Hoh? (Rona)

W-What is it with your gaze and tone, Rona?

Hoh hohI see, I see. (Rona)

If you don't quit itI will twist them.

Being looked up at from below with an obvious glare, Rona averted her eyes in a hurry.

Ahead of Rona's averted gaze, white, dense steam is rising up and spreading in the vast bathtub, which makes one feel suspicious about the motive behind making a bath like this.

Even though the walls and ceiling are made out of pure white marble, only the bathtub is made out of wood for some reason. Its beautiful, curly grains looked pretty under the sorcery lights illuminating the entire bathroom.

Rona didn't know what kind of wood it was, but from being heated up due to the hot water, it's creating an extremely calming, nice scent. One could tell the merit of the designer's taste, who had created this bathroom.

The location being within the beastmen's royal castle.

It's a large public bath that had been set up in a section of said castle.

Uh~.

Once Rona turns her eyes towards that again due to the groans coming from that direction, she sees Mayria standing there with a very dissatisfied expression.

Since it's a bathroom, she's of course nude, but she has completely covered the area from her chest to her feet with a towel. What's visible is no more than the area above her chest.

Rona had fully witnessed how Mayria had expressly negotiated with a beastman priestess to have her look for the biggest towel available.

As far as she saw with a fleeting glance in the dressing room, the bulging of Mayria's body is very modest and almost non-existence.

Rona didn't know to what extent Mayria's chest had grown when she mentioned it, but now she wouldn't run her mouth as Mayria would definitely come to hit her. However, even if she considers Mayria's age, her body shape is somewhat lacking.

Since Rona confirmed that Mayria's waist area is properly tightening, it's not like she can call it a child's body shape, but either way the volume of her chest and lumbar region is meager.

Though it doesn't go as far as Croire's body.

After thinking this far, Rona changes her mind.

No matter what she might say, the other party is the next archduchess, the person to whom she had been assigned by her superior.

Thinking that meager might not be a good term, Rona rethinks and searches for an appropriate word inside her memory.

Mayria's body shape is slender and ephemeral.

Believing that might be a slightly less objectionable term, she breathes out once, wondering whether such a term is all that different.

She hasn't reached a marriageable age where she has to hurry either, has she? Rona ponders.

The same couldn't be said about Shion, but there are quite a few people who suddenly begin to grow once they reach a certain age.

Just what the hell are you eating for those to become like that, Rona? (Mayria)

Being asked by Mayria, Rona looks down at her own body.

Rona wonders what she should say here, but it's a body that definitely has distinct proportions to it.

Rona has the confidence that her volume is abundant compared to others. On the other hand it's also not to the extent that I'll be called fat, Rona believes.

In short, she has proportions where she can claim that the parts that should stick out, do, and the parts that should be tight, are.

However, if she's asked whether that's attractive, Rona has slightly lost her confidence recently.

In the past she was conceitedly believing that there was probably no one who could refuse her if she approached them, but now that she has gone through the experience of being firmly turned down, she's embarrassed about her previous arrogance to the extent of blushing.

What do you want me to tell youI don't think I'm eating anything unusual worth mentioning. (Rona)

Rather, aren't my eating habits fairly modest since I had been in a position where I worked as a knight to begin with? Rona even wonders.

It's because she regards eating as a necessary daily task and not as something to be enjoyed.

However, nowadays there's Renya's influence. Somehow she feels as if she's only eating unusual and delicious dishes.

But, that's definitely a recent matter. It shouldn't be related to what Mayria is asking.

Gununu (Mayria)

Expressing a bitter smile towards Mayria who seems to audibly grind her teeth, Rona draws hot water into a bucket and lets it stream down her body.

As for the human countries, they are not overly familiar with the establishment referred to as a bath.

In the first place it's because such an establishment won't work without heating up large amounts of water and having a bathtub that can maintain the heat of so much water.

In general households it isn't possible to install it, thus it was mostly used as a hobby by people who have enough money.

However, after Rona began to work together with Renya, she took baths with regular frequency.

Once the usage frequency went up, Rona understood that this thing called a bath apparently has an effect that allows one to feel good and also eases one's mood apart from its main purpose of keeping the body clean. After that she started to forget about what kind of a life she had led without bathing.

Renya cautioned her over and over again to wash her body before entering the bath.

Certainly, if you enter the bath with a dirty body, the large amount of hot water filling the tub will get polluted, resulting in extremely bad efficiency.

In that case, washing off the dirt first, even if it takes some time, and entering the bathtub with a clean body is truly reasonable, Rona thinks.

Hence Rona properly sticks to Renya's instruction and always washes her body first.

If it's you, Rona, you have a body that seems difficult to wash, don't you? (Mayria)

One can't wash their body while covered by a towel.

Mayria, who stared at Rona rinsing off her body with hot water, finally flung off her towel as if having resigned herself, and whispered that while starting to fetch hot water with a bucket and pouring it over her body.

