CH 19

Lily Garden ended up becoming much more popular than Ellis had expected. Apparently there were a lot more women dissatisfied with the state of the public bath than she had thought. In addition to that, it seems that the new residents of the female dorm were huge fans of it, and they spread the news to other female adventurers. The bathhouse now had many female adventurers as regular customers. Because of this, Ellis’s eyes were busy everyday.

The bathhouse had just closed for the day, and four people stretched out in their favorite positions in this after hours private bathroom.

Oh, it feels good.

The hot water and the lights of the bathhouse never stop due to the sustained effects of the Fever and Luminescent stones. That’s why Ellis decided to add a new page to her nightly menu.

It was the time when everyone had retired to their rooms.

When Ellis entered Reeve’s room, she gave a cold look to the girl who was excitedly anticipating whatever kind of cruel treatment she would receive tonight. Ellis lifted up her hand up and beckoned her to come forward.

“Ms. Toy. Come over here.”

There was no reason to oppose for Reeve.

“Yes, Mistress.”

Ellis took Reeve’s hand who obediently followed her downstairs. They crossed through the pitch dark living room, and they returned to the large public bath.

“Sit here.”

Ellis sat Reeve down on a small chair next to the hot water and then grabbed some soap. She makes sure to get enough on her hands, and she rubbed her hands together to create plenty of bubbles. Then coming from behind Reeve, Ellis began massaging Reeve’s breasts with her soap covered hands.

After exhausting her body,  Ellis helped lay Reeve on her bed and then headed for the next room.

“Ms. Pig. Follow me.”

There was no reason to resist for Frau.

“Okay Ellis.” Ellis took the hand of the obedient Frau, and they returned to the bath once again.

“Stand here.

Ellis made Frau stand in front of the hot water as she filled her hands with bubbles. Ellis gently grabbed Frau’s chest from behind and gradually worked her way down.

Ellis continued to wipe down Frau’s body even after Frau couldn’t stand anymore. She didn’t stop until right before Frau was about to lose consciousness. She then helped Frau return to her bed. Then Ellis made her way to the next room.

“Claire, come here.”

There was no reason to doubt for Claire.

“Yes, Ellis.” Ellis took hold of Claire’s hand, and they slowly made their way back to the bath.

“Let’s play together here.”

Ellis and Claire both began to build up some bubble in their hands. Claire imitated Ellis, and Ellis imitated Claire. They both stretched out their hands and moved them in a way to make each other happy.

Ellis carried Claire’s body who had been rendered unable to stand back to her bed and laid her on her bed. Afterwards, she left to sleep in Reeve’s room.

And so, Ellis had added a soap game variation to the night section activities. As a result, four people’s skin were more polished than ever.

Every day passed in such a way. Lily Garden’s management was doing fine. The number of customers increases every day, and the sales increase with them. However, if you are busy with work every day, you will get bored with it.

Ellis wants to go find some bargains around the stalls.

Reeve wants to go cut up some Sleipnir.

Frau wants to go smash a Minotaur.

Claire wants to go out exploring with everyone.

Thus the lives of the four were brought to dullness due to the curse of obligations.

◊

This was the “regular meeting” of the Warren Council.

Today’s topic is about the treatment of the women’s bathing facility Lily Garden that had just started business in the outskirts of East Warren. In response to the merchant guild raising questions, the thief guild master, Baltis, spoke first.

“That is my territory. Are there any complaints?”

The adventurer guild master Theseus agreed. “My daughter seems to be having fun, and more than that, the female adventurers all say it is a reputable business. It’s a nice place that everyone loves.”

The workshop guild master, Flint, nods. But for seemingly different reasons. “It was a worthwhile construction job.”

Each councilor representing their own guild had a questionable face to whether there was any problem with the bathing facility. By the way, the guild master of the magician’s guild was not present at the moment.

However, in an atmosphere where everyone approves of Lily Garden, Maria, the merchant guild master, called for doubt.

“Isn’t that facility abnormal?”

Among the troubled room, Maria cites questionable points.

“In order to keep the water as rich as it is, the fuel consumption should be enormous. It’s also strange that the facility can keep the lights on in such a humid bath.”

Maria continued to question the guild masters, “Aren’t there way too many magic tools in that facility?”

