Volume 7 Chapter 16 The New Maid and the Unwavering Eyes
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Heading south along the river, the wind grew heavy with moisture. The cool breeze sliding across the water’s surface carried the smell of wet rocks mixed with the faint, soapy scent of the estate’s women.
The thick roots of the World Tree stuck out from both sides of the path, wrapping around the moss-covered rock walls like a natural hallway. Sunset light slipped through gaps in the canopy, hitting the wet stone and giving off a dull, soft glow.
Deep in that farthest corner, as if sunk in the peace of the forest, the entrance to the communal bath came into view.
The noren curtains split into two paths. Right for men, left for women.
Though I was the only exception. If I was the one who filled the tubs and lit the fire, then I was also the one who could boldly step into the women’s bath. At this point, no men were left to grumble, and no women still hid their skin in shame.
Just before that fork, four figures stood waiting in a perfect line.
Liana and Mina.
And half a step behind them, Erika and Anna.
It was our evening ritual. Timing their arrival perfectly with the hour I came to fill the tubs, my dedicated attendants1 gathered here a little early.
Baskets for the changing room, clean bath cloths, chilled fruit water, fresh changes of clothes. They arranged these small details without missing a thing, all to wrap my skin in comfort.
The moment Erika caught sight of me, barely able to hide her happiness, she tucked both hands behind her back and gave a soft, gentle smile, her eyes looking at me like I was the person she cared about most. She looked ready to wave from far away and leap forward like a spring released, but Liana’s slim fingers caught her sleeve, stopping her.
There was no force behind it. Just a small tug. Yet that alone was enough for Erika to snap out of it, as if remembering her place, and quickly straighten up.
”We have been expecting you, Spirit King-sama,” Liana said smoothly.
Liana stepped forward, bowing her head in a deep, fluid motion.
No hesitation, no flaw. It was her usual perfect image of a flawless attendant.
Beside her, Mina clasped her hands in front of her body, a sun-like smile blooming on her face.
”Goshujin-sama! The o-bath is all ready. The fruit water, the cloths, the baskets—I’ve got e-ve-ry-thing set up!” Mina cheered.
”Oh? You seem remarkably confident today,” I said.
”Yes! Anna-chan and Erika-chan worked super hard too!” Mina beamed.
Mina puffed out her chest proudly. In front of her small frame, her soft flesh swung heavily.
”Mina,” Liana murmured.
Liana’s calm voice rang out, cooling her high spirits.
”Before you puff your chest out, fix your crooked sash2.”
”Eh, what, Big Sis? Is it crooked again?” Mina said, her cheerful bounce gone.
”It is crooked. It looks bad,” Liana said flatly.
Liana’s fingertips melted into the fabric as she fixed Mina’s waist sash. She corrected the overlapping cloth in an instant, lining up the edges of the knot to the same exact length.
Anna stared hard at that perfect work, drinking it in with her eyes.
The angle of the knot, the path of the sliding fingers, the pressure used to hold the cloth. She copied the technique with cold, total focus, as if writing every detail onto a medical chart in her mind.
Liana’s gaze drifted toward the baskets lined up along the wall.
Anna gave a small nod and went to put down the bath cloths she held… but the moment she saw Liana’s cold, silver-gray eyes shift to the shelf one space over, her movements froze.
No words were spoken. Just a shift of a gaze.
Anna immediately adjusted the cloths, moving them to the exact spot. Liana’s chin dipped slightly. A silent approval.
Beside them, Mina eagerly taught Erika, waving her hands.
”This, goes here. This, goes over here! Wet places, bad. Over here, dry, good place!” Mina said.
Broken, choppy words with big gestures.
Erika nodded with a serious face, following every basket spot Mina pointed out.
”…Does this dry? …No, it doesn’t,” Erika repeated quietly.
”Yes, that’s right! Erika-chan, you’re a really fast learner!” Mina squealed.
Mina clapped her hands happily. Erika bit her lip awkwardly at the praise, but the corners of her eyes softened with a happiness she couldn’t hide.
As I walked over, Erika and Anna bowed deeply in unison.