Once Rona looked at Mayria wondering what she might be talking about, Mayria said with a broad grin,

You have a big, fat and heavy cleavage and a butt with a lot of crevices in-between. (Mayria)

Mayrisama, your body sure is easier to wash. I mean, you just have to smoothly wipe across your body with a whoosh. (Rona)

Due to Mayria trying to put some kind of implicit meaning into her words while stressing the words big and fat, Rona gave her a sharp response without hesitation.

In front of Ronya, who believes, She probably didn't expect that she would be answered in such a way, Mayria's body, who has an expression as if an invisible blade had been pierced right into the middle of her chest, heeled over in a grand manner and fell into the bathtub while instantly causing water to spray all around.

After looking at Mayria's back, which was lightly floating on the bath's surface, for a while Rona fires off her finishing blow.

Oh my, Mayrisamayour face is deep black, you know? Ah, sorry, that's the back of your head. (Rona)

Seemingly having heard Rona's words, who's laughing with a Hohohoho, Mayria, who was floating, quickly got up inside the bathtub and adopted a daunting pose. Then she pointed at the laughing Rona and yelled,

Fat Chest! You are to sag! (Mayria)

S-Sag? (Rona)

Rona murmured words of shock due to the remark that might have gone over the top.

Did Mayria see on Rona's expression that she had suffered a bit of damage? Mayria declares further,

For someone like you, Rona, your chest and butt should just sag! No, at this size it's an unavoidable fact that they will sag in another ten years! (Mayria)

Due to Mayria arbitrarily deciding that to be the case while sternly thrusting a finger at her, even Rona's face started to twitch.

No matter how much she might be the daughter of my superior, she should make a distinction of what can be said and what cannot. Isn't it natural for her to receive one or two spankings, if she doesn't differentiate? Rona started to scrutinize.

Mayrisama? Even If I am the subordinate of Her Majesty the Archduchess, there are things you can say and others you can't, don't you think? (Rona)

Going by that volume of yours, Rona, saying it will take 10 years is too optimistic. 2 or 3 years is much more realistic, I think? (Mayria)

In addition to her face twitching, veins popped out on Rona's forehead.

However, she keeps up her smile.

Rona slowly puts her feet into the bathtub and moreover slowly approaches Mayria, who is standing imposingly inside the tub.

Very well, Mayrisama. I shall teach you how to talk properly. While at it, I will kindly enlarge the flatness and broad sparseness of your flat chest. (Rona)

N-Now you've said it!? In that case I will immediately transform the massive chest and butt of yours into loose, saggy goods! (Mayria)

Matching her hands with Mayria's hands, who came grasping for her with a bright red face, Rona grapples with Mayria right in the middle of the bathtub.

Rona had an overwhelming advantage in strength and weight, but contrary to the expectation that Mayria would likely be overpowered in no time, she unleashes a plain counterattack.

Eh? Ah, ou-ouch-ouch!? Mayrisama!? Your stepping on my foot, my foot! (Rona)

On the verge of being overcome in the grappling contest, Mayria trampled down with all her might on the instep of Rona's foot.

Just then Mayria's big toe of the right foot stimulates the space between the little toe and the fourth toe of Rona's left foot by grinding against it.

Fufujust as expected. This place hurting means (Mayria)

Meanswhat? (Rona)

Rona, it means that you have very stiff shoulders! It's because of those lumps of fat dangling down from your chest. I will give you a nice medical treatment! Here we go! Grind grind (Mayria)

Ha? Stiff shoulders? Wai-, ouch, ouch, ooouch!? That really hurts!? (Rona)

Having her instep drilled with the big toe as if thrusting into it, Rona screams as she's unable to endure it.

Since the knowledge mentioned by Mayria more or less matches with the knowledge in this world on top of being something that she had asked Renya about, she wasn't wrong about it being an acupuncture point against stiff shoulders, but she was quite wrong about the way of using it.

Now then, Rona. Prepare yourself. After all you won't be able to escape the fate of sagging. (Mayria)

T-That's totally unrelated, isn't it!? (Rona)

No, it is related. Having stiff shoulders means that your body hasn't adapted to the weight of those lumps of fat. In other words, for now it's fine, but once you lose your youthfulness, those lumps will lose their ability to maintain their shape, resulting in them sagging! (Mayria)

Guufor some reason that sounds reasonable (Rona)

However, Mayria, the one actually saying all that, has absolutely no knowledge in this matter to base her words on.

In short, Mayria thinks that she could win if her opponent believes what she's claiming despite having no evidence to back it up.

Against what she's going to win or lose; that's very likely something even Mayria herself doesn't know.

B-But, then I just have to raise my body to maintain the shape by training it accurately! (Rona)

Rona was about to get overpowered, but bearing the pain of having the instep of her foot being drilled into, she makes an effort and starts to put power into her hands that are tightly joined together with Mayria's.

The difference in gripping strength between the former knight Rona and the office worker Mayria is more than obvious.

Mayria's face, which was relaxed until then, started to distort in slight pain.

Rona began to directly attack Mayria's hands and not the joints or some acupuncture points.

