欢迎来到精灵之森

They arrived at the building that Baduta and the Priests lived in.

「This is a place that a certain merchant rented out to us cheaply. He was a deeply religious man.」

It had properly made stone walls and was fairly big. It was enough to think wouldn’t it be fine to use this place as a chapel but......

There wasn’t a wide place for worship.

Its structure was that of a normal house.

There was a foyer and a lobby, and with the dining room and living room at the center, there were private rooms surrounding it.

The windows were closed so that sand wouldn’t get in. Since it was dark because of that, the oil lamps that were hung from the ceiling were lit during the daytime. In this town, oil was easier to obtain than candles.

Pictures decorated the walls, and a white cloth covered the table.

It felt like he would forget that this was a town in the desert.

Around ten maids bowed deeply and greeted them. The one that stood at the head of the group was a beautiful maid with long black hair and a big chest. She was quite sexy. Her age was probably a bit above his own.

「Welcome, High Chief Priest Lumachina Weselia. I am the head maid, Shiiryuu. If you have any orders, please instruct us on whatever you may need.」

「Okay.」

Lumachina nodded. For her to be calm at a time like this, it made him think that she was a person of the upper class.

If he were greeted by a maid with “Please instruct use on whatever you may need”, Diablo would get nervous.

The feeling that he got with 《Relief Inn》’s poster girl, Mei-chan, was “like a maid cafe”, but that was comfortable in its own way.

Come to think of it, was Krum doing well? It had been two weeks since they left, but no one has noticed her true identity, right? She isn’t causing trouble to those around her, is she?

Was Edelgart serving her without any problems?

──If only there was a telephone or something.

They were guided to the dining room by the head maid Shiiryuu.

Lumachina sat at the head of the table, and Baduta sat beside her.

Diablo and the others were treated as guests. He had honestly thought they would receive underling treatment as her escort or attendants.

Come to think of it, Baduta feigned ignorance when Lamnites was searching for the Magician.

Since they had brought Lumachina here and had repelled the 《Sand Whale》, were they surprisingly treating them with care?

──Well, I still don’t know if we can trust in them just because of that.

Being in the middle of the desert, he wondered what sort of cuisine would come out but......

It was a reddish legume soup.

──Th, this is!?

Lumachina and Baduta had put their hands together. Diablo and the others also did the same.

「O great God in heaven, we are grateful for today’s blessing.」

To pray before a meal, he had never done it before, but after they started travelling with Lumachina, it became a habit.

In her case, when she prayed, the rotten smell of old meat would vanish, and dirty rain water would turn into tasty fresh water so they didn’t scorn her for it. It seemed that poison would also disappear.

He tried putting the red soup into his mouth with a silver spoon.

The inside of his brain went numb from the burning stimulus and the aroma of spices that came out from his nose.

──This is!!

「Spiーcy!」

Shera raised a scream.

Rem nodded.

「......It certainly is......but it is delicious.」

Diablo involuntarily raised his voice.

「It’s curry! Rice too!」

It was an extremely nostalgic taste. Of course, it was quite different from the curry that the Japanese ate, but it was without a doubt curry.

Since there wasn’t any viscosity, and the aroma of fresh leaves was strong, it was probably close to Thai curry.

The rice was crumbly and the grains were hard. When dipped into the soup, it became a food texture that was just right.

Baduta smiled.

「How do you like it, Lumachina-sama? It’s quite different from the meals of the Royal Capital though.」

「It is very delicious.」

While she said that, she drank her third cup of water.

「Was it too spicy?」

「Y, yes, just a bit......But, it is delicious.」

In the end, Shera had three shares while going “spicy, spicy”, and Diablo also ate five shares.

=====

Part 12

After the meal──

As Diablo relaxed in the living room while drinking black tea, Lumachina came over together with Rem and Shera.

Seeming to have gotten Baduta prepare it, Lumachina had changed into her High Chief Priest outfit.

It was a loose robe with white and red as the basic tones.

The long cloth covered things down to her knees, but he was able to see wholesome skin from the gaps.

Her cheeks were faintly blushing, and she asked him a question.

「H, how do you like it?」

「Umu, it is good.」

Diablo nodded.

Lumachina let out a smile, looking delighted.

Seeming that Rem and Shera helped her change clothes, they were happy.

Since her High Chief Priest outfit was already torn to pieces when he first met Lumachina, this was his first time seeing her like this.

He probably shouldn’t be looking at her with such eyes but......it was a pretty sexy-looking outfit.

──Nevertheless, to think that something like the “praise a girl on her clothes” event would happen in my life. I thought that only happened in gal games.

Suddenly, he noticed that Lumachina was holding down the back of her left hand with her right hand.

「Did something happen there?」

「Ah, it isn’t anything much but......」

It was scraped and had turned red.

