Chapter 8: Mixed Bathing and Inari Sushi
How did things end up like this?
“Hm. Now that I think about it, this is the first time you and I have properly sat down and spoken alone together like this, Eight-dono.”
“Y-Yeah. Sure is.”
I, meanwhile, was anything but calm.
We were both wrapped in the bare minimum amount of cloth, but being alone in a bath with Grana—who had turned out to be an absolutely breathtaking beauty—was enough to destroy any chance of composure.
And now we were washing each other’s backs!?
My heart was pounding so violently it actually hurt.
“Alright, Eight-dono. Your back is clean now.”
“Th-Thank you very much.”
“Then next, I shall entrust my back to you!!”
“!?”
As she said that, Grana moved in front of me and sat down on the bathing stool.
Then, without hesitation, she removed the cloth wrapped around her body.
From behind, I could still see the outline of her chest.
“U-Um, Grana-san…”
“What is it?”
“This is probably way too late to mention, but… in my world, washing each other’s backs to deepen friendships is generally something done between people of the same gender. Between a man and a woman, it’s, uh… extremely dangerous territory.”
I tried to explain it as gently and carefully as possible so as not to provoke her.
But Grana only tilted her head in confusion.
“There are no men who would see a woman with scars on her face as a woman in the first place, are there?”
“…Are you seriously saying that?”
“Why would I not?”
“Well because… y-you’re beautiful, Grana-san…”
“Fufu. What a flattering joke.”
Grana merely shrugged and brushed my words aside with casual ease.
Was that the composure of an adult?
Or maybe—
Was she genuinely unaware of how stunning she was?
“I’m serious, you know. That wasn’t flattery. You really are beautiful, Grana-san.”
“R-Really? Even though I have scars on my face?”
“Nobody cares about something like that. Did someone actually say something to you?”
“…My parents did.”
…Oh.
“S-Sorry.”
“No, there is nothing for you to apologize for. …My parents were what people would call scum. My mother indulged in endless affairs, my father drowned himself in alcohol, and both of them were violent toward me. This scar on my face was given to me by my father with a kitchen knife.”
“That’s way too heavy!! That’s not something you casually tell someone you met a few days ago!!”
“I wish to speak of it, so allow me to. …Those days were hell. However, by chance, a Saintess visited the city where I lived back then.”
“…Raphiel-san?”
Grana gave a small nod.
Because I was busy washing her back, I couldn’t see her expression directly, but—
“That little girl, only five years old at the time, understood my circumstances at a glance and reached out a hand to save me.”
“…That’s incredible.”
“Yes. Truly incredible. That is why I resolved to become a Holy Knight—to repay the debt I owed Raphiel-sama. Fortunately, I was blessed with both physique and talent with the sword, allowing me to become a Holy Knight faster than anyone in history.”
After finishing washing her back, the two of us slipped quietly into the bath together.
Steam drifted lazily through the air.
The hot water relaxed my body somewhat, though my nerves were still in complete chaos.
“There is something regarding Raphiel-sama that I wish to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“Raphiel-sama is the greatest Saintess in history, blessed by the Six Goddesses from the moment she was born. …Because of that, she was subjected to training little different from torture from the moment she became aware of the world.”
“…Training close to torture?”
“She was whipped continuously for entire days, and if she so much as let out a cry, they would pour ice water over her. She was burned with flames as well.”
That wasn’t “training” anymore!!
That was just straight-up torture!!
And more importantly—
“Raphiel-san went through all that, and she still turned out that cheerful!?”
“That is not correct.”
“Huh?”
At my confused look, Grana spoke with a serious gaze.
“The first time Raphiel-sama ever openly displayed that much emotion in front of others… was when she ate cup noodles.”
“…Seriously?”
“She occasionally showed glimpses of her true self in front of me. But until that day, Raphiel-sama was publicly known as an untouchable, transcendent figure who remained unmoved by nearly anything.”
“…I honestly can’t picture that at all.”
To me, Raphiel was—
A girl who gave absurdly high-level food reviews whenever she ate something delicious.
A surprisingly emotional person despite her expressionless face.
A childish adult who got genuinely frustrated when losing at games.
A lazy girl who would stay bundled inside her blankets until noon unless someone woke her up.
And honestly, after seeing her repeatedly slam the same pinky toe into the same dresser corner while groaning in agony multiple times, “transcendent” felt less accurate than “airheaded.”
“That,” Grana murmured softly, “is likely Raphiel-sama’s true personality. If possible, I would like for her to continue living peacefully at your side like this.”
“Well… things definitely got livelier after she showed up.”
“However, Raphiel-sama is still the Saintess. And not merely any Saintess—the greatest in history. If the Temple were to tolerate her selfish behavior indefinitely, it would damage their authority.”
“…So you think they’re going to make a move?”
“Yes.”
Fantasy-world religions really were a pain.
Couldn’t they just handle faith in a more relaxed way like Japan did?
“Raphiel-sama’s guardian cardinal is a broad-minded individual. He maintains friendly relations even toward heathens, and if he were to learn of your character, he would likely overlook Raphiel-sama’s current selfishness for a time. However, the other cardinals are different. They may dispatch Inquisition Knights.”
“Inquisition Knights?”
“Holy Knights tasked with discovering and judging heretics. They are less severe than they once were, but if they decide you have corrupted the Saintess… there is no telling what those extremists might do.”
What the hell.
That sounded terrifying.
“…Wait. Am I in serious danger here?”
“You are absolutely in serious danger.”
Apparently, I was very much doomed.
W-What should I do if Inquisition Knights actually came?
Would a desperate dogeza apology work?
…No.
Yeah, probably not.
“Even Raphiel-sama would likely abandon this lifestyle and resume her pilgrimage if the Inquisition Knights arrived. Therefore… until that day comes, could you continue indulging her selfishness?”
“Well, if it’s just that… then sure. I don’t really have any reason to refuse.”
“Thank you. I am certain the time she spends in this house will become precious memories for her. They will surely support her heart during the hardships of her pilgrimage.”
“…Will they?”
“…No. Now that I say it aloud, perhaps not. Life here is far too comfortable. Her journey afterward will probably feel unbearable by comparison.”
The two of us looked at each other and laughed.
But at the same time—
Thinking that this noisy, lively life might not continue forever left a faint ache in my chest.
…At the very least, I hoped Raphiel’s future travels would remain safe after she eventually departed from Papel Village.
Ah.
Right.
◆ ◇ ◆
“Usually I only leave offerings once a month, but…”
I poured boiling water over fried tofu pouches to remove excess oil, cut them in half, then simmered them in broth made from bonito flakes and kelp along with soy sauce and sugar.
Meanwhile, I mixed vinegar, sugar, and salt together to make sushi vinegar, then folded it into freshly cooked white rice with slicing motions.
That completed the sushi rice.
Afterward, I gently squeezed excess broth from the tofu pouches, opened them up, and stuffed them with the vinegared rice.
Careful not to overfill them and tear the tofu.
“Alright, onto the plate, then cover it with plastic wrap…”
The place I headed next was the living room.
Near the ceiling sat the household shrine.
I placed the inari sushi there and quietly pressed my hands together in prayer.
“Please don’t let the Inquisition Knights take notice of us. Please let us continue living peacefully. …And please let good things happen for Raphiel-san and Grana-san too.”
『…I’m not even a fox, yet it’s always inari sushi.』
“Hm?”
For a brief moment, I thought I heard something.
…Nah.
There was no way.
It was probably just the wind or something.