Chapter 24: The Gluteridge Public Bathhouse

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The sound of horses’ hooves striking the cobblestones mixed with the bustle of the town. Gluteridge was a mid-sized city in a hilly region, crowded with reddish-brown stone houses. A fountain stood in the central plaza, and around it stretched a row of stalls selling fruit, clothing, and handicrafts. The calls of the vendors, the footsteps of travelers, and the laughter of children intertwined, creating a lively atmosphere.

While lightly pulling on the reins, Lloyd glanced around. No suspicious looks from the passersby, and no indication that anyone noticed Lusha’s presence.

For now, there doesn’t seem to be any sign of tailing or surveillance…

Lusha had pulled the hood of her holy robe deeply over her face. He couldn’t see her expression, but he could feel the tension stiffening her back. Lloyd guided the horse toward the hitching post beside an inn located at one corner of the plaza. After tying up the horse, the two of them walked toward the bulletin board.

Let’s see, wanted notices…

He quickly scanned the board covered with flyers from informants and monster-subjugation requests, but there were no wanted posters about Lusha. There were no church-related notices either. Whether news of the Temple Knights’ deaths hadn’t spread yet, or whether only a handful in the Church knew about the “False Saint,” he couldn’t tell. But both of them let out a small sigh of relief that Lusha wasn’t currently wanted.

“Looks like we’re okay for now.”

“…I’m glad.”

“Can’t let our guard down though. We should avoid going near the church for now. Anyway, do you want to go to the bath?”

“Yes!”

Lusha’s voice lifted just a little. He couldn’t see her face under the hood, but she must have been delighted at the thought of finally getting into a bath. Somehow, he could tell she was smiling. They headed for the public bathhouse located at the center of town. The stone building looked old, and the entrance was divided into male and female sections.

“Well then, in an hour—”

He intended to say, “Let’s meet here,” but… something about Lusha made her look nervous. Lloyd asked her.

“Uh… Is this your first time in a public bath?”

“Y-yes. There was a large bath at the monastery, but I’ve never been to a public bath. Are there any special rules?”

So she really was nervous about it being her first time. Including her sheltered nature, this White Saint was endearing.

“If you’ve used a big bath before, then it’s mostly the same. If I had to say anything, it’s just that you wash your body before getting in the water.”

“Oh, then it’s the same! I’m relieved.”

Her tension eased, and a faint smile escaped from beneath her hood. After confirming the meeting place and time, they separated, each entering the men’s and women’s baths.

In the changing room, Lloyd undressed and performed a rinse before heading to the washing area with a bucket. Sitting on the stone floor, he filled the bucket and wet his hair. He scrubbed his hair vigorously, then carefully washed his shoulders, arms, and back in order. Sweat and dust seemed to flow off his entire body.

When he poured the bucket of water over his head, the splashing echoed softly against the floor, and the heat seeped gradually into his skin. At the boundary between warmth and coolness, he felt his body slowly loosen.

This was the pleasure of taking a bath after so long. With steam and the scent of soap teasing his nose, Lloyd narrowed his eyes comfortably. By the time he finished washing, he felt as though he were relaxing from deep inside his core. Then once he sank into the bathwater, he couldn’t help letting out a small sound.

Ahhh… This is the best. A bath really does bring you back to life.

The warmth of the water slowly seeped into his tired body. As his body sank into the bath, he was enveloped by a feeling of pure bliss. After being expelled from the party, he’d wondered what would happen to him for a while, but life turned out to be manageable. And the person who made things manageable was none other than Lusha Catomiar.

Naturally, Lloyd’s thoughts drifted toward Lusha.

Come to think of it, she kept worrying about her smell while we were traveling…

It must have been a matter of feminine sensibility. Even when pretending not to care, a person’s true feelings showed in their little gestures. She seemed to wipe herself every day, and Lloyd had never once been bothered by her scent. If anything, she smelled pleasantly of aromatic oil. She might have been much more particular about cleanliness than he had assumed.

Well, I guess any girl would care about that.

The other girls who used to be in his party had been quite picky about baths too. Julius found it annoying, but he still set aside time for them to bathe even while adventuring, just to keep them in a good mood.

