Chapter 47

As Mizuha emerged from the bathtub, I thought about how we ended up in this situation, casually guarding my lower half with a towel.

Mizuha, on the other hand, was completely unguarded. Compared to Yuma, I can't say exactly where, but there was a clear difference in development and the growth curve given by nature. If her hair hadn't been covering it, I would have been forced to leave the bathroom immediately. In this case, I barely managed to avoid an immediate exit.

She was genuinely moved by the Kokonobi Shake earlier, and it's not impossible that she felt grateful to me for hiring her and her brother. However, it's hard to imagine that a girl who looks about a decade younger than me would offer to repay me in the bathroom right after meeting me.

It's hard to imagine, but there she was, waiting in the bathroom, looking at me happily.

"Ah, I see two Dicks... three... so many... If there are this many, what should I do...?"

"What do you see...? Huh? It's red... I can't be overheating in this lukewarm bath..."

Thinking about it, I had a vague idea of what had happened to Mizuha to put her in this state.

"Did you... drink the portion of alcohol that Zekt left...?"

"Hehe... I'm sorry. When I saw that you left the alcohol-soaked Kokonobi uneaten, I thought it was a waste, so I tried it, and it was surprisingly delicious, so I ate it all."

"Ah, you ate that...? The Kokonobi soaked in rum?"

"At first, it tasted bitter, but when I bit into it, it was sweet and melted in my mouth, and before I knew it, I had eaten it all. It's been a long time since I ate something so delicious."

Rum is a strong alcohol, and to put it simply, it's much easier to get drunk from a small amount compared to ale. Eating the rum-soaked Kokonobi, an adult might be fine, but for someone Mizuha's age, getting drunk is understandable.

"And I drank the little bit of alcohol that was left. I like milk, but I might like alcohol even more... Master, will you leave some for me again?"

"Well, I can't say... Since you're still a minor, I have to forbid it from now on."

"Okay. You're just like my brother, Dick... With Vellaine and Dick, I have a new sister and brother, and I'm so happy... hic"

Her speech wasn't incoherent, but she was saying whatever came to mind without much thought—she was just drunk.

To use a spell to remove the alcohol, I would need to touch her stomach. However, in this case, that would lead to a misunderstanding, so I couldn't do it—ideally, I should have improved the detoxification spell to remove alcohol without touching.

"I like this bath. In my old home, I had to go to a public bath sometimes to take a bath. When beastfolk go to public baths, other people get concerned, so it's hard to go."

"Is that so... I heard that Ria also borrows the bath at Timis' house."

"That's right. That tiger lady told me to tell her if I had any worries when I leave. That's why I like this guild even more..."

"My guild doesn't discriminate against beastfolk. That will never change, so you can rest assured."

"...Master Dick..."

I didn't say it to make her emotional, but with her cheeks slightly flushed from the alcohol, Mizuha looked at me with tears in her eyes, as if she was deeply moved.

She's probably younger than Yuma—no, maybe the same age. I sometimes think Yuma has grown up recently, so it's not surprising to think of Mizuha as a girl, even if she's still a bit childish—though this isn't the time to be affirming myself.

With her brother Zekt cleaning the room, I, as the guild master, should show the utmost consideration and get out of this situation as smoothly as possible.

"M-Mizuha. It's time to get out of the bath. You'll catch a cold if you stay in too long."

"I'm fine with the cold. I get overheated in a hot bath, so lukewarm is just right. Anyway, I want to thank you, Master Dick..."

With a splash, she put one foot on the edge of the bathtub and climbed out. What a lack of awareness. Is she drunk, or is her gratitude towards me that great?

I've seen the naked bodies of Beatrice and Aileen one after another recently, and it's very charming, but I need to calm down.

Shaking the water off her wet tail and ears, Mizuha smiled happily. If her sense of shame is dulled because she's drunk, will she be hurt when she realizes it later? As her employer, I'm very worried.

"Master Dick, you have such big muscles... You have a better body than my brother."

"Y-Yeah... Well, as a guild master, I need to be ready for emergencies."

