Rain Today and a Bath Tomorrow

"Ugh, what rotten weather," I grumbled at the rain pouring just beyond the window.

Rit and I had taken today off and planned a picnic for just the two of us, but a storm

had put an end to that.

"Ugh…" Rit gazed at the dark clouds with clear disappointment.

"Give it up, Rit. There's no winning against the weather."

"If only I had Yarandrala's magic!"

"She doesn't use her weather manipulation spells lightly."

Yarandrala did not enjoy employing that power because of the effect it could have on

plants.

Ares had been able to control the elements to some extent, too, and Yarandrala had

argued with him about not doing so brazenly.

I'd mediated things between them at the time, but honestly, I never wanted to get

involved when they fought. The disputes were bad enough that even Danan, who was

always starting things, recoiled and grumbled about how they should consider what a

pain they were being.

"You're scowling." Rit stretched her hands toward my face and started massaging my

temples. "Relax, relax."

"Thanks, Rit. I'm okay now."

She giggled in reply.

Getting here had been a difficult journey, but knowing that it had led to her made it all

worthwhile.

Feeling emotional, I was struck by an urge to wrap her up in a great hug.

So I did.

"Wah?! Where did that come from?"

"I just got an urge to hold you."

Rit wrapped her arms tightly around me as well.

We stood there hugging each other in silence, save the rain, for a little while.

Once we both started to grow warm from the embrace, Rit broke the silence.

"So where are we going today?"

"Where? The rain doesn't look like it's letting up any time soon." I looked through the

window. As best as I could tell, the storm was not about to let up.

Rit crossed her arms and pouted. Incidentally, when she did that, it really put

emphasis on her chest.

"I don't have any immediate ideas, but I don't want to give up on our date because of

some crummy weather."

Evidently, Rit was in no mood to lose today, even if it was only to some precipitation.

She paced around the shop, deep in thought.

I watched with a smile and thought about how to spend our day. Gazing out the

window again, I saw some of the neighborhood children playing in the rain.

"Ah." When I spotted two kids walking outside, a solution finally came to me. "Let's go

for a stroll."

It was the cold sort of rain that heralded the end of winter. Our breath came out in

visible white puffs before vanishing into the shower.

"The cold will probably let up in a few days. Last year, the temperature started going

up pretty quickly once it started raining."

"Yeah."

"I guess that means fewer people will buy the hand warmers. We'll have to think of

some new spring products."

"Yeah."

Rit's face had been red for a while, and she kept looking down.

While concealing a grin behind her bandana, she kept glancing at me from the corner

of her eye.

"Still, it's a good thing you had an umbrella, Rit," I remarked with a smile.

Rit and I were taking a walk in the rain.

Neither of us had a raincoat. We were just strolling around in our regular attire. I was

holding the big umbrella in my left hand to keep us dry. It was not the usual sort,

however. This one was made of a sturdy, wax-coated fabric, making it typically

reserved for nobles and their retainers.

Cheeks flushed, Rit answered, "Yeah. Who would've thought there'd be such an

incredible way to use it, though…"

She and I were walking arm in arm, huddling under the single umbrella.

The children I saw running by earlier had been using big leaves as cover against the

rain. When I saw two of them bunched up beneath one leaf, I got the urge to try the

same thing with Rit.

Walking together like this was slightly embarrassing, but it was obvious Rit felt more

bashful than I did. She kept quiet, primarily only responding to my small talk with

single-syllable responses.

However, there was a happy aura emanating from her.

"Do you want to visit a shop for a quick break?"

"I want to keep going a little longer."

"Okay."

She was apparently really enjoying the umbrella.

Naturally, I was too.

Strolling in the cool precipitation made Rit's warmth prominent with us pressed so

close together.

The heavy downpour kept our pace along our usual path slow, roughly half our typical

speed.

Rit squeezed her body tightly against mine.

"Heh-heh… So nice. I'm so happy to walk in the rain with you. It is just wonderful. It's

not fair how sweet you can be. I love you."

"Erk!"

I'd thought Rit too bashful to say much, yet she loosed a ferocious attack. And it was a

critical hit, no less.

I probably would have crumbled to my knees if Rit hadn't been supporting me.

So this is what it's like, I realized. When you get really happy, you sort of stop talking.

I'd lost my tongue, but our little trek continued regardless. Being together with only

the sound of the rain to fill the silence was plenty.

The storm continued until nightfall before finally relenting. By morning, the sky was a

clear blue.

