The Prince's Sudden Outburst
Lox looked thoroughly fed up with my obsession with sleep. With a resigned shake of his head, he began clearing the table.
“If we’re leaving first thing in the morning, you’ll need some rest. I’ll explain the rest while we travel tomorrow.”
“What? There’s still more to explain?”
“This isn’t child’s play. Ancient civilizations are no trivial matter. There’s still a mountain of information you need to memorize. Remember—if even one of us slips up, we all suffer the consequences.”
Damn it. Couldn’t he tell just by looking at my face that studying was the thing I hated most in the world?
It was written right on my forehead!
“Tch. You should be grateful a high-value asset like me is even tagging along. Why do you have to lecture so much? Go outside and see for yourself—Spirit Masters aren’t exactly rolling around on the streets.”
Other parties were desperate to recruit mages, yet this guy was trying to chase away the Spirit Master who’d practically fallen into his lap.
I grumbled loud enough for him to hear as I crawled onto the bed I always used.
“I can still hear you, you know.”
“Oh my, my mistake.”
My voice might have been a little loud.
“What’s with this partition? Can I move it?”
“Move it. Go ahead.”
I gave Gail a half-hearted reply and buried my face in the bed. Ah, if only I could spend more of my life doing absolutely nothing on a mattress.
“We’re short one bed.”
“So we are.”
“Ah, sorry. I couldn’t get another room.”
While I was busy reaffirming my love for the bed, the men seemed to have run into a minor problem.
With six people and only a five-person room, we were one bed short. Our group consisted of five men and one woman—an awkward combination when it came to lodging.
“The festival’s in full swing, so no one’s willing to give up their rooms. Even if they do, they’re demanding extra money and doing it behind the innkeeper’s back.”
At Lox’s explanation, Enk—who’d lost the bed lottery—scratched the back of his head and scanned the floor for a place to sleep.
“Can’t be helped. I’ll just sleep on the floor. At least it’s not outdoors…”
“Enk. Use my bed.”
“Ash? What about you?”
“I’ll sleep on the floor.”
Ash immediately started pulling his things off the bed with zero hesitation.
“I slept in a bed yesterday, so I’m fine. You and Gail have been camping out, so you must be exhausted.”
“That’s true, but…”
“It’s fine. You take the bed. It’s better that way.”
How could someone offer up their own bed and volunteer for the floor? Still lying with my face buried in the pillow, I felt a level of cultural shock I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
The way Ash acted, he seemed less like the leader and more like the lowest-ranking member. Maybe that was part of what made him a good leader.
Even with a sleeping bag, the floor had to be far worse than a proper bed.
“No, no. I can’t do that. You take it.”
“I should be the one apologizing. You’re the ones who’ve been working hard out there…”
“Why not just share one bed?”
Still hugging my blanket, I tossed the suggestion out casually while the two of them argued like affectionate brothers.
“Out of the question.”
“That’s right. We’re too big—it would only be uncomfortable.”
“There’s still space on my bed.”
The beds were made for adult men, so there was plenty of room when I lay down. I scooted closer to the wall and pointed at the empty space with my finger.
It was quite spacious.
“……Ahem.”
“Pfft.”
Why were they all making those faces?
Especially Ash—I’d never seen him look so flustered before.
“Too narrow? Then we can push two beds together and fit three.”
I pointed at Gail’s bed nearby. Gail wasn’t particularly large for a man, so it seemed like a solid idea. He started coughing like he’d swallowed something wrong.
“Are you worried I’ll pounce on you? Don’t be. You don’t even look like men to me.”
“……I’d rather sleep in the stables.”
“Huh? Why? Is it really that bad?”
Did I smell or something?
I hadn’t bathed properly in days because I’d been sharing rooms with the men. I buried my nose near my shoulder and gave myself a sniff, but it was hard to judge your own scent.
[Rai, do I smell?]
[I may be highly capable, but as you know, I lack a physical sense of smell. I can detect magical odors, though.]
[I know. I just wanted to hear you say I don’t.]
I’d have to find time for a shower tomorrow.
“I appreciate the offer, but…”
“Then come here.”
“I must politely decline.”
“Hmm, then I’ll just lie down instead……”
Enk tried to slip in, but Ash grabbed his arm before he could reach the bed. I couldn’t see his face, but even an idiot could tell Ash was silently furious.
The air grew suffocatingly heavy. Enk looked like he was desperately avoiding Ash’s gaze.
“……I’m sorry. It was just a joke.”
We’d already slept in the same room before, so this sudden awkwardness was ridiculous.
Still lying on my side, I patted the empty space.
We were going to travel together from now on. Making a fuss over something this small would only make things uncomfortable.
“What’s the difference? Sleeping in the same room or the same bed—it’s basically the same.”
“There’s a huge difference.”
“I wouldn’t mind letting Ash sleep here.”
“……”
“……”
I could practically feel the men scattered around the room rolling their eyes in real time.
Unable to bear the awkward atmosphere any longer, Ash suddenly shouted. Actually, his voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an intense weight.
“Everyone out.”
“……What!”
“Why!”
“To the stables!”
He even woke Chad, who’d been pretending to sleep, and dragged him out like some kind of tyrant.
“What the hell is this!”
