Chapter 120: Being Hit
Chapter 120: Being Hit
Around the time when Alfried and the others were immersing themselves in the bathtub, Aleutia and Ilya were entering the women’s bath.
Aleutia tied her deep blue hair back casually, while Ilya has her slightly unusual pink hair tied in a bun.
「Uwaa, it’s so huge」
「The material for the floor of the changing room should be quite different from the bathhouse in the Kingdom. 」
The two of them are expressing their admiration in the Kagura’s bathhouse, which is entirely different from the one in the Kingdom.
「……I, I prefer this bathhouse to the one back in the Kingdom.」
「The bathhouse back there was not bad but, how should I put it, it’s a bit showy.」
Whether it be the noble’s mansion or the high-class inns, most of them are flashily built with something that looks like marble. Compared to that, Kagura’s bathhouse is designed so that those who laid eyes on them will be able to relax, so it might feel even fresher for the two of them.
「I want to get into the bath immediately, but we wash our body first, right」
「That’s right!」
Unlike Irvine and the others - who only had the thought of entering the bathtub as soon as possible -, the women’s group properly read the notice written in the changing room. But even without those, Aleutia and Ilya wouldn’t enter the bathtub without washing their body first.
Naturally, the notice was similarly written in the changing room of the men’s bathing area, but the men wouldn’t take note of it since they were arguing about the matter with the mixed bathing.
Ilya is a noblewoman, while Aleutia is the daughter of a merchant. So they have different concepts of hygiene with Mort and Irvine from the start.
The two of them took their towels and moved toward the washing area while being surprised by the material of the floor that looked like a bare rock.
Putting their stool side by side, and two sounds of *kakon* resounded in the bathhouse.
「It sounds nice somehow, isn’t it」
「Right」
They let out a little giggle as they looked at each others’ faces.
After that, they observe what’s in front of them.
「Ara? I wonder what this is?」
Aleutia picks up the hose-like magic tool in her hand and stares at it curiously.
「What is this thing? I never saw it before but, it’s connected to the faucet of the magic tool, and there is also an opening, so it’s going to release hot water from it, right?」
It could be said that it is in their nature - as a person who deals with magic - to be curious about unknown magic tools. As for Alfried, since there is something like a shower in his previous life, he was not especially surprised by it.
「I see……… So you turn this knob here, huh.」
Even while being impressed by the magic tool, when Aleutia turned the knob, hot water came out of the hose.
「Indeed, so if you turned the knob, hot water continues to flow out, huh」
「That’s right, isn’t it. It is certainly easy compared to pouring hot water into a bucket, but the amount of water is less compared to pouring it from a bucket, right? However, if you improve this further, then even people who can not use a wide variety of magic will be able to use it, and then I guess people should be able to easily take a bath, right?」
「……indeed, Kagura might already have that kind of place with such magic tools.」
What they are thinking is the so-called shower room, but has not yet spread in Kagura. The ryokan is currently only experimenting to introduce the magic tools.
「I want to observe it a bit more but my body is getting cold. Let’s quickly wash our bodies and soak ourselves in the bathtub.」
「Yeah」
The two of them is observing the magic tool and moderately pour the hot water onto their body before entering the bathtub. At first, they are using the novel hose, but perhaps it’s because of the amount of water it produces, they end up pouring the hot water into the bucket to bathe.
Just when Aleutia was lathering the towel with the provided soap, Ilya called out to her.
「Say, Aleutia. Since we’re already here, let’s do some washing!」
「Ara, so you’re going to wash every corner of my body like a waiting-maid, I wonder?」
「That’s not it! I mean we wash each other’s back! Scrubbing each other!」
Ilya puffed up her cheeks in resentment at Aleutia’s mean wording.
Ilya was inwardly interested when she heard from Irvine and Mort that it was comfortable when you wash each other’s back. Back when she was the young lady of the Earl, she often had her waiting-maid wash her, and since she had never done it before, she is probably curious.
「Just kidding. Then I’ll leave my back to you, alright」
「Yes! I’ll leave my back to you after that!」
When Aleutia turned her back to her with a smile and a little laugh, Ilya’s started to smile and face Aleutia’s back.
