After arriving at the inn, Shin and the others headed straight to the inn.

But before she goes to sleep, Clarisse always go to a late night bath.

She headed down and opened the door to the women’s bathroom. She took all of her clothes, puts it in the basket and covered herself in a towel. The towel is only covering her chest up to her legs so it couldn’t hide all of her flawless white skin especially from her neck to her shoulders.

She dipped her toes to measure the heat of the hot bath. Judging that it was on the right level, she took off her towel and slowly buried herself unto the relaxing heat of the water.

Clarisse was also a traveler and just recently arrived at the Saint Eli Kingdom and became an adventurer. She came from a village several miles away north from the kingdom which is still a territory and under the jurisdiction of the kingdom.

Just like Yuffa and Tanya, she was also a daughter of a farmer. Being surrounded by flat lands and mountains, farming is the primary source of income of most residents. Although being an adventurer has a better pay than an ordinary farmer, many people chose a much safer job mainly farming, mining and peddling thus creating a balance in human resources.

Clarisse’s ancestors were all farmers; needless to say her parents weren’t an exception. Things as they are, deciding to be an adventurer did quite give her parents a shock.

It’s not because she hates farming, in fact, she enjoyed it very much yet she feels it lacks something.

Back from the time that she was only 10, every time her neighbors come home from adventuring, she always wants to hear their story about what happened or how did they defeat their enemies, all sorts of stuff and every time she did, she can hardly contain her excitement.

And so, after reaching the age of 16 she finally wanted to leave home and become an adventurer. Hearing that, her parents or more specifically her father was furious about her decision adamantly wanting to stop her.

Her father was just worried about her daughter’s safety. Being an adventurer is a man’s job he said. It’s not as easy as she thinks it is. If she wanted to survive that kind of job, it requires practice and years of training. And her physique was just the opposite.

Like what you expect from a girl in teenage years, her slender body is simply unfitting for a rough job such as fighting so they couldn’t just let her go as it is.

What her father said was all true and reasonable but Clarisse has also a background in the same laborious work. Although she said laborious, farming and fighting are two different things. Not to mention it wasn’t that much compared to fighting monsters.

She wanted to say something back but she cannot find the right words. Not until her father said his primary reason for stopping her. He wanted her to get married to their village leader’s son.

He was Clarisse’s childhood friend. They grew up and played together along with the children at the village. And some point, he started to have feelings for her.

After Clarisse’s fifteenth birthday, her childhood friend proposed to her (In this world, fifteen is the marriageable allowed by the church). Everyone cheered and clapped but immediately subsided after Clarisse refused him flatly. She cannot treat him other than being a friend she said.

It was all in the past but it seems the matters regarding that weren’t finished yet. Hearing her father’s reason being that he only wants the best for her, evidently, he only wants her to stay so that she could be married.

Clarisse truly loves her parents but that is the only one thing that she cannot obey. For her, marriage is still not on her plans. She didn’t want to be tied on to someone she didn’t love. Marriage will only be possible if she chooses the groom herself. For now, She wants to explore, she wants to go on an adventure.. With that in mind, Clarisse ran away from home.

After that day, she never heard anything from her parents. Maybe they are looking for her but her resolve is set. She won’t come back even if they’ll find her. This is her dream and she will do anything for it.

Maybe because of the heat that Clarisse’s thoughts is currently running wild, she shakes her head to shake off unnecessary things.