”Thank you for your hard work, Goshujin-sama. …Today’s preparations are complete,” Erika said.
In Erika’s voice, there was no sign of her old fear. Her blue eyes looked straight up at me, like a dog waiting for a kind word. There was such heat in her gaze that she might have jumped straight into my chest if Liana hadn’t held her back earlier.
”We have been waiting for you, Goshujin-sama,” Anna said precisely.
Anna spoke quietly after a short pause.
Short words. But her moist, heavy voice said everything, making it clear that her “waiting” did not mean just standing by for work.
”It looks like your work is finally taking proper shape,” I said to them.
When I spoke, Erika’s eyes lit up even more.
”…Yes. I still barely understand the language. But I have slowly memorized the locations and the order,” Erika said.
It came out like a report, but the feeling hiding beneath her voice was simple.
She wanted to be praised.
Her face practically begged me to tell her straight out that she was useful to me.
”Is that so. You’re doing well,” I said.
”…Yes!” Erika replied.
A lively reply. Erika quickly pressed her lips together to pull herself together, but it was too late. From the tips of her ears down to the white nape of her neck, she was blushing so hard she couldn’t hide it.
I spoke to Anna, who stood beside her in total silence.
”How about you, Anna. There must be a mountain of things to memorize.”
”…Yes. However, it is not hard,” Anna said.
A brief but strong answer.
When I turned my gaze to her, her gray-blue eyes held me quietly, without looking away.
”The bathing steps, the handling of the cloths, the use of medicinal herbs… keeping clean is no different from the care given before sealing a wound on the battlefield,” Anna said.
”Ho. A totally medic-like way of thinking,” I said.
Anna’s gaze slid down from my neck, across my chest, and down to my stomach, tracing over my clothes. It wasn’t the bath cloths, the baskets, or the herbs she was looking at. Her bright eyes were already imagining stripping the clothes from my body.
”I learned from Sylvia-sama about the herbs to use after the bath. Some have a sharp smell that stings the nose, like the Empire’s disinfectants…” Anna said, pausing.
There, Anna cut her words short, letting her gaze drift to my side.
Sensing the gaze, Sylvia gave a soft smile, gently touching Anna’s cheek.
”…You are learning well, Anna. You too, Erika,” Sylvia whispered softly.
Her cool, beautiful fingertips traced the shape of Anna’s face, then lovingly combed through Erika’s golden hair.
”The heat that Goshujin-sama gives us, how gentle it is, how deeply it fills us up… I am sure you both understand it very well by now, yes?” Sylvia said.
Her Common tongue flowed easily. At that sweet whisper, Erika and Anna’s faces turned red in an instant.
The memory of all the times they had shared skin since then.
As the two of them were held tight by me, crying out and begging, Sylvia had also gently stroked their backs, kissing them, melting together in the shared heat.
”…Yes, Sylvia-sama,” Erika murmured.
Erika narrowed her eyes, snuggling into those soft fingertips like a spoiled pet. Anna also nodded deeply, letting out a warm breath.
I didn’t miss how Liana’s silver-gray eyes were drawn to the left hand Sylvia was using to stroke them.
……The ivy ring.
There was no way Liana would miss that vow sitting on her slim, white ring finger. Deep in her eyes, a very faint but deep softness seeped through. For her, who picked out my and Sylvia’s clothes every morning, figuring out the meaning of that ring would have been easy. Yet she asked nothing, keeping that fact buried inside herself.
A moment later, it seemed Mina noticed it too.
The moment an astonished “Ah” almost slipped from her lips, Liana’s cold, stern gaze pinned her down, sealing her mouth shut. Even so, Mina’s cheeks flushed softly with a warm joy.
Though Erika had been drawn in by Sylvia’s scent and soft fingertips, her gaze was suddenly pulled to something else.
The entrance of the bathhouse. The moss-covered rock wall. The seamless sequence of giant boulders.
Her blue eyes fixed on the flow of the stone, staring hard as if she had found something.
”What is it, Erika?” I asked.
”…This rock, it wasn’t carved and stacked…?” Erika said.
”Ho. You can tell?”