“All of you, out!”
How had it come to this?
It had definitely been Ash who said Enk and Gail needed proper rest after their long journey. Now they were all being shoved out the door by him.
Chad, of course, protested the loudest.
“No way! We’ve got a five-person room! Why do we have to sleep in the stables?! That woman should go instead!”
“Chad!”
“Tell her to sleep in the stables!”
He got smacked on the back of the head by Ash and was dragged out by the collar.
Still lying on my side, I blinked at the scene unfolding before me.
It didn’t take long for all the men to be hauled out. Once Ash slammed the door shut, I found myself alone in the large room.
Completely alone.
I had no idea what just happened.
“What the…? I don’t understand the situation at all.”
Everything had moved too fast. I was a little confused.
What exactly had occurred?
Ash had yelled, even used a bit of force, and then…
Rai hopped onto the empty bed, wagged his tail in satisfaction, and claimed a spot before lying down. Then he mocked me.
[Master, you really have no sense of awareness!]
“What? That can’t be right. First time I’ve heard that!”
[Ash is acting like this because he’s worried about you!]
“……Me?”
The little devil whispering in my ear was still a spirit, after all.
[He’s afraid you’ll kill them.]
“Hmm. That does sound plausible.”
I stroked my chin and nodded seriously.
Rai could be surprisingly sharp sometimes.
[Think about it. Would you want to put a mad beast and your precious friends in the same bed?]
“Are you calling me a mad beast?”
[I’ll rephrase. A bloodthirsty monster.]
“Doesn’t seem that different…… I’ve killed a lot lately, but I don’t think I’m scary enough to pose a threat to their lives.”
[If I weren’t a spirit, you would’ve killed me a hundred times by now.]
“No. Not a hundred. Maybe ten thousand?”
Talking with Rai made me wonder if I’d gone a bit overboard recently.
Our kind-hearted prince, who valued life, really hated it when I killed people. Maybe I should show some restraint?
But I only killed people who deserved it. It wasn’t like I killed because I wanted to.
“Hmm. I guess I lack trust. What should I do to put them at ease?”
[How would I know? But I do know this—you absolutely cannot do it. I can hear every single thought you’re having right now. Don’t even try.]
This spirit was awfully assertive.
I should kill him about ten thousand times.
[Trusting you would be worse than leaving a dragon in charge of a treasure vault.]
Twenty thousand times.
[Honestly, your danger level is basically a disaster. Ah, you just thought ‘thirty thousand,’ didn’t you?]
He knew me too well. Come here.
I crooked my finger, and Rai bolted to the farthest bed.
He knew that once I lay down, I wouldn’t get up again.
Hah. How frustrating. If I hadn’t already lain down, I would’ve gone after him.
***
I woke up in the early dawn. The air was cold against my skin, and the room was cloaked in deep darkness—a quiet hour.
The absence of familiar breathing reminded me that I was alone.
Realizing I had the entire room to myself, I began peeling off my pajamas in a half-asleep daze.
I pulled the thick pajama shirt over my head, stepped off the bed, and untied my pants, letting them drop to the floor.
Once I’d shed everything, I felt wonderfully light.
Enjoying the cool air wrapping around my entire body, I walked over to my luggage.
Still drowsy, I rummaged through my bag and pulled out a small souvenir I’d bought in this city.
It was a round, scented bar of soap. I’d bought the same pretty mint-colored one for Mia and Iruse as gifts.
It had a soft, sweet fragrance, and I wanted that scent on my skin as soon as possible.
After roughly undoing the braid I’d done before bed, I summoned Undine. That was all the preparation I needed.
“Rai, keep watch while I wash.”
[Understood.]
“Let me know if anyone comes.”
Not many people in this world could take a shower as easily as I could.
I didn’t need a bathtub. All I needed was a chair to sit on while I played around with Undine.
I soaked my hair, lathered up the soap, and worked up a thick foam, but not a single drop of water ever passed my knees.
Undine controlled all the water around me.
Having a master who loved bathing so much, Undine had perfected the art of knowing exactly when, where, and how much water to produce.
If I just left the foam on, the water would move on its own and rinse me clean.
My spirit magic had evolved, and so had my bathing technique. When I was younger, all I could do was fill a tub with water.
“Hehe.”
The final step of my shower was carefully combing through my wet hair. That way, my cursed curls wouldn’t tangle as much when they dried.
Normally, Undine would dry all the water off my body, so I didn’t even need a towel.
But the towels at this high-end inn were high quality and fluffy, and I wanted to feel them against my skin. I buried my face in the clean cloth, then wrapped it around my shoulders, savoring the softness.
“Undine, can you just dry my hair?”
[What about your body, Master?]
“I’ll wipe it with the towel.”
Magic was convenient, but it didn’t give you this kind of cozy feeling. Sometimes, drying yourself by hand was nice too.
Feeling refreshed after my shower, I wanted to wear something I liked. Humming to myself, I picked out a few clean outfits and tossed them onto the bed, trying to decide what to wear.
“What should I pick……?”
Some days I just threw something on, but today we were leaving the city, and we’d definitely be camping in the forest tonight, so something comfortable would be……
[Ash is here.]
“What?”
The door burst open.
……Shit.
“Hic……!”
Shit!