Chapter 7

When I came here looking for a female laborer who could bathe with me, things took a strange turn.

To confirm, I asked for more details, and it turned out that the Sand Lizardman, a race weak to moisture, doesn’t have the custom of taking baths at all.

I was told that if I tried to make them take a bath, they would probably refuse.

"Let me confirm, are they not criminal laborers?"

"Huh? Yes, yes! Of course not! On the contrary, they have a very serious personality and are working hard here to earn a little more money!"

When the butler asked, the merchant began to pitch, rubbing his hands together, which I had never seen before.

"Is it okay to sell a laborer at the combat laborer counter?"

"The counter is just divided according to purpose. In reality, the entire market is one store, and laborers are managed centrally. Oh, criminal laborers are treated separately."

When I confirmed, the merchant gave a grand gesture and assured me it was fine.

The merchant's eyes were burning with the desire to sell that Lizardman at any cost. Seeing that, I became even more anxious, wondering if there was something wrong with the laborer.

"Is there any other problem?"

"Half-human laborers are convenient in terms of ability, but many people feel uneasy if they don't have a binding spell cast on them."

I had never heard of a binding spell before. When I turned to the butler, he immediately provided an explanation.

"It's a type of priest magic. When this spell is cast, a binding mark appears on the forehead, and if the person tries to do something evil, they will experience intense pain."

"That's a nasty spell."

"Is it?"

When I gave my honest opinion, the butler responded with a serious face.

At first, I thought it was a difference in human rights awareness, but after hearing his next words, I realized my thinking was wrong.

"Because of the binding spell, criminal laborers can be pardoned by serving labor. Without it, they would be executed."

"…I see."

I couldn't help but agree with that explanation.

Thinking about it, it makes sense. It would be too scary to place a criminal who became a laborer without such a restraint.

The binding spell allows for a reduction in the death penalty to labor service, and the employer can hire with peace of mind.

That said, the destination of criminal laborers is usually the state's mines, and it's rare for individuals to hire them.

At first glance, it seems like a cruel spell, but in reality, it's a spell that saves the lives of criminals. That's what the binding spell is.

Most sub-humans who become laborers are criminals, so even if this Lizardman isn't a criminal, the fact that he doesn't have a binding spell makes many people uneasy.

"By the way, can he fight?"

"He was a tribal warrior, so I think he can. This time, he wanted to earn a large sum of money quickly, so he registered as a laborer rather than a temporary combat laborer."

"Hmm. Mr. Touya, what do you think? Considering our original purpose, we could refuse, but we could also buy more than two."

The butler asked.

To be honest, I want a female combat laborer, but this Lizardman laborer definitely meets the condition of being a "male companion who doesn't need to bathe with me."

However, it takes some courage to refuse and say, "Actually, I want to see a female."

"Alright. Should I go to the laborer counter?"

"No, no, I'll bring him here right away!"

In the end, I decided to meet this unusual Lizardman out of curiosity.

It wasn't that I was afraid of being looked at with white eyes by the butler and the merchant. Not at all.

However, I was afraid of what Haruno and Sera would think if they found out.

According to the merchant, if the laborer agrees, there's no problem hiring them as a combat laborer.

When there's a shortage of manpower, it's not uncommon to gather strong laborers to boost the military, especially during such times.

He might say he doesn't want to be a combat laborer, but I waited for the Lizardman to be brought in, thinking about that possibility.

"If it's not a temporary job, there's no problem being hired as a combat laborer."

However, the Lizardman brought into the room said this right away.

I might be hearing it translated into a language I can understand due to the summoning magic, but he speaks quite fluently.

He is probably about two meters tall. No, in this world, it would be two stouts. He has a large, muscular build.

The front part of his body, from under his jaw to his chest and abdomen, is covered in scales, and the rest is covered in amber scales. It seems to be a camouflage color, one that wouldn't stand out in the desert.

He has a slightly forward-leaning posture, but his upper body is human-like. His lower body, from the skeleton, is different. Looking at his legs, I felt they resembled the lower body of a two-legged walking dinosaur or a kangaroo.

