A Humble Beginning (15)
Della stared at the small wooden bead resting in my palm, masking her bewilderment with a bright smile. "What's this, Master?"
"It's a massager. They say if you press it against sore or aching muscles, it works wonders."
I pushed the protrusion next to the bead. It immediately began vibrating and spinning wildly on her palm. Della yelped in surprise, nearly dropping it.
From behind her, Idi's eyes gleamed darkly as she watched the buzzing bead.
"It vibrates so strongly... You really put this on sore spots?"
Della pressed it against the inside of her wrist. Her eyes fluttered shut as a moan of delight escaped her lips. "Ooh... so refreshing... too refreshing..."
Marim snatched it away in a flash and jammed it against her shoulder. Soon she was grinning dopily, eyes half-lidded. "Ahh... feels so good... my knotted muscles are melting away..."
"Thank you, Master. This is exactly what I needed. I'll put it to good use."
Della bowed her head with a lovely smile. And with that, the simple gift distribution was done. Time for the main topic.
But it wasn't easy to bring up. Building a bathhouse meant more work for the staff. Sure, I wasn't stiffing them on pay or treating them like slaves, but we hadn't started out as a strict employer-employee deal either... These girls were precious to me. Was I just burdening them out of my own greed to expand the inn?
Still, the bathhouse was already in motion, and with everyone gathered like this, backing out wasn't an option. Gotta say what needed saying.
"There's that empty lot behind the inn, right? We're building a bathhouse there."
Marim reacted first among the staff. "A bathhouse...? What's that? Like a big tub?"
"A bathhouse is a building made just for bathing," Francois explained gently, at Marim's eye level. "Imagine the tubs in the rooms, but as big as this hall—so lots of people can use it at once."
Marim looked even more puzzled. "Why bathe together...? Doesn't make sense..."
"We get to wash in warm water every day here at the inn, but most folks can't. And you can't just strip down by the river where anyone might see, right? Bathhouses are for people like that."
"Hmm... I guess..." Marim nodded slowly.
"Anyway, I figured I should tell you all ahead of time. Bit late now, but still."
I scratched my head and continued. "So, uh, if anyone has anything to say, speak up."
"What do you mean?" Della blinked wide-eyed, genuinely confused.
"Isn't it already decided? Then we just work harder to help you, Master."
Her innocent smile left me speechless. Idi just nodded like "I see," while Marim still looked baffled about the whole bathhouse concept. Pelle said nothing, as expected. Celereja didn't care since it wasn't her job, and Francois seemed indifferent.
Their mild reactions caught me off guard. I'd half-expected at least one to argue we didn't have enough hands for a bathhouse too.
"Guess I'll be bathing there every day... hehe..."
"Me too. Still can't picture what a bathhouse is exactly."
Idi and Marim already seemed excited at the prospect.
"When's the bathhouse getting built, Master? Not till next year, is it?"
"Nah. Ukun says a month."
The staff looked shocked, and Marim grumbled in disappointment. "What? So it's just a bigger tub after all."
"A building in a month? They won't cut corners...?"
"Dwarves won't do shoddy work even if you hold a knife to their throat—they'd die first. You can trust Ukun."
"If you say so, Master."
Della's blue eyes curved into pretty crescent moons with her smile.
Then Pelle, who'd been silent till now, finally spoke. "But there's one issue."
Here it comes. I'd wondered why she was so quiet. I tensed, looking at her.
"A bathhouse will need staff to run it. Planning to hire more, or handle it with our current numbers?"
All eyes turned to me. Yeah, that was the key point.
"Here's my plan: Hire a couple for basic tasks, then appoint a manager from among us to oversee them and run the bathhouse in my place."
"Hmm." Pelle stared, clearly unsatisfied.
"We've got a month, so we'll figure it out. I'll make sure it doesn't overburden you all—don't worry."
"Do whatever you want, Master!"
"Hehe... Bertrand always comes up with good plans..."
Della and Idi chimed in together. Francois and Marim nodded similarly. That demon girl looked like she wanted to say something but held back... Eh, probably nothing.
The next morning, suppliers arrived with material samples. Ukun inspected them sharply, nitpicking every detail, while I trailed behind haggling prices and drawing up quotes.
In the midst of it, Hildeva—whom I'd tipped off via Marim—showed up with officials. They pored over Ukun's blueprint, drawn so even humans could read it, checking if our bathhouse qualified as a "legal structure."
