Grand Opening: Steamy Men's Bath After the Grand Opening
Steamy vapors rose thickly from the men's bath after the grand opening. Gail and Rick cautiously stepped across the granite floor and sank into the hot spring.
"Hoo..."
At first, the water felt scorchingly hot—almost too much. Rick shot Gail a look, as if about to complain. But the moment they submerged up to their shoulders, sighs of ecstasy escaped them both.
"Haaaa..."
"H-Hyungnim...!"
"Yeah... not bad at all..."
As they soaked longer, the sighs kept coming nonstop. Just sitting there motionless in the water felt like getting a full-body massage.
"Hoo..."
"This is heaven... Hyungnim..."
The brutal fights with monsters, grueling manual labor, frequent camping during quests, and the fatigue from sleepless nights—all of it melted away like snow in spring.
"Hyungnim, remember? That day we trained at the guild and had beef stew."
"How could I forget? That'd make me less than human..."
"Feels just like that day. I bet the duchess made this hot spring water herself."
"Hmm... She's always thinking of her people, so maybe..."
Lost in the moment, they sat still, gazing up at the drifting clouds, oblivious to time. Then Rick suddenly splashed in the bath and yelled.
He could never stay still for long.
"H-Hyungnim! My leg! Look at my leg!"
"Why would I wanna see that?"
"The leg that goblin bit in the south—it ached every time it rained, and my knee too... They're completely painless now! I feel reborn!"
"Always making a fuss... You're gonna get scammed someday. Gotta be careful, I keep telling you."
Saying that, Gail curiously glanced down at his own body.
"..."
He twisted his wrist slightly. The pain from swinging his sword was gone, washed clean. Even tanning diamond wolf hides—tedious work before—felt like something he could handle a dozen of now.
'Guess the rumors weren't total bullshit.'
As the two men's bodies melted into blissful languor, a hawking voice boomed from outside the bath.
"Customers! Get a refreshing scrub before you go! We'll strip away all that dead skin!"
Rick rubbed his eyes and peered through the steam at the familiar voice.
"Hyungnim, isn't that guy... Crok? The chieftain who dueled the duke one-on-one!"
"That build's unmistakable... What the hell's he doing here?"
Gail's gaze fixed on Crok. He'd almost not recognized him. Where was the roaring chieftain of the Red Fangs, axe in hand? Now, clad only in green panties, he flashed a friendly smile while touting his wares—like a neighborhood buddy.
Crok scanned the bath with eagle eyes, spotted Gail and Rick, and strode over.
"Customers! You look caked in dead skin! If you leave like that, your pores can't breathe—you'll die!"
"Wh-what...?"
As Gail flustered, Crok leaned in with a merchant's grin.
"Orc power scrubs away only the grime! Baby-soft skin guaranteed! Grand opening special—regular's 10 silvers, but today only 3 silvers! Tomorrow it's full price!"
Rick let out a hollow laugh at Crok's slick pitch. Handing his body to an orc? No way he'd fall for that scam. But Gail, who always nagged about watch for cons... was wavering hard at "tomorrow 10 silvers."
'We're paying a gold to stay... Skipping the service would be a loss, right? And prices triple tomorrow?'
When would they hit a fancy spot like this again? Just once. Classic mark logic—but sales tactics like this were made to hook you even when you knew better.
"Fine. Let's do it."
"Hyungnim's so brave. Tell me how it feels after..."
"You're doing it too, punk. Don't try sneaking off alone."
"Me?! I don't care about my skin..."
Rick edged back, but Karak popped up, beaming.
"We'll take care of you both!!"
The massive orcs hoisted Gail and Rick by the armpits like feathers and plopped them on the steel scrubbing beds.
Thud.
As tense-faced Gail lay prone, Crok's voice deepened seriously from behind.
"Customer. It might sting a bit."
Vrrr—!
Red aura flickered over the Italian towel in Crok's hand. Gail's spine chilled at the menacing energy.
'Crazy! Aura on a scrub towel?!'
Gail's mind raced with horrors: not scrubbing, but flaying skin? Revenge on the duke's behalf? As terror gripped him and he opened his mouth to scream "stop"—
Swoosh.
The aura-wrapped towel glided over Gail's rough back.
"Gaaah! Mercy... Huh?"
No skin peeled off. Instead, the tough-guy facade he'd worn as party leader sloughed away.
"Haaang... Hngaaa..."
Crok's deft touch pinpointed and scraped only the grime, delivering pure refreshment. The aura's precise control delved between calluses, granting ultimate bliss.
"Haaat... Mr. Crok... There, lower right a bit more..."
"Customer, your dead skin's no joke. A whole basin full."
"Hyungnim!! My skin... my skin's glowing!! So coooool!!"
On the next bed, Rick—surrendered to Karak—sobbed in ecstasy from the aura scrub's power.
In his daze, Gail thought:
'Gotta recommend this to Sena. Wait, no! Can't let these orcs touch her bare skin... Maybe I should learn it myself?'
"Hyungnim's face... looks like he's thinking something dirty."
"Shut it, you brat! M-Mr. Crok, front side too, please!"
