The Bath
I ended up earning far more money than I'd originally planned.
All because my finger had slipped at the very last second while listing the final piece of equipment. Instead of hitting 'Instant Sell,' I'd accidentally pressed 'Auction.'
"What am I supposed to do with all this..."
For whatever reason, the auction wrapped up in roughly an hour. Now the oversized bag I'd bought alongside the pots was crammed full of yellow banknotes.
"Ugh......"
It was an absurd amount—so much that I couldn't spend it all even if I tried right this moment.
I zipped the bag shut and made my way to the spot where I'd buried the previous bundles of cash. The place my instincts guided me to. A familiar location.
"Heave-ho."
I squatted beneath the large tree stump and dug vigorously with both hands, patting the earth down firmly with my feet. That's when I heard it.
—Tap tap tap.
Urgent footsteps racing toward me from far behind.
My ears swiveled in that direction on their own, then began twitching rapidly.
"Huh..."
Thud. Thud.
With each passing second the footsteps grew louder and clearer.
'This isn't good...?'
This was my absolute, non-negotiable secret spot. No one could ever know about it.
As the footsteps drew closer, my hands moved faster.
By the time the sound had closed to within a hundred meters—
"Ah, thank goodness."
I instinctively knew the owner of those footsteps wasn't a threat.
The vibration and warmth traveling from afar matched the rhythm of my own pounding heart.
"You're here sooner than I expected."
I let out a sigh of relief and slowed my pace while burying the money bag. There was no need to rush anymore.
Once the hole was fully dug and I was lowering the bag inside—
"Dan...?"
The voice I'd been expecting reached me, accompanied by the resonant tone of 'April,' the blade forged by my own hands—like a child of mine.
But covering the hole I'd dug took priority over greetings. I kept my eyes forward and continued packing the dirt down tight.
Soon the money bag had vanished without a trace.
'All done.'
What a truly satisfying, heartwarming sight.
Only then did I turn around with a smile.
"Ah..."
Daon stared at me with dazed eyes. She looked almost exactly as I remembered her from our last meeting.
The only real difference was the sleek leather armor replacing her old, tattered clothes.
Quite a bit of time had passed in the forge, but it seemed the flow of time worked differently here.
"Hmm..."
My gaze shifted from Daon to the sword in her hand.
That familiar blood-red hue. My masterpiece, gleaming like a vivid ruby.
'Looks like she's been using it well.'
None of the countless pieces of equipment I'd created could ever belong to anyone else.
That was only natural. The forge had always been just me. No visitors ever came.
"Ahem."
Unlike the awkward way she'd swung it before, she now gripped 'April' with practiced ease in one hand.
'So this is what pride feels like.'
It seemed she had been using the weapon I'd made for its intended purpose.
A rather pleasant feeling.
When I smiled again, a gentle tremor traveled back to me from the blood-red curved blade.
"It's been... so long."
Daon finally spoke, gripping the hilt of 'April' tightly. Her voice trembled.
"Well... have you been okay?"
"Ah! Y-yes..."
Daon seemed unable to find the right words, her lips moving soundlessly. I walked past her.
Pat.
I gave her back a light tap with my palm.
"Eh? Y-yes...?"
She turned around in confusion—or perhaps lingering disbelief—staring at me with wide, flustered eyes.
"Hmph."
Buying land was one thing, but building a forge on it wouldn't happen overnight.
Since Daon was a person, she naturally had a house.
"Let's go home."
No need to build my own place when I could simply take over hers. Both my instincts and my sense of convenience agreed this was the correct choice.
After a moment of hesitation, Daon broke into a bright smile and took the lead.
*
While we walked in silence, taking in the sights along the street, a dull impact suddenly struck my forehead.
Rubbing the spot, I looked up to see Daon standing still in front of a small private residence.
"This is it."
So this was Daon's house. A charmingly tended flower bed greeted us by the entrance.
"Hmm."
I strode past her, flung the front door open, and stepped inside.
The dirt on my feet left perfect brown footprints across the floor.
"Ah."
"Hmm..."
I heard Daon's sigh from behind me, but it would be fine.
Instead of dwelling on it, I turned my head this way and that, observing the interior.
A sofa in the living room, a TV in front of it. Further in, a door led to another room.
Not too big, not too small. A perfectly decent house.
"Not bad at all."
It would make an ideal temporary lodging until I could build my perfect den.
I spun around and looked up at Daon.
"Is it okay if I live here?"
"Of course! ...I don't mind at all."
Even as she said it, her eyes darted over my body.
But words already spoken couldn't be taken back.
I flashed her a grin and immediately threw myself onto the sofa I'd spotted earlier.
