Chapter 104

With our backs turned toward each other, Lady Clara and I took off our clothes.

The logs roared fiercely in the fireplace, making the room so hot it was almost suffocating.

“Are you undressed?”

“Yes.”

Without any cue, we turned around at almost the exact same moment.

Lady Clara gazed at me without making any effort to hide her body with her hands.

I was left utterly speechless by her sheer, breathtaking beauty.

To hide the rasp in my voice, I extended my hand, and Lady Clara firmly clasped it in return.

“You’re beautiful.”

No other words would come out.

“What should I do? This is quite different from the baths I am accustomed to.”

“Let’s get into the pool without the water first and wash our bodies.”

Still holding hands, we stepped into the empty pool.

I had already arranged the bath set on a stand after taking it out of my Spatial Storage.

“First, I’ll pour some hot water over you to rinse off. Please crouch down and turn your back to me.”

Her skin was perfectly white, flawless, and translucently beautiful.

The gentle curve of her spine running from her neck to her lower back caught my eye, and I suppressed a sudden urge to trace it with my index finger.

“I’m going to pour the water now.”

Scooping up the hot water with a basin, I slowly poured it over the white nape of her neck.

“Fufu.”

“What’s the matter?”

Lady Clara suddenly let out a small laugh.

I hadn’t done anything funny.

I hadn’t even touched her body yet.

“It is just so warm. I wonder why? When one is feeling happy, perhaps even the smallest things can bring a chuckle.”

I couldn’t help but smile too.

She was exactly right.

I had been on edge the entire time, but for now, I decided to savor this joy together with Lady Clara.

“Lady Clara, I’m going to apply soap and wash your back now.”

“Yes… I will leave it to you, Kota.”

Using a foaming net, I lathered up the powdered body wash until it formed stiff peaks.

“I’m going to touch you now.”

Starting from her shoulders, I gently washed her, making sure the rich foam adhered closely to her skin.

“Would you like to wash the front yourself?”

“Yes.”

I placed a generous amount of the creamy soap onto the hand she extended over her shoulder.

Once I finished washing her back and rinsed her off, Lady Clara’s skin—which had been hidden beneath the foam—revealed itself once more.

She was well-fleshed, yet there wasn’t a coarse bone on her.

Considering her prowess in battle, she was actually surprisingly slender.

Presumably, she compensated for her lack of muscle mass with magic.

“Now it is my turn to wash you, isn’t it?”

Turning around with a delighted look, Lady Clara’s ample breasts swayed.

I won’t go into details.

I’m not telling anyone!

“You said you wanted to wash my hair, right?”

“Mhm. But not just your hair.”

“Are you going to rinse my back too?”

“Yes. I will wash your back. I will wash your legs. I will even wash between each and every one of your toes.”

That sounded like it was going to tickle.

Well, this was Lady Clara’s personal quirk, so I decided not to say anything.

Since I had thoroughly warmed up the room, it wasn’t cold at all.

I let her get me sparkling clean to her heart’s content…

The two of us stepped into the pool filled with hot water.

While there was plenty of space, we naturally ended up pressing close together.

Lady Clara sat down between my spread legs, leaning back against me.

“This was unexpected. I thought you would be much more embarrassed.”

“I am embarrassed. This is the first time I have ever had anyone look at my naked body. But… pressing our skin together like this feels incredibly comforting.”

Turning around inside the hot water, Lady Clara hugged me closely.

Her chest pressed against my torso, and my body reacted regardless of my will.

“I won’t even try to make excuses anymore. A guy’s body just inevitably ends up like this.”

“U-Umu. I am aware… I will wash that part for you later as well. That way, um… I can make you comfortable.”

So she did have that kind of knowledge.

When I asked, it turned out the source of her information was her cousin, Mercedes Heize.

Apparently, those kinds of topics did come up between them after all.

After getting out of the bath, I poured some water into a glass.

Staying hydrated was important.

Both Lady Clara and I had broken quite a sweat.

“Take a look at this. It’s my new skill.”

“Oh, you have become able to create water?”

Showing it to Lady Clara, who had just generated a massive amount of hot water earlier, felt a little presumptuous, but as her summon, I felt it was my duty to report my skills.

“Here you go. You must be thirsty.”

“Thank you.”

Taking the glass, Lady Clara downed it in a single breath.

I dried Lady Clara’s hair with a hairdryer.

It was originally a silver hair that looked like moonlight, but thanks to my skill and the Earth-made shampoo, it was shining even more radiantly now.

“Are you staying the night?”

“…”

Her response was drowned out by the noise of the hairdryer, but the slight nod of her head and the bright red flush on the nape of her neck told me her answer was yes.

On the morning of our departure for Romanburg, I felt completely fulfilled in both mind and body.

Waking up to find Lady Clara’s face right in front of mine and blushing as our eyes met, or cooperating to make and eat breakfast after a long kiss—the morning had been packed full of blissful events, but now I had switched gears to focus on my military duties.

Just to be absolutely clear, we didn’t cross the final line.

By the time we got out of the bath, I was already well into sage mode.

The preparations for the supply unit were completed without a hitch, and just as we were about to set off, a lone mounted knight approached.

The one riding was a large knight.

When they dismounted, they stood taller than me.

Their height must have been close to 190 centimeters.

They seemed to have quite a broad build as well.

They weren’t wearing a helmet, revealing pale blonde hair.

Freckles were scattered across their fair skin.

I couldn’t really tell their age.

They were probably in their late twenties.

“Where is the commander of this unit? I was told to hand over this order sheet.”

Lady Clara stepped forward and accepted the order sheet.

She read it through and immediately looked up.

“Understood. I am the unit commander, Clara Ansbach. It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Hero.”

Hero?

Could this person be one of the heroes of the Kingdom of Saxens?

If I recalled correctly, there were three people summoned from Earth.

It was supposed to be a Japanese guy, an American guy, and an Indian guy.

No matter how I looked at him, this man was American.

As I stared at him intently, the hero seemed to notice my presence as well.

“What’s up? Is a hero really that unusual?”

“My apologies. Actually, I’m from Earth as well. I’m Japanese.”

“Are you serious?!”

The hero suddenly pulled me by the shoulder and shook my hand with incredible strength.

“I’m Gary! Gary Levi. I absolutely love Japan! I mean, I wish I’d been born Japanese! Honestly, I wish I’d been born in Akihabara!!”

…I had seen people like this on TV before.

It was someone whose appreciation for Japan had evolved into an intense, uncontrollable infatuation with the country.

It was common among people who loved anime and manga.

Since my home country’s culture was being praised, it didn’t feel bad or anything.

“I see, so you’re Kota Hinoharu. Nice to meet you. Is it cool if I call you Kota?”

“Then I’ll call you Gary too.”

Gary mentioned that he was also being deployed to Romanburg.

While the troops hadn’t fully assembled yet, the higher-ups had apparently decided to send the hero ahead for the time being.

“Back in Utah, I used to be the manager of a DVD rental shop. Now look at me, I’m a hero. The God of Otaku must have granted my wish!”

The God of Otaku… that was a different entity from the God of Space-Time, right?

Since there seemed to be all kinds of gods around, it wouldn’t be surprising if a god like that existed…

“Man, it’s hot today. It really feels like spring is finally here.”

He seemed to be thirsty.

As a token of our new acquaintance, I pulled a well-chilled cola out of my Spatial Storage and handed it to him.

Since he was American, I figured he’d probably like it based on his build.

“…Kota.”

“What’s wrong?”

“You are the absolute best!!!”

I was pulled into a tight hug by the massive tough guy.