Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Ritual Bath (2)
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"Please change into these."
I, Hitollis, and Hopf each received a bathrobe from the priest standing guard at the entrance to the purification chamber.
The bathrobe was made of an incredibly soft, plush material.
It had a luxurious texture I'd never felt before—not in this world, nor back on Earth.
"This is a ritual bathrobe woven from Arachne silk. It stretches to fit perfectly, so please wear it with ease."
"Ah... Arachne..."
Arachne—a monster on the level of a natural disaster lurking in the mid-layers. Clothing made from its silk?
"This is the first time I've ever gotten such a fancy robe while preparing for a ritual bath..."
"M-Me too. The usual ones we get are just plain cotton robes..."
Hitollis and Hopf both seemed awkward about the situation.
From what they said, the standard issue was just ordinary cotton bathrobes.
"...Is this thanks to you, Balkan?"
"Probably."
"They're probably putting in extra effort since I went through something rough."
I shrugged and tucked away the Arachne bathrobe.
"The changing rooms are this way."
Hopf and I headed into the men's changing room and swapped our clothes for the bathrobes.
As I peeled off my tattered leather armor, congealed blood—remnants of my wounds—plopped onto the floor.
I pulled the Abomination's Soul Stone from my pants pocket.
"Behave yourself."
"Respond."
I let a trickle of the Blessing of Radiance seep into the Abomination's Soul Stone, and it shivered as if to say it understood.
I stuffed it into my backpack, then stripped off my T-shirt, pants, and underwear, tossing them in as well.
"...Whoa..."
Hopf, changing beside me, stared at my body with a dazed, envious tone.
"How does a guy even have a physique like that...? No way... Whoa..."
"Don't gawk."
"S-Sorry!"
His faggoty reaction soured my mood a bit, but I let it slide with magnanimity.
The men of this world were, on average, scrawny and weak. It wasn't weird for him to gawk at my completely different build.
'At least he's not some retard like that Tta Dtai guy, nitpicking and bitching the second he sees me.'
With that thought, I slipped on the bathrobe.
"Oh..."
It had felt a tad small when I first took it, but the moment I slid one arm in, the Arachne silk expanded to fit my frame perfectly.
I naturally folded the front over and buttoned it up. The premium fabric drew an involuntary sigh of admiration.
Just throwing on this one robe made me feel like I'd gone from street beggar to the spoiled youngest son of a chaebol enjoying a life of luxury.
All I needed was a wine glass in hand to complete the picture.
"Uh... what about the helmet...?"
Hopf's eyes drifted to the right side of my face, encased in the Great Helm.
"...Hm. Plenty of paladins wash their swords or armor with holy water, so it should be fine."
"Alright, let's head in."
Clothes changed, we made our way to the purification chamber.
The medieval-style public bath was divided into men's and women's sections.
As a man, I headed straight for the men's side.
Shhhhhh—
–Argh! The holy water's too hot! Pour some lukewarm holy water, I beg you!
–Hic... Thank you, priest... for guiding my ritual bath...
Male priests' voices echoed from inside, each going through their ablutions.
"...What the hell is going on in there?"
"Just the usual ritual bath."
Hopf's flat tone sent a slight chill down my spine.
I dreaded opening that door. My eyesight was already starting to fail just thinking about it.
I squeezed my eyes shut and plugged my ears to block out sound.
I unconsciously sealed off my perception skill too. Peeking inside would deal massive mental damage.
Then Hopf glanced at me and spoke.
"Well then, allow me to explain how to perform the ritual bath—"
"Balkan! You there?!"
In my moment of crisis, Nate Elin came rushing up, out of breath, calling for me.
"Kyaaah!"
Hopf let out a startled shriek, frantically covering his crotch and belly.
His robe was on properly, and there was nothing showing—why the overreaction?
'Or is this normal here?'
A wave of confusion hit my brain, but I quickly accepted it.
No reason for me to act like that just because the local guys did.
I was proud of my healthy body and rock-solid muscles, after all.
