Chapter 244

: Blindfolds are for fashion

What’s with that appearance you have there, little girl?

We did a light self-introduction with the princess-sama that we brought back.
Tomoe explained to her that we are a company from a foreign country who has gotten the permission from Lorel Union to do some business inside the country, which is all true but doesn’t touch anything about our real objective. And after that, we confirmed our standings.
Since then, there hasn’t been a single word about Yaso-Katsui or Kannaoi.
We simply told her that Sairitz-san has given us her approval by telling us that she would cooperate with her best if we were to make a store inside the country, and that we have obtained information from her and are currently in the country with the objective of heading to the labyrinth.
…Words have a lot of depth huh.
The princess-sama said that she is the daughter of a relatively big town’s landlord, and her name is Ousaka Iroha. Because of Tomoe’s first impression, she is pretty attached to her.
Iroha is probably her real name, but her family name is probably not Ousaka but Osakabe.
The person herself said: ‘Osaka— Ousaka’, and restated it after all.
However, different from other countries, the names given to the people in Lorel are not names that define their nature, their nature is what defines their name. A name like Iroha-chan finally clicked in my mind.
Their naming sense is Japanese-like, so I was finally able to confirm that the Wise-sama in this country are definitely Japanese. I have also understood that this country has been influenced in a slightly strange manner.
The legendary master swordsman Iori is also a totally Japanese-style name after all.
When I asked, I was told that this person was from such a long past that it is even questionable if he actually existed, but in this country, it is a pretty well known fairytale, or more like, the main protagonist of a hero tale.
I do think the person existed, and there’s the chance he was the husband of Root.
There’s also the chance that he was a Japanese person.
It seems like he is loved, so well, if he really is Japanese, that in itself is something that makes me kind of proud.
And it seems like Iroha-chan is a big fan of Muramatsu Iori.
Yeah, how charming.
But at any rate, the attire this girl has which you can tell by a glance that it is expensive, her speech and conduct that you can tell she is ignorant to the outside world, moreover, even if it is the story of a hero which children would seem to like, her knowledge was pretty detailed.
She even retorted about the name of Kuzunoha company, saying that: ‘You are named Kuzunoha, and yet, you are a foreign company?’.
The two possibilities point to rich people, but rather than the daughter of a landlord, she looks more like a princess for me.
In other words, she gives me the impression that there’s no doubt she is the daughter of the Osakabe household.
I will confirm this with Tomoe later.
It seems like the interest of Iroha-chan finally shifted to something else.
By the way, even when I said that I am the master of Tomoe and am the representative of the company, not only did she hold her stomach in laughter, she was told by Tomoe that it was the truth and got shocked.
Leaving aside how much a kid can understand, we explained it to her, and received the impression: ‘how mysterious’.
Those are the details from just a few moments ago.
Right now, the other thing that Iroha-chan is interested in -no, it is not me- that’s right, she was interested in the talk about entering the open air bath.
Going to the bath with a girl I met just moments ago.
The development of the situation is so bad that it sounds like a bad eroge, and I can also clearly tell that it will go straight to a Bad End right after.
I am going straight to jail.
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I don’t know about this world, but ethically speaking, this would put me straight in jail.
No matter if I have the promissory note of Sairitz-san.
But I threw that line of thought immediately into the far horizon, and well, she is a guest that we brought ourselves, so I told Iroha-chan to go take a bath first instead.
It is not a bath that has water filled up, it is a luxurious hot spring that has water constantly flowing in it.
It is obviously smaller than the super bath-house that came out from a big hole at a winter mountain and had its construction rushed, but in the eyes of a plebeian like me, it is an open air bath of pretty big size.
…Now that I think about it, we are staying in a pretty luxurious inn where there’s a time limit of a one hour stay and any more than that we have to pay extra charges, and yet, we are able to stay in this kind of room as much as we want.
And we are able to utilize the guest room in the inn without any sort of time limitation.
I…have a lot of money huh.
The gold in the warehouse at Asora gradually increases.
Even if we were to continue building warehouses, the insides wouldn’t change, and more importantly, it doesn’t look good for the scenery, so we are trying to exchange the gold coins in Asora’s warehouses.
If I remember correctly, there’s the magic silver coin and the yellow gold coin (which is also called magic gold coin), so it is possible to exchange it, but leaving aside the fact that there’s two that are higher than the gold coin, they are not easy to use.
That’s why I didn’t want to exchange it much.
But there’s a lot of things I want to place inside the warehouses, so it can’t be helped.
Frankly speaking, the yellow gold coin is difficult to obtain, and it is half treated as an artistic good. If I had to illustrate it with something in Earth, it would be like an expensive commemoration coin, so I have changed them all into magic silver coins.
I remember that even with that, Shiki said that it would still take the space of several warehouses.
It is impossible to know the exact amount of money we have, and there’s no way to have a good grasp of it, but…let’s try asking about the amount of money we have in our possession.
Oh right.
At any rate, I offered Iroha-chan to take a bath, but she said that she can’t go on her own, so someone should enter with her.
And after that, she slowly went to the front of Mio and lifted both her arms.
She stretched both arms and legs while standing.
Mio had a dubious expression as she asked the reason why to Iroha-chan. Well, that’s normal.
I also don’t understand what she is aiming for.
But I will tell Mio later to stop calling her little girl.

