Chapter 10
Title: The Bath
"Ah, so we meet again. Gyra, was it?"
I strolled toward her with my usual confidence, barefoot and carefree.
She smiled, handing me a piece of warm bread.
"Yes, that's correct. I figured I owed you one, considering you went out of your way to help me… so I paid your bail. Although, it was fairly cheap. Did you not have ten GC on you?"
I laughed. "Well, I'm actually not from around here, and though it may not look like it… I have loads of money stashed elsewhere"
I rubbed my fingers together with a smug grin.
Gyra blinked, holding a blank expression.
"Sure"
"anyway, if you don't have a place to stay, you're welcome to stay at mine. I have a spare room that isn't being used anymore, as well as a bathhouse and some clothes that might fit you."
The moment the word bathhouse hit my ears, I shuddered. A spark of life jolted through my spine.
"Did you say bathhouse?"
"…Yes? And clothes."
Tears welled up in my eyes. I clasped both of Gyra's hands with my own, full of emotion.
"You're too kind. Let's go. Right now."
Gyra stumbled back, startled by the sudden change in energy.
"U-uh… okay, yes, um… this way. I live on the outskirts of town."
We walked side-by-side, catching a few suspicious looks from townsfolk running late-night errands or stumbling out of taverns.
"Do the looks not bother you, sir?" Gyra asked, glancing over at him.
I waddled a bit as I walked, a goofy smile plastered across my face as I imagined sinking into a hot bath.
"I suppose not." she said.
"Oh, by the goddess, how rude of me. I never asked your name!" She gasped.
"Basileus Narciss. But you can call me Basil. Only my close friends do, but someone like you, who's full of kindness and makes amazing pies? I shall grant you that privilege."
I said it in an overly elegant tone, placing a hand over my chest.
Gyra snorted with laughter. "You sure do talk funny, Basil."
⸻
After a short walk, we arrived at a modest home tucked behind a wooden fence, a stone path leading up to the front door.
"Well, this is my humble home. It's a little shabby right now thanks to that rainstorm last month, but she's spacious. Please, come in and make yourself comfortable."
I smiled warmly and gave a small bow.
"Truly… thank you, Gyra. I shall repay your kindness twofold. You have my word."
She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Haha, it's no problem, really. Who knows what that bastard would've done to me or the tavern if you hadn't stepped in, Sir Basil."
My brow lifted slightly. Truth be told, I had already checked her stats the moment we met. She was at least a third as strong as I was, easily strong enough to handle all three thugs without breaking a sweat.
But I held my tongue. I figured she had her reasons for hiding her strength.
"Anyway, shall we go inside?" she asked, walking up the path.
⸻
Gyra showed me the spare room, a simple space with a bed, a table, a chest large enough to fit a person, and some quill and ink. The rest of the house followed: kitchen, gathering room, her room… and finally, the bathhouse out back.
She drew me a hot bath and handed me a fresh change of clothes.
"I'll be inside. Yell if you need anything, okay?" She said as she shut the door behind her.
I stepped toward the steaming water, a bottle of milk in hand, and sank in with a long sigh.
"Haaaaahhhh… this is everything I dreamed of."
I took a sip of milk, savoring the warmth on my skin as if I was sun bathing on a beautiful afternoon.
⸻
Memories bubbled up, my time in the cube, my parents, the revenge I still needed to take, the life I once had.
"I can't believe I'm actually out. This is real. I'm really sitting… in a hot bath."
I stood and walked to the mirror.
"Damn. I really need a haircut."
I pulled out my earth dagger, cleaned it, and used my skill 'Go Away Can't You Tell I'm Busy' to summon a smaller, compact shadow blade. Together, the two made makeshift shears.
I cut my hair, shaved my beard clean off, and gave myself a new style, longer than before, a bit messy, but intentional.
I dried off and slipped into the clothes Gyra had given me, clothes that once belonged to her late brother. The white shirt hugged my arms and chest tightly, the sleeves looser, giving it a sharp, roguish look. Brown leather pants and a black belt completed the ensemble.
When I walked into the house, Gyra was just walking out of her room carrying fresh sheets for my bed.
She froze.
She didn't recognize me at first.
Her gaze locked onto my sharp jawline, the glisten of my damp hair, the way my shirt clung to my frame.
"Gyra? Is everything alright?"
I rubbed a towel over my head.
She blinked quickly and blushed. "O-oh! Yes, everything is fine. I just… didn't realize how different you looked under all the dirt."
I laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment."
She handed me the sheets, still trying to keep her cool.
"Here. For your bed. If you need a lighter blanket, just let me know."
"Thank you again, Gyra. You'd really make a great wife!"
I patted her head and disappeared into my room, closing the door behind me.
Gyra stood there, frozen. Then turned, walked to her room, laid down in bed, and stared at the ceiling.
Her entire face flushed red.
I didn't need to sleep or eat, I could use mana as nourishment, but when the food was good, or the bed was warm?
I indulged.
This time, I was asleep in two seconds.
With a smile on my face.
The Next Morning
I was the first one up.
So I cooked breakfast and set the table.
