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Since we were the last to leave the cafeteria, the grand bathhouse was practically ours to enjoy alone.

The bathhouse schedule seemed to follow a rotation system, likely designed to remove any hierarchy among the grades. For first-years, their turn didn’t come often, making it feel like a special reward when it did.

In my previous life, I had little interest in anything beyond alchemy, so this experience—relaxing in a grand bathhouse with trusted friends—felt refreshingly novel.

“Fufu, this smells amazing, Leafa♡,” Alfe said, clearly enjoying herself. Perhaps trying to make best use of Ms. Matilda’s bath, she had even removed her contact lens, an unusual sight. Her golden Pure Eye, which she typically kept hidden, gleamed brilliantly.

“It’s been a while since you’ve left your eye uncovered like that,” I remarked.
“Yeah, there’s no need to hide my Pure Eye here, so I thought it might be nice for a change,” she replied with a smile.

Now that she mentioned it, there was an upperclassman with both eyes as Pure Eyes among the nobles at this academy. While there was discrimination against demi-humans, it didn’t seem like Pure Eyes faced the same treatment. Perhaps this was an excellent opportunity for Alfe to free herself from her insecurities. I had been planning to remake her contact lens, but it might be worth observing her for a little longer before deciding.

“What’s the matter, Leafa? You’re staring,” she asked, tilting her head.
“Nothing. I was just thinking about how beautiful your eye is.”

It had been so long since I’d seen Alfe without her lens. Her eyes were mesmerizing, almost pulling me in. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if she stayed like this forever—but I didn’t want to pressure her into anything.

“Shall we get in? It’s been a while since we last tried Ms. Matilda’s medicinal bath,” I suggested.
“Sure! Ms. Matilda said she’d give a reward to whoever defeated the Clay Golem first during her introductory class, so Lili-Lulu and I gave it our all,” Alfe replied enthusiastically.

Ah, so that’s how it was. The medicinal bath must have been a reward requested by Alfe and Lili-Lulu. That explained why Lili-Lulu had asked Vannabelle to pass along the message. It wasn’t just about the F Alliance—it seemed they simply wanted the first soak for themselves.

In that sense, Alfe must have been exhausted too. Despite that, she always maintained her cheerful demeanor around us. She used to be such a crybaby, but now she radiated reliability and strength. I silently vowed to never take that for granted.

Alfe was sensitive, kind, and always put others before herself. That selflessness could easily lead her to neglect her own needs, so I’d have to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn’t push herself too far.

“Well, we ended up being last, but at least no one’s around to get mad if we do as we please. So, all’s well that ends well,” Vannabelle declared with a grin.

She wasted no time stripping down and dove straight into the bath with a triumphant splash.

“Nyaa-ha! Just because it’s spacious doesn’t mean you should start swimming!” Farah called out, preempting Vannabelle’s predictable antics. However, Vannabelle seemed unbothered, submerging herself completely in the water—not swimming, exactly, but more like diving.

“I’ll do that too~”

Now that I think about it, this was my first time bathing with Numelin. Her hair—or rather, the slimy substance typical of her species—flowed and shifted naturally. I couldn’t help but wonder, was it okay for her to get that wet?

“Take this!”
“Wah! Don’t jump in!”

Before I could voice my concerns, Numelin launched herself into the bath with gusto, sending water splashing everywhere. On the other side of the spray, Vannabelle let out a loud yelp.

“Ugh, seriously, Nume~! Take this!”
“Aaaah!”

In the bath, Vannabelle and Numelin started playfully roughhousing. Vannabelle poured water and grabbed handfuls of Numelin’s goo-like hair and began vigorously rubbing it, but I wasn’t sure that was okay…

“Come on, Leafa, let’s join in!”

¹

Alfe tugged at my hand, pulling me from the changing area into the bath. She suddenly paused, her gaze fixed on something.

“Huh? Numelin…”

Following Alfe’s line of sight, I noticed that Numelin’s gooey hair had absorbed water from the bath and was now ballooning in size.

“Uh… is that safe?”

Before I realized it, I had asked Numelin directly, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“It’s totally fine~!” she chirped, her voice cheerful despite the noticeably heavy-looking mass. She reached up, gripping the end of her expanded hair and began pulling at it.

“Eek! That’s not okay!”

Farah shrieked in shock as she watched Numelin’s goo-like hair slough off in chunks. The pink, gelatinous masses plopped into the bathwater, spreading across the surface like a squishy, translucent film.

“Alright! Got a good amount this time. Time to do that thing!”

Without hesitation, Vannabelle scooped up the discarded goo and began smearing it over her arms and face with practiced ease.

“Huh…? What are you doing?”
“What does it look like? This is Limax beauty serum, fresh from the source. It’ll make your skin amazing, and even help heal wounds faster. Go ahead, try it!”
“Don’t hold back~♪” Numelin added cheerfully, gesturing to the goo as if offering a special treat.

