Esther’s mansion had two bathrooms.
One was in Esther’s room, originally meant for the couple’s bedroom. And there was a small bathroom at the end of the second-floor hallway.
Friede and I washed off our travel fatigue there.
Huff…
The bathwater was warm enough that steam billowed like fog. They say there’s a hot spring beneath the mansion. I knew that from the beginning, which is why I invested half my assets to buy this land and build the mansion back in my kingdom knight days.
Thanks to that, we could slip straight into the hot water without the hassle of heating it with firewood.
Of course, we had to scoop some water with a ladle to rinse off the dirt and sweat from our hair and bodies first.
Ah, this is nice…
I tied up my wet hair and sank into the bathtub, leaning back against the wall while savoring the warmth seeping deep into my body.
With each deep breath, my floating chest bobbed up and down, creating little ripples.
The hot spring water felt strangely ticklish and pleasant.
“Y-Yeah, it is nice…!”
Friede, sitting across from me, nodded and stuttered out a reply. Perhaps it was the heat, but her face was flushed.
Maybe it was the feeling of our skin touching each other.
The bathtub, probably not designed for several people, felt a bit cramped. With two people in it, it was practically overflowing.
It was probably meant for just Mari, Beloren’s daughter, or an employee.
So naturally, I couldn’t help but press against Friede.
It wasn’t a problem for Friede, with her short limbs, but when I stretched out my legs, I could wrap my calves around her waist.
As a result, I had my legs slightly apart, and Friede was sitting right between them.
Unlike me, with half of my chest above the water, she was submerged up to just below her chin, sitting normally.
“Are you okay? Not uncomfortable, right?”
I asked while staring at the ceiling.
“Y-Yeah! Not uncomfortable at all! Rather…!”
Friede nodded. She even seemed to think it was better. What could possibly be better? I decided not to ask.
“Ah, I’m glad to hear that.”
I forced a smile, still gazing at the ceiling.
I felt a bit reluctant to look down.
The water was quite clear, so if I tilted my head down, Friede’s entire figure—sitting with her legs tucked in close—would be right there in front of my eyes.
And seeing that would undoubtedly hit my conscience way harder than I anticipated. If I described it in detail, it’d probably be marked NC-17.
If we were just ordinary same-sex friends, I might not care, but considering how our relationship had developed, it was hard not to be conscious of it.
We’d already intertwined our bodies countless times, yet now I was feeling shy?
…But, truth be told, this was the first time I had a proper look at Friede’s naked body.
The nights we’d spent together had mostly been dominated by her proactive advances. I hadn’t even touched her underwear properly.
I was the one who’d been used.
No, wait, used sounds wrong—maybe simply served is better? Regardless, that was why bathing with Friede felt unbelievably unfamiliar.
The inns we stayed at while traveling either didn’t have bathrooms or had tiny tubs that were just one-person size, so there was no chance of bathing together.
It turned out, this was truly my first time sharing a bathtub with someone like this.
Friede seemed to be really enjoying it, but for me, it was a bit—not a bit, honestly, it was very burdensome.
At least I’d like it if she covered herself a bit… Ah! Wait, I’ve got an idea!
“Friede, come here.”
“Huh? W-What? Eeek…!”
With my sudden movement, the water splashed everywhere.
Something soft yet slightly heavy pressed against my chest, and her very warm skin connected to mine like a blanket.
Friede’s back.
I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward me, drawing her into my arms with a gentle spin.
I wrapped my arm around her tiny shoulders and pressed her head against my chest.
“W-What? Suddenly? Here…?”
Friede, her mind a bit broken, stuttered nervously as she radiated heat. I gently pressed her down to calm her, whispering in her ear.
“This is much more comfortable, right? It’s too cramped to face each other, so let’s stay like this.”
“Uwah, ah, h-huh…!”
Friede made some weird sounds and drooped her head. Her body—serving as my pillow—slightly swayed up and down.
With that, Friede finally relaxed. I could lower my gaze and chuckle.
Nice. I couldn’t see her front anymore, so I felt I could breathe easier. Just a moment ago, it had been so embarrassing I didn’t know where to look.
So, I hugged Friede like a doll, enjoying a much more relaxed soak in the hot spring.
To be honest, I had this nagging feeling that she might suddenly surprise me in the bathtub, but thankfully, nothing like that happened.
After all, when Friede has the initiative, she acts like a runaway train, but in the opposite situation, she turns into an ice statue.
She might have strong offense but weak defense?
That’s kinda what made her cute.
Eventually, we finished our bath, put on some casual clothes over our satisfying, refreshed bodies, and had a late dinner with Lord Veloren.
It was absolutely terrible.
The stew was too salty, the bread was bland and tasteless. The meat was charred black like coal.
It was a menu worthy of the devil’s cafeteria serving prisoners.
“…….”
Holding that food—no, something that shouldn’t even be called food—Friede stared blankly at Lord Veloren.
