74 The bath was good at the moment.

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I'm not sure what to make of it.

Grandpa Kara, who came in from behind me, reacted in the same way, as if he were the president of a casual hot spring.

No, the prime minister or the emperor?　Considering the fact that this is a monarchy, I'd say the latter is about as powerful as the former a hundred years ago.

Don't be too loud, Sir Domitolcovcon, His Majesty is here on his own. Your Majesty is here on a private visit, and your concern will be wasted if you make the others shrink.

Then there was Lord Raggedy, the one who got into the bathtub and pushed Kara behind him.

--No, don't you think you're more likely to make him shrivel up?

First of all, Marito, this guy's body is also quite toned.

I've heard that he's a good student of both the arts and sciences, and that's not a lie. I didn't recognize him because he usually wears loose clothes, but his body is as beautiful as an athlete's.

He definitely looks good in Michelangelo's David's pose, and I'm confident that I'd erupt if the king played that joke on me.

But what's worse than that is Lord Ragdoll, the strongest of the Targs, who has a body of such high caliber.

Like Grandpa Kara, his body doesn't look old, of course, but he doesn't look like he's wearing muscle armor like Grandpa Kara.

If you meet a person with this kind of body today, you will probably fall asleep for three days.

It is a body that has been built to maximize speed, power, and everything else.

It is truly a living treasure, and I am deeply moved by it.

"Hey, Sir Ragdoll, ...... what's going on?

"His Majesty has suddenly asked me to come and inspect the place, and I am his escort.

That's how it happened, my friend.

What do you think I'm going to say?　What do you think I'm gonna say?

"Ha-ha-ha, what are you talking about?

If you're complaining that the Iliad is preventing you from going where you want to go, I've told Marito that in the past.

He must have expected that we would go to the public baths when he heard that Karaji would take over the escort today.

I assume that he was waiting for us after having guessed our behavior pattern.

It's quite frightening that they were right on time, though.

"Your Majesty, you've been in here for almost an hour.

I'm off by more than I thought I would be. Are you burning up?

I've cooled off a few times. I like baths purely for their own sake. I was cooling off a couple of times.

Well, Marito's job is a desk job, and this kind of hardship may be common among modern Japanese.

But is it possible for such a dangerous person to be in the bathtub as a matter of course and not be noticed?

Didn't they find out at the entrance toll booth in the first place?　Even old Kara was surprised.

"I changed my face with magic to get in, and so did Lord Raggedy. Once you're inside, with this steam, if you avoid the vicinity of people, they won't notice you at all.

"No, Lord Raggedy's body and his eyes will be swimming in it.

I'm not afraid of being detected. I'm a good decoy to hide your presence.

It is true that Marito would not be surprised if he did not see his face, but if Lord Ragdoll, with his intimidating body, was beside him, his gaze would have to drift in that direction.

No, no, no. Is that how it works?

"It's true that I wanted to inspect the public baths you've been working on, I just wanted to take advantage of your timing. Not a bad idea to get naked once in a while, right?

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but it's going to cost Kara dearly. ......

It's okay, it's okay, it's okay. ......

Grandpa Kara has lost all of his energy.

Even his muscles, which were so strong just now, seem to be atrophied.

It's like when he was mistreated by Wolfe or scolded by his wife.

"Lord Dmitri Kovkon, Lord Raggedy will see to his escort in these public baths. You may enjoy yourself.

"So long, lad. Good luck.

Oh, he left me rather quickly, didn't he?

I saw a terrible betrayal as Grandpa Kara quickly disappeared into the depths of the tub.

Marito's presence was so strong that even Ilias cowered when Marito stared at him.

It was the same for Kara, and even more so for his boss, Lord Raggedy.

Now, he was being pressured by the fierce physical presence of Lord Ragdoll, but from Kara's point of view, Marito's presence must be feeling the same pressure.

"Well, it can't be helped. You're a knight, and you're going to be nervous about being with the king.

"Well, I'm glad you know how much your presence helps me.

Well, thank you, but you've made this relationship your own.

