Volume 8 - CH 9

Chapter 9 – Bathing and Arrival at the Cave

When we went to the rock baths, two large rock baths were filled with hot spring water, and the overflowing water flowed into a stream.

“It has a certain atmosphere.”

I don’t know if I should say it myself, but the overflowing hot spring water on the large rocks in the forest has a mysterious atmosphere, whether you call it cool or Japanese aesthetic. If it were in Japan, it would be a famous hot spring.

A hot spring resort created by beautiful dark elves. If it were peaceful times, it would be a very popular place.

“Yeah, it’s kind of a relaxing atmosphere for someone who’s never seen it before.”

“I like the atmosphere.”

“Ufufu, me too.”

Alessia-san, Dorothea-san, and Ilma-san like it too… I put my hand in the second rock bath to check the temperature of the hot spring.

…It’s a little hot. But it is not so hot that you can’t get in if you force yourself, but should I add more water?

“Everyone, please check the temperature. It’s a delicate point whether to add water or not.”

The women also checked the temperature, and they all said they would prefer it to be a little warmer. Do you want to add more water? After adding water to the right temperature, we poured hot spring water over the bathtub. If we let the water cool down a little more, it would be just right, but I should think of some way to cool it down.

When I bathe in the hot spring water, my feet get dirty from the soil on the ground. I didn’t notice it yesterday because I was on a rubber boat, but I need a place to wash my feet. …I guess I’ll use a rubber boat instead this time. I summoned the rubber boat and washed my feet.

“It’s now just the right temperature. I think it will get hot again soon, so I need to add water to each of them. I will make a washing area next time, so please use the rubber boat to wash your feet this time. Well, before you go….. A-ahhーー”

“I understand. But Wataru-san. You are making too many strange voices.”

“There will come a time when Alessia-san will make a strange voice, too.”

“Is that so?”

I think the more you bathe, the more you will start to make your voice come out. Well, I think it’s a beauty of style. But after all, hot springs are nice.

I’m a little concerned. I don’t like the roughness of the bottom of the rock bath, even though it has been flattened. The bottom of the rock baths in Japanese hot springs are smooth, aren’t they? I wonder how to polish the rocks. …I’ll ask the dark elf carpenter or Donnino-san.

After taking the bath, I looked at the women who were coming in. I can’t get enough of wet, big-breasted beauties. And when they get hot water, the hot water flows into their chests as well… and it’s really good. …It’s really good.

“It’s very comfortable, Wataru-san. I wonder why it feels so good, even though it looks just like a normal bath?”

This hot spring looks clear, doesn’t it? It would be easier to tell if the water was murky white, but is there such a thing in this world? It would be creepy, though. I think the members of Girasole might try it.

“Maybe it’s because the hot spring water has all sorts of ingredients dissolved in it, and the surroundings have a different atmosphere than usual.”

The scenery you see is basically the ocean. In the Demon Forest, I was surrounded by insects, so I couldn’t see any forest.

“Ah, come to think of it, most of the time, we were either in the ocean or on a ship. It’s nice to have a different atmosphere, something fresh and new.”

The different atmosphere and the view of the forest are nice, but I can’t help but look at the ladies. The only time I can keep my cool is when Rimu and Fuu-chan drift up to me. The rest of the time, I’m too busy with other things to enjoy the forest.

“That’s right. But since there are no barriers, there is a possibility that goblins will break in.

“Fufu, if it’s only goblins, it’s a piece of cake… Come to think of it; what happened to the goblins we caught that time?”

The goblin you caught? …Ah, there was a goblin we put in hot spring water a little bit down here… I completely forgot about it.

“Shall we go check on it later?”

“S-sure.”

Not only me, but the ladies completely forgot about it too. I feel a little sorry for it, even though it’s a goblin. …No, we couldn’t let the goblin go, so was it better that we forgot about it?

“Hey, Wataru-san. Why does this hot spring make your skin so slippery?”

Ilma-san asked as she came up to me. I was wondering if my mind was obscene or if the word “slippery” sounded erotic coming out of her mouth.

“Let’s see; I believe it has the effect of dissolving dirt and dead skin cells.”

