After finishing the report on this incident, I finally ended my overtime and entered my scheduled days off.
I came to a certain facility within the company to heal the fatigue from my work.
When you hear “company facility,” you might imagine something like a public bath at best, or a light leisure facility, or perhaps a place with massage chairs. However, this company surpasses such expectations.
*Ka-pon*
Sometimes you hear the sound of hot springs on TV, but I wonder if today’s children know that it’s the sound of a wooden tub hitting the floor.
As I thought about such things, I gazed at the scene before me.
A vast expanse of silver, under a blue sky. A quiet, superb view unfolded before my eyes.
“Ah, I feel so refreshed. I’ve worked too hard since the New Year.”
Battle after battle, long-distance travel, my body was more tired than I had anticipated. I was healing that fatigue with a hot spring that could be called a secluded hot spring within the company.
I believe hot springs are one of the top five wonderful cultures created by humans.
Although my body had been strengthened by the magic crest, making me less prone to fatigue, it didn’t mean I didn’t get tired. For me, who had been working almost all night, this spacious hot spring facility was the perfect place to heal my body.
The facility reproduced a Japanese inn.
What’s amazing about this facility is that instead of lining up rooms like a hotel, it utilized the extra-dimensional space of a dungeon to create several small inns like pensions within a large mountain.
The size varies depending on the rank, but all inns have bathing areas and open-air baths, and meals are delivered via teleportation circles.
Originally, we were hesitant to leave Suella, who was pregnant, and go out for Hatsumode or elsewhere for the New Year. So, we reserved this facility to spend some time there occasionally, rather than just relaxing in our room. We had booked it at the end of last year.
We also chose a slightly higher grade, so the view is quite good. Even after what happened at the beginning of the New Year, it’s better to rest when the supervisor tells you to. Sometimes taking a break is important, so we came with Suella and the others as planned, without canceling.
“This is nice. This is what you call a rare luxury.”
Thanks to choosing a slightly higher-grade inn, the private bath, while called private, was as spacious as the large public bath of a small inn. It had an indoor bath that could comfortably accommodate me stretching out my legs, and even about ten adults, and an open-air bath of the same size.
There were no employees in the inn; if anything was needed, we would contact them to call them, which ensured our privacy. Additionally, the inns were physically separated by distance, making it quiet, and allowing for relaxation like this. The silence that cannot be felt in noisy cities. It seems that a space filled only with the sounds of nature has a healing effect. I am currently in the open-air bath, and the snowy landscape before me can be called a superb view.
“The person who created this view is amazing.”
It comes at a price, of course, but the content is well worth the cost, making me want to come again. The same goes for the superb view before me. I recall the words of the demon employee who guided us here, saying that the scenery changes with the seasons, and I praised the sense that created this view. Since it’s within a dungeon, the scenery can be freely manipulated. Like the leisure facility we visited before, the power of dungeons can be applied to various things. If we include experimental aspects, I’ve heard rumors that some VIP is obsessed with eels and is trying to farm them with the supervisor’s permission. In short, as a being, dungeons are unrivaled in their freedom when it comes to creating environments. Whether it’s a desert, a vast forest, a great ocean, or an iceberg, they can be prepared. It would surely provide one or two comfortable farms and an environment free from bad weather and disasters. As someone benefiting from that, I enjoyed a moment of respite, thinking that it might eventually revolutionize the Japanese food industry.
“Here, have some sake.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
As I was leisurely contemplating such things, sake, placed on a wooden tub floating in the hot water, was offered to me. I picked it up without any hesitation and gently brought it to my lips. A smooth texture, the sweetness of rice, and finally, the characteristic alcohol taste of sake filled my mouth. Ah, I’ve always wanted to try this, I thought, rolling the sake on my tongue before drinking it.
“Delicious.”
Instead of drinking heavily, it’s nice to savor it sometimes. It has a certain flair. After finishing the sake in the ochoko, a white-skinned hand refilled it.
“I’m glad you found it delicious. I tasted it too, and I’m happy it suits Jiro-san’s palate.”
“… Memoria, we’re naturally bathing together, but I should mention I’m a man.”
“It’s a bit late for that now, isn’t it?”
I wondered if I had heard the sound of her entering the bath as I turned my gaze to Memoria, who was soaking in the water next to me. The delicious sake, the superb view before me, and a beautiful woman beside me. It’s no exaggeration to say that I was fully enjoying the luxury of the hot springs. Since it’s cloudy water, it’s difficult to see what’s submerged, but I could tell whether or not she was covering herself with a towel. From that, I immediately knew she was wearing nothing.