I know, I get what I want. But it's good to be grateful for what you've earned.

You're already treating me like an acquisition. I don't remember swearing any allegiance to you.

I never asked you for your loyalty, I asked you for your equality and your identity, that's what I'm looking for.

That's what I'm looking for.

I've never asked for your loyalty.

I thought for a moment that Marito was being friendly and keeping his distance or that Lord Ragdoll was being reserved.

"Do you happen to be standing right next to him, Mr. Darkness?

"Yes, of course I do. You're a friend of His Majesty's, aren't you?

He puts a wet hand on my left shoulder.

It's mildly horrifying, and I might have screamed if I hadn't noticed it first.

I thought invisible people were supposed to float in the bathtub, not the other way around. ......

The magic of invisibility is to deceive your perception of your surroundings, so that you see the world as if I don't exist.

"It's an amazing magic that involves rather a lot of logic.

It's not simply a matter of being transparent, but the magic of not being able to recognize the changes that appear due to the presence of Darkness-kun.

It's not just that you can't recognize the fact that he's still immersed right next to you, it's that you're seeing what you would see if he didn't exist.

The fact that the effects of the spell are being felt even by those of us who are resistant to mental manipulation spells means that the spell is not interfering with people.

I wonder if it's interfering with the concept of cognition, but when it comes to magic of that scale, we don't know anything about the principles.

It's the bloodline of cheat heroes, it's not worth worrying about.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.

"I usually take a bath alone, but it's not bad to have a place like this where we can talk without all the restraints. You seem to be making this place more comfortable.

I look outside and see some of the facilities that I proposed and had prepared.

First of all, a water bath. I was told that there was no point in cooling the water when you have to boil it to get in, but for those who want to spend a long time in the water, a water bath is a necessity.

For those who don't like water baths, we were provided with a hammock chair to cool ourselves down.

The purpose of this project was to turn public bathhouses into a kind of entertainment facility by making it possible to stay there for a long time.

A single bathtub may be enough for those who like it, but for those who pay to use it, there is little profit to be made unless there is a certain level of comfort.

The turnover rate is important, but it is also important to increase the utilization rate.

It takes a long time for people to accept a completely new entertainment facility, and that is where public bathhouses come in.

In addition, I asked them to devise a way to make the temperature vary depending on the location, which did not require much effort.

I picked up a luminous magic stone lying at my feet, which was faintly hot.

A shallow partition was placed in the huge bathtub, and the magical stones were distributed in different ways to maintain the temperature.

With this, the preference for warm or hot was resolved, and we were ready to accommodate everyone.

I have also prepared a medicinal bath in a small bathtub with a bag of medicinal herbs and herbs blended in.

The efficacy of medicinal herbs is somewhat unreliable in this world because of the existence of magic power, which is a second tank of energy.

Therefore, for healing effects, I have them throw in such magical stones and use it as a bath with a rather nice fragrance.

Some people seem to appreciate it because it saves them the trouble of using perfume.

Personally, I was hoping that the bath would have the same effect as the herbal bath, as medicine is important for people without magical powers.

The sauna was the most popular of all.

I made both dry and wet saunas, and both were well received.

The dry type is popular in Japan, while the wet type uses high-temperature stones that are covered with water to generate steam.

I was worried about whether people would accept the act of sweating in a facility that washes away sweat, but it was popular.

It was also popular with knights and was used in games of endurance.

However, if you get carried away and pour too much water on the wet, it can become a serious problem, so there are additional rules that I don't understand, such as 'no physical strengthening' and 'no endurance games between knights and ordinary people'.

Some people can even outrun fire breaths with physical enhancements, which would be a huge nuisance to others if they used them as the standard in endurance contests.

It is safe to say that this sauna has increased the affinity for water baths.

Marito is tired from all the work he's done, but he's not sweating much, is he?

"Oh, yes. I've already enjoyed the bath, but not the sauna.

I'm already in that environment, facing the heat in silence. It's quite nice.

That's why Lord Raggedy came up behind me.

