As Haruto felt what innocence he had left trickle away, he lost himself in the far, far corners of his mind.
Haruto: "I have something else against whoever reincarnated me here. Why a Demon Queen? You couldn't give me some loli elf adventurer or literally anything more normal? It just had to be the one that could probably create any number of chemical reactions that would be dangerous to a bar of soap like me at a moment's notice."
After Haruto's latest intense session of thought and meaningful criticism, which he was very proud of, he noticed the sound of another oncoming walking TV Tropes article.
???: "Lady Dia-sama, I've left a towel out for you."
Dia: "Ah, thank you, Servus. Say, care to join me? I think you've worked hard enough—after the succession and all that.
Servus: "O- oh, thank you, Di- Lady Dia-sama. I'm honored to be in your presence."
Haruto: "Finally, human interaction, how I've missed you. Although, when was the last time I actually went outside? Maybe 2 months ago? Anyway, I will now proceed to fanboy over my oddly specific maid fetish. HELL YEAH!"
Haruto really has it all. The mind of a genius, a maid fetish, he's probably a pedophile if we're being entirely honest, and to top it all off, he's an isekai protagonist. What more could a man ask for in an web novel?
Dia: "There really isn't anywhere to go once you've reached the top, is there?"
Servus: "There has to be somewhere. I think you could accomplish something if you, uhm, truly tried, Lady Dia-sama."
Dia: "What exactly is there to do? We already rule over most of the continent with an iron fist. What I need to do is hope we can keep this position, and that we can develop for the betterment of the lives of our people."
After several more inaudible quips from Haruto, and an actual meaningful discussion between Dia and Servus, the time came for the two women to leave the bath. Haruto, returned to the loner state, contemplates his miserable existence as an object.
Haruto: "I haven't read enough bottom-tier isekai to properly assess this situation. How exactly am I supposed to, as they say, rise up?"
Haruto gladly awaits the sudden RPG mechanics native to sudden fantasy worlds. He is handsomely rewarded by a screen not too distinguishable from any other anime MMO.
>> Your magic level has increased to 2!
>> Skill Acquired: Hivemind I
Haruto takes no chances waiting as the skill activates. He finds himself faced with a menu.
>> Select a destination.
He takes this victory in his stride as he imagines the innumerable possibilities of having limbs again. Of course, this is short-lived as he frantically checks the skill menu.
>> Hivemind I — Transport consciousness to similar entities within 2 kilometers. Cooldown: 24 hours.
Haruto finds himself locked inside another depressing, wet prison, as he returns to his contemplating. Now with the added comfort of a fantasy hot spring after closing.
Haruto: "There has to be some way out! How can I fulfill any fantasies without a body that logically makes sense to house intelligence?"
>> INT: 1
Haruto: "Ahh, nice one, Sage 2. You had me scared for a second, but that's the soap's intelligence. Didn't know objects in fantasy worlds had intelligence though… yeah, that's what that is."