Led by Anna, you and the female members of the Elderwood Scouts stop by the village bathhouse. It is a log building carved into the mountains located at the fringes of the valley.

As you've only ever bathed in river water, the elder guides you through the process of washing yourself in this strange place.

She starts by helping you grow accustomed to the changing room.

It is a spacious area with wooden shelves running along the walls. Each of the shelves contains a basket for you to store your clothes and whatever equipment you may be carrying. At this hour the bathhouse is packed to the rafters with other elven girls.

And you of course are the center of their collective attention.

Anna

Wood Elf [♀]

Level: 55

HP: 45000/45000

"What's wrong?" Anna says to you, already in her underwear. "You don't bathe with clothes on do you?"

"A-as if..!" you timidly respond, hesitant to unbutton your shirt. "I just find it hard to undress while everyone's eyes are on me..."

"Oh, that's all? You can wear a towel if you're too embarrassed. Besides, we're all girls here! You don't have to be shy!"

"That's easy for you to say... You're used to the popularity..."

Unable to pluck up the courage to strip, you retreat to the corner of the room and hastily shed your clothes, trying your hardest to ignore the stares.

Beside your given basket is a thick piece of cream-colored cloth Anna calls a "towel". The concept of wearing something while soaking in water is odd to you, but you nevertheless resort to wrapping it around your nude body.

"Are you done?" Anna stands impatiently by the entrance to the bathing area, her hand on her hip. "Let's not keep Anya and Celia waiting."

"Y-yeah... I guess," you awkwardly clutch the towel against your chest and push onwards past the sliding door.

And inside is an impressive sight to behold.

Clusters of hot springs populated with hundreds of female elves. They are spread across a spacious open-ceiling cavern. The sun shines a natural light over the whole place and the steam rising from the waters permeates the air with a dreamlike haze.

Over to the side are rows of water torrents that serve as showers. They flow down grooves inside the stone flooring so as to not disturb the purity of the springs.

There, Anya and Celia wave to you, and you scurry over to join them.

"Garden Beast! What took you so long!" Celia says as you jog up to them.

"Her nerves wouldn't let her wander around naked," Anna cheekily answers on your behalf.

"Oh, what? You're surprisingly modest for someone who's lived her life isolated..."

"What a maiden, am I right?"

They snicker amongst themselves, causing you to blush.

"H-humans are a lot more reserved when it comes to exposing themselves you know..!" you shakily reason.

"Now, now, you're in the company of elves," Anna pats you on the back. "You don't have to hold back!"

You heave out a sigh and sit by the showering stations just as Anna directs you to.

"Why aren't we bathing at the springs?" you scratch your head.

"You need to clean yourself before taking a dip there, for sanitary purposes," she explains, sitting behind you.

"Huh... You're pretty serious about this hygiene business..."

You notice all the elves rubbing some sort of green liquid on themselves and rinsing off the white froth that forms. This intrigues you to no end.

"Hey, Anna," you pick up a nearby bottle of this green substance, "what is this stuff?"

"Soap. That's what you clean yourself with," the woman gently takes it from your hand. "Drop your towel for a bit."

"O-okay..."

You nervously do as she asks and she dribbles some of this substance down your back. It is viscous and cold and the sensation startles you. But as she slides her fingers through every nook and cranny of your lithe body, you realize the effects of this strange product.

"Alright, now rinse off the suds and we'll move on to your hair," she instructs you.

"I feel... super clean..!" you mouth as the water cleanses the bubbles.

"That's nothing. Wait till you see what this bottle has in store," Anna holds up another bottle, this time containing a blue liquid.

"And that is?"

"It's for your hair. It'll really accentuate your silver locks. Make sure to shut your peepers for this part."

She drenches your beautiful silk-white tresses and thoroughly coats them in this blue substance. It is viscous like soap, yet foamier, and you feel it absorb the weight from your hair.

"Does it feel good?" Anna checks with you as she scrubs your scalp.

