Primula-san's Bath

As the forest darkened, Primula-san, the daughter of the Marlowe Trading Company, visited the base for my slow life.

But everything was still left lying around in the open. Of course, the Yu○bo was too... This was bad.

"Primula-san, what would you do if you were attacked by monsters out here without even an escort?"

"There shouldn't be any trouble with monsters, since you live here, Kenichi-san?"

Well, she had a point. But, naturally, Primula-san noticed the power shovel.

"Kenichi-san, what is that lump of iron...?"

"Well, um... Oh, right! That is my faithful servant, a summoned beast."

"What? Summoning? Can you use magic too, Kenichi-san?"

"Yes... more or less. I'm sorry, but please keep this confidential."

"Of course. You're an important business partner to us, Kenichi-san. Besides――I always thought you were a mysterious person, but now one of your secrets has been revealed."

Hmm, I felt like she had gotten hold of a bit of leverage over me――but Primula-san should be all right.

If she had any ill intentions, she would have made her move long ago.

I started the heavy machinery's engine and showed her how it actually worked.

It spun around and raised its arm.

"My! It really does exactly what you tell it to! Does that mean you're a Tamer too, Kenichi-san?"

"Hmm, I suppose it does."

I stored the power shovel in my Item Box.

"How wonderful."

"I must ask you again, but please keep this confidential."

"Quite so. If this reached the ears of royalty or the nobility――"

They'd use me for everything I was worth, then toss me aside. No way in hell.

"I absolutely want to avoid that."

"The Marlowe Trading Company would hate to lose such a valuable business partner to royalty or the nobility. Besides, royalty and nobles are all the sort who take everything they can and offer nothing in return."

So that was how things worked here. And if you refused to obey, they'd threaten you with execution, I bet――what a pain.

In the neighboring Empire, apparently anyone discovered to be a powerful mage was forcibly conscripted into the military as an Imperial Mage.

I wanted nothing to do with that.

"However, Primula-san, I'm afraid the gates have probably closed by now."

"Yes, I believe they have."

"You don't mean to stay here for the night, do you?"

"Oh my, I thought you were a kind man, but are you telling a woman like me to sleep rough in the forest?"

"Um, there's only one bed, you know?"

Well, I could buy another bed from Shangri-La, but that wasn't the point.

"I don't mind. When I travel for long periods to purchase goods, sleeping in the same quarters as men is perfectly normal."

Apparently, before they became a major shop, her family had traveled all over the country in a single wagon, buying goods. She was pretty tough. So she wasn't just some rich merchant's daughter.

She clearly intended to stay, and there was no way I could throw out the daughter of a business partner. I would have to entertain her properly.

I was about to show her to the house when Primula-san noticed the steel drum outside.

"What's that?!"

Her eyes glittered as if she had found some treasure.

"That's a bath."

"A bath?!"

She hurried over to it and examined every inch of the water-filled steel drum.

"You put water in this iron cylinder and light a fire underneath it, and it becomes a bath."

"I absolutely have to try it!"

"What? Um, taking a bath means you have to get naked..."

"Of course. If I don't actually try it, how can I know whether it's a good product?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I trust you, Kenichi-san."

No, this wasn't really a question of trust... Still, I suppose she believed I wasn't foolish enough to make a move on an important business partner's daughter.

Besides, if she wanted to take a bath, I had no reason to refuse.

Once that was settled, I installed the temperature sensor and lit the fire.

"What's that?"

"It measures the temperature of the water—well, it's a magic tool. This isn't for sale, just so you know."

It would take about an hour for the water to heat up.

When I tried to show her to the house, she broke away from me and ran toward it—but then she suddenly jumped back in surprise at something.

"Eek!"

I hurried to the front of the house and found the black forest cat sitting with her paws tucked beneath her. It had grown dark, making her blend in perfectly with the surroundings.

When had she arrived? I hadn't noticed at all because I'd been dealing with Primula-san.

Or had she been there even earlier?

"Oh, it's you. Is your body all better?"

When I stroked her glossy black body, she rubbed her head against me. In front of her was a white animal she seemed to have caught...