Now, which way shall we go? ...... Oh, I see Grandfather Kara has entered the wet room.

I don't want to disturb him, so I'll choose the dry one.

I stepped out of the bathtub, and heard a woman's voice coming from behind the wall.

Across the ceiling is the women's bath, and it's good to see that it's becoming popular among women.

I'm glad to hear that it's becoming popular among women.　We're going into the sauna next!

"Yes!

Wait a minute!

Sir Mix, you can't run!　Wolfe, stay with Nora.

Okay.

It's a good bath.

...... These voices sound familiar, but it's funny, I thought Mixu and Nora weren't here when we met up today.

I'm not sure if you've heard of them or not.

No, I didn't invite them. I told him I'd be there around noon.

That's why you brought Nora here.

And when he tried to invite us, he found Ilias and took them out.

I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying yourself.

I'm glad to see that he's enjoying himself. But the most old-fashioned reaction is Nora's: .......

"Well, whatever.

"Oh, I thought you'd be interested in that. Don't you have any idea how to look through it?

I'm not transparent like some people, so I don't think about that kind of evil at all.

Ha!　I'm not invisible like someone else, so I don't even think about that kind of evil. ...... Well, I'm not interested in women's bodies.

I'm not interested in women's bodies.　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.

If Mixu is coming too, I should have asked him to join us, I'll suggest it next time.

The men who had passed puberty walked into the dry sauna with a sense of accomplishment.

------------------------------------

I'll suggest it next time.

It's your friend's idea!

That's my friend's idea!

Sila and Mixu laughing in the dry sauna, certainly a different kind of sweat than the sweat from training.

I haven't worked out enough lately to make me sweat, so this isn't so bad.

On the other hand, Lakra seems to be in pain and is sweating more than anyone else in this group.

I'm sure you'll be fine. ...... Yes, ...... this is going to reduce a lot of things. ......

"Mister Lakra, the weight you lose by sweating is only water loss, it does not change your physique.

What ......?

It may have a subtle effect on your metabolism, ...... but it will make your drinks taste better later.

I think I can live with that.

"Don't overdo it, but the Iliad is amazing - you're barely sweating!

Cyra sits down next to me and asks me how I'm doing. She's a nice girl who can take care of herself without saying a word.

It's a good thing that you've got a thin body and a really feminine ...... body, but you shouldn't look at her like that.

I've been trying to keep my magic down so that I can sweat as much as possible,......, but it looks like it's going to take a while to get enough sweat to satisfy me.

It's a great way to get the most out of your time and money.

"Oh, yeah?

It's a good idea to have a parent or guardian with you.

If a parent is with them, they should be fine, but ...... parents and children have different bodies, so it's a precautionary measure.

By the way, the meeting of Mr. Mixu and Nora was unexpected, we ran into each other while shopping.

Sila and Mr. Mixu immediately hit it off, as they both had cheerful personalities.

Wolfe and Nora also seemed to be on the same wavelength, and I wondered if they felt something for each other since they were both geniuses.

In the end, they went shopping together and went home, but Mikusama suddenly invited everyone to go to this place.

He told us that His Majesty was visiting the men's bath in secret, and he wanted to experience this public bath that he had played with.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I'm sure my brother will be happy with this!　But it would have been better if he had a friend. ......

He hasn't come back yet after all, I wonder where he's been wandering. ......

If anything were to happen in that state, it would be just as disturbing as it was in Parshero's.

It's possible that he's here, one of the places I can't usually go because of my presence.

I'm not sure if you've ever wished you weren't my sister, but I'm sure you love Marito-sama.

She treats Mix-sama as an equal, or rather, Mix-sama made her treat him that way.

She asked him to treat her as the adventurer Mixu, which he readily agreed to.

I'm not sure if Mixu wanted to have a relationship with you, or if he just doesn't like the formalities of being an adventurer. ...... I'm in a position where I can't help but add "sama".

I've never thought of being your sister as a disadvantage, not even once!　My feelings for you are purely admiration, and you are not someone I could ever fall in love with.

