Rance Goes to the Hot Spring

About
Rance Goes to the Hot Spring (ランス温泉へ行く, Ransu onsen e iku) is a short story featuring characters from Alicesoft's Rance Series included in the manual of the release edition of the game Kichikuou Rance. The story is set during the winter season of the year LP0002 and centers around Rance and his slave Sill Plain as they go on an overnight trip to a hot spring after winning tickets in a local lottery. By coincidence, Maria Custard, Patton Misnarge, and their respective companions also happen to be staying at the same hot spring on that very day. The three groups each go about their trips in their own distinct ways, all the while failing to ever notice that either of the other groups are also at the hot spring with them.

The plot of Rance Goes to the Hot Spring was originally conceived as an idea for a follow-up to the sub-game duology Rance 4.1 and Rance 4.2. It was eventually re-imagined as a short story both as a response to the Rance series' development staff's shift toward producing Kichikuou Rance and to accommodate the lack of obvious gameplay in its plot. Due to its association with the non-canonical Kichikuou Rance, its canonicity with the rest of the rest of the Rance series is unclear. Regardless, several story and character concepts introduced in it would go on to be referenced in later titles in the series, most notably its setting of Nipopo Hot Spring, which makes a prominent reappearance in Rance X.

Characters

 * Rance
 * Sill Plain
 * Maria Custard
 * Shizuka Masou
 * Milli Yorks
 * Patton Misnarge
 * Hunty Kalar
 * Hubert Lipton
 * Freak Paraffin
 * Mill Yorks (mentioned)
 * Eleanor Ran (mentioned)

Text
-City of Ice-

The city was bustling with life as it prepared for the winter season. People moved busily through the streets as the shopping district hosted special events. Among them was a lottery offering various prizes to customers.

*dingdingding*

The chime of a bell echoed throughout the area.

“Congraaatulaaations~!! Our grand prize, a hot spring trip, is all yours!!”

“Eh….?”

Sill stared at the man in charge of the lottery in disbelief, then back at the golden ball that had fallen out of the machine.

“Gahahahahahahahahahahaha!!”

Rance held up the ticket Sill had brought home and laughed loudly.

“Nice work, Sill! I guess you’re good for some stuff after all!”

“Ehehe… I’m happy.”

Sill was in a good mood as Rance stroked her head.

“Let’s head out right now! Sill, start packing!”

“Yes, I understand.”

And so, Rance and Sill set out for the hot spring.

-City of Kathtom-

The shopping district was holding a similar lottery here as well.

*dingdingding*

The chime of a bell echoed throughout the area.

“Congraaatulaaations~!! Our grand prize, a hot spring trip, is all yours!!”

“Kyaaa~!! You did it, you did it!! Shizukaaa~!! Hot spring, hot spring, hot spriiiiing!!

Maria hugged Shizuka with one arm as she held a bag filled with radishes in her other.

“Hey, come on… People are staring…”

“Haaah… I’m so happy… I wonder what I should wear… Oh, we should probably start packing now, right Shizuka?”

“Who said that I was going…? Hey, wait, Mariaaaaaaa!!”

And so, Shizuka was forced to go with Maria to the hot spring. Besides these two, Milli also tagged along on the trip.

-M-Land-

Patton and Hunty were fleeing from Helman. Patton’s friend Hubert, who had decided to join him as a fugitive, and Freak, an old friend of Hunty’s, sat with them on a bench.

“Haa… It hurts all over…”

Patton let out a sigh as he rubbed his shoulder.

“What are you on about? Aww, you calling it quits already?”

Hubert sipped on some juice beside Patton as he teased him.

“Knock it off. I’m getting tired from training so much, that's all.”

“Is that right… I was thinking that you’d need a day off pretty soon.”

Hunty stood up and stretched as she spoke.

“Well then… at times like this… a trip to the hot spring is the best solution.”

Freak fidgeted with the rim of his hat as he made his proposal.

“Oooh, nice. Relax out in an open air bath, sip some sake, let the tray float next to you... Sounds like a plan.”

Hubert answered happily.

“Yeah, you’re right… Let’s get going.”

And so, it was decided that these four would also go to the hot spring.

-Nipopo Hot Spring-

A resort and hot spring located on the outskirts of the Free City of L’Zile.

In a small, relaxing room, Rance had already changed into his yukata. He sat cross-legged on a pillow while reclining on an elbow rest as he inspected the scenery outside.

“Look, Sill. There’s an outdoor bath.”

Rance laughed cheekily.

Sill flipped through a travel pamphlet that had been left in their room.

“Master Rance, it says here that the outdoor bath is for both men and women, depending on the time of day… Ah, mixed bathing starts after 11.”

“Well, then 11’s our target. Hehehe… When do we eat, Sill?”

“Um… at 7 o’clock.”

“Then we’ve still got time to kill… What else is there to do around here?

“Yes, well… um… There’s a souvenir shop and ping-pong near the front desk… an arcade at the center of the second floor… a garden in the courtyard, and a snack bar with karaoke, Master Rance.”

“The arcade and ping-pong sound alright, but... none of that other stuff’s really my style… I guess we can just walk around for a bit. C’mon Sill. Hurry up.”

“Yes, Master Rance… B-but before that… Um…”

“What?”

“C-could I also… wear a yukata…?”

“Hmm~... Alright, I guess I’ll allow it.”

“Yaa~y! Thank you so much, Master Rance!”

“Go ahead. Change your clothes. In front of me.”

“Eh…”

“Hehehe”

“Do… do I have to?”

“You have to.”

“Ah… *sniff*…”

After Sill finished changing, the two began to explore the area.

-Nipopo Hot Spring-

In the alcove of a similar room, there was a vase of flowers arranged in a way that a girl might like. Maria was sitting in front of it and staring admiringly.

“Look, Shizuka. Aren’t these flowers beautiful?”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Grr… Hey, I’m talking to you!”

“I know! We’re here on vacation, aren’t we? Then just let me relax… ahh~...”

Shizuka was laying down on a tatami mat..

“Hey, c’mon… Shizuka~...”

“Yo. You two haven’t changed out of your clothes yet?”

The invitation ticket was only for two people, but Milli had payed her own admission to also come along. She had already changed into a loose-fitting yukata.

“...I’ll change when I go to the baths…”

Shizuka answered irritatedly, not moving from the floor.

“I’ll put mine on right now.”

Maria took out her own yukata from the basket and began to undress.

“Well, you’re no fun.”

Milli sat down cross-legged next to Shizuka.

“Mm~...? I’m just taking it easy~”

“That so… When’s dinner?”

“Hrgh~... Mariaaa~...”

“6:30. Heheheh, I can’t wait.”

