Rest had suffered a temporary disability as the price for surviving that terrifying dinner.
The nature of this disability was… specific. He couldn't walk without hunching over. He couldn't handle any sudden, jarring movements of his lower body. And he was in a state where even a stray thought or accidental touch might cause a catastrophic explosion.
Please, do not ask for a medical diagnosis.
While giving in to the urge might have brought him peace, maintaining his current state was pure, unadulterated torture.
"Ugh… damn it…"
"Phew, that feels amazing! There’s nothing like a shower after a hard day's work!"
"Valhalla… Valhalla…"
"My Lady, allow me to scrub your back."
And then came the next trial.
Despite being in the middle of a campsite, the women had decided to start their bath. High-pitched, vibrant voices drifted from behind a rectangular partition made of heavy cloth.
Rest stood just outside the makeshift walls, manipulating his mana while fighting back every primal instinct he possessed.
To understand how he ended up here, one had to look back to earlier that afternoon.
While trekking through the muddy wetlands, the following conversation had taken place.
"Ugh… I'm covered in mud. This feels disgusting," Yuri complained, shaking her arms and legs in a futile attempt to clear the sludge.
The slime from their battle with the monsters wasn't so easily discouraged; it clung stubbornly to Yuri's supple, athletic limbs.
"I can get the mud off with magic. [Clean]," Rest offered.
"Oh! It's perfectly clean now!"
With a pulse of magic, the grime vanished from Yuri's body. It was a spell Rest had relied on since his days as a servant for the Honorary Viscount Ebern House, back when he used it to muck out stables and keep himself presentable.
"You're a lifesaver, Rest… but I still feel like I need a proper soak. It’s like there’s some invisible dirt still stuck to me."
"Yeah… I get what you mean."
Whether it was literal residue the magic missed or just a psychological need, there was always a lingering sense of discomfort that [Clean] couldn't quite wash away. Rest understood her desire perfectly.
"I hate to ask more of you, but could you provide some water later? I want to wash off properly."
"Why stop at water? I'll give you hot water. You should take a real bath."
"A bath? Out here in the middle of the plains?"
"Sure. I can shape a tub with Earth Magic and heat the water easily with Fire Magic. It’s no trouble at all."
"I want a bath too," Urula chimed in.
It seemed the call of the hot spring was universal for girls. Behind Urula, her attendant Arlie watched with unmistakable longing.
"Fine, fine. I'll get it ready tonight. I can even set up an improvised shower for you, so look forward to it."
He had said it to be kind—a reward for their hard work. Now, Rest regretted those words more than anything else in his life.
Returning to the present, Rest was doing exactly as he had promised.
Inside the tent-walled bathroom, three women were currently as bare as the day they were born. A bathtub Rest had fashioned before sundown sat inside, filled with steaming water.
"Ah, this is heaven… I feel like a new woman."
"So warm… melting…"
"My Lady, please use this shampoo hat so I can wash your hair."
"Ugh… guh…"
Rest was a mere sheet of fabric away from paradise. Their melodic, playful voices were like tiny fingers tickling his ears.
Between the auditory assault and the lingering effects of the Worm’s fluids, Rest’s own "worm" was currently in a state of absolute "worminess."
Now, one might ask: Why are you still standing there? Just walk away.
But Rest couldn't. He was in the middle of a job they had specifically requested.
Stay calm… focus. Pour every ounce of concentration into the spell!
A massive sphere of water—or rather, hot water—floated above the partition. Rest was breaking that floating mass into droplets the size of rain, creating a functional, improvised shower.
I should have kept my mouth shut! Why did I have to act like a big shot and offer the shower too?!
He cursed his own lack of foresight. If he hadn't made that promise, if he hadn't raised their expectations, he wouldn't be in this predicament.
They had held him to his word, and Rest, unable to say no, had been forced to provide the magical plumbing.
"Focus… concentration is everything… I am a water heater. A mindless machine that exists only to produce hot water…"
"Rest? Are you still out there?" Yuri’s voice called from the other side of the fabric.
"…Yeah. What?"
"If you want, you should come in and join us. Won't you catch a cold standing out there just working?"
"Like hell I can! Urula is in there! What are you thinking?!"
"Don't worry about it. Urula says she doesn't mind. Neither does Carly-dono."
"I'll scrub… your back," Urula added.
"——!?"
He was under siege. Every fiber of his being wanted to tear down that cloth barrier and dive into temptation, but Rest anchored himself with a steel-like self-restraint.
"I'll pass! I'll go in after you guys are done!"
"Really? That’s too bad."
"Disappointing…"
Yuri and Urula sounded genuinely saddened.
The Waste-Not Ghost was practically dancing a samba in the back of Rest's mind, mourning the missed opportunity, but he had somehow survived the trial.
"Well, if you're sure. But I'll at least wash your back for you later, okay?"
"Sticky… service."
"I said no!"
Rest's scream echoed through the partition, a desperate defense against the two girls who refused to let the matter drop.