite that was something to be commended for, not criticized. I’d continuously let Clena know that through my words and actions, and the result was her telling me that I could touch her stomach just now.

  Clena sat on the stool beside Rium. The upgraded bathroom now had multiple faucets and shower heads, enough for all of us to sit down and wash ourselves like this.

  We couldn’t properly clean ourselves with the yuamigi on, though, so Clena took hers off. Her pale, seemingly transparent white skin leaped into my vision.

  I looked over to Rium, who had also taken off her yuamigi to wash herself. She was smooth and flat.

  “...I always notice this, but you really are pale. Even more so than Rium,” I mumbled while lathering body soap on her back.

  “It’s because Juno is a northern country. Though I’m considered pale even up there.”

  She had hardly tanned since birth. I wondered if people from the north were all like that.

  “At least your skin won’t peel from getting too sunburned.”

  “I do get a little red. But that goes away after a few days.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s true.”

  “...Were you thinking of something just now?”

  I was thinking about the burns I had healed. Those probably wouldn’t have gone away after a few days.

  “...And what are you doing, Roni?”

  “Hmm?”

  “What do you mean? I’m just washing us~ Bubbles, bubbles~”

  I looked over past Clena to see both Rium and Roni covered in pure white bubbles.

  “Rium, did it get in your eyes?”

  “...This is fun. Haruno won’t go this far.”

  I was worried about her being covered head to toe in soapsuds, but she seemed fine.

  “It’s amazing how much this stuff lathers.”

  “My MP is pretty wonderful.”

  Clena and I were both astounded.

  “...Now what are you doing?”

  “Well, I was wondering if I could get it to do that, too...”

  Soon after, Clena and I were both covered in soapsuds. She wanted to join in on the fun.

  It went without saying that all four of us ended up going from simply washing ourselves to fooling around, covered in lather. When Rium started to lose her footing I tried to grab on to her, but we were far too slippery for that to end well. I tried wrapping my left arm around and under her armpits. Clena and Roni were still enjoying themselves, but the suds were making them look wobbly, too. Just as it seemed they were about to stumble, I reached my right arm over to them.

  “Hey, what’s the big idea...”

  “N-now wait just a second, I got lucky but that was a coincidence!”

  I wouldn’t call it a misunderstanding. I had trouble supporting them so I ended up touching them in a variety of places.

  We washed the suds off and moved on to wash our hair. I was usually in charge of washing the girls’ hair. Apparently I was the best at that.

  “Make sure you close your eyes, Rium.”

  “...Nn.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut. She seemed a little frightened about this new experience. Maybe it had scared her when I told her it’d hurt if it got in her eyes.

  “Good luck, Rium!” Roni, who was sitting next to us, cheered her on, to which Rium nodded silently in response. They were so adorable together.

  I glanced over to Clena, who also had a smile as she was watching the two girls, and our eyes met.

  We were thinking the same thing. I felt bad for poor Rium, but Clena and I couldn’t help but share a laugh over it.

  “Alright, we’re done.”

  I had finished washing her hair and used the shower head to clear the suds. Rium shook her head like a wet puppy, splashing drops of water all around her.

  “Did you ever wash your hair while you were with Haruno?”

  “...Not with shampoo.” Rium said with a pout. She had apparently only washed her hair with warm water before. Perhaps she’d been scared of the shampoo.

  “You did a good job.”

  And yet she held out and used shampoo for the first time today. I pet her head in appreciation.

  I washed Roni’s hair, then Clena’s after that, all the while Rium was clinging to my back, watching with a keen eye. Clena and Roni would usually take turns washing my hair after this, but it looked like Rium would be joining the fray, too.

  After we washed our hair, it was finally time for us to enter the cedar wood tub. The tub had grown in size, and there was a lowered step around it that we could sit on. Though it was bigger, it still felt a little cramped with three people. And so Rium ended up sitting on my legs while we soaked in the tub. I had my arm wrapped around her torso, so we wouldn’t lose our balance.

  “......” Rium was staring straight at Clena, who had also taken a seat on the step.

  “What’s wrong, Rium?”

  “W-what is it?” Clena was confused at the continued stare, while Roni kept looking between the two of them.

  Rium’s gaze was entirely concentrated on Clena’s chest. She then moved her eyes down and said,

  “Compared to Haruno you’re... smaller, bigger, bigger.”

  What was she talking about? Well, I didn’t have to ask.

  Based on Rium’s behavior it was a mere observation, not something said out of spite.

  “...Uh-huh.” Clena squinted her eyes. Her voice was soft, but it resonated clearly in the bathroom.

  “Touya... is that true?”

  “Don’t ask me. I’ve only seen her with her clothes on.”

  It was the truth. Though I also knew that Rium was right.

  “As for the butt... Sera’s is bigger...”

  That was also true—Sera’s was massive. She and Haruno wore matching armor, but she always had a skirt on that went down to her ankles.

  But I knew. Just once, I had seen them in a pair of wet and transparent shorts. Though she didn’t dress like that due to a butt-complex, it was simply dress code for female clerics.

  On that note, Rium, who was sitting on top of me, was “small, small, and small.” She honestly was petite and looked even younger than her age. Though because of her decision to pursue studying magic from a young age, she was still young in mind, which struck a perfect balance with her outward appearance.

  Roni was “average, average, and average.” She had the most balanced physique.

  Clena, who appeared to be sulking a little, let out a sigh and sat down next to me. She normally wouldn’t come this close to me.

  “...Well, whatever. Touya says he likes my body anyway.” She said, then flipped her silver hair to the side and rested her head on my shoulder. I couldn’t see her face, but it didn’t seem like she was forcing herself.

  Rather, I tried to look at her face, but instead saw her cleavage peeking out from beneath her yuamigi. Haruno was a special case, but Clena was plenty big herself.

  “I love you too, Lady Cl
ena!”

  Roni sat herself across from us. When the tub was smaller it could only fit two of us at once, so this was the first time we were bathing in such close proximity. Clena lifted her head, moved toward Roni and grabbed her hand.

  “Thank you, Roni.”

  “Heheheh.” Roni giggled sheepishly after being complimented by Clena. This endearing sight made me grin as well.

  “Hm?”

  “......” I realized Rium was grabbing my hand as well. She wasn’t looking at me, but at Clena and Roni. Maybe she was jealous of them.

  And so I wrapped my other free arm around her, and gave her a big hug. She shivered and stiffened up in surprise at first, but then relaxed and decided to trust me.

  Our cheeks were at the same height, so Rium rubbed hers against mine. Rium happily squinted her eyes as I responded by rubbing back.

  “Oh, no fair, Rium!” Roni noticed us immediately and latched on to me.

  Clena watched us with the same gentle expression she’d had when she was watching Roni and Rium earlier.

  This I could get used to. We continued leisurely soaking for a while after that.

  We finished up a long bath session and changed into our pajamas, but we kept the flirty mood up until bedtime.

  “Oh yeah, we gave an extra blanket to Rulitora, but do we have enough here? Though I guess even if we don’t, it’s not like we’ll catch a cold in here.”

  “Don’t worry. We can store them in here, so we have plenty of extras.”

  “...Ah, I see.”

  I pulled an extra blanket out from our luggage, while Clena snuck a peek in admiration. Travelers in this world did everything they could to avoid excess luggage, so the very thought of having spares didn’t come easily. Thanks to my Unlimited Bath though, I didn’t have to worry about that. If it weren’t for that, I’d probably be thinking the same way Clena was right now.

  “So yes, we do have enough for four people.” I said as I pulled out the extra blanket, but then felt a tug on my pajamas. I turned around to find Rium holding on to me a little.