Chapter 45

Chapter 4: Eyelid (18)

***

She walked somewhere with familiar steps, then found a large piece of cloth and threw it to me.

"If you go inside, you'll find a room with flowing water. Of course, in my personal opinion, you look quite good as you are... But as a host, it's not right to keep a guest in this state, right?"

"Room with... flowing water?"

"Yes~ We made a river flow beneath the salon from the northwest. Given the circumstances, we're operating on the outskirts, but the environment here isn't exactly pleasant, is it?"

For example, that. She wants me to go wash up.

[Based on the knowledge the shell has, this...!]

Unlike the parasite, which started to run wild again, my heart sank calmly and began to race in a different direction. Water. Water from the source of the magic tower. I want to experience it. I want to feel it...!

The professor headed straight for the inner part of the salon. Instinctively, he knew where to go. Here. I can definitely hear the sound of water here.

Creak!

When he opened the luxurious wooden door, a room filled with soft decorations appeared. Elegant carvings. Colorful small glass bottles of unknown origin. A large white bathtub. And.....

Whoosh—

Indeed. Inside the bathroom, a river was flowing.

"I... can't hold it."

"Huh... Shell? Your consciousness is changing into a very complex form...?"

"I can't hold it! I can't hold it! Yeeeeeaaah!"

Splash!

The professor, losing his mind, jumped straight into the river. The water splashed around like a rock had fallen into the river, and his body sank deep into the water.

'Ah... melting... All worries and troubles, all vexations are disappearing...'

The splendid sensations and soft curves of a woman that lingered in his mind were swept away by the river. What remained was just a sense of satisfaction. This... Yes, this feeling. The sensation when returning after a difficult operation, throwing off the uniform and collapsing on the bed.

"It's water. Water... Water always knew the answer..."

With the refreshing sensation of the river enveloping his body, the professor lost consciousness. He knew Laxasha was waiting outside, and that this wasn't polite, but it was irresistible.

When the professor regained consciousness and emerged from the water, about an hour had passed.

***

After enjoying a thorough bath, drying off, and coming out, neatly folded clothes were placed at the door.

A large cloak like a tent, sturdy leather pants that somehow fit his body, and a large shirt that was a bit torn but still wearable. It was clear that a lot of care had been taken.

The professor put on the clothes and was about to go outside when he peeked behind the counter to check the situation. Since he was now wanted in the city, if any of the salon's customers recognized him, it would be a problem. Fortunately, the salon, with its quiet and luxurious atmosphere, had thick curtains on all the windows, and there were no customers.

Laxasha was sitting alone at a wide table, smoking something that looked like a hookah.

"You don't have to worry about outside eyes. The guild doesn't operate on days when guild members come, you know?"

She extended her hand, inviting him to sit across from her.

Whoosh—

The smoke from the hookah, like a cloud, enveloped and dispersed around the two of them.

"Then, shall we get down to business?"

***

Laxasha had a habit of collecting rare and precious items.

Rare things. Things that only a few in the world possess. The feeling of such items coming into her hands was one of the few precious stimuli in her lethargic life.

So when she saw the giant man brought in by the guild members, she was briefly interested. His appearance that could be mistaken for a mute. The fact that he knew the guild's password and came looking for it.

'Should I... prod a little?'

Though she didn't have a great interest in guild affairs, she thought this would be entertaining enough for a while and decided to handle it herself.

Then came the questions. As she watched the man, dazed from drugs and unable to resist her seduction, her expectations quickly turned to disappointment.

'Just a regular man tormented by a mage.'

After a cursory interrogation, just as she was about to hand him over to the guild members, she saw it. His eyes, reflected in the blade, were staring directly at her.

'...Acting?'

At that moment, she didn't hesitate and slit his throat. It might have been interesting, but it was too dangerous. She still enjoyed her life here and didn't want to end her secret travels.

With a sense of regret, she greeted the corpse and turned to leave, but a voice came from the dead man's mouth.

