Wandering Mage Luke #3
Wandering Mage Luke #3
When I opened my eyes early the next morning, I found myself refilling the large basin with fresh water even though no one had asked me to. I dumped out yesterday's bathwater and filled it with clean water using magic.
"Boiling-."
The moment I formed the hand seal and submerged both arms up to the elbows, the water in the basin slowly began to heat. I felt the rising temperature against my skin and grinned like an idiot.
'I can enjoy a sauna in my own room first thing in the morning.'
Of course, I could shower in the inn's bathhouse too, but this being a medieval fantasy world, the water at inns was always lukewarm. Especially during the early morning hours when the plumbing barely worked.
But starting today, I could enjoy a half-body bath in steaming hot water right inside my room.
Could you really call something this blissful "magic training"? I just sit still and enjoy a sauna, and my magic skills go up?
Water mages in this world had to be the luckiest bastards alive. Sure, using magic for a long time brought on that peculiar dizzy sensation, but the satisfaction of the sauna far outweighed it.
Splash—!
Once the water had cooled to just the right temperature, I submerged my entire body into the basin. Then I started heating the water using my whole body. Yesterday, I'd confirmed that the greater the surface area of skin touching the water, the more efficient the magic became.
Time passed, and the water in the basin began giving off steam just like yesterday. I lifted my head and saw the ceiling of the inn room growing damp, but I ignored it for now. I could lower the water temperature next time. Right now, I just wanted to enjoy my sauna.
"Fucking fantastic."
Maybe it was because I'd woken up early and still felt drowsy. I found myself unable to stop my eyes from slowly closing. It seemed I dozed off for quite a long time like that, enjoying my half-body bath.
A rumbling snore.
I was leaning back at a steep angle, the back of my head resting against the hard basin, snoring away.
That was when I heard knocking somewhere.
"Tch."
The knock on the door made me frown and open my eyes.
Who the hell comes calling this early in the morning?
Was it Rebecca? Did she come to show off her new gear?
"Mongma-nim—! It's me, Kate, I'm here!"
But the voice ringing out from beyond the door was disgustingly chipper.
I fell into confusion the instant I heard it.
That's not Rebecca, that's the religious nutjob.
And not just any religious nutjob — one I knew all too well.
"Ah, fuck."
Kate!
Why was that blonde nun at my place?
'Did she come because of the Holy Water?'
Now that I thought about it, Kate did have a reason to visit. To fill Holy Water vials with water I produced using my magic power. Apparently, the efficacy of the Holy Water increases when she uses water imbued with my mana.
Last time at the church, I'd made a promise with Kate. I told her she could come to my room to fill her Holy Water vials. But I never imagined she'd have the shamelessness to show up at the crack of dawn.
Bam bam, BAM BAM BAM—!!
"Mongma-nim—!! Are you there? Or not there? Open up, quick—!!"
Was it just my imagination, or did her pronunciation of "there" sound a little off?
Was that nun calling me a "dare" right now?
Kate was making a racket pounding on my door. I was so dumbfounded by her brazen behavior that I was at a loss for words. I'm the one doing her a favor with the water, so what was with that rude behavior?
Of course, I would open the door for her.
But at that moment, I was stark naked and submerged in a large basin. I'd been dozing at such a steep angle that I couldn't just sit up without risking disaster. One wrong move and I'd tip the basin over, turning this cramped inn room into a waterlogged mess.
"Hup."
The moment I braced my palms against the floor and pushed.
A thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
'Did I lock the door when I got back to the room yesterday? I don't remember locking it.'
I'd been struggling to carry that huge basin and had no time to lock the door. After that, I got so absorbed in magic training that I must have completely forgotten to lock it overnight.
I broke out in a cold sweat and stared at the doorknob.
The doorknob that would turn and swing open effortlessly.
'Surely not. No way.'
She's got to have some conscience!
Even that freeloading bitch must have some respect for a person's privacy.
Kate's voice rang out abruptly.
"Guess he's not here? Then I have no choice—."
Right at that moment, the doorknob turned with a clack.
I stared at the smoothly turning knob in horror.
She knows I'm not here, so why is she opening the door and walking in?
Is that blonde nun actually insane?!
"Hey!! Don't open it!! You fucking bitch—!!"
I shouted at the top of my lungs, but it was already too late. Kate had already shoved the door open with her body the instant she turned the knob. The door flew open and slammed against the wall with a loud crash.
"Ah—."
"Ack."
I ended up locking eyes with the blonde-haired nun standing in the hallway.
While completely stark naked.
Every inch of my golden, sun-darkened body laid bare.
"KYAAAAAAAHHHHH—!"
"HWAAAAAAAHHH—!!"
Our screams—mine and Kate's—echoed through the room. I quickly sank my half-raised upper body back down into the basin. Kate, cheeks flushed red, slapped both hands over her face.
"I told you not to come in—!!"
"I didn't know, I'm sorry, I didn't know, I'm sorry! I had no idea you'd be bathing in your room! The door opened, so I just gave it a push!"
That was one hell of a push for "just giving it a push," you shameless bitch—!
If I stood up carelessly, my dangling cock would be fully exposed to that nun. But right now, Kate had both hands covering her face. If I could just clean this mess up quickly while she was staying still like that... if I could just grab something to cover myself!
"Huh?"
But I couldn't move my body.
Because I realized it the moment I looked at Kate.
The fact that the blonde nun was subtly parting her fingers. That she'd spread her fingers apart and was peeping at my body through the gaps, her face burning red.
Not only did she open the door on her own, but now she's peeping at a naked man?
Is that behavior befitting a nun?
"Hey—."
"Yes? Wh-what is it, Mongma-nim?"
