——Hot Springs Resort, the Village of Rabbi.
The minister of Euritheis and his guards were losing their minds in this magical place where there was more hot water than any of them knew what to do with. A male Bunnie had given them a tour of the facility and how to use all its amenities, but the guards, regardless of age, were shouting in excitement like a group of boys who’d been served all the candy they could eat.
“Yo, this ‘shower’ thing gushes all the hot water you want!”
“Look at this ‘soap’! It’s turning every part of me fresh as a baby’s bottom!”
“Something about this bath... It’s melting away the years of strain on my muscles...”
“This yellow bath gives me chills... It’s multiplying—electrifying!”
“Shower, was it? Incredible. Watch the sweat and dirt roll off my skin.”
“Slap this ‘conditioner’ in your hair! It turns every tangled strand to silk!”
“Cannonbaaaaall!”
While his guards acted as off-the-wall as schoolkids on a field trip, the minister soaked in the stargazing bath he had been shown to—an experience so relaxing that it brought tears to his eyes. The effect programmed into the hot springs—to relieve the user of all stress—overcame him. Looking back on it now, the minister realized he had never had a moment to rest since Jack had made Euritheis his playground.
“I never knew such bliss was possible...” The minister breathed. He had just marched across several borders to reach here, after all. Crossing the continent always meant putting one’s life on the line, whether one was military or merchant, since the threat of a highway robbery always loomed. For the defenseless refugees, the danger and stress of the journey was compounded. But all that was left in the dirt outside of Rabbi as the guards continued exploring the baths with unbridled joy.
Then, like adding fuel to the fire, a line of Bunnies came filing in with trays of small bites and alcohol—not only wine from the continent, but also all sorts of booze that came from the casino.
“Daaaaamn! What’s this ‘IPA’ stuff?!”
“This ‘Champagne of Beers’ is something else... It hits the spot!”
“Try this Calpicow! It’ll send you over the moon!”
The minister and his guards sat their bare selves down on the tables stationed around the outdoor bath and raved over the drinks they’d been served. In some cultures, even those of high status had no qualms showing their nakedness to the working class—apparently Euritheis was one of them. Unwound from the long and strenuous journey, the guards devoured an assortment of snacks like they were a pack of wild beasts: grilled lamb, white bread, honey-dipped apples, fried almonds, salted cheese, even carrots—a delicacy in this world...
In oral ecstasy, the minister bellowed, “How divine! I never imagined I could shove so many carrots in my mouth!”
The chef responsible for the feast was none other than the apprentice to Sammie, who ran Kanpai’s second location. Sammie certainly had an eye for talent.
Food and wine vanished from the serving trays and tables, lifting the weight of a hard journey from the minister’s entourage. Once he’d eaten his fill, the minister sank into the bath, looking as if he’d finally returned home after years away at war. “Who knew such paradise awaited us at the end of the journey...” In the back of his blissful mind, the minister considered the abilities of the Fallen Angel. When the mythical being first appeared to him, he had accepted death—half expecting Lucifer to swallow him whole. A luxury treatment like this was certainly the last thing he had envisioned. “Every bone in my body... All the aches and pains... It’s melting... I’m melting...”
No human could have created this place, the minister thought over and over again. Creating several facilities like this that dispensed—and wasted—infinite water was no mortal feat. When the minister had entered the Gem Chamber, where sparkling stars sprawled across the ceiling, he had been so awestruck that he thought he could leave this life without regret. One look at those stars and he knew—the Ruler of Night was real.
“I never want to leave...” The minister sighed, and his guards seemed to agree. No one seemed interested in giving up a life of coming to the hot springs day after day. The bustling streets had lifted their spirits, and the golden temple that stood in the distance was dumbfoundingly beautiful.
This place is going to change my life. Every guard there seemed convinced of that thought, even though they were all elite knights handpicked by the royal family.
The captain of the guards, soaking next to the minister, asked, “Why did Sir King—I mean, the Fallen Angel rescue those refugees from the slums?”
“To dig up black stone, according to Mistress Ren,” the minister answered.
“Black stone? There isn’t even a handful of it left unmined...”
“There must be,” the minister said with conviction. “Look at this place.” The minister was thinking several steps ahead of the captain. “I don’t wanna go home,” he whined. He might have been somewhat sheepish, but the minister was no fool—he understood how difficult rebuilding Euritheis would be now that Jack was gone. He also knew that there was a real chance Euritheis wouldn’t survive the rebuilding. “In any case, I must ask to have an outfit that matches Mistress Ren’s.”
“Minister, if you could ask for another on my behalf...”
“I want one too!”
Guard after guard raised his hand, entranced by Ren’s schoolgirl uniform.
Buzzed and steamed, the minister’s entourage left the Hot Springs Resort and ran into its mistress—the Madam. All male eyes were glued to her mature allure and perfect physique. It took every drop of the guards’ willpower not to stare into her intoxicating eyes or to reach out and stroke her shimmering, supple skin.
“Gentlemen,” she greeted them. “How did you like your taste of his world...?”
“Booby much— I mean, very much!” the minister stammered.
With the gentlest finger, the Madam brushed up his chin. “Wonderful. Come back soon...” She sauntered off, the men ogling her as she went.
They had never seen such unworldly beauty, and had no idea how she’d attained nor how she maintained it. “So beautiful...” they breathed together.