Flint became intrigued. “It would be a problem if you asked me such a thing because we didn’t put any in there.”

Theseus’s interest was also piqued. “My daughter told me that it is a facility reserved for only women.

Baltis was the last to join in. “The dispatch manager we sent out was also designated as a woman.”

“Is that so?”

“I see.”

Flint continued on while looking at Maria. “They also made a request that any craftsmen we send out to perform maintanence on the facility would be female as well.”

In other words, among all the members of this council, only Maria had been in the facility. The woman who had visited the establishment on the first day it opened. She had received a report about a new business buying items from the merchant guild in advance and had decided to see the state of Lily Garden.

Baltis began laughing. “Well if we are talking about unnatural things, then the amount of money Ellis pays to the thieve’s guld is certainly abnormal.”

“Indeed.” Theseus laughed as well. “When my daughter brought in four Flying Swallow Minotaur maces, I almost had a heart attack.”

The both of them laughed for a moment before suddenly giving Maria a tough look. “But they haven’t deviated from any rules. This should be true for the merchant guild as well.”

The room suddenly became cold under the two’s harsh expressions. Maria’s face turned grievous, and she put up both her hands as if to surrender.

“I understand. For their cute daughters, it’s only natural for their father’s to get desperate.” Maria gave them both a serious look and continued on. “Does that mean you don’t intend to share that treasure with the rest of us?”

Maria did not intend to attach complaints to the facility itself. The opposite, she saw the benefits and money Lily Garden could bring and wanted that wealth to benefit all of Warren.

In that situation, Flint stuck out his tongue in a gesture that didn’t suit his large body. “Actually, the workshop guild already opened up a branch office over there.”

◊

Things started early the next morning. Katie, who was acting as the accountant manager for Lily Garden, brought a message from Baltis while everyone was eating breakfast.

“In the evening, after the bathhouse has been closed, we will come over for a visit, so be sure to prepare four snacks and some alcohol.”

Ellis had a bad feeling about this.

The business of the day had passed. It was a time where, after the bathhouse had been closed, the four girls would gather around the table and make merry conversation while eating the dinner made by Frau, but today was different. Everyone was feeling uneasy from the thief guild master’s message.

Then a luxury carriage pulled up in front of the mansion and four shadows came out.

Ellis, who confirmed the appearance of the thief guild master, suddenly wanted to run away.

Frau, who confirmed the appearance of the adventurer guild master, started to scowl and scolded her father with her eyes.

Claire, who confirmed the appearance of the workshop guild master, instinctively hid her face with her hands from embarrassment when she remember how she cried the last time she saw him.

Reeve, who confirmed the appearance of the merchant guild master, was surprised to see the figure of the first customer who had come in when the bathhouse opened.

“Ellis, it’s good to see you!” Baltis crossed into the house and passed the girls without any hesitation.

“Frau, I hope you’re doing your work as a manager well.” Theseus followed closely behind Baltis calling to Frau over his shoulder.

“Oh, that’s a cute signboard.” Flint paused for a moment to admire Claire’s signboard before following after.

“Sorry to intrude.” Maria was the last to step into the mansion.

Ellis guided her four guests to the living room and encouraged them all to take a seat on the sofa. Once everyone had taken their seat, she asked without being able to hide all of her tension, “Everyone, what can I help you with today?”

But the four of them just sat there smiling.

Then Baltis sat up from the sofa, and acting as the representative for the four, gave off his usual laugh. “Well, don’t mind it right now. Let’s bring out the food.”

Ellis brought out a spare table to the living room while Frau arranged the dinner she had prepared.

Today’s dinner was fried chicken with cooked potatoes set on a large plate placed in the middle of the table. A bowl filled with coleslaw was set up next to it for anyone who wanted it. Desert included a variety of fruits cut up into bite sized pieces, and fruit liquor was poured for the four masters while Ellis’s group settled for juice.

Once everything was set out, Ellis realized that there was one more person than she thought. Somehow Katie had blended into the gathering and was making herself at home.

The meal went on with nothing occurring but friendly chatter. Of course, most of the chatting was done by the four masters while Ellis only sat there with a cramped smile and nodding in agreement every now and then.

Then once everyone had started eating desert, Theseus spoke. “Well, about the reason for today’s visit.”