"Oh, but I understand. I get nervous when I'm around knights, and I'm sure I'll get nervous in front of Marito-sama too.

"The more you know about your brother, the more he tastes.

I don't know what it is, but I can understand the meaning of that dry expression .......

When I lost my parents and wanted to be a knight like my father, it was during the time of the previous king.

At that time, I knew you only by name.

It's not that I hadn't heard rumors that you were a great man and that you would be a wise king in the future, but I thought it had nothing to do with me and trained myself.

At that time, I was a little conceited, and I even thought that a knight who could train himself and protect all people was the proudest person in the country, and my admiration for my father must have blinded me.

At the knight's investiture ceremony, he had to swear an oath of allegiance before the king, and I took it as part of the ceremony.

During the ceremony, I was out of my mind, thinking that if I could finish this, I would be able to protect my country as a knight, and that I should hurry up and go report to the graves of my father and mother.

By that time, His Majesty had already received the throne from the previous king, and I knelt before him and faced him for the first time.

He was a young king, and I wondered if he, like me, was on his own path, if he was a king worthy of my hard training. ...... But my arrogance was overcome.

Iliad-Ratzel, for what purpose do you take up your sword?

The first time I saw your eyes, your words almost broke my heart.

I understood that he had seen through everything I had done and was asking me the question.

As soon as I heard his words, I caught a glimpse of what he was carrying, and that was enough to make me realize how small I was.

I've met every knight in the world, and I've never been cowed by any of them.

Even against that Sir Raggedy-doo, I would have taken him head on.

And yet one word made me want to run away from him.

I was terrified of an opponent who was inferior to me in strength.

At that time, I had thought of what to say beforehand, and I remember replying to the words.

But I don't remember what I said, my flimsy words were not remembered, and probably did not reach the heart of His Majesty.

Since then, I've been strongly attached to chivalry.

If I do not shake off unnecessary pride and arrogance, and reach a higher spirit, I will not be allowed to hold a sword for you or for this country. .......

"Ilias?　You look pale, are you okay?

Cyra's words brought me back to my senses, apparently reminding me of some old fear.

"Oh, yeah. It reminded me of the time His Majesty kicked me out of the house. ......

I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of people who'll be able to't be afraid of your brother's glare. ...... I heard that Lord Ragdoll said that his sword trembled when he was training with your brother.

If Sir Ragdor is like that, then any knight of Tarz would tremble. ...... You're the king. ...... Since becoming king, you've fulfilled your position admirably. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.

"No, my brother has not changed at all, Lord Ratcliffe.

Is that so?

Yes, and now that I've had a chance to explain my miserable past to you, I'll tell you how great you are!

I'll tell you about my miserable past as well as my brother's amazingness!" ...... But I'm curious about the story behind Mixu's absolute trust in you.

Myx-Thayes, a princess born to be a child prodigy alongside His Majesty.

It is rumored that her talent surpassed His Majesty's when she was a child.

I'm sure you'll agree with me.

------------------------------------

I was born a gifted princess, and my mother had high hopes for me.

Many said that my brother, the only prince, was the heir to the throne, but those who knew of my talent changed their words.

This made me feel good, that those who knew me would appreciate me more than anyone else.

I began to feel that way, and even though I was very young, I always had a rivalry with my brother.

I trained hard in all my studies and swordplay, and even won against my brother.

I was more than happy to see the change of heart, and I challenged him again and again.

"My God, Mixu is amazing.

Even though he was defeated, he didn't show any regret and smiled mildly.

His ability was real, but he didn't seem to be in earnest.

As a person who was making a real effort, I looked down on you behind your back.

If I could go back in time, I would have cut off all my limbs in this era.

Of course, he was a man and older than me, so I tried not to let my guard down.

Of course, being a man and older than him, I tried not to let my guard down, as I knew that he was within striking distance of catching up with me if I was even a little bit careless.

But that day, when I was hunting beasts in the forest with my brother and his guards.

I was trying my best to outrun him as usual.