Rem added some words.

「......It seems that she fell over as she tried to bring back a person that looked like they were going to fly away during the time you fought against the 《Sand Whale》.」

「I see. That is very Lumachina-like.」

──How could this be, so it was because of my magic! I’m sorry!

She made an embarrassed grin.

「It doesn’t hurt any more so it’s fine.」

「Can you not use healing miracles on yourself?」

「Ah......Actually, healing and recovery miracles don’t work on me. Even if I had someone pray for me, not even a little scratch would be healed.」

「What was that!?」

「Normally, miracles would be effective even on the Priests themselves, but it doesn’t work on me at all......It is quite a mystery but......I am sure that this is also part of Kami-sama’s discretion.」

──Is that compensation for being able to use powerful miracles? That is quite the constraint.

「What about healing potions?」

「I have used those when I got injured in the past. It worked properly.」

「I see. Carry this.」

Diablo took a potion tin out from his pouch and handed it over.

Lumachina’s eyes went wide open. She accepted it with trembling hands. For her, it was a boon from Kami-sama.

「Th, thank you very much! I shall treasure it for my entire life!」

「No, you have to use it when you need it, you know?」

Diablo leaned his back on the chair.

Rem and the others also sat down. Shortly after, the maid Shiiryuu brought in several people’s worth of black tea.

Four bedrooms were prepared.

Baduta guided them to the rooms.

It seemed that Lumachina, being the most valuable person, was assigned a special room which was the one furthest in the back of the building.

──This is good treatment, but it will be hard to deal with things when something happens if we’re in separate rooms.

Diablo whispered into Rem’s ear.

「Go along with her.」

When she made a small nod, she stepped forward. She said this to Baduta.

「......I, have been told by Lumachina-sama to assist with her everyday necessities. I have no intention of obstructing the jobs of the maids of the estate, but would you permit me to stay in the same room as her for today?」

Lumachina also had good judgement.

「That’s right! I will be troubled if I don’t have Rem nearby.」

Baduta looked up and down at Rem.

「The High Chief Priest has a slave?」

「......Th, that’s wrong. I only had this attached from a summoning blunder, and I am a slave to no one.」

Rem asserted that.

Lumachina also vouched for her saying 「That’s how it is」.

The Head of the Holy Knights didn’t doubt the High Chief Priest’s words.

「Are you a Pantherian......Adventurer? A Summoner?」

「......Yes.」

「Normally, those that do not possess the qualifications as a Priest are not allowed to approach the High Chief Priest but......This is a special case.」

He was reluctant but he allowed it. He promised to put Rem’s bed in Lumachina’s room as well.

Diablo was relieved.

──For now, I guess I’ll leave her to Rem for tonight.

Night──

Diablo had a water jug and tub brought to the room that he was assigned.

By sitting in the largish tub, and dashing the water over himself, the dirt would get washed off.

It was this world’s somewhat extravagant bath. Normally, it was something that ended with just wiping the body with a wet cloth.

「There are times where I want to soak in a bathtub......I wonder if I should make a bath soon?」

While thinking such a thing, he took off his clothes.

The door was knocked on.

He got subtly nervous.

「Who is it?」

「Ehehe......Diablo, are you awake?」

「So it’s Shera. Go ahead and enter.」

Diablo sat cross-legged in the tub, and turned his back.

The door opened and she came in.

「Ah, you’re taking a bath.」

「Umu......Have you already washed yourself?」

「Not yet.」

To think that she came over without even washing off the long trip’s sweat.

「Was there some kind of problem?」

「I, just can’t calm down when I’m alone.」

Come to think of it, Shera get lonely easily. Enough that she chose to be a Summoner with the reason of not liking to travel alone.

「Hmph......Then just do as you like.」

「Alright!」

*Shuru* The sound of cloth being rubbed was made.

Going “What was that?”, Diablo turned around to look at her.

Shera had started taking her clothes off.

「Wh, what are you doing?」

「Eh? It’s because I haven’t taken a bath yet.」

「I am using it right now though......」

It’s time’s like this that Shera becomes a princess, is what he thought. How she went at her own pace, how she didn’t care about her surroundings.

「Then, let’s us it together. I’ll wash your back!」

──Nonono! To bathe together with a girl, forget washing off the sweat, I’ll break into a cold sweat, you know!?

「S, something like that, I can do it on my own.」

「You don’t need to hold back.」

「No, I am not holding back or anything......」

While he was saying that, Shera became naked.

She got into the tub.

「It’s a bit packed?」

「......Ah, uh.」

Her presence approached right behind him.

This wasn’t the time for the Demon King role play. He was completely alone with a naked girl in the room.

He became unable to get words out from his throat.