“Just to confirm, didn’t you say earlier that I could go in first?”
“Is that something to worry about? We haven’t hidden anything from each other, and at least I don’t mind.”
“That’s true, but still.”
It’s partly my own carelessness, but when someone joins you so naturally, I start to wonder if I’m being too lenient, or if my efforts are insufficient.
“Besides, what I said earlier meant that women take longer to prepare, so I let you go first!”
Tilting her head, Memoria asked if she had said something strange, but I inwardly screamed, “You get it?!” and thought, is this another difference in common sense between worlds? Still, I quickly drank my sake, trying to hide the fact that my cheeks were blushing at Memoria’s alluring appearance.
“Is it normal to overthink things to that extent in your world?”
“No, it isn’t. My father was also rather oblivious about these kinds of things.”
“You can’t? Then…”
Before I could say, “There’s no need to enter together.”
“Yes, so this is my wish. I wanted to bathe with Jiro-san.”
Memoria’s honest words reached my ears.
“That’s unfair, women are.”
“Yes, we are unfair beings, we ‘women’.”
She said “unfair,” but it was still a happy thing. I glanced at Memoria, who gave a wry smile as if to hide her embarrassment, and downed the sake. As Memoria said, we’ve shown each other everything. Now, even if we show each other our skin, it’s just a little embarrassing, not uncomfortable. I excused myself, telling myself that this embarrassment was also due to Memoria’s slightly flushed cheeks, reddened by the hot springs. As I said earlier, the current scene is a luxury in a hot spring. As a man, I have no intention of refusing. Well, if I had to add something.
“You said ‘women’, didn’t you?”
It means more beautiful women are coming. At the same moment Memoria said that, I felt a presence behind me. And then, the door connecting the indoor bath to the open-air bath slowly opened.
“You’re really unfair.”
I didn’t need to think about who would enter through that door. And as a man, I couldn’t refuse the scene that was about to unfold. All I could do was:
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Did you wait long, Master? Hmm, Memoria, you went ahead again.”
I gently raised my ochoko towards them, who entered with smiles. I never imagined I would witness such a scene. My vision was slightly obscured by the steam, but it wasn’t enough to block everything. Even through the towel, I could see their voluptuous bodies, and the radiant sight further heated my cheeks.
“I’ll go in first.”
“I got in first here. How about you two, shouldn’t let yourselves get cold?”
This is a kind of paradise, unseen in modern Japan. I’m still not used to this sight. And I must accept this reality and support and protect them. I try to love them equally, but I’ve never been liked by multiple women in this way. Therefore, I can’t deny that I’m approaching them tentatively. That doesn’t mean it’s troublesome at all. Rather, I cherish the current time, which is probably because I am a man.
“Yes, in that case, excuse me for joining you.”
“Hmm, if so, I’ll take the spot in front of Master.”
Although Suella’s stomach was noticeable, her beauty had not faded; rather than sex appeal, it was maternal love. Suella, who had become beautiful as a woman, emanating a motherly aura. I placed my ochoko on the tray and offered Suella my hand, gently guiding her into the hot spring.
“It feels good.”
“Is it too hot?”
“Yes, it’s fine.”
Suella, who then sat next to me on the opposite side from Memoria, visibly relaxed. Meanwhile, Himik slipped past me and positioned herself in front of me.
“The bath in the room is large, but I can’t spread my wings properly unless it’s this big.”
Here, she’s soaking with her wings spread, truly a fallen angel. The body created by the gods boasts a perfect balance, and she shows it to me without any shame. That Himik was carefully tending to her jet-black wings.
“Hmm? What’s wrong, Master? Are you captivated by me?”
That sight could be called art. Even if captured in a photograph or painted, its beauty and allure cannot be fully depicted.
“Ah, there isn’t a day I’m not captivated by you.”
Himik, hearing that, smiled a little bashfully and said something teasing, so I ended up answering with my true feelings.
“Hmm, hearing you say that so honestly makes me a little embarrassed.”
Himik seemed to have understood, blushing even more, and her wing maintenance became more vigorous. Even such a sight was cute, and it just made me drink more sake. Truly, I am a fortunate man. And who was it who said that beautiful women get boring after three days? Far from getting bored, I’m still completely flustered. Well, if I were to get tired of marrying three beautiful wives like this, I suppose I’d deserve divine punishment. Himik, still embarrassed, averted her gaze slightly and became engrossed in caring for her wings, but she kept glancing at me.
“Oh my, aren’t you going to say something to me, Jiro-san?”
“Can you forgive me?”
