Two hours had passed since Mira left Lunatic Lake. She was currently looking at the sky while standing on a grassy hill with a stream flowing nearby. She had relieved herself in the stream, and was replenishing the lost hydration with apple ale. The sky was a distant blue, with specks of clouds that slowly changed shape like playdough in the hands of children. There was a gentle breeze caressing Mira’s cheek like a gentle hand, completing the scene of a calm afternoon.

She lay with her back against Pegasus, the wind whispering into her ears as birds and small animals gathered around them, which Mira petted and let her heart at ease.

「So peaceful…」

Mira was compelled to voice those thoughts, which Pegasus agreed to with a neigh, followed by many chirps. It was so peaceful there that even the multitude of small animals gathered there were calm and quiet. Mira enjoyed an entire hour like that before she climbed back on Pegasus’ back and they took off.

The sky turned a bright orange before the sun vanished behind the horizon, shrouding the sky in darkness. Stars overtook the sky as its rulers, twinkling as lanterns were lit on the ground as well. Under that dim light, Mira spotted a large building that stood out in the distance.

「We’re getting close now.」

Mira spoke to Pegasus, clinging to his neck while her eyes focused ahead. The darkness made it hard to make out any railroads, but the number of lights told her it was a rather lively city. Silverside was a large city, though not as big as the capital Lunatic Lake. Most of its success was due to the station built there.

When Pegasus arrived at Silverside, they headed straight towards the large building. Mira had wanted to walk around and get acquainted with the city first, but since they arrived later than expected she decided it was best to just search for an inn.

The building was expertly constructed with wood, iron and stone, a large sign reading ‘Silverside Station’ on its front. They landed to the side of it and Mira jumped off Pegasus’ back. The flying horse began rubbing his snout against her face as she thanked him for his work and sent him home.

As Mira walked towards the road, she noticed a crowd was forming, everyone suspicious of the sudden appearance of a pure white pegasus there. To escape, Mira used her sage skill Ground Shrink and mixed in with the crowd, coming out as just a regular passerby on the other side as she approached the front of the station building. There was what looked like a reception desk with a ‘The last train has departed’ sign on it, but there were still a lot of people inside the station. While the station itself was out of service until the next day, the stores inside were still open.
Mira peeked inside to see how it looked there. She saw a lot of people coming and going from what looked like a large shopping center.

「What era are they living in here…」

The entire building was made of stone, iron and wood, but the structure was more modern, having two floors packed with stores. The customers all had very varied clothing as well, giving Mira the feeling she had wandered into some form of amusement park rather than a common station.

The stores were laid out all along the building, and the many lights made the interior look like it was still the middle of the day there. But Mira turned her back to that spectacle of light and crowds, walking away from the station.

(I can always explore the rest of the station tomorrow, I’m too tired now. I have to find an inn soon and call it a night.)

All the stores inside the station had piqued Mira’s interest, but her exhausted body had more agency.

The area in front of the station was also filled with streetlights, showing people of all races and occupations moving from one place to another. Some hurried home after a long day of work, others were in merry groups celebrating the night that was only starting, and then there were travelers looking for an inn to pass the night. Time seemed to flow differently for everyone at the station.

Mira followed a group of travelers, quickly finding the brightly illuminated sign of an inn. And not just one, but almost all the buildings surrounding the station appeared to be inns, even further into the city.

「There’s even more than I imagined…」

Solomon had told her there were many inns there, but this was even more than Mira had anticipated, which made her speak her thoughts without noticing. Not only were they numerous, but there was a lot of variation in the buildings as well. Some looked compact and comfortable like rooms in a dormitory, while others had more lavish designs akin to palaces. It was like an entire district of inns, all trying to stand out in their own way.

This was fun for her as well as she looked at each individual building while slowly walking through the streets.

The first one she saw had a subdued style, which seemed to attract the most guests as the lobby was full of people, while ‘No Vacancy’ signs hung outside.

The second inn had many barrels piled up outside. Mira’s knowledge of the fantasy genre quickly told her that it was your regular adventurer’s inn, with the first floor being more like a tavern. The guests inside were high spirited young men drinking and chattering loudly. The smell of alcohol and sweat could be felt even outside the door, so Mira passed by quickly.

The third one looked like a palace. The employees as well as the guests visible in the lobby all had a high aristocratic air to them, so that was a quick pass for Mira as well.

The fourth one looked more like a restaurant proud of its food. Hung outside was a ‘Today’s Chef’ sign, together with a beautifully framed picture. Mira was curious seeing many familiar items on the menu, but that vivid photograph interested her more. It was not a screenshot, it was an actual photograph. Mira was impressed all over again by how that world’s technology was advancing as she walked to the next inn. Before getting there, she caught a glimpse through the window, seeing most of the clients were female, which made her think they were there to meet the chef rather than to stay for the night.