I entrusted the store to Rit and left to visit Ruti's plantation.

"Phew."

Using a towel, I wiped the sweat from my neck.

It was still winter, but working inside the glass greenhouse was muggy business.

"Big Brother, I'm done over here. What should we do now?"

Ruti had returned from working in another part of the greenhouse. There was dirt on

her cheek, so I wiped it with the towel.

"Mm."

Ruti's eyes narrowed as a happy grin spread across her face.

"Nice job," I praised. "All that's left is this plot, I think, and that should be the end of the

cold mold."

"Good."

We were nearly finished dealing with the cold mold that had recently beset Ruti's herb

farm.

My examinations beneath the topsoil didn't turn up any remaining fungus—nothing

large enough to see anyway. Previously withered herbs had sprouted fresh green

shoots.

"All right, shall we finish the last of it, then?"

"Mhm. I'll start from the other end."

"With the two of us, it should only take about fifteen minutes."

"I'll do my best."

Ruti clenched her fists with evident determination and ran to the opposite side of the

greenhouse.

It was a charming sight. And I had to give it my all, too.

Now that we'd finished, we left the greenhouse.

"Whew, it's cold."

Winters were short in Zoltan, and the solstice had already passed, but it still felt chilly

outside, particularly after we'd worked up a sweat.

"Big Brother, the bath in my house is really nice. You can visit on cold days."

"A bath, huh?"

We made our way to the brand-new storehouse on one side of the field.

The structure had just been completed yesterday. In addition to the shelved storage

area, it also sported a small kitchen with a stove, a break room, and a washroom.

"Ms. Ruti, Red, good work out there."

Tisse was inside taking care of some paperwork.

"Same to you, Tisse," I replied.

The little former assassin stood and poured the hot water heating on the stove into

cups for us.

"Warm." Ruti smiled softly. Even simple boiled water was a nice thing when your body

was frigid.

"Is the cold mold finally gone?"

"Yeah, it should be all good."

Tisse smiled in relief.

There was a light knock. The door was in the storage area, but no wall divided it from

the break room, so it was easy to reach the entrance.

I opened the door and greeted, "Yes?"

"Oh, isn't this nice? Did you all make this building?"

"Hello, Mistorm."

Archmage Mistorm, Zoltan's former mayor and one of the old former B-rank

adventurers, had stopped by. Incidentally, she was also a queen of Veronia.

"Mind if I intrude?"

"Please come in," Tisse responded from behind me.

I showed Mistorm to a chair.

"There we go. Ahh, my hips always complain on cold days like this."

"It's hard to believe when it's coming from someone who climbed the Wall at the End

of the World."

"I kept quiet at the time to keep from looking bad in front of my young friends."

Mistorm chuckled for a moment before her expression turned serious. "Word has

come in from the church in Central."

"That's awfully fast," I commented. "I heard they'd strengthened their communication

network because of the war, but still…"

"It doesn't seem to have reached Father Clemens at Last Wall fortress yet. Here. This

is from Avalonia's church."

Mistorm handed me an opened envelope.

I took out the letter and read it with Ruti and Tisse.

"Hmm… 'The Kingdom of Veronia's actions are difficult to forgive, and the Lord's love

and salvation cannot extend to a country that would dare ally with the blasphemous

demon lord's army. We faithful servants of the Lord in the College of Cardinals have

recommended to Father Clemens that King Geizeric of Veronia be judged an enemy of

Almighty Demis. Please wait with tranquility in your hearts. May Demis's love be with

you.' Huh…"

"Unexpected." Ruti wore a grim expression. I had reflexively gritted my teeth as well.

The galley led by Prince Salius of Veronia and the high elf Lilinrala still loomed in the

waters just beyond Zoltan's shores.

I'd anticipated some sort of movement after we caught the high elves targeting Ruti

and killed the assassins after Mistorm, but the deadlock remained.

"I didn't think they'd offer more than some political pressure and support with

information gathering. An open declaration of war is taking it too far. The conflict

won't just stop at Zoltan."

"You're right. There's no way the allied army has the leeway to fight on another front,"

Tisse added.

Mistorm nodded. "I've been in Zoltan so long that I began to fear I'd grown out of touch

with things in Central. However, it seems you all believe their decision is reckless as

well."

"Definitely," I agreed. "I imagine this choice was spearheaded by a few cardinals who

got ahead of themselves. If the church starts fanning the flames, there will be no

holding back the nobility or the masses."