“Oh, so there’s still some time… Well, since we’re at a hot spring, let’s go to the baths.”

“...You aren’t supposed to bathe until after you eat~...”

“Aw, that’s not true. Come on, let’s go!”

Maria, who had changed into her yukata, gave a wide smile.

“Well…”

“Alright, get up.”

“Eh…?”

“Yep”

“Fuuh…”

“Come on. Let’s go, Shizuka.”

“Rollroll, don’t be shy now.”

“Mgh… I’ll… I’ll meet up with you two… huh… huh!?”

Dragging along Shizuka, who didn’t want to come, the three headed for the baths.

-Nipopo Hot Spring-

Three men and one woman settled into a slightly larger room.

“This room isn’t half bad. We didn’t even have to pay that much and we still ended up with a nice one.”

Patton leaned against the windowsill. He was in a good mood.

“It’s a good sign.”

Hubert had already changed into his yukata.

“Quite right. Saaachiko~, is dinner ready?”

Freak, also in a yukata, spoke to Hunty.

“What are you talking about? Who the hell is Sachiko…”

“It’s called ‘playing senile’.”

“I really thought you’d lost it for a second…”

“Hmph, be quiet. You were never very good with jokes to begin with. Anyway… What time is our meal?”

“They said at 6 o’clock… but it’s not like you need to eat.”

“I’m thinking about atmosphere, not food.”

“Hmm~... So we’ve got some time. You want to go to the outdoor baths?”

Hubert turned to Patton.

“Sure. What about you, Hunty? Gramps?”

“Well… I suppose I could have you youngsters scrub my back…”

“I’ll go too.”

“Won’t you be kind of lonely all by yourself, Hunty? If you want, you could take an indoor bath alone with Patton.”

“What are you talking about, moron!!”

Both Patton and Hunty yelled at Hubert at the same time.

“I’ll go on my own… Remember that we’re eating at 6.”

“Ah, got it.”

“Alright, let’s hit the outdoor baths.”

And so, this party also headed toward the baths.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Town-

The town surrounding the hot springs was fairly small, so visitors could take in all of its sights in about an hour.

“Oh, Master Rance, Master Rance. There’s a strange-looking sign over there.”

The sound of sandals hitting the ground could be heard as Sill ran over to the signboard.

“Hey, don’t go off on your own… Lemme see…”

Rance inspected the sign that Sill had found in front of a small hut. At the center of the signboard was text reading “The Mysterious Serpent Woman” and a picture of a beautiful woman standing naked in what looked like a jungle with an enormous snake coiled around her body. The description next to it read “Raised deep in the mountains among snakes and away from civilization, the alluring Serpent Woman has come to perform for your pleasure.”

“...The hell is this…”

“It looks incredible…”

“Well, it seems interesting, at least. I’ll check it out. Sill, did you bring money?”

“Yes, Master Rance… Um… Admission is 10 GOLD, so… There, 20 GOLD.”

“What? You’re not gonna go in.”

“...But I want to see it, too…”

“Nope. You stand guard out here.”

“...*sniff* hihihi…”

Rance took the money from Sill and went into the sideshow. Inside was a theater that could hold around 30 people. At the center was a small stage like you’d find in a cabaret club.

“Ooh… looks promising, heheh.”

Rance eagerly took a seat in front of the stage. There were four people in the audience besides him.

*cli~ck* *cli~ck*

Several lights began to turn on around the stage.

“Eh… ehehe~...”

“...What the?”

The person that appeared beneath the lights was not a naked beauty, but an old man who looked as though he were on the verge of death. The dentures he was wearing struggled to stay in his mouth.

The terrifying old man reached into his pocket and pulled out a bright red handkerchief.

“Heh… Heheh~... I… I’m gonna show you folks a… a magic trick~…”

As he said this, he showed off the handkerchief to the audience.

“A-and so~... Like this, and~... It’s gone~...”

The old man made the handkerchief disappear with a wave of his hand.

“A-anyone can do this… this magic trick… it’s easy… s-so… well… again~...”

As the old man continued to ramble about the trick, a loud pounding sound could be heard from behind him.

“What’s that sound…?”

Rance tried to look backstage to find the source of the sound. Though he couldn’t see the space behind the lights clearly, he could faintly make out an old woman who looked like a toad. The old woman sat in a chair in front of a table and was smashing something with the knife she was holding.

“......”

“Hah… Y-yes… It disappeared~…”

*pound* *pound* *pound*

“...........”

“Hah… Hah… A-again~…”

*pound* *pound* *pound*

“....................”

Rance started to get a very bad feeling about what was happening, stood up, and went outside.

“Ah… Welcome back, Master Rance. How was it?”

When he went outside, Sill greeted him with a smile.

*pomph*

Without looking at her, Rance hit Sill and continued walking away.

“Ow… That hurt, Master Rance… Why did you…?”

“We’re going back to the inn.”

“Ah… But… Master Rance, what happened in-”

“Don’t ask.”

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Women’s Baths-

Steam filled the air surrounding the large bath. An artificial garden covered the scenery in a gentle green.

“Fwaaaa! The water feels sooo nice!”

Milli was already in the bath and in a good mood. She had placed a small folded towel on her forehead.

“Geez… It’s bad manners to wear a towel into the bath, Milli.”

Shizuka, who had wrapped her hair up in a towel, scolded Milli with a sullen face.

“Who caaaares~, who caaaares~! Just kick back and take it easy~! Hey, Shizuka, go get me some sake. Put it on a tray and float it over to me.”

“I’ll pass. You can get drunk on your own.”

“Aww, don’t be like that! ....Aww~... What lousy service~!”

“I’m trying to relax! Besides, I was looking forward to having a bath after dinner…”

“What’re you talking about? The water’s so warm, my skin’s getting all soft and smooth… I’m staying in until we leave! It’s unladylike to soak just once.”

“Who’re you calling unladylike? Tch…”

“Hehehe...”

“Cheer up, Shizuka. We’re here to have fun, aren’t we?”

“...I’m over here, Maria.”

“Ah… sorry. I don’t have my glasses on and I can barely see through all this steam.”

“Near-sighted people are pretty much screwed at times like this, huh...”

“Hmm? Why?”

“If a cute naked girl does something nice, you won’t be able to enjoy it.”

“That’s fine… I’m not interested in other women...”

Maria turned bright red and slumped her shoulders. She had remembered her time with Milli in the Pyramid Labyrinth.

“Well, that goes without saying. We aren’t like you, Milli.”

“What a waste… If you ask me, you’re missing out if you don’t enjoy a bit of everything. If you can’t do something with a man, you can always try it out with a woman…”

“S-stop!”

“Mmph!”

Shizuka shut Milli’s mouth with her palm.