A rabbit, perhaps? But a horn protruded from the head of the beast's fluffy white pelt.

"That's a horned rabbit."

So it was called a horned rabbit because it had a horn—straightforward enough. The forest cat lightly picked up the rabbit in her mouth and held it out to me.

"What, are you giving it to me?"

When I said that and stroked her chin, she purred. She really was a cat.

The prey was still warm when I touched it. But there was nothing I could do with it right now, so I'd deal with it later.

I stored the horned rabbit in my Item Box, then bought a can of cat food from Shangri-La and went to open it.

――Then the forest cat stood up, climbed the stairs, and sat down in front of the entrance.

"All right, all right."

When I opened the door, she slipped smoothly inside. They say cats are liquid—and she really did flow right in.

"Um, that forest cat..."

"I helped her when she was injured. She probably brought me a gift to thank me."

From her perspective, it might have been more like: Since you can't catch prey anyway, I'll be generous and give you some.

"As expected of a Tamer. You've even befriended a forest cat."

"Don't catch her and hand her over to the guild, all right?"

"Of course I won't do anything like that."

Once Primula-san and I entered the room, I lit the gasoline lantern.

"It's a lovely room, even if it is small—oh my!"

Primula-san rushed over to the bed and hugged the down comforter.

"What is this? It's a down comforter, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

"Could you supply these to our shop as well?"

Primula-san looked me in the eyes while still hugging the down comforter.

"I don't have very many of them. Is that all right?"

"Yes, of course."

I assumed only nobles could afford to use down comforters. In that case, I wouldn't need very many.

While I was talking with Primula-san, the forest cat wound herself around me, trying to tell me something. Then she went to the corner of the room and looked back at me.

"Oh, I see."

I took out the blanket she had been using and spread it on the floor for her. I'd need some cat litter too.

I took out the plastic box still stored in my Item Box, filled to the brim with cat litter. She had never used it before, so I didn't know whether she'd use it, but I didn't want her doing it on the floor.

I prepared food for the forest cat as well. When I opened two cans of cat food onto a dish, she eagerly dug in.

"You two seem awfully close."

"Even if the forest cat gets jealous..."

"That's not what this is!"

Primula-san turned away while hugging the down comforter, but seeing her like that, she seemed to retain a trace of childishness.

Was that just because I was looking at her through an old man's eyes? At my age, if I dated a woman her age, people would call me a lolicon—seriously.

Even a sixty-year-old man dating a forty-year-old woman would be called a lolicon.

Once the forest cat finished eating, she curled up on the blanket I had spread for her. It looked like she would be staying the night too.

The bath wasn't ready yet, so we might as well eat.

Since I wanted something simple I could make while waiting for the bath, I made instant curry.

I boiled water on the cassette stove and warmed the retort pouch.

"What's that?"

"I'm warming up some food. This isn't for sale either."

"You have a lot of things that aren't for sale, don't you?"

"I'm sorry."

I showed her a packet of rice too, but Primula-san didn't react well when she saw it.

Since she had never eaten it before, it seemed she was rejecting it. I couldn't force her, so I decided to have bread too.

I put the heated curry on plates, then added bread, milk, and vegetable juice.

Still, if rice was a no-go, there were a lot of Japanese foods she wouldn't be able to eat. Myaree hadn't liked soy sauce either.

"This spiced dish is hot, but delicious."

Primula-san dipped pieces of bread into the curry as she ate. Bread in this world was hard, so eating it this way was normal.

"If spices became cheaper, food like this would become popular too."

"Even if they form a cartel and drive up prices, they ultimately shrink the market and lose opportunities to make money. That's what I think too..."

She was indirectly criticizing the Bacopa Spice Syndicate.

"This cold vegetable soup is delicious too."

"It's meant to be drunk in place of a beverage. Vegetables alone would be hard to drink, so there's fruit juice in it too."

"I can't believe vegetables and fruit alone can make such a delicious soup――there are so many unusual foods here."

Once we finished dinner, the temperature sensor I had set up in the bath told me the water had reached the right temperature.