"That's no good." Mistorm sighed.

"We have to speak with Bishop Shien." Ruti broke her usual reserved manner of

speaking to offer a decisive course of action.

"If the man in charge of the affected church in Zoltan talks to the College of Cardinals,

they'd lose their pretext."

"Shien isn't going to like leaving Zoltan, but it sounds like we don't have a choice."

"At the very least, it should be easier to convince the cardinals to abstain from another

war than to urge them to fight when they'd prefer to keep back and observe." Ruti's

voice sounded a bit lighter than usual, though only Tisse and I could recognize the

slight difference in tone.

"True, that's certainly one way of looking at it." Mistorm bobbed her head. "Thank you.

Guess I was right to discuss this with you all." With that, she pulled a book from her

cloak and set it on the table.

"What is that?" I asked.

"I looked through my belongings and found my old journal. I brought it by since I

recalled you had some interest in the dark continent," Mistorm explained.

Incredulously, I inquired, "Does this contain the ship's log from your time over there?!"

"Just a token of gratitude for all your help. It's really not special. But if nothing else, it

should provide you with some light reading."

"This is much more than that! It sounds fascinating!"

"I'm glad you like it. Well then, I should be off to see Shien."

Bidding farewell, Mistorm strode off.

"I'm really curious to see what's in her journal. Shall we read it together later?" I

proposed.

"Yes, but…" Ruti's intelligent red eyes turned to me. "…we should clean up first."

"Ah, right. I am pretty dirty from all that work."

"Let's take a bath, Big Brother."

Ruti's gaze made it clear she was completely serious.

There was a bathhouse in the mansion where Ruti was living.

Obviously, it was far larger than the bath at our house.

"You can go first, Big Brother."

"No, you bathe before me, Ruti. You don't like waiting around while you're messy,

right?"

"It takes me longer, though, so it's more efficient if you go first."

"Okay, if you insist."

Since she was going to press the matter, then I figured it was best to be grateful for the

offer. I stood up with a nod and went to the bath.

After getting undressed, I opened the door to the bathhouse.

"Oh, a stone bath, huh?"

Ruti's home had originally been owned by a Zoltan noble.

Local aristocrats tended to live in Zoltan itself rather than on their own estates. Calling

them "estates" was a bit gracious, though. Their lands were mostly humble little

villages and settlements, or even barely touched marshes. They left relatives or hired

administrators to live at and manage their properties.

I took a seat and lifted a bucketful of hot water out of the bath, rinsing away the sweat

and dirt.

Then I got a soapy lather going with a towel and started washing myself.

"Phew."

It felt nice to clean up after getting dirty working.

"Hmhmhmmm."

I started humming to myself.

Creak.

The door slid open.

Ruti was standing there completely naked and without any attempt to cover her body.

"R-Ruti? What are you doing?"

She cocked her head while I got flustered.

"I said I was going to take a bath."

Thinking back, she hadn't actually specified anything about washing separately.

While I was hung up on that, Ruti poured some hot water over her head and then

shook herself dry.

I couldn't help smiling a little at how catlike that appeared.

Hmm, is it really okay for us to take a bath together? I guess so? We're siblings after all.

As I decided to stop worrying and just accept the situation, Ruti spoke up.

"Big Brother."

"What? Oh, did you want the soap?"

"No, not that."

There was a strong determination in Ruti's red eyes as she stared at me.

"Wh-what is it?"

I was glad that Ruti had grown better at asserting what she wanted, but there was

something a bit different about her today.

"Big Brother."

"Y-yeah?"

"Do you remember when we used to bathe together way back?"

"Of course. You were really little then."

The old bell tub in our village.

Our village's blacksmith had repaired the church's broken bell, and it was used as a

public washtub for the village. However, it wasn't big enough for an adult to

comfortably relax in it, so it was primarily used by children.

Ordinarily, a parent was present to watch over the kids bathing, but even when we

were young, our parents had been put off by the peculiarity of Ruti's Hero blessing. So

in their place, I'd helped Ruti while she bathed, holding on to her to make sure nothing

happened. She'd had fun clinging to my shoulders.

Ruti was adorable back then, although she was even more adorable now.

"I came to Zoltan and did a lot of things I've wanted to do… Is that selfish?"

"It's a good thing. Everyone has the right to do what they like. There's nothing selfish

about your desire for a normal life. And I'll keep saying that as many times as I need

to."

"Okay… thank you. Then there's one more thing I want to do."