However, I thought that I wouldn't be able to feel like I had beaten my brother if my guards were looking for prey ahead of me, so I rode my horse into the forest alone.

The guards were worried and chased after me, but I guess they were not that desperate because the forest was free of dangerous beasts.

So I was able to easily explore the forest by myself, and finally I killed a big one, a big stag.

You had killed a few rabbits, under the direction of your guards.

I was so happy I couldn't hide my excitement.

--That's why I didn't notice the huge bear behind me.

"Huh?

A huge predator that shouldn't be here, it probably escaped from its original territory during the demon attack a few years ago.

It must have escaped from its territory during a demon attack a few years ago, and followed the scent of blood from the deer I killed.

I quickly fired my bow and arrow, but it was not a decisive shot, rather it excited the bear and made it realize that it was definitely an enemy.

I was shaking and crying, and I think I had shed all the water I could.

The bear rushed at me mercilessly and swung its claws down.

I shut my eyes and prepared to die.

But there was no pain, and I remained quiet.

I opened my eyes in wonder and there was my brother.

He had found me before the guards, who knew the forest better than I did, and was using his arms as a shield against the bear's claws.

The child's unsteady magical enhancement was negligible, and the beast's claws had definitely crushed the bones in his arms.

The clothes, skin, and flesh were torn, and even the bones were visible.

But instead of lowering his arms, he stood in front of the bear with his dismantling knife at the ready.

That's no easy thing for an adult to do.

"With whose permission did you try to touch my sister?

When I heard his voice for the first time, filled with uncontrollable anger and murderous intent, I trembled even more than the bear that was trying to take my life in front of me.

If I had looked him in the eye at that time, I might have fainted, the atmosphere around me had changed so much.

When I was training with you, I was serious, maybe I even had the intention to kill you.

But that was only child's play in his eyes, and if he had glared at me with such a voice and eyes beyond that, I would have been an abomination in front of everyone.

For a while, the bear threatened you as the biggest threat, but it didn't last long and ran away into the forest.

When he looked back, his face was as calm as ever.

Then he said as usual.

'So you killed the deer. I knew the mix was great.

The guards found him and treated him immediately.

His arm is back to normal, but the scar is still there.

I was ready to be blamed for my mistake, but I wasn't. He had made a false report.

He said, "I was chasing after Mixu and got attacked by a deer, if it wasn't for Mixu, I would have been in danger.

If it weren't for you.

Of course, that would have been your fault and you would have been scolded by your father.

I saw you as an enemy to be surpassed, but in your eyes, you were just a sister to be protected.

This defeat has made me realize that you are superior to me in every way.

He was only losing on purpose, trying to compete with me just to please me, who had been hostile to him.

Only a few people understood this, people who didn't change their opinion that you were worthy of the throne even when I defeated you.

I was so ashamed that I couldn't look him in the eye or even speak properly.

He was sad about it, but that was okay.

I continued to improve myself after that.

I was growing while showing all my strength, and you were growing while hiding all your strength, so we were just about even.

I didn't have the slightest desire to beat you, but I didn't want to be ashamed of being your sister any more.

My efforts paid off, and when it came time for my brother to inherit the throne, there was still my mother and her friends who said I was worthy of being king.

But I know the difference, I am not fit to be king.

My father understood that, but the others did not.

As a half-brother, I can understand why you don't want to admit that the daughter you gave birth to is inferior to others.

I thought that I would be a nuisance to my brother, so I abandoned Taze without hesitation and became an adventurer.

------------------------------------

I don't know if that ever happened.

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.

I can't imagine that Mix used to be so hostile to Marito, but what kind of childhood is this, chasing off bears?

You can't be so cruel as to play host to an opponent who is seriously challenging you.

"Yes, there was a difference in ability, but it was good competition that came to our rescue. There's a big difference in the age of the children, and it's only natural that I would have an advantage being born a few years ahead of you. But after I was caught taking it easy on her, our relationship became like that. My other sisters weren't even in the competition to begin with, you know?

I understand the reason for Mixu's strange behavior, it's because she's being forced to compete for the throne while she's desperate to get it.