Maria put her hand out to stop Theseus and took over the conversation. “Girls, would you let the city get involved in this project?”

Mary’s proposal was unexpected for Ellis.

The merchant guild would take care of the sales of the bathhouse. On that basis, they would pay Ellis 10% of the product sales as a fee for using the facility.

The adventurer guild would run a ferry service delivering ladies from the center of Warren to Lily Garden. Like the merchant guild, they would give Ellis 10 percent of their sales as a parking fee.

The Thief guild would take over management of the facility and would handle staffing receptionists and the accountant manager. Ellis would no longer have to pay the wages for these employees and still receive 50 percent of the sales. With this, Lily Garden would formally become under the jurisdiction of the thief guild.

This is the first stage.

The second stage is a joint plan between the merchant guild and the adventurer guild to build eating facilities and nursery facilities around Lily Garden. In addition, the house formally belonging to Kevin would be renovated turning part of it into an adventurer’s inn. They would continue to add facilities as needed afterwards.

The design of these facilities will be done through Claire’s design office. If so, then construction will obviously be done with Flint’s construction company.

“I don’t think it’s a bad deal.”

The four girls could not immediately reply to Flint’s statement. None of them could imagine such a rapid expansion. But then Ellis started to have a thought.

“If they take care of the construction, then I will be free from responsibility and be able to play again.”

So on behalf of the other three, Ellis agreed to the deal.

Once everyone was in agreement, Maria asked Ellis to appear at the next regular meeting of the Warren Council. That way, the deal can be approved in an official capacity.

“By the way Ellis, I want to see the bathhouse.”

Ah. I thought so.

Ellis tried to resist Baltis’s request as best she could. “Master, I’m afraid that admittance to Lily Garden is forbidden for men, but…”

“Yeah, I know.”

Damn it. No choice.

Ellis reluctantly guided the masters to the bath. She was afraid that they would have doubts about the facility and ask questions about the Fever stones and the Luminescent stones.

On the contrary though, the rattan baskets were highly praised by Flint who had never seen the technique of indirect lighting. Also, the idea of providing cold drinks by having a chest filled with Cooling stones impressed everyone.

In this way, nine people were having fun talking in the bathhouse, and Baltis whispered into Ellis’s ear so that no one else could hear.

“In reality, along with this Lily Garden project, the public bath in the center of the city is supposed to be redeveloped for men’s exclusive use. So the ideas you show here, will be incorporated for that renovation. That’s why, you don’t need to worry. This deal isn’t only for your benefit.”

So that’s what it is. Then I’m relieved.

In short, the men of the city are being persnickety, and they don’t like their wives and daughters going off to the suburbs while they sit around being irrational.

◊

After the masters went home, Ellis decided to take a bath. Here, Ellis noticed that the number of people was different than usual.

Hmm? Why are there five?

When she looked closely, she could see a large white ball of hair floating at the center of the bath.

Suddenly, the ball of hair grabbed Ellis.

“Ellis, I want to live with you too!”

Ellis flinched from the violent attack of the hairball, and she was dumbfounded by its sudden declaration.

But then Ellis felt the wet fur that was soft as cotton rub against her breast. Katie was so soft. Behind the furball, a tail was sweeping back and forth in the bathtub. She had no body hair on her tight stomach, but her backside was covered with short white fur.

Before this lovely, cute, and adorable appearance, Ellis awoke to the appeal of a beast-girl for the first time.

Ellis took a deep breath to suppress her rising excitement, and she pulled away the clinging Katie to look her in her gray eyes.

“Is the thief guild okay with this?”

“I already re-registered as a thief adventurer. The master instructed me to become a member of Ellis’s party.”

Oi. Are you really a member of the thieve’s guild? That’s a little too honest.

“Are you okay with that?”

“I want to live here as well. Everyone was being really close with you and I got really jealous and nobody invited me over for supper.”

Katie looked like she was about to cry.

Well, if it bothered you this much, why did you stay silent until right now? Instead of you being lonely, we could’ve been spending this time having fun together.

“I understand. Katie, I have one room left in my mansion, so feel free to sleep there.”

Watching the state of Ellis and Katie, the other three all looked at each other and sighed. Then they turned toward Katie and gave her a bright smile.

“We welcome you.” x3

In this way, Ellis’s house became filled to capacity.