Honestly, it was a bit rude, but I was too flustered to even think about stopping her.
Cough cough. It’s been a while since I’ve cooked, so there were a few mistakes. However, it’s still edible!
Lord Veloren turned his head slightly, avoiding our gazes as he coughed awkwardly.
…Is this what you call ‘a few mistakes’?
Was this perhaps the reason for his divorce?
I forced myself to chew down on a piece of meat that clearly looked like it had been burned in hell, pushing back the questions rising in my throat.
“Thanks for the meal.”
“……It was, um, fine.”
After that hellish meal, Friede and I got straight to bed, sharing a blanket and falling asleep.
…We really just slept.
It felt kinda wrong to do anything more at someone else’s house.
Friede might be okay, but I wasn’t. How could I face Lord Veloren if he heard us?
Honestly, it would be so embarrassing it would be hard to explain.
◆◆
The next morning.
Knock knock.
In the early hours, before the night was completely gone, a gentle knock woke me from my slumber.
“Wake up. Laziness is the shortcut to regression.”
It was Lord Veloren.
I felt like it must have been around five in the morning… Did he really wake up at this time? Should I too?
That was seriously frightening.
Five o’clock wake-up call? Even the national defense’s morning trumpet is set to blare at six!
Knock knock.
As if to urge me, another round of knocking echoed, sending chills down my spine.
“Wake up.”
“Yeeesss…”
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and finally pulled myself up.
Honestly, I felt like I needed at least another hour of sleep, but… I couldn’t just stay asleep when he was calling me.
It was something I had to endure, considering I was just squatting at someone else’s place.
“Are you awake? Then change into your outdoor clothes and come down. We have something to do.”
Something like morning jogs…?
No way. Surely not. Not on my watch.
I shook my head, instinctively trying to shake off the fear and sleepy fog clinging to me.
Morning jogging? This isn’t some military barracks; there’s no way he’d make me do that, right? That’d be ridiculous.
◆◆
“We’re going to train. Prepare yourself.”
That was one twist I didn’t see coming. Just like always. If you counted how many scores he’d racked up, it’d be over ten thousand.
As I woke Friede, she joined me downstairs, where we were met with tasteless, watery stew and bread as salty as rock salt.
The meat looked fresh enough that it could be resurrected if we used a revive spell.
…This woman really knows how to take it to extremes, doesn’t she?
After finishing a painfully dreadful breakfast—quite the opposite of yesterday—Lord Veloren led us to a wide open area at the back of the mansion.
It was enclosed by walls and had a flat ground covered with grass, adorned with training dummies and various weapons stacked in one corner.
You could tell it was a training ground from a mile away.
“Training…?”
I asked, my face saying ‘What the hell?’ despite my attempts at keeping a neutral expression.
Yawn…
Friede, covering her mouth as she yawned, had an equally bewildered and fatigued look.
Seemingly unbothered, Lord Veloren simply picked out a pair of swords and a large sword from among the weapons.
“Yes. It was mentioned that you both are sincere about your responsibilities as heroes. Once you shake off the stigma and earn a chance to fully manifest your strength, you plan to focus on conquering the deep dungeon.”
As Lord Veloren handed me a training sword, his blue eyes reflected a strange feeling—whether it was admiration, respect, or expectation, I couldn’t quite tell.
“Though I’ve retired, I was once a knight who aimed to contribute. I’ve decided to offer my help in the spirit of respecting your determination.”
He handed a large sword to Friede and took a few steps back, explaining the reason for our summons.
“Your highness requested it of me too. Though you’re no knights yet as heroes and their companions, you’re still a bit inexperienced, so he asked me to provide the necessary training to match your titles.”
Argantir. That sneaky scoundrel was the mastermind behind this early rising and unexpected training.
“So first, we’ll train. I need to assess your current levels and strengths closely.”
“B-But we did defeat a knight of the kingdom, you know?”
“Defeating a regular knight of the order doesn’t prove anything. The strength required of heroes and their companions far exceeds that.”
As Lord Veloren unsheathed his sword, he replied confidently.
“Plus, some motivation would be necessary. Strength often blooms amidst desperation and pain.”
Wait, does that mean I’m supposed to take a beating…?
And he might keep beating me until he’s satisfied with my skills.
I could already feel my brain spiraling into chaos.
“So, prepare yourself.”
Pointing his sword at me, Lord Veloren released the energy he had been holding back.
Goohhhh…!
The air suddenly became heavy. The pressure from him created strong gusts of wind all around.
“Ugh…!”
I reflexively drew my sword and took a defensive stance. My body reacted before my brain could comprehend the massive surge of danger.
Drip. Cold sweat trickled down my back.
I instinctively knew.
Her level.
High-ranking knight.
A pinnacle fighter, surpassing the elite wall of this era.
At least at this moment, there stood a being before me who was stronger than any hero.