After that, Ilya carefully washed Aleutia’s back with the soap-lathered towel, but at that moment, Aleutia felt something soft on her back other than the towel.
「――!?」
It was not Aleutia’s, but Ilya’s. With overwhelming mass and softness, it made her feel despair and envious, making itself known through her back.
「…………」
「……what’s the matter? Aleutia?」
The moment Aleutia hunched her body and covered her face, Ilya asked her in confusion.
「……it’s hitting me」
「What’s that?」
Aleutia muttered a word, but Ilya doesn’t catch it.
Causing even more emotional pain toward Aleutia’s breast size. No, actually, her breast size is not to the extent that it causes her emotional pain.
「……mou, I don’t want to wash with Ilya.」
「Eeeh!? No way!? What happened Aleutia! Don’t change your sitting posture, let’s scrub each other back!」
◆ ◆ ◆
「Hit! Hit!」
「Ugaaaa! M, my eyeeeeesssssss!」
Irvine collapsed into the bathtub when I accurately launched the hot water into Irvine’s eyes.
「Irvine!」
I was comfortably soaking myself in the bathtub, but then Irvine and the others pour the hot water on my face, so this is the punishment.
Then I also sent some hot water into Mort's eyes, who was distracted by Irvine’s condition.
「Ma, my eyeeeeessssssss!?」
The hot water that I launched hit Mort’s eyes splendidly, and Mort’s body wobbles as if to escape.
I don’t need to use magic with this kind of move. Using the strength and feeling from my own hands against them is enough.
「……this kid, he’s targeting your eyeball with such a nasty precision.」
Irvine got up as he wiped his wet eyes with his arm *goshigoshi*. Perhaps it’s because of our height difference, but Irvine’s crotch is right at my eye level and it is extremely unpleasant to look at.
「Irvine let’s work together! We can’t beat Alfried-sama alone!」
「Yeah!」
The two of them look at each other’s faces and nodded. Two big adults are challenging a small kid like this as an opponent in a two-to-one match, that’s so unfair. Although, these two wouldn’t care about that kind of thing since they’re the type of people that will incessantly and mercilessly attack a monster that was weakened by magic.
The two of them put their arms into the hot water with a big motion, trying to splash them to my face.
As long as you don’t receive any damage to your eyes - which is the major weakness in water-splashing with hot water - you will be fine. Even if you can protect your eyes from that your eyes will still hurt, but your vision will not be blocked. In short, as long as you block attacks that only targeted your eyes, you will be okay.
「Go drown!」
The hot water scooped up using their big hands and brute strength descended upon me.
’Go drown’ you said, you’re hell-bent on suffocating me, aren’t you?
While I was thinking of such things, I quietly spread the non-attributed magic, Shield, to the area around my eyes and nose.
With this, the water can’t get into the weakness that is my eyes, and I can also breathe sufficiently.
「「Uryauryauryauryauryauryauryaurya!」」
Irvine and Mort - who don’t realize it - are still taking advantage of the situation by bombarding me with a large amount of hot water. I wonder if these guys are not going easy on me as they did it?
If someone were to be splashed with this amount of hot water, it will get to the level where you will not be able to breathe unless you get out of the bathtub.
However, thanks to the Shield, there’s no problem currently.
It’s a bit humiliating being splashed with hot water as Irvine and Mort were doing it as they please, but it’s fine since I will have my revenge later.
Indeed, if I cover my whole face, they won’t know about it.
「Uoohー! See, how do you like that, huh!」
「If you apologize now, I’ll forgive you!」
Irvine and Mort continue to splash hot water on me as they said that while looking down on me.
On the other hand, I didn’t do anything and I was still exposed to the hot water. I don't look away, nor do I get out from the bathtub to escape from it.
Now that I’ve overcome my weakness with Shield, I don’t feel any pain or anything.
「O, oi? Alfried-sama? Are you alright?」
「You’re not crying or, losing your consciousness, right? I’m kinda scared that you’re still standing at this point………」
Then they stop attacking, maybe they were worried that I would a coughing fit or something since I keep receiving the hot water from the front.
As they became really worried for me and bent over, I smiled complacently toward them.
「「Da, dam――」」
The two of them finally realized that it was part of my plan, but it’s too late.