"Cough! Well, didn't you say just now that a relationship is about getting to know each other?"

She saw the severed carotid artery and trachea, as if time had reversed, return to their original state. His hand, cut off by the elder spider's silk, instantly reattached and regained function when brought close.

It was unbelievable. Was this close to the immortal body in stories?

'A precious... human...!'

Her lethargic heart beat with a pleasant throb.

***

She tried to maintain a delicate balance in her relationship with this man, Professor.

'A man who wants a job. I can't be too submissive, but I can't be too pushy either...'

Fortunately, he was a man who knew how to do business. She pretended to care about the guild members' lives and naturally maintained an appropriate distance, forming a friendly relationship with him.

After that, it was her pace.

'Physically impressive, but he's also familiar with using his head, despite his appearance. However... his weakness for reason. Interesting.'

His trembling at her slightest touch seemed cute. After tormenting him, she planned to gently coax him and gradually learn his secrets...

"Professor...? Would you like a cup of tea—"

"Ah, let's talk about business. Tea, I don't really like it."

"Th-Then, some snacks?"

Click!

Crunch, crunch, crunch!

"Mm. Delicious. Alright? Since we're both busy, let's get to the important matters without beating around the bush."

This man, after nearly an hour of bathing, suddenly became as cold as a stone.

'Strange? He was definitely within my sensory range. In the bathroom, he just... stayed submerged in the water for an hour without moving.'

There was no action, no trace of magic.

"Th-Then, what exactly do you want to request...?"

"Ah, it's not that grand. Do you know something called hijacking?"

The man, as if it were nothing, looked at the empty snack bowl and licked his lips.

"Well, in this case, it's towerjacking. I want to take the entire magic tower hostage."

"...Oh my?"

This man existed far beyond her imagination, far from common sense.

***

'Mountains are mountains, and water is the best.'

After the bath, the professor's mind, standing before Laxasha, was as clear as still water.

'How could I, Professor, be swayed by a mere woman when faced with the ultimate pleasure? One day, I will sit facing the vast sea and apologize to the deep, blue water for today's disgrace.

[This, this is what...! Nothing but thoughts of water remain in the deepest part of the subconscious... Shell, what kind of terrible brainwashing have you undergone!]

'Poor parasite. You, who have only consciousness, will never know this blue comfort. I pity you, parasite.'

The professor looked at Laxasha in front of him. Her eyes, which exuded charm even unintentionally, her small face that seemed both cute and mature, her silky hair, and her perfect figure, as if a god had taken an extra week to create it. Yes, this woman is infinitely beautiful, enough to shake the complacency of any man who faces her.

But the professor's vain thoughts had already been washed away by that river. In his mind, only the tasks to be done and the methods to accomplish them floated calmly. At least until the water in his hair dried, this state would persist.

"I want to strip the magic tower bare. Can you help me with that?"

Laxasha's eyes widened at the content of the professor's request. Well, even I think it's absurd. The magic tower, which wields the power of the city, is not something an individual can easily deal with.

"Quite... a surprising request? You might not know since you're from out of town, but living in this city while opposing the magic tower is no easy feat?"

"I know. I realized it very clearly within a day of arriving here. Transportation in the city is controlled by the magic tower. The city's specialty products are controlled by the magic tower. Housing, welfare, and everything else... the magic tower has a tight grip on the entire city. Fortunately, I'm quite reasonable and don't make unreasonable requests."

The professor looked around for something to write with, then used his finger to draw on the table with the tea Laxasha offered. He drew a round magic tower in the center and marked the cardinal directions to roughly represent the geography of Tovrun.

"One, I need someone to cause a disturbance in the western part of the city. The type of disturbance doesn't matter, but it needs to be on a large scale. At least... enough to draw the knights from the castle to the west gate."

Laxasha frowned and showed reluctance at the professor's request.

"Hmm... Not an easy request? To get the knights to move,