Chapter 17: Time passed gently

Something strange happened.

I was supposed to be sleeping on the sofa in my room, and yet when I woke up, I was completely naked in Master’s arms, lying in the bed of the bedroom. This wasn’t some cheap trick like a cheat or a magic spell—I’d just had a brush with something far more terrifying.

The room was still dim, and on the other side, Yuria was sleeping happily with her head resting on Master’s arm, also completely naked. At our feet, Lulu was curled up and softly breathing in her sleep. …There’s a lot I could say about this, but let’s just throw it aside for now.

This is a world of swords and magic. If you get hung up on every mysterious phenomenon, you won’t survive.

“Nn…”

Maybe it’s because I drank juice last night and went to bed without going to the bathroom first, but now my stomach feels tight. A girl’s body is just… looser compared to a guy’s, I guess? It’s harder to hold things in, so if I don’t take care of this soon, it could get really bad.

Anyway, I should go to the toi—let?

“…Huh, wh-what?”

Master, please don’t hug me in your sleep. Our body sizes are way too different, I can’t get out of this.

“Um, Master, I need to go to the bathroom… Master?”

Wait, are you seriously fast asleep while hugging me? No way, you’ve got to be kidding.

“Master, please wake up! This is bad, I’m about to burst!!”

“Nn… Sora…”

His eyes fluttered open slightly—thank goodness, now I can get to the bathro—gyahhhhh!?

“Uhyah! Not the ears—hyah!? Nooo, not that, please, this is seriously not the time!!”

Don’t pin me down while nibbling on my ears!?

Please, I’m seriously on the edge here! I’m at my limit!

“Stop, st—wait, hey, cut it out, you perverted bastard!!”

“Such a cheeky… girl needs… to be taught… her place.”

Why the hell is your switch flipped now!? If you’re gonna sleep, then actually sleep! If you’re doing this in your sleep, just how pent-up are you!? Just how much of a pervert can you be!? Get a grip, you overpowered lower half!!

“Eek—nooooo!? I’m sorry, I’m sorry for mouthing off! I apologize! I’ll say sorry, just please stoooop!!”

It’s overflowing, it’s gonna come out!? Aaahhh stop stop stop stop—ah.

---

“Waaaahhhh, hic, sniffle… uu, uwaaah, b-bwaaaaahhh…”

It’s been years since I bawled like this. The last time I cried this hard was probably back in elementary school when the kitten we’d all doted on in class died of illness. …Wait, now that I think about it, I might’ve bawled the first time I had that sucked too. I’d tried to block that from my memory because it was too traumatic, but yeah, probably.

“Ah—sorry, okay? I was wrong… so quit crying already.”

“Uueeeeehhh…”

If you want to laugh at me for being a child, go ahead. I don’t care. It’s only thanks to Yuria and Lulu taking care of the laundry that I’m still emotionally intact. If I had to wash it myself, I probably would’ve died inside.

“Milady, the bath is ready. Master, please help Lulu with preparing the meal.”

“Hic… o-okay…”

“Yeah… Yuria, I’m counting on you.”

With a wry smile, Yuria took my hand and led me to the bath. I don’t even care anymore if I’m being treated like a kid or a little girl—I just want to soak in the warm water and be healed…

In the dressing room, I took off my plain one-piece roomwear and tossed it into the laundry basket. Since the bath had been prepared in advance, I wasn’t wearing any underwear. Being naked isn’t even a thing anymore—we’ve seen each other enough already.

Master once said that looking in a well-lit room gave a different kind of charm, but honestly, being on the viewing end is way easier and more carefree.

“Oh right, since we have the chance, let’s get that done before the bath.”

Suddenly, as if she’d remembered something, Yuria rummaged through a cupboard and pulled out a jar sealed with preservation magic, and a cup-shaped device with a tube attached. I couldn’t help but grimace—it’s not really something you can help when you know what that thing is.

“N-no, uh, couldn’t that wait until later!?”

“But if you don’t do it now, it’ll be painful this afternoon, you know?”

Yuria said this seriously, looking a little concerned but otherwise calm. I’ve come to understand over the past few months—this is just normal for her.

In case you’re wondering, no, this isn’t anything indecent or perverted. It’s about the chest. That thing. Since we don’t have any babies to feed, it just builds up with no release. If we don’t express it regularly, it gets tight and painful.

“Ugh…”

What’s worse, apparently both the potency and the quantity depend on magic power. In my case, if I leave it for even one day, it starts to ache. One time I tried to tough it out and ended up leaking a ton during a dungeon crawl, and ever since then I’ve made sure to get it out at regular intervals.

Apparently, the flavor also varies depending on one’s magic. Yuria's tasted like rich, creamy milk, while mine somehow had a fruity milk flavor. Master was theorizing something about earth-elemental influence because he's an elf, but I wonder if he’s ever considered how it feels to have someone analyzing the taste of your milk right in front of you. Probably not. Then again, neither did I—until now.

As for the effects, Yuria's seems to be something like extremely nutrient-dense milk, but mine apparently has healing properties equivalent to a slightly watered-down low-grade elixir. It’s a hard comparison to evaluate, but supposedly, it’s about twice as potent as the best-quality potion you can buy in a shop, with added magic restoration and minor panacea effects.

