I quickly wash my body off with a bucket of water then I look at the marble bath. It is a beautiful sight, though sadly I don’t sight any particularly sexy ladies to feast my eyes upon. The warm water is inviting my soul and body to sink into it, and I quickly oblige. I feel the tension and fatigue from the day melt away. The warmth envelops me, soothing my muscles and calming my mind.
Around me, other bathers are relaxing, some chatting quietly while others simply enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. The bathhouse truly is a place of respite, a haven in the bustling town of Aldoria.
After some time, I rinse off and wrap myself in a soft towel, feeling refreshed and revitalized. I wait a good ten minutes for Ayame in the lobby, where she emerges looking equally relaxed, her hair damp and her cheeks glowing with a healthy flush.
“Feeling better?” I ask with a grin.
She nods, a small smile playing on her lips. “Much better. Initially I didn’t want to waste our money on this luxury expense but any such thoughts evaporated as soon as I entered the water…”
Indeed, we did spend quite a bit. The restaurant meal cost 30 bronze coins, and the bath for two was another 35. We are left with 1 gold, 1 silver, and 17 bronze coins in my pouch, but I have no regrets.
The restaurant meal was a necessity because you certainly won’t catch me cooking my own meal after being through what I’ve experienced on this day, furthermore feeding the starving Blossom was an expense I wouldn’t want to forego even if it cost ten times as much. Watching her devour the meals with such an overjoyed smile on her lips was a soul-cleansing experience.
The bath was a luxury indeed, but with the heroic feats Ayame pulled off and me being through my first life or death battle certainly earned us this much of comfort.
We step out of the bathhouse, the cool evening air a pleasant contrast to the damp warmth we just experienced.
We give a visit to the local bank to exchange the gold coin for 500 bronze and 95 silver coins. Sadly I had to pay 1% tax for the trade, so we only got 94 silver in reality. We then decide to split the coins into two pouches, with me carrying one and Ayame the other. This way, even if a highly skilled pickpocket gets the better of one of us, we still have funds left.
With our bellies full and our bodies cleansed, exhaustion rapidly washes over us like a tidal wave. We go back to the inn and rent the room we’ve checked out of this morning and swiftly fall asleep.
I wake up sometime later, based on the darker color of the sky seeping in through the window, The napping session must’ve taken a few hours. I glance at Ayame and see that she is still fast asleep. I observe her for a few seconds while still lying on my bed, and I just marvel at her beautifully sculpted face.
I don’t do anything creepy of course, after all, I’m a certified (by my grandmother) gentleman.
The fact that if I did do something indecent Ayame would probably beat the shit out of me also serves as a great deterrent.
The sleeping beauty wakes from her slumber quickly after I do.
We wash up and get dressed into spare our clothes. The previous ones either need an incredible deep cleaning or just get thrown out. “Ayame, are you ready for Operation Fluffy Liberation? I ask.
She looks at me like I’ve got a loose screw in my head.
“Operation Rescue Paws?” I try again, maybe she likes this better.
I only get a cold stare in response.
“Operation Fetch Freedom.” Third time’s the charm.
She doesn’t react but is relentless in continuing her mute staredown.
“Operation Bark and Run?”
“Please… Just stop…” She starts begging me with a whiny and tired voice.
“How can we have such an epic mission and not give it a name?! Crazy woman!” I admonish her.
She lets out a long, tired sigh, before looking away from me, embarrassment showing on her face. “Operation Liberate Blossom.” She says in a low tone that signals finality of the discussion. Ayame clearly won’t budge on this.
“Hmm…. It lacks originality and flair, but what can you expect from women? It’s better than nothing.”
“Excuse me? We have a good sense of humor! You are just an unfunny degenerate.”
I grin, “for sure you do. Man, I really need some guy friends. Being surrounded by only my harem all the time might ruin my amazing personality. Though Blossom probably won’t be as much of a bore as you are…”
“Make friends? You better put a collar on their necks as well or no one will want to tolerate you.”
Ouch. That was a low blow, which seems to be recognized by my evidently cruel samurai as well who gasps before hurriedly speaking up; “sorry, Quinlan. I really didn’t mean that… It was a very ugly response to your light jabs. I got caught up in the moment.” She apologizes honestly.
“Don’t worry about it, I have thick skin. However, if you really feel sorry I prefer to accept apologies shown with sincere kisses rather than words.”
She scoffs but has a gentle smile on her lips, “nice try. I will let your future friends know of your apology delivery preferences.”
… Cruel.
We continue our verbal battle for the next few minutes until we exit the inn.
The first part of Operation Fluffy Liberation (I absolutely refuse to use Ayame’s boring title) is scouting. We have to map out this Ian guy’s movements. Blossom said that he should be in the adventurer guild’s inn section until late night, after which he visits the nearby brothel where he spends the night.
As the sun sets, casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets, Ayame and I make our way towards the Adventurer’s Guild. The evening air is cool, carrying the faint scent of distant fires and freshly baked bread.