Volume 2 Chapter 34: The Bath Fairy

Mina Karat woke up in her room and, after sitting in a daze on her bed for a while, yawned sleepily and stretched out her arms.

It was well past noon—a bit late to be waking up, but this was how she liked to spend her days off.

Mina loved sleeping; nothing was quite as comfortable. On days with no plans, she would sleep as much as she wanted, undisturbed, and after waking up, she’d laze around the party house, the place where she felt most at ease. This was her blissful time.

Of course, she wasn’t lazy all the time. When she wasn’t exploring the excavation sites or working, she trained rigorously as a miner, following a strict daily routine. Full days off, where she did absolutely nothing, were rare for Mina, but on such days, she allowed herself to completely relax. She called it her “lazy day.”

The other party members respected this too, understanding her need for space, so they wouldn’t bother her unless she came to find them.

Yawning once more, Mina crawled out of bed and flopped down onto the tatami floor of her room.

Her room was unique, with surprisingly cute, feminine furniture for someone as spirited as her. The floor was covered in tatami mats, an unusual feature in the capital city. Mina had a particular fondness for the feeling of lying on tatami, so shoes were strictly prohibited.

“Mm… ahh…”

Stretching her tail and arching her back, Mina let herself sink back onto the floor. After lying face down for a while, she rolled over to her favorite large cushion nearby.

Hugging the cushion tightly, she buried her face in it, her tail swaying gently in contentment.

“Mmm…”

Before long, Mina found herself in a dilemma: should she go back to sleep, or get up and head to the large bath?

Mina also loved baths.

The mansion’s large bath was her favorite place.

Its spacious tub, made of polished, smooth stone with a pleasant texture, was large enough for several people to stretch out in. It was so comfortable that it made her lose track of time. Although her room had its own bath, she mainly used the large bath.

Thanks to Sophie, who kept it ready at all times, she could go whenever she pleased, even at odd hours. Sophie took care of most of the mansion’s upkeep because she enjoyed it. Mina found it impressive, if a bit baffling, that Sophie genuinely enjoyed such tasks. Though she felt slightly guilty, she didn’t hold back her gratitude, knowing Sophie was happy.

“…Alright!”

After much deliberation, Mina pushed aside the cushion’s tempting comfort, got up resolutely, and gave her cheeks a quick slap.

Since it was her day off, she planned to soak in the bath at her leisure, undisturbed.

Gathering her change of clothes, she left her room and headed toward the large bath. She wasn’t wearing shoes, but that was fine since she was about to bathe.

The mansion was spotless thanks to Sophie’s thorough cleaning, and the soft carpet felt pleasant underfoot as she walked, humming to herself.

In her casual loungewear, Mina had little to worry about; the areas around her room and the bath were off-limits to men by default.

It wasn’t that Mina disliked men, but she preferred not to have anyone, especially men, intrude on her space. She was careful with boundaries, and the party members understood this.

Besides, Spirit Wind’s male members posed no threat in her eyes—one was a fishing fanatic, and the other was just a bit of a fool.

Speaking of which… she recalled that, about seven years ago, she had also put a certain man in his place. Since then, he hadn’t tried to look at her, she remembered vaguely.

As a half-beast, Mina had always attracted leering looks from others. While she wasn’t the type to cower, it wasn’t pleasant. She found it memorable, in an odd way, that the man from back then had annoyed her without actually trying to look at her. It was natural to remember him since they’d spent four years at the magic academy together, even though they’d barely interacted.

In retrospect, she thought maybe she’d been a bit harsh on him. It hadn’t bothered her during school, but now she realized that after that incident, he’d become so inconspicuous that he hardly ever showed up to class, always staying on the fringes and barely leaving an impression on anyone.

Elshan had seemed concerned about him too, and Mina couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty if it had been her fault that he’d ended up that way.

…Maybe I should’ve spoken to him? Though, let’s be real, he brought it on himself.

“Well, no point in worrying about it now.”

If, by some unlikely chance, she met him again, she resolved to be a bit kinder this time.

“About what?” a voice suddenly asked.

“Ah!”

Startled, Mina almost jumped, her fur and tail standing on end.

She had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t noticed anyone approaching. Usually, she would never let her guard down like this, but on her day off, she was completely relaxed.

“My apologies for startling you.”

“Oh, uh… good morning, Sophie. Don’t worry about it. That was my fault.”

Mina breathed a sigh of relief as Sophie, who had courteously bowed her head in apology, straightened up.

“Good morning. Although, it’s nearly evening. So, what’s the matter that you were dismissing as trivial?”

Sophie tilted her head, her expression showing polite curiosity, clearly having overheard Mina’s muttering. Sophie was the type to ask questions without hesitation, her eyes often inscrutable. This was sometimes helpful, though other times, it made answering awkward.

“It’s nothing, really. Just talking to myself.”

“I see. By the way, Mina-sama.”

“Hm? What is it?”

The title “Mina-sama,” along with Sophie’s overly polite manner, always felt a bit embarrassing for Mina. As a fellow party member, she wished Sophie would be more casual with her, but when she’d mentioned this, Sophie had simply responded that it was her “preference,” leaving Mina with nothing more to say.

Sophie had been brought in by Elshan one day, joining Spirit Wind immediately, and she’d maintained this formal stance ever since.

Well, considering the demonic race’s penchant for eccentricities, Mina thought it was pointless to dwell on it. Sophie was adorable, reliable, and far less troublesome than certain fishing-crazed demons who often vanished without warning, causing a stir within the party.