She splashed her face with hot water and tapped her cheeks strongly.

~~~~

After clearing off her thoughts, silence befell the room briefly.

*sound of sliding door*

After hearing the sound of an opening door, a figure of a woman appeared amidst the fog created from evaporation coming from the hot bath. The woman smiled and greeted as she noticed Clarisse.

“Ara. Hello Clarisse. Pardon the intrusion. I thought I am the only one using the bath at this hour.”

“Oh Yuffa-san. It’s okay. It’s not like I own this place anyway. Where’s Tanya-chan?”

“I suppose. She immediately goes to sleep after we arrived. May I sit next to you?”

“That’s too bad.... Sure thing.“

With a smile, Yuffa sat at the place next to Clarisse.

Clarisse only met her not a while ago along with Tanya. She is a member of Shin’s party and also her maid.

She only knows a little thing about Yuffa, about that she was a former slave. But is that really the truth?

Looking at her closely, judging by her looks, she may be around 24 she assessed. Her skin doesn’t have scars or spots; it was as flawless as hers. If she dresses up like a noble lady, nobody would even doubt that she is one.

Unlike the other slaves she saw up until now, Yuffa just didn’t look like one. She can even say that she was more proper than her. She really can’t believe that someone beautiful like Yuffa ended up a slave.

“What is it?”

Yuffa asked Clarisse as she tilted her head.

Apparently, Clarisse had been staring at her the entire time.

“O-oh. I-it’s nothing. I just thought that Yuffa-san is just too beautiful”

“E eh? Where did that came from? Anyways, thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome. Can I ask you something, Yuffa-san?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“How did you meet Shin?”

Clarisse moved closer to Yuffa as she asked her curiously. Yuffa then put her finger on her lips in a thinking manner, immediately after; a gentle smile befitting of her age appeared like she remembered something very nice. Watching that smile, Clarisse was convinced that their meeting is something that Yuffa remembered fondly which also made her smile reflexively.

Yuffa started talking about everything that happened before they met Shin as to how they ended up being a slave. Hearing the story behind Yuffa’s circumstance, it cleared off Clarisse’s doubts a while ago, although it was mostly because of Yuffa’s appearance.

Unaware of Clarisse’s thoughts, Yuffa continued.

“We we’re about to be sell off to their costumers but halfway thru the destination, they veered off the path and took us into a remote place in the forest. I know what they wanted to do and it scared me…”

“Those scumbags! And then, what happen?”

“At that time, I only wanted Tanya to be safe. I wanted to run away but my legs just won’t move from fear….. Inside of me, I had given up on hoping that someone would save us to that situation, I could only hug Tanya and closed my eyes.. and then…. Shin-sama came along”

Yuffa’s smile brimmed all over. She continued

“He walked towards us calmly and talked to the slave traders. I know he was aware of the situation but he walks towards us without a slightest bit of panic, you know. And after that, a one sided fight, or more precisely, a massacre”

“I kind of imagine the face he was making.” Clarisse made a wry smile as she said so “Witnessing the fight between that armored bear and Shin, I can only say that he is not an ordinary person.”

“I think so too. I’ve witnessed many adventurers before but I’ve never seen anyone like him. He is still under level 20, you know? Also the weapon he’s using is out of this world and very powerful”

“Le-level 20?! Are you serious?! Normally, that kind of power most likely belongs to 100+ level!”

“You think so too? I can’t believe it myself either not until he registered his name of the guild together with. Undeniable proof that he was still new”

“I can’t believe it…”

Clarisse’s jaw dropped after she heard his level.

Now that she thinks about it, shehasn’t seen anything like that before. The sword that he used against the armored bear is kind of ordinary but at the same time unique. In addition, that weird stave he used to severe the guard’s arm that was holding Yuffa this morning is also unusual. What is he? Floated all over Clarisse’s mind.

But her thought were cut off by Yuffa’s words.

“In all things, me and Tanya are very lucky to meet someone like Shin-sama. He gave us everything without asking in return. And so, I will devote myself and serve Shin-sama with all my heart”

Clarisse didn’t say a word but only nodded and smiled towards Yuffa.

“Shin is also lucky to have someone like you Yuffa-san”

“I don’t know about that. How can you say so?”

“He is! I mean look at you. You’re beautiful, you’re blue hair, you’re figure, and everything is perfect. *whispers*… Unlike my childish figure…. *whispers*”

That last part was mostly whisper that only audible to Clarisse only.

Noticing that Yuffa was silent, she looked at her and saw that she way smiling shyly. Clarisse asked what’s the matter and Yuffa answered shyly.

“That… I think Shin-sama doesn’t even see me as a woman”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s as it says. It’s like Shin-sama doesn’t have interest in opposite sex or romance itself. It feels likehe’s only focus onto adventuring, nothing else”

“What did you say? That can’t be possible. They say that all men are wolves.”

“Not Shin-sama”

“Seriously?”

“I’m serious”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Hmm”

“….”

“Why do I feel like this would be a problem.....”

“Why is it?”

Yuffa didn’t understand what Clarisse just said and tilted her head sideways.

Clarisse pondered for a moment and met Yuffa’s gaze. It remained for a couple of seconds until Clarisse started to laugh. Yuffa wasn’t on the same wavelength as Clarisse even so she started laughing too.

Maybe it was something that they both have in common but was uncertain what it is. On the other hand, Yuffa has a vague idea of what she was starting to feel but chose to remain it hidden.

They continued to chat for a while. But when they started to get dizzy on the bath, they both got out and walk out under the veil of fog covering their splendid figure.