Chapter 18
I quickly returned home from the academy.
There was nothing else to do anyway, and it had gotten quite dark, probably because I had been out and about a lot.
After returning to the house, I immediately unpacked.
"I'll wear the armband and ring now, and use the Fire Spirit Grass later."
I would always wear the 'Armband of Strength' and 'Ring of New Life', which were constantly active.
I planned to use the Fire Spirit Grass later.
In the morning, I had made the half-soul ghosts my familiar spirits, went to the Black Cloud Society to buy items and even went to the workshop to request a production. I was quite tired.
To consume the Fire Spirit Grass properly, I needed time, but I didn't have the energy for that.
"Hah..."
As I lay on the bed trying to fall asleep,
My door opened once again and someone predictable entered.
It was Hwa-ryeon.
"My lord. Let's take a bath together."
"Why again, I said we won't."
"This concubine never gives up on any tree!"
Saying this, Hwa-ryeon approached the bed where I was lying and just lay down with me.
Nine tails tickling my body.
And as Hwa-ryeon suddenly pressed close to my side, I moved to the edge of the bed to avoid her.
Somehow this distance was fine outside.
But doing this on the bed feels a bit strange.
"Recently, this concubine has worked hard too, so please take a bath with me just once!"
"Is that how the reward works?"
"For this concubine, time with my lord is the most important."
Hwa-ryeon said, staring at me intently.
Her red eyes shone brightly as if she was truly sincere, looking at me.
But
"What's not possible is not possible."
"Why is that? Perhaps you don't like this concubine?"
"It's because it's the opposite that it's a problem."
It's a problem because it's the opposite.
If we really take a bath together, I might lose my mind.
She's back in her kimono now, but when she was in casual clothes earlier, it was really dangerous.
That's why I had to suppress my rising desires.
"T-To say such things... This concubine is too happy."
But Hwa-ryeon didn't seem to have any intention of backing down yet.
"If it's really hard for you to take a bath with this concubine. Try answering three questions I ask."
"Questions?"
"Yes! If you answer all three questions correctly, I'll cleanly back off. But if you get them wrong, take a bath with me!"
"Isn't that too unbalanced?"
She's asking three questions, but I get punished if I get even one wrong.
The demerit on my side was too big.
'But should I do it anyway.'
I nodded in acceptance.
After all, as she said, she had been working hard recently.
I was able to do many things because of her.
It might be good to repay her this once.
"Thank you, my lord!"
Hwa-ryeon smiled brightly as if really pleased and lifted my arm.
She seemed to have already thought of three questions and immediately asked the first one.
"Then I'll ask the first question."
"If you ask something too unreasonable, the bet is off."
"Of course. The first question is... What is this concubine's nationality?"
Hwa-ryeon's nationality.
Thinking simply, it's one of China, Korea, or Japan.
And if there's no unexpected twist, it's probably Japan.
The kimono she's wearing suggests that.
And if we're talking about golden nine-tailed foxes, they're most famous in Japan.
She probably didn't put a trick in the very first question.
"Isn't it Japan?"
"Correct! You're really interested in this concubine!"
It's not so much interest as it's something you should know from looking at her clothes.
I thought that for a moment but let it go.
How could I say that when she's so happy?
"But shouldn't you be happier if I got it wrong?"
"It's fine. Because I can know how much my lord thinks about this concubine."
She said this as if she truly meant it, her eyes brightening as she clung to me.
I moved a bit more to the side at that.
If I move any further, I'll fall off.
"Then the next question. How old is this concubine?"
"Isn't that going too far?"
Looking at the first question, it seemed she had balanced it appropriately.
But with the second question, she suddenly raised the difficulty.
It would be hard to guess even if she were human.
As a yokai and ghost who ignores apparent age, guessing her age would be even harder.
However,
'If she weren't my familiar spirit.'
I'm sorry to Hwa-ryeon, but there had been changes to her window recently.
As my shamanism level increased, I could access more information.
The age shown in that window was,
"999 years old, right?"
It was exactly 999 years old.
It's probably not that she's 999 years old this year.
It's likely her age when she died 100 years ago.
What she said was probably her age when she died.
"H-How did you know this concubine's age!"
"I saw it in the status window. By the way, why are you so happy?"
"For my lord to have such interest in me...!!"
Now that I look at it, Hwa-ryeon seemed to be happy whether I guessed right or wrong.
"T-Then I'll ask the next question."
Hwa-ryeon, who had been blushing and delighting at my words for a moment,
Soon composed herself and asked the next question.
"Last question, among the yokai called Japan's Three Great Evil Spirits, which immortal evil spirit possesses three sacred swords?"
The difficulty suddenly increased again.
The Three Great Evil Spirits.
It's a term referring to the representative yokai of Japan.