His face is that of a lizard, with a large mouth lined with small teeth and red eyes with long vertical pupils staring at us.

The area around his eyes is outlined in black, and the pattern reminds me of the eyes of an ancient Egyptian king. Truly a desert Lizardman.

He is wearing nothing on his upper body and only a loincloth to cover his lower body, which is apparently the traditional attire of Lizardmen.

The Lizardman who entered the room knelt before me with one knee raised, just like what I did before the Holy King.

"Any questions?"

The merchant urged, trying to close the deal.

"Ah, can you tell me why you need the money? I want to confirm it's not for a bad purpose."

This was the part I was most concerned about, aside from the purpose of seeing a sub-human.

According to the merchant, a sub-human who comes to sell themselves is quite unusual. Moreover, the purpose of the money they can't use immediately was a mystery.

"…Water."

"Water?"

"The land where our tribe lives has a period when it doesn't rain at all."

Hearing this, I thought of a savanna with a dry and rainy season.

"Therefore, we build ponds to get through the dry season, but this year a large monster destroyed our pond."

I knew they dislike moisture, but it doesn't mean they can survive without water.

"What about that monster?"

"We defeated it with our own hands. But the water that flowed out cannot be recovered."

"I see, so you need water."

"I asked a merchant to bring as much water as possible to my tribe with the money from selling me."

When I looked at the merchant, he said, "It seems he made a contract with the laborer counter manager."

Apparently, due to the emergency, the water was sent in advance as a prepayment.

In the case of a laborer who sells themselves, the money is left to their discretion.

They can take it to where they are hired, or if they wish, it can be delivered somewhere, though a fee will be charged.

"However, I don't know the size of your tribe, but can you save everyone with the money from selling just one person?"

The butler asked, and the Lizardman shook his head solemnly.

"Probably not. But it's better than doing nothing. At least, we can avoid total annihilation."

"Such resolve… Mr. Touya."

The butler turned to me, indicating it was time to decide whether to buy him.

"Please, buy me!"

The Lizardman bowed deeply to me.

To be clear, I think this person is a good catch, both in terms of ability and personality.

He is a large, muscular tribal warrior among the Sand Lizardmen, and his personality is serious.

The fact that no one buys him just because he doesn't have a binding mark makes me wonder how bad the image of sub-humans is.

However, what I want is a female laborer who can bathe with me. Even if it's a sub-human, I want a female with animal ears. Maybe a mermaid or lamia with scales would be acceptable.

What I want is definitely not a tough lizard man.

However, but still—

His tribe might be saved by my "Infinite Bathroom."

—I realized I could save his tribe with my power.

My "Infinite Bathroom" allows me to take a bath anywhere, anytime.

I can produce as much hot water as my MP allows, but it can also produce water.

Even if they dislike moisture and don't take baths, they wouldn't refuse the water that comes from it.

In other words, if I go, I can save the tribe.

If they asked me to be a water tank permanently, I would probably refuse, but if it's just to get through the current crisis, it might be within my limits.

What I want is a female laborer who can bathe with me. A beautiful girl. A well-endowed girl. Definitely not a tough Lizardman.

"Alright. I'll buy him."

But, there's a person in front of me who is in trouble. Moreover, I can help him, and I don't have the courage to abandon him and say, "Give me a girl."

"Thank you…!"

The Lizardman, hearing my words, lifted his head and bowed deeply again, as if kissing the floor.

"Alright! Let's sign the contract immediately! Since I've already sent the water as a prepayment, I can't lower the price."

The merchant added, and I had no objection to not lowering the price. This is part of the preparation for the journey, so I would have to pay anyway.

As the merchant prepared the contract with a pleased look, I called out to the Lizardman, who was still bowing.

"By the way, I didn't ask your name. I'm Tounya. What's yours?"

The Lizardman lifted his head and looked straight at me as he answered.

"My name is Ruritra. I was a warrior of the Tarano tribe. Nice to meet you."

His amber-scaled tail had black stripes.

"Then, let's get a female laborer next."

"No, it's fine."

"…Are you sure?"

