Chapter 189: The Open-air Bath of the Large Bathhouse
“Hot spring time!”
Upon returning to the inn, the first thing on my mind was, of course, obvious. While there was an open-air bath in our room, I decided to head straight to the large bathhouse of the inn first. I had been disappointed by the public bath in the city once, but surely a high-end inn would be different.
Entering the men’s bath with Ivan and Nil, I quickly stowed away my clothes in the Dimensional Box and stepped into the bathing area. There were changing rooms available, but I felt more secure carrying my own clothes.
“I never thought Nil would be allowed to join us,” Ivan muttered, resting his chin on his hand while completely nude. He was absolutely right. Since there were Beastmen who bathed, I figured a little beastly appearance wouldn’t raise any complaints. Still, I never imagined that a fully beast-like appearance, especially with a Tamed Monster, would be acceptable.
“Our inn’s pride, the large bathhouse, is open to everyone. We strive to ensure that all our guests are satisfied,” the innkeeper’s voice echoed.
“Wow, it’s spacious!”
Even though it was just before dinner, the bath was nearly empty. It was a large, luxurious inn, but perhaps it didn’t accommodate that many guests. First, I rinsed off lightly before sinking into the indoor bath. Ivan had bathed in the Camping House’s bath a few times, so he was quite accustomed to it. Nil, excited about the opportunity, splashed around joyfully as I lathered her up with bubbles.
“Ahhhhhh!”
As I let out a relaxed sigh while soaking, Nil joined me in the bath, her tail wagging vigorously. However, I wondered if she might cause a splash.
“Nil, hold on a second.”
As soon as I called out, her tail stopped mid-wag.
“If you keep splashing like that, the water will overflow. How about you shrink down a bit?”
“Woof!”
Realizing I wasn’t telling her not to enter, she happily wagged her tail. Shrinking down to the size of a small dog, she naturally submerged herself up to her neck in the water.
“Oh wow, that size is adorable too!”
“…I still feel a bit uneasy.”
Ivan was fidgeting while soaking in the water.
“Hmm? You’ve been in the Camping House bath a fair bit, right?”
“Yeah, but that’s not the issue. It’s just… I’m not used to such a spacious bath…”
“You’ve never been to a public bath before?”
“Nope.”
“I see. Well, it’s a good chance to get used to it.”
“…I hope so.”
Despite his words, he was trying to calm himself by resting his head on the edge of the bath and staring up at the ceiling.
Telepathic Communication
“Not many people here, but how about you over there?”
“Really? There’s no one here at all.”
I checked in on the women’s bath through telepathic communication, and it seemed the situation was the same as in the men’s bath.
“When I think of a ryokan’s bath, I picture it being busy before dinner, but it seems different in this world—wait, Phonia-chan! Stay still!”
“Haha, maybe the common sense is different, but do your best!”
I could easily imagine her splashing around in the large bath. Since it seemed there was no one around, it was probably fine.
“Alright, let’s head to the open-air bath.”
After stepping out of the bath, I opened the door leading outside, guiding a bewildered Ivan along with me. The ceiling was partially open, revealing the sky above. There was a wall separating us from the women’s bath, but it looked like the open-air bath was cut off midway. Could it be that the outdoor bath was mixed-gender?
“No way.”
In the far end of the open-air bath, I spotted an older man who seemed to be a previous guest, glancing curiously toward what appeared to be the women’s side.
“Wait, is it connected to the other side…?”
Ivan, noticing the same thing, looked puzzled but not particularly troubled.
Telepathic Communication
“What’s up?”
“Huh?”
“I heard you say, ‘No way,’ so I was curious.”
It seemed my thoughts had slipped through the telepathic communication and reached Rio. I hesitated to share the details but decided to be honest about the mixed-gender situation.
“Wait, really? I want to come too!”
She sounded more enthusiastic than I expected… Even though there were other guests in the men’s bath.
“Uh, just so you know, there’s an older man waiting in the back of the open-air bath, so try not to be seen.”
“Eh, really…? I wanted to soak in the bath with Shuu.”
I couldn’t help but smile at Rio’s dissatisfied telepathic response. Either way, it would be impossible with Ivan around.
“Hey, wait up!”
As I was lost in thought, Nil dashed ahead, and Ivan was already in the water. I hurried after them and sat down just before the dividing wall.
“Rio and the others are coming to the open-air bath, but you’re not going over there, okay?”
“I know that. But is that old man okay?”
“…Yeah, right?”
“Whoa, it’s outside! Amazing!”
As I furrowed my brow while watching the older man soaking on the other side without a dividing wall, I heard Phonia’s voice coming from the women’s bath. At the same moment, the man’s expression shifted into a sly grin.
Oh no, this is bad.
“Hey, don’t go too far in!”
Following that, I heard Rio’s voice, and the man’s grin widened even more. If this continued, Rio would be exposed right in front of him. I had to prevent that at all costs.
Silently standing up, I glared at the man with a fierce intent when Ivan grabbed my arm.
“Hey, what are you planning to do?”
“Let go. If you don’t, I won’t be able to stop him.”
“Wait, wait! What are you saying all of a sudden?!”
As soon as I revealed my intentions, Ivan bombarded me with a flurry of protests.