I’m Not Good at Offensive Magic, but I’ll Do My Best With Support Magic! - CH 31

「Shia-san, Shia-san!」

「What?」

「It’s nice to be able to walk around town like normal!」

「Un. Just hold your ground」

Thanks to the clothes that Illumina-san gave me, I can walk around town without covering my ears or tail. Just being able to show my tail gives me a sense of freedom and ease. Of course, I’m changing my hair color. It’s golden hair, which is common among the Fox Clan.

「But I like Yuan with dark hair」

「I can’t walk outside with that, though」

「Un. I want you to change back to black when we’re alone at the inn」

「I understand. The only person who compliments my black hair is Shia-san, so I don’t mind」

「Un. A special Yuan that only I know. I’m happy」

I feel embarrassed when she says it without any pretense of embarrassment.

「So, what do you want to do tomorrow?」

「I’m going to walk around the city. I want to get some information while I’m looking around for something unusual」

I’d certainly like some information. The stories I hear about the City of Tanza are not all cheerful, and many are disturbing. Adventurers and merchants who were fine yesterday have gone missing, and more than a few people in the city have disappeared as well. The common theme in that narrative is women, which reminds me unpleasantly of the bandits’ incident a few days ago.

「I don’t think Yuan will have trouble, but I’ll keep an eye out」

「You too, Shia-san. I can protect myself with magic, but you can’t do that」

Even Shia-san could be taken by surprise, just as she was when she defeated a group of Orcs. Shia-san is far superior in terms of offense, but I am confident that I am superior in terms of defense.

「Un, I’ll be careful」

「We’ll work together as best we can」

「Un」

By the time we got back to the inn, the sun had completely set and we decided to have dinner. To be honest, I don’t remember the taste. Because in the room, people dressed as maids would bring the food in order. At first I thought the food looked beautiful but the portions were small, then they took my plate away and brought out a meat dish, and when I finished, they swapped one item for another: bread, salad, and dessert. Moreover, there is a maid standing in the corner of the room who doesn’t speak a word. I was so nervous I couldn’t even taste the food.

「I’m kind of tired」

「It was delicious」

Unlike me, who was tired just from eating, Shia-san was quieter than usual and enjoyed the meal. I was happy if Shia-san could enjoy it alone, though.

「What do you want to do after this?」

The effect of the clothes can change the color of my hair, but of course I have to take them off in the bath. There was a possibility that there would be other guests in the there, so there was no way I, a black-haired Beastman, could enter.

「I got this from Il-nee」

「Is that a hair clip?」

The hair clip is designed to hold the hair, not tie it.

「This also has the effect of changing the color of your hair. Il-nee prepared it for you because she knew the inn had a large bathroom」

I feel bad that they’ve taken so much care of me. But now I can go into the large bathroom! I’ve been fascinated by baths ever since I found out about them. I just want to take a bath as much as I can. So we headed for the large bathroom…

「Fuwaa~……」

It’s huge. It’s very spacious! Each bath was not that big, but there was a wide variety of them. There were baths with bubbles spewing out of them, and baths that smelled so good they were colored!

「Yuan, let’s wash up」

「I- I know that! It’s good manners!」

It’s not like I forgot, you know?

「Also, no loud voices. There are other people here」

「Okay…」

I hadn’t really thought that far ahead. I shouted a little too loudly, which attracted a lot of attention and in many ways embarrassed me, so I went to wash myself to get away from their gaze.

「This is my second time. I can do it by myself」

「It’s okay. I’ll do it」

Shia-san washes my head, back, and tail as though it were a natural part of her routine.

「Does it hurt?」

「It feels good~」

I feel like this alone is worth taking a bath. I’m still not used to having my tail washed, however.

「Done」

That’s not where you should be disappointed! Therefore, instead of that…

「I promised you last time, now can I help you wash you?」

「You sure?」

「Yes, I can’t do it very well, but if you don’t mind」

「Please」

I stood behind Shia-san and washed her hair as she had done for me.

「All I have to do is wet your hair and foam up the soap, right?」

「Un」

I scoop up some soap for hair, make a foam in my hands, and wash Shia-san’s head.

「Mumu, It’s surprisingly difficult」

I thought I could just wash it, but washing a person’s head is more difficult than I thought. First of all, I’m not sure where to start. I tried to wash it from the top to the bottom, but it was not easy since it was long and extended to around Shia-san’s back.