“Mruh’s muh mgh? (translation: What’s the deal?)”

“There are other people here… Quit talking about stuff like that.”

Milli followed Shizuka’s line of sight. She could vaguely see another person moving in the distance.

“Oops, my bad. Looks like it’s just one person.”

“Yeah… Maybe they’re here with someone?”

“Oh-ho… And what would you know about that? Are you speaking from experience, Shizuka?”

“...No, but… that sort of thing is bound to happen if you come as a couple.”

“Uhuhuhu… How suspicious.”

“Hmm…”

“What’s wrong, Maria?”

“Eh…? Oh, ah… nothing. Hehe…”

Maria answered hastily.

(Stupid… You’re thinking about Rance, aren’t you?)

Shizuka thought to herself.

*splish*

The figure in the distance began moving. It was difficult to see through the steam, but a large pair of ears appeared to stick out through their black hair, wet with water droplets.

(Big ears… A kalar, here...? But that hair...)

“Shizuka, it’s about time to head out.”

“Ah… yeah…”

The three left the bath.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Men’s Baths-

Steam filled the air surrounding the large bath. An artificial garden covered the scenery in a gentle green.

“Fwaaah~!”

As he had said, Hubert was enjoying a bath while sipping sake from a tray floating beside him.

“Hey, c’mon. Now you have some.”

Hubert made Patton grab a cup and poured him some sake.

“Bottoms up~”

Patton drank it all in one gulp.

“Hah… Hmm… Been a while since we last drank this well.”

“It’s good sake… We’re gonna have fun tonight.”

“Don’t drink too much, now. It’d be a pain to have to drag your drunk ass back to the room.”

“Hehe… If I get drunk off just this, I’m quitting alcohol.”

Hubert poured another cup for himself and drank it. A comfortable burn traveled down his throat into his stomach.

“Haha~... Ah~...That’s good~...”

“I’ll have another.”

“Mm”

“Hey, one of you two boozehounds come wash my back.”

Freak, sitting on a bath stool, tapped on his back as he spoke to them.

“Settle down, gramps. We’re trying to take it easy over here.”

Hubert waved lazily at Freak with one hand, still clutching a cup full of sake in the other.

“Nah, old guys need to be impatient since they don’t have long to live. I’d feel sorry if we ignored him, so I’ll go polish him up.”

Patton got out of the bath.

“Okay… let’s get this over with.”

“Watch what you say, youngster! Perhaps I’ll end up outliving you!”

“Yeah, yeah. That body of yours won’t die so easily. I know, I know.”

“Hey Patton. When we get old and saggy, we should get Freak to wash our backs for us.”

“Mm. Good thinking.”

“...Hmph… What a grim thought. The three of us washing each other’s backs…”

“Ha, no kidding…”

“Hahahaha.”

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Rance’s Room-

“Now, time for a bath. Let’s go, Sill.”

“Yes, Master Rance.”

“...Ngh? What’re you doing?”

“Eh… Well… we’re going to the baths, aren’t we…? Soap, towels… I’m getting the things we’ll need.”

“Dumbass. We don’t need to bring anything here.”

Rance pointed to the door to the bathroom with his finger.

“But… Why come to a hot spring if we aren’t going to use the hot spring?”

“Sill, it’s not time for mixed bathing yet, right?.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“So, if I wanna have sex in the bath, I’ll have to make do with doing it wherever I can.”

“Oh, M-Master Rance… No way…”

“Mmhm. I wanna have sex in the bath. So I’m gonna. Come on, Sill!”

“Well… ah!”

“Gahahahaha!”

Bursting with energy, Rance threw open the bathroom door.

“...................”

“Master Rance…?”

“Sill.”

“Yes.”

“Call whoever’s in charge.”

“Eh…”

“Hurry up and call ‘em---!!”

“Y-yes!”

Sill hurriedly did as Rance ordered.

“Wh-what is it?”

A clerk entered the room in an even greater hurry than Sill.

“Hey!”

Rance grabbed the clerk by the collar.

“Y-yes!?”

“The fuck’s with this bathroom!?”

“What… What do you mean?”

“Look! The tub’s filled with old water, and it’s got hair floating in it!”

“That… That’s ridiculous…!”

“Like hell it is! Just look!”

Rance held the clerk like a cat and walked into the bathroom.

“Oh… It really does… But how-”

“How can you still not… Because you didn’t clean it properly!”

“B-but…”

“But nothing! Clean it up, already!”

“Haa… Yes, yes, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

The clerk panickedly tried to clean the tub, but...

“Hey!”

“Yes!”

“You think that just cleaning it is enough?”

“Huh…”

“Do you really think that you can settle all this just by cleaning!?”

“Ah… W-well…”

“I think I’m gonna tell my whole neighborhood about this place… the shithole inn where they check guests into rooms full of used bathwater…”

“Well… that’s, uh-”

“So… You know what to do in times like this?”

Rance made a circle with his fingers.

“Eh…? Oh, that… Well… then… then I’ll add crab… to your dinner… So please… please forgive me.”

“How many crabs?”

“Um…”

“Obviously five, right? And I want ‘em fresh; none of that frozen crap.”

“Eh…”

“Five crabs. Fresh.”

“Huh… yes… I see, I see… I-I see…*sniff*”

“Right, then make sure to clean it properly. Sill, I feel like I’m gonna be sick. Let’s go.”

“Y-yes!”

Rance and Sill left the room, leaving the crying clerk to clean the bath.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Ping-Pong Table Near the Front Desk-

There was a small vending machine filled with fruit juice near the front desk at the entrance of the hot spring. Next to it was a ping-pong table.

“Hey look, ping-pong. Seems like it’s free, so… wanna play? Shizuka? Maria?”

“...I’m good.”

Said Shizuka.

“Ooh, I want to do it!”

Said Maria.

“Okay, then I’ll play Maria. Shizuka’s the referee.”

“Wait, what, why?”

“Because that’s just how it is, right? Let’s get started. Be sure to keep score properly. Alright, come on, Maria! Loser buys the winner a bottle of juice!”

“Okay!”

“Tch, already… *grumble*”

“Oh!!”

*thwack!*

“Ha!!”

*thwack!*

“There!!”

*thwack!*

-Point: Milli-

“Nice! First point!”

“Aw, no way!”

(...You both just took a bath and you’re already working up a sweat again… whatever, not like it matters to me.)

“Now, let’s go!”

“Hrgh! I won’t lose this time!”

Maria’s eyes were slightly watery.

“Go!!”

...And so…

“I did it! I won!”

Maria jumped up and down with her paddle in her hand.

“Ah, dammit… Shizuka, you sure you didn’t make a mistake keeping score?”