It can’t handle things like severed limbs or fatal wounds, but for moderate injuries, magical exhaustion, or anything short of deadly poisons, just a single 100ml bottle followed by a half-hour’s rest can bring someone back on their feet. And unlike those horribly bitter potions or tonics, mine actually tastes great.

The “Tears of the Holy Mother” skill lets me auto-produce up to one liter of that premium healing fluid a day. It’s ridiculously powerful. Why this ability didn’t go to Yuria or Lulu, I’ll never understand. As a result, I’ve become an emergency mana source and a walking drinks dispenser.

“Alright, I’ll finish up quickly, so hold still, okay?”

Yuria gently stepped behind me with the cup-like device in hand. As she attached it to the slight swell that had recently begun to form, she slowly pressed in, compressing the surrounding tissue…

“Uuuuugh…”

Watching the white liquid fill the clear bottle through the tube, I couldn’t help but tear up. It was just going to get stored in Master's item box again as an emergency recovery item. I didn’t even want to think about how many bottles were already in there.

My spirit… it's breaking.

All I can do is try to distract myself by thinking about what exactly preservation magic and item boxes are. Really—what are they?

---

After the torture session ended, I relaxed in the bath, the water now a refreshing green thanks to Master’s handmade bath salts. Just as I was soaking and letting my body unwind, a knock came at the bathroom door.

“Lemme iiiin?”

“What is it, Lulu?”

Yuria, who had been washing her body with a sponge, recognized the familiar voice and opened the door—revealing, as expected, a completely nude cat-eared girl.

“Shuya-sama said, ‘Might as well enjoy the morning bath too,’ and sent me.”

I’ve got a bad feeling about this… We’re not doing a repeat of yesterday, are we?

“Oh? Where is Master?”

“He said he wanted to let senpai rest for once.”

I relaxed, tension melting away from my body as I let out a quiet breath of relief. Looks like Master’s finally starting to show some consideration. Perhaps he is maturing day by day.

“I see… well, I suppose that’s fair.”

Yuria smiled wryly as she made room, and Lulu stepped into the bath without hesitation, showing off her toned, athletic body. Seeing them side-by-side like this really brought it home—both of them had incredible figures. Despite Yuria’s strength, she wasn’t overly muscular; her curves had become even softer and more feminine lately. No wonder men’s eyes followed her every time we walked through town.

And Lulu, being a cat-eared beauty, wasn’t exactly lacking either. Walking around with the two of them always made Master the target of some truly intense jealousy.

“So today it’s just the girls, huh? Yuria, wash my hair!”

“Yes, yes.”

They’d clearly grown quite close. Lulu sat down on the bath mat, tail flicking lazily, while Yuria wet her hair with the shower and worked the shampoo gently into it. Even the soap and bath goods were handmade by Master. They might not reach the level of modern Japan’s products, but they were still high-quality, and I had to admit—I really appreciated it.

After yesterday, my hair is now silky smooth too—it's amazing how the comb doesn’t snag anymore. Honestly, it's a wonderful feeling.

“Senpai, did you already wash?”

“Yes, she washed it for me.”

I can wash it myself, of course, but having someone else do it feels really nice. Yuria picked up the technique right away after watching Master do it. Maybe it’s because she’s naturally homey—or rather, motherly. She seems to really enjoy taking care of others.

“Still, baths are so amazing! I had no idea they felt this good!”

She’s not wrong—baths are wonderful. They call it washing the soul for a reason. But why does it feel like there's a weird implication in her tone?

“When you warm your body, it improves blood circulation and is great for your health. If you work up a good sweat too, it helps flush out toxins and is great for your skin.”

“Wow, really?”

“Come to think of it, Master mentioned something similar, didn’t he?”

Yuria, while washing Lulu’s back, gives me a fond smile. It’s not like I’m just parroting what he said, okay? So could you not give me that “trying to sound grown-up” kind of look?

“All clean now.”

“Thanks, Yuria!”

After rinsing the soap off with warm water, the two of them slip into the bath on either side of me. It’s a bit cramped for three people—four would be a tight squeeze. But somehow, this closeness, the way we’re all gathered together like this… it’s kind of nice. It makes me feel like I’m not alone.

“It really does feel good, doesn’t it?”

“Totally.”

“Yeah.”

Yuria stretches, looking completely at ease. Seeing her so relaxed, a tiny thought stirs in my chest. But I swallow it down.

It’s not something I should be the one to say. And I probably shouldn’t expect an answer either.

Still, as someone who once reached out to her, I can’t help but wonder.

—Hey, Yuria… are you glad you came here?

---

◇◆ADVENTURE RESULT◆◇
【EXP】
NO BATTLE --
◆【Sora Lv.42】
◆【Lulu Lv.15】
◆【Yuria Lv.12】
◇―
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
Sora Lv.42 [423]
Lulu Lv.15 [155]
Yuria Lv.12 [129]
【RECORD】
[MAX COMBO] >> 30
[MAX HIT] >> 30
【PARTY】
[Shuuya] [Lv.55] HP 772/772 MP 1380/1380 [Normal]
[Sora] [Lv.42] HP 50/50 MP 420/420 [Normal]
[Lulu] [Lv.15] HP 602/602 MP 32/32 [Normal]
[Yuria] [Lv.12] HP 1040/1040 MP 60/60 [Normal]
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
【Comment】

"But that bastard—I am never forgiving him, no matter what."