落とし穴外伝：風呂といふもの (Part2)
"By the way, Narjia-san, you were staying over here tonight, weren't you?"
"Yes. I was having a meeting—not just a drinking session—with Eris-san, Ratz-san, and Milly-san."
It’s not unusual for guests to stay at my place. Since I use a former inn as my residence, this sort of thing happens often. Well, only with people I can trust, of course.
"Wait, Narjia-san! How long are you going to keep peeking into the men's bath!"
"That’s right! Big Brother’s naked body belongs to us, you know!"
"Honestly. Look, Narjia-san, peeking into the men's bath is a crime."
"Ah, wait, don't grab my leg! I was still looking... ah, just kidding. I was just offering some advice..."
It seems Milly and the others are there too, and Narjia-san is immediately dragged back.
"So, were you talking about the bathhouse over there as well?"
"Yes. While drinking, of course."
"I understand where Rurua and the others are coming from, but water is a precious, indispensable resource for daily life. There’s a natural aversion to the idea of just splashing it around."
"For the people living in this land, even just using a little water requires the arduous task of drawing it from the source. Because they understand that, it’s hard to say if they’d be receptive to the luxury of a bathhouse that wastes water. Even heating it up requires firewood or magic, after all."
It seems they are also identifying the lack of developed infrastructure as the main hurdle. Well, for the common people, drawing water and starting a fire are incredibly labor-intensive chores. Above all, these three were originally villagers and townspeople. Their opinions carry weight because they know that ordinary life so well.
"Even we were hesitant at first when you, Yuki-san, the Dungeon Master, just provided it for us. People who come to Weed already know the infrastructure is in place, so it wasn't an issue, but if you told us to live somewhere else and build a bathhouse using our own village or town taxes... honestly, it’s a tough sell. We know that public bathhouses are helpful in many ways, but..."
"To people who don't know any better, building such a thing feels like a waste of resources and labor that could be used for water and fire. In fact, many would probably think that bathing itself is just a luxury and a waste. After all, the habit doesn't exist, so telling them to start bathing is..."
"They’d probably think that time could be better spent on farm work, housework, or other tasks."
A perfectly reasonable opinion. Nobody wants to spend time on things they deem unnecessary. If we don't find a way around that, the plan will end in failure.
"That’s exactly why I have a brilliant idea. To gather people who aren't used to public bathhouses, we need to provide a different reason for them to come."
"And that idea is?"
"Ice cream!"
"..."
That Narjia-san is an ice cream fanatic is common knowledge in Weed. We all shared the same thought—that she had started spouting nonsense again—but...
"Ah, you’re thinking I’m saying something strange, aren't you? That’s not it! If we build a place where you can eat the blissful existence that is ice cream, people will come for that, and in turn, the number of bathers will increase. Well, it doesn't have to be just ice cream; cold beer or snacks would work too."
"But wouldn't that mean only people with money would come?"
"Trying to do everything at once is why things fail. The first public bathhouses will be installed in places with large populations, like the Royal Capital. So, the target should be..."
"The citizens and travelers who have money, huh?"
"Yes, exactly. And if that spreads by word of mouth, it’ll be just like Weed. 'You must eat ice cream after a bath!'"
I see. So Narjia-san was the one who created that strange custom. I understood the milk part, but I had always wondered why ice cream sales were increasing—so that was the flow of events. Regardless, this approach is likely very effective.
"Indeed, we aren't trying to get every single citizen to use it from the start. Pushing it through ice cream and drinks might be a good strategy."
When I said that, everyone nodded...
"Um, Yuki-san, I think we're going to get lightheaded, so let's get out soon."
"...You're right. Let's head out."
And so, before we turned into boiled octopuses, we got out of the bath and gulped down some milk. For me, there really is nothing like milk after a bath.