Chapter 64: Unveiling Party and Bath Improvement

Three days after Selfers returned from his subjugation mission, Isamu and Orihime were officially unveiled to the residents of the capital city, Klaufendamm.

“Some of you might have heard, but in the recent battle against the monsters, Matsumoto-dono splendidly defeated a Mage Ogre using magic! Additionally, his familiar, Orihime-dono, bravely challenged the Mage Ogre with her petite body and also successfully defeated it!”

“Oooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!”

“Wow, as expected, Wanderer are strong after all!”

“How dangerous is a Mage Ogre compared to an Ogre?”

“Isn’t Orihime-sama that cute one that Annemarie-sama occasionally brings with her…”

“Amazing. To be so cute and strong!”

With each explanation from the Selfers, cheers and excitement erupted from the crowd. Isamu, standing on the stage with Orihime, felt quite uneasy inside.

“Matsumoto-dono acquired ability skill, the magic inspection spell ‘Magi Debugger,’ seems to be a considerably efficient skill in using magic compared to us. It quickly learns, requires less magic power to use, and has no preferences. Truly a wonderful skill. In fact, having started magic training only about two months ago, he was able to defeat the formidable Mage Ogre using magic!”

“”Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooah!””

“Furthermore, Orihime-dono has been revealed to possess divine protection upon coming here! This was courageously appraised by Benedict, the chief priest of the church, breaking the tradition. I want to commend him for his courage and achievement!”

In response to Selfers’ words, Benedict, who stood beside the stage, graciously bowed with a priestly gesture. Applause filled the air.

“Now, let’s hear a few words from Matsumoto-dono!”

Prompted by Selfers, Isamu stepped forward, holding Orihime in his arms.

“Matsumoto-sama~!”

“””Orihime-sama~!”””

The audience called out to Isamu and Orihime. Orihime’s popularity was overwhelming even here.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Isamu Matsumoto, a wanderer. Although Orihime and I come from a country called Japan in a different world than this, the Klaufeldt family kindly accepted me even though they weren’t sure about my ability skill. Since then, they have been treating me well every day. The people of this town, despite not knowing my background as a guest of the viscount’s family, have also been very kind to me. I have come to love the people of this town and the Klaufeldt family. The other day, I was able to assist in protecting this beloved town with the power I happened to receive, and I was genuinely happy about it. From now on, Orihime and I will do our best to be of service to all of you, so please continue to support us!”

“Nyan!”

With a slight bow, Isamu finished his speech. For a moment, there was silence, and then…

“”Woooooooooooooooooooooooooahhh!””

The loudest cheers of the day echoed through the square, enveloping the entire city.

With this day and moment, Isamu and Orihime officially became residents of the world of Ethersia.

After that, Silvio, who had stayed in the city, received a more detailed explanation. Although the ability to read magic circles was still kept secret, he was informed that Isamu could discern the attributes of magic before activation and use magic with power similar to ancient magic.

“…That’s an unbelievable ability skill, isn’t it? I finally understand why you were looking for a trading company with little connection to noble houses. Certainly, this is a story that is better left unknown…I’ll take this secret to my grave as well.”

Silvio, who had heard the story, also spoke with a solemn expression.

The next day, formally introduced and feeling light in both body and mind, Isamu started working on improving the bath. With the previously created simple magic device for heating water, it was possible to soak in the bathtub. Initially, that alone was satisfying, but humans are creatures of habit. Moreover, Isamu, being the world’s number one enthusiast for baths, naturally found various points that needed improvement.

Currently, Isamu is working on a faucet and shower system that dispenses hot water when the handle is turned. Until now, it was only possible to warm the water by pouring it into the bathtub, so if one wanted to wash their body or hair with hot water, they had to use a bucket. Nicolette and Annemarie, accustomed to having maids assist with bathing, didn’t find this to be much of a problem. However, for Isamu, who bathed alone, it was a troublesome process.

Additionally, constantly heating the water needed for each use was inconvenient, and running out of hot water midway was also a concern. Therefore, Isamu was trying to reproduce an on-demand water heater with a tank to address these issues.

“Isamu, what are you up to this time? Is that a big bathtub? Why is it both above and below?”

As usual, Eto observed Isamu, who had started working in the backyard of the workshop, with a tilted head.

“This is an attempt to create a simple shower using water pressure. I’d like your cooperation with various things, Eto-san.”

“Sure, I don’t mind cooperating… But what’s a shower anyway?”

Eto tilted his head again, not understanding what he hadn’t experienced.

In this world where the water supply system is not well developed, there are no faucets or showers. Well, you might find them if you search, but they are certainly not common.

“Yeah… Within a very narrow range, about 20-30 mels (1 mel = 1 centimeter), it’s a tool that showers water or hot water like a strong rain.”

