The Strongest Wizard Becomes a Countryside Guardsman After Taking an Arrow to the Knee

Chapter 32 – A Happy Home with Heroes 2

Translator: Ranzan

「Everyone, would you like to go to the hot springs?」

「What? Sure!」

「I’d like to go too.」

「Well, let me show you. Vi-Vi and the others can come too.」

Millet started leading all the girls towards the hot springs.

As she did, Cruz grabbed my hand.

「Al, it’s been a while since I got in a bath with you.」

「Wha? Am I supposed to get in too?」

「Won’t you? Aren’t you sweaty?」

Cruz looked at me, confused.

Millet heard what Cruz had said and looked at us with a little glare.

「Mr. Al? You took A BATH with Cruz before?」

「Well…I guess I can’t say I didn’t.」

We’re all adventurers. An adventurer does what’s necessary instead of being embarrassed by specifics.

You get in a bath to remove body odor. If you smell too much, the enemy can find you easier.

Also, you frequently have to remove all the blood and filth on you.

You also can’t let your wounds get infected. There’s no such thing as being TOO cleanly.

However, when you bathe, you’re defenseless.

Usually one person bathes at a time, while the other members watch for enemies.

When time doesn’t permit, instead of one at a time, two bathe at a time.

When that happens, no one cares about if it’s sex-separated. The only thing necessary is whoever is defending needs to be balanced against any enemy.

「Since we’re adventurers, we do what’s necessary.」

「Adventurers sure are low-life disgraces.」

「I can’t believe it.」

Vi-Vi and Millet responded to my comment.

I wish these dumb girls would realize that they JUST BARGED IN on my bath a few days ago.

「Yeah, after all, we’re not on an adventure, so maybe a mixed bath isn’t the best thing.」I said.

「Wha? Isn’t it more fun for us to all get in?」

「You need to be a bit more self-aware!」

Luka chided Cruz again.

「I’ll get in later…everyone else, go ahead.」

「Too bad.」

「I wanted to get in with you, old man.」

Cruz and Collette were disappointed.

Next Collette looked down at Femm on the ground, who had its head down as if the whole conversation had no relation to it.

「Hey, Femm, get in with me.」

「Rawf?」

Femm was quite surprised. It looked back at me.

It didn’t want to be treated like some toy for a little girl. It wanted to use the bath to relax.

「Femm, what isth it?」

「Femm wants to get in the bath with me.」

「Whaa? Femm and the old man? Geez…」

Collette turned to the bath with a jealous look.

Only Femm and I were left behind.

『I didn’t have to get in with you, Al.』

「Yeah, yeah.」

I blew Femm’s comment off and rubbed its head.

When everyone came back from the bath, I got in with Femm.

The hot springs were awesome. I got out and returned to Millet’s home.

「I really can feel that the hot springs here in Mulg is good for my knee.」

「Hmph. Let me see it.」

「Here.」

I let Luka look over my knee.

「Maybe it’s getting better?」

「Really?」

「It might have to do with the high magical content in the water.」

「Who knows.」

Cruz was listening and came to look.

「No, I think the Demon Lord’s power is still there.」

「Really?」

「Yeah.」

Luke looked at her with a question mark on her face.

「Cruz. So you’re saying the Demon Lord’s magic is still there?」

「Noooo. Magic is magic. Not magic, just a power that seems to puff out. Don’t you feel it?」

I couldn’t feel anything.

However, since a hero has that strange power that no one else does, she can sense power that no one else can.

I might have an effect on my knee that only the hero can sense.

「If you figure out anything else, tell me.」

「Roger that!」

Cruz said happily. I let it go with no real expectation that it would be solved, though.

Night. After everyone ate, they all went to bed.

Millet’s house was large.

But there were only a few beds.

Millet and Collette slept on one bed together. There was also the bed that their dead parents used to use.

Total: two beds.

「Collette and I are fine on the floor, so you guests can sleep on the beds.」

「I want to sthleep with Femm.」

Thus, she let all the guests sleep on the beds.

I, of course, refused.

「I don’t want to be a freeloader that just takes the bed from the owner.」

「No, no, please. You’re not a freeloader – you’re a guest.」

「No, no, what are you saying…」

With all that back and forth, Cruz cheerfully asked me,

「I’m okay with the floor, right, Al?」

「Why are you asking me?」

「Was I wrong to?」

「Not really.」

「See? Then Al, let’s sleep here.」

She said, and Cruz took my hand and led me to the corner of the house.

「It’s been a while since I slept with you, Al.」

「When you’re an adventurer, you have to sleep next to each other while the others guard…」

So sleeping on the floor was no big deal.

We adventurers have to sleep in some really rough places. That’s why a wooden floor is actually not that bad a place.

「Well, then I will too…」

Luka lied down close to us.

And then Vi-Vi approached too.

「Well, hey, it seems fun.」

「Rawf」

And Femm, as well, naturally plopped down near me too.

「Femm, you can sleep with Collette instead」Vi-Vi said.

「Ruff Warf」

「I told you, go away!」

Vi-Vi was flailing around, trying to get Femm to sleep far away from her.

Lately, Femm was doing all it could to mess with Vi-Vi.

「We have open beds here too.」

Millet said with a troubled face while thinking.

「Well, then let me be the one who decides who sleeps where.」

One bed was Collette, Femm, and I.

The other was everyone else.

「Isn’t that bed cramped?」

「It’s fine, and we girls like to talk.」

With that said, it was hard to refuse.

「You say that Millet, but I know you’re going to creep in bed with him again!」

「N…no I won’t!」

She said, as the girls turned towards the other bedroom.

「Yaaay! I get to sthleep with Femm and the old man!」

Collette was giggling as she grabbed hold of Femm.