“I didn’t make any mistakes.”

“Keh… damn~... But a loss is a loss… What do you want, Maria?”

“Hmm… orange juice!”

“Sure, sure. Show a little humility. What about you, Shizuka?”

“Uh, I…”

“Don’t be shy. What should I get you?”

“...Then, uh… coffee milk…”

“Wow… hehe… Coffee milk after a dip in the hot spring, huh? You’re pretty classy, Shizuka…”

“Huh… shut up!”

“Here you go, you two.”

Milli handed them their drinks. She had also bought coffee milk for herself.

“So, should I put my hand on my hip while I drink this?”

“...Drink it however you want.”

“Ah- wait you guys!”

“What?”

“It’s time for dinner! We can finish our drinks in our room.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

“Fine.”

The three went back to their room, their slippers slapping against the ground as they walked.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Patton’s Room-

“Ooooh! Now that’s a lot of food!”

Patton shouted at the sight of the meal on the table.

“Ah, and there’s plenty of sake, too! You really went all out, Hunty.”

“We’re on vacation, right? Drink as much as you want.”

“Are you gonna drink, too?”

Patton, sitting next to Hunty, asked with a grin.

“I didn’t get it all just for you, you know.”

“Yeah, I know…”

“...But it’s probably for the best if I keep my share in front of me so you don’t end up drinking it all.”

“Sheesh, you’re hoarding it all like a monkey...”

Hunty smacked Patton.

“...What a pity…”

“What’s up, Freak?”

“With all of this alcohol around… I should have remodeled myself so that I could eat and drink as well… No, perhaps it’s for the best. I used to be an outstanding drinker, so there would hardly be any left for the rest of you.”

“If I’m gonna have to sit through another one of the old man’s stories, then I’m gonna start eating now. I’m starving.”

Patton picked up some chopsticks.

“You’ve got the right idea. We should probably start drinking, too, if we’re gonna keep listening.”

“Oh, give me some, too.”

“Mm, here you go.”

Hubert poured some sake into Hunty’s cup.

“I’m all alone…”

Freak became slightly depressed.

“When the sashimi’s this good, you’ve got to wash it down with lots of sake.”

Patton guzzled down more liquor.

“Hey… If you keep going at that rate, then you’ll be out of it before you know it.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Look, I already finished it.”

“I’ll pour you some more. I’m just trying to look out for you…”

Patton had Hunty pour more sake into his cup.

“Seriously… You still aren’t drunk, yet?”

“Nope~, not yet. See, empty.

“Yeah, yeah… geez…”

Hunty started to get agitated.

“...Just sake isn’t enough… Could I get a glass of water over here?”

“Oh yeah, I got it… Uh… *splish*… Here, Hunty.”

Hubert filled a glass cup with water and handed it to Hunty.

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Wahahahaha! I’ll take some of that!”

Patton also reached for the glass.

“Then I’ll have some, too… Hey, gramps… order us up some more sake, will you?”

“Yes, yes… *grumble*”

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Ping-Pong Table Near the Front Desk-

“Oh, so this is where the ping-pong table was.”

Rance found the ping-pong table and immediately took one of the paddles.

“Hey, Sill. We’re gonna play a round. Loser buys juice. What do you say?”

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

“Here we go! Rance Attaaaaaaaaaaack--!!”

Rance threw the ball high into the air and slammed it down with tremendous force.

“Ah!”

*crack!*

“Eh?”

“Oh…”

The ball burst into pieces as soon as Rance hit it against the table.

“Ah… cheap-ass thing… Hey Sill, ball, ball. Gimme a new ball.”

“There aren’t any more, Master Rance…”

“What? Then go ask for some at the front.”

“There’s no one at the front… It’s dinner time, so I think we might be stuck like this…”

“Wha…? What a shitty inn! We’re done here!”

“Yes, Master Rance.”

They both laid their paddles back down on the table.

“Now. Juice. I won, so gimme juice.”

“But Master Rance… the ball broke…”

“Yeah, but you didn’t hit it back. So I won. I want apple juice.”

“Uh… I understand… *sniff*”

Sill bought some juice for Rance in tears.

“Well… what do we do now?”

“Master Rance, it’s about time for dinner.”

“Mm, yeah. Then I guess we can go eat.”

“Yes, Master Rance.”

Rance’s party returned to their room.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Maria’s Room-

“Aah~... What a feast…”

Maria stared at the meal on the table with an enraptured expression.

“Well, we aren’t gonna get full just looking at it. Let’s dig in.”

The three sat down at the table and broke their chopsticks.

“Oh~... fresh-cooked rice… Delicious~... I’m so happy~.”

Maria muttered with tears in the corners of her eyes.

“Yeah, its been a long time since I’ve had food like this, now that I think about it. What about you, Milli? For meals, I mean.”

“Oh, uh… y’know… I make it every now and then…”

“Milli… You can really make stuff like this…?”

“Sure. I’ve got a little sister, after all. Since we don’t have parents, who else would do the cooking?”

“When you say it like that, I guess it’s obvious.”

Shizuka took a big bite of sashimi.

“Hey, you’re not satisfied just eating sashimi, are you? At times like this, you’ve also gotta have a little something extra.”

Milli grinned and held up a large bottle.

“I’m a minor…”

“Aw, c’mon. Don’t be like that. If you pass out, I’ll take good care of you.”

“I can take care of myself, thanks…”

Shizuka, who was well-aware of Milli’s propensities, was a little intimidated, but, perhaps because she was on vacation, picked up a sake cup and held it out.

“Hey… Would it be okay if maybe... I ordered umeshu…?”

“Oh-ho, is that right?”

“Maria… Are you sure you’re okay with drinking?”

“I’ll be fine… probably…”

“...I’m kind of worried… Just don’t throw up, it’ll ruin the food.”

“I know, I won’t. Please order some umeshu.”

“Sure. You want the local stuff?”

“Yeah… Does it taste good? Bitter, sweet…”

“It’s delicious. You’ll find out for yourself soon enough.”

“...I guess?”

While saying this, Shizuka took another swig of sake.

“Shizuka…”

“What?”

“...You really aren’t good at being honest.”

Shizuka turned bright red and fell silent.

*glug* *glug*

“Mmm~! Hey, hey! This is great! Shizuka, if you don’t want yours, give it to me.”

“Agh- Hey! I didn’t say that I didn’t want it! Cut it out, Maria! Noooo-!

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Men’s Baths-

“Ha... I wouldn’t mind just floating around like this forever…”

Patton spoke as he settled into the bath.

“Hey, you doing alright?”

Hubert was sitting next to him. Freak had stayed in their room to watch magic vision with Hunty.