The tide's changing, Mayrisama. That delicate build of yourswill still stay delicate even if you do train it! (Rona)

Gunu!? (Mayria)

That's the difference between haves and have-nots! (Rona)

U-Ummwhat on earth are you doing?

Rona is about to push Mayria, who received a shock, as if it's the critical moment.

The one who timidly cut into the scene of two nude women quarreling inside a bathtub that can't be seen normally is Shion who stepped into the bath as the very last member.

Due to the sudden voice, Rona and Mayria look at Shion with only their eyes as they are still grappling, and their expressions freeze at the same time.

Eh? Just what happened? (Shion)

Rona and Mayria let their eyes run several times across Shion's body.

Rona somewhat knows about Shion's recent body build, but even that information originates from a time slightly before both of them started to act together with Renya.

When speaking of Shion's body build back then, she had firm muscles at her arms and legs, apparently because she was carrying out her training as a swordswoman. Although it wasn't that terrible, her body build gave Rona the impression of being rugged.

After that Shion went through the training carried out by Keith's unit, acquiring a physical strength that allowed her to blow away a soldier wearing full armor with one strike.

Rona thought that she had certainly gained muscles, but contrary to those expectations, the body build of the entering Shion had changed into such a slender and supple silhouette that one might doubt where that physical strength of hers stems from.

The muscles at her arms and legs have disappeared. And as if that wasn't already enough, her body is showing curves that are tinged with a womanly roundness.

Even her abs that were close to six packs have completely lost their shape, leaving only a tense and glossy skin behind.

What surprised Rona even more is Shion's chest. There's no doubt that the size has gone up compared to the last time she saw it. It's maintaining a firm, dome shape as if displaying that the muscles around it have been properly trained due to the nature of her job as a swordswoman.

That's cheating, right? (Rona)

Even though her body line has become womanly on the whole, it's a fact that only her power has steeply risen compared to before.

What can you call this if not cheating? Rona muttered feebly.

Not comprehending just what had happened in front of her, she looks at Shion, who's acting flustered without even hiding her body. Certainly, if it's in regards to volume, my own body wins by far, but if I'm told by Mayria that it will sag sooner or later, I can't really refute it, can I? She even started to believe.

Just what kind of training has Renya put Shion through? Rona wonders.

I wonder whether I should ask him to allow me to go through that training myself as well.

Mayria is unable to hide her shock.

The Shion Mayria knows about is her elder sister from further back in the past than the Shion in Rona's memory, but if pushed to say, Shion, who aimed to become a swordswoman since that time, was muscular. Moreover, at that time she didn't have such a curvy body.

Well, in fact Shion, who's standing in front of them right now, likely falls behind in the value maxima compared to Rona, but if judged comprehensively, she's showing evaluation values exceeding Rona's proportions by far.

What surprised Mayria the most is not the chest, which she worries about due to its size, but the shape of Shion's waist.

It's so tightly stretched that you most likely can't even pinch it with a finger as there's no place to hold on to, Mayria judged.

Mayria herself was also confident about that place being tight and firm, but compared to her older sister, she loses out, no matter how you look at it.

In the first place, around the area of her belly there's a reasonable amount of fat that can be pinched.

Mayria ended up doubting whether this woman covered all over in foam is really her own sister.

Mayria? Rona? (Shion)

I feel empty (Mayria)

That's right, Mayrisamaat this level it's already hurting physically, isn't it? (Rona)

Not understanding what's going on, Shion tilts her head to the side in confusion due to the two sinking down into the bathtub with lifeless mumblings. Since it didn't look like she would understand even if she pondered over it, she plainly gave up on thinking about it, drew hot water into a bucket and started to pour it over her body.

Shion had also heard from Renya about the need to decently wash her body before entering the bathtub.

Hence she properly rinses her body with hot water and after getting warmed up to the extent of her body flushing slightly, she slowly submerges her body in the bathtub.

Her black hair, which she always ties up, quickly spreads inside the bathtub.

Originally this is not good for the hair. Usually women with long hair wear their hair up when entering the bathtub, but Renya didn't give her a warning about such a thing.

For that reason Renya is the only one aware of that fact.

It's the appearance, isn't it? (Mayria)

It's the appearance, right? (Rona)

Mayria and Rona mutter the same thing while looking at Shion who is stretching out her whole body in the bathtub looking really comfortable.

As if about to ask what's happening, Shion suddenly frowned while looking up to the ceiling.

Ane-sama? (Mayria)

Can't youhear some sound? (Shion)

Being told so by Shion, Rona and Mayria held their tongues and tried to strain their ears, but neither of them could hear anything but the occasional drop of water falling down from the ceiling into the bathtub with a plop.

Can you hear something, ane-sama? (Mayria)

Just so you know, I can't hear anything. (Rona)

It's notmy imagination, I think, butright now I can't hear it. (Shion)

The sound I heard was similar to a small explosion, Shion thinks.

The battle between the queen and the priestess should have come to an end, but I wonder, is there something else going on that would trigger an explosion within the castle besides that battle? While being puzzled, Shion submerged her body even deeper into the hot water to enjoy the warmth of the bath for now.