“Are you perhaps on your way to the large bath?”

“Hm? Yes, I am… Is there a problem?”

“Not a problem per se… But would it be alright if it’s not exclusively reserved for you?”

Oh, so that’s what this is about, Mina thought, chuckling to herself.

The large bath wasn’t reserved solely for Mina. Female party members could use it anytime, and occasionally, even the male members would borrow it.

Besides, with Sophie here, it meant that only Elshan would be around. Although it was unusual for her to bathe at this hour, they were close friends from their academy days. They’d bathed together countless times and weren’t shy around each other.

“It’s fine, I don’t mind at all.”

“I see… Very well.”

Sophie placed her small hand over her lips, appearing lost in thought, then bowed and headed in the opposite direction.

“Weird…” Mina murmured, shrugging it off as she continued on her way to the bath with an excited smile.

Entering the spacious, wood-paneled changing room, Mina began to hum as she stripped off her clothes. The frosted glass door to the bath area was filled with steam, making it hard to see through, though she could hear the sound of water splashing. Elshan was likely still inside.

Fully undressed, Mina stood before a large mirror, giving herself a quick once-over.

She admired her glossy black hair and deep purple eyes. Her cute face was complemented by black ears and a tail. Her body was slender yet supple, toned without any excess, and held a graceful feminine charm.

Yet, despite her enviable proportions, Mina frowned slightly.

“Just a bit more… couldn’t they grow a bit?”

She murmured to herself, lifting her chest slightly. They weren’t large, but they weren’t nonexistent either. Given her overall appearance, it was a minor issue.

Still, Mina couldn’t help feeling frustrated by her chest, which hadn’t changed at all over the past few years.

“Even El… she has more…” she muttered, comparing herself to Elshan’s near-perfect figure.

“Well, I guess… If they were any bigger, they’d get in the way…” she concluded, trying to convince herself. She didn’t know if it would be more inconvenient, and she’d probably never get the chance to find out, but thinking about it too much only made her feel sadder.

Sigh…

As Mina let out a resigned sigh, something strange happened.

“Humming~ Ma-chan is the best~”

A strange voice singing an even stranger song echoed through the changing room, and a strange man entered from the bath.

“…”

“Ma-chan?!”

Mina’s mind went blank. She forgot to release her hands from her chest, staring in stunned silence at the man who’d noticed her and shouted in surprise.

Both of them were entirely exposed, with nothing covering their bodies. With Mina holding her chest in that way, it almost looked as if she were presenting herself to him.

“…”

The two stared at each other in silence, before the man slowly retreated back into the bath and quietly closed the door.

“…”

Mina remained frozen.

Her mind, completely blank, had yet to grasp the situation. All she could do was stand there, still naked, in stunned silence.

A moment later, the man returned, this time with a towel around his waist and a bath bucket on his head. Mina’s confusion only deepened.

“I-I’m terribly sorry,” he said in an exaggerated, high-pitched voice, raising one hand while keeping his gaze averted, likely due to the bucket blocking his view.

Mina’s confusion reached its peak.

“I’m the bath fairy. I came to heat up the bath.”

“Wha…?”

“I’m the bath fairy.”

Mina’s mind, unable to process this absurd statement, snapped back to awareness. Still not fully composed, she forgot her own naked state and hesitantly reached out to grab the man by the shoulder.

“W-Wait… Who are you, really?”

“I’m the bath fairy! The bath fairy!”

The man cried out, trying to escape her grip.

And then, disaster struck.

“Agh!”

“Huh?”

Mina, holding onto the man’s shoulder, lost her balance.

Under normal circumstances, she’d never lose balance from something like this. But today, she was completely in “off mode,” her heart utterly shaken, her body trembling, unable to gather her usual strength, and her footing uncertain.

In short, she fell. Right on top of him.

“…”

“…”

Eyes shut, Mina felt warmth spread across her whole body. Tentatively, she opened her eyes and then widened them in disbelief.

The bath fairy was gone.

In his place was a naked man, his bucket and towel discarded in the fall, pinned beneath her. Mina was draped over him, also entirely exposed.

Their distance was zero. They were pressed against each other. The warmth she felt came from his body.

Mina’s face flushed a vivid red as she tried to push herself off him. But her arms still lacked strength, and she ended up collapsing back onto him. His body shuddered in response.

“D-Don’t… move…”

“Huh…?”

The man groaned, covering his face with both hands. At the same time, Mina felt something firm and hot pressing against her inner thigh.

When she nervously glanced down…

“Hyuuu…”

She let out a faint sound and fainted.

◆

Looking at Mina Karat, who had fainted on top of me, I was in full-blown panic.

How did things end up like this? I was just enjoying the spacious bath, yet here she is, naked in the changing room, lying on top of me. Why didn’t the bath fairy excuse work?

I-I need to get her off me, quick.

By now, Noil junior had matured into Noil senior. This situation couldn’t go on any longer.

Just as I carefully tried to shift her off me without looking at her directly…

“What is… this situation?”

Sophie entered the changing room, tilting her head in confusion.

“I brought a change of clothes… Was I interrupting?”

“No! Please, Sophie, help me!”

I was desperate, completely out of coherent thoughts.

“I see. Very well.”

With calm precision, Sophie removed Mina from me, who had fainted in her confusion.

Then, her gaze shifted to where I was now completely uncovered, and—

“Ah, quite impressive.”

And once again, I found myself covering my face with both hands.