The next inn was essentially the opposite of the fourth one. Mira only needed to see all the employees wearing maid outfits and the male clientele in a passionate frenzy to run past it.

The sixth inn had music as its main theme. They had an exclusive orchestra playing catchy songs that got Mira tapping her foot to the rhythm. There was also a 「Troubadours Welcome」 sign outside. Mira waited by the door until the song was over before going to the next inn.

At the next building, Mira found herself in front of what looked like a traditional Japanese hotel. There was a neatly tiled roof all around the building, completing the traditional look. Hung from the roof were many paper lanterns with ‘Starry Moon’ written vertically on them. Mira instantly fell in love with the place and opened the sliding door as if in a trance.

Even the dry rattling of the door sounded satisfying.

The entrance had a black stone floor, but then there was a wooden step onto a raised tatami floor that covered the entire lobby. There was also a scent identical to soft rush¹ in the air, which made Mira take a deep breath and sigh with nostalgia.

(This is the place!)

A soft orange light illuminated the pearl-like flowers arranged near the entrance, as well as the corridors leading further inside. Mira fell in love with the interior design as well, as she took her shoes off and changed into the indoor slippers prepared for guests there, before heading to the reception desk.

「Welcome to the Starry Moon, enjoy your stay.」

A woman standing behind the desk greeted her with a polite bow and a gentle smile. She had black hair and black eyes, which fitted her traditional attire perfectly, her beauty only bringing her closer to the ideal beauty of ancient Japan. Mira was fascinated by her, so she fixed her posture to stand upright while making a stern face.

「A room for one, please.」

Charmed by that beautiful woman, Mira struck a pose. The receptionist simply said 「Wait a moment please」 as she leafed through the register and took a quill pen. Mira was still oblivious to the fact that in her current appearance, her ‘poses’ looked only as a young girl trying to appear taller.

「Please write your name and occupation here.」
「Alright.」

Mira, still trying to put on airs, took the pen and wrote down her name, then debated a bit on what to write as occupation but she settled for adventurer. The receptionist then took the register back and glanced through it.

「I see you’re an adventurer, may I see your registration card? The inn’s policy asks us to check them.」

Saying that, the receptionist extended a tray to Mira. She nodded and searched through her waist pouch, taking her documents out and freezing instantly. Eureka from the Spellcaster’s Union in Caranach had given the card to her, protected by a cutesy leather case. That girly accessory was a death blow to Mira’s desperate attempts to look cool.

Flustered, she tried to hide it and take the card out, but the receptionist spoke in a gentle voice 「Don’t worry, you don’t need to take it out all the way」. Mira hesitantly placed the opened card case on the tray so the card and cutesy patterns were visible.

The receptionist looked at the card, wrote something down in the registry, then carefully closed the card case and returned it to Mira.

「That concludes the registration. We offer two services, the special one including dinner and breakfast for 20’000 Rils, and the regular one for only the room at 12’000 Rils. Which would you prefer?」
「The special one please.」

Mira gave her preference while hanging her head in shame, knowing her cutesy case had been seen. The receptionist kept smiling, writing something down in the register.

「We operate with an advance payment system here, is that alright for you?」
「Yes.」

Mira nodded slightly as she returned her card case to the pouch, fishing out the leather bag with her money this time. From it, she took two mithril coins and placed them on the tray. The leather bag Mira used as a wallet was the same one she had gotten from Solomon the first time he gave her money. It gave a very different impression than the card case, but Mira no longer noticed that.

「Thank you for your business. That waitress there will take you to your room, enjoy your stay with us tonight.」

The receptionist lady said with a deep bow which made her glossy hair fall forwards, and when she raised her head it all flowed back into place. She had smiled the entire time, which made her refined appearance much stronger.

「Follow me, I’ll guide you to your room.」

A Meou waitress walked up to Mira, her traditional attire fitting her better than Mira would have imagined.

「Thank you.」

The waitress picked up Mira’s shoes from the entrance before nodding to Mira and entering a room nearby.

There were lockers for shoes in there, with a keyhole and something written on top. The waitress opened the ‘Sky’ locker, placed Mira’s shoes in it, and closed it with a key.

「This is where guests leave their shoes. The locker keys are the same as the rooms’, so when leaving make sure to take your shoes and leave the key with the receptionist at the entrance.」
「Alright.」

Having all of the shoes stored in a single room was their way of keeping the overall look of the building more tidy. In a way, it resembled the shoe racks of a school.