「Yuan, water is going in」

「Aah! I’m sorry」

I was so preoccupied with the hair that I neglected to pay attention to the ears. I have to wash the sides as well, and I’m getting more and more confused about where to wash. I washed her head in order, grateful to Shia-san for not getting upset with me for my lack of skill. And then we come to the hard part.

「Shia-san, your ears, too」

「Un」

「Hey, don’t run away!」

The ears have to be handled delicately. However, this is also difficult because the ears move so rapidly.

「Shia-san」

「It works on its own. Yuan too」

I suppose it moved the same way when she washed me. I didn’t realize how hard it would be because she was washing me so easily. While struggling with Shia-san’s ears, washing, avoiding, washing, avoiding, I think I managed to finish her hair. I’m sure I left some unwashed hair, but I casually used cleaning magic to cover it up, so I’m sure it’s fine.

「Next is the body」

The body was easier than the hair, which helped.

「Is it like this?」

「Un. That feels good」

Thank goodness, it seems to have been washed properly. Every time I rubbed her back and waist with the towel, she would wriggle and squirm in a ticklish way, but I think it was tolerable. And now it’s time for the tail, right?

「Shia-san, please stay put」

「…… I’ll try」

It is common among Beastmen for not being fond at having their tails touched. It tickles. It is uncomfortable for some people. The tail cannot be washed with a towel, so it should be washed by hand, just like the hair.

「Ticklish」

「You can’t run away」

I was also aware of this, but tails do run away, don’t they? I can control it if I’m conscious of it, but I avoid being touched subconsciously. On the other hand, I can’t catch it because it would hurt if I were to grab it. This results in washing from the root to the tip of the tail as if patting it.

「Hmm」

「Are you okay?」

「…… OK」

I know what it feels like to be ticklish and to even have a physical reaction. I felt sorry for her, but I did my best to wash her. Shia-san’s body was shaking as she bent forward and struggled to endure, but I was glad to see that she was able to get through it.

「I’m done. I’ll leave the rest to you」

「Hmm…………… Thank, you」

She’s having a little trouble breathing, is she okay? But I hadn’t finished washing everything, so I was washing the parts I hadn’t washed myself, and then Shia-san started washing herself, so I guess she’s okay. We both finished washing our bodies and were finally ready to soak in the bath.

「Where do you want to enter?」

「Anywhere」

「Then, let’s start with the one without people, bubbles」

「Un」

I don’t know if it was the time of day or the lack of female guests, but we had decided to take a dip from an empty spot.

「Uwa… my body is floating!」

「Hey, that tickles」

Fine bubbles caress my body from the bottom of the bath. When I sat down and stretched out my legs to the bubbles, I almost tipped over, but once I got used to it, I felt as if my legs were being massaged, and it made me feel relaxed.

「It’s a luxury」

「Un」

Once a year… is too extravagant, maybe once every few years, I might be willing to pay a lot of money to experience it… ha! It’s no good. If I’m out of touch with my finances, I’ll never be able to save any money! I must enjoy it today, and only today!

「I want to go in there next」

「Got it」

Next came the bath where the water was red in color.

「It smells so good~」

「It says “grape wine”」

What a surprise! Alcohol is used in the bath, it seems. I’ve never drunk alcohol before, so, I worry if I’ll get drunk.

「It’s okay. It’s not actually being used. Smell and color impressions」

「I’m relieved. Have you ever had a drink, Shia-san?」

「I have some. Il-nee gave me a bottle once」

「So mature~」

「Yuan should try it if she’s interested. I don’t like it」

「I’m not sure I’m ready for that either, so I’ll pass」

If I get the chance, I might give it a try, but I’m not really interested. I often see adventurers who get drunk and run amok, and I don’t want to cause trouble for those around me like that. After getting out of the colored bath, the last bath I went to was a simple normal bath. In terms of enjoyment, other baths are good, but if I want to relax and soak, a regular bath is more relaxing.

Author-san

2nd Bath Edition!

Yuan did a great job this time.

I would like to make this a regular thing, but I can’t think of a pattern, so it won’t become a habit.

I may insert it from time to time, but until then, it’s just for fun.

As always, thank you for reading.

Next time, we will continue with the bath.