Chapter 59: After That, We Played a Ton of Cards

After finishing dinner, we went down to the first floor and headed for the baths.

“Huh?”

“They’ve switched sides.”

During the day, the women’s bath had been on the left and the men’s on the right.

Now it was the other way around.

“That’s a nice bonus.”

“Yeah. We get to enjoy both.”

Well, she had a point.

“Then this one is ours.”

Sis Linda entered the women’s bath, with Takamiya-san and Kitaura-san following her.

“Here, Yuu-kun. This is the key.”

“Okay.”

I took the key from Ayaka and entered the men’s bath with Elvis.

There seemed to be a fair number of people inside, but we found empty shelves for our yukata, entered the bathing area, rinsed ourselves off, and sank into the tub together.

“Ahh… This is nice. I’ve only ever known the hot springs in Beppu, so getting to enjoy one somewhere else isn’t bad at all.”

“There are hot springs all over the country. Sounds like you could have a good time visiting them.”

This really was starting to feel like a vacation.

“For you, it’s more like a honeymoon.”

We’re not married.

Not yet…

“Don’t you have any family, Elvis?”

“Nope, none. Goblins aren’t a species that raises its young. I don’t know my parents, and I don’t even know whether I have any brothers or sisters.”

So that was how it worked…

“You said you’re good with electronics, so I’ll put you in charge of the systems department at our company.”

The rest of us didn’t have a clue about that stuff.

“Much obliged. What kind of company is it going to be?”

“Our first choice is a transport company—moving houses, carrying freight, that sort of thing.”

“Huh… Will Ayaka be the vice president?”

“That’ll probably be Takamiya-san. She’s the vice-leader of our group.”

The Taka-Taka Alliance.

“I see. You lot make a good team, you know. You share the same beliefs and goals, and you care about one another. You’re practically the good side of humanity made flesh.”

Were we really?

“Well, we’ve been together for five years.”

“Treasure them.”

“I will.”

We climbed out of the indoor tub, went to the open-air bath, and looked up at the sky while soaking.

“So, what do you like about Ayaka?”

Romance talk—from a goblin.

“She’s cute, isn’t she?”

“Her looks?”

Hmm…

“At first, yeah. We’d never spoken in class. But after we met up in the other world and I actually talked to her, I found out she was kind, and she had this really warm, gentle air about her.”

She could be a little strong-willed too, but I liked that as well.

“I see… Sorry. I asked, but I don’t understand at all, and it turns out I don’t care.”

I figured.

“There’s no one like that for you, right?”

“Nope. There aren’t many demons who go in for that sort of thing. Succubi like Linda are an exception.”

Even what she did seemed a little different…

“Have you ever taken part in the fighting against humans?”

“Sure have. Goblins are weak, though, so I didn’t do all that much.”

He had an incredible amount of mana now, though.

“I see…”

“Naturally, I’ve killed humans too.”

He’d told me that before.

“I was just checking. I’m not a demon, but I’ve killed monsters, and sometimes I’ve killed people too.”

All of us had.

“Honestly, I think it’s a good thing you have. Otherwise, you couldn’t set out for Tokyo in an apocalyptic world like this. I was going to tell you a little later, but… I hear Kobe has become one hell of a place.”

Kobe…

That was in Hyogo Prefecture, next to Okayama.

“What do you mean, one hell of a place?”

“It’s demon territory, but the public order is awful—or maybe I should say the whole place has turned into an entertainment district. Apparently, it even has casinos.”

So its boss must like that sort of thing.

“I guess reaching Tokyo won’t be easy.”

“You already knew that.”

“True.”

We continued enjoying the open-air bath, but got out after about thirty minutes and returned to the room Ayaka and I shared.

“I knew it…”

The futons had already been laid out, but the two were pressed together.

For some inexplicable reason, there was also a box of tissues beside the pillows.

At that point, I knew exactly who had laid out our bedding.

“For crying out loud…”

I moved the tissues to the table and separated the futons.

Just a little…

“I don’t understand that tiny adjustment of yours. You like her, don’t you? You’re sharing a room, so just sleep with her.”

Shut up, goblin.

“I need to be careful about how quickly I close the distance between us.”

“Sometimes you need to be bold too.”

The elder among us was saying something that almost sounded wise.

“Stay out of it.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Once I’d finished adjusting the bedding, we ordered cola and beer over the phone and toasted at the table, which had been pushed off to the side.

“Cola after a bath is delicious…”

Could anything in the world be better?

“You don’t drink?”

Hmm?

“Alcohol? I don’t think it tastes very good.”

“It’s fun.”

Was it?

“I suppose it was fun when we all drank before. But I’m still a high school student at heart.”

“A twenty-six-year-old claiming to be a high school student at heart is one painfully embarrassing adult.”

Apologize to all the eternally seventeen-year-olds out there.

As we talked, the door opened and Ayaka and the others returned.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

“That was a nice bath.”

“Hot springs are the best. Oh, you’re drinking. Let’s order something too.”

Kitaura-san went over to the phone.

“I’ll have warm sake, please.”

So Sis Linda really was going to drink…

Still, Sis Linda in a yukata right after a bath was incredibly sexy…

“Quit using Charm.”

“Huh? Oh, I’m sorry…”

She hadn’t been using it…

I hurriedly stared at Ayaka, who had sat down beside me.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Purification, purification.

“What do you want to drink, Ayaka?”

Kitaura-san asked her.

“Hmm… Apple juice.”

“What about you, Mayumi?”

“Ah, I think I’ll stick to a soft drink today. Grape juice.”

“Got it… Ah, hello? One warm sake, one apple juice, and two grape juices, please.”

The drinks arrived shortly afterward, and we toasted and drank together.

“Sis Linda, what time are we leaving tomorrow?”

“Hagi is close to here, and we’re meeting the werewolf in the afternoon, so we don’t need to rush. Shall we leave around ten?”

That meant we could sleep in and even take a morning bath.

“All right. How about we play cards?”

“Hee-hee, certainly. The loser removes one piece of clothing, yes?”

That was the first I’d heard of it.

“No, nothing like that.”

“Really? A game where you can’t afford to lose even once can be exciting. Although I wouldn’t mind losing.”

Huh? Not even once… That meant…

My eyes dropped to Sis Linda’s yukata before I hurriedly looked at Ayaka.

“What’s wrong?”

Ayaka’s adorable gesture of tilting her head somehow brought me back to my senses.

This succubus was a terrifying creature capable of using Charm without actually using Charm.

“Hee-hee, how cute… Elvis-san, shall we wager mana?”

“Sounds good. Let’s do that.”

Surprisingly, Elvis was eager to play cards.

“We’ll keep our game wholesome. We’re high school students, after all.”

No strip poker and no gambling.

“Sure.”

“This guy is desperate…”

“Can you blame him…?”

Curse you, succubus.