In contrast, Shera seemed to be in a good mood as she hummed a tune.

「Nn～hnh～♪ Ah, where’s the towel?」

「......There is none.」

Come to think of it, he forgot to have one brought over.

As if he could call for a maid in this situation. He kind of wanted to avoid that......No, was he worrying about it too much? Was men and women bathing together something normal n this world? That shouldn’t......

Since there wasn’t any specifications for something like bathing in the game, he had absolutely no idea.

Shera talked sounding quite indifferent.

「Then, I’ll wash you without using a towel, okay?」

「......Eh?」

「A person’s skin becomes more smooth and shiny when washed with skin rather than using a cloth, you know?」

He had never heard of such a story.

However, he did think that Shera’s skin was more smooth and beautiful than silk.

When she scooped out some water with her hand from the water jug, she gently stroked Diablo’s back with that wet hand.

Being so soft and chilly, it felt good.

It was completely different from scrubbing with a wet towel.

「How is it, Diablo?」

「Ah, umu......It’s pretty good.」

He was embarrassed about how the both of them were naked, but this was his first time having a bath that felt this good.

Shera put water on her own body as well.

「Ehehe, it’s because I’m also covered in sand.」

「That is probably inevitable in this region.」

「I guess I’ll clean us up in a way that will get us clean all at once.」

「Nn?」

Right when he wondered what she was going to do, something soft glued itself to his back.

Water was poured right there.

Diablo stiffened up.

──Th, this thing pressing on my back, this is!?

Shera leaked out a nasally sigh.

「Nnu......Diablo, your back, it’s really rugged.」

「Ah, uh......」

「Alright, I’m going to scrub you.」

She moved her body up and down.

A soft sensation went up and down his back.

Diablo’s heart rate increased. And then, Shera’s heartbeat was also transmitted to him. Her body was becoming hotter.

「Hafuu......Nn......Diablo......You’re not pouring magic power out, right?」

「Y, you can tell just by looking, can’t you.」

「I wonder why? I’m, getting hot.」

「Fuah!?」

He felt like he would let out a strange voice.

As his back was scrubbed with her chest and whispered to by an erotic voice that came right behind him, Diablo, who was inexperienced with women, couldn’t keep his calm.

──A Demon King? What would a Demon King do at a time like this? A Demon King at a time where boobs were pressed up against his back and the girl had become hot!?

He had no recollection of such a Demon King.

Shera whispered.

「I’ll wash the front, okay?」

「ッ!?」

──I can wash the front myself. No, is being reserved not Demon King-like? Which one is it!?

While he was unable to decide on how to reply to her, Shera’s hands came around from the back as if to hug him and touched his chest.

With wet hands, she stroked his muscular chest.

「Nfuu......Diablo, your body, it sure is hard. It’s really, sturdy.」

「It, it’s because I’m level 150.」

「I see.」

What is this? Is there really a relationship between the two?

Was it about washing his body, or about some different act, he couldn’t tell any more. While her bulges were pressed up on his back, her smooth hands caressed his chest.

She also touched the nape of his neck.

And then, her hands went down to his stomach.

Then even further down.

「Ah......wai......That, place is......」

Diablo’s voice didn’t turn into a sentence. He stopped his breathing.

Shera’s hand touched a sensitive place.

「Nn? This part is also hard.」

「............ッ!?」

「Is it a tail? Do Demons also have tails? Since it’s this hard, is it a horn? Diablo, you do have horns on your head after all.」

「You’re kidding, right?」

「Erm......I should wash this spot too, right? Nsho......nsho......」

He could no longer let his voice out.

Only Shera’s breathing and the sound of her hand wet with water sliding on skin could be heard. Every time she scrubbed, the heat inside Diablo’s body rose.

An electric current ran deep in his brain.

「ッ!!」

*Biku* The fact that the muscles along his spine twitched was also transmitted to her.

「Ah......Did it hurt? Was it too hard?」

「..................No」

「Really? That’s goodー」

*Gyuu* Shera hugged him.

「Ehehe～, bathing together sure is fun!」

「Ah, right.」

With his waist losing strength, even though he was bathing in cold water, it felt as if he was dizzy from spending too long in the bath.

──Having my body washed by hand, it’s something that feels really good.

Because the air was dry, the wet skin dried right away.

Brushing off the sand, he put his clothes on and then lied on the bed.

Wearing sleepwear, Shera jumped in, and clung onto him tightly.

Diablo remembered what happened earlier, felt like he was going to blush, and averted his gaze.

「............」

「Diablo, it’s been awhile since we did this.」

「It’s because we continued to sleep outside for a while. Quickly go to sleep.」

「Un!」

He closed his eyes.

Since it was also due to the MP consumption, he immediately fell asleep.

If only such peace could continue forever......