"What's up?"
"W-Well..."
Nate Elin's eyes flicked over my body as she started to speak.
No ill intent—just the instinctive reaction of a woman from this world.
Crunch!
She bit her tongue.
"How dare you get to bare yourself before Lady Seriph...! Ugh! You lucky bastard!"
"Pardon?"
"Hoo... Never mind. Lady Seriph is urgently summoning you."
"...Right now?"
"Yes. Good thing you've already changed. She'll guide your ritual bath herself—just come as you are."
Seriph was going to perform my ritual bath personally?
"L-L-Lady Saintess is... personally attending to you, Balkan?!"
Hopf, standing right next to me, was even more shocked.
His eyes were bulging like they might tear—he looked like he'd heard the impossible.
"S-Such incredible luck...!"
"...Is that a good thing?"
A woman washing a man?
Seemed a bit off by this world's standards, but...
"Of course! If it were some nobody woman, it'd be a death sentence for the bitch. But this is Seriph! The epitome of purity, overflowing with divinity, guiding your ablution personally...! For a devotee of the God of Wisdom, this is the highest honor imaginable! You're probably the first ever, Balkan. I'm so jealous...!"
Hopf ranted with genuine envy burning in his eyes.
He saw Seriph not as a 'woman' but as an object of 'faith.'
Even Nate Elin, another woman, showed a similar reaction, if more subdued.
'She's not bishop-level, but pure enough to be called a saintess... Guess I should feel honored?'
It left me a bit confused.
"We're heading upstairs. Follow me."
With that, Nate Elin turned and started walking.
"Go on! A-And maybe a review later...?"
Hopf waved me off, his face dripping with envy.
I glanced back at the men's purification chamber.
–Argh! Priest! The holy water's seeping into my body...! My body and soul are being cleansed...!
I whipped my head away.
Anywhere had to be better than that.
"I'll bring Lady Seriph right away. Wait here quietly."
Nate Elin carefully closed the door behind her as she left.
Balkan blankly surveyed his surroundings.
The space was filled with hazy, humid steam.
She'd explained on the way up that this was Seriph's private purification chamber—slightly smaller than the massive public men's bath he'd seen earlier.
The fact that a room for one rivaled a space for dozens spoke volumes.
And apparently, this was half its original size, scaled down at Seriph's own request.
Drip, drip, drip...
Lukewarm water trickled from ornate fixtures carved into the walls.
Below them sat a tub like a bath basin, filled to the brim.
This wasn't ordinary water.
Faintly glowing with a subtle light—far weaker than the Blessing of Radiance, but what the temple folk called holy water.
Balkan hiked his bathrobe up to his armpits and dipped an arm into the tub.
"...Eh, nothing special."
Most of his wounds had been healed by the healing waters on the 5th floor. Dipping his arm in holy water brought no change.
Knock knock.
As he checked the water temperature, a knock came from outside.
"I-It's Seriph Adelrine. M-May I come in?"
Gulp.
He could hear her swallow even from here.
"Sure."
The rightful owner of this space, yet it felt like their positions were reversed somehow.
Slide.
The door opened immediately after his reply.
Snow-white hair and crimson eyes filled his vision.
Then, her white cat ears perked up tensely, and her soft cat tail swayed gently.
A white bathrobe wrapped preciously around her porcelain skin.
Not quite as enormous as Big Sis Edelbert's, but a generous holy mana pouch that wouldn't starve a baby, topped with a vibrating cross necklace.
In every sense, she exuded the dignity of a saintess.
Seriph's crimson eyes met Balkan's.
'...'
His helmeted head and muscular frame, wrapped in the bathrobe, came into view.
'Seeing other male priests in robes for rituals never fazed me...'
Was it the overwhelming difference in physical specs?
Or simply because the man before her was special?
Seriph's cheeks flushed naturally.
Gulp.
She swallowed dryly, her lips parting slowly.
"Then... I shall begin the service."
Ritual Bath.