”…There are no seams. If it were split and stacked, there would be marks of lining up somewhere. But this is…” Erika trailed off.
Erika traced the rock face as if touching it gently. Those fingertips, once stained with oil and soot, now carefully felt the texture of the wet stone.
”Could it be that you created this… with your magic, Goshujin-sama?” Erika said.
”Yeah. Well, roughly speaking,” I said.
”…Roughly,” Erika repeated.
She murmured blankly.
”A structure this logical… you made it roughly…” Erika whispered.
In her voice mixed a deep respect for something beyond reason, alongside a wonder that bordered on fear.
”The finer details were adjusted on the spot. As long as it works for practical use, that’s enough,” I said.
”Goshujin-sama… you are incredible,” Erika said.
Erika’s eyes were dead serious. Deep in them, I could feel a pure heat—a desire to see more of what I could do, to know more about me.
”Then, do you want to watch me fill the bath? The mechanism is simple,” I said.
Erika snapped her head up, and Anna also stood still, watching my right hand.
”Yes, I want to see…! Do you use… fire?” Erika said quickly.
”Well, yeah. Something like that,” I said.
Anna’s gray-blue eyes fell upon my palm.
”…Goshujin-sama’s fire is hot, yet it isn’t scary,” Anna said softly.
”Oh?”
”Because it is not a fire meant to burn people. It is a fire meant to melt a frozen core,” Anna said, lowering her gaze.
After speaking, Anna quietly looked down. At the bottom of her voice trembled a deep heat, just before it could melt into the steam.
”Papaーッ! Can I go ahead?” Rene shouted.
Rene pointed toward the entrance, leaning forward like she couldn’t wait. Beside her, Mimi lowered her long ears anxiously.
”Yeah. You can go ahead, but it’s not hot water yet. It’s just cold water,” I called out.
”That’s fine! Rene wants to see the part where it gets super hot first! Mimi-chan, come on! Delivery!” Rene cheered.
”Hyaaaa! I-I really am no good with the cold…” Mimi wailed.
Rene pulled Mimi by the hand, dashing toward the women’s bath. The sound of bare feet slapping against wet stone and Mimi’s sad voice of protest echoed against the rock walls, fading into the depths.
”What helpless children,” I said.
”Rene loves watching the moment the hot water is born from your magic, after all,” Sylvia said with a smile.
”Alright. Time to boil it,” I announced.
Like it was the most natural thing in the world, I slipped through the noren curtain of the women’s bath.
Inside, my vision opened up at once.
This wasn’t a natural hot spring. It was just fresh water I pulled from a glass-lined aqueduct, which I turned into hot water every evening using Mana.
But I had been a bit picky about how it looked.
The vast open-air bath of Kusatsu Onsen3 I once burned deep into my memory. I used magic to recreate that scene—a wide view where massive boulders lay scattered in every direction, forming smooth, natural curves.
You won’t find any clean, orderly baths here.
Instead, countless massive boulders tumbled over each other, with crystal-clear water winding through the gaps between them. The shallows came up to the knees, while the deepest areas sank down to a woman’s chest. The natural steps of the rocks served as seats and ledges, perfectly dividing the water’s temperature and flow.
Every inch of it was a world I had built with my own two hands.
By now, the elves from all over the village used it every single day.
It had become the center of their daily lives—a place to wash away the day’s dirt and sweat, to soak, to laugh, to share stories, and to get ready for the night. A place built from nothing more than my own blurry memories had somehow become the heart of evening in this village.
Beyond the rock wall lay the men’s bath. It was narrower than the women’s side, but the layout was identical.
There were two magical cores responsible for filling the women’s bath, and one for the men’s.
I had to start all three at the same time. If I didn’t, the men would start complaining about it being too lukewarm or taking too long, which always turned into a pain. Gauz in particular was incredibly noisy about it.
I made my way to the very back of the bathhouse, heading for the massive boulder that served as the water-filling platform. Along the way, in the shallow waters, Rene was already splashing around with the water up to her ankles, letting out happy cries.
”It’s so cold! Hurry up and get in, Mimi!”
