Chapter 550 – Reunion in the Baronial Territory

The Spirit Kings headed to the Moon Temple and would then proceed to the Royal Castle. According to King Melvin, preparations for their welcome had been made while we were in discussions. Indeed, the visit of all the Spirit Kings was rather sudden. While the Spirit Kings likely didn’t expect lavish hospitality, given that they protect the Seal of the Moonlight Temple, it was only natural for the Verdgar side to welcome them with the Shrine Maidens present.

Thus, the meeting at the ritual site concluded. Regarding Lasnote, Alfred would provide her with a Magic Tool for the Humanization Spell through Marl. They mentioned wanting to visit the Underground Paddy Field tomorrow, but with Lasnote’s situation included, who knows how things will unfold.

As for us, we returned home to prepare for work starting tomorrow. And… there was also the matter of the bath we promised yesterday.

Yes, the bath. Since we planned to bathe early today and spend a long time together, we heated the water and bathed as soon as we got home. I changed into my Bath Robe first and checked the water temperature, but… hmm. I felt a bit unsettled. The reason being, the lineup of those bathing together today—

“Theo, excuse me.”

“I’m coming in.”

Grace and Rosemary entered the bathroom. Both were in Bath Robes, but… well, both have good figures, and with higher exposure than hot spring Bath Robes, it was a sight that could make one dizzy if stared at directly. The collars were open, and the slits were deep, exposing quite a bit of thigh.

Rosemary tried to hide her chest by lightly crossing her arms at the elbows, but… it ended up emphasizing her chest instead. Well… pointing it out would lead to trouble, so I decided not to say anything.

“Ah… Is the water temperature about right?” I asked them, as staring was mentally taxing.

Even when bathing, everyone has their preferred water temperature. Ashley, Marlene, and Rosemary seem to like soaking in warm water for a long time, while Grace and Claudia prefer it a bit hotter… so today, I set it slightly higher to meet both preferences.

“Yes, I think it’s just right.”

“The temperature will drop while we’re in it anyway.”

Grace and Rosemary touched the bathtub and nodded.

“Then, over here,” Grace said. The usual routine followed: having water poured over me at the washing area while they washed my hair and back, or me washing theirs in return.

“I’ll… um, yes. I’ll wash your back.”

“Understood. Then, I’ll do the hair.”

Grace replied with a gentle smile to the bashful Rosemary.

“Well then… please take care.”

“Yes.”

I sat on a small bath stool and had Grace and Rosemary pour water over me with buckets. Being sandwiched between the two in Bath Robes from front and back was somewhat unsettling, but… once we moved to washing my hair, I could close my eyes.

After wetting my hair and applying shampoo, Grace’s slender fingers moved as if massaging my scalp. Suddenly, I felt fingertips touch my side. Probably Rosemary’s hand.

“Theodore’s body has many scars.”

“That burn scar on your side is from the time with the Infernal Demon, isn’t it?”

Since I was having my hair washed, Grace answered instead.

“It’s from when I was still at the Royal Castle,” Rosemary said, touching the area with the scar and then lightly stroking my back.

“Somehow… it’s different from ours. The elasticity, or something.”

“Perhaps it’s because Theo is a man?”

“Maybe.”

While exchanging such words, Grace also lightly touched my neck and shoulders.

“Hey… that’s a bit ticklish.”

“Oh…? My apologies.”

“Fufu.”

After rinsing off the shampoo, Rosemary washed my back. Then, as usual, I washed both their hair and backs. After each of us finished washing our bodies, the three of us soaked in the bath.

Grace and Rosemary ended up flanking me on both sides. At first, I was a bit unsettled, but as I gave in to the comfort of the bath, I gradually relaxed. Holding hands with both and performing Circulating Ki, it felt literally as if the fatigue was melting into the water.

And then—the next morning.

Last night, we spent time leisurely, performing Circulating Ki in the Japanese-style room with a kotatsu or in the bedroom. Perhaps because we went to bed early and got extra sleep, I woke up feeling refreshed.

“…Nn. Good morning, Ashley.”

“Good morning.”

When I opened my eyes, Ashley’s face was right next to mine. When our eyes met, she smiled at me.

“Today, we’re going to pick up Michelle-san, right?”

“Yeah. After breakfast, we’ll relax a bit before heading to the Barony.”

Ashley seemed in high spirits from the morning, probably because we’d be visiting the Barony and meeting Kennel and the others. Maybe because we spent a long time on Circulating Ki last night, her complexion was good too.

Then—I felt a light touch on my back. Looking over my shoulder, Marlene was smiling innocently.

“Ah. We were talking about what happened in the bath yesterday.”

“Yes. When I touched Theo’s back, I could tell it’s well-trained and felt reassured.”

At Claudia’s words, Grace smiled, and Marlene nodded repeatedly.

“Theodore-sama, your stomach area is quite different from ours too,” Ashley said, touching around my abs. When I looked at her, she tilted her head playfully and laughed.

“Ah… Somehow… I feel like this happened before too.”

When I said that, they exchanged glances and winked at each other. Rosemary, perhaps anticipating what came next, laughed with a slight shudder of her shoulders. After a brief pause, everyone started clinging to me playfully under the covers, tickling me.

“Hey, wait… with this many people—”

Outnumbered and unable to push them away, I was at a disadvantage. I ended up mostly letting them have their way, being tickled and stroked all over.

With such an accident, the morning became quite lively… but after breakfast, we stuck to the plan. We flew to the Barony of Silun to pick up Michelle, the Magician entrusted with the greenhouse.

“Welcome back. We’ve been expecting you.”

When we emerged from the stone monument room in the Baron’s residence to the main house, Kennel, the steward of the Silun Baron household, who had been notified and was waiting, greeted us.

“I’m back, old man.”

“It’s been a while, Kennel-san.”

After Ashley and I greeted him, Kennel’s face broke into a broad smile.

“Ashley-sama, you look particularly healthy and energetic today.”

“Fufu.”

At Kennel’s words, Ashley laughed softly and happily. Maybe she remembered the morning’s events. Seeing that, Kennel smiled even more joyfully. Well, if this puts him at ease, that’s all that matters.

“Kennel-san, how has your health been lately?”

“For you to worry about someone like me… Well, many good things have been happening lately, and the work I used to handle alone is now shared with the Adventurer Guild. The workload has decreased, and my appetite has even improved compared to before—I’m perfectly healthy.”

Kennel laughed as he said this. Yeah, Kennel’s complexion does look good. With the Guild relationship starting, Elliot’s return, his marriage to Camilla, the stability of the Baron’s retainers, and so on, various issues have settled down.

Well, just to be safe, I’ll check his condition with Circulating Ki later for added peace of mind.

“Now then. Miss Michelle has already arrived too.”

With the reunion greetings done, Kennel began guiding us to the reception room. Hmm. We’re moving earlier than the promised time, but it seems she is too. It wouldn’t be good to keep her waiting, so let’s go meet Michelle.

We’re supposed to receive the progress observation data for the greenhouse too. I think I can ask Michelle about various things regarding the Noble Leaf as well, and judging from Kennel’s relaxed demeanor, the results in that area seem favorable too.