“Dissolves?”

“It’s just a little bit on the surface, so it’s not a problem. I’ve heard that it’s not good for people with weak skin to go in several times in a row.”

…Probably.

“I see. Thank you.”

Is it a reward for answering the question that she gave me a bewitching smile and let her breasts hang out a little? Was she simply teasing me? …Either way. Now it’s time to let it burn in my eyes.

After a long soak in the hot spring, the ladies started washing their heads and bodies on the rubber boat. This is good. This is so good. When they wash their heads, their breasts sway slightly, and when they bend forward, their bosoms open.

Since they are wearing bathing suits, they put their hands in through the gap and wash their bodies. This is a situation I have never seen before. When we were in the Jacuzzi, we washed our bodies in the shower in our room. I was very nervous.

This time, they washed their bodies here because they wanted to improve the effect of the hot spring?

“Ilma-san, it’s very unusual for you to wash your body outside of your room. What’s wrong with everyone?”

“Fufu, that’s because I feel that taking a shower after a hot spring bath would diminish the effects. Do you dislike this sight, Wataru-san?”

“No, I love it.”

I really love it.

“Then that’s good.”

Ah, it’s my favorite sight, but there are bubbles of shampoo and other stuff flowing into the creek. …What about dripping domestic wastewater? Would about nine people be okay?

Let’s hope for the people in the dark elf village. They will think of something. After washing their bodies, the women are soaking in the hot spring again. I should tell them about the cave.

“Alessia-san, we would like to go exploring the caves too.”

“We’d be happy to have Wataru-san follow us, but there are a lot of insect monsters out there, you know?”

“…I’d prefer not to go, but giant ants do breed, don’t they? I’m the one who brought the dark elves to this island, so I need to make sure I’m doing the right thing.”

I can put up with the fact that I don’t like insects if I try hard enough. But if I leave them alone and the dark elf village gets attacked, I don’t want it to be awkward with Felicia.

When I asked Alessia-san about the image of the ant monsters in the light novel templates, it was exactly as I had imagined it. I heard that the queen ant creates worker ants and other ants and makes the nest bigger and bigger.

The reason why no ants have come out of the nest is probably because the food supply is sufficient inside the cave. When the number of ants increases, and the food supply becomes insufficient, it is highly likely that they will come outside. And there are a lot of ants in the cave… It doesn’t seem that there is a lot of time. I want to somehow defeat even the queen ant.

“If that’s the case, you need to confirm it yourself, Wataru-san.”

“Yes, that’s how it is, so I’ll be counting on you.”

The members of Girasole were happy to know that I was going with them. I’m not too happy about it, even if I’m only a rest stop and food supply guy.

Carla-san’s face lit up because the food would certainly be fulfilling. It seems safe to assume that the operation is going well and that she is becoming unable to leave my convenience.

The problem is that I have no idea how to proceed from here to the next step in our relationship. Should I talk to Ilma-san about it? …That scares me, but it also seems like it might give me an effective strategy.

While I was worrying about it, I decided to get out of the hot spring. I wiped myself off lightly and returned to the Hideaway. The women seemed to be enjoying the hot springs in the rock baths. I was also satisfied because I had enjoyed it enough.

The view might get worse afterward, but I think we need to put up a fence around this area. I would also like to install a washing area and a roof. I’ll leave this to the dark elf village.

“Oh, Wataru-san. We should go check on the goblin.”

Alessia-san’s words reminded me of the goblin again. How could I forget about it so soon?

“No matter how you look, it’s not safe to be in your bathing suit, so let’s change before we go.”

“I understand. I’ll just wear something simple, okay?”

We don’t need to be fully equipped to go check on the goblin nearby, do we? We’ve only found a few weak monsters.

“Yeah, we’ll be fine.”

We return to the Hideaway, change clothes, and put on simple equipment. I meet up with Girasole and head for the place where we left the goblin.

“It was here, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, definitely here.”

Marina-san answers my question. I ask her if the goblin has run away.

“Did it run away?”

I asked Marina-san, who was checking the area where the goblin was left, and she told me that she found some footprints of the goblin and that it must have been rescued.