”Eeee! N-No, it really is freezing… My ears are literally shaking…”
Mimi stayed perched on the edge, dipping nothing but her toes into the water with her ears pinned back flat. Her snow-white ears twitched and trembled one after another, sensitive to the biting cold.
”I’ll heat it up for you right now. Stay right there.”
”Okay!”
I stood on top of the massive boulder and looked out over the whole women’s bath.
The perfectly still surface of the water was completely clear, casting sharp shadows of the rocky bottom below. The green of the World Tree swayed across the water’s mirror-like surface, its image breaking into ripples whenever a breeze swept through.
I slowly held out both hands to the sides.
First, two locations in the women’s bath.
Deep in the bedrock behind the water inlets, I built glowing, red-hot cores.
Pulling the magical elements from the air, I forced them deep into the stone. Without breaking the rock or dirtying the water, I pinned pure, clean heat energy directly into place. A dark-red glow briefly leaked through the tiny cracks of the rock face.
Next, I created the exact same thing behind the wall… at the inlet of the men’s bath.
Though separated by distance, the whole structure of the rock wall was something I had built myself. Where to channel the heat, and where the water should be brought to a boil—I knew it like the back of my hand, even with my eyes closed.
”……’Core Thermogenesis (Heat Core)’”
Inside those three massive stones, a scorching pulse flared to life.
The clean water surged through the deep parts of the inlets.
The cold water swirled around the red-hot cores, soaking up a huge amount of heat while staying perfectly clear, before bursting all at once from the openings in the rock.
At first, it was nothing more than thin, white ribbons.
But in the blink of an eye, they became wrapped in thick, heavy steam, pouring down the rocky steps in a rushing flood that spread into the shallows.
Gurgle.
A low rumble, like the earth itself groaning, echoed through the space.
In the next instant, thick white steam rose from every corner of the bathhouse.
The canopy of green overhead disappeared behind a milky-white cover, and countless beads of moisture formed tightly across the surrounding rock faces.
The water was quickly turning into a hot spring.
Starting from the shallows, a heat greater than body temperature rippled outward, pushing out the cold air that had settled at the bottom of the deep areas. I carefully controlled the output of the heat cores, keeping a close eye on how thick the steam was.
At first, it would be a little on the hotter side. By the time everyone actually started getting in, it would settle down to a deeply satisfying, perfect temperature that soaked right into your bones.
”Wow…! It’s getting warm!”
Rene’s pure delight burst through the blanket of steam. She had already taken off her clothes and was swimming around through the water like a fish.
”Ahhh…”
Before I knew it, Mimi had also stripped completely naked and was sunk up to her waist. Only her white rabbit ears poked out of the steam, drooping softly as if melting from pure bliss.
Behind me, I heard the faint sound of Erika catching her breath.
”…That conclusion lacks enough evidence. The water is being heated from inside the stone itself…”
Her voice sounded like she was talking to herself, yet it was heavy with shaking wonder.
”By keeping the heat source from touching the water directly, the energy is passed along entirely through the stone.”
”That’s exactly it. It raises the temperature without dirtying the water, keeping it perfectly fresh. We use this place every single day, after all.”
Erika stared hard at the water inlet, completely lost for words for a long moment.
The basic idea was clearly very different from that of a Magic Gun, but in her own way, she was desperately trying to understand how it worked.
Anna reached into the rising steam without a shred of hesitation.
She took a deep breath of the damp air, as if to confirm the heat brushing past her fingertips.
”…Magnificent.”
From beneath her lowered eyelashes, Anna’s grey-blue eyes locked onto mine.
”At once, sir. Master’s bath completely undoes us, loosening the tension of our bodies, and indeed… reaching to the very depths of our souls.”
”What’s with the exaggeration?”
”No. …It is the absolute truth, sir.”
She replied shortly, then looked back toward the far side of the steam. Her earlobes were flushed a bright crimson—a color far too intense to be blamed only on the heat of the bath.
”The men’s bath has no issues either. The water temperature is perfect today as well.”
Liana tilted her head up slightly, without even needing to strain her ears toward the other side of the wall.
