Chapter 154: Refreshing bath.

The day had started out perfectly beautiful, the skies glowing with a vibrant and contagious blue, just like the sun that covered the plains and forests; not a cloud could be seen anywhere in sight. It was a day that even Strax could hardly express how lovely it could be.

"It looks like it's going to be hot today," he commented with a smile as he got up. His body was somewhat sweaty and covered in dirt... Well, he had slept on top of a cart, so of course, he was dirty by now. Especially given the weather conditions.

"So many problems to solve..." he murmured, watching everyone already working again to fix up the camp before leaving. For a moment, he felt a fleeting peace... "Hey! Darling!" But soon, the shouts reached his ears, and he saw Monica calling him. She had already changed clothes and looked quite clean... Unlike him...

Strax looked at her with a smile and quickly jumped down from the top of the cart, landing swiftly in front of her with a breeze... Not exactly a pleasant one, if you know what I mean...

"Wow... darling..." Monica said, waving her hands in the air to create some airflow to clear the... bad odor. "Y-you smell terrible..." she said, giving up on trying to dissipate the smell and pinching her nose with one hand while pointing towards the forest with the other. "There's a stream up ahead. The girls and I used it to bathe...

You'd better go do the same, okay? We don't want animals following us on the way... You're drawing too much attention." She said with a slightly serious tone but a mischievous smile gradually breaking through; she was holding back from laughing too much.

He rolled his eyes slightly but couldn't help but smile a little. It was clear he knew Monica was completely right, and his smell was indeed far from pleasant. He looked at her smiling, "Alright, alright, I'm going, Miss," he replied mockingly, still trying to maintain some dignity as he turned and walked towards the stream.

As it wasn't far, he quickly reached the spot, which was indeed deserted. He could only hear the sound of leaves under his feet and the gentle murmur of water flowing ahead. "I'll have to bathe quickly..." he murmured, still much work to be done; they needed to leave as soon as possible to reach Eldoria that same day.

Despite this, he was looking forward to washing off the grime accumulated overnight and refreshing his mind.

Upon reaching the stream, Strax paused for a moment to appreciate the place. The stream was fed by a small waterfall, and the crystal-clear water flowed gently over the stones, creating a serene and inviting atmosphere. He sighed in relief and began to remove his dirty clothes, tossing them aside.

"I could get used to this peace easily... Should I build a house in the mountains when this is all over?" he said, stepping into the cool water. The temperature shock was revitalizing, and Strax felt the dirt and fatigue start to dissolve.

As he washed his face, he couldn't help but laugh at himself. "If anyone saw me now, they wouldn't believe I could get this dirty." The flowing water carried away the grime but also seemed to wash away some of the tension built up over the past few days.

Suddenly, he heard a noise coming from the nearby trees. Before he could react, a figure leaped out from behind a bush, and Strax jumped, spinning around quickly to face the intruder.

"Hey, calm down, Strax, it's me!" Samira laughed, holding her stomach from laughing so hard. "I didn't know you got so scared!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Strax exclaimed as he stood up in the water, trying to cover his face with his hands. "I didn't mean to... I just heard a conversation and... and... Ah, damn it, be more careful! What if it were a man with ill intentions?!"

"You! You damn pervert! What do you mean, a man with ill intentions? We're the strongest in the group; we'd kill him on the spot!" Lyana said, still trying to cover her body and moving away from the water's edge. "The only troublemaker here is you! Because we wouldn't be able to kill you!

You bastard!" Lyana shouted, her face trembling with desperation and embarrassment.

Evelyn began covering herself with her hands, trying to find some clothes to put on as the embarrassment spread through the situation. "Are you sure it's just curiosity about our conversations, Strax?"

Strax crouched in the water, his head almost completely submerged to hide from their gaze. "I didn't know you were here. I thought it was just a quiet spot!"

Lyana and Evelyn started dressing quickly, trying to regain their composure. The situation was as embarrassing as it was comical, and despite his desire to hide, Strax couldn't help but feel a bit of shame as well.

Finally, after a few uncomfortable moments and a good dose of nervous laughter, everyone managed to compose themselves. Strax, now standing in the water with his head bowed, began to apologize again. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

...

...

...

Not long after... He found himself staring at three wild beasts...

"Are you looking to die?" Samira asked, her hair almost standing on end with the flames flickering around her. And it wasn't just her—somehow, he also felt as if several purple lightning bolts were emanating from Beatrice in front of him...

He was sitting on a small stool while the three monsters circled him completely, with Samira in the center and Monica and Beatrice on either side of her. It was as if a lion was being followed by two tigers.

"I hate you..." he thought, remembering Lyana...