Chapter 99
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Translator: Xrecker
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Between Friends
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The sauna here was like a traditional Korean steam room.
Once inside the wooden structure, a fire was lit outside to raise the temperature.
It was a common method in cold regions, as it was more efficient than boiling water for a bath.
Perhaps because it was dinnertime, the sauna was empty.
I had the whole place to myself.
“Phew…”
I didn’t know the exact temperature, but I was already sweating profusely.
My stiff muscles, sore from a long day of walking, began to relax.
The sauna opened up my pores, releasing impurities and sebum, which was great for my skin.
I wonder what Dorothea and Vanessa are up to.
I had told them I was going to the sauna.
They were probably having dinner without me.
I should probably get out soon.
I felt my head getting hot and stood up to get some fresh air.
Click
At that moment, the sauna door opened, and a blast of cold air rushed in.
“Ah! There you are, Kaldrash!”
Dorothea, who had changed into a thin sauna robe, greeted me with a cheerful smile.
Vanessa was with her, of course.
“What are you two doing here?”
Dorothea grinned and puffed out her chest.
“It wouldn’t be right to eat without you. So, we decided to join you in the sauna and eat later.”
Loyalty!
The two women clenched their fists.
While I was touched by their unexpected kindness, I quickly slipped past them.
“Hey! Where are you going?”
“Just going to splash some cold water on my face.”
I couldn’t stay in the sauna any longer.
***
Unlike bathhouses, saunas were co-ed.
In the old empire, mixed-gender bathing had been common, but with the Church of Courage’s prohibition of “impure” interactions between the sexes, bathhouses had become segregated.
While some places allowed nudity or a simple towel, this was a sauna where you wore robes.
But there was one thing I had overlooked.
The thin cotton robes were not at all revealing on their own.
But when soaked in sweat, it was a different story.
Damn it.
I rubbed my forehead, taken aback by the unexpected sight.
The loose-fitting sauna robes, now clinging to their bodies, revealed every curve.
The bigger problem was that they weren’t wearing anything underneath, and they hadn't noticed.
“It’s nice and warm in here. I wouldn't mind it being a little hotter.”
Dorothea, the fire witch, was in her element.
She crossed and uncrossed her thick thighs, drawing my gaze.
“Don't even joke about that. I’m already dying of heat.”
Vanessa retorted.
She had the body of a wild horse, lean and muscular.
Her toned physique, a stark contrast to her beautiful, aristocratic face, was a testament to her rigorous training.
And it suited her perfectly. She looked like a classical statue.
I don’t know where to look.
The three of us were sitting in a small, enclosed space.
My head was hot from the steam, my eyes were drawn to their bodies, and the sand in the hourglass seemed to be moving in slow motion.
While I was used to Dorothea’s body, staring at Vanessa’s was a clear breach of etiquette. I closed my eyes and waited for this uncomfortable moment to pass.
But that seemed to have made things worse.
Dorothea, puzzled, asked,
“Kaldrash, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”
I opened my eyes, and my gaze fell upon Dorothea’s cleavage, which was right in front of my face. I gasped.
As she had leaned forward to check on me, the collar of her sweat-soaked shirt had loosened, revealing her white breasts.
Throb
An involuntary physiological reaction.
I’m screwed.
I lowered my head in defeat.
I had tried to resist, but the visual stimulation was too much.
Dorothea, who had been touching my forehead, seemed to have noticed the hard object pressing against her thigh. She grinned mischievously.
“Did you get turned on by my body?”
“…Shut up.”
“Haha, you’re so cute when you’re shy.”
Dorothea chuckled and teased me.
I wanted to punch her, but there were witnesses.
I’ll make you pay for this later, in bed.
I promised myself and then, to hide my erection, I turned Dorothea’s body around.
‘Cover me.’
‘Okay.’
Vanessa, still oblivious, blinked in confusion. But when Dorothea sat on my lap, she blushed.
“Wh-What are you doing?!”
Dorothea wrapped her arms around my neck and said with a smug smile,
“This is normal between friends.”
“Lies! Even I know that’s not true!”
Dorothea shrugged and crossed her legs.
“Believe what you want. This is… common knowledge among friends these days.”
“C-Common knowledge!”
What country’s common knowledge was that?
It was a ridiculous comedy, with Dorothea’s blatant lies and Vanessa’s naive acceptance.
Anyway, Dorothea’s lie seemed to have worked. Vanessa, muttering to herself about the boldness of today's youth, suddenly stood up.
She walked over and sat down right next to me.
I was about to ask her what she was doing when she, her face flushed with embarrassment, said,
“Th-This is nothing to me either!”
“Hmph! Then how about this!”
Dorothea, not to be outdone, pulled my face into her breasts.
“Mmph!”
I tried to break free, but Vanessa, her competitive spirit now ignited, joined in.
“My breasts are bigger than yours!”
She said, pressing her own breasts against my face.
With both of them now in a frenzy, I was suffocated by their combined assets. I raised my hand in surrender.
Wait! I can’t breathe!
But my oxygen-deprived brain was already shutting down, and I fainted before I could cry for help.
***
“Ugh.”
When I came to, I was lying in my bed.
I felt like I had been through something ridiculous.
Fainting from being smothered by breasts… wasn’t that something that only happened in comic books?
I shook my still-dizzy head and sat up. Dorothea was dozing in a chair beside the bed.
She must have been taking care of me after I passed out.
My clothes had been changed. That must have been her doing as well.
She looked like an angel when she was asleep, but a devil when she was awake. I gently stroked her hair and looked out the window.
I didn’t know how long I had been out, but it was already late at night.
Rumble
“Ah.”
My stomach growled, breaking the peaceful atmosphere.
I hadn’t eaten dinner. I was about to go downstairs to find something to eat when the door opened, and Vanessa entered.
“You’re awake?”
She was holding a tray of food.
She must have brought it for me, anticipating my hunger.
I thanked her and took the tray.
Vanessa then lifted the sleeping Dorothea into her arms, princess-style, and left, closing the door behind her.
Alone in my room, I finally had my late dinner.