The scent of wet stone and medicinal herbs mixed with the steam. Her nostrils twitched slightly as she quietly breathed in the damp air, and a quick look of pure pleasure crossed her calm face.
”Master! The changing room is completely ready for you whenever you like!”
Mina gestured broadly toward the half-open wooden structure.
It was a changing room built just for my use.
Liana took a step back, bowing her head in deep, respectful silence.
Right beside her, Mina gave a small wave to Erika and Anna.
”Right here, yes! This one, in front. Fruit water, in the back. Clothes, to the right! Getting wet, no-no!”
Mina pointed to each item one by one.
Erika nodded with a deadly serious expression, while Anna had already moved the first piece of cloth to its proper position.
Liana watched the scene, her eyes narrowing slightly.
”Do not rush. Be precise.”
Her voice was quiet.
Erika and Anna likely didn’t understand every single word she said. Yet through nothing more than the cool tone of her voice and the subtle movements of her fingers, the perfect standard she demanded was unmistakably clear.
The two of them bowed their heads slightly in unison.
Behind Liana and Mina, Erika and Anna stood lined up shoulder-to-shoulder.
They still lacked the words. Their movements were still far from flawless. But the gaze guiding the two of them no longer held even a shadow of hesitation.
They were desperately trying to remember the exact spots needed to serve me.
They were waiting for the moment they could touch my skin, their eyes burning with a feverish intensity.
I quietly looked out over the rocky bath spreading across the white smoke.
The rocks I had formed.
The water I had guided.
The heat I had kindled.
That miniature garden, born from nothing more than a playful spark of my magic, had now become a sacred place where the women of the household could melt body and mind, celebrating the end of another long day in the village.
”Alright. Time to get in.”
The moment I turned around and announced it, Rene’s innocent, joyful cheer echoed back from the depths of the water.
As if chasing after her voice, Mimi’s long, sweet tone echoed softly against the stone walls.
Deep in the forest, the cover of night was slowly filling the gaps between the branches and leaves.
I stepped down from the platform and made my way toward the changing room, where the burning, wet gazes of the women of the household converged upon me.
The cool touch of the wooden floorboards met the soles of my feet… and that brief chill only served to build the anticipation of the heat that was about to unfold.
—
Summary:
The protagonist arrives at the forest’s secluded communal bathhouse where his household maids are preparing for the evening ritual. A lesson in etiquette unfolds as Liana corrects Mina’s dress and implicitly guides the newly instated maids, Erika and Anna, who are eagerly trying to absorb their duties. A momentary recognition of an ivy ring on Sylvia’s hand highlights an unspoken dynamic of commitment, leaving the new servants deeply infatuated while staring down the miraculous, seamless stone architecture shaped by their master’s physical magic.
Ryuichi stands before his handcrafted rocky onsen, manipulating ambient magic elements to generate absolute heat deep inside the bedrock water inlets. White steam violently floods the cavernous bathhouse, prompting instantaneous physical, euphoric relaxation from the household women who strip down to dive into the warm currents. While Erika analyzes the heat conduction principles and Anna struggles with her deep emotional devotion, Ryuichi prepares to move from his elevated pedestal toward the changing area where their heated glances overlap over an unresolved dynamic of master and servants.
—
Trivia:
The bath is entirely artificial, supplied via a custom glass-lined aqueduct system built by the protagonist’s magic.
Erika and Anna were previously unaccustomed to luxury or household service, hinted at by their past terror, soot-stained background, and strict battlefield mindset.
Anna uses a cognitive system modeled entirely on medical logging charts to secretly copy Liana’s professional hand movements.
Liana’s reaction to the ivy ring shows her deep understanding of the inner household politics without needing a formal announcement.
The bath layout is modeled entirely after Ryuichi’s imprecise memories of the authentic Kusatsu Onsen in Japan.
Elves within the local settlement now utilize this artificial hot spring as their primary communal gathering hub every evening.
The physical heat of the cores is completely contained inside the stones to prevent water contamination, mirroring a sterile heat exchange loop.
Mimi’s animal ears react physically and autonomously to raw ambient temperature fluctuations, long before she enters the water.