Because of that, they are the most well-known...
'But I don't know much about it.'
Before the possession, I wasn't very interested in these things.
After the possession, I only read the books in the house, so I didn't know much.
Still, there were a few names that came to mind.
"Umm.. Shuten-doji?"
"Close! He's included, but the yokai with the sacred swords is Ootakemaru!"
"That's tough."
If it was going to be like this, I should have studied about Japanese yokai too.
It was a mistake to postpone studying because the trip to Japan was quite far in the future.
"Then! Now let's go take a bath with this concubine!"
Saying this, she immediately pulled my body towards the hot spring.
I thought about resisting for a moment, but gave up.
I was the one who accepted the bet too.
I decided to just follow my instincts now. Although I don't know what the result will be.
"I'll take a bath, but one condition. No nudity. At least wrap a towel."
"W-Why! A bath is traditionally about baring everything and entrusting your body to the water..."
"Wear it."
"...Yes."
We parted briefly to the changing rooms divided for men and women.
I quickly undressed and headed to the hot spring.
I was wearing only shorts. There was nothing to wear on the upper body.
'It's always nice no matter when I come.'
To think there's such a high-class hot spring in a private house.
The size itself wasn't that big, but its effect was excellent.
The temperature was appropriately hot.
The surrounding scenery was well-decorated, creating a good atmosphere.
This hot spring is probably one of the things I like most about this house.
Anyway, I soaked my body in the hot spring water and waited for a while.
Not long after, Hwa-ryeon entered from the women's side.
"Did you wait long?"
She was covering her body with only a white towel, just like I had seen before.
The attire I was most worried about.
At least if it were underwear it might be different, but with clothes that have such a high risk of moving, my mental consumption doubled.
With her body covered by the towel, she came holding a tray with eggs and a teacup in both hands.
"Where did you get that from?"
"I thoroughly prepared for this long-awaited time."
Saying this, she put the tray down on the floor next to the hot spring.
She came right next to me and pressed close.
'Crazy.'
The stimulation itself is different.
Before, at least there were clothes...
Now I could feel the sensation of completely bare skin pressing against me.
The feeling of soft skin.
With her body hot from the hot spring's temperature too, my head was spinning.
"Isn't this hot spring really nice? It seems to have effects too."
"Effects?"
"Yes, it seems to have effects on recovering vitality and physical recovery?"
Come to think of it, whenever I bathed in this hot spring, my body was full of vitality.
So it wasn't just a feeling, but it really had effects.
"More importantly, how do you find this concubine? I want to hear your evaluation."
With those words, Hwa-ryeon pressed close to me and turned her body towards me.
Hwa-ryeon's figure instantly filled my vision.
Especially today, her hair that was usually loose was braided to one side, exposing her white neck, which was very noticeable.
The stimulation was too strong.
'This is a gumiho.'
This isn't me being strange.
The gumiho is just showing off her dignity as a gumiho.
Originally, I wasn't even the type to take much interest in women.
'Damn.'
I really feel like I'm going crazy.
Feeling regret for allowing the bath, yet not regretting it.
Such thoughts dominated my mind.
"Hah..."
Still, I should answer.
"You're beautiful. The most beautiful I've seen so far."
"Specifically?"
Hwa-ryeon, seemingly wanting a more detailed answer, completely linked her arm with mine.
The soft sensation of the towel and skin felt on my arm and waist.
She clung to me as if blatantly flaunting it, but I ignored it.
"Specifically, which part?"
Which part?
Even if asked, I had nothing to say.
Everything was truly purely beautiful.
No, rather than pretty, beautiful was the right word.
"Your neck, and face."
I shook my head as if trying to shake off distracting thoughts and said that.
Originally, other parts were covered by the towel and the lower body was submerged in water.
It's right to mention what's most visible.
"Hehe... I feel really good."
She said this with a smile as if she really felt good at my words.
Is it the heat of the hot spring, or because of my words?
Hwa-ryeon's face seemed to have reddened a bit.
'Maybe not the latter.'
Still, she's a gumiho, it doesn't make sense for her to blush over this, right?
As I was thinking this, she reached for the tray she had brought.
"I'll peel it for you."
Saying this, she skillfully peeled an egg and held it out to me.
She meant to feed me.
Knowing this, I took the egg in my mouth.
'It's soft.'
Neither too dry nor too mushy.
It was an egg boiled to just the right softness.
"I'll go out for a moment. I have tea brewing."
After eating the egg for a while, she got up to get the tea she had brewed.
And
At the same time, something happened.
Slip-
The towel, heavy with the hot spring water.
Hwa-ryeon wasn't holding the towel with her hand.
That wet towel just slid down.
"..."
"..."
A moment of silence.
'Damn.'
I resented the heavens.