第４１７堀：休む暇無し (Part1)
**Chapter 417: No Rest for the Weary**
Side: Yuki
I was currently at the bathhouse in Weed. To put it simply, it’s a public bath.
I had brought Jessica along to help wash Vilia, Hiiro, and Dressa, who were all covered in grime from their work. Of course, to avoid any issues with lingering odors or privacy, I’d rented out one of the family baths and made sure to tell the management to be extra thorough with the cleaning afterward.
"Nfufu~"
For some reason, I ended up in the bath with them, personally scrubbing Hiiro from head to toe. Well, the reason was that she’d asked to bathe with her "big bro" for the first time in a while, so there shouldn't be a problem, but...
"Nugigigi..."
"..." *Stare.*
Vilia and Dressa were staring holes through Hiiro and me. Is there something strange going on? I started to worry—had some kind of unspoken bathhouse etiquette developed in Weed while I wasn't looking?
Sensing my unease, Jessica spoke up to the two of them.
"You two, your hands have stopped moving."
"Eh?"
"What?"
They had been watching me so intently that they hadn't even noticed her approach. They looked up at Jessica, only just realizing she had spoken.
"Sigh... Vilia. If you’re that jealous of Hiiro, you should just ask him to wash you next."
"Th-th-that’s not... I-I mean..."
Ah, so Vilia was jealous of Hiiro. It seems her pride as the "older sister" was getting in the way. I suppose I am technically their older brother figure, but I’ve been so busy lately. Vilia must have been pushing herself to act mature, just like she used to. I’d be troubled if she were clingy all the time, but this kind of spoiled behavior is fine. Honestly, I’d prefer it if she just came out and said it. Though, knowing Vilia’s personality, I guess that’s asking too much.
"Alright. Hiiro is all done."
"Aww."
"Next is Vilia, since she’s been working so hard. Be patient, Hiiro."
"Vili-姉's turn?"
"B-B-Big brother, I... I didn't mean..."
"...Big Bro, take care of Sis."
"Got it."
I pulled the beet-red Vilia over to me. Sorry for not noticing sooner, kid. With that, I started lathering her up with bubbles.
"..." *Stare.*
Wait, Dressa’s gaze hasn't changed at all. But at first, she was shouting, "Why do I have to bathe with you!?" and was quite angry. I only managed to convince her by pointing out that it would be rude to make the staff prepare two separate large baths just to wash off the dirt and smell from this specific job.
Is she still looking at me like I’m some kind of creep? I’ll never forget the look of pure disgust she gave me when she found out I’d laid hands on Aslin and Firia. I’m pretty sure that was her honest reaction. Well, Labyris and Shera punished her for that, but still...
"Staaaaare..."
"Dressa. Please stop ogling another woman’s husband while he's naked."
"Dressa-姉 is a closet pervert~"
"What?! N-No, I'm not!! I mean, the only reason I'm in here is because of Yu-Yuki's suggestion!!"
Ah, I see. I suppose I didn't show enough consideration for a girl her age. Ever since I got married, my resistance to bathing with women has dropped significantly. I’d still be hesitant with a married woman or a young lady I didn't know well, but Dressa looks only slightly older than Shera—to me, she’s basically a child.
"True. However, Yuki isn't staring at you, nor is he staring intently at your private parts the way you are at his," Jessica noted.
"P-Private parts?! What are you talking about?!"
"Ehh, Dressa-姉. You were looking at his pe—"
"Gyah! Don't say it! Don't you dare say it!"
"Your face is bright red; you aren't very convincing..." Jessica added dryly.
Yeah. Even if you tell someone not to mind, they’re going to mind. That’s just how it is at that age.
"I-I told you, you're wrong!! Yuki!! If you noticed, say something to back me up!!"
"Ah, well, leave it at that, you two. She’s at a sensitive age."
"W-Who’s at a sensitive age?! I-I am a fully grown woman!! My p-pu—"
The moment Dressa was about to blurt something out, Vilia, whom I was still washing, lunged forward and covered Dressa's mouth.
"You mustn't say another word!!"
"Wait?! Vilia, watch out—!!"
Covered in slippery soap, Vilia and Dressa collided and went sliding across the floor, knocking themselves out cold. I realized that yes, you really *can* faint in a bathhouse, but then it hit me—an impact strong enough to knock them out might be serious. I rushed over to check on them.
"Are you okay?!"
"Yes. They are both high-level; they won't be injured by something like this," Jessica assured me.
For the time being, I rinsed the soap off them to check for any injuries. There didn't seem to be any external trauma. I’d have to check for concussions, but I figured I’d cast some recovery magic and then ask them how they felt once they woke up.
"Heyy. Big sisters, wake up~"
While I was thinking, Hiiro toddled over and blasted them both in the face with the shower head.
"Pffft—?!"
They both woke up instantly. Getting a face full of water is a harsh way to wake up. But Hiiro’s next words were even harsher.
"Sisters. You're perverts for showing your crotches to Big Bro."
Ah, come to think of it, they were indeed quite exposed. I had been in emergency mode and thought of them as sisters, so I hadn't really registered it, but for two girls their age, it wasn't so simple...
"E-Eh? KYAAAAAA—?!"
Their screams echoed, causing quite a bit of trouble for everyone involved. Women are complicated, no matter what world you're in.
***
After washing off the sweat, I thought we’d just head home for dinner, but on the way back, I received a "call" from Lilishe. Fortunately, I had already dropped off Vilia and Hiiro, so I moved to the military dormitory where Dressa lived to listen to the report.
『...I see. If you don't mind, I would like to hear more about this person named Yuki.』
I see. So Faide, the Agricultural God—whose name hadn't come up before—had paid a visit.
"Eh? Eh? This old guy is a god too?"
Dressa, who knew the gods associated with our circle, couldn't hide her shock that the shabby-looking middle-aged man talking to Lilishe was a deity.
"A lot happens in this world. You were a slave once, weren't you?"
"W-Well, yeah, but... for a god to look like *that*..."
"From what I heard, he came to infiltrate Weed. He needed a disguise to keep me from noticing him."
"But isn't everyone entering and leaving Weed monitored?"
"We monitor them, sure, but we don't perfectly check every single person's status. Besides, he was using concealment, and he's a god; ordinary soldiers wouldn't see through it. Plus, he wasn't carrying any weapons, and it’s rude to pry too deeply into everyone's business."
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"If a god wants to be dangerous, there’s not much we can do anyway. Besides, the skill and magic seals seem to be working on him, so it should be fine."
Furthermore, anyone who gets close to us is subjected to much more rigorous background checks.
"So, he's asking about Yuki? I wonder why."
"That’s easy. It’s because I’m an unknown quantity. Despite that, I have Luna’s absolute trust. From their perspective, that’s suspicious and annoying."
"Ah..."
"Even if they try to investigate, my personal information is pretty vague. I’m officially Seraria’s Prince Consort and I head the military, but I lead the Monster Corps, not the Royal Guard. I have no conspicuous record of military achievements. If they dig hard enough, the most they’ll find is that I run a ramen stall."
"...When you put it like that, it really does sound suspicious."