"What is it?"

"The water has reached the right temperature. Are you really going to take a bath?"

"Of course."

I took an LED lantern from my Item Box and went outside.

"Is that a magic lamp?"

"Something like that."

"..."

Primula-san was deep in thought. I'd be in trouble if she started pestering me to sell her some dangerous item.

Still, it felt wrong not to entertain her after she had come all the way into the forest. That was simply the decent thing to do, right?

No, Primula-san was an intelligent woman. Surely she would understand—though people called that wishful thinking.

I hung the lantern on the boards enclosing the bath, stirred the water with a board, and dipped my hand in. It was just the right temperature.

"There's water in here, so adjust the temperature as you like. When you need hot water, use this bucket."

I pointed to the plastic tank of water and demonstrated by pulling the lever to let the water out.

"This container isn't for sale either, is it?"

"Of course not. I'll be inside, so call me if you need anything. I'll leave some soap here too."

"W-wait! Um..."

"What is it?"

"I'm scared to be alone. Could you stay here with me?"

"Then I'll stay behind these boards."

When I looked at her, she still appeared worried, but there was no way I could openly watch her strip down completely naked.

Not that I needed to stare. Still, if she said I could look, of course I would. I'm a man, after all.

The soft rustle of clothes being removed melted into the dark forest, clearly audible because it was so quiet.

Apparently, the manga god was responsible for using the word "silence" in scenes like this, and it really did fit.

If there were any wind, the rustling of branches rubbing together would echo throughout the forest.

"Um, Kenichi-san, are you there?"

"Yes, I'm here. When you get into the bath, step on the boards floating in the water. The bottom is hot from the fire underneath."

"I understand."

She was like a little girl who couldn't go to the bathroom alone at night.

Through the boards, I could hear the gentle splashing of her getting into the bath.

"Are you all right? Can you get in?"

"I-I'm all right."

Somehow, she had managed to get into the bath.

"Um!"

"What is it?"

"Since I'm in the bath, could you come over and show me your face?"

"Is that all right?"

"Yes."

Well, if she said it was all right, then it probably was. When I went to the front of the bath, Primula-san was immersed up to her shoulders.

I wasn't so young that seeing a naked woman would make me flustered anymore.

"How is the temperature?"

"It's wonderful. I can't believe it's so easy to take a bath..."

A noble-style bath would apparently involve building a stone tub, making a boiler, laying pipes, and so on—it would become an enormous undertaking, costing at least tens of millions of yen.

Her face was bright red, but was it from the hot water, embarrassment, or both?

"If you're embarrassed, I can hide behind the boards."

"No, you have to stay here..."

"If you're that afraid, you did have other options, like waiting until next time."

"No. In business, if you miss an opportunity, you may never get another one."

In my original world, there was a saying about a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, but I wonder if this world had one too.

"Still, what do you think of a young lady from a respectable family getting naked in front of a strange man?"

It sounded a little sarcastic, but Primula-san's pushiness bothered me too.

Maybe the products I possessed really were that appealing.

"The Marlowes are self-made merchants, not a respectable old family or anything like that. And you aren't a stranger to me, either, Kenichi-san."

I handed her a towel from my Item Box, and she wiped around her neck with evident pleasure.

"What would you do if I were a bad person?"

"I can't imagine someone who saved beastfolk and a forest cat being a bad person. Normally, if you found an injured forest cat, you'd put it out of its misery and take it to the guild, wouldn't you?"

"Well, that's true."

She must have heard a lot from Myaree. When she said she was going to wash herself, I hid behind the boards again.

From the sounds of her washing, it seemed she was washing her hair too. Washing your hair with soap always left it feeling stiff.

"Primula-san, after washing your hair, apply this product and wait a little before rinsing it off with hot water."

I handed her a bottle of conditioner from my Item Box.

"How do I get it out?"

"Oh, just press down on the top."

"...It came out!"

I could hear the delight in her voice, but since I couldn't see her, I had no idea what she was doing.

All right, I'd open Shangri-La and buy a new bath towel and a bathrobe.