That meant no potential for misuse as a fortress or defenses in emergencies, and no idiotic designs prone to collapse. "Misuse" had a messy history: Long ago, a rich tycoon in a direct territory built his mansion like a fortress. Turns out he was a noble council stooge. He smuggled in nearby lords' private troops bit by bit, then seized control in a coup. A classic ploy to plunge the territory into chaos and snatch it—highlighting the bloody feud between the royals and nobles.
After that, civilian buildings needed approval proving no military conversion risk. Ours had none, so Hildeva greenlit construction, assuring a positive outcome.
"Once the bathhouse is done, let's bathe together."
Alone after the officials left, she whispered with a wink. I grinned like an idiot, swearing we'd do just that.
Ukun scarfed lunch with a keg of beer, then dove straight into work. No materials yet, but he grabbed a sturdy shovel and started digging foundations, pipe routes— all from memory, no blueprint needed.
When I offered help, he snarled to get lost and not hinder him. Fine by me. But sweating under the blazing sun risked delays, so I pitched a spare tent from the shed in the lot's corner. Added a wooden crate, a massive ham slab, and a small beer keg on top. Ukun beamed, delighted.
As I headed back, Della spotted me en route to the lot and startled, hiding something behind her.
"Ah...! Master... you were here...?"
"Yeah. Why so jumpy?"
"Nothing... just had a question for Ukun..."
She brushed past and dashed to him. As I walked away, their whispers carried—my hearing's sharp.
"Ukun, this wooden bead... it won't break if I soap it up and rinse?"
"What? That? Go ahead—works even underwater."
"Really...? Amazing... what a relief..."
"Relief? What's that mean? It's for loosening muscles—why would it get wet?"
"You don't need to know!"
Della raised her voice in panic. Glancing back, she clutched the bead tightly, face flushed. Ukun barked about her sudden outburst; she apologized profusely, bowing till her forehead nearly touched the ground.
A few days later, wagons loaded with materials rolled in. Unloading took half a day—stone blocks especially, dragged by eight straining horses.
That sparked an idea, but bathhouse first—I shelved it. We stacked materials by type on log bases to avoid ground contact, covered with hides against rain and dew.
Once set, Ukun rubbed his hands, grinning maniacally. "Heh heh heh heh... all prepped... finally... finally it begins... the bathhouse... the one-and-only Ukun Kazahur bathhouse is about to be born... heh heh heh..."
What the hell? I bolted to the inn for a beer keg. After chugging it cool, he calmed and looked up. "Balder. Thanks. Because of you, my lifelong dream comes true."
"Repay it with solid work."
"Then promise me one thing."
"What? If it's ridiculous..."
"I bathe free."
His modest wish cracked me up. But he was dead serious. "Promise! If I pay to soak in my own bathhouse, I'll smash it to bits!"
"Fine, fine. No big deal. You won't camp here forever just for that, right?"
"Of course! Once done here, full steam on the mine bathhouse. But when I crave a real melt-your-bones soak, I'll come back. Heh heh heh heh..."
Ukun chugged more beer, giggling weirdly at the thought.
Construction flew along. Daily checks showed real progress—a month seemed feasible. The pint-sized dwarf buzzed everywhere, handling everything solo. Offers to help got me yelled at and shooed—like interrupting an artist mid-stroke.
So I supported with snacks and beer during breaks, ensuring his room had constant hot water and toiletries. That was it—no other demands. Beer and baths: all he wanted from the inn. Made it easy.
With bathhouse work underway, the brutal heat eased. Still summer, but it'd drag into fall soon. The Buren River's chill would deter bathers by late summer or early autumn—perfect timing for our opening.
Asenaris for summer cash, bathhouse for fall profits. Smiling at the thought. Spring's inn launch felt uncertain, but now everything clicked. Sure, annoyances cropped up, but compared to hero days? Child's play.
Bathhouse as the launchpad. Step by step, who knows—maybe rival Grace Bay Club someday. Humble beginnings, grand endings.
Feeling good after inspecting the site, I entered the inn. The door flew open as mercenary captain Hardo burst in, breathless.
"Boss! Boss! You hear?!"
"Captain? Hear what?"
"That thing! That!"
Suddenly, a deep horn blast echoed from outside.