Chapter 30
“We'll begin the massage, so please lie down.”
While we blushed and bickered, Ana spoke to us.
Right. A massage... I have to get one...
I gave in and lay face down on the bed, while Ian awkwardly lay down on the one beside me.
The beds were positioned so we could see each other just by turning our heads, making it hard to ignore him.
How did it come to this...?”
“We'll begin the massage.”
As she said that, Ana spread cold oil across my back.
“Hyaah?!”
“E-El?”
“D-don't listen!”
…It was colder than I expected, so it startled me.
And it even made me let out an embarrassing sound...
When I looked at Ana with a slightly resentful expression, I saw her smiling slyly.
You did that on purpose, didn't you? You deliberately used cold oil, didn't you?
I was about to protest at how obviously deliberate that was, but the massage began, and I was left speechless.
This feels... amazing!
She worked on the spots that were usually a little stiff, as well as places I hadn't even thought about.
I finally understood what they meant by top-tier.
Once you know what this feels like, there's no going back...
“Mmm...”
I was relaxed for a while, enjoying the pleasant sensation, when a fun thought suddenly occurred to me.
If it feels this good to me, doesn't Ian feel good too?
If Ian's making a sloppy old-man face, I should tease him.
Thinking that, I turned my head...
“?!!?!!?”
His entire face was bright red as he got his massage.
Between his legs... stood a gigantic sword, stiff as a board.
I-is he insane?! Even if the massage feels good, how can he have that standing at attention like that?
No, wait. Is it because Ina's so sexy?
I mean, if a curvy beauty like that were giving me a massage in a micro bikini, I don't think I could hold back either, but still!
It's that huge... and it's standing like that!
If you looked closely, even the tips of Ina's ears were a little red.
Seeing that thing standing at a size way beyond common sense... I guess it can't be helped.
Still, she wasn't letting it show otherwise. I guess that's what you'd expect from an elite.
Ian... you need to reflect on this.
…
Ian was about to go crazy.
El was getting a massage in an outfit that showed off her already voluptuous figure in full.
That alone was hard enough to endure, and her moans were getting more and more sensual as time went on.
He'd tried to hold out as long as possible... but Ian couldn't resist, just like any other man.
Before he knew it, his manhood was standing at attention.
The elf giving him a massage... Ina, was it?
Anyway, he could feel her hands trembling.
Well, it had sprung up all of a sudden.
I'd be startled too, in her place.
“Haaah...”
Hearing another moan, Ian stopped thinking.
‘Just you wait, El.’
…
After that fantastic massage, we finally decided to soak in the hot spring.
The sun had set and the moon was up. The hot spring under the moonlight was beautiful, so the timing was perfect.
“See you when you're done! Don't forget to absorb the mana!”
“Sure.”
I could absorb a little more mana if I went in to help him, but... no matter how you looked at it, that'd be a bit much.
The difference would be so tiny that he didn't need my help anyway.
After making sure Ian had gone into the men's changing room, I went into the women's changing room and changed.
Though changing just meant stripping naked and wrapping a towel around myself...
Glad there was no one around, I quickly washed up and went straight into the hot spring.
The beautiful view against the dark night sky.
“Wow...”
I'd seen it once before, but it was still beautiful.
Beautiful enough to make me seriously want to live here.
-Splash
“Haaah...”
As I admired the beautiful night view and sank into the steaming hot spring, the hot water enveloped my body and made me feel wonderfully languid.
Ahh... now this is sex.
And since the spring was fed by a mana spring, I felt healthier just being in it.
The mana-increasing effect didn't work for me anymore, but it still had benefits like improving my skin and preventing hair loss.
Rumor had it that even a bald man would grow his hair back after soaking here for ten days.
Well, putting that aside, it was just a hot spring with excellent benefits.
Bliss...
-Bang!
“Wow... This place is so pret—ty?”
“??!”
Just then, I heard the door open.
And, naturally, Ian came in as soon as it opened.
“I-I-I-Ian?!”
“E-El?”
Why was he here? I'd definitely seen him go into the men's changing room.
…Could it be?
-Slide
Just then, the elf attendant opened the door and came in.
Then she looked back and forth between Ian and me...
