Chapter 315: The Demonic Mountain and the Hot Spring Resort once again (1/2)

*Kapon~*

This place where it feels as if you could hear sounds from who knows where is deep in the mountains of Kaleneon.

Tomoe had constructed and finished a hot spring resort within Kaleneon in the snow storms of midwinter.

It is the first resort project of the Kuzunoha Company.

There’s practically no signs of a plan for a second one though.

“You know, Lime, when a lot of unexpected things accumulate, there’s times when you blow a fuse. I understand. I really understand that feeling. I have so much to say about that, you know.” (Makoto)

“Yeah.” (Lime)

“Different from Shiki, you can sympathize to a certain degree, Lime. In a sense, you are one of the few scarce male employees, so with that in account, I am pretty grateful you are here, you know? But I would like you to avoid the visible dangers. Like, you just have to be a bit careful… Please…” (Makoto)

“…I am really sorry!!” (Lime)

Lime lowers his head vigorously within the steam.

There was a lot of strength in that bow, his head sinks into the warm water.

His trained body had a number of old wounds.

There’s a number that are on their way to healing, but there’s mostly scars.

There’s no wounds made today.

He miraculously was spared with no wounds.

Lime suddenly began to look for us in the Dusk Street.

He wasn’t even thinking about being stealthy, it was such a straightforward entrance that it was as if he was shouting ‘hello~!’.

Obviously, the actions of Lime were caught by the eyes and ears of Rio faster than Lime finding us.

Now that I think about it, he must have acted in that way because he knew that.

Kanta bringing Lime to where we were happened soon after.

It was clear to the eye that he wanted to say something, and he was acting strange for someone like Lime.

He was worried about Mio being there, so I asked her to leave the room.

…You understand, right?

It is Mio.

Even if there’s physical distance, she can still hear us in some sort of way, you know.

And yet, the moment the sound of the door closing rang and he confirmed that we were alone, he took a deep breath and…

“Boss! I have a woman I want you to meet, so could you please come to the bath together with me?! Let’s go!” (Lime)

There was absolutely no point in taking a deep breath…

I was wondering just what the hell he was saying.

Woman.

Together.

Bath.

I don’t understand at all.

“I said it! I can do this!” (Lime)

“Were those your last words? Before going to hell?”

“?!!!”

There wasn’t even the sound of the door opening, and yet, right at the back of Lime…there was Mio.

Of course that would happen…

“Sis Mio! No, it is not what you think! It doesn’t mean that at all!” (Lime)

He is completely calling herSis now too.

If he is using it to address his superiors, then he is not exactly wrong.

“Yeah, right, Lime. It is unthinkable that you would teach Waka-sama bad enjoyments. You are not suicidal after all.” (Mio)

“I am not!!” (Lime)

“…So?” (Mio)

“Yes! …Eh?” (Lime)

“What’s your ex-cu-se?” (Mio)

“R-Right! I wanted him to show up for a bit in the Weitz Orphanage! There’s a female childhood friend of mine working there, you see!” (Lime)

“Is that the woman you want him to meet?” (Mio)

“Yes! That’s right!” (Lime)

“Then, what’s that about having a bath together, huh?” (Mio)

“I have been thinking all the time that it would be nice to take a bath together with Boss if there was a chance -no, together with the men of Asora!” (Lime)

“Getting to know each other between men?” (Mio)

“That’s right!” (Lime)

“Entering the bath together with people of the same gender is a type of socialization as well. Doesn’t sound like a lie… In that case…” (Mio)

“…..”

“I forgive you.” (Mio)

“I am sorry!!” (Lime)

“…”

“I will by no means…hm? Ah? Eh?” (Lime)

“I said I forgive you. Return with Waka-sama by the time it is dinner.” (Mio)

“Ah, uhm, I don’t really…” (Makoto)

“Please! Please, just once, Boss! Right, since there’s the chance, how about going to the hot spring resort in the demonic mountains that Big Sis Tomoe spoke of! How about going for a bit with me?!” (Lime)

“Going through the trouble of going all the way to Kaleneon?” (Makoto)

We can teleport, so whether it is Tsige, Asora, or Kaleneon, it would be the same, but this is quite the proposal.

