I love time travel the most!

"...Okay, I agree."

"awesome!"

"But! You must never lay a hand on a woman, even if she is a very old elder!"

Amid his cheers, Kobayashi gave a serious warning.

However, there's no need to worry too much about this.

Kazuma Sato is the kind of guy who has the desire to steal but not the courage. Even if you ask him to do something, he will dawdle and come up with other reasons to avoid it.

In that case, there's nothing to be afraid of.

Since mixed bathing exists, it means that being with someone of the opposite sex here will not result in being taken away by guards on charges of indecent assault.

Enter the changing room.

Kobayashi found a basket filled with clothes.

In other words, people are already taking a bath in it.

Kobayashi remained calm, but Sato Kazuma became nervous first, because he was unsure whether the Pandora's box he was about to open would reveal calamity or hope.

Feeling uneasy, he began to take off his clothes.

Just then, voices could be heard coming from inside the bathhouse.

"In this way, this hateful cult is finished. The sabotage at the hot springs is complete, and the other hot springs are also progressing smoothly. If everything goes according to plan, then we just have to wait. For us, who have long lifespans, waiting ten or twenty years is nothing."

My excuse of doing bad things sounds just like the villains that often appear in comics and movies.

Kazuma Sato tugged at Kobayashi's clothes.

He has just extracted a lot of useful information and wants to communicate it with his companions.

Just then, a woman's voice came.

"Hans, you don't need to report to me one by one. I've told you several times that I'm here for spa treatments, and I hope you won't drag me into this."

After hearing this, Kazuma Sato paused, then quickly stripped off his clothes and rushed inside without looking back.

He was going to search for the last remaining hope!

“Hey, don’t say that, Warbak. A direct attack is useless against this cult, but this tactic can crush them. I’ll still be coming to report to you regularly, so you can stay at this inn and enjoy your spa treatment.”

As they were talking, Kazuma Sato suddenly flung open the door without warning.

The sudden opening of the door and the sound of it startled the two people inside who were still talking, causing them to swallow the words they were about to say.

This is a perfect time.

Kazuma Sato looked around and found that there was only a man and a woman in the bathhouse, just the two of them.

Is it a mix of calamity and hope?

Good luck.

The man didn't go into the hot spring bath; instead, he knelt on one knee by the edge of the bath with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Muscular, tall, with a short, brown haircut. A completely unremarkable man who wouldn't attract Sato Kazuma's attention at all.

The other one is completely different.

It was a woman who looked a little nervous, her body soaking in the bathtub.

With her short red hair and distinctive yellow eyes reminiscent of felines, she is a stunningly beautiful woman with a large bust, even when fully immersed in a hot spring.

(Could they have overheard us?)

(I don't know either, but he kept staring at me...)

Hearing the two of them whispering to each other, Kazuma Sato snapped back to reality.

This is not okay.

In mixed-gender bathing, it is considered impolite to stare at women.

Remembering Kobayashi's warning, he pretended to be completely unaware and walked confidently into the bathhouse, heading to the bathing area to wash himself.

Throughout the process, Kazuma Sato kept stealing glances at the older girl, which is understandable for a mentally and physically healthy high school student.

His actions naturally aroused the suspicion of the two men.

(He keeps looking at me, what's going on...)

(Well... it seems he didn't hear what we were saying; that wasn't a suspicious look, but a curious one.)

I don't know if he's overthinking it.

After hearing what the man said, the older woman in the bath seemed to soak her body even deeper than before.

How dare you speak out of turn!

Kazuma Sato was very unhappy.

He turned around and relaxed again.

Anyway, he hadn't done anything wrong, so even if he heard about the other person's plans to do something bad, he didn't need to be secretive or worried. Besides, in mixed bathing, you might accidentally see the bodies of the people you're bathing with, so that wouldn't count as me doing anything wrong.

The despicable scum who used sophistry to justify himself finally decided to openly stare at him.

(Look, look at him...)

"It's better than making him suspicious, right? I still have work to do, so I'll be going now!"

With that, the man quickly left.

Kazuma Sato thought that the older sister would be the first to succumb to his blatant stare, but to his surprise, it was this burly man named Hans who took the first step.

At the same time, without turning around, he heard a collision sound behind him.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"fine."

Kobayashi-senpai's apology, and the man's perfunctory words.

Kazuma Sato wanted to ask his companion behind him why he was so slow, but he couldn't take his eyes off the older sister in front of him. Even when Kobayashi finished washing up and sat down next to him, he didn't react.

"Don't stare at them like that."

Kobayashi tapped Sato Kazuma on the head, and amidst a groan of pain, said to the older woman opposite him, "I'm sorry, my companion was really rude."

"No, it's okay."

The older sister gave an awkward smile.

It was probably Kobayashi's intervention that lifted the tension, and the conversation began from there.

"Um... you don't seem to be residents of this town. Are you here as tourists?"

"You could call it a trip. I came here with my companions for hot spring therapy."

Hearing what Kazuma Sato said, she nodded knowingly.

"What a coincidence... I'm also having a hot spring therapy session. But you look so young, why do you need a hot spring therapy session? Did you suffer some kind of injury?"

"Yes, you might not be able to tell, but my profession is adventurer. I fought a deadly battle with a powerful enemy and ended up with a serious neck injury, what is known as a wound of honor."

They actually chose to boast about themselves.

Of course, Kobayashi did not expose the lie.

After all, they were comrades, and Kazuma Sato was just exaggerating the situation a little.

However, he overlooked his older sister's insight.

However, the older sister did not expose him, but empathized and said, "I was unable to fully regain my power when I was fighting against my own half, so I am undergoing hot spring treatment like this in order to restore my original power."

"It's about regaining half of your body and restoring your power. If the mage traveling with me heard you say that, he would be very happy."

His words were taken as a joke.

The older sister wasn't angry. She chuckled and said, "The mage traveling with you, could she be a Crimson Demon? I taught a spell to a Crimson Demon girl before, I wonder how she did..."

"she's fine."

"what?"

I said, "She's fine."

Xiaolin's answer silenced the older sister.

Even though there was no basis for his statement, his confident tone and gaze made people believe him.

"Ah, is it..."

The heavy topic made the older sister seem somewhat disheartened: "Alright, I should leave now... Also, perhaps it would be better if I didn't soak in the hot springs of this town anymore."

She said something incomprehensible and prepared to leave the bathhouse...

"No, I'm sorry, if it's alright, could you please not look at me when I left the bath looking so unguarded?"

"Just leave me alone."

The older sister's carefree attitude was instantly ruined by the absurdity and realism.

With a tearful expression, Sato Kazuma pleaded for help from Kobayashi, but after a karate chop, he considerately turned his head away.

"Thanks……"

"The topic from earlier."

As the older sister was about to leave, Kobayashi said to her without turning around:

"That guy eats well, drinks well, sleeps well, and shows off his magic from time to time, always making a mess of everything, like an idiot. But even so, she still wants to see the older sister who taught her magic again, and tell her how hard she worked. As for what the older sister looks like, that guy says he doesn't remember anymore, the only thing he remembers is her broad-mindedness."

"Why...why are you telling me all this..."

"It's nothing. That girl is my partner. I just wanted outsiders to know how hard she works, that's all."

The unsuspecting older sister remained silent for a moment, then left the bath without saying anything.

"Senior Kobayashi, what were you just saying?"

"nothing."

One of Sato Kazuma's few strengths is his keen observation. Seeing that Kobayashi was unwilling to say more, he decisively stopped asking further questions.