“…Could it be that you didn't know this was a mixed-gender bath?”
She said it in a slightly surprised tone.
…How was I supposed to know that?! It wasn't written anywhere!
Last time I'd come here alone, so it never occurred to me.
“I'm sorry, but this establishment only offers mixed-gender bathing. Please enjoy your time.”
The elf attendant set down the tray she'd brought and left after saying that.
A tray of drinks... Yeah... That'd be good to have in the hot spring.
I understood that, but...
“…”
“…”
What were we supposed to do about this awkward atmosphere...?
“Ahem... El? Why don't I come back later? You go ahead and enjoy your bath.”
Thankfully, Ian offered to let me have the bath to myself... but that wouldn't do.
“No. I'll get out. You need to absorb mana.”
“But...”
Missing even one day would be a huge loss.
This was so important for Ian right now.
“Come on in. Stay at least five hours before you get out.”
Five hours sounded like enough to get dizzy and pass out, but Ian was a superhuman. That couldn't happen to him, right?
Just as I was thinking that and getting up to leave, Ian spoke.
“Um... El? I mean... well...”
After hesitating for a while, Ian seemed to make up his mind and spoke with a serious expression.
“Why don't we get in together!…?”
The way his voice got quieter and quieter made him seem a little unreliable, though.
“…Pfft.”
His face was bright red as he said it, and he looked so cute that I laughed without meaning to.
I mean, he started out sounding so bold, then got embarrassed at the end and lowered his voice.
And he couldn't even meet my eyes after saying it.
There wasn't a single impure thought behind what he'd just said.
He'd genuinely only said it because he wanted me to enjoy the hot spring too.
You little dork. You're kind of cute.
“All right. Thanks.”
I said that and sat back down in the hot spring.
“What are you waiting for? Come on in.”
“Ah... right!”
Ian finally managed to get into the hot spring with a stiff, awkward gait.
He looked like the sort of guy who'd make plenty of women cry, but his behavior was downright bashful.
“Haha.”
He looked so funny and cute that I laughed again without meaning to.
…
“Come to think of it, El, you said you'd been here before, right? I almost forgot.”
“Ugh.”
Couldn't you just forget that...?
After getting into the hot spring, Ian and I spent some time chatting.
At first, Ian was really embarrassed, and I was a little embarrassed too, but that went away after about an hour.
By then, I'd gotten used to it enough that we could talk normally.
“…Take that!”
“Wah?! What are you doing? You think that's gonna make me let you off the hook?”
“Tch.”
…I even tried lowering the towel over my chest a little, but he didn't take the bait. I thought it'd work since he was such a prude.
“Hmm... So, how do I explain this?”
But how was I supposed to explain it?
I couldn't tell him I was the Northern Grand Duke's daughter.
That was a genuine secret. Even if I told him eventually, I could only do it at graduation.
Was there some other way I could dodge the question?
“…”
There wasn't... was there?
No. There wasn't.
Oh boy. I'm screwed.
“Um... El?”
“Well... I mean...”
“Sigh... If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to.”
…Huh?
“If you want to hide it that badly, you must have your reasons. Besides, I'd already figured you were hiding something most of the time.”
How did he know?! ...Actually, that'd be a stupid thing to ask.
There were plenty of reasons to be suspicious, after all.
The fact that I was stronger than Ian alone was enough to raise questions.
For an ordinary commoner to be far stronger than Ian, the Hero's son and the eldest son of a count...
Of course, every now and then a commoner stronger than a noble appears, but this case was a little different.
No matter how talented you are, reaching the Master level isn't something talent alone can do.
You need a good environment for that talent to bloom.
Good food, high-grade elixirs, a good teacher, and plenty more.
I was lucky enough to be born into that kind of environment, but it was hard for a commoner to have those things.
Ian had probably more or less figured out that I'd reached the Master level.
Then two possibilities would come to mind.
An unknown sixth Swordmaster, or...
The youngest-ever Swordmaster, Flia Jegen Whitewolf, in disguise.
“So if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. But you have to tell me someday.”
“…Yeah.”
I was really grateful for Ian's consideration. Even with those suspicions, he hadn't pressed me for answers.
You little dork. You're such a prude, and yet you keep making me blush. ”