You said your name was Mio, right? Quickly take my clothes off-desu.
(Iroha)

…Hah?
(Mio)

What’s with that ‘hah’? You are the maid that serves under Tomoe-sama and Raidou-sama, right? It doesn’t seem like there’s any other servant here, so I will leave you under my care-desu.
(Iroha)

Pfft.
(Tomoe)
Tomoe laughed.
The pure words of Iroha-chan held no malice.
I see, what a misunderstanding.
In terms of our standings, the correct answer would be that below me, Tomoe and Mio stand in the same height, but because of the processing of Iroha-chan, even with our explanation, Mio had become the one with the lowest standing among us.
…Ah, I see.
On top of that, she was accompanied by that old man and those people that looked like bodyguards, and it seemed like there were servants too, so she probably thought our relationship was similar to how theirs is.

…Listen well. I serve Waka-sama! By no means do I serve someone like Tomoe-san. Tomoe-san and I have the same standing. No, I, who has been gradually gaining the favor of Waka-sama’s stomach, am standing higher. Do you understand?
(Mio)

If you are the cook, that means your standing is lower than that of Tomoe-sama who is a close aide. In the first place, having katanas and serving her master is the proof that she is a close aide. That’s why…
(Iroha)

Do.you.un.der.stand?
(Mio)

?!!! Iph huphs!! Iph huphs-esu!
(Iroha)

Are.you.lis.te.ning?
(Mio)
Mio immediately abandons any thoughts of conversation and goes straight to force.
The cheeks of Iroha-chan…that looks painful.
Since the meat has not been teared off, it seems like she properly understands how much strength to use on a child.
Hm, for someone like Mio, this is quite the soft and Mio-like way of dealing with things.
After a while of lifting her up and doing the dance of ‘un.der.stand?’, Iroha-chan tearfully nodded her head up and down.
The convincing was successful.
Or more like, con.vin.cing.

Uwuuu, if Mio-san is no good, it can’t be helped. Raidou-sama, I ask of you-desu.
(Iroha)
Eh?

What is this little girl saying? Does she have a loose screw?
(Makoto)

Eh?
(Iroha)
Crap, I messed up.
My words and thoughts come out in reverse order.

Ah no well, I haven’t assisted a girl in her bathing you see. I am sorry but, I can’t.
(Makoto)
In a variety of meanings, that is.
I have no such tastes.
It doesn’t excite me at all.
Today is a day where I have experienced a lot of unexpected findings.
Or more like, why is it that when Mio is no good, she asks me rather than Tomoe?

You litt—lass. Your name was Iroha, right? It seems like my words were not enough.
(Mio)
Mio spins both hands and looks at Iroha-chan.
Iroha-chan is definitely not saying this to seduce me, so don’t just turn the little girl into lass and call her by her name, Mio.
It seems like spinning both her hands had great effect on Iroha-chan, she hid behind my back.

Now now Mio, can’t you see that Iroha is getting scared? From what we have heard, this girl’s family is that of a pretty influential landlord. She grew in an environment where her necessities were all taken care by others. Don’t get so angry.
(Tomoe)

Tomoe-san, are you telling me to let this girl have Waka-sama take off her clothes, and assist her in her bathing? Have Waka-sama wash her body and hair, and soak in the bath together? Is that what you are saying? I see. Can’t let that happen, definitely can’t. There’s no way I would let something so envious— Anyways, I won’t accept it! No way! Because I will be the one who will be doing it later!
(Mio)

Ah, if it’s soaking in the bath, I can do it on my own. But taking off my clothes and washing my body and hair, that’s the job of the servants that are in the bath-na no desu. It is the same with my mom as well-desu.
(Iroha)
Oi.
You intended to make me wash your body and hair?
How scary.
The words that Iroha-chan says, steadily increase the level of how much unawareness this girl has, and how she has been raised in her rich family.
That’s what they have been doing? Seriously?
Also Mio, I will end up collapsing again if you do that.
Didn’t I tell you to restrain yourselves not that long ago?

