Still, I wondered. Knowing Miria, I suspected she’d find any fish delicious, regardless of how it was prepared. On the other hand, there was a chance she was a total connoisseur when it came to seafood.
I took a piece of the meuniere for myself and gave it a try. It was actually quite good. For a home-cooked meal, I’d call it a success—definitely delicious enough to be proud of.
"Come to think of it," I asked, "do you ever eat fish raw?"
"Um... Master," Roxanne replied with a note of gentle reprimand. "Beast-kin and wild beasts are two very different things."
I’d been about to ask if they had a concept like sashimi, but her reaction shut that down quickly. Apparently, eating raw food was seen as something only animals did.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
"No, I’m sorry as well. I shouldn't have been so blunt."
In any case, I was a bit wary of parasites in normal fish. I’d hoped that ingredients dropped by monsters might be safer, but maybe it wasn't that simple. Besides, even if I had sashimi, it wouldn't be the same without rice, soy sauce, and wasabi.
Miria, who had been shoveling her food down with incredible speed, finished the last of her meuniere. The moment it was gone, her shoulders slumped visibly and she hung her head in despair. It seemed her praise hadn't been mere flattery.
"Want some more?" I asked.
"Eat."
When I held out my half-finished plate, she snatched it away instantly. She really didn't believe in holding back when fish was involved. She stuffed her cheeks with a look of pure, unadulterated bliss.
Miria spoke a few words in her native tongue.
"She says she’s so glad you bought her, Master," Roxanne translated.
Talk about an easy win.
Miria spoke again, her eyes shining.
"She says she’ll serve you for the rest of her life."
It wasn't a debt for a night's lodging; it was the debt of a single fish. After that, Miria managed to get more fish from both Roxanne and Sherry. I say "get," but it was more like she extorted it. It’s hard to eat in peace when someone is staring at your plate with such heartbreaking longing.
Roxanne tried to give her a little lecture, but in the end, she surrendered her portion as well.
"Did you get enough to eat?" I asked Miria once she looked thoroughly satisfied.
Miria chirped something back happily.
"She says she never imagined she’d get to eat this much."
"I see."
I wouldn’t exactly say she "got" it; more like she’d shamelessly pressured them into giving it up. Even then, "this much" only amounted to one full fillet plus three half-eaten scraps.
"I’ll have Miria wash the dishes," Roxanne said. "I need to perform maintenance on the equipment."
"Understood. Once you’re finished, shall we all take a bath?"
I pulled some beeswax from my Item Box and handed it to Roxanne, keeping a casual eye on Miria.
Roxanne gave an instruction in the Barna language.
"Yes, Big Sister," Miria replied.
She stood up immediately and began collecting the plates, including everyone else’s.
So, what about the bath? Was it a go? Was she okay with it? Were we all going in together? I was dying to know. Was the answer "yes" or "definitely yes"?
"Dish," I said, pointing.
"Dish," Miria repeated.
"Knife."
"Knife."
I taught her a few more Brahim words while handing her the remaining tableware. I still didn't know if Roxanne had mentioned the bath or just told her to do the dishes. They’d been talking for a while, so surely it had come up. Or maybe Roxanne had just been very specific about the washing technique.
"Wash," I said.
"Wash."
"Wash the dish."
"Wash the dish."
"Wash Miria later, too."
"?"
That one didn't land. Did she not understand, or was it a rejection?
Roxanne said something else in Barna, and Miria headed out of the dining room. I sat there with Sherry while she worked on her smithing, my mind completely elsewhere.
Miria returned a moment later. She spoke briefly with Roxanne and then looked at me. Was the bath a no after all?
"It seems the soap is a novelty to her," Roxanne explained as Miria headed back toward the kitchen.
Don't scare me like that.
A few minutes later, Miria walked back in—completely naked. And I mean completely.
"She says she’s looking forward to the bath," Roxanne noted calmly.
I guess she’d finished the dishes and decided to strip right then and there. So, the group bath was definitely a go.
Miria spoke again, gesturing confidently.
"She says she’s very good in the water."
I wasn't sure that was the point, but I wasn't going to argue.
"She says if there are any fish in there, she’ll catch them for you."
There weren't any fish in the bath, but she seemed to be laboring under a slight misunderstanding. Miria looked at me with eyes that were a hundred percent pure.
Ah... yeah. That actually stung a little. Even though she wasn't accusing me of anything, I felt judged. Her innocence was a direct assault on my improper thoughts, my ulterior motives, and my desire-clouded vision.
Miria stood there, her supple young body exposed without a hint of shame. As I’d suspected, she was surprisingly well-endowed. No—I couldn't look at her like that. Even Sherry didn't seem to be looking at her with envy. Her body was a series of beautiful, athletic curves, and just above her cute backside, a tail extended. Being a beast-kin, she had one just like Roxanne.
"Oh, look at that tail."
Roxanne nodded. "She says that unlike our wolf-kin tails, hers is fully articulated."
Unlike Roxanne’s tail, which was fluffy and tapered like a calligraphy brush, Miria’s was the same thickness all the way to the tip. It definitely looked like it had more muscle control.
"Tail," I said.
"Tail."
"Move."
"Move."
Miria wagged her tail for me. The only problem was that as her tail wagged, her hips followed suit right in front of my eyes. This was... quite the sight. She stretched her tail toward me, and I reached out to touch it. It felt firm, with a solid core of muscle. She could definitely move this thing.
It was like meeting a costumed hero at an amusement park.
"My apologies for the wait," Roxanne said. "The maintenance is complete."
"Right. Let’s head to the bath then."
We headed upstairs. It seemed Roxanne and Sherry preferred to wait until they were in the private quarters before undressing; they weren't about to start a stripping competition in the kitchen.
Once upstairs, I pulled off my clothes. Roxanne followed suit, and as she did, her heavy, white "fruits" spilled out of her bodice. They truly did tumble out with a "plop." As expected of Roxanne—her sheer presence was overwhelming. Miria was impressive, but Roxanne was in a league of her own. She didn't even need to compete.
The four of us entered the bathroom. I was alone with three beautiful, naked women.
Sherry immediately checked the water temperature, stirring it and adding a bit of cold water to balance it out. In the meantime, I started washing Roxanne. I couldn't help it after seeing that "spilling" moment earlier. No, that’s not right. The proper order of things was important.
"Wash," I said.
"Wash," Miria repeated.
Teaching her while I worked, I realized something. The Brahim word for washing dishes and the word for washing a person’s body were different. No wonder my joke earlier hadn't translated.
"Wash thoroughly," I said.
"Wash thoroughly."
"Wash carefully."
"Wash carefully."
I continued the language lesson while I worked on Roxanne. I made sure to wash those soft, elastic, and wonderfully kneadable parts of her very thoroughly and very carefully. Next was Sherry, whom I washed with a gentle, slow touch.
"Alright. Miria, you’re next."
I beckoned her over, and she stepped in front of me. Finally, it was time to get my hands on her. She didn't show the slightest hint of hesitation. If we’d made it this far, everything was going to be fine.
Miria spoke a final sentence in her native tongue.
"She says she’s prepared," Roxanne translated.
"I see."
"P-Please... take care... of me," Miria said, this time in halting Brahim.
She must have memorized the phrase specifically for this moment.
"Don't worry," I thought. "I intend to take very good care of you."