I also needed to prepare the jet heater for drying her hair. It was the same one I had used to dry Myaree's fur. It should dry Primula-san's long hair in no time.

I heard Primula-san getting out of the bath, so I handed her the things I had prepared.

"Primula-san, here are a towel and a robe. Put them on until you stop sweating."

"Oh my, this texture! Is this not for sale either?"

Apparently, she was interested in the feel of the towel. The beastfolk hadn't cared at all, but that was a merchant for you.

"Well, I could supply you with a small quantity. Have you put on the robe?"

"Yes."

With her golden hair wet and flashes of heat-flushed white skin visible beneath the white robe, she looked like a fairy in the forest.

Incidentally, all clothing in this world fastens right over left, so women don't dress left over right.

I set the jet heater in front of her and turned it on. Warm air came roaring out.

"Use this to dry your hair."

"I-is this magic?"

"Because you trust me, Primula-san, I'm showing you all these secret magic tools. Please keep all of this to yourself."

"I understand."

She dried her hair in silence, but seemed to be thinking about something.

It was probably the many unknown items I possessed.

I trusted Primula-san, but if anything happened to destroy that trust, I would have to consider abandoning this place.

I liked this city, so I hoped it wouldn't come to that.

I went inside and offered fruit milk to Primula-san, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Delicious... What is this? It's milk, isn't it?"

"It's milk diluted with fruit juice."

"Even something like this—and my hair is so smooth... Whenever I wash it with soap, it gets so stiff."

"I gave you the product for your hair, didn't I?"

"So that's what did it..."

She gripped the cup of fruit milk and looked as if she wanted to say something.

"With all these products, I think you could become Dalia's――no, this country's――greatest merchant."

"Oh, I don't want that. I'd be happy with enough income to live quietly and eat good food."

"..."

"I'll show you one of my hobbies."

I took a sketchbook from my Item Box and opened it for Primula-san to see.

"Did you draw this, Kenichi-san?"

"Yes. I enjoy quietly drawing things like this and making all sorts of things. I only need to earn enough to support those hobbies."

"Couldn't you become a court painter?"

"Ha-ha, no way."

Since it was a good opportunity, I asked Primula-san to let me do a quick sketch of her in the robe.

For a while, the sound of pencil scratching paper echoed between us in the silence. When I showed her the finished drawing, she looked astonished.

"May I have this?"

"Of course. Go ahead."

She hugged the sketchbook to her chest.

As I watched her from the corner of my eye, I ordered an inexpensive metal-frame bed from Shangri-La. The bed cost 9,000 yen, and the single mattress cost 2,700 yen.

I moved the bed to the opposite corner from where the forest cat was curled up, then took out a mattress and a blanket from my Item Box.

I prepared a brand-new nightgown for Primula-san. It was a one-piece nightdress she could pull over her head, with frills on the hem――and it was pink.

While she changed, I faced away—but when I glanced to the side, the forest cat was staring fixedly at me as if she wanted to say something.

"Let's go to sleep now."

Primula-san nodded when I reached for the lantern.

It was probably around eight in the evening, but in this world, people went to bed when it got dark and woke when it got light.

Kerosene and candles were expensive, so few people stayed up late. Only the rich stayed up late.

"Good night."

"Good night."

In the darkened room, I lay on the bed thinking about Shangri-La.

It had a very serious flaw. What would happen if the amount of money deposited into Shangri-La became enormous?

If there were no limits on transactions through the site, it would be a black hole that swallowed money without end.

As long as I put in money, I could buy amazing things one after another. If I ingratiated myself with royalty, I could make transactions worth tens or even hundreds of billions.

But money put into a black hole never comes back. Eventually, the nation's gold reserves would run dry.

Then the country would be struck by economic collapse. I would bear responsibility as the man who caused the country's ruin.

Or would I lead a life on the run, destroying countries one after another?

That was why I could only conduct transactions involving amounts suitable for personal use.

If I could make Shangri-La spit out money in exchange for worthless things from this world, or somehow recharge it, I could prevent that too...

I had to think of some clever solution.