The sliding door slid open, and the person who entered was—
"Uhehehe... There you are, Albert-kun."
It was Aristia.
She was stark naked.
I had just become the first human in history to see a Demon King in the buff. Hooray! Achievement unlocked! Wait, no, that’s not right!
She stood there completely unguarded, making no effort to cover herself. She lacked any particularly feminine curves; her thin chest, flat hips, and short stature combined to give her the appearance of a child.
I wrenched my gaze away and turned my back to her.
"W-Why are you in here!?"
"Eh? Because I’m taking a bath with you, Albert-kun."
I heard the sound of water being splashed over her body, followed immediately by a heavy dip as she entered the tub.
This girl! She didn't hesitate for a single second!
"No, no, no, no! I’m a man! You’re a girl! This is the men's bath! Women are strictly forbidden!"
"Uhehe. Since when did you fall under the illusion that I was a girl?"
"—What!?"
I turned around reflexively. Her thin, unconditioned physique looked almost like a young boy's. I let my gaze slide downward, only to confirm there was nothing attached to her crotch.
I hurriedly looked away again.
"Y-You tricked me!?"
"Uhehehe... But you certainly have one, Albert-kun."
"Regardless! Get out, now! Women aren't allowed in here!"
"I don't mind, you know?"
"Well, I do!"
Then, a thought occurred to me.
"...I see. Is mixed bathing just part of Demon culture?"
"Nope."
"Hey! Then why are you coming in here so nonchalantly!?"
"Because I want to take a bath with my friend."
"Men! And women! Do not bathe together even if they are friends!"
"I don't mind, you know?"
"Please start minding it!"
It was no use; we weren't communicating at all.
My relaxing soak was ruined. No matter how much she looked like a child, I couldn't relax with a woman right behind me.
Ignoring my distress, Aristia spoke to me from the water.
"Hey, Albert-kun. You used 'Final Extreme Embers' in the last battle, didn't you?"
"Yeah."
"How was it?"
Come to think of it, we hadn't actually discussed the results yet. Between Princess Eliana’s death and the general chaos at the Academy, I—being a classmate and the son of a high-ranking noble—had been buried under a mountain of errands. I was actually grateful she brought up a serious topic. I replied without looking back at her.
"It's still unpolished, and I couldn't draw out its full power, but the potency was incredible."
After all, it had obliterated Zalgan’s flesh right along with the scales that had repelled my 'Thunder Emperor's Flash'. And to think, that was while the spell was still under development. Its potential was terrifying. It was definitely the weapon I needed to corner Verdict.
"...However, control is an issue. I messed up at the very last second during that fight."
Because of that, my aim had strayed, and I failed to finish him in one hit. If I hadn't botched the control, the Hero Leon wouldn't have even needed to step in.
If it was this difficult to manage without even hitting full power... would I even be able to control it once the spell reached its final form?
"Hmm... I see. Maybe we should focus more on stability then."
"Do you have an idea?"
"Uhehehe. It’s not like I have nothing, but it’s a trade-off. You’d have to sacrifice raw power or something else to get it."
"I want to avoid reducing the output if possible."
My opponent was Verdict, the former Demon King who had once destroyed the world. I had to assume his defenses would dwarf Zalgan’s. Since I had no way of knowing how much power was 'enough' to be safe, I wanted to stack it as high as humanly possible.
"If it's a gap I can close through training, then keep the power as it is. I'll just have to put in the effort."
"Uhehehe. I don't hate that kind of ambition."
I heard a splash, and suddenly Aristia hugged me from behind.
Even with her petite build, she was still a young woman. There was no way I wouldn't be flustered by the sensation of soft skin—so different from a man's muscular frame—pressing against my back.
No, no, no, no!
"Wait, wait! Stop with the sudden physical contact...!"
"I was just trying to show respect for your resolve in my own way, you know?"
"I’d prefer a different method of expression!"
I pried her arms off, splashed through the water to the other side of the tub, and put some distance between us.
