Chapter 56: Entering a village, obey its rules.
"Really, how did it come to this..."
Carlos family's butler, Marcos, sighed.
The incident began about thirty minutes ago.
***
"Mr. Marcos, Knight Commander Ceres-sama of the Primera Knights and her adjutant Sakura-sama are here. How may I assist you?"
A message came from the servants outside to Chief Butler Marcos. Knight Commander Ceres held a position equal to that of a lord in this city with her Dual Wall status. A careless response wouldn't do.
"Understood, I'll go right away. Please guide them to the entrance. Be sure to be impeccable."
Even though Marcos was accustomed to dealing with important people, the other party was a member of the royal family of the powerful nation Astrea. He sweated nervously from tension. What could they want?
Marcos pondered as he waited, but he doubted it was about handing over his eldest son Roberto to the knights in the recent incident. It wouldn't make sense for the Knight Commander to bring up such a topic on a night like this.
Without reaching a conclusion, Marcos greeted the unexpected visitors at the front entrance.
"Welcome. I am Carlos family's butler, Marcos, and this is Knight Commander Ceres-sama and Adjutant Sakura-sama."
"Lord Marcos, my apologies for coming so late at night. There's an important matter we simply can't ignore."
Celestina lowered her head to Marcos, showing regret.
(This... I see, they're known as the Twin Flowers of the Knights. Marcos inwardly admired, though he would never show it outwardly. The brilliance of Ceres' platinum blonde hair and sapphire-blue eyes couldn't be tainted even by the darkness of the night. Sakura's jet-black hair and cherry blossom eyes were also so beautiful that they couldn't help but captivate anyone who saw them. He was seeing them up close for the first time, but he was convinced once again.)
"What is the purpose of your visit today?"
That's the main point. Both of them seemed to have slightly irregular breathing. Could it be they had rushed here? What kind of matter could be so urgent?
"We wish for a mixed bath, we desire a mixed bath."
"...Understood. Please allow me to guide you. This way, please."
This is awkward... I have no idea what that means. Mixed bath? What's a mixed bath? Argh, how pathetic! Isn't this what Head Butler Sebastian said? Expand the wings of imagination! Wait, wings? Mixed bath, in other words, golden wings. Could it be they want to see our family heirloom, the Golden Wing Sword? It's even on our family crest, and I didn't realize? I'm such a fool. So, Knight Commander Ceres wants to see the Golden Wing Sword. (Note: No, that's not it.)
That was close. I almost embarrassed myself. Keeping a composed demeanor, Marcos led them to the reception room.
"Well then, I'll go summon the master. Please have a seat and wait. We will bring refreshments shortly."
Marcos instructed the maids and hurriedly left the room.
(However, it's rare for Carlos-sama to show our family heirloom to outsiders. Perhaps Lord Carlos was asked by the Lord to show it to Ceres-sama...?)
Marcos approached Carlos, who was chatting in the grand hall, and whispered into his ear.
"Carlos-sama, Knight Commander Ceres-sama and Adjutant Sakura-sama are here."
"What! Can't keep them waiting. I'll go right away, Marcos."
Carlos, who had been conversing with Kakeru and others, hastily stood up and headed towards the reception room.
"Marcos, by the way, what is the purpose of Ceres-sama's visit?"
"They want to see the Golden Wing Sword. Haven't you heard?"
As they walked, they exchanged brief words.
"No, I haven't. What could they possibly want with suddenly wanting to see our family heirloom..."
Carlos entered the reception room with a puzzled expression.
"Well, well, welcome, Knight Commander Ceres-sama and Sakura-sama."
"This is Carlos-sama. We apologize for the sudden late-night intrusion. The truth is, there's something we'd like to ask..."
"...We want to borrow your bath."
"What? The... bath, you say?"
"Yes, we do. You see, we've heard that Carlos-sama's bath is magnificent, and we promised to take a bath together with Chloe and others. However, as outsiders, we'd be grateful if we could have your permission to use your bath. Would that be possible?"
"No, no, there's absolutely no problem with that. In fact, it would be a great honor. You are welcome to use it anytime without needing permission. Please feel free."
Carlos expressed his joy with a big smile. He couldn't possibly feel bad about receiving praise for his treasured bath.
"That's much appreciated. Actually, Claudia from the Adventurer's Guild will also be coming later. Would that be alright?"
"Of course, we would be delighted to welcome Lady Claudia as well."
Carlos was in high spirits, completely forgetting about what Marcos had said earlier. Thanks to that, the butler's blunder? was fortunately buried in darkness.
＊＊＊
Returning to the initial point here.
(How did it come to this...)
Somehow, I had ended up taking a bath with all the women. For some reason, even Celestina, Sakura, and Claudia are here. What's going on?
Well, Cecilia had promised, and Chloe and Mizuha are my younger sisters, so that's fine. Silphy and Sara seem to be engaged, so maybe that's okay. Eva is my partner, and Celestina claimed she's mine. Sakura has also made a child promise, so maybe it's not a big deal... Wait, is this really alright?
But, Katarina, Claudia, and Sonia... that's a bit much. And Fria is just a child, but she's at an awkward age, so it feels dangerous. Is this because I'm Japanese?
This is a different world, so I should ask the local people about this.
"Huh? Mixed bathing is common? Well, there aren't many places where it's separate."
"Yeah, if it's family, lovers, or friends, it's normal to bathe together. Why? Is it different in your world?"
Wait, why was I feeling embarrassed? Come to think of it, in Japan, everyone used to bathe together during the Edo period, right? When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Now that I think about it, everyone seems to have gathered to bathe with me, like some sort of new student welcome party. Yeah, it somehow makes sense now. Dad, Mom, I'm having fun in a different world.
...My own naivety was truly unforgivable. No way, this is impossible. I'm definitely going to react. If this happens in front of Fria, I could die of embarrassment. No, don't give up. There must be some way...
"...Brother, what troubles you? If there's something I can do to help, please let me know."
"Mizuha, you really listen... Actually—"
"In that case, please leave it to me, Brother. Since blood is also a liquid, I can control it. For example, like this... Well, you're impressive, Brother. I'm mesmerized. Yes, let's just get in like this. If we start like this, they probably won't notice. What? They'll definitely notice? I see... that's a shame."
In the end, thanks to Mizuha, I was able to fully enjoy it. What? What do you mean? Of course, the bath. What else is there? Huh, using honorifics when you're up to something suspicious? No comment.
Today's lesson is that a capable little sister is something to cherish. Yes.