"W-wait just a moment...!"
Swish.
The instant I was airborne, Daon darted forward with surprising agility and caught me.
"...Yes?"
Her hands were tucked under my arms.
I tilted my head up to look at her, wondering what was going on.
Her small chin. A sigh of relief.
Then she slowly lowered her gaze to meet mine and offered a wry smile.
"Um... maybe you should wash up before lying down?"
At her suggestion, I glanced down at myself.
Patches of dirt on my white clothes. Clumps of snow tangled in my tail.
'...Isn't dirt a good thing?'
It was refreshing and it masked odors.
"Mmm..."
Still dangling from her grip, I watched as a clump of snow fell from my tail onto the living room floor and began to melt.
No matter how I thought about it, dirt was indeed good. However, if I wanted to fully claim this comfortable temporary home, I'd need to follow Daon's rules to some extent.
I reluctantly nodded.
"...Fine, I suppose."
"Phew."
Daon gently set me down, then nudged my back toward a wooden door set in the wall.
I glanced behind me before approaching slowly and turning the metal handle.
A rush of artificial floral scent hit my nose as the door creaked open, revealing a pristine white bathroom.
"Um, well..."
When Daon saw me hesitating, she stepped inside first to demonstrate.
"Ah, you turn this knob here and the water comes out."
Whoosh.
"This one is for your hair... and this is for your body..."
Come to think of it, I'd never told her that I'd once lived in the modern world.
Partly because I barely remembered it myself, and partly because it would've been a long, tedious story.
"...Got it."
Watching her explain everything so kindly made me feel a pang of guilt.
Overwhelmed by embarrassment, I gently pushed her out of the bathroom and closed the door with a click.
"I'll leave some clothes outside for you!"
Daon's voice came through the door.
"Haa..."
I wiped my face with dry hands, then looked up at the running water.
"Mmm..."
I hadn't said anything, but...
I really, really didn't want to do this.
If I got in the water, my fur would get soaked. My whole body would feel heavy...
'Maybe I should just leave.'
After pacing in place for a long while, I finally squeezed my eyes shut, stripped off my clothes, and threw myself under the cascading water.
*
"Ughhh..."
My bad feeling had been spot on.
No matter how much I rubbed with the towel, my soaked tail felt like it weighed a ton. Every time a droplet fell from my hair and slid down my back, goosebumps erupted across my skin.
I hadn't even gotten tired after forging a hundred pieces of equipment nonstop for days...
Dragging my exhausted body along, I flung open the bathroom door.
On the mat just outside lay neatly folded clothes.
I gave myself another quick rub with the towel before picking them up.
"A bit big..."
I'd meant to say it to Daon, but my voice came out as little more than a tired whisper.
"Sigh..."
Life was hard.
I really was better off living alone. I never knew sharing a house with someone would be this exhausting.
With a firm resolve to build my own den as soon as possible, I threw on the clothes and headed to the living room.
Daon was sitting on the sofa, staring intently at her phone.
"...I should buy this one."
Curious, I dragged myself over and peeked at the screen from behind her.
'Dryer room?'
What kind of room had a name that sounded so drying? I leaned in for a closer look.
It was apparently a machine that blasted hot air from all directions with the push of a button, instantly fluffing up wet fur.
"Oh..."
Exactly what I needed right now.
It looked like a miniature version of the forge's furnace, or maybe a slightly oversized transparent pot.
"Eh?! When did you come out?"
Daon finally noticed me peeking over her shoulder and whipped her head around in surprise.
She looked back and forth between my dripping tail that dragged across the floor and the oversized clothes that left my shoulders completely exposed, then let out a deep sigh.
"Aigoo.... You're going to catch a cold."
She hurriedly got up from the sofa and headed straight for the master bedroom.
A moment later she returned with another machine that had a long cord attached.
—Whiiiiiiiiir!
A blast of hot air rushed straight at my face along with the loud roar.
I vaguely remembered what it was. Something used for drying hair.
"Whoaaaaack...!"
But knowing about it and experiencing it were two very different things.
I instinctively took several steps back.
"Hold still. It'll only take a second."
Daon grabbed me again and aimed the monstrous gust of wind at my tail.
My tail fur flew wildly in every direction.
"...Huh?"
It wasn't bad...?
The strange shape and loud noise still bothered me, but the sensation itself was surprisingly cozy.
Every time the warm air traveled down my spine, my previously lead-heavy tail began to feel lighter, as if by magic.
The feeling of each strand of fur reviving and returning to its naturally fluffy state.
'...Not bad at all.'
The determination I'd made just moments ago about living alone was already beginning to waver.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay here a little longer.