“I don’t get it,” Mono whispered, staring up at the row of barracks I’d whipped up in no time at all.
The pioneers and Viscount Travis’s soldiers stood beside them, all craning their necks and gawking in stunned silence.
“This ain’t nothin’ for the boss,” Shemel said, grinning from ear to ear. “If you’re surprised by this, you might just pass out tomorrow.”
“I understand where you’re coming from,” Tozume added, “but I suggest getting used to it.”
“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” Bela boasted proudly.
I’d set up six barracks in total, each one capable of housing twenty people, and a water tower attached to an infinite water source. The location was ideal: roughly a full day’s walk—roughly five to six hours—from Museburg. We were also only about an hour on foot away from the main pioneer village construction site. It was the perfect spot on the outskirts of the village to build some lodgings. It’d be really easy to look after, to boot.
The math worked out neatly: The fifty pioneers would fill three of the buildings, Viscount Travis’s twenty-odd soldiers would occupy one, the twenty royal guards would take another, and the last one would be for me, Grande, the three ogre girls, the three harpies, and the two princesses.
“You do realize both If and I are unmarried female royalty, yes?” Aqual asked pointedly, her tone sharp.
“It’s a little late to pull that card.”
“…Fine,” Aqual said with a sigh in response to Ifriita’s curt comment.
Yeah, I figured she would say something about how it was indecent for an unmarried woman to spend a night with a man. But really, it wasn’t like I could justify building an entire extra barracks just for her. Actually…since she was royalty, maybe that would’ve been the proper call.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re not going to suddenly assault us, right?”
“Of course not.”
“Then it isn’t a big deal,” Ifriita said, brushing it off. “Still, I’d really like to take a bath… I’m a little dusty.”
“Ah, would you like me to build a temporary bath underground?” I offered.
Setting up a full bathhouse here wasn’t realistic without a dedicated fire mage or steady supply of fuel. It came with an infinite water source, but actually boiling the water would be hard work. Still, I could easily make a one-night bath and bury it afterward. No big deal. “I’m not sure how I feel about making you go that far for me…”
“It really won’t be any trouble,” I assured her.
“Hmm… Okay, do you mind then?”
“As you wish, Your Majesty,” I said, then quickly dug out a corner of the floor of the barracks and built a small bath underground. I didn’t put much effort into its design, but it’d be fine for one night of use.
“All done,” I said, wiping my hands. “I’ll go hand out hot water and towels to the other barracks so everyone can wipe down. You two can bathe first.”
“Sorry about all this. I really appreciate it,” Ifriita said softly.
“Yes, thank you very much,” Aqual added with a small nod.
The two princesses offered their words of gratitude, and I left the barracks to start distributing hot water and towels to the others. The royal guards—all women—were especially grateful. They’d been on their feet, watching out for us in full armor all day, after all.
“Would you like me to wipe you down?”
“That would, uh, be kind of problematic.”
I politely turned down Gerda’s offer and hurried out of the royal guards’ barracks. Letting myself get naked in front of twenty strong female guards felt…dangerous. The women of this world tended to be, well, carnivorous, so I could’ve ended up getting devoured.
“…What is it?”
“Oh, nothing at all.”
Someone’s large eye was locked on me. When I went to deliver hot water and towels to the female barracks, I bumped into Mono as she was taking off her hooded robe. As I’d suspected, she was a woman.
“Get refreshed and rest up, okay?”
“…That’s the plan.”
Mono narrowed her eye at me suspiciously, but the rest of the women were thrilled to have fresh water and towels. The men, on the other hand, looked annoyed at having to clean themselves.
“C’mon guys,” I muttered under my breath. “You better wash up.”
When I got back to my own barracks, I found a sheet hanging at the back, sectioning off part of the room as if to hide something or someone.
Ah. So that’s where Ifriita and Aqual were after their bath. They didn’t want me to see them, obviously.
“Welcome back,” Shemel called out “Feel free to hit the bath.”
“Aye, aye. Are the harpies in there right now?”
“I didn’t look so I don’t know. Probably? Feel free to get in with them.”
“Hmm? Okay.”
Something about Shemel’s tone made me pause, but I brushed it off and descended to the basement. I stripped down, listening to the sound of water splashing around—sounded like the harpies were busy bathing. They’d been flying all day, so they must’ve been exhausted. I needed to reward them for their hard work.
But the moment I opened the door to the bath, I was met with Ifriita and Aqual’s elegant figures. Ifriita’s well-proportioned nude body, and Aqual’s beautiful, youthful form. Their wet red and blue hair reflected beautifully off of their flawless white skin.
For a moment, time froze.
Then our eyes met.
“Pardon the intrusion,” I blurted out, immediately spinning on my heel to make my retreat.
But before I could exit, something hard collided against my back and head, launching me out into the changing room.
It hurt. A lot.
I totally understood why they reacted that way, but I really wished they hadn’t thrown a wooden wash tub at me. Anyone else might’ve died from that hit.
At present, Shemel was banned from touching even a drop of alcohol after intentionally setting up that little incident and then laughing her ass off about it.
I’m not letting this go, Shemel.