I don’t want Saint-sama thinking I smell, either…

In that case, repairing the bathhouse shed at the village chief’s home should be the top priority. If they fixed that, they wouldn’t have to take risks coming into town just to bathe.

I should ask around about it.

Lloyd stepped out of the bath quickly and headed toward the back office while drying his hair with a towel.

Beyond the service entrance, a muscular middle-aged man sat at the counter. He looked to be in his mid-fifties. Deep wrinkles lined his cheeks, and reading glasses perched on the bridge of his nose as he scribbled through a thick ledger. Sharp eyes and efficient movements. He was clearly a craftsman type. He was probably the bathhouse owner. While drying his hair, Lloyd spoke up.

“Sorry to bother you while you’re working. Mind if I ask about repairing a bath?”

The owner glanced up at him over his glasses.

“Hm? Repairs? Well, I don’t mind if it’s just questions.”

Lloyd nodded and briefly explained the condition of the bathhouse shed.

A fist-sized hole in the bottom of the tub. The flue for the furnace crushed midway, making ventilation impossible. The drainage pipe completely rusted through, crumbling at a touch. And the stonework beneath the furnace entirely collapsed. He had no idea how to restore it.

After hearing all that, the man let out a low hum, closed his ledger, and folded his arms.

“That’s quite the mess you’ve got there. With that much damage, it’d be tough for an amateur. Hiring a professional would be quicker, you know?”

“We’re far away from any place like that. I want to repair it myself somehow.”

“I see… Well, I can’t say for sure without seeing it, but there are three main steps.”

The owner held up three fingers.

“Three?”

“Yeah. First, plug the hole in the tub with a sealant made for stone. There’s a kneadable type nowadays that’s easy to use. As for the drainage pipe, you should replace it entirely. Nothing fancy. Just extend a pipe from the tub to outside so the water can drain out.”

“I see, got it.”

The owner lent him a pen and paper, so Lloyd took notes. Lusha’s repair magic might handle the hole, but sealant would still be helpful.

“Second is the flue. Forget fixing the old one. You should make a brand-new vent. Digging into the old flue will make it collapse. Cutting a new opening on the outer wall is faster.”

“That makes sense. Even I could do that.”

He continued writing. As expected of a professional. Lloyd had never even considered these solutions, but after hearing a simple explanation, the man provided clear options.

“What about the stone foundation under the furnace?”

From Lloyd’s perspective, that seemed like the hardest part. And judging by the owner’s frown, his guess was correct.

“The stonework, huh… Yeah, that’s best taken apart completely. You’ll need to reinforce the ground and rebuild it from the foundation up.”

“I figured…”

“If the base is bad, fixing only the upper part will just make the whole thing collapse later. No matter how fine a structure is, it’s meaningless if the foundation isn’t solid.”

That was undeniably true. But even knowing the problem didn’t mean he knew how to fix it. Lloyd asked again.

“What exactly should I do?”

“Start by carefully removing the surrounding stones, then compact the ground. After that, stack stones of similar size, interlocking them as you go. Fill the gaps with gravel or soil, but make sure to leave space for drainage. Once you’re done stacking, lightly tap the top to tighten everything.”

Lloyd wrote down every word. He might not manage it alone, but with Lusha’s magic, it might just be possible.

“Lastly… How much would all the materials cost?”

The owner touched his chin, eyes flicking upward as if calculating.

“All of it together… Five silver coins should cover it. The sealant’s the most expensive part. You can buy everything at the shops.”

“Five silver, huh.”

Lloyd considered the money he had left. He still needed to save enough for the bed mat and food supplies, but five silver was cheap for what he’d gain. Stopping by the shops on the way back and dedicating tomorrow to bath repairs didn’t sound like a bad plan.

“This helped a lot. I’ll give it a try. If you ever need help with anything, feel free to call me.”

Lloyd put away his notes and smiled. The owner still wore a stern expression, but he gave a short, pleased snort.

“Sure. A bath lasts longer when you fix it not for yourself, but for someone else.”

Lloyd blinked for a moment, then his lips softened. Because he had remembered that he was fixing the bath precisely for someone else.

“…I’ll remember that.”

By the time he left through the service entrance, the hour they had agreed upon had just passed. Lloyd loosened the towel around his head and headed toward his meeting place with Lusha.

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