“What do you mean? I used to spend whole nights doing nothing but drinking, remember? Compared to back then, a little sake’s nothing.”

Patton pulled some hot water into his hand and started washing his face.

“...Patton…”

“What?”

“I mean… Do you miss your old life?

“Eh?”

“Y’know, the way your life used to be. Like, if you wanted women or drinks, you could just get them whenever; palace life.”

“Oh… You mean that…”

Patton continued washing his face.

“Not really… When I think about how I used to live now, I can’t help but feel ashamed of myself.”

“What do you…?”

“I feel like something went wrong. That I became no good.”

“.......”

“I lost everything, but… I feel better now for some reason. Like a part of myself that had gone away… came back to me all of a sudden… And plus… Living without money or power… its made it a lot easier to tell who my real friends and my real enemies are… So… who needs anything else.”

“I see…”

“Ah, and, well…”

“Hm?”

“I don’t want to keep dragging other people down… Little by little...I’ll keep pushing myself, and… I’ll get strong enough to protect her… uh, maybe…”

“Ah, Hunty, huh…”

*splash*

Patton lifted himself out of the bath.

“Ha~... Phew~... I need to get some cold water on me…”

Patton left Hubert and headed for the shower.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Rance’s Room-

“Gahahahahahahahaha!!!”

The clerk had kept his promise to Rance and prepared five fresh crabs separate from the rest of his meal. The sight put Rance in a good mood. He picked some crab up with chopsticks.

“So much crab… This is my first time trying it… I’m so happy… It’s all so delicious…”

“Gahahahaha. Thank me for it. After all, we wouldn’t have gotten anything if I hadn’t said we should take a bath in our room.”

“Yes, thank you, Master Rance.”

Sill bowed her head.

“But seriously, what a great move! Sucks it was just a coincidence… Sill, what do you say next time we go on vacation you leave some of your hair in the tub on purpose?”

“...That’s illegal, Master Rance…”

“Gahahahaha! He who laughs last laughs the loudest! Sill, you eating?”

“Yes, Master Rance. It’s delicious. I’m glad to have such a wonderful meal.”

(That so…? I think Sill’s henderopa tastes better than this stuff… But it might go to her head if I say anything, so I’ll keep quiet.)

“Mm, well, I guess it’s pretty good. Ah, here, you can have my bell peppers.”

“Oh, no, Master Rance… I don’t like those…”

“Shut up and eat ‘em.”

“Hihihi~...” -Nipopo Hot Spring: Women’s Baths-

“Nh… Ah...”

Shizuka gave out a strained cry as she soaked in the hot water. She was boiling.

“Ngh… No~... Too… Too hot--!!”

Shizuka hurriedly got out of the bath. She drew some cold water and quickly dumped it over her head.

“C’mon, it hasn’t even been five minutes.”

Milli sipped sake from a tray as she spoke to Shizuka.

“I-I… I caaan’t~... I can’t do it!!! I’m not good with hot stuff… I never have been…”

“Heheh… Yeah, thaz... thaz right, Shizuka… You… you, you, you… you alwayz hated... takin’ baths... n’ stuff~…”

Maria laughed, her cheeks dyed a pinkish color unrelated to the bath.

“Maria…”

“Eh?”

“Are you… are you sure you’re okay...?”

“Nn, whazzat?”

Maria was full of umeshu and soaking in the bath even though she was already overheated.

“I juz~... I juz di’int wanna be all alone in th’ room…”

Maria stared back, her eyes a little teary.

“Ah… got it…”

“Uhehehe… Hey Milli~... Alcoholz fun, huh…?”

“Yep, sure is.”

“I… I never felt thiz fluffy in... in mah whole entire life… Hehehe~…”

“Nice. Feel good?”

“Nn...”

Maria nodded her head slowly and exaggeratedly.

“Errythin’~... An’ nuthin’~... A-an’ errythin’~... None of it matterz~... Iz so mush fun~... Hehehehe...”

“Oh, yeah, yeah. That’s good to hear.”

“Y’know~...”

“Mmhm.”

Shizuka watched the exchange as she washed herself.

(Milli’s used to taking care of drunks… Figures…)

“Chahahaha~”

“Yeah, that’s it. Laugh it all out.”

(Maria… I wonder if she’ll be okay…)

Looking at Maria with bright red cheeks made a very scary thought enter Shizuka’s mind. She shook her head a few times to get it out of her imagination.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Arcade-

The arcade was pretty basic. It had three cabinets for a game called Demoniac Hunter that was popular around ten years ago and four racing game machines.

“It’s a nice arcade. Really makes me feel like I’m at a resort.”

Hubert spoke admiringly as he looked around.

“What’re you looking at, Patton?”

Patton was staring hard at the screen for Demoniac Hunter. Demoniac Hunter is a game where you shoot down monsters made up of square blocks with a bow and arrow.

“What, you wanna play it?”

“Uh… Well… Grown men shouldn’t be doing that kind of stuff...”

“Well, I’m gonna try it out.”

“Ah…”

Hubert sat down casually in front of the cabinet. However, Patton remained perplexed.

(Is… Is it really okay for adults to be doing this…?)

“Ah, damn! Missed! Okay, c’mon…”

Hubert was in good spirits.

(...Looks like fun…)

“Oh, oh, oooh--!!”

One game cost one GOLD.

“.........”

Patton sat in front of the cabinet like a nervous child.

“...In here?”

Patton put in the money.

*chink*

*doo-doo-doo~*

Cheap-sounding music started playing and the game began.

“Wha-... What do I do now…?”

*bzzt*

“Ah, died…”

Patton died before he knew what was happening.

“Hahahahahaha! Alright, alright! One more!”

Hubert, who had started playing before Patton, was still enjoying himself.

“.........”

Patton put another coin in.

*bam*

“Oh, it’s gone!”

Patton cheered as a monster died to one of his arrows.

“Okay… So that’s how you do it… Oh, oh--!

Now that Patton understood how to play the game, he began rapidly shooting arrows.

“Ah- no!”

* bzzt*

Patton died again.

“...Ah~...!”

Patton put another coin in.

And…

“Gah~... Sorry I took so long, Patton. How’s it going? How’s the…”

“....................”

Patton was silently engrossed in the game. His cabinet was piled high with GOLD coins.

“Pa-Patton!”

“Damn, damn, damn!!”

* bzzt*

“Ah---!!! How’d that even happen!??”

“Come on, just quit playing. It’s not worth it.”

“Ah, no, Hugh, I-I’m gonna get it this time…”

“Yeah, sure. Let’s head back to the room.”

“Oooooooooooooh-!!”

Hubert dragged Patton back to their room.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Rance’s Room-

“Huh~... I’m stuffed.”

Rance was laying down.