In the bath?

"I couldn't do it properly back then because I was small, but I think I can now."

This time, I cocked my head in confusion.

Ruti suddenly drew near my face, her red eyes appearing large from how close they

were.

"I can properly wash your body now."

"Eh?"

"Back then I was weak, and I didn't know how to clean someone properly. All I ever

did was rub a generic area like your back. It was all wrong."

Ah, right, I guess something like that did happen.

I'd washed Ruti since she was very young, and eventually, she wanted to copy me and

return the favor.

Truthfully, she hadn't done a great job, but it had still been cute how hard she tried

with her little hands. Moments like those had been a precious bit of comfort in my

otherwise troubled childhood.

"So I want to try again."

I guess Ruti felt some lingering regret at not having been able to clean me well.

"Okay, in that case, I guess I'll defer to your kind offer."

"Please. Just face that way."

I turned my back to Ruti like she asked, and she began scrubbing my back with a

sponge.

"Mm…"

Having someone else wash your body was a difficult-to-describe comfort.

It was still slightly awkward, however, Ruti did her best, washing under my arms and

all the way down to my fingertips.

"Heh."

I couldn't help but laugh a little at the feeling of her fingers in my armpits. Ruti pulled

her hands back, flustered.

"Did that tickle?"

"Yeah. I'm fine, though."

"Mrgh."

Ruti gazed at her hands. She put the sponge to her armpits, evidently hoping to figure

out how best to go about scrubbing—a truly endearing sight. After testing it a few

times, she nodded to herself and resumed cleaning me.

The gap between her usual superhuman abilities and these sorts of absentminded bits

really sparked the fraternal spirit in me.

My little sister truly is adorable.

"Hah, hah-hah…"

"?"

Ruti stopped at my laughing, likely thinking she'd accidentally tickled me again.

However, if she saw the look on my face, I'm certain she would've understood I was

just happy. A little smile tugged up the corners of her lips, and she moved on to

washing my torso with lathered-up soap and a towel.

Once the cleaning was done, we sank into the water up to our shoulders. Ruti's

expression relaxed as she sighed.

It was a joy beyond words to see my sister enjoying this relaxing moment that so many

others around the continent took for granted.

"So warm."

"That's because we're in hot water."

Ruti's bath was quite large, yet we were sitting shoulder to shoulder.

"I never thought I'd be able to take a soak together with you like this again, Big

Brother."

There was a smile on her face as she closed her eyes.

"How is life treating you here in Zoltan?"

"Wonderfully."

Ruti's voice was tranquil. I couldn't imagine her sounding like this during our journey.

"Being able to see you whenever I want, feeling cold in winter, enjoying a warm bath,

eating your delicious cooking, and making friends. Tisse and Mister Crawly Wawly are

so kind and strong and reliable. I only have to wield a sword to protect the little world

that I care about, and I fight because I decide to. When I work hard, I'm thanked like a

normal adventurer, and no one gets scared when they look at me. I can sleep at night,

I can wake up in the morning, and I can even sweat. And, Big Brother…" Ruti's face got

close to mine. Enough so that I saw tears in her eyes. "…when I saw the herbs had

withered, I was scared." The tears broke free and rolled down her face. "This must be

what it feels like to be relieved!"

Ruti, who'd been robbed of fear from the moment of her birth, was coming to terms

with the feeling of happiness that her crops were okay. There was vivid emotion in her

quavering voice.

"It's great that we were able to save your plants."

"Mhm!"

Her expression reminded me how glad I was to have been able to help.

After exiting the bath, I made two cups of coffee milk in the lobby of the mansion.

A strong coffee mixed with lots of sugar created a syrup. Then it was just a matter of

mixing in milk. Four parts milk for one part coffee syrup was my preference. It was

simple, sweet, and possessed rich flavor. It was probably one of the best drinks to have

after a nice wash.

Ruti's eyes gleamed when she had a sip, and then she drank half of it all in one gulp.

She sipped reluctantly at the remainder, just like she did with milk and honey when

she was young.

"Do you want some more?"

"Yes, please."

Ruti's rediscovered happiness was a joy for me as well.

The two of us laughed as we partook in our coffee milk.

"Mhm. I got a good dose of Big Brother supplement."

"'Big Brother supplement'?"

"It's a crucial nutrient for me to be able to work hard after quitting being the Hero.

Unlike my blessing, it isn't a bad thing."