"Close the door and get out while I'm asking nicely. Get out before I gore you with my horns."
"Hiiiiyik."
Kate let out a shrill shriek and slammed the door shut.
Only then could I get out of the basin, dry myself off, and put on clothes. Fortunately, the basin was large enough that I'd at least managed to keep my cock from being exposed. I'd successfully defended the last line of defense, so to speak.
*
After I'd put on all my clothes and even wiped up the water that had spilled onto the floor during the commotion.
I spoke toward the closed door.
Because I could still hear the sound of footsteps pacing back and forth beyond it. She was pacing so damn loudly that there was no way I couldn't hear it.
I could also keep hearing little girlish mutters like "What do I do! What do I do!"
"Stop making a racket out there and come inside."
The moment I spoke, the footsteps stopped dead.
The door creaked open slightly, and fine golden hair swayed through the crack.
"R-really? Can I come in?"
"I've cleaned everything up and put on clothes, so you can come in. You came to fill the Holy Water vials, right?"
"That's right!"
There'd been a brief incident, but I had no intention of turning Kate away outright. Kate came to get water from me, and in return, she'd pay me money. There's no way I'd throw away a decent pocket-money opportunity over a little embarrassment.
"Then I'm coming in."
Kate, dressed in her nun's habit and carrying a pouch, entered the room. Clearly feeling guilty, she kept her gaze fixed downward as she walked toward me.
I happened to be sitting on the edge of the bed. Kate approached me and knelt down on the floor.
Like she was being punished.
"I'm truly sorry. I have nothing to offer but my apologies. I can't even give you money."
"Money? That's what you're bringing up right now?"
"It's not like looking at Mongma-nim wears you out or anything."
There was Kate, admitting with her own mouth that she'd peeped at my naked body.
Her shameless attitude actually made the anger that had surged up inside me subside. Her entire mindset seemed different from ordinary nuns.
"Why would a nun look at a naked man anyway?"
"I think you might be misunderstanding something here. It's not like we nuns have absolutely no interest in that sort of thing, you know? There are dozens of erotic picture books floating around the convent dormitory alone."
Erotic picture books? As in, the naughty books they sell in the market district?
I stared at her with a dumbfounded expression.
"There are erotic picture books in the nun dormitory? Is that allowed?"
"Ah, well, of course you're done for if the Mother Superior catches you. But they're being circulated secretly inside the dorm. The oldest erotic book in circulation hasn't been discovered for a whopping seven years. Impressive, isn't it? The nuns' cooperative spirit?"
Kate whispered in a hushed, conspiratorial voice, like she was talking about drug trafficking.
I was so appalled that I didn't want to continue this conversation topic with Kate. I felt like all my illusions about nuns were about to shatter.
"Just give me the vials already. That's why you came, to fill them with water."
"Right."
When I sighed and urged her to hand over the vials, Kate pulled out the glass Holy Water vials from her pouch. The vials Kate laid out on the floor totaled ten.
Somehow it felt like fewer than when I filled them last time.
"Why only ten? You should've brought more while you were at it."
"It's hard to make more than one vial of Holy Water per day anyway. And you, Mongma-nim, are still growing as a mage, so the magic power infused in the water will increase day by day. It's to my benefit to receive water from you multiple times."
"So that the Holy Water's efficacy goes up even a little?"
"Yes. That's why I came looking for you so early in the morning. Though I honestly had no idea you'd be bathing in your room."
Kate's voice trailed off slightly, probably as the image of my naked body flashed through her mind.
Her gaze had landed on the large basin I'd pushed into a corner of the room. She wasn't... visualizing me in her imagination right now, was she?
I looked at Kate, who had turned her head away, and felt an inexplicable unease.
For some reason, today she wasn't even wearing the veil she usually wore, letting her radiant blonde hair cascade freely.
"I just fill the vials with water, right? Still 2 Copper each?"
"Yes, 2 Copper each."
Kate's gaze was still fixed on the large basin.
Why won't you look at me when you're talking, you blonde bitch?
I sighed and started filling the Holy Water vials.
Since there were only ten, it seemed like it wouldn't take long.
Once I got the 20 Copper, I'd use it to buy some strawberry pie or something.
"Water—."
I had nearly filled all ten vials with water.
Then Kate, who had lifted her head, happened to glance at the ceiling. It was the ceiling damp with moisture from the steam of boiling water.
"Is there a leak in this inn, by any chance?"
"No?"
"But the ceiling over there is soaking wet. Shouldn't you tell the innkeeper? The place looked pretty shabby from the outside, too."
"That's not it. Actually, I've been doing magic training in the room."
"What in the world kind of magic?"
Kate's gaze met my face.
Her eyes were sparkling with curiosity.
There was no reason to hide what kind of magic it was. In fact, I was dying to babble about the new spell I'd learned. When you've trained hard, it feels good to have someone acknowledge it. It was a real shame that the audience turned out to be this blonde nun, but still, my lips were itching and I couldn't hold back.
"Boiling. It's a spell that raises water temperature. I just learned it yesterday."
"Raises the water temperature—? So you mean Mongma-nim can produce hot water with magic?"
"That's right. Not that I can use it whenever I want. I can only use it when my body is touching the water. It works by raising the temperature while my hand is in it."
"Ohooh."
Kate wore an impressed expression at my explanation.
After all, anyone would be fascinated by magic talk.
Even a nun like Kate was no different.
Perhaps that was only natural.
Kate looked at me with expectant eyes.
"In that case, Mongma-nim."
"What?"
"Show me the magic. The spell that raises the water temperature! I'll even pay an admission fee... 2 Copper should do, right—?"