I'm sure he could have competed for the throne if he had any attachment to it, but his will to do so was already broken when he was very young.

Marito had too much time on his hands, and poor Mixu.

If there's any saving grace, it's that Mixu took Marito as a god in a positive light.

The conclusion is that it's your fault, the incident wouldn't have happened if you'd done everything you could from the beginning.

"That hurts my ears. I know, I know, I took the blame and everything.

I know, that's why I took all the blame and everything.

I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

There are still some old scars on both of Marito's arms.

It's not that there is anything wrong with him, it's just that there are scars on his skin.

But from the point of view of Mixu, it is a scar that brings back all the traumas of the past.

You're a pretty bad guy, aren't you?

"Yeah, if I could go back in time, I'd break my own limbs and tell him that Mixu isn't your convenient sister, but he's a kid who doesn't mind having his arms broken.

That's not very nice.

"In the end, Mixu had grown up to be a fine young woman, and I thought it would be a good idea to fight for the throne one last time, since the age difference would no longer be an issue.

Were you going to lose there too?

No, it's always the one who has to be the one. If Mix could defeat us, we'll just clear the way. I'm not going to give up on you if you deserve it.

If you can hear that, then Marito's position as king is still solid.

Mikus was instilled with a sense of inferiority, and in the end he gave up his throne.

If you are going to be a king, you should compete until the end.

It is not easy to sacrifice one's pride and position to take on the responsibility of one's country, even if it means a disastrous defeat.

As a king, you're probably more suitable, though I'm not sure I can give you a pass as a brother.

Should we invite the other sisters to dinner at ...... sometime?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

He risked his life to protect Mixu, so it's not like Marito is a bad brother.

This is also a form of brother-sister relationship, but in the end, Mixu is not wrong.

Marito had always been in a dominant position, so dominant that he had no one to compete with unless he took it easy on his sister, who was desperate for him.

It would be cruel to blame him for such loneliness, since Marito was also a child in his childhood.

In that light, a person from another world with whom he can talk on equal terms would be a good partner for Marito to relieve the loneliness from his childhood.

Hmm?　I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.

Hmmm ......, okay.

After that, I left the bathhouse after enjoying myself.

I wanted to suggest coffee milk or fruit milk as if I were from another world, but in this world where sugar is not widely available, it would be more expensive than alcohol.

I've made it possible to drink cold water, and I'll ask the people of this world to put up with me at the nearest bar.

Oh, isn't that your friend?

"Shosho.

"Oh, Mr. Shosho.

Oh, brother.

I'm your brother.

Oh, you're here too?

I bumped into the Mikus at the entrance.

They're all completely relaxed.

Oh, no, Wolfe is still wary of Karaji on our side, a little more so than usual.

Oh, there he is. Marito and the others left a little while ago, but I complained to the king that he was disturbing the other guests by taking a long bath.

"Complaining? ...... You're the only one who can talk to the king that way.

Maybe Marito would have had a better childhood if he had stayed elsewhere.

...... Well, it's nice to have a friend!

Ouch.

Bang, bang, bang on the back, ouch.

I'm not sure if there's a hint of jealousy in this, but it hurts a lot.

I've told you about the mix, they want to have a dinner party with the other sisters.

"Oh my god, you're my brother?

If the other sisters are as frightened as you are, why don't you get them together instead, they'll be happy.

But I don't think it's right for me to interfere in what my brother does. ......

What are you talking about? You're the best sister, you should be proud of that.

You should be proud of yourself." Marito said, "She knows exactly what you're going through.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.

It was more forceful than before, but less painful.

If your friend says so, then so be it!　If your friend is so inclined, then I'll take care of it myself!

"Ouch.

The relationship between Marito and Mikus would soften in a little while, as they both recognized each other.

But they're very similar siblings, aren't they?

I've already taken a bath, so I won't be taking off any more clothes.　Unless your friend wants to. ......

I don't need your mysterious explanation.

I don't have any friends, do I?

Ouch.

That last one was pure pain.