It didn't really make sense to me, but if it got Ruti motivated, then it was surely all

right.

"Oh yeah, are those high elves still tied up in the basement?"

"Mhm."

"I noticed someone watching us recently, so I figured they'd come by to free them

while the mansion was empty.

Ruti nodded.

"It would be more convenient if they did so soon."

A break-in like that would mean action on the opposition's part, at the very least. We'd

already finished our information gathering, so their taking action would be welcome.

"Plus, it's hard to relax when I know there's strange men staying in the same house as

you," I admitted.

"…Right…"

Ruti's expression softened a bit as she looked down.

She was laughing at me. Perhaps I was acting overprotective?

When Ruti's expression returned to normal, she continued. "It's okay. There's a chance

the church will take things too far, but Zoltan's in an all right spot. We'll have the upper

hand in negotiations."

Ruti was more than a powerful fighter. She was also top-tier when it came to judgment.

It had been more than her blessing that brought her victory against the demon lord's

army.

Thus, I knew entrusting this incident to Ruti was nothing to worry about.

"You really are reliable."

"Mhm, just leave it to me," she replied. Seeing how Ruti nodded was a proud moment

for me.

I could leave this to Ruti and read the ship's log that Mistorm gave us.

Geizeric's and Lilinrala's time as pirates, and their adventures on the dark continent.

There was no saying whether it would be useful to the present trouble, but it promised

to be a fascinating story either way.

At the same time, on the water not far out from Zoltan.

"I—I give up!"

A soldier whose sword had been knocked to the deck surrendered.

"Ha-ha-ha, I'm getting pretty good, aren't I?"

The tanned Prince Salius beamed brightly. Resting his trusty cutlass on his shoulder,

he looked around.

"It's frustrating not being able to do anything despite the shore being so close, isn't it?!

How about it? Anyone else want to spar? Letting loose is quite refreshing!"

The men smiled cheerfully while debating who would go next.

A clear, sharp voice called, "Maybe I should volunteer."

Prince Salius's grin stiffened.

Frantically, the crew lined up, standing at ramrod attention before a high elf in an eye

patch.

"What, done playing around already?"

"Y-yes, ma'am! Sorry, ma'am!"

Cold sweat beaded on the sailors' faces as they gave their response.

"I was the one who suggested it. No need to look so serious." Prince Salius shrugged.

The high elf, Lilinrala, glared at the prince.

"Don't forget, we're in enemy territory."

"I haven't, but the crewmen are topnotch. No matter how drunk they might get, they'd

be at their stations by the first chime from the lookout bell,"

"Any sailor foolish enough to get drunk on my ship will be heaved overboard before

any bell… But fine."

Lilinrala drew her blade—not a cutlass, but an old-style longsword.

She was wearing gleaming green gauntlets.

Prince Salius furrowed his brow when he saw them.

"Those are both heirlooms, aren't they?"

"I felt like getting a bit serious."

"Ha-ha… So you really are mad, then."

The prince's expression tensed as he readied his weapon.

Pirate swordsmanship was all about bladework, and as befit two experts, Salius and

Lilinrala immediately moved in for one another.

Schiiiing!

There was a high-pitched screech of metal as Salius's downswing was batted to the

side.

No sooner had the prince staggered back than Lilinrala's longsword was hovering

before his neck.

"…Haaah. It's my loss."

"You need more training. Defense drills. Left and right, three thousand times each. And

all of you sitting around watching will be joining him."

Salius and the crew groaned.

Lilinrala was on the ship as Prince Salius's adjutant, but there was no question who

really held the reins.

"Hmph."

While watching the sailors practice, Lilinrala double-checked the feel of her

equipment.

The Gauntlets of Swordsmanship that enabled her to use her ancestors' techniques

and the longsword Elven Sorrow that was imbued with wind magic were items only

usable by high elves.

Every person on the boat had been handpicked by Lilinrala and was the best of the

best. Prince Salius's swordsmanship was in the realm of true mastery, for he was able

to best the sailors. Save for Red and his friends, there was no fighter in Zoltan who

could stand against him.

However, so long as Lilinrala had her magic items, the prince had no hope of

surpassing her.

"It's been a long time since I broke them out, but it doesn't seem like that will be a

problem."

The sparring match had allowed the elf to test herself. Now she was ready. Lilinrala

had never lost when wielding Elven Sorrow and the Gauntlets of Swordsmanship.

"Still, that's no cause to hold back," she muttered as she left the prince and crew to

their training.