Gyra stumbled out of her room in her sleepwear, dragging her feet to the table and plopping into a chair.
"Good morning," I said cheerfully, sliding a plate in front of her. "Hope you slept well."
"Mmmm…"
"So, I saw a library the other day, gonna go check it out. Then I'll swing by a blacksmith, grab some supplies for your roof leak."
"Mhmm…"
"Awesome. Enjoy breakfast. I'll stop by the tavern later, see how you're doing."
"Mmm…"
I left the house.
Gyra picked up her fork and took a bite.
Her face flushed again.
"…Even his food is good," she muttered.
————
Elsewhere
Captain Lace was in his office, quill scratching across parchment.
*Knock knock*
"Come in," he called without looking up.
Adian stepped in placing a piece of metal on the desk.
"Sir, the Church of order gave us what they could about the metal in the cave. It's over 600 years old and it comes from the gates."
Lace glanced at the metal.
"Anything else?"
"A research team was sent to investigate the runes and well… to be honest sir, it doesn't make sense. Whatever Daravin, if it even was Daravin, had locked away in there is strong, extremely so, and angry. They estimated that whatever could tear through metal like this with runes inscribed like that, has to at least be around level 250."
Lace rested his hand on the surface and frowned. "If it's survived for more than 600 years in there, why escape now? We need more information from Daravin. Tell the death corps to pull everything out of him that they can."
"I have a feeling that this is connected to something bigger." Lace leaned back. "I want every available executioner looking for this thing. You're leading the search, Lieutenant. If it's that old and this strong it shouldn't be hard to miss."
"Yes, sir," Adian said, bowing.
⸻
Back in town
I sat in the corner of the city library, surrounded by stacks of books. I read everything, the history of the Althanis Empire where I now resided, the legacy of Guardians, the reasons demon invasions stopped, and a few others.
The Empire? Once a part of a 12-kingdom alliance. (One of the kingdoms being my place of birth) one day, disaster struck the Althanis Kingdom, the others abandoned them. Bandits and demi-humans flooded in, killing the king and queen. Their daughter, Mirian Althanis, at only eighteen, rallied survivors and pushed back, eventually conquering all twelve kingdoms. She became the emperor. Her remaining family, 2 brothers, tried taking the throne from her. She publicly executed one and ripped the other apart with horses. This caused the people to fear her and gave her the nickname, Mirian the ruthless. She's now 26 and has been peacefully ruling the empire. Ruthless. Feared. Unchallenged.
As for the demons? Two gates remained permanently open a 2 way street, the 50th Gate in the south, and the 99th Hell's Gate in the north of the continent. The Demon Prince and the Queen of Hell each established kingdoms around their gates. With so much power being drawn to those two, the remaining gates weakened. But Guardians could still raid gates, the gates just couldn't be opened from the other side for invasions.
There were now two types of Guardians. Artificial and natural. Natural Guardian blood passed down generationally. Children born from two Guardians were born as an artificial Guardian themselves, selective breeding had even become common for a time, but was quickly dismissed because the Goddesses punished them by limiting the skill slots of the artificial guardians, and leaving the natural guardians, ones who awakened through a gate, with unlimited skill slot potential, gaining more skill slots per level.
I absorbed it all.
Then he headed to the blacksmith.
A sign with an anvil hung outside the smithy.
"Hello? Anyone here?" I said as I walked in.
A burly dwarf stomped out from the back, wiping his face with a rag.
"Whatd'ya want?"
I blinked. I'd never seen a dwarf before. There weren't any in my kingdom back then. "I just need some roofing materials. And I was wondering if you could adjust some armor for me."
I laid down two sets of leather armor, my winter and summer gear, now too tight from my growth but still top-notch.
The dwarf examined the material, eyes widening slightly.
"I've not seen quality like this in years! Materials'll run ya 30 GC. Armor adjustment? That'll be 1,000."
I frowned. I assumed GC meant Gold Coins. My pouch had 800 gold in it. Not enough. I prepared a pouch of gold as to not raise suspicion when I pulled gold out of thin air AKA my inventory.
"1,000? Isn't that a little steep old man?"
"Steep?! Materials cost me 500 alone! Plus labor. And who you calling old man, punk?"
'Time to put what my old man taught me to use, I'll use [Haggle (SS)].'
"400," Basil offered.
The dwarf squinted. "You think you can bargain with me?"
"Fine. I'll take my business elsewhere, I heard there was a rather skilled blacksmith on the other side of town, maybe he'll take a fair deal." I reached for my armor.
'I just made that up!'
"900." the dwarf said with a grunt. "And that bastard mark won't do half as good of a job I can!"
"600." I smiled
'Gotcha'
The dwarf groaned. "Fine, 650, but don't expect it to be quality work, ya hear?"
"You got it, old timer." I said shooting him a finger gun.
I dropped the pouch on the counter, "keep the change, consider it a downpayment for future endeavors!" Then grabbed my roofing supplies, and left.
"Youngsters now a days"
The dwarf scoffed, poured the coins onto the counter..
And froze.
"…These are gold coins…"
His eyes widened.
"What the hell…?"