Chapter 41

I'm standing alone with Milk for the first time, and I'm so nervous.

If one more person came, the girls could chat and I could take a relaxing bath by myself.

Just as I thought that, someone came.

It's Ayame.

Perfect timing.

Ayame is so quiet, so her swimsuit must be modest too.

Yeah, it was modest.

It was a school swimsuit.

High school school swimsuits are pretty daring.

Moreover, it was an old type—the 1970s style.

Although it's from before I was born, I don't feel nostalgic, but the sense of taboo is strangely increasing.

"Um, Iino-san, it's a bit embarrassing, so don't... no, please don't look."

"Well, even if you tell me to look—"

Is it okay to look?

Besides, shouldn't Ayame talk to Milk?

But then, Ayame sat next to me.

More like right next to me.

Ayame's hand touched mine.

"Iino-san, um—"

"Ayame, let's enjoy the bath now."

Saying that, Milk sat on the other side of me.

No, if you want to talk to Ayame, you should sit next to her.

In this situation, if it were a sandwich game, I'd be gone.

"Oh, what a fun situation."

Saying that, Hime, in a bikini with a towel over her shoulder, came and sat in front of me.

Hime is in a bikini.

This is the most reassuring.

She looks a bit precocious, like a little elementary school girl.

If I liked lolis, it would be dangerous, but I don't.

Hime with her hair down feels fresh, but that's all.

"Taiga, why are you only looking at Hime?"

"Do you prefer younger girls, Iino-san?"

"That's a false accusation."

I can't let that slide.

Okay, let's calm down.

It's Ushizou.

Ushizou, that muscle guy.

Thinking about his videos from when he was a professional boxer.

Yeah, I'm feeling less excited.

I'm invincible now.

"Taiga, you have such a gentle look on your face."

"Iino-san's eyes look like a saint's."

"Being able to make such a face surrounded by three cute girls is actually rude."

"Haha, the bath is supposed to be fun. Hime, don't put the towel in the hot water."

The hot spring really is nice.

Just as I thought that, huh?

"Hime, the family bath is private, right?"

"Of course, it's a family bath. No one else can enter for the next hour."

"But I can sense someone in the changing room."

It wasn't just a presence.

I could hear voices too.

"Miss, please wait! You can't enter now!"

"One of the guards saw that woman entering here!"

"This is a private family bath! Please wait until we're done!"

"Oh, that girl and I are sisters. We're family, so it's fine!"

I recognized that voice.

I had a bad feeling.

And it came true.

"There you are, Hime! I've come!"

Sure enough, it's Hime.

Ako is with her, and they're both wearing bath towels, not swimsuits.

"Wh-Why are you here?!"

"Good evening. If you cause a commotion—"

"Hime, it's unclean to bathe with men—Kyaaah!"

"I was trying to say it's dangerous—"

Hime lost her balance and fell on her butt.

The towel slipped off.

Underneath, she wasn't wearing a swimsuit—

"Taiga, nooo!"

"Iino-san, you can't look!"

"Milk, don't pin me down from the front! Ayame, cover my eyes from behind—wait a minute."

Milk is on top of me, and Ayame is covering my eyes from behind.

This situation is bad.

I could handle the side sandwich, but the front and back sandwich is too much.

"Miss, please pull yourself together! Miss!"

"This is the worst."

I can hear Ako tending to Hime and Hime's curses, but I'm not in a position to help.

Ushizou, give me strength! Ushizou!

I sincerely wished for his help, knowing he's still exploring and healing in the New York dungeon.

---

Dinner is in the same private room as yesterday.

The menu is a Western course.

While Milk and Hime are used to it, Ayame and I struggle with table manners.

"There's no one else here, so if it's troublesome, you can use chopsticks."

"No, if we become the world's top exploration party, we'll need to attend dinners with people from various fields. Learn the basic table manners. Taiga, don't try to eat everything in one bite. Ayame, don't use a knife for the salad. Use the edge of the fork."

