Akatsuki Translations

“So that’s how it is…!” Echelle cried.

“Your gaze does tend to wander to my chest,” Shizuku said unthinkingly, fanning the flames.

《Nii-tan’s a boob fiend》, commented Akane.

“Hey, is this girl talk? I think this is girl talk,” said Diz, looking amused. At the very least, Lynne wanted to point out that this wasn’t girl talk, but she avoided interjecting to keep from getting involved in this conversation.

“Huh, what’s with this atmosphere? Why does the Queen of Uuga look like she’s at a wake?” said Rabin of the 【White Serpent】 as she arrived, seeming like a godsend.

Normally Lynne didn’t really like how she was noisy and tended to react without thinking, but in this situation, she was truly grateful. Please, go ahead and stir things up.

“Rabin, how did you get them so big? Your breasts,” Echelle asked.

“If you rub ’em they’ll get big!” Rabin declared.

“Really?” Echelle said.

“Stop clinging to such ridiculous superstitions,” Lynne scolded.

It was no good, she was an idiot after all. Lynne hated idiots.

“There’s no point in yapping about unrealistic things like that. Calm down,” Lynne said, giving up and shifting to trying to settle her down herself.

“I don’t care how he sees you, but there are plenty of other things you can do. Why do you think the cosmetics, accessories, and fashion industries exist as businesses?” Lynne continued.

There were many people in the world who wished to be thought well of by others. And there were techniques and products for that purpose. There was even training.

“Start by practicing with something close at hand, like makeup,” Lynne advised.

“I’m… not very good at makeup,” Echelle said.

“Then practice. If you don’t know how, ask someone who does to teach you,” Lynne responded.

“Someone who knows…” Echelle murmured, glancing behind her.

“…”

Kalkara was there, soaking in the bath a short distance away. She had been there from the beginning, of course, since she had come to the bath with Echelle. But up until now she hadn’t participated in the conversation, just silently staying in the back.

“Kalkara is good at doing my makeup. And lots of other things too,” Echelle said.

“Then have her teach you,” Lynne replied.

“………”

But Echelle fell silent.

Lynne understood the reason. She knew about Kalkara’s circumstances. She had betrayed Echelle and collaborated with the heretics. Even if it was for Echelle’s sake, betrayal was still betrayal.

Echelle probably wasn’t angry about it. If she was, she would refuse to let Kalkara stay by her side and try to help her even now.

“Kalkara will respond if I talk to her, but she won’t say anything on her own…” Echelle explained.

The one who was angry and unable to forgive this was Kalkara herself. So even as she devoted herself to Echelle, she likely couldn’t bear to act chummy with her like a guardian after what happened.

Of course, if asked, she would probably teach Echelle about makeup in earnest. But Lynne realized this wasn’t that kind of issue.

“If it’s awkward, then make up,” Lynne said.

“…About that,” Echelle hesitated.

“About what?” Lynne asked.

“How do you make up with someone?” Echelle inquired.

“How do you… well, that’s…” Lynne began to explain but stopped.

What Echelle was seeking, to put it extremely simply, was a way to reconcile with a friend. Lynne was at a loss. She had almost no experience having friends in her own life. She didn’t have a single method in her repertoire for making up with a friend after a fight.

“…Shizuku, do you know?” Lynne asked.

“I’m sorry. I don’t really know either. Diz-sama?” Shizuku replied.

“I’ve hardly ever made friends either. That’s why I’m happy to be taking a bath with everyone now,” Diz said.

《Bunch of loners, huh?》interjected Akane.

This place was hell, Lynne thought once again.

“Huh? What? What is it? You wanna make up?” Rabin interjected, breaking the silence.

Without reading the exquisitely awkward atmosphere that had fallen over the group, she marched forward through the bath. She said something to Kalkara, who had been soaking in the corner the whole time, grabbed her arm, and marched right back.

“…! …!!”

Kalkara seemed to be resisting, but as expected of an adventurer, when it came to a pure test of strength without spirit power, there was no way she could match Rabin, who engaged in direct combat as an adventurer.

“Here ya go,” Rabin said, tossing Kalkara in front of Echelle. Water splashed, and Echelle and Kalkara faced each other head-on.

“…”

Echelle was silent.

“…”

Kalkara was also silent.

Yep, this is hell, Lynne thought.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Meanwhile, in the men’s bath…

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……”

Ur, Rock, Jain, Eckstein, and Black

The five of them were gathered in the stone steam sauna. In the stifling heat, they all had their arms crossed, sweating. They simply endured, right on the edge of what they could withstand, feeling the exhaustion leave their bodies along with the sweat in the pleasant intensity of the steam.