“Thank you for the meal~... Oh… I’m so full…”

Sill sat down and rested her hands cutely on her full belly.

“Sill, clean my ears.”

“Yes, Master Rance. Um… Ear picks, ear picks… Oh, here’s one. It’s different from the ones we have at home, so it might hurt a little.”

“Don’t care. Hurry up.”

“Yes, Master Rance.”

Sill moved over to Rance.

“Alright, Master Rance. Please lift your head a little bit.”

“Mm”

Rance lifted his head and Sill gently supported it before placing it in her lap.

“Um, there isn’t very much built up…”

“Doesn’t matter, clean it. It’s bugging me.”

“Yes, Master Rance.”

Rance grabbed the remote and turned on the magic vision. A variety show hosted by a comedian was playing.

“Sill, what time is it?”

“Yes, it’s, um, just after 8 o’clock.”

“Mixed bathing starts at 11, right?”

“Yes, that’s right…”

“Hehehehe… 11 o’clock… I’ll definitely be there. Wake me up if I fall asleep.”

“Yes, Master Rance. Oh, hold still.”

“Ack~...”

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Arcade-

“There--!”

“No… Noooo~, don’t hit me!”

“Hey, that’s dangerous!”

Maria and her friends were playing a racing game.

“Take that, smash!”

Milli slammed her steering wheel sharply to the side.

“Aieeeeeee-!”

Maria’s car was blown off the track.

“You jerk~! Why are you only going after me!?”

“Because you beat me at ping-pong earlier. Consider this payback… Hah-!”

This time she hit Shizuka’s car.

“Gyaaaa! Milliiiii-!”

“Hahahahahaha! Gooooooal!!”

“Boo! Foul! Foul!”

“Yeah, Milli! You’re way too violent!”

“Alright then, one more race. This time I’ll beat you both without laying the smack down.”

“Bring it on! Right, Shizuka?”

“Yeah… I won’t lose this time!”

“Haha… Then, let’s go…”

“Hmph”

“...Right!”

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Patton’s Room-

“...And then he- hehehe- he got all riled up like this.”

“Shut up, Hugh.”

Hubert was in the middle of telling Hunty and Freak about Patton’s incident at the arcade.

“He had a pile of GOLD coins stacked up about this high in front of him, ready to go. And I was like, ‘Hey, grown men shouldn’t be doing that kind of stuff’’. Hahahahahaha!”

“Shut up, shut up!”

“But… I guess I’m not surprised. He’s a prince, after all, so he grew up sheltered. It’s no wonder he’s addicted to video games, he can’t help it.”

“...What unfortunate news. It seems that you’re still just a child, old timer.”

“No, no, no. Don’t take it like that. I was just playing around.”

“...That’s even worse!”

“...But… This is definitely a problem…”

Hunty stared at Patton with a serious expression.

“What do you…”

And then reached her hand out to Patton…

“Give me your wallet.”

“W-why!”

“I’ll give you an allowance, but we can’t afford to let you waste money on something so frivolous. So give it to me.”

“Huh… No way! Never!”

“Yes!! Hand it over!”

“I won’t spend any more! Especially not on the game! S-so…”

“Really?”

“Uh-huh”

“...I hope so. I’ll trust you for now.”

“Ah- y-yeah, trust me…”

Hunty continued to stare at Patton, unconvinced.

“Hahahahaha! Hey Patton, check it out. This show’s pretty good.”

To escape the commotion, Hubert had left the conversation to watch magic vision with Freak.

*smack*

“What the hell!? What was that for!?”

“Shut up.”

Patton couldn’t help but punch Hubert.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Mixed Bathing Time-

“Ehehehehe…”

With a towel around his waist and a lewd smile on his face, Rance stood laughing in front of the door to the baths.

“Mixed bathing, mixed bathing, in the open air~. Gonna see a sexy girl who's got it all to bare~... Hehehehehe…”

Rance stroked his legs a few times in preparation.

“Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!!”

Building momentum, he burst through the door.

“Feh…”

The thick steam hid the bath from view.

“Okay, okay… Just gotta move slowly…”

Rance started to move closer toward the bath.

“Hmm…”

And when he looked in it…

“Dwaaaaaaaaaah-!!!!!”

The roaring scream of a man sounded out across the resort.

“Eh?”

“Whazzat, whazzat?”

“What’s all the ruckus...?”

“Can’t you read the room, sonny?”

“Urk… Now you’ve gone and got my neuralgia actin’ up…”

“Sweet, sweet~...”

“Urgh… My dentures…”

To Rance’s surprise, the bath was filled with nothing but a group of seniors sitting comfortably in the hot water.

“Grr… Saggy old guy… Saggy old guy… Saggy old…”

Rance muttered about the sight in front of him as though he were chanting a spell.

“Gaaah~... Where’s my… my sexy girl... who’s got it all to bare… Uuh… Uuuuuh~...”

“Ah… um… Master Rance…”

At that moment, Sill entered from the women’s baths. She was completely naked, with only a towel covering her front.

“Hoho… What a pretty young thing…”

“Ain’t you those rascals from next door?”

“Hehehehehehe~...”

“Ah… urk… My dentures…”

“To be young again…”

“Missy… Are you perhaps… looking for some fun?”

“Oh… a young girl… Sweet, sweet~”

“A-ah… um…”

Sill was confused by the bath full of old men.

“Go back!!”

“Ah, yes!”

Sill followed Rance’s orders and hurriedly headed back the way she came.

“What’s the matter? Leave her here~”

“What a shame…”

“Urk… My dentures… agh…”

“We won’t bite~”

“Really now, let us old folks have our fun…”

“Well, you know kids these days…”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!! Only I get to see my women naked!!! Tch!!”

Rance turned around and walked swiftly back to the dressing room.

“...Boring! I’m going to bed!”

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Maria’s Room-

The trio had already retired to their futons and turned off the lights. Maria was in the middle. Shizuka and Milli were on either side of her.

“Umph…”

Maria squirmed in her futon.

“...Can’t sleep?”

Milli whispered to Maria.

“...Yeah… Not sure why…”

“We had a lot of fun today… Maybe you’re still hyped up?”

“...I don’t know…”

“...Thirsty?”

“...No, I’m… I’m okay…”

“...Mm...”

“Milli…”

“Hm?”

“Do you… like anyone?”

“...Yeah, I guess… I don’t know if I could limit it to just one, though…”

“...Then… Is there someone that… you want to spend the rest of your life with…?”

“...Ah… So that’s it… Yeah, I guess you could say that there is… or was, rather…”

“‘Was’?”

