AARASL 7

High Hopes

After being satisfied from the dishes that were made with Nordende’s homegrown ingredients, I was offered a bath out of Ergys-san’s attentiveness.

In the dressing room located at the very end of Ergys-san’s house, I start to undress myself.

Normally, if a person wanted to use a bath, they’d have to walk to the well and back several times to fill the bath up with water, and then heat it to the right temperature.

It sounds easy to do, but it’s really hard work.

For that reason, a bath is actually considered a luxurious thing to the people of this village, as they usually just clean their body with a wet towel. They would only take baths about once a month, and any time other than that would be only in times of celebration.

I’m so happy and grateful that he still prepared a bath for me when we just met not too long ago.

As I was about to tell him that, Ergys-san said to me with a smile, “It’s just the right time for you to go in”

I am ashamed of myself for napping in the field of flowers instead of helping out with the preparation of the food or bath.

When I get my first catch from the mountains, I should, first and foremost, pay a visit to Ergys-san’s home to give them a share.

Having that feeling carved into my heart, I entered the bath area after taking my clothes off.

Inside the bathing area, there was a round-shaped tub made from wood that looked big enough to fit four people inside.

This is a large bath tub. If it’s just one person, it would be big enough for them to stretch their feet all the way out to relax.

White steam rises up from the tub, and the starry sky that I was peeping at through the window disappears.

The room was dark since the sun was already down, but thanks to the moonlight coming in from the windows, it was just bright enough for me to see.

I want to dive into the bathtub right away, but I’ll wash my body first because I don’t want to dirty the bath.

I sat on what feels like a handmade wooden stool, scooped up some hot water from the tub and poured it on myself.

「Ha…. 」

The hot water ran down my body, and I could not help but let out a sigh from the refreshing feeling.

Oh, what a comfortable feeling this is.

But damn, right now I feel like I reek of someone of age. No, wait, I’m twenty seven years old, so I’m plenty old enough already.

While I was having such thoughts, I dumped water on myself from above the head, then around the center of my lower body.

*Haaa*, it’s like the fatigue I accumulated from the trip had all left my body together with the dirt.

I wonder if it’d feel even better when I soak myself in the hot tub.

Since I want to get in as quickly as possible, let’s hurry and finish cleaning myself.

「Ergys-san definitely had said that there is soap in the corner of this room… 」

After letting my eyes wander about, I found the soap on a small table located in the corner of the room.

Then, by simply grabbing it and rubbing it on my towel, a floral scent started to drift in the air.

「What is this? 」

I took my hand that I grabbed the soap with and sniffed it without thinking, and there was the floral scent.

When I took a look at the soap through the moonlight, I noticed that not only is the soap not in the color of grey, but it was light brown, with flower petals on the surface of it.

Perhaps it’s made like that so the soap can absorb the scent of flowers. Maybe there were herbs kneaded into it as well.

It is a very relaxing smell. It might have the same calming effect as the herbal tea I had. I feel relaxed.

This soap might be a product exclusively made in Nordende, since there are tons of wonderful flowers here. If there weren’t all these flowers here it would have been a hard task to make such a soap.

Surely the villagers here have gone through many trials and errors in order to come up with this product.

I frothed up my towel as I was feeling impressed.

Then, I rubbed my entire body with the towel. After I was done with my body, I soaped my head and face together, and then poured the hot water over my head.

While I paid attention to not be wasteful with the hot water, bubbles foamed as they took away the dirt.

With the bubbles covering my entire body, I feel so refreshed. It’s as if I had been reborn.

Now then, since I’m done washing my body now, next is this bath from Ergys-san’s good will.

I put my towel on the edge of the bathtub as I got in, then I gently stretched out my legs and let my body sink slowly.

「Ah… 」

A low pitched voice leaked out of me unintentionally from the overwhelming pleasure.

The fatigue that was accumulated from the long journey dissipated here in the hot water.

I rest my head on the edge of the bathtub and further stretch my limbs to relax.

As I look up and exhale, I can now see the moonlit night through the window that was opened just wide enough.

There are countless stars glistening brightly in the sky.

I stared blankly at the starry sky as I wondered if the bathtub was placed in such an area so the person taking a bath like this can see this sight out the window.

How long has it been since I got to calmly watch the night sky like this? I never thought of doing this for a second when I was back at the capital.

I don’t know if it was because the street lights were always on at night, but I had never thought that a thing such as the night sky was beautiful. I guess when you live at a different place, the sceneries you see and how you feel will be different as well.

「Maybe I should go star gazing once I have settled down here」

I’m sure that the night view would be nothing less than perfect.
◆◆　　　◆

After I enjoyed the starry sky with the bath, I changed into a rough shirt and trousers and headed into my room. It was a large room set up with basic furniture such as a bed, table, chair, drawer and a mirror. Perhaps this was a vacant guestroom that they’ve prepared in the case of sudden visitors like me.

I organized my luggage in my hemp bag and swiftly jumped onto the bed.

It was the long missed feeling of a soft futon. During the trip I couldn’t stay in high end inns and many of the nights were spent camping out.

Although I am confident in my abilities, it was still mentally taxing to stay alert through the nights in forests and caves. It was a piece of cake back when I had my party of friends because we could take turns to keep watch.

I am just now fully realizing how fortunate I was to be able to feel safe when sleeping at those places.

To further enjoy the feeling of this soft futon, I start rolling on the bed.

There’s the same floral scent from the soap earlier on this bed and futon as well.

It’s a really pleasant smell.

I also smell really good due to washing my body with that soap.

Aside from smelling my hands, I also touched my skin and felt an elasticity like mochi[i].

What the heck is this? Was my skin always this good? Is a skin beauty enhancing component from flowers also mixed in the soap? Actually, that had to be it. I am convinced of that from remembering Fiona-san and Flora’s fresh and youthful skin.

…Tomorrow I’ll know where my house will be.

A home in Nordende. A place where I can call home to return to.

Even though I don’t have a warm family like Ergys-san, I’ll still be really happy if I have a place to return to at night that isn’t an inn where I can only stay temporarily after paying money.

I can put my furniture however I like, and use it however I want.

It would be nice if I have a yard that I can plant flowers and grow vegetables on. Since I’ll be making my own meals from now on, the kitchen also needs to be roomy.

Just thinking about it brings joy to me, and my cheeks started to loosen.

Even with my wild imagination of ideas of how I will decorate the interior of the house just for myself, the most important thing after all will be—

 

「… I hope it will be in a location that is close to the field of flowers」

Yes, if it’s like that then I can see the field of flowers soon again.

「Tomorrow, will be the beginning of my new life」

With those last mutters, my consciousness falls into the depths as I fall asleep.

 

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[i]  Chewy Japanese rice cake sweets.