And when that agreeable ordeal ended, they rinsed off their sweat and sank their bodies into the cold bath.

Their elevated body temperature from the steam bath was rapidly cooled in the frigid water, causing their muscles to tense all at once. But as they relaxed and slowly soaked, they gradually began to get used to the temperature.

After bathing in the cold water for a while, the 5 men got out before their bodies got too chilled and headed to the outdoor air bath area of the large bath, entrusting their bodies to the provided benches.

A gentle breeze caressed their skin. The lingering heat from the steam bath deep in their bodies slowly unknotted their cold bath-tensed muscles. They all savored that pleasant feeling.

Gazing at the blue sky outside, Ur murmured,”…This is paradise.”

Everyone there silently agreed with those words.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

“…No seriously, what are you doing?” Rabin broke the silence again. Having created this silent situation, she seemed perplexed by the deadlock as if it were someone else’s problem.

“It’s your fault, you know…” Lynne said.

“Hey, can’t you just apologize already?” Rabin asked.

“What are you telling her to apologize for?” Lynne retorted.

“Huh? ‘Sorry for leaving you out’?” Rabin suggested.

This woman really is an idiot, Lynne strongly confirmed to herself.

“…”

“…Um,” Echelle tried to speak up. But Kalkara remained silent.

Echelle looked extremely uncomfortable, while Kalkara’s expression was as hard as stone. She didn’t seem to be showing her emotions outwardly, but she was clearly ill at ease.

“I, um, I…” Echelle stammered.

“……”

“…”

“…”

She fell silent. The conversation halted. It’s over, Lynne thought.

“Argh!! This is such a pain!! What is this!?” Rabin exclaimed.

“I told you, it’s your fault…!!” Lynne shouted.

“Look, if you wanna get along, you gotta talk it out, ya know?” Rabin said.

What Rabin was saying was idiotic, but also true. There was certainly no room for argument on that point.

If you want to improve a relationship, if you want to change the situation, no matter how awkward or halting it is, you have no choice but to act. If you do nothing, things will either stay the same or deteriorate, not improve.

“I’m not worthy of that,” Kalkara finally spoke.

“Kalkara,” Echelle said.

“I am a lowly woman. And deeply sinful. Even if Aesula is gone, that fact won’t change. I’m unfit to be close to you,” Kalkara’s voice was soft but stubborn.

“That’s not true, Kalkara! That was my-” Echelle started.

“Fortunately, you’re surrounded by many people now. There’s no need for you to cling to me. Please build relationships with the others instead of me. I’m sure that would be better for you,” Kalkara said.

With that, Kalkara distanced herself from Echelle again.

Echelle looked on the verge of tears, but Kalkara’s will didn’t waver at all. It was a thorough rejection. A rejection born of valuing Echelle but despising herself.

Seeing their relationship from the side was frustrating, what should one call it-

“You’re overthinking this,” Rabin said.

“…I told you to stop,” Lynne barely managed to hold back from agreeing for a moment.

“I mean, what’s with this ‘being worthy’ stuff? You don’t need that, right?” Rabin continued.

Then, unable to endure it anymore, Kalkara glared at Rabin.

“This doesn’t concern you,” she said.

“So what, are you saying it’s fine for me and the Queen of Uuga to become friends?” Rabin asked.

“Yes, you’d certainly be better than me,” Kalkara replied.

“I used to be an assassin, you know,” Rabin revealed.

The atmosphere froze again. Rabin herself didn’t seem to care at all.

“I mean, I was just a kid, so they didn’t send me out that often, but I still killed over 20 people. And of course, not just bandits or criminals.”

The Wandering City.

A dark guild made up of those who had been expelled and become 【Nameless】. It had been revealed that Jain and she were from there when they began cooperating with the 【White Serpent】. But hearing the facts directly from the person involved felt more raw.

“And of course, it wasn’t for some cause or for anyone’s sake. It was for money. The money of some shitty adults at that,” Rabin said with a laugh.

But it was a different laugh from her usual carefree one. A laugh that was almost angry, almost resigned. Faced with that, Kalkara recoiled as if in fear.

“Hey, is it okay for us to be friends?” Rabin asked.

“…That’s…” Kalkara looked down at those words. At the same time, Rabin broke into a broad grin, the carefree-looking smile from earlier. She simultaneously declared in a triumphant voice,

“Aaand you’re out! You gotta immediately say ‘no way’ there!”

Saying that, she slapped Kalkara on the back and dragged her in front of Echelle again.