“…What’s the point of showering water in such a small area?”

For those who have never used it, even with an explanation, it doesn’t make sense. Eto still shook his head.

“I’ll give it a try. Eto-san, do you have a knife?”

“A knife? Yeah, I’ve got one. Wait a moment.”

While Eto went to search for a knife, Isamu used the scraps to make a wooden box like a basin.

“Here you go. Is this okay?”

“Thank you. Now, I’ll make a hole in the bottom… Yep, this should do it.”

“Why are you making a hole in a box?”

“Oh, this way, I can create a simple shower. Ah, could you hold onto this for a moment?”

Saying so, Isamu handed the wooden box with a hole to Eto.

“Right, please don’t move.”

While Eto held the box, Isamu chanted a spell.

“Water, come forth from nothingness and gather in my hands—Water Ball!”

A volleyball-sized water ball appeared, and Isamu guided it into the wooden box before releasing the spell.

Splash! A small sound of water echoed as the water ball was sucked into the wooden box.

“Thank you, Eto-san! I’ll take it from here.”

Having confirmed that the water ball entered the wooden box, Isamu hastily received the box from Eto.

“See, I’m planning to make a contraption like this where water comes out like rain. We’ll install it in a slightly elevated place. With this, you can conveniently wash your head and body, and it’s easy to rinse off cleanly.”

While saying this, Isamu lifted the wooden box. Eto watched the water pouring from it with keen interest.

“I see… Indeed, this way, you can rinse everything evenly.”

“Exactly! During this season, there are times when it’s too hot to soak in a bathtub, right? In those times, you can take a warm water shower to wash away sweat. So, I’d like your help!”

“Sure thing. Count me in!”

After explaining the shower through a demonstration, Isamu and Eto began working on creating a shower with a water heater.

However, the mechanism was straightforward. First, they would place a tank filled with water above their heads to use gravity to send out the water. This way, they could avoid the need for a pump, and it was possible to release water with a certain amount of pressure.

As for the part that turns water into hot water, it was an application of the scorching floor. By flowing water over a ninety-nine-fold thermally conductive material used in the scorching floor, similar to a zigzag pattern, they could achieve the desired effect. Although passing it through a metal tube would be ideal, they opted for a gutter-like structure made of a metal resembling foam and surrounded it with urethane foam for practical reasons.

From there, a hose is extended using the tentacles of a giant terrestrial sea anemone-like monster called a forest roper. At the end of the hose, they attached a shower head with holes in the bottom of a metal box, measuring less than ten centimeters in both length and width and about two centimeters in height, to create a warm water shower. For the faucet, they used a similar approach, attaching a short metal tube instead of a shower head and fixing it in a convenient position.

Finally, they added a simple water gate to the water path connecting the tank to the thermally conductive material, allowing them to control the flow of water. They designed it so that it could be opened and closed with a lever. Since they needed to activate the magic device for heating the water after opening the water gate, there would be a bit of cold water at first, but that was within an acceptable range.

After completing the operational experiment and checking the temperature with multiple magic circles of varying firepower, they were about to start installing it in the bath recently added to the workshop when Eto questioned with suspicion.

“Hey, Isamu. Are you planning to install this on the roof? It seems quite heavy. Do you intend to do the work with just the two of us? I’m not good with physical labor, you know?”

As Eto pointed out, while not as large as a bathtub, the wooden box serving as a tank replacement was still quite heavy.

“Yes. I’ve asked Hime to call for reinforcements, so it’s fine. If I put my mind to it, I could probably do it alone with full-body enhancement, pouring in as much magic power as possible. However, I nearly collapsed before when I started practicing magic, using full-body enhancement at high output.”

When Isamu first started practicing magic,whole body strengthening once used magic at high power and he ran out of magic and collapsed.

 Since then, he has become accustomed to handling magic power, and  can now adjust the amount of magic power poured into full-body enhancement. But trying to do this task alone would require a considerable amount of magic power, and it still leaves him a bit uneasy.

“You have become quite capable of anything…”

Eto was stunned when he heard Isamu’s line that he could do it if he wanted to, when he heard a voice from the laboratory.

“Lord Isamu! It’s Miseroi! Where are you?”

The voice belonged to Miseroi, a skilled member of the knight order and an enthusiastic fan of Orihime.

“Ah, Miseroi-san! I’m in the backyard! The door is open, so please come in!”

“Backyard, backyard… Oh, Orihime-sensei? Is it this way?”

“Nyah~”

After Isamu replied and waited for a while, Orihime appeared first through the still-open back door. Following her, Miseroi showed up.

“Miseroi-san, thank you for coming despite being busy!”

“No, no, I don’t have the option to refuse a request delivered by Orihime-sensei.”

Though he responded with a firm expression, the content was somewhat inevitable.