The corridor leading to the guest rooms was different from the entrance, appearing to continue endlessly like the dark deep sea. Every certain distance there was a paper lantern hung, the fire inside it wavering ever so slightly in silence.

The tatami floor felt nice on the feet, the columns supporting the ceiling painted with a shiny lacquer that produced bright highlights inside the darkness between lanterns. Even the paper sliding doors and fusuma were neatly decorated, all working to cohesively increase the traditional Japanese feeling of the inn. Even in her previous world, Mira found it hard to find any place that encompassed that ambiance as well as this, which gave her even more hopes for her stay there.

The waitress had ribbons and bells decorating her tail, which swung from side to side as she walked. Mira’s eyes followed that movement as they walked, until eventually, they reached the ‘Sky room’ where Mira would spend the night. The waitress opened the fusuma, which revealed a wooden sliding door behind it.

「Huh, interesting to see a second door behind the fusuma.」
「Having a corridor lined with fusuma is a beautiful sight, but offers little protection against burglary. That’s why we have secondary doors.」
「That makes sense.」

The waitress explained that to Mira as she turned the key on the wooden sliding door. Mira peeked past her to see the rest of the corridor, the decorated fusuma creating a colorful scene against the light of the lanterns, which proved the waitress’ reasoning.

「Please leave your indoor slippers here before entering.」

The waitress pointed at a place with a stone floor right behind the door. Mira did as told and then stepped inside the room.

Mira’s room was truly a Japanese room through and through. It was around ten tatami mats in size, with an elaborate wooden table in the middle which held an assortment of Japanese confectionery. There were some short chairs of green color, and on the wall, a scroll painting of a waterfall surrounded with blooming flowers was hung. On every corner, Mira found something to fuss about, but even the window that showed the world outside looked more like a screen displaying an animated fantasy landscape.

「Do you wish to have dinner now?」
「Hmm, I’d like to freshen up a little first. Does this place have a bath?」

It had been so long since Mira went to a place like this so she wanted to be in the best shape, mentally and physically, before enjoying the food. The waitress replied with an enthused voice.

「All rooms have a private bathroom, but I would recommend visiting our bathhouse. We consider it the highlight of our inn.」

Saying that, she opened a cabinet in the room, which contained towels, soap, and everything needed to take a bath.

「Ohh, a bathhouse, huh.」
「Feel free to use these items when visiting it. I can guide you there if you wish to go right away.」
「Let’s go there then.」

Mira had no reason not to visit a bathhouse, it did fit with the aesthetic of the entire place after all.

They exited the room, and after closing the lock the waitress said 「This will be the key to your room and shoe locker, so make sure you don’t lose it」, handing the key to Mira. She nodded and stored it in her waist pouch, then she followed the waitress’ swinging tail again.

There were many guests enjoying their time in front of the bathhouse. Everyone wore bathrobes, and the satisfying sound of ping pong balls bouncing could be heard all around. Nearby there was also a souvenir shop, as well as a large map with the layout of the inn. All of that brought a slight sense of homesickness, though the relaxing atmosphere was stronger.

Amidst all that stood a lone confused girl. Mira. She was standing in front of an entrance with a bright red ‘Women’s bath’ sign, laughing vacantly at her own lack of consideration. This was a bathhouse, which meant it was divided between male and female baths, and she was a girl now, so she was obviously going to get taken to the women’s bath. But Mira was still not ready to be thrown into a bath full of naked women.

Even if she went in, Mira knew she would be unable to relax there, her eyes dancing from place to place driven by lust. She was getting worried as to how that would end when the waitress handed her a basket with a towel and other items.

「Well, enjoy yourself now. Dinner will be ready when you return to your room.」
「Ah, thanks 」

The waitress bowed and smiled as she watched Mira. That was the last nail in the coffin, Mira had no way of turning around and getting away from there anymore. She rearranged her stray thoughts and forced herself to go through the entrance.

The changing room was large, with an entire wall covered with wooden lockers for clothes. Hung from the ceiling were more paper lanterns, ‘bath’ written on them. Their light shone accentuating the skin tone of the women there. There were all sorts of women there, young girls that were only starting to develop as women, girls at their prime, women who were fully mature, and even a few elderly women.

Mira’s legs froze as soon as she got there, her eyes wandering around for a short moment before she hurried to seclude herself in a corner.

Each locker was numbered, and the empty ones had a key on them. It was a very common sight in any bathhouse. Mira opened one of them and shoved the basket inside before she began undressing.

(Mmm… I can’t feel at ease here.)