“I get that you hate yourself, but don’t go making fancy excuses, it’s annoying. There’s a limit to how counterproductive you can be by hurting the other person with your stubborn pride, you know,” Rabin said.

“……!”

Kalkara tried to say something but couldn’t argue back.

And Echelle took Kalkara’s hand and gripped it tightly. As if to say she wouldn’t let go this time, wouldn’t let her get away, she held on strongly.

“K-Kalkara,” Echelle said.

“…Yes,” Kalkara replied.

“I, um, well… I want to try makeup and stuff, to become pretty…”

“…You could ask someone besides me,” Kalkara suggested.

“I want you to teach me, Kalkara…”

Echelle said what she needed to say. Haltingly, but it was undoubtedly her wish.

Kalkara was silent for a while. She said nothing, but various emotions swirled in her expression. But soon, she unexpectedly touched Echelle’s hair.

“…Your hair is a bit damaged. Beastperson hair tends to be bristly and have a mind of its own. Even if you use the same hair oils as humans, it doesn’t work well,” Kalkara said.

“Is that so…”

“Fortunately, this bath was originally for the Caraleigh family. They should have hair oils specifically for that in stock. Let’s try those. I’ll teach you how to use them too,” Kalkara offered.

“Okay… okay…!” Echelle nodded repeatedly at Kalkara’s suggestion.

The moisture in her eyes probably wasn’t from the steam in the bath.

“Yaaay, matter settled!” Rabin cheered.

“…Rabin,” Lynne said.

“Hm? What is it?” Rabin asked.

“I misunderstood you. You’re not an idiot who can’t read the room, you’re an idiot who can read the room,” Lynne said.

“The ‘idiot’ part is still there!?”

Lynne had indeed misunderstood her, and was impressed and grateful, but saying that would also be vexing, so she stayed silent.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Great Bath Entrance

“…Ahh, that was a nice bath. I feel refreshed,” Ur stretched with his body feeling warm and cozy. He was sweating a bit from the lingering heat, but it felt good to have the wind caress it. Eckstein narrowed his eyes in a similar way.

“It’s cool today too. I guess summer is almost over, it’s the season of the【Spirit of Fall, Autumn】,” he said.

“If it gets any colder, we might get chilled after the bath though,” Ur pointed out.

“Winter is extremely short, so I think it’ll be fine,” Eckstein replied.

“…By the way,” Ur’s gaze wandered to a stall set up just outside the bathhouse where people were gathering. It was a shop that an enterprising Nameless person always opened on days when the bath was available, and the products being sold were…

“…Delicious.”

『Gaaaah!! It’s the best!!』

“Alriiiight! Another round!!”

Jain, Rock, and Black were already having a drink of nicely chilled ale.

“I don’t like ale because it’s bitter, but seeing that after a bath makes it look tasty, doesn’t it?” Ur said.

“…Do you want to go, Url?” Eckstein asked.

“I still have work to do though. And training.”

“…Well, you hardly get drunk anyway,” Eckstein pointed out.

“Alright, let’s do it,” Ur decided.

“I wasn’t finished talking yet?!”

Ur wobbled over to the stall as if drawn to it, and Eckstein followed with exasperation.

“Ur!”

“Hm?”

But on the way, he was stopped by a call. Ur turned around to see the familiar group of women standing there. They had entered the bath at the same time as Ur and the others. That in itself wasn’t strange.

But unusually, or rather, Akane didn’t come flying at him. She was quietly sitting on top of Diz. And instead, Echelle was standing in front of Ur.

“You got out too, huh. Looks like you feel refreshed, that’s good…” Ur said.

“…”

She didn’t say anything. But she was looking up at Ur as if appealing something. Ur tilted his head, and suddenly noticed a pleasant, fresh scent coming from her. Taking another look at her, he considered his words and pointed out,

“Did you put something on? You smell nice. Your hair looks glossy too, I think it’s good.”

“…Really?” Echelle asked.

“I have no reason to flatter you,” Ur replied.

Echelle blushed and smiled happily. Then she hugged Kalkara behind her in excitement. Kalkara looked bewildered, but compared to when they entered the bath, her face seemed a bit more open as she caught her.

Seems like something good happened. As Ur was observing this, Lynne approached next to him and spoke.

“Ur,” she said.

“What?”

“I’m raising your score by 100 points.”

“What was that?”

“Also, I’m kicking you because you piss me off.”

“Why!?”

“Shut up, boob fiend.”

A low kick launched from the hobbit’s height struck Ur hard in the shin.