…That goblin was pretty angry, so it wouldn’t come back for revenge, would it? A goblin who was treated badly gets inspired, evolves, becomes the Goblin King, and shows up for revenge. …It seems like a possible development in a novel.

It’s kind of scary, so let’s go hunt for the goblin first, shall we? …Will the ladies just tell me I’m worrying too much? Let’s go back and have dinner.

While enjoying dinner, we discuss our impressions of today’s hot springs and our plans to explore the caves tomorrow. Since I decided to join them, we decided to explore every nook and cranny of the cave without thinking about our return.

We have enough food for months, and we can use the hut boat. If we find a large place, I can summon the Hideaway, and we can take a bath. It’s very convenient if I do say so myself.

We’re going to be in the cave for a long time, but if we can get it done in one exploration, it’s good. If I have to explore it several times, I’m going to get sick of it each time. …I finish dinner and go back to my room.

“Master, that swarm of giant ants is honestly creeping me out. Are you okay?”

“Ines, I’m probably not okay, but I’ll put up with it. So, please thin out the giant ant swarms as much as you can in this exploration. The fewer there are, the more time we can buy, and the safer it will be for the people in the dark elf village to thin out the population.”

“Thank you, Master.”

“Felicia, keep your head up, I’m the one who brought you here, so I’ll do my best to make this as good as I can.”

This is when I can show them the good side of me. It will make the ladies like me more. The only thing I have to watch out for is that I don’t make it any uglier than the likability it will raise. Everyone knows I don’t like bugs, so a little ugliness shouldn’t be a problem.

“Thank you very much.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Now Felicia’s likability has gone up, hasn’t it? Even if she’s a slave and we’re in a relationship, the more she likes me, the better.

…I feel like this kind of gal-game thinking is the reason why I’m not popular, but my thoughts inevitably go in that direction. I am a victim of modern Japan, which is overflowing with entertainment.

“Wataru, flying.”

“Hmm? Oh, Rimu, you want to practice your transformation, huh?”

After I told him not to transform in front of others, Rimu would always call out to me before he did so. Cute. Since he learned to transform, it’s become a daily routine, and he’s happy.

“Yes.”

“Well, I’ll be observing, so good luck.”

“I’ll do my best.”

As he says this, Rimu increases the light and transforms his body with shining angelic rings and tiny wings… cute. I don’t know what the logic is, but the light wings are smaller than his body, and when he flaps his wings, his body floats up a little bit.

At first, he could only fly up to my knees, but even though it’s only been a few days since he learned the transformation, he is now able to fly up to near my chest. Rimu is a very great hard worker. And he’s cute.

I don’t know if it’s because he has trouble balancing or something else, but he seems to have trouble flying. He can change into an angel, but flying is something he has to work on by himself?

Rimu flew into my chest, fluttering and flapping his wings as hard as he could.

“I flew a lot.”

I think I’m going to get a nosebleed.

“You’re getting good at this.”

I patted him around, praising him for his hard work and looking satisfied with his efforts.

“Yes.”

I put Rimu back to bed, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion, and spent some adult time with Ines and Felicia. I have to do my best not to get in trouble if I have to hide in a cave for days. I head to bed full of energy. Good night.

………………

Rubbing my eyes a little sleepily, I head to the dining room to have breakfast. Exploring the caves, I’m feeling down, but the women’s faces are cheerful. …I guess they are looking forward to it, although I have no idea how they feel. It’s an ant’s nest, you know.

The enthusiastic ladies lead us to the cave, and in less than 10 minutes, we arrive at the front of the cave.

“It’s pretty close to the hot springs, isn’t it? Alessia-san, can we reach the giant queen ants?”　　

“It’s just a matter of numbers, but with Wataru-san’s help, I think we’ll be able to get there without any problem.”

Good. If it takes only 10 minutes to reach the location of the hot springs on foot, we won’t be able to build a village. If we can defeat the giant queen ant, we’ll be able to make it.

If we can manage it, we’ll do our best. We’ll take down the giant ant and then the giant queen ant while we’re at it.