Chapter 42

"Ah, this is heaven..."

"Yeah, it's really great..."

"I never thought we'd be able to take a bath so early in the village..."

To prevent any attacks by monsters during bathing, the male retainers were careful to stagger their bath times.

Yuri and Bart, who were the first group for the day, had just finished their bath, and now it was the turn of Pense, Radley, and Edgar.

Pense and Radley, who had stayed in urban areas as mercenaries, and Edgar, who was from the village chief's family, had all experienced taking baths before.

However, since losing their respective homes and mercenary groups, they had been far from having the opportunity to bathe. For them, the existence of this public bath was a great blessing.

"...Ah"

"What's wrong, Pense? Why the sigh?"

"Well, I was just thinking that I need to find a wife soon..."

Indeed, such topics were often discussed here.

"Well, we've finally found a place to settle down, and now we're retainers, and even have farmland. All that's left is to find a wife."

"You're the same, Radley."

Pense was approaching his thirties, and Radley had already passed that mark. Both were at an age where they felt the pressure to marry.

"Ah... actually..."

"Ha!? Did you find someone!?"

Pense turned to Radley with a look of shock.

Radley, to put it bluntly, was an ugly man. He was also quite old. Even the smile on his face, which seemed a bit embarrassed, was hard to call charming.

Yet, here he was, hinting at a romantic interest. For Pense, who had always considered Radley a fellow bachelor, this was a tremendous shock.

"Well, you see, I often take care of Rick and Dant at work. And because of that, their families sometimes invite me for dinner."

Radley continued to speak with a grin.

Incidentally, Rick was already married with children, while Dant was unmarried and lived with his sister. Radley was occasionally invited to their dinners.

"And, Dant's sister, Gina, well, she asked me if I would marry her. She's a pretty woman, and she's willing to marry an old, ugly man like me. I told her I'd be happy to."

"Oh, Gina, huh? She's indeed lively and caring, a good woman. Congratulations, Radley."

"Hehe, thanks, Edgar."

Edgar, who knew everyone as the organizer of the farmers, praised Gina, who was to become Radley's wife. Radley also looked pleased to have his future wife complimented.

On the other hand, Pense still looked shocked.

"...Really? You're getting married before me?"

"What, aren't you going to congratulate me?"

"Well, I do think it's great... but why can't I find a good partner?"

"You're too capable, that's why. You don't have any charm. Women probably don't see the point in taking care of you."

"That's... true, I can't deny it."

Pense, whose strength was also his weakness, felt depressed.

"I think you're a good man, Pense. I'm sure you'll find a good partner soon."

"Shut up, you and Anna are getting along well too."

"N-no, that's not true."

"Don't try to hide it. It's obvious you both notice each other during meetings."

"Is that so... I guess it's out in the open."

Despite his words, Edgar looked happy.

"Tch. You guys are all in love... Ah, the chief is married to Mai, and Bart is popular in Retvik. I'm the only one left..."

Pense sighed, feeling the loneliness of being the last bachelor.

...

The bath was not only a place for men to indulge in love talk. On the women's bathing day, the bathhouse was filled with bright and lively conversations.

"Mai, you have such a toned body and smooth skin. The chief must be very happy to have such a young and beautiful wife. You two must be very close, right?"

"Oh, let's not talk about my marriage, it's embarrassing."

Mai, who was soaking in the bath next to her, was being spoken to by Gina, who was Dant's sister and was to become Radley's wife.

As one of the female retainers, Mai tried to get along with the women of the domain. Thanks to her efforts, she now had several close friends.

"Compared to me, my belly and butt are getting flabby."

"But many men like plump, warm women, don't they? Radley, for example?"

"Kyaa, where did you hear that?"

Gina, who had raised her voice and blushed, waved her hands.

"The women of the domain have already been talking about you two. Congratulations."

Radley and Gina had been boasting about their engagement, so it was already widely known in the village. Gina's surprise was now just for show.

"Hehe, thank you... Radley is a kind and good man. I also like his slightly clumsy side."

"Yes, he is a good man."

Despite his unique face and strong accent, Radley was a kind and good man, as Mai also thought.

Gina was also a bright and kind woman, with a charming and cute face. Mai was happy for Radley, who had found a good partner, as a comrade from his mercenary days.

As Mai and Gina talked, other women gathered around, teasing and congratulating Gina on her engagement, making the bathhouse lively.

The women of the Arquvist domain had all built such good relationships.

Next, Anna approached Mai, who was watching the conversations with a smile.

"Radley is getting married, isn't he? Congratulations."

Anna, who lived in Noein's mansion as a live-in retainer and had her own room, could use the mansion's bath but came to the public bath to get along with the women of the domain.

"When will you and Edgar get together?"

"Eh... I, I don't know yet."

Anna, who blushed and accidentally bit her tongue, had already been caught by Mai, who knew she and Edgar were aware of each other.

"If you don't decide soon, another girl might catch Edgar's eye."

"That, that's not true! Edgar isn't like that!"

By defending Edgar so fiercely, it was clear to Mai that Anna was head over heels for him.

"If you think so, you should get together soon."

"U, um... but I don't know what to say..."

Mai smiled wryly as Anna, who had lowered her head and submerged her mouth in the water, said this.

"You don't have to worry so much. Just tell him your honest feelings. I'm sure Edgar will understand."

"...You're right. I'll try my best."

"Yes, I look forward to hearing good news."

...

"Ah, this is heaven..."

Noein, who was soaking in the bath, let out a sigh like an old man.

He was in the bath of his own mansion. It was quite spacious for a small mansion, allowing two people to bathe comfortably.

Noein, who had loved baths since childhood, had been particularly particular about the bath when building his mansion, allocating a significant budget. This was the result.

Leaning back in the warm, full bath, Noein was supported by Matilda.

Noein had been bathing with her since he lived in the Kivireft family's annex, and this habit continued to this day.

"It's warm and soft, like heaven."

"I'm glad you enjoy my body, Noein-sama."

As a rabbit person, Matilda had the characteristic of having large breasts. Noein, therefore, indulged in the pleasure of burying his head between her ample bosoms in the spacious bath, a luxury he didn't show to others.

This was Noein's bathing style since childhood, and Matilda, who loved him deeply, naturally accepted it, even taking pride in being able to support him.

The other retainers and domain residents had no idea that their respected lord indulged in such a bathing routine every day. This was a secret shared only by Noein and Matilda.