Anna’s profound crimson flush is deliberately highlighted as a psychological response to Ryuichi rather than a side effect of the rising onsen steam.
Mina’s speech structure breaks words down into extreme staccato commands when directing external members in the changing area.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Liana – A refined elf maid and sister attendant who serves the protagonist with quiet, serene movements. Beneath her precise demeanor and impeccably braided, shoulder-length silver hair lies a deep olfactory obsession. Fiercely loyal to her master but cold to others, she disdains corruption and uses high-pressure water magic, archery, and a dagger, calmly wiping away blood while hunting survivors.
• Mina – A petite, rich-figured Elf sister and devoted attendant who clings affectionately to Ryuichi. She sleeps in his shared bedroom, warms his cold hands, and offers him a canteen inside the barrier. Aside from her overnight processing role and doting nature, she is a skilled garrison archer and mage wielding thermal combat spells that reflect her unusually high body temperature.
• Erika – A thin, 23-year-old former Empire mechanic and soldier, she is now Ryuichi’s traumatized, submissive household servant. She features blue eyes, a flushed complexion, and long, unkempt dark-golden hair on an emaciated, scarred body. Deeply affected by the protagonist’s influence, she struggles with composure, often dissociating to suppress terrifying war memories.
• Anna – A serious, quiet attendant and former medic remembered from the Stone Chamber as strong and self-sacrificing. She once offered herself into slavery to save Erika’s life and now shares a deep, unspoken bond with the protagonist. Serving Ryuichi as a slave, she performs household duties like preparing meals while navigating a complex, submissive relationship with her master.
• Spirit King – The protagonist and absolute ruler is a male who serves as the sole, detached source of mana for an Elf village ritual. Possessing limitless stamina and dominant magical abilities, he can heal others and completely reconstruct the physical forms of those he subdues.
• King – A powerful, authoritative male lead who possesses immense physical strength and magic. He commands absolute loyalty and submission from the inhabitants of the Silver Moon Village.
• Sylvia – A platinum-haired, jade-eyed Elven commander and advisor with a gentle smile and disciplined posture. Ryuichi’s devoted partner and liaison, she shares an intimate, spiritual bond with him. Carrying the Spirit King’s ring, she is an observant protector who deploys white heat rays, holds a sisterly bond with Lara, and fondly remembers her past village while quietly watching over her comrades.
• Rene – A pure-hearted, fragile Elf archer and energetic child of the household harem. Identifiable by her messy chestnut hair, amber eyes, and a morning bedhead, she is a timid yet lively girl who loves splashing in water. She clings to the protagonist for safety and seeks their attention as a parent figure. While fear triggers raw Mana bursts, intimate rituals designate her as a blissful healing item.
• Mimi – A petite, agile white Rabbit-kin tracker from the Hundred-Beast Federation with ruby eyes. Clad in an oversized shirt, her battered body is stained with fluid and blood. She acts as a mana-voice intermediary, tracking heartbeats despite fearing violence. Intensely emotional and reactive to magic, this submissive girl is deeply attached to her master, clutching his clothes.
• Man – A roughneck wearing a hat who participated in a group assault. He suffers the loss of his right arm and later his left arm during an experiment by the protagonist before being stored.
• Gauz – A massive, steel-furred feline commander with a golden mane, brawny arms, and a deep, resonant voice. This battle-hardened, hyper-durable warrior wields the axe Agito, systematically obliterating the despised Empire army with deep tactical experience. Arrogant yet fiercely loyal, he submits only to the protagonist. Tied to a past security failure, he is now a scarred, charred runaway.
• Ryuichi – A towering, muscular 40-year-old Spirit King with Japanese past-life memories, short dark hair, black eyes, and a beard. He leads a diverse group and rules an elf village using powerful black, glass, gravity, and barrier magic. Composed yet occasionally teasing, this commanding mentor protects his beloved Sylvia while pragmatically valuing companions Anna and Erika.
• Ryu – A man with Interdimensional Magic who leads a growing household. He acts as a provider and protector for his slaves, while maintaining a pragmatic and blunt personality.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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