“Mm, well… There were a few here and there… I’ve been around longer than you have, after all. Right now, though, I don’t care about that sort of thing. I just want to live in the moment and enjoy myself… being alone’s fun… and I’ve also got Mill to think about.”

“...Don’t you get lonely?”

“Not at all. Loneliness… is something I’ve learned to deal with. Something I can manage. I just need to spend a night with a cute girl or two and I can keep on just fine.”

“...I wonder if I’ll ever be able to be like that…”

“...Feeling lonely?”

“...Yeah… Sometimes…”

“You should just give up on ‘em, then.”

“Eh…!”

“There’s someone you like, right? If you can’t tell me how you feel about them, then you should just keep it to yourself.”

“That’s…”

“Unless… maybe... you can’t…”

“...Yeah…”

“...That’s tough…”

“...Yeah…”

“Here, scooch over. Let me hold you while you sleep.”

“Huh…”

“It’s alright, I’m not gonna do anything weird. It’s what I do whenever Mill has a bad dream. C’mon.”

“...I’m not a kid…”

“Heh… Heheheheh… You’re really cute... Maria… so’s the girl sleeping next to you… If you spend all your time worrying about that kind of stuff, you’ll miss out on the best parts of being young. You understand that, right?”

“Hey… Shizuka… Wake up…”

“...Mmph...”

“Well… You two are both going through a lot, but hang in there. If you feel strongly enough about something, you’re gonna end up acting on it even if you don’t want to. It’s like a suicide mission that way… But, if you ever get lonely, I’ll always be here to comfort you.”

“M-Milli…”

“...Mm…”

“Now, let’s get some sleep. G’night.”

“Good night…”

“...Night.”

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Patton’s Room-

“zzz...Hgrah…”

“...Mm…”

“...Guh…Gugragh…Unghuh… zzz…”

Everyone was on the floor.

“Hm…”

Just then, Hunty woke up. She got up slowly and looked at Patton.

“...Gugra...Khaa…”

Patton was fast asleep and snoring loudly. He had kicked off his futon, leaving his legs sticking out.

“Geez… No matter how old you get, you still have all the same bad habits you did as a kid…”

Hunty sighed lightly, fixed Patton’s futon, and pulled it up over his shoulder.

“Patton.”

Hunty gently stroked Patton’s hair.

(From now on… things are going to get even harder for you… Do your best… Patton… Don’t give in to yourself… You’ll be fine… right? I raised you… watched you grow up… so, I know that you can handle it, right? Patton…)

“...Hgrah… Guh…”

After watching Patton’s sleeping face for a while, Hunty returned to her own futon and went back to sleep.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Rance’s Room-

“Gimme more!”

“Yes, Master Rance.”

The sun shone softly into Rance’s room as a steaming breakfast was being served.

“Here, this is a big helping, Master Rance.”

“Mm”

With a clink, Rance dove in with his chopsticks.

“Master Rance, we have to check out of the inn today. What are we going to do until then?”

“What time’s check-out?”

“Um… 10 o’clock.”

“It’s 7 right now…”

“Yes, Master Rance.”

“Then I’m gonna play around as much as I can. First… Yeah, let’s go to that arcade I missed out on yesterday. Arcades in these kinds of places tend to have nostalgic games.”

“Yes, understood.”

“More!!”

“Yeees~”

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Maria’s Room-

“Huh… Been a while since I’ve eaten this early in the morning… Think the last time was on an adventure…”

Milli was on her knees, eating breakfast in her yukata.

“Milli… I can see your.. underwear…”

Maria said with bright red cheeks.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I’m always like this in the mornings.”

“Seriously… And Mill doesn’t say anything? Her big sister’s such a slob…”

Shizuka sipped some miso soup as she looked at Milli.

“Ah, yeah… She’s told me to shape up a couple of times, but… I never bother listening, so she hasn’t said anything about it lately.”

“Kuh… Which one of you is the older sister, again…?”

“Well… I guess there are some sisters that are like that. Now, just one more~.”

“Oh, I’ll get it for you.”

“Ah, thanks!”

Milli placed another bowl in Maria’s outstretched hands.

“You drank so much yesterday… I don’t know how you can be so hungry already…”

“It’s basic health. If you’ve still got yesterday’s sake floating around in you, then you’re too old to be drinking… heh… What I wanna know is why miso soup tastes so good after a day of drinking.”

“...I have no clue…”

“Here, Milli."

“Mm. Thanks.”

“What do you two want to do after this? We have to check out at 10…”

“That so… I say we leave after we finish eating. It’s nice to be out in the country every so often, but I’m not down-to-earth enough to want to stick around for that long.”

“Yeah, I agree. There aren’t really any places for girls to hang out around here, so I’d rather we just go back to Kathtom early and do some shopping.”

Shizuka was eating some oshinko.

“Well… I guess we’ll go home after we eat, then.”

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Patton’s Room-

“Ugh… Gaaah~...”

“Agh~... I drank way too much…”

Two large men were laying on the futon, huddled together like jizo statues.

“All this fuss just from some sake… Pathetic.”

“Honestly. You two should take a lesson from Hunty.”

Hunty had drank twice as much as Patton and Hubert, but was eating her breakfast without a care in the world.

“...There’s something wrong with her… What we’re doing’s normal…”

Patton spoke groggily as he sipped vinegar and moved over to the breakfast table.

“Hah… I didn’t think either of us had gotten that drunk, so I figured the hangover wouldn’t be too bad… But… I drank way too much… Shit…”

Likewise, Hubert also slowly shuffled forward toward the table.

“Ugh… I don’t care… Just don’t make me look at two drunks in their underwear while I’m eating! It’s ruining the meal!”

“There’s no helping it~… That’s just how it is with yukata. It’s fate.”

Patton broke apart his chopsticks and picked up a dried plum.

“Yeah, exactly… Mmm~... Damn, miso soup’s tasty…”

“The dried plums are good, too. Hunty, gimme some tea. Tea~.”

“Seriously… You’re hopeless.”

“A-aah… Sorry…”

“Well now… Check-out is at 10 o’clock. What shall we do until then?”

“Why don’t we just lay low for a while and then head out?”

“Yeah… Let’s do that… I’m gonna go take a bath… Sweat it out… Sober up…”

“Aah… Me too…”

“Sure, I’ll go with you and take one last dip. What about you, Freak?”

“Well… I believe I’ll watch some magic vision. There’s an interesting-sounding program playing on a channel that doesn’t air in Helman.”

“What’s it called?”

“‘Finding a Beautiful Old Woman’. I’m hoping to see someone as cleanly as myself…”

“...Huh… Well, have fun…”

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Arcade-

“Gahahaha! Take this-!”

* bzzt*

“Ah, I’m hit! Sill, money!”