When you say it, it sounds strangely erotic, Mio. But don’t worry, I wouldn’t let Waka do something like that. He hasn’t done that for me either after all. I was the first one that thought about bringing her here-ja. And so, how about I help Iroha in her bathing?
(Tomoe)
Aside from the funny words Tomoe muttered around the middle, her words were unexpectedly admirable.
There’s no way I am going to wash the body of Tomoe who is a lot older and surpasses me in height by much.
Well, let’s have Tomoe bath with Iroha-chan then.
The person herself is okay with it, and Mio doesn’t want to do it.

With T-T-Tomoe-sama-desu ka?! Impossible! It is absolutely impossible-na no desu!!
(Iroha)
cling
Iroha-chan’s face goes bright red and clings onto me.
Firmly.
The expression of Mio went one level up.
I don’t understand how that works, but that’s how I felt.
But what does this mean, little girl?
If I had to say something about this, isn’t your attitude reversed in regards to me and Tomoe?
…Could it be?!
This girl, has she already reached the age where she has perverted sexual preferences?!
Impossible, Lorel.
That is a side of the Japanese that you shouldn’t imitate.
?!!!
When I heard about the legendary swordsman Iori, I thought that there was a pupil or an adopted child of Miyamoto Musashi that had a name like that.
I totally thought that this person was a man, but could it be…it was a woman?!
N-Now that I think about it, the bodyguards just now were both women.
In other words…I am correct?

What’s with that reaction-ja? If you are fine with Waka, you should be fine with me as well, right? It seems like you don’t have hesitation in showing your skin at bath after all.
(Tomoe)

T-T-T-That’s not the problem here!
(Iroha)
How could it be.
People of Lorel Union, I don’t know which Japanese did these, but I am truly sorry.
The solution of this has not yet been found even with state-of-the-art techniques in the modern world.
To forcefully fix this, you would need to do things like brainwashing, and that doesn’t feel like it is a solution.
(Ah, Waka, just saying but, this girl likes boys, you know. It seems like she hasn’t met him yet, but she has a fiancee that she herself has accepted.) (Tomoe)
Receiving a shocking revelation, I was filled with apologetic feelings towards Lorel. I don’t know how Tomoe knew what I was thinking, but she send me a lukewarm thought transmission.
Iroha-chan’s speech and conduct are clearly telling me otherwise though.
Is it really the case?
It is Tomoe, so it shouldn’t be a mistake, but…you know…

Fumu, then what’s the problem-ja.
(Tomoe)

Ha…ha ha ha.
(Iroha)
She looked like a dog with rough breathing.
It seems like she is trying to say the reason, so we just wait.

It is embarrassing-desu!
(Iroha)

No well, we will be bathing together anyways, right?
(Tomoe)

Please give up!
(Iroha)

…Isn’t it please give in?
(Makoto)
Ah, I retorted by reflex.

Aw, please give in!-na no desu.

She is really agitated.
Let just have her say everything she has to say for now.
Don’t retort, don’t retort.

Umu.
(Tomoe)
Looks like Tomoe is doing that too.

At least wait until I am 17-18, and get a woman-like body like that of my mom. At that time…I will happily take a bath together. Right now it is no good-na no desu! I can’t show you this petite body of mine!! It can’t match Tomoe-sama’s incredible body at all!!
(Iroha)
…
I don’t know how old this girl is but, is it that? The talk about taking a bath together after several years later.
Even if Mio were to take off Iroha-chan’s clothes, it would still end up in them taking a bath together after all.
So should they take baths separately?
But even so, her naked body would still be seen already anyways.

I don’t really care about the naked body of a child. Also, if your goal is to have a body like that of your mother, you will in time look similar to her. Don’t mind it. Well, if Iroha says that she definitely doesn’t want me to see, then I don’t mind going in the bath with a blindfold.
(Tomoe)
…I wouldn’t like that.
A bath is something more free, willful, and fun.
In my land, it is called a necessary article to cleanse your heart after all.
I am one of the people that say: Bath is life.
But I still haven’t mastered the bath road enough to say these words though.

Something like a blindfold is just…!
(Iroha)
Even Iroha-chan is not so lacking in common sense.
It looks like she understands the importance of bathing.

Then what should we do? Even if it is slightly embarrassing, it is best to obediently let me wash you, you know. It is my first time cleaning the body of someone else after all. Be proud, I am giving you the honor of being my first.
(Tomoe)
This Tomoe.
She must have read something in the memories of Iroha-chan and her group.
She seems to be in a pretty good mood, and she is even saying this much, so…it must be quite the thing.
Could it be, this girl has something special?
I feel like that ‘special’ something is directed at me and not at Tomoe.

I ask that T-Tomoe-sama goes in first, or that you go in later-desu!
(Iroha)

…What?
(Tomoe)

…Pfft.
(Mio)
It has curved.
Now Mio is the one who leaks a laugh.
In other words, there were two patterns in the head of Iroha-chan that could be taken after being rejected by Mio and asked me to look after her.
The first is for Mio and Iroha-chan to go together; Tomoe baths alone.
The other one is me going together with Iroha-chan; Tomoe and Mio go in together.