"Yeah, very..." you reply with your eyes closed.

"That's a relief. It'd be a shame if the great Garden Beast was not a fan of my concoctions."

"Concoctions? You created these?"

"Alchemy is a wondrous thing, my dear."

It is quite relaxing being washed by another person. To you, cleaning yourself has always been an activity you dreaded. The icy water against your skin and having to dry yourself in the freezing winds, even thinking about it is unpleasant.

But now you have learned the joys of warm water, and you are thankful that you can experience such a comfy bathtime.

"Let's cover the layer beneath, shall we?" Anna parts the hair that stretches down your back.

And she becomes silent. You no longer feel her hands moving.

"Um, Anna?" you grow concerned. "Is something the matter?"

"O-oh..." she snaps out of her unusual trance. "Sorry. It's nothing. We can finish off with some rinsing. Keep your eyes closed, okay?"

The water splashes your hair and washes off the last of the dirt and grime. You pick up your towel once you're done, and stumble to your feet.

"You go ahead," Anna says, "I need to wash first."

"A-ah understood. I'll be with the girls," you wave her goodbye and cast around for the girls.

You then spot Celia washing Anya's back next door. And together you walk to the hot springs.

Celia tells you of a special spot they frequent and directs you to the end of the cavern. It is a small spring, behind a craggy rock wall and far from the noise and bustle of the main springs, and you are relieved to have no more gazes attached to you.

You, Celia, and Anya all soak in this warm body of water and let out satisfied moans.

"What the heck," you sink your shoulders deeper, "It's like I'm melting away..."

"This makes all that transporting worth it..." Anya says.

"I don't ever want to leave..." Celia adds.

Like a trio of pool floats, you sit there in silence, letting the water consume your every thought. You look up at the blue sky that's barely visible from your position.

"I wonder if the Mystfox is enjoying his time at the springs. We've never been apart for this long..." you think to yourself out loud.

"Leronil and Fidri always talk about having their own special spot at the male springs," Celia assures you. "They're idiots, but they know how to have fun."

"Mm. He's probably kicking water into their faces right about now..."

"Woah, seriously..? Wish I was there to see it..."

As you talk to Celia you feel another set of eyes on you. You look around and see the young girl staring intently at you.

"Anya? What's up?" you sit bolt upright.

"Your skin is so pretty, Garden Beast..." she answers with a piercing gaze. "And your body proportions are perfect..."

"Well, you're not bad-looking yourself..."

"T-that's not true, I've got a small frame, a pudgy face, an unimpressive chest, and..!" the young elf's cheeks redden and she submerges herself.

Celia turns to Anya and thoughtlessly says, "I mean, you don't have to tell us Anya. We can tell."

And Anya shamefully vanishes beneath the surface, letting out a string of air bubbles

Unexpectedly, Anna appears from behind Celia and pushes her head into the water with her foot.

"Don't bully Anya you thick-headed oaf!" the elder scolds the flailing woman.

Upon letting go of her, Celia bursts out of the water and gasps for air. "I could've died you hag!" she yells at Anna.

"Hah? Hag? I'm the youngest elder in the village."

"Keyword: elder."

"Why you—!"

And they grapple each other like a pair of wrestlers. Anya pops out and is flustered by the battle going on for her sake. This side of Celia and Anna has never been apparent to you.

You then remember Elder Alimarc talking about her tendency to stick up for Leronil and become curious about the elder's relation with the scouting group.

"Hey uh, Anna," you call to her as she has Celia in a headlock.

"Hm? Yes, Nameless Seer?" both of the elves cease their fight and turn to you.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the impression you're close with the members of the Elderwood Scouts. Do you have a long history with them?"

"Ah... so you've caught on."

"Well, one normally doesn't roughhouse mere acquaintances in the nude..."

"You got me there."

Anna and Celia sit back down as though nothing ever happened. And the elder clears her throat as if prepared to go off on a long tangent.

"So, put it simply," she starts, "Leronil and Celia used to be my apprentices."