There was a lot of buzz around her, she could hear relatives talking, friends happily chattering with each other, high-pitched screams that reminded her of Fricca, and the pure and subdued voices of innocent girls. It felt like a detached and feminine world. After Mira had stashed her underwear in the basket, she took out the towel and soap before closing the locker. The key had an elastic loop attached to it, which she could use to fasten it to her bare arm. With all that done, she ran towards the bath in an attempt to escape that place.

「Woah…」

The waitress had called it the highlight of the inn, and at first glance, Mira understood why.

What surprised her the most, was that the entirety of the bath also had a tatami floor. Those were extremely rare even amongst expensive resorts, so this was Mira’s first time being in one as well.

And there was more. Further inside, next to the bath, was a large Japanese garden with vivid flowers, giving a colorful scenery to the bath.

The soft light of paper lanterns did not disturb the coloring of the garden either, letting it shine elegantly in the night, letting anyone who lay eyes on it feel at ease.
This was a completely new experience for Mira, while also feeling oddly familiar, which left her standing still in awe.

There was steam permeating the air everywhere, warming it up and moisturizing one’s skin. There was also the scent of soft rush in the air, which mixed with the scent of soap gave the air a refreshing feeling.

Additionally, there was the sound of running water and the voices of girls frolicking in the air. Mira slowly walked forward, looking around at the washing place until she found a spot for herself. As a display of the advancements in technology, there were silver faucets and showerheads there. Mira began washing herself while feeling thankful she got there after so many advancements had been made, and once clean, she felt like hopping happily to the next place.

The bath itself was large like a pool, with a large rock the size of an adult protruding in the middle, and from its top flowed warm water. Small children played around it, hugging the rock, or trapping the water flowing down with their hands, laughing happily all the while.

Watching that made Mira calm down as well as she slowly entered the water.

「Hold it! If you enter like that your hair will get messed up!」

A voice came from behind, and Mira felt someone tug back on her shoulder. She turned around and saw a tall and lean lady, who smiled softly. She had light purple hair, cut short. She looked like she was in her early twenties, her face showing she had a strong mind.

「Ah right, I forgot.」

Hearing her words, Mira recalled that in public baths it is bad manners to let one’s hair inside the water. Mira undid the twin tails Mariana had tied, then looked up at the young lady, only to quickly look away. While that lady was beautiful, her bountiful chest attracted Mira’s gaze much more. The other women in the bathhouse also looked at her chest with envy and jealousy, so it was clear she had gotten much luckier than the average girl.

Mira was at a loss not knowing how to properly tie her hair up, but after mulling over it for a short moment she had an epiphany and wrapped her hair around her neck. She figured that since the hair was above her shoulders, it would be fine that way.

「Thanks for your advice.」

She turned around and tried to go back in the water, but the young lady once again grabbed Mira’s shoulder.

「Wait wait wait waittt. There’s no way you can enjoy your time like that, let me do it for you.」

The lady half forced Mira to get closer and undid the hair around her neck, skillfully tying it up.

「I have a little sister you see. She has long hair just like you, so I would often help her like this. Ah, can I use this ribbon?」

Her voice took a softer tone, probably as she thought of her sister. Mira nodded and handed over the ribbon that tied her twin tails earlier.

「Now you just get this over here and… there, you should be okay now.」

Her beautifully arranged hair was fastened with the ribbon. Mira felt it with her hands, looking satisfied with the result.

「Mm, this feels much more comfortable. Thanks.」

Mira turned around to thank her, but she quickly found herself face to face with the embodiment of motherhood.

「You’re welcom-eh? What happened?」

The lady tilted her head noticing Mira was acting strange and restless, and when she followed Mira’s wavering gaze…

「Ahh, I get it now. You’re also a bit precocious I guess.」
「Huh?! How did you arrive at that?!」

The lady found out what made Mira so uncomfortable, so she leaned forward and examined Mira’s chest from closer. Meanwhile, Mira was confused as to how she had arrived at that conclusion, her gaze wavering around even more.

「I can see why it would bother someone your age. But don’t worry! If they’re this size at your age, I’m sure they’ll grow much bigger in the future.」

The lady stood upright again, placing her hands on Mira’s shoulders while reassuring her for the future.

「Ahh, mm, thanks for that…」

Thinking about it more, it was obvious no one would think a girl as cute as Mira was ogling someone’s chest. With that late realization, Mira replied in relief while also staring at her chest and forcing herself to keep her next thoughts silent.

(Though I’m already the embodiment of perfection now!)

Thinking that, Mira puffed her chest with confidence.

1. Silva: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juncus_effusus