Why is this fun dinner turning into a lesson?

Next time, we should order Japanese food.

"Yesterday's dinner had plenty of points to improve, but it was the first day, so I kept quiet."

"Japanese food has more complex manners, right?"

What...!?

Are you telling me I only have Chinese food left?

I don't know anything about Chinese table manners.

Just rotate the table, right?

Just as I thought that, I heard a noise.

Is that Hime's voice?

"I've detained the hotel manager. I'm making it a training exercise for dealing with monster customers."

"Poor manager."

Caught between the president's daughter and the daughter of a related company's president.

Just thinking about it is hell.

After about five minutes, it got a bit quieter.

After that, Ayame and I struggled with table manners but enjoyed the delicious meal.

The food was exquisite, and I wanted to eat it normally.

Especially the steak was amazing.

I had never heard of filet mignon before.

It was incredibly tender and flavorful.

The meat melted in my mouth, and so did my tongue.

After finishing the long-named early summer ice cream and fruit platter, all that was left was to go back to the room and sleep.

I thought about going to the hot spring again before bed to wash the parts I couldn't in the swimsuit.

Just as I went outside,

"I've been waiting, Hime!"

Hime said, pointing her fan at Hime.

This girl was waiting for us the whole time.

Ako, you must be exhausted.

"Here, it will disturb other guests, so let's talk in the conference room. Everyone else can go back to their rooms."

Even Hime seems to have given up.

Let's do that.

I don't want to get involved in a sister fight.

"Excuse me, Iino-san, can you join us?"

"Huh?"

"This discussion is about the treasure box you obtained."

Ako said apologetically.

I want to refuse, but I can't.

The discussion took place in the usual conference room.

"Ako, get us some drinks—"

"Sure."

The drink served was "drinking orange."

Glasses were placed in front of everyone, and the drinking orange was poured.

"So, what's the matter?"

"I'm giving you the honor of handing over the treasure box T to me."

"If this is a joke, I'm going back to my room."

"I want you to sell me the treasure box T."

Ako said.

Déjà vu.

Do they always do this?

"Unfortunately, it's already been opened."

"What!? How could you do that without consulting me!"

"Why should I consult you?"

"Then, what was inside?"

"I don't need to tell you."

"Ako!"

"Ah... Iino-san, I'm sorry."

Ako apologized to me.

"Was it the substitute bracelet?"

"..."

"Miss, it seems you were right. It was the substitute bracelet, wasn't it?"

—!?

What's going on?

I didn't say anything.

Hime sighed heavily.

"Taiga, you still have a lot to learn. That was a bluff. Ako observed your reaction afterward to determine if it was the substitute bracelet. You fell for it. Ako apologized in advance for deceiving you."

"Sorry."

"It's fine. I kept quiet about the substitute bracelet to avoid Hime's resentment."

"Yes, I would resent you. The thing I wanted the most—If you hadn't interfered, I would have gotten it."

Hime thinks we only got one treasure box T, so I understand why she feels that way.

But in reality, over a hundred treasure box Ts were available, so we don't know if the one we got contained the substitute bracelet.

Still, she's not asking us to sell it.

"..."

"Wait, I have an idea!"

Hime smiled evilly.

"You there, commoner, wasn't your name Iino?"

"It's Iino."

Don't add two more.

"You, work for me. If you work for me, the substitute bracelet you obtained is mine by right."

"Huh?"

"How about 10 million as a signing bonus? Of course, I'll pay in cash."

"10 million dollars, that sounds familiar..."

"It's not dollars! It's yen! 10 million yen! For a commoner like you, it's a fortune, right?"

"I refuse."

There was no room for consideration.

Besides, the substitute bracelet is worth 15 million, so she's underestimating me.

This shows the difference between Hime, who sees me as an individual, and Hime, who only sees me as the owner of the substitute bracelet.