…In short, Iroha, you are telling me to go in alone?
(Tomoe)

No! I am just saying that you can happily enter together with Mio-san-no desu!
(Iroha)
Maybe she was pushed by the strange vigour of Tomoe, Iroha-chan began speaking formally with her -desus.
-Desus really are unrivalled.
Maybe it is restricted to little girls, but strangely, I feel like forgiving it.
But it seems like I am the only one that’s forgiving here.
Looks like the other two didn’t agree at all with what she said.
Even I could tell that the time for questions and answers was over.
Tomoe and Mio silently nod.
Well, I may not be fit to say it, but I think it is the proper decision.
Don’t let the little girl enter alone, and don’t let me bath together with a girl that I have just met.
Then tonight, I will restrain from bathing, and have Mio or Tomoe enter the bath with Iroha-chan.
That’s the best choice.

Iroha, if you had just accepted the blindfold, there would have still been room for negotiation. Now that I think about it, we might have been spoiling you by considering standings.
(Tomoe)
Hm?

The very thought of showing consideration towards this lass was a mistake. Because, from the beginning, this was what we have been looking forward to the most in all the day!
(Mio)
Hm? This…

Hiiih?!
(Iroha)

There we go.
(Mio)
Iroha-chan was pried away from my thigh by Mio.
It happened in an instant.

This is a good opportunity-ja. I will teach you how to enter the bath. That’s right, the etiquette of mixed bathing, that is!
(Tomoe)
There’s nothing like that!
Of course, there’s no good opportunity for that either!
That’s the first time I have heard of something like this!

Hey Tomoe, why are you grabbing my back collar?
(Makoto)

Of course, because this is the thing we have been looking forward to the most all day after all! Here we go Waka, prepare yourself!
(Tomoe)

Wait, you!
(Makoto)

I won’t let you say that today you are not going to bath! We won’t allow that. That’s right, we won’t!
(Tomoe)

You read it! You have read my mind again!
(Makoto)

Didn’t even need to read it. There’s a limit to how transparent you are!
(Tomoe)
I was dragged into the dressing room that’s right before the open air bath.
B-Baths are more about freedom and willfulness. Uuuh.

And so, Iroha, I will be peeling you off right now, but do you want me to wear a blindfold? Hm?
(Tomoe)

Even if you do something like that, if it us, we would still be able to see if we wanted to anyways so, isn’t that pointless? It seems like this lass is wearing something troublesome to take off, so I will just help her take it off quickly-desu wa.
(Mio)
The bath will end as fast as taking off our clothes, right?
…No wait, you still can see?
What’s with that?
Are blindfolds only fashion for you guys?

Ah, Mio! You idiot! If you didn’t say anything, we could have just told Waka that we would be wearing blindfolds, and we would have been able to wash him twice or thrice, you know!!
(Tomoe)

?!!! What?!! What’s with that reward?! Blindfold, where is the blindfold?! Ah, there’s none! Wait for a bit, I will borrow one from the Gorgons!
(Mio)

…No well, I have already heard it. Or more like, I thought it was only to the extent that you are able to tell by the presence, but you two are actually able to see huh. I don’t know if this information will be useful, but…I will keep it in mind.
(Makoto)

You have crushed one important card. Later, I will tell you a number of secret plans I have thought over carefully, so use them as reference, you idiot.
(Tomoe)

But you know, I didn’t think we would get the permission by doing something like that…Uuuuh, sorry.
(Mio)
Mio honestly apologizes to Tomoe.
Such a precious scene.

Uhm, I-If it is only one day, I can endure not bathing.
(Iroha)

Is that so?
(Tomoe)

Yes!
(Iroha)
Tomoe was undressing as she grins at the smiling Iroha.

Too bad, you are out of time-ja. You are 30 minutes too late. Now then, I will give you three seconds. Who do you want to be peeled by?
(Tomoe)
H-How harsh.
Even if Iroha-chan wanted to escape, she is currently being lifted up by Tomoe.
It is impossible to escape.

Three…
(Tomoe)

Fuee?! E-Ehm.
(Iroha)

Two…
(Tomoe)

Ah, aaah, ehh….
(Iroha)

O~ne…
(Tomoe)

U-Understood. T-Then!!
(Iroha)
Being forced into an unreasonable choice, Iroha-chan finally…

Hohoh~
(Tomoe)
Tomoe makes a nice smile.
Well, there’s no need to go through the trouble of saying who Iroha-chan has chosen.
Learning more about girl’s clothes…is not that big of a deal.
That’s right.
There’s things in this world…that are best forgotten.
Just one thing. Tonight’s events, I will definitely issue a gag order on it.
That’s what I have decided.