After buying Ruritra, I headed to the exit of the laborer market with him and the butler.

I could have bought more female laborers as the butler suggested, but I didn't feel like it.

After doing something unusually good, I didn't feel like saying, "Now, give me a female for mixed bathing."

When we left the market, the surroundings were unusually noisy.

Going to the carriage and asking the guard, I learned that the evil usurers were dealing with illegal laborers on a large scale.

Cosmos and the princess learned about this and called for reinforcements from the castle, leading to the mobilization of the castle's knights.

Since they were called by the hero and the princess, the called side couldn't slack off.

"Hey, it seems you found a companion."

Suddenly, a voice came from behind, and I turned to see Cosmos.

The princess and the soldiers were with her, and there was now another girl.

The girl was slightly shorter than the princess. The princess is not particularly tall, so the girl must be quite petite.

Incidentally, Cosmos is quite tall.

While the princess has neatly styled flaxen hair, the girl had straight, translucent golden hair that shone beautifully in the sunlight.

Compared to the princess's elaborate attire, the golden-haired girl was very plain. However, even when placed next to the princess, the girl did not look inferior.

Both have beautiful faces, but if asked to choose one, most people would probably choose the girl, who is a level of beauty that makes you think so.

"Hey? Those ears…"

At that moment, I noticed that the ears peeking out from her hair were unusually long and pointed.

"Did you notice? Yes, she is an elf."

"Yes. I came from the Elven Forest to report the signs of the Demon King's revival."

Surprisingly, the girl is not human but an elf.

Being able to have a beautiful elf girl as a companion is truly an enviable situation.

Not only me, but Ruritra and the butler also showed surprised expressions.

I was surprised to see a real elf, but Ruritra and the butler's surprise seemed to be of a different nature.

"An elf coming out of the forest…!"

"Is it rare?"

"It's not just rare. Elves are said to never leave their territory, the forest, unless they have a purpose."

According to the butler, elves are a race that rarely leave the forest.

When elves leave the forest, it is said to be a sign of a significant change, and they leave to warn those outside the forest.

Therefore, in some regions, elves are feared as harbingers of ill omen.

Realizing that this was not a trivial matter, the butler asked the princess's guard.

"Why was the elf at the laborer market?"

"It seems she came to report the signs of the Demon King's revival to the Holy King, but was captured immediately after entering the city."

Apparently, this elf girl was captured by the usurers and had been held as a laborer.

"Well, it's all good. You met me, the hero. What else could this be but fate?"

"It's my mission to help the hero! Please let me assist in your battle!"

"Yes, let's fight together!"

"Hero, I will fight with you too!"

On one side, Cosmos, the princess, and the elf were getting excited.

"……"

While watching this, the envy I felt for having a beautiful elf as a companion had vanished.

This elf girl seems to have left the forest to assist the hero in the battle against the Demon King.

Although she was captured, being rescued by the hero Cosmos is truly a matter of fate. He is determined to fight the Demon King as a hero.

Since I awakened with the "Infinite Bathroom," a power that is not suitable for battle, and decided to leave the fight against the Demon King to other heroes, I think it's for the best that she was saved by Cosmos.

"Then, let's head back."

"Is that okay?"

"Since the hero Cosmos, the princess, and the knights are here, there should be no problem."

The serious Ruritra asked, but the butler, fiddling with his beard, answered for me.

"Cosmos, good luck!"

"Thanks for the support!"

Cosmos, despite my somewhat flat encouragement, responded enthusiastically.

I probably can't be a hero like him. I can't accept the battle against the Demon King as optimistically and bravely as he does.

If I had awakened with a strong combat power like "Infinite Bullet," would I have been able to be like him? I can't help but think that.

"Mr. Touya?"

"Hmm, it's nothing."

I gave a small smile in response to Ruritra's worried voice.

But, because of my "Infinite Bathroom," there are people I can save. I should follow my own path.

I got into the carriage with Ruritra and the butler, turning my back on Cosmos.

"The next companion will surely be…!"

Still, I vowed in my heart that I would never give up on mixed bathing.