“No, I won’t let you escape.”
Suella, wanting to be treated as I had treated Himik, sought my words. I, who had said it under the influence of alcohol, felt too cheesy and embarrassed to say the same thing again. However, I wanted to meet her expectations. So.
“Um, um, Jiro-san?”
“Suella, I love you.”
Here, relying on my drunkenness, I decided to express my true feelings. I gently placed my hand on Suella’s hair, looked directly into her eyes, and said it simply. Even drunk, my consciousness was clear, and my blushing face was unavoidable. But I didn’t look away. Suella, who had been a little jealous of the suddenness, had her face turn crimson, evident even on her tanned skin, her eyes moist.
“Yes, I love you too.”
She then leaned into me as if entrusting herself to me. What are we doing in the hot springs so early in the morning? Things had taken so many turns that my head was about to overheat, not from the hot springs and sake alone. As if to deliver the final blow, there was a presence that snuggled up to me on the other side.
“…”
“Memoria?”
“…”
The presence that interrupted the atmosphere, which was heading towards a kiss with Suella. Memoria looked up at me wordlessly, waiting for my words. Although she is usually fair-skinned, her cheeks were flushed, and she exuded a different kind of allure than usual. I understood that she was waiting for my words, and with that pleading gaze, I, as a man, had no choice but to surrender. Even a sigh was forbidden. Suella also gently smiled, snuggled close, and listened to the words I would speak. However, I was in a bit of a bind. After being captivated and saying “I love you,” what words should I use for her? “I like you?” No, that feels like a downgrade. Should I simply say “I love you too, Memoria?” It feels somehow different. I wanted to sigh at my lack of vocabulary, but I managed to suppress it by reading the mood. … Staring at each other like this won’t solve anything. As time passes, I’ll only make her more anxious. So, should I just go with impulse? At such a moment, I suddenly recalled a conversation between Instructor Kio and Instructor Fushio when I was drinking with the instructors.
“Huh? How to love women equally?”
“Kukuku. Jiro has become able to surround himself with women. It’s natural that such questions arise. Then, it’s my duty as an elder to give you advice.”
That was several days after I started dating Suella, then Memoria, and then Himik.
“You only have one person, don’t you?”
“I too had many women in my youth.”
“And now you only have one?”
“Kukukuku, except for my current wife, they’ve all turned to bone!”
“That’s not funny!!”
I never intended to have a harem, and I wasn’t used to the situation of loving multiple women at the same time. It’s only natural, of course. Until last year, I was an ordinary Japanese salaryman. It would be strange to even consider a harem situation. If it were just two, I might have managed to come up with something, but with three, it’s not that simple. Lacking knowledge and experience, I swallowed my shame and consulted the two of them at the time. They grinned and shared their experiences, offering useful advice.
“Listen, Jiro. Women in this world are…”
“Quite radical and straightforward.”
“We’ll tell you the perfect words for such women.”
“Kukuku, don’t worry. It’s a simple phrase. I’ve been saved by these words many times.”
“Yeah, I use them sometimes too.”
Drunk, and matching their pace, I was listening seriously with a slightly strange high, which is probably why I remembered it instantly.
“Memoria, how many children do you want?”
“Then, please let’s aim for at least three. Of course, both boys and girls. If you wish, more is fine.”
“In that case, I’d also like two more younger brothers or sisters. However, if Jiro-san wishes. Yes.”
“Hmm, that’s unfair, Master. I want to form a baseball team with my children.”
“Kukukukuku. After all, the words they want most are…”
“To be asked by the man they love how many children they want.”
But, after saying it, I thought. I should be calmer. Why did I choose these words among the various teachings? I don’t regret it because it’s my true feeling, but it was a bit too intense. But.
“I will strive to meet your expectations.”
“In that case, after this…”
“Yes, Suella’s children will also need siblings.”
“Do your best, Jiro-san.”
I’ll accept it. Since they are all so happy. However, I am a little worried if my trained body won’t cry out in pain afterward.
Today’s Word:
Let’s have a proper discussion about family planning.
That’s all for this time.
Thank you as always for pointing out typos and for your feedback.
If you found it interesting, please leave your comments, ratings, bookmarks, etc.
*The first volume of the novel has been decided to be published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
The e-book version was also released on October 31 of the same year.
Additionally, volume 2 was released on December 19.
The third volume was released on February 20, 2019.
The content includes revisions and additions to the material posted on Shousetsuka ni Narou, with an unpublished interlude included.
Please check out the new releases as well!!
Also, a comic adaptation has been decided for Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third”.
