The Banished Black Swordsman Wants a Peaceful Life with the White Saint in the Frontier ~Huh? You Want Him to Come Back with the Saint? It’s Already Too Late~ - 42

Chapter 42: It Looks Like I’ll Be Taking a Bath with the White Saint

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After leaving the Barmasty Trading Company, the two of them stopped by a shop to buy supplies and then returned to the ruins of Zaxon Village.

The road leading to the abandoned village was ruled only by the creaking of the wagon wheels and the rhythm of the horse’s hooves. Lloyd held the reins on the driver’s seat, letting the wind blowing straight at him brush across his face. Because he had been moving around at the bottom of the well, mud had splattered all over his clothes, and dry flecks occasionally crumbled off. What brushed his nose was lingering dampness that hadn’t fully dried, mixed with the faint metallic scent that clung after battle.

From the wagon bed behind him came the soft sounds of wooden crates and burlap sacks swaying, and the faint rustle of fabric. Lusha sat with her knees hugged to her chest, absentmindedly watching the scenery. Before long, the ruins of Zaxon Village came into view. Lloyd stopped the horse, climbed down from the driver’s seat, and unfastened the lock on the door.

He tied the horse in front of the house, carried their belongings inside and then noticed a strange scent mixed into the air. Perhaps because it was an enclosed space, the miasma-tainted odor that had clung to them at the bottom of the well suddenly intensified.

“…It does smell a little, after all.”

Standing in the entryway, Lusha sniffed lightly, then let her brows droop with a wry smile. She said it gently, but there was no denying the truth of it. Lloyd shrugged.

“Yeah. We should bathe before dinner. We already fixed the bath this morning anyway.”

“Yes! I’m looking forward to it!”

Her eyes instantly sparkled. She must have been really happy about getting to take a bath. Now that he thought about it, Lusha had been riding in the wagon bed on the way home, so she had probably been worried about her own body odor or the dirt on her clothes. It wasn’t the same situation as Lloyd, who had been sitting up front in the breeze.

They set their things on the shelf and immediately headed to the bathhouse in the backyard. The wooden door he had repaired that morning still carried a faint scent of new nails and fresh patchwork material. When they pushed the door open, a cool breath of air greeted them. The stone bath was empty, with sunlight spilling across its dry floor.

“Well then, I’ll go ahead and fill the tub.”

Lusha took out the Element Gem and poured her magic into it at once. When she floated the orb above the bath, clear water trickled down like thin threads, soon turning into a gentle stream. It quickly covered the bottom and pushed the water level higher and higher.

When the tub was about half full, Lusha shifted the flow of magic. The Element Gem took on a faint red glow. She placed it into a small basket and lowered it into the water. Before long, a soft white mist rose up. The cold air of the bathhouse gradually warmed, and steam teased the inside of Lloyd’s nose.

It was exactly the same as it had been in the morning. Being able to create this bath whenever they wanted was incredibly powerful. They no longer needed a public bath at all. Maybe this abandoned village was actually the most privileged environment in the world.

“The water’s heated!”

Lusha dipped her hand into the water and smiled brightly. Of course… It was also thanks to her that they were so fortunate. Just by being there, she made the atmosphere gentle and warmer somehow.

“All right. Lusha, you go ahead and get in first.”

Lloyd said. But at those words, Lusha frowned.

“Eh? But that wouldn’t be right. And… I was taught that in situations like this, the gentleman should go first.”

“No, no. I’ll be fine later. I bathed yesterday too. Sure, I smell, but it’s not so bad that I can’t stand it. So you go first.”

Back when he traveled with the Hero’s Party, it wasn’t unusual to go days without a bath. He had soaked thoroughly in the large bath just yesterday, so he could endure some dirt or odor. Even if he waited, it would only be about an hour. There was no reason he needed to go first.

“But the one who worked hard today was you, Lloyd. I’m sure you’re sweaty too… So I really want you to go first.”

“No, Lusha worked just as hard. All I did was defeat the slimes. You’re the one who actually purified everything. What I did was nothing special.”

“T-That’s not true at all! Lloyd worked much harder!”

What was this ridiculous mutual praise they were doing? In the end, their argument went in circles. This White Saint seemed unexpectedly stubborn in strange places. She had no intention of yielding.

Lloyd sighed inwardly. He had repaired this bathhouse so she could relax in it. If it were just him, he would’ve washed off in the nearby river and called it a day. After a moment, Lusha took a small breath and raised her head.

“Then… Um… How about we bathe together?”

“Whaaat!?”

Her suggestion was so shocking that Lloyd’s voice cracked. Between the bed incident and this, why did this girl always blurt out outrageous things without a hint of hesitation?

“H-Hey! Aren’t you embarrassed!? We’re a man and a woman, you know!? That’s seriously not okay!”

“O-Of course I’m embarrassed! Obviously! But you won’t budge, and I won’t be satisfied either. So, um… As a compromise, that’s the only option we have…!”

“Ughhh…”

If they kept arguing, the water would cool. It would be a waste of time too. And if he asked himself honestly whether he didn’t want to bathe with her at all, the answer was the opposite. If she were just a normal woman—say, someone he was dating—and she invited him to bathe together, he would’ve leapt in tail-wagging like a puppy.

But the girl in front of him was the legendary “White Saint,” Lusha Catomiar. Even if she had been branded a false saint, she was still someone who received divine revelations. If he bathed with such a girl while harboring impure thoughts, wouldn’t he incur divine wrath?

Completely unaware of Lloyd’s internal turmoil…

“Or… Is bathing together with someone like me… Unpleasant for you?”

Her face flushed bright red as she asked timidly. Despite saying she was embarrassed—and indeed looking embarrassed—he still couldn’t understand why she was being so stubborn about this. But with her looking like that, there was no way he could refuse.

“…Fine. We’ll bathe together. Just don’t make that face.”

Lloyd let out a short sigh and spoke as if resigning himself. Lusha nodded with her face still red. But then he suddenly realized—

Why did this even become the topic in the first place…?

The Black Swordsman had been so overwhelmed by the White Saint’s shocking suggestion that he had already forgotten what they had originally been talking about.

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