Looking back at Numelin, I noticed that her “hair” had already regrown, perfectly intact. It seemed her goo naturally expanded and shed when it absorbed too much water. And judging by Vannabelle’s enthusiasm, this goo was a hidden gem of a skincare product.

“Nyaa-ha! What’s this?! It feels so weird!”

Farah, now rubbing some of the goo on her stomach, wriggled around with a mix of excitement and ticklish discomfort.

“Since it’s soaked in the bathwater, it’s warm and feels soooo good~”

Completely sold on the idea, she eagerly scooped up more goo from the bath to spread over herself.

“Right?!”

Vannabelle, now covered head-to-toe in the goo, lounged back in the bath with a contented smile, kicking her feet lazily in the water. Watching the two of them, it was hard to deny that they looked completely relaxed.

“I’ll do it too! Leafa, Hom, come on!”
“Sure, why not?”
“Yes, please.”

Alfe took the lead, gathering some of the goo floating in the bath and handing it to Hom and me. The warm, slick texture of the goo was surprisingly soothing as it melted into my skin, leaving it feeling soft and refreshed.

“It’ll make your skin all smooth and silky~!” Numelin said cheerfully, rubbing some onto her own face as well.

“This feels pretty good. But doesn’t regrowing it take a lot out of you?” I asked, curious.
“As long as I only do it once, it actually feels refreshing. If I overdo it, though, it messes up my hydration levels, and that gets exhausting~”

Ah, that made sense. Today’s military exercises had been pretty intense, so Numelin probably wanted to unwind just as much as the rest of us. It was her own way of relaxing, I suppose.

“…By the way, have you heard about the military training in our joint classes starting next week?”

Once we had all finished moisturizing ourselves with Numelin’s goo, Vannabelle brought up the topic.

“Is something happening?” I asked.
“They’re adding Mecha Soldiers to the program.”

Ah, that made sense. Piloting Mecha Soldiers was one of the core components of the military training in our joint curriculum. The military department seemed to have received advance notice about it earlier today, and Hom nodded in agreement.

“What kind of units are we talking about?”
“They’re bringing in Legion units, the ones from the war two hundred years ago.”
“Two hundred years ago? That’s practically ancient history! I’m more surprised they still function,” Farah remarked, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

Vannabelle turned to me with a curious look, as if just realizing something.

“Wait, hold up. Are you even gonna be able to handle something as hardcore as a Mecha Soldier, Leafa?”
“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’ve got Arkecius—I got special permission to bring it in.”
“Arke…what now?”
“It’s nothing fancy. Just an antique Subordinate Unit. It’s not quite on par with the Legion models, but I’ve personally repaired and customized it to suit my needs.”

There was no point in repeating the unfamiliar name of my unit, so I kept my explanation concise. Vannabelle nodded along as I spoke, listening intently. But as soon as I finished, she suddenly stood up with a determined expression.

“Huh!? You mean you modified it yourself to make it usable!?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“That’s so freaking amazing!!”

Vannabelle’s awestruck shout echoed throughout the bathhouse.

“Your voice is too loud, Belle~”
“Who cares? It’s just us here anyway!”
“Nya-ha~! But hey, I heard the aptitude tests are calibrated for Legion units,” Farah added.

Given my smaller frame, minimizing potential penalties was crucial. But that particular standard hadn’t crossed my mind.

“That’s… going to be an issue.”
“What’s wrong, Leafa?” Alfe asked.
“…I might not be able to reach the pedals,” I admitted quietly.

As soon as I said it, Vannabelle slapped the bathwater, roaring with laughter.

“Ahahaha! No kidding! How can anyone measure aptitude with a machine they can’t even ride? I’ll let Mr. Tanutanu know for you!”

Before I could stop her, Vannabelle leapt out of the bath with boundless energy and hurried off, leaving trails of water in her wake.

“Was… that consideration?” Alfe blinked, clearly bewildered by the suddenness of it all.
“Well, it’s her way of being considerate,” I said.
“I’m glad she seems to have reformed,” Hom added with a serene nod.

Honestly, I’d expected mockery, not genuine concern, so I was caught off guard.

“Hehe~. Belle’s clumsy, but she’s really grateful to you, Leafa~” Numelin said, her voice loaded with implications.
“She is? Spill it, Numelin! Now’s your chance!” Farah exclaimed, pouncing on the hint of gossip.
“That’s between me and Belle~. It’s a secret~”

Numelin simply smiled mischievously, refusing to divulge anything further.

1. Robinxen: I for the life of me cannot work out why this is so small. My attempts to add this image have three times over caused me to lose the entire page of progress, starting over from a blank upload template, so I have given up.

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