"That's true... If you're stronger than Aileen, I might be crushed by you."

I use enhancement magic to maintain my muscles even when I'm stationed at the bar, but compared to Zekt's physique, I think I look more normal. Still, Mizuha looks at me with a blissful expression. The way she looks at me is different from how she looks at her brother—being looked at like this makes me uncomfortable.

I've seen drunk women become a bit bolder before, but facing one in the bath is a whole different level. The tension and the sense of sin are both extraordinary.

A while ago, Aileen lent Mizuha clothes because she was naked under her coat, but I didn't expect to see her like this. When housing a woman, I should consider all possibilities and avoid seeing her in an inappropriate state.

"Are you thinking about pinching me? You can try it once if you want."

Mizuha laughed, pressing her forehead. In doing so, the hair that was covering her chest lost its function.

"Ah... Don't raise your arms. Actually, I'll leave for a moment. It's not good to Zekt."

"My brother still treats me like a child, but I'm not. I like my brother, but I'm already a grown-up."

Mentioning her brother, she pouted, thinking she was being treated like a child.

However, her face was red, and she was clearly drunk. She went from looking angry to giving me a weak, inviting smile, urging me to sit down.

"Let's stop the complicated talk. Just let me thank you. I can't do it while I'm in the bath, so I thought I'd do it after."

I'm happy that she wants to thank me, but I feel like I'm getting attached to a beastgirl too quickly. It happened with Riko too, so maybe there's something about me that makes me easy to get attached to—maybe it's my scent.

"Wow... Your back is so broad. It's bigger than my father's..."

"Do you often wash your father's back? You're a good daughter."

"N-No, when I was much younger... My father is much bigger than humans, so I wonder why..."

Men speak through their backs, or something like that. Anyway, Mizuha seems to feel that my back is bigger than it looks.

It's a bit embarrassing, but if she wants to wash my back as a way of thanking me, I don't need to panic too much.

With a soapy towel, Mizuha started to wash my back with a ticklish touch. Getting used to it, I thought that after she finished washing my back, I should get out first, but then—

Something soft touched my back. Two soft things pressed against the muscles on either side of my spine, and I couldn't help but stop moving.

"From behind, I can't reach your arms... Master Dick, please raise both your arms."

"Like this...?"

I didn't want to embarrass her by asking if something was touching, so I did as Mizuha said. Raising both arms, the towel slipped under my armpits, and I almost squirmed.

Even at SSS rank or as a member of the Demon King extermination team, armpits are a weak spot. But who could blame me? If someone could withstand armpit torture without flinching, they would definitely be a golem or something.

"Ugh... M-Mizuha. That's enough, right? We can finish washing..."

"I haven't done the other side yet. Wow, you even have muscles in your armpits. I'm so soft in comparison."

Feeling so interested in a man's muscles, I feel very guilty towards Zekt. But this torturous time is finally coming to an end.

"Is this good...? Master Dick, I'll rinse you now."

Thanks to Mizuha, I can confidently say that my endurance has been significantly improved. If I measured my adventurer strength now, it would have increased by one point in terms of endurance. Humans are always growing.

"Okay... I'll rinse you now, Master Dick... Ah!"

The most common accident in a bath is slipping. Sensing the danger of falling, I moved my body with lightning speed to support Mizuha, so she wouldn't hit her head.

"Sorry, my legs wobbled..."

"Don't worry about it. Are you hurt?"

"I-I'm not hurt... but my chest feels funny."

"..."

My hands also felt funny, with the same sensation as what had touched my back earlier.

"Master Dick..."

This is the second time she's called me with such a wistful voice since I arrived. I should have left gracefully the first time she called me.

Even though it was an accident, I've entered a territory where I need to take responsibility. When I caught Mizuha, my right and left arms, while supporting her, ended up touching her.

Mizuha's face turned red, and her eyes, which had become moist again, looked at me as if she was in a daze.

"My head is spinning... I can't... anymore..."

"M-Mizuha?"

Mizuha's fox ears drooped, and she lost her strength.