Is he troubled in regards to the orphanage?

I am leaving that matter to Tomoe, and the Forest Onis and Eldwas don’t seem like they would cause troubles about that.

But well, he is giving an unusual air to him.

“Okay, we have to return by dinner, so gotta go fast-ssu! Now now!” (Lime)

“Y-Yeah, got it!” (Makoto)

“Now now!” (Lime)

And so, I came here to the hot spring resort of the demonic mountains pushed by Lime.

And well, we are now having a naked talk as he suggested.

Cleaning off the dirt of my body and soaking my body in the warm water really feels good.

It makes it even more pleasant when the place is big.

Spring is getting close in Kaleneon. The climate is beginning to get visibly calmer.

The contrast of today’s vermillion sky of the evening and the snow is amazing.

In time, flowers will bloom and the green will spread.

You would be able to taste the finest of open air baths in the mountains then.

Tomoe will get excited again.

She has been trying to select a place in Asora for hot springs all the time, so that would come first, huh.

There’s already a number of big baths in Asora, so the bathing in itself is already pretty decent there, but…it seems like she is troubled since the word hot springs has some kind of magic to it.

There’s apparently a lot of ambitious people.

“That way of saying it was completely bad, you know that, right?” (Makoto)

“…Yes. Uhm, Boss…” (Lime)

“Hm?” (Makoto)

“Sis Mio is a bit…you know…” (Lime)

“What?” (Makoto)

“She has gotten a bit softer, don’t you think…?” (Lime)

“Softer…? Hmm…” (Makoto)

Her drastic emotional changes like an instantaneous kettle might have slightly decreased.

It is true that Mio and Tomoe have changed a little.

“If it were the past Sis, who would have known what would have happened. And yet, she said ‘I forgive you’. And she didn’t show any kind of atmosphere to her after that.” (Lime)

“It can’t be said for certain yet what changes they had, but the two of them do feel like they give a different air from before.” (Makoto)

“On the other hand, I feel like Big Sis Tomoe has gotten stricter though…” (Lime)

“That depends on what you say, Lime, right?” (Makoto)

“…That’s in part true, but…” (Lime)

“Well, you may be right. In the past, she would push away things without a care, but now there’s times when she would consider them. When it comes to Mio, it depends on the contents, but the moments when she would take one breath before taking action have increased. At least that’s what I feel.” (Makoto)

This is simply my impressions of when Tomoe and Mio are with me.

Just that, the statements of Lime this time around are from the time when he himself was desperate and Mio gave him a ‘wait’ for a little bit.

I have known Lime for long, and he is one of the few men who I can speak to familiarly.

“Now then, we have washed off the soap and are now refreshed. We are also having a naked talk between men too here, but…what do we do now? Want to call Shiki, Mondo, or Beren as well? If you have something you want to talk to me about with just us two, I am listening.” (Makoto)

Did Lime’s childhood friend in the orphanage get in some kind of trouble?

…I don’t think there would be a problem of that degree that would require me though.

Maybe that woman and Lime are marrying?

I have never acted as a matchmaker, and in the first place, I myself am not married, you know?

“Actually, my childhood friend was raised in the same orphanage as me, and she is currently looking after the children there. Her name’s Seina.” (Lime)

“Okay?” (Makoto)

An employee of an orphanage.

There’s such a job route too for an orphan, huh.

The adventurer path Lime chose is really impulsive, but I feel like that’s the main route people take.

There’s also many who take jobs in companies.

In Rembrandt-san’s place, there’s quite a lot of orphans employed.

“She said she wanted to meet the representative of the Kuzunoha Company once.” (Lime)

“Me? Why?” (Makoto)

The…Weitz Orphanage, was it?

I don’t know how much the other companies support the orphanages, but the kind of support the Rembrandt Company does should be a popular method.

On top of that, it is the place Lime was raised, so it is kinda like his hometown. That’s why we have been giving them gifts every now and then.