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Chapter 71 – Hot Spring Inn

71 – Hot Spring Inn

Oh right, we were supposed to go to a hot spring. Almost forgot. Florence said she built a hot spring facility…

Eleanor used Teleportation to teleport everyone there. We arrived at a large wooden building.
It reminds me of a building I saw in the past in the country where they have a unique kind of knight called Samurai.

We enter through the…entrance? Vestibule? When we entered, countless women lined up perfectly and they all bowed their heads at once. The women were dressed in an unusual dress known as a Kimono – and they all had dog ears. Apart from that, they were no different from humans.

「Welcome.」

「My apologies for being late.」 said Florence, exchanging some words with a woman whose kimono had a different pattern than the rest.

At that time, we took our shoes off at the expansive entranceway and put on footwear made for use within the building. Only the front portion of the footwear was covered, so it felt more like they hung off our feet rather than us wearing them. The kids were frolicking, perhaps because they thought the sounds the shoes made when they took a step were funny.

「Please do not make so much noise.」warned both Ferris and Celine. At that, the kids quieted down. As for me, who was trying to imitate the kids, I looked forward as if I wasn’t doing anything.

「Sir, are you perhaps Lady Florence’s better half?」

「Hm?」

The thirty-something beauty that Florence was talking to is smiling at me.

「Oh proprietress, please, that’s a bit of a jump. Well… I suppose Sir Rain’s connection with me is absolute. At this point, you wouldn’t be mistaken in calling us lovers.」 Florence stuck her chest out with a happy look on her face.

As one would expect, the others of The Seven stared daggers of disapproval at her. While they squabbled, trying their best not to make too much noise, my conversation with the woman known as the proprietress continued.

「I have heard stories from Lady Florence, but I must say, you are far more than the stories tell.」 she said.

I wonder what kinda stories she heard.

「I heard Florence was the one who built this place.」I said.

She gave a generous nod. According to her, Florence came to a poor village and proposed to have a hot spring facility built and make it a tourist destination. She also said that Florence made full use of the human resources and specialty goods, and handled the road maintenance and publicity – which revitalized the village.

The Demon King’s barrier keeps the miasma at bay, but that doesn’t mean food rains from the sky. Poverty is the bane of survival in all corners of the world. If you have money, food can be bought and houses can be fixed. It may not be that simple, but Florence is renowned in this village.

The girls in kimonos, waitresses as they are called, all surround me and start whispering something. 「Lady Florence is so gentle and beautiful.」「The aura emanating from her makes her divine.」「Such a slender body, yet such buxom bosoms.」「Like a manifestation of the Goddess of Beauty herself upon this plane.」「A gentleman who is loved by a woman like her must be very happy.」「If I were you, I’d be sure to never let her go once I have her.」 go all the waitresses, as if trying to beat Florence’s good points into my brain.

『Hey! Are you trying to brainwash my partner?! Quit it! 』

I gave Mika a wry smile and I said, while looking around at all the waitresses… 「I already know that Florence is gentle and beautiful」

「Hrk…!」

The girls clutch their chests and fall to their knees. Only the proprietress went「Oh my.」in admiration, with a hand to her cheek.

『…And thus, new victims are born.』

Is this…my fault?

「In contrast to how Lady Florence carries herself, she is an exceedingly generous and kind individual. But I’m sure you don’t need us to tell you that, for you can witness Lady Florence for who she truly is.」 said the proprietress.

It became somewhat quiet. When I looked at Florence, her face went bright red. The other six had bitter looks on their faces.

Later, we were led to our rooms by the revived waitresses. This large building is operated as a lodging facility with a hot spring and is reserved exclusively for Florence’s use only when she has made reservations.

Originally, the people of the village wanted to create it for Florence’s private use, but she rejected that notion. It seems that she said it is more efficient to lend it to anyone while she wasn’t there.

The kids and I were assigned to the same room. The Seven, Celine, and Ferris were assigned their rooms. Florence, in an exceptionally good mood, invited me to her special private room, but Eleanor teleported her somewhere. A few minutes later, you could hear her roar「ELEANOOOR!! Isn’t sending me to the godforsaken snow-covered wilds far too cruel?!」that echoed throughout the building.

Prepared in each room were clothes to wear while inside this facility called Yukata. Ferris took care of getting the kids changed while I used the partition to quickly change by myself. The room also has a fireplace which makes the room warmer than one could imagine if one were to look at the snowy scenery outside.

「Time for an exposition.」 the rabbit-eared Carro suddenly said.

「Exposition?」

「I did it when I was in the castle, but this is my first time here.」

「Oh, you mean expedition.」 A real expedition would normally be accompanied by dangers, but I’m sure it’ll be fine inside this place.

「I used to go on expeditions in the woods and get lost. Then I’d get yelled at.」

Of course people would be angry. They were worried sick looking for you. Remembering the past, Carro looked lonely. All the children here were kidnapped and on the verge of being sold off as slaves.

Eleanor and I had rescued them from that fate, but either their hometowns were destroyed, or their parents were the ones who sold them off in the first place, so the Demon King Castle took them in. For Carro and the others, they no longer have a family to return to who would give them a warm welcome. She usually acts all cheerful, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t hurting inside. Especially if she becomes conscious of what was going on at the time, like when she recalls the past.

「Alright, I’ll go with you.」 I say while patting her on the head. She smiled instantly.

「Okay. Then, I’m the boss.」

「You got it, boss.」

A few others came along too. We went on a grand adventure. We went around the interior, noticed how different the architecture was to the Demon King Castle, found the entrance to the hot springs, snuck a peek into The Seven’s rooms but then got found out, and we found the Employee Only door and we got close to it but then feigned ignorance when a waitress spotted us.

When we returned to our room, everyone was gathered there. The Seven, Ferris, and Celine were all wearing yukatas.

『Geh… Huge…!』 yelled Mika.

This yukata garment has a cloth belt wrapped around the belly called an Obi, and this belt is emphasizing the sizable breasts of the older women in the group. Because we all had fun in the snow today, even those that wear outfits that don’t hide their chests had to wear winter gear, so they didn’t really stand out, but…

Yukatas do the exact opposite. By tightening the obi tightly around their waist, other parts of the body are made to protrude out more.

No, it’s not the outfit itself that has this effect. In fact, the kids and I don’t have anything that stands out from head to toe while wearing these. It has to do with who’s wearing it.

「Mister Hero…are…are we wearing the same thing? Are Eleanor and gang wearing the same thing…we are…?」 asked Carro while looking distant.

I know how you feel, but please don’t ask me…

『Th-this is a bad lesson for the kids…』

Exactly which part do you mean, Mika? The part where their breasts are liable to spill out when they stand? The part where their breasts sway with every step? The part where they consciously hide their buttocks from time to time?

I don’t know…

They were all looking at me. Eleanor, Louto, and Vivi looked a little embarrassed. Lejie and Monana looked like they were wondering if this look suits them. Madge and Celine had no expression. Florence was brimming with confidence. Ferris had on her usual gentle smile.

「Your yukatas…suit you?」 I said as I smiled vaguely. It does suit them, but not in a lovely or beautiful way. The impression I’m getting is of overwhelming destructive power and I cannot look at them directly. However, everyone seemed pleased with my compliment.