"Maybe I'll try to refine the control theory a bit more... It's true that I was focusing entirely on power and being a bit sloppy with the management side of things."
"Please do."
"...Well then, shall we test the new magic theory as early as tomorrow? Is there a place at this mansion we can use?"
As expected of Aristia. Her behavior was eccentric, bordering on perverted, but her mind for magic was already churning out ideas.
"I can provide a location."
"Look forward to it then. I guess I'm staying up all night... The dark circles under my eyes are going to get even worse."
I had intended to use this break for rest, but it seemed I was headed for a training montage instead.
Of course, that was exactly what I wanted.
Struggling against the likes of Zalgan wasn't enough. I needed to become much stronger. After all, my ultimate target was that monster, Verdict.
"—By the way, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"I killed your confidant, Zalgan. Don't you hold any resentment or grudges against me?"
He had come all that way to assassinate the Princess and the Hero. His loyalty to Aristia must have been substantial. If so, then Aristia should have felt—
"Not really. I'm not interested."
"...Wait, not at all?"
"Hmm... I keep my distance from the other demons. It seems they have certain expectations of me, but I don't feel any obligation to meet them."
Aristia gave a flippant chuckle.
"What I'm interested in is magic research and the people who use it. That's why, right now, I'm interested in your 'Final Extreme Embers'—and you yourself."
I heard another splash, so I quickly moved toward the edge of the tub and glanced back.
Aristia was pouting, having failed to latch onto me again.
"How stingy."
"Humans are capable of learning from their mistakes."
We eventually left the bath and returned to the dressing room. After drying off and getting dressed, we left the bathing area together. I felt the warmth of the soak lingering in my body, mixed with a strange embarrassment at having shared the room with a girl.
...Good grief, that was draining. I wondered if I would ever actually get a moment to relax.
I prayed that the few hours remaining before sleep would be peaceful.
" " " "Ah." " " "
As soon as we stepped out of the bathing area, we ran headlong into a group of girls.
It was Silvia, Luna, Milia, and Kaname. All four were heading toward the entrance of the women's bath. Meanwhile, I had just emerged from the men's side.
—With Aristia in tow.
T-this cliché is...!
"Ah," I gasped, the sound escaping my lips before I could stop it.
The situation—Aristia and I coming out of the men's bath together—was damning.
The four girls fixed their gazes on Aristia.
Aristia suddenly looked down bashfully and murmured.
"Albert-kun and I were having a naked relationship..."
Why was she acting shy now when she had been completely shameless a moment ago!?
"A... a naked relationship...!? A-Albert-kun, even though you have someone like me—!"
"Silvia, wait, it's a misunderstanding! First of all, what do you mean by 'someone like you'!?"
"Eeeeh!? You're going to act like you don't know!? Even though we did this and that in your room!?"
That did happen, but the way you're saying it is incredibly misleading!
Look, Luna's eyes have gone completely dead like a rotting fish!
"...Wait, in Lord Albert's room... this and that...?"
"Yes! Half-naked!" Silvia declared, puffing out her chest proudly.
"I... I have nothing... Lord Albert, could it be that you hate me...?" Luna whispered, staring at me with eyes like a bottomless abyss.
"N-No, that's not it..."
"I need more power. If I am hated by Lord Albert, my life has no value—"
"No, no, your reaction is way too extreme—Gah!"
My arm was suddenly twisted at an angle it was never meant to go.
Milia had put me in a submission lock. She started trying to drag me back toward the men's bath.
"You want to bathe with girls? Oh, you should have just said so! Since Milia-chan-sama belongs to Lord Albert, it's all okay. I'll do whatever you say, you know?"
"Ah, this one also wishes to bathe with you! I feel that if I enter Lord Albert's electric bath, I can surely develop even further heights of pleasure...!"
Aaaahhh, why does it always turn out like this!?
Are you all just way too fond of me or something!?
...After eventually getting them to release me and attempting to clear up the mountain of misunderstandings, I fled to my room. However, I wasn't at all confident that the air was actually clear.
It seemed there was no place for my heart to truly rest, not even in my own home.