Chapter 6: As an Adventurer

The man who had engaged me in conversation was a man with a vertical scar over his left eye that gave him the look of an old-timer.

His sharp eyes and the fact that he had one eye made him intimidating.

Against such a person…

“I know, but you smell pretty bad too.”

Tauro said clearly.

“What the hell? You haven't bathed in a long time, kid, and your clothes, which look like rags, are now the same color as dirt.”

Tauro pinched his nose to show the man that he smelled worse than him.

“It can’t be helped, I'll boil some water for you.”

Hot water baths are a luxury, and even the innkeepers charge money just to have a tub filled with hot water.

The one-eyed old man brought out a large tub and began to fill it with water from the well.

Then, he held his hand over the basin and said.

"Heat sphere.”

As he mumbled, and a red spherical mass was sucked into the water, heating it up.

"Magic!”

It was the first time that the present Tauro Satou, not to mention the former Taro Sato, had ever seen this.

Naturally, he was awe-struck.

"Get your ass in here!"

He slapped Tauro lightly on the head.

It's been a long time since he took a bath.

It’s the first time in eight years since his previous life.

Tauro had bathed in the creek outside the town a week ago, but this was his first experience with a bath.

The combination of Taro Sato's and Tauro's memories was overwhelming.

The one-eyed man lifted Tauro and placed him in the tub.

Soaking in water up to his waist was a dream come true.

The one-eyed uncle draws hot water and pours it over Tauro.

Tauro took out the soap and scrubbed his head, but there was no lather at all.

Although the soap was of poor quality, Tauro's hair was too dirty.

The one-eyed man continuously poured hot water on him over and over as he rubbed it with soap and after a few times, something like bubbles began to come out.

The man washed his body in the same way.

The grime from his body was a lot. It must have been hard for the one-eyed uncle.

"Move your hands kid!"

And then he started scrubbing Tauro's body with the soap.

The contents of the tub had turned black.

Instead, Tauro was cleaned up of the dirt of the past two years and although he was still skinny, he looked like a different person when he thought of his previous dirty and battered appearance.

Then he heard that voice in his mind.

“Confirmed condition for skill acquisition <Long years of stain removal>. Magic [Purification] has been acquired."

"Eh?"

“What's wrong?”

“I think I just heard the voice of the world and learned the purification spell.”

“Oh, so the condition for your purification spell is based on this bathtub.”

“Does it vary from person to person?”

“Yes, the same skill has different requirements for each individual. It seems to depend on your talent, but if you want to learn fire magic, you have to try lighting fires and experimenting with different possibilities. Even so, Purification is a rare magic to gain under these conditions.”

He looked amazed, but Tauro was still naked, so he handed him the children's clothes that had been prepared for him.

When he was given the clothes, Tauro thanked him.

“Thank you, One-eyed uncle.”

A good deed requires proper gratitude.

“I'm going to wash myself, so get out of my way, kid.”

Tauro was pushed to the side and the man began to wash himself.

*

"Tauro-kun, the head of the adventurer's guild here wants to talk to you."

Nei, the receptionist, approached Tauro, who was looking for his next quest.

"(The head of the guild? Why would such a person want to meet me?).

He decided to follow Nei's lead.

"Excuse me."

Nei knocked on the door of the branch manager's room and called out to him.

She got a reply and they both entered the room.

"One-eyed uncle!?”

It was the man who had given him a bath.

"Hey hey, Tauro-kun, this is the branch manager, Leo-san.”

“Thank you very much for your help earlier.”

Tauro thanked him again.

“Just sit down there.”

Leo, the branch manager pointed to the sofa.　

He sat down on the sofa and Nei stood beside him.

“I’ve heard from Nei, it seems you have no money, neither do you have a place to live.”

“Y…yes”

“I've got a suggestion for you: there's a spare room in the guild with a bed in it. You can use it for a while.”

“Eh!?”

“In exchange, you'll clean the guild and help Nei and the other guild staff. Of course, we'll pay you.”

“Is that okay?”

It was an excellent offer.

“Nei was persistent. You may have borrowed money from Mauve, but you're still an adventurer.”

“Yes, sir!”

“If you run away without paying back the money, it will damage your career, but it will also damage the reputation of the Adventurer's Guild. As an adventurer, you must behave with moderation.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Also, kid…no, Tauro, you have a head injury. You can go to the healing room later and have some healing magic cast on you, that's all.”

He waved his hand as if to say get out of here.

Tauro thanked him again and left the room.

"Thank you, Branch Chief."

Nei, who remained in the room, thanked him.

“It's true that his eyes are not dead like you and Mauve say. It's promising. I'm sure he'll be able to get by even with his garbled skills.”

Tauro didn't know that he had the endorsement of the branch manager Leo.

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