Moments later, in the lounge, Gail and Rick emerged transformed. The rugged adventurer skin was gone, replaced by baby-soft, silky sheen.
"Hyungnim, just a scrub and you look even handsomer?"
"Ahem. Well, I was always good-looking."
Yangmari towels on their heads—the hot spring village trend—they grinned in satisfaction.
Then Sena emerged from the women's changing room.
"You guys out too?"
Gail's eyes bulged. Always a beauty, post-bath Sena's skin literally glowed. Her silky hair wafted cozy hot spring scent.
Gail swallowed hard.
"S-Sena. You didn't... get the scrub service too, did you?"
"Yeah. 3 silvers? Total steal—not doing it would be dumb."
Gail's heart sank. A dark burn twisted in his chest.
"Y-you bared your skin to an orc...?!"
Sena smirked at his jealous tone and smack! slapped his back.
"What dirty thoughts, you idiot! It was a female orc!"
"F-female orc?"
"Yeah. Heard female orcs from the mountains are coming down one by one looking for their males. Some aura-using warrior women got hired as scrubbers in the women's bath. Folks after me had a huge line."
Indeed. After Chieftain Tarkan's horde got force-employed in Wintervalt, the females and young left in the mountains didn't sit idle. Packing up to find husbands and dads, they integrated into Wintervalt's labor market—swayed by capitalism and welfare.
"Aha... F-female orc. Ahem!"
Gail finally relaxed with a fake cough.
"Hyungnim, no weird talk—let's eat this together!"
Rick brought wooden bowls of brownish onsen eggs and banana milk.
"They say you gotta get these here."
Gail—uncharacteristically silent on price—bit into an onsen egg. No one lacked class enough to gripe about money here.
Sena, Rick, and early party member Luke—who'd started shining with new magic—joined in. The whites were chewy, yolks melted creamy in the mouth.
As mouths grew sticky, they all sipped banana milk in unison.
"...!!"
All four eyes flew wide. The sweet banana milk enveloped the savory yolk, sliding down the throat in shocking bliss.
"Hyungnim... sob..."
Tears streamed from Rick's eyes.
"Am I dead and dreaming? Back south as a merc, my mouth only tasted blood and dirt... N-now I can't live without banana milk..."
Gail solemnly wiped rising tears, nodding.
"Never knew bananas were this good... Never tried 'em before."
Sena clutched her milk bottle, eyes sparkling.
"Wow! Way better than the overpriced ones back south!"
"Rick! What're you waiting for? Go grab more!"
"Hehe, glad I followed Hyungnim north—I'll stick with you forever!"
Night deepened. Yangmari towels bobbed on their heads. The peaceful hot spring night wore on.
The next morning, Gail's party stepped out light as feathers. No grumbling about costs.
"Hyungnim! Hyungnim! When we make bank next, we gotta come back!"
"Yeah. Let's rake it in this month and get season passes. Doesn't even feel wasteful. Here."
"Great idea! My body's feather-light. Feels like I could punch an ogre barehanded!"
As the guys boasted and chuckled, Sena sidled up to Gail. He was peeling a souvenir onsen egg, wistful.
She whispered drowsily in his ear.
"Gail. Next time... just us two?"
"...!!?"
Gail froze mid-bite, face erupting like a volcano.
Ignoring the sweet vibe, oblivious Rick butted in.
"Huh? Wh-what? Noona, what about me? I go in alone?"
"..."
"..."
Gail and Sena ignored him flat and strode ahead. "Hyungniiiiim! Wait up!" whined from behind.
Soon after. Duke's office in Wintervalt ducal castle.
"Your Grace!"
Arzen Viscount reported, barely containing excitement.
"Just as you said, the hot spring resort's a smash hit! Over a hundred adventurers already got season passes! Hooked on the banana milk you developed—they're emptying their wallets wide open!"
"Ho. A hundred already."
Kailan nodded, smile breaking free. Modern hits worked here too.
"Green Tower Master Aria and Lumielra Workshop's collab—'Slime Mask Packs' and 'Natural Herb Aroma Baths'—are ready for sale soon! Noble ladies and merchant wives are already lining up!"
"Excellent."
Kailan cheered inwardly. But not over yet.
"Alright, time for the next phase."
"Th-this is...?"
Arzen read the papers Kailan handed over.
"Your Grace, I get the Sauna Project roughly... but what's a fire sauna?"
Sedric tilted his head at the unfamiliar term. Kailan grinned down at the peaceful new city outside.
Fire sauna. Or kiln room. Just a piece of the sauna project. Kailan's real vision: a full jjimjilbang, packing kiln rooms and every steam facility together.
Solar magic stones for the rooms would cut side effects, squeezing out citizens' toxins and sweat.
Kukuku. They'd pay dearly, of course.
"Warm water alone isn't enough."
Blast extreme heat to purge sweat. Guzzle onsen eggs and banana milk in delight. He'd teach all northerners that joy.
As Kailan gazed out, smug on money-making, a breeze from the hot spring city reached a distant cave.
Nostrils twitched slowly at the fragrant steam and sweet banana milk scent.