We took the elevator up to the top floor, where red and blue curtains marked the separation between men and women.
“Alright, I’m going this way.”
Naturally, Ayaka headed for the red curtain.
“If anything happens, release your mana. I’ll come running immediately.”
“No thanks. I can handle myself. I know you’re being serious, so my affection rating won’t drop, but that’s still just creepy.”
So going into the women’s bath was a no-go.
Well, Ayaka was strong anyway, so she’d be fine.
“No, I didn’t mean it in a voyeuristic or harassing way—I meant it as a protective gesture.”
“I know, I know. Anyway, judging by this town, I think I’ll be fine. See you later. Let’s meet at that rest area over there.”
There was a relaxation space separate from the bath area, with massage chairs and everything.
“Got it.”
I nodded, and we went inside.
We entered the changing room and started undressing.
“No customers here.”
“It’s still morning. It’ll probably get crowded at night.”
Normally, this place wouldn’t even be open at this hour.
The rules must have changed under demon rule.
“Do zombies come here too?”
“They don’t really want to, and I’ve never seen one inside. We don’t want them here either.”
Fair enough.
I finished undressing and stepped into the bathing area.
“Whoa, it’s huge.”
“Nice inn, right? They make good use of places like this.”
We first sat side by side at the washing stations to clean ourselves.
“Whoa, it lathers really well.”
The soap here was on a different level.
Soap in the other world barely produced any foam at all.
“You guys really had it rough.”
“Especially the girls. They were always complaining.”
Mostly about hygiene.
We guys managed somehow, but it must have been tough for the girls.
Even if you get used to it after ten years, small things like that still build up into frustration.
After washing, we entered the large hot spring.
At this point, it was just me and Elvis, so it felt like we had the place to ourselves.
“Ahh… this is nice…”
It had been a long time since I felt like this.
It was a different kind of relief from what potions provided.
“Hot springs are popular even among demons. People come all the way from Miyazaki and Kagoshima too.”
So Miyazaki and Kagoshima were demon territories too.
“Demons really do control a wide area.”
“Only in terms of territory. The main cities are human-controlled. People just gathered there for refuge.”
I see…
After warming up thoroughly, we went outside to the open-air bath and got into individual ceramic tubs.
“The view is incredible.”
We could see the ocean stretching out endlessly.
A pleasant breeze made everything feel even more relaxing.
“Right? That’s why I recommended it. It’d be a waste to come all this way and not enjoy the hot springs.”
I kind of got it.
We weren’t exactly in a situation to be relaxing, but I still wanted to enjoy it.
Especially after spending ten years in another world—I wanted a break.
“Still… bathing with a goblin, huh…”
It was surreal.
“Still stuck on that? This is just how things are now. Or would you rather have bathed with Ayaka?”
“No way. That’s way too high-level for me.”
Impossible.
There was no way I could enjoy the hot spring—or the view—with that kind of pressure.
“What a pathetic flustered guy. You guys spent five years together, right? What were you doing all that time?”
Getting lectured by a goblin…
“Leave me alone. Things are complicated…”
As my voice trailed off, an orc came out into the open-air bath.
“Ugh…”
The orc let out a satisfied sigh as it entered the bath.
Its massive body caused the water to overflow.
“So big…”
It was incredible.
“Well, it’s an orc. You saw them at the convenience store too, right?”
No, it wasn’t just the body…
Well, actually, it was the body…
At this point, I could only think of him as “the orc guy.”
After that, more demons came in—kobolds, sahagin, and others—all enjoying the hot springs.
But none of them seemed suspicious of me.
After enjoying the baths for a while, we left, dried off, and put on our yukata.
Then we headed to the rest area and sat by the window, waiting for Ayaka while watching the town outside.
“Is Ayaka still not back?”
“Girls take longer. And it’s been ten years for them too, so they’ll take their time.”
True.
Even I had stayed in for 30–40 minutes.
Back in the old days, I would’ve never stayed this long.
“Well, we’ve got nothing else to do today. Might as well relax.”
“Yeah. Oh, want a potion?”
I took one out, intending to drink it, but instead offered it to Elvis.
“Hm? What’s a potion?”
Right, they don’t have those here.
“It’s a healing medicine. It heals wounds when applied, and it also restores fatigue if you drink it.”
“I’ve never heard of that…”
“Just try it. I’m basically a specialist in making this kind of thing.”
“Huh… alright.”
Elvis pulled out the cork and drank the potion in one go.
“How’s it?”
“Whoa… what’s this? My body feels incredibly light.”
Elvis looked genuinely surprised.
“That’s what it does. We had things like this in the other world.”
“Damn… and my mana increased too.”
Huh? Really?
“I didn’t know it had that kind of effect…”
Come to think of it, I also have a mana recovery potion, but…
“You guys really are something else. No, seriously, you’re amazing. Now I’ve got even more I owe you for.”
Sorry about that.
“Yoo-hoo. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Ayaka came out from the women’s bath and called out to us.
She was still wearing a yukata, but after her bath she looked refreshed, and with her hair tied up, she somehow looked even more attractive.
“We just got out too. Oh, want a potion?”
“Sure.”
“Here.”
I handed her one as she sat down next to me, and she drank it in one go, so I did the same.
“Ahh… nice. The post-bath drink isn’t alcohol—it’s potion.”
“Yeah.”
It’s probably better for the body too.
“You really think it’s okay to drink something that valuable so casually?”
Elvis asked.
“Is it really that valuable?”
“Nope. As long as you’ve got water, you can make it instantly.”
There’s basically no effort involved.
I can refine it in moments with my skill.
“Then it’s fine, I guess. Thanks as always.”
“No problem.”
It really isn’t a big deal.
“From our perspective, this is the kind of thing you’d normally have to pay a huge price for.”
So that’s how demons see it.
“You’re already giving us plenty in return. That’s what companions are for. Not just Ayaka, but Minato, Riku, Takamiya-san, Kitaura-san… that’s how we’ve been surviving.”
If we couldn’t do that, we never would’ve lasted five years together.
“Yuu-kun, that was actually pretty cool. Really impressive.”
Ayaka nodded with a satisfied expression.
“I see… so you all have your own way of doing things.”
Yeah. That’s right.
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