A sacred rite to cleanse body and soul before great undertakings—or after deeds that soiled them.
"H-How does it feel...? Any discomfort...?"
"Ah, n-no... fine..."
"G-Good... Then, the other arm now..."
I soaked in the holy water tub, extending an arm out over the edge.
There knelt Seriph beside the tub, wiping my forearm with a cloth soaked in holy water.
Her expression was utterly still, her gaze solemn.
A calm, pure look free of lust or desire, fixed on my forearm.
Splash! Splash!
Her steam-soaked white cat tail thwacked the innocent floor relentlessly... but that seemed physiological.
Swish—
The cloth glided gently from wrist to elbow.
The warm, sopping fabric's unique touch melted away tension in my muscles and joints.
Seriph's holy water massage.
It unraveled body and mind as thoroughly as Edelbert's merciless muscle kneading.
Until now, I'd skipped public baths to save coin, just wiping down with a wet cloth. Soaking in hot water again was a bonus.
"Haa..."
"...Hic? A-Are you alright?"
"Ah... Yeah... Feels really good..."
"........."
At my words, Seriph grew even more solemn in her ministrations.
'Was I misjudging her all this time?'
With that ever-trembling vibrating necklace, I'd pegged her as suspicious. But now, she was the picture of a noble saintess tending a patient.
Glancing aside, I saw her bathrobe, soaked through with the chamber's warm steam.
A bead of sweat trickled down her cleavage, dampening the fabric there.
'...'
My brain short-circuited at the sight.
I instinctively suppressed the thickening in my groin.
Living with Diana day in, day out had toughened me to trials like this.
A bit of focus, and I had it under control...
Stare—
A strangely intense gaze made me turn to Seriph.
She was still solemnly wiping my arm.
'...My imagination?'
Embarrassed by my needless suspicion, I scratched the back of my head with my other arm. Seriph spoke cautiously.
"...I heard you went through something major in the Labyrinth this time."
"Ah... Yeah."
Pretty major, yeah—stabbed by a paladin, eaten by an abomination.
I instinctively touched my abdomen where the paladin's sword had pierced.
Seriph's eyes trembled violently.
"F-For the sins committed by the temple's sword... I apologize on behalf of the temple."
Her bowed head shook faintly.
As if terrified her apology might not be accepted.
"I'm fine now. It wasn't intentional on their part anyway. Plus, I've got compensation coming..."
"Compensation...!"
Her head snapped up. Crimson eyes, brimming with tears, gazed up at me.
"I-I don't know what I could offer to ease your heart, Balkan. I-If there's anything you desire, just say it! I'll obtain it by any means!"
Seriph spoke urgently, even panting slightly in her haste.
Watching her, an old doubt resurfaced.
'This is over the top.'
I couldn't fathom it. This was only my fourth meeting with Seriph.
First: Right after tripping into the Labyrinth, spotting her with a beastkin party.
Second: Her attitude flipped; she offered free blessing and curse checks that others paid silver for.
Third: She granted me a miracle of mental protection that even bounced a hopgoblin staff's magic.
Before this Labyrinth run, Nate Elin relayed Seriph's worries about me.
And now, fourth: Not just priests, but even her direct guard paladins drooling in envy as she performed my ritual bath.
Too much kindness. Too much favoritism.
[◆ ???'s Blessing]
And it all started after the second meeting, when she checked my blessings.
At this point, I was certain.
'Seriph knows about my question mark blessing.'
"Lady Seriph. You once said you'd check my blessings and curses if I visited the temple."
"Ah, yes! Of course! It's still valid!"
Her crimson eyes pleaded up at me desperately.
"Perfect timing—I think I picked up a new blessing on this Labyrinth run..."
"Oh, really?! Congratulations! Does that mean...!"
Was that beaming smile the real Seriph, or just a mask?
Could I fully trust her, or keep a wary distance...?
"Yes. Could you check it—along with all the previous ones?"
This check would settle it.
"Honestly."
Gulp.
Seriph's crimson eyes quivered.