Held in my arms, did the alcohol hit her even harder? Or was she on the verge of falling asleep and wanted to express her gratitude to me?

In any case, I need to ask Yuma, Aileen, or Miralca and Vellaine to help her get dressed.

When asked what happened, how should I explain it? If I can explain that eating rum-soaked Kokonobi makes you drunk, and resolve the situation, that would be ideal—but if not, I'll be seen as a villain who tricked a beastgirl I just met and made her faint in the bath.

"Master Dick... your back is so big..."

Thinking about how much she feels my back is broad, I picked up Mizuha and, trying to look as innocent as possible, left the bathroom with a gentlemanly expression.

◆◇◆

"Mr. Dick, what were you doing with Mizuha? Such a tainted soul must be purified by me. I believed you wouldn't do such a thing, but you're the worst. I never thought you were this kind of person..."

Praying that the worst-case scenario doesn't happen, I came to the living room to ask for help.

"Hmm... Yuma's hands are warm..."

"Aileen, please stay still... I'll be done soon... Wow, so much..."

Facing one shocking situation after another, I feel like I'm in a dream and want to escape from reality.

But if I accept what my eyes are seeing, in the living room, Aileen is sitting on the sofa with her clothes open, showing her white stomach to Yuma, who is touching it.

I never thought they were that close—of course, it's a huge misunderstanding. Looking closely, a mixture of red and black magic power is emanating from Aileen's body, and when it enters Yuma's body, it turns into a pure red and returns to Aileen.

This is not just magic purification—it's soul purification.

When Aileen demonizes, her soul is invaded by the power of the demon. Yuma, with her ability to touch souls and her own purification power, can restore her to her original state.

"...Ah, thank you. I feel so much better. I'm sorry, Yuma, even though you're tired too."

"No, please let me know anytime. Keeping Aileen's soul pure is my lifelong mission."

"Yuma... having a best friend is really important. I think I would have become a demon without Yuma."

I finally realize that Aileen demonized to return Mizuha to her original form.

Aileen's adventurer strength is around 95,000 in her normal state, which is actually not enough to reach SSS rank.

However, her combat evaluation when demonized is clearly higher. In a sense, it's the same as a beastfolk's beastification, meaning Aileen is a demon who has regressed to her ancestors.

The demon race was the strongest fighting race on the surface. Aileen can draw out that power from her ancestors. However, the destructive impulse of the demon race is terrifying, and if she overuses demonization, she will be overwhelmed by it.

After Aileen's treatment, she put her clothes back on and stroked Yuma's head. Yuma smiled softly, a bit embarrassed, and gratefully accepted her gratitude.

"Sorry, I interrupted you. Aileen, I'm sorry for making you use your power."

"Ah... It's okay. I won't become a demon. I'm fine as long as Yuma is here."

"Yes, it's fine. I've purified it completely... Ah... Aileen's soul is so pure and beautiful... I want to purify Dick's muddled soul too..."

Yuma can see through everything—since she can see souls. I have nothing to hide, but Aileen is looking at me silently and intently. Is there a man who can withstand this pressure on the surface?

"Did Mizuha go missing, Dick? Could it be that..."

"It's not like that. Well, Mizuha drank her brother's alcohol and got drunk. Can you please take care of her?"

"Of course, Master."

"...What are you all doing? It's so late, and everyone is still up. I can't help it. I'll join in later."

Before I knew it, two people had returned from downstairs. The timing was good, I suppose.

Miralca, who was also quite drunk, complained but went to the bathroom with Vellaine. If I leave it to them, Mizuha will be fine.

"Mr. Dick, you look very tired. Should I calm you down?"

"Yuma, I've been meaning to say this, but 'calm down' sounds a bit... inappropriate."

"...? Calming down is a very nice thing for me... Is it inappropriate?"

"Ah, ahaha... Sorry, it's just my imagination. Don't worry about it."

Yuma really doesn't understand, and Aileen can't explain further, so she laughs it off.

Aileen looks refreshed after being purified, but can my impure thoughts be cleansed too? If so, maybe I should let Yuma purify me once—just enough to send me to heaven, not too much.