Anticipating the need for physical work, Isamu had tied a letter to Orihime’s neck in the morning, asking her to deliver it to Mizeroi. The letter explained that there was heavy lifting work in the afternoon and Isamu would appreciate assistance. It also mentioned that if Miseroi agreed, Orihime could stay with them until then, and he wanted Miseroi to bring her along when coming. Using a method that would surely appeal to Miseroi, a fan of Orihime, it worked just as expected. However, there were unexpected developments.

“So, what can I help with?”

“Please tell us anything you need assistance with.”

Not only Miseroi but also the knight order’s captain, Diluc, and vice-captain, Felix, were hooked into this.

“…Are both of you okay with work?”

Isamu asked in amazement, but the answer was already clear.

“There’s no task more important than assisting Orihime-sensei and helping Isamu-dono. Hahaha.”

With a smile, Diluc, the leader of the knights, answered, and Felix nodded beside him.

“Alright then. Please help me with installing this wooden box above the bathroom. It’s a bit too heavy for just the two of us to carry.”

Realizing that deep contemplation would lead to defeat, Isamu decided to ask for their help.

“I understand. Oh? Is this a compact bathtub?”

Felix, who had bathed in the workshop several times, tilted his head in confusion.

“In terms of structure, it’s almost the same, and we use water in it as well. It’s called a shower, a tool used to wash your head and body by rinsing. Oh, by the way, while we’re at it, would you mind trying it out once we install it?”

“A tool to wash the head…? I don’t quite get it, but since it’s something made by Isamu-dono, there shouldn’t be any mistakes. I’d be happy to try it out!”

With a smile, Miseroi and the others followed Isamu’s instructions and began installing the tank on the roof of the newly expanded bath building.

It was planned to place it on the almost flat roof of the bath building so that the water pressure wouldn’t weaken due to lack of height.

As expected of three active and robust knights, they successfully completed the tank installation and the simple roof attachment in about 30 minutes.

“Thank you all so much! I’ll fill it with water and do a test, so please wait a little longer.”

Saying that, Isamu climbed the ladder beside the tank and used water magic to fill the tank with water.

“Now, let’s check the water pressure of the shower…”

Mumbling to himself, Isamu pulled the lever connected to the water gate and let the water flow from the tank. After a while, water passed through the water path and came out of the shower. As it was a gravity-based system, the water pressure wasn’t high, but Isamu was relieved that it was sufficient.

If higher water pressure is required, it would be a good idea to install it on the roof of the laboratory.

Next, they checked the temperature of the warm water, confirming that everything was in order. By the way, the water temperature was slightly on the higher side, according to Isamu’s preference.

At this point, they could only produce water at a constant temperature, but if they prepared two systems for water and hot water, such as a tank or water path, they could adjust the temperature by controlling the amount of mixed water.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. The makeshift warm water shower is complete! Miseroi-san, would you like to try it out? It should be perfect for washing off the sweat after training, don’t you think?”

Addressing Miseroi, who had been watching with interest as water and hot water came out of the shower, Isamu invited him to test it.

“I see, indeed, this seems convenient as you can use both hands and pour hot water wherever you like. May I use it?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Well then, if you don’t mind, I’ll go ahead…”

Saying that, Miseroi headed towards the bathroom. Soon after, voices of admiration like “Oh,” and “I see,” could be heard, and about ten minutes later, Miseroi emerged from the bathroom.

“Isamu-dono, this is really good! You can wash with both hands while pouring hot water over your head and body, so you can quickly and thoroughly remove dirt! ”

In this world, soap exists, but it is not used for washing the body because it contains highly alkaline substances that can irritate the skin. To cleanse the body, it is common to pour water or hot water stored in a large basin onto oneself using a hand bucket or wipe the body with a wet towel. Except for a few exceptions, such as nobles who have assistance, it was difficult for most people to perform the act of washing and rinsing.

On the other hand, with a shower, hot water comes out automatically, so all one has to do is direct it to the part of the body they want to wash while using both hands, making it faster and more efficient than before.

“Oh, that’s good to hear! If it works well, I’m thinking of installing several of these in the knights’ quarters.”

For knights and soldiers who sweat daily during training, a shower would be extremely convenient, Isamu thought as he made the suggestion.

“That would be appreciated! With this, we can clean up quickly after training. It’s fine with water in the current season, but in winter, it’s cold…”

“Certainly, winter seems challenging… Oh, if it’s okay, please let Diluc-san and the others try it too!”

After that, the captain and vice-captain, who also enjoyed the shower, submitted a petition on the same day for the installation of showers in the knights’ quarters, prompted by strong requests from Nicolette and Annemarie upon seeing it.

Subsequently, with the strong demand from Nicolette and Annemarie, the bath in the Viscount’s residence was renovated, and a shower was introduced.

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