I strongly sent the hot water toward those two people’s - who were bent over - eyes.
「「Ma, my eyeeeessssssssss!」」
Irvine and Mort covered their eyes and twist their body. I shot hot water to their ear canal as if to give them an additional blow.
「Hiii!」
Mort pressed down on his ears reflexively, which resulted in a gap, and without a moment’s delay, I shot the hot water to his right eye.
「Aaah!? My eyes again!」
While Mort flinched from that, I shot hot water to Irvine’s nostrils - as he’s about to counterattack.
「Bufoo! Cough, cough!」
As a result, Irvine had a severe coughing fit. Having hot water enters your nose is painful, isn’t it?
「Want to continue?」
「「I, I give up」」
「Very good」
◆ ◆ ◆
After the bath battle ended, we moved to the open-air bath at the back since we got tired of the huge bathtub.
When the sliding door - with drops of water sticking to it due to the temperature difference - is opened *karakara*, there is an open-air bath with large stones scattered around the place.
When I look around the place, I can see something that looks like the ryokan’s garden, covered with all kinds of trees and gravel stones.
The material of the floor is not as smooth as the one inside the bathhouse, the one here is more of a stone-ish type and rough. Rather than the calming stone color in hue, it is more of a blue-green-ish in hue. Perhaps the materials used for the stones are different.
Brightly colored walls are surrounding the open-air bath, giving the impression of being in the garden of a tasteful ryokan.
「Ohh, you guys finally finished?」
Roomba and Tori are relaxing comfortably near a large stone. In their hands are sake cup and bottle, it was obvious that they’ve been elegantly drinking here.
Or rather, that's a type of Japanese rice wine, right? That’s unfair!
No wonder these two left the bathtub in a hurry.
Meanwhile, Mort was jumping around seems like he’s trying to get the hot water out of his ear, and Irvine was coughing violently with watery eyes.
「Seems like it’s Alfried-sama’s win, eh?」
「……using magic is cowardly」
「That’s because the two of you are attacking together」
I refuted Irvine, who was muttering behind me. I won’t use magic if they didn’t join forces.
「Well, don’t beat yourself up Irvine. We have delicious liquor here.」
「「「Liquor!」」」
We immediately rush toward Roomba, who raised the sake bottle.
「No no, Alfried-sama is still a kid, so you can’t have it, alright?」
Such thing! With that kind of container, it’s definitely Japanese rice wine, right? Or could it be the kind of sake that was made without adding sugar or alcohol? Dangling my favorite Japanese rice wine right in front of me!?
「Let me have just one sip!」
「You can’t have it. This one is easy to drink but it has a high alcohol content, y’see」
「Right, right. But children can drink something like hot water.」
「We’re going to drink now, so Alfried-sama should go over there」
Irvine and Mort beg as they shooed me away.
These jerks, they’re holding a grudge against me since I beat them black and blue a while ago.
「Speaking of children, it would be great if I could fake my age and be allowed to enter the women’s bath!」
「Alfried-sama. That line is out, y’know.」
Tori muttered with an amazed voice toward my frustrated cry.
In the meantime, Roomba and the others are focusing their attention on the sake bottle.
「It’s small, isn’t it?」
「But in proportion, it’s a strong liquor, y’see. You savor it sparingly.」
「Heeー」
Irvine muttered as he stared at the clear sake that was poured into the sake cup.
「It smells really nice, doesn’t it」
「Right? Come, have a sip」
Encouraged by Roomba, Irvine drinks the sake.
「Uoooooooohh! It really is easy to drink! It tastes so different from ale and wine!」
「Isn’t it? It seems that it is made of Kagura rice or something.」
「Another one!」
「If you drink any further than that with an empty stomach, then you’ll get drunk you know?」
「That’s right Irvine! I’m next!」
Roomba, Irvine, and Mort said, as they enjoy drinking the Japanese rice wine happily.
「Kuh, being able to drink liquor in an open-air bath so elegantly, I’m so envious!」
It will go well with sashimi.
「……what makes Alfried-sama so interested to that extent, hm? You will be able to drink it if you endure it for five more years, y’know?」
I was comforted by Tori while listening to the cheerful voice of those three guys.
……five years is so far away.