“Master Rance… Please stop… This month’s living expenses…”

“Doesn’t matter! Don’t care! Money! Money! Money!!”

“Aah~... Just- just one more time…”

“Gahahaha! Take that, monster! Hya, hya, hyaaaaaa~!”

Rance had already spent 200 GOLD playing Demoniac Hunter.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Maria’s Room-

“Hey, Shizuka. Do you think it’d be okay if I took this home with me?”

Maria held up her toiletries bag to Shizuka.

“It should be fine, right? Oh, do you want mine, too?”

“Oh wow, really? Thanks! It’s just so cute, I figured I could bring it with me on our next trip.”

“Huh… That’s a good idea… In that case, never mind. I’m keeping mine.”

“Oh~... You’re so mean!”

“Then I’ll take mine home as well. Oh, and this too, yeah?”

“Milli, you can’t do that! The towels belong to the inn…”

“Then, how about my yukata…”

“That’s just as bad!”

“Hm… What should I do for a souvenir…?”

Maria asked.

“There’s a store near the front that sells all sorts of cute stuff. Why don’t we buy something there?”

Shizuka answered as she finished packing the last of her things.

“Hmmmmm~... Now what should I get for Mill~…?”

“Mill, huh… Maybe a doll?”

“Nh~, I’ve decided it’s gonna be manju. So let’s go get some manju.”

“We don’t even need to go to the souvenir shop to buy that...”

“No, let’s get manju! I wanna eat some.”

“...Manju, huh… Maybe I’ll get some, too…”

(...I wonder if this is what it’s like to be old…)

Shizuka thought, deep within her heart.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Men’s Baths-

“Unghhhhhhh~...”

“H-hey~...”

“Unghhhhhhh~...”

“Hey, Patton…”

“Whaaaat~?”

“Did you know that the outdoor baths here do mixed bathing at night?”

“...Wh-what’d you just say?”

“For real… You seriously didn’t know…”

“Ah… Oh…”

“I wanted to go… but they closed up… and I got too drunk…”

“Ah… dammit… I’m kinda pissed now…”

“Maybe a cute girl would’ve shown up or something…”

“...A sexy married lady…”

“...A college girl with a hot body…”

“...Stop… This is just making me feel even worse…”

The two men breathed a deep, hollow sigh of resignation through the steam.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Rance’s Room-

“M-master Rance… It’s… It’s about time to go…”

Sill, perhaps about to change clothes, sat on the tatami mat in only her underwear and grimaced as she noticed a shadow approaching.

“Who cares what time it is? I’ll do what I want when I feel like it.”

The shadow belonged to Rance, who swooped in and embraced Sill from behind. His Hyper Weapon was prepped for battle, and pointed toward the heavens ready for action.

“I’m sweating from the game I just played. And I kept getting interrupted yesterday, so I missed out on lots of sex. I’m all pent up. I think it’s a disgrace for a slave like you to leave your master frustrated like this.”

Rance nodded his head in agreement with his own words.

“N-no… That isn’t true… We can do this at home, Master Rance… So, please start getting ready to leave…”

“Eh, shut up! When I say I’m gonna do something, I mean it!! Hot spring sex is a GO!!”

“Eek~!”

Rance picked Sill up and rushed into the bathroom.

“Haa~!”

Then, he dropped her into the bathtub.

“Hmhmhm~...”

*tsssss*

Rance turned on the tap and filled the tub with hot water.

“Well, the water’ll make it wet, so there’s no need for any foreplay.”

“...It will really hurt if it’s only with water…”

“It’s fine. My Hyper Weapon will fill you up in no time. Right? Sill.”

Rance blocked Sill from above to prevent her from escaping the tub.

“M-Master Raaance~… *sniff*”

“Heheheh...”

Rance’s hand reached for Sill’s panties.

*creak*

“Pardon me! I’m here to clean your... oh...”

Unexpectedly, the clerk from the day before came in holding a broom.

“Um… Uh… U-um…”

The clerk froze when he saw Rance and Sill.

“Y-you… First yesterday, and now today…”

*Menacing*

With the Hyper Weapon still towering high, Rance turned toward the clerk.

"O-oh...Um...W-well...Um..."

*clunk*

“Ah-...!”

Rance snatched the broom from the clerk’s hands.

“Rance Attaaaaaaaaaaaaack--!!”

“Ah---!!!!”

*whomp*

A dull thud echoed through Rance’s room.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Cow Bus Stop-

“Haaa~, that was so much fun. We should come back again sometime, you two. We can bring Ran and Mill with us…”

Ran was now the mayor of Kathtom and too busy with work to come along on the trip. Mill was left at home by Milli, who told her she wasn’t allowed to come.

“Well… Maybe I’ll let her tag along next time.”

Milli stretched as she replied.

“Yeah… This kind of thing can be fun, once in a while.”

Shizuka replied while looking around at nothing in particular.

“Yeah… All of us girls together… I’m sure it’ll be a lot of fun.”

“That’s right… Maybe let the conversation get a little dirtier…”

“No.”

“Geez, Milli… Why do you always have to say stuff like that…?”

“Good grief… And here I was thinking Mill was the only kid… Well, what can you do?”

“I’ll stay a kid for the rest of my life.”

Shizuka answered coldly.

“...Me too…”

Maria blushed bright red.

“Hehehehe… You two’re cute. Ah, here it comes.”

As Milli spoke, a large cow cart came running toward them, crying and whining.

“You’re right.”

Shizuka picked up her luggage.

“Haah~, back to our old lives.”

As did Maria.

“It’s nice to have a place to come home to.”

Milli lifted her own luggage as she spoke.

-Nipopo Hot Spring: Arcade-

*ba-dump* *ba-dump*

Patton’s heart was racing.

*bam* *bam* *bam*

The display screen for Demoniac Hunter was playing a demo showing various monsters moving from side to side.

*ba-dump* *ba-dump*

Patton secretly took out a single GOLD coin.

*ba-dump* *ba-dump*

Then, he stealthily sat down in front of the cabinet.

*ba-dump* *ba-dump*

Then, he carefully placed the coin near the coin slot…

“Wha-!!!”

*ding~*

“U-uh…”

The coin fell to the floor.

“‘I won’t play any more games’... ‘Trust me’... Now, who was it who said all that to me, again?”

As if manifesting from nowhere, Hunty suddenly appeared behind Patton.

“Ah… Uh, wait…! This isn’t what it looks like!”

“What the hell are you talking about!? I take my eyes off you for one minute, and this is where I find you! This is mine now!”

Hunty took Patton’s wallet.

“Give it back! My wallet~!”

“No!! Come on, we’re leaving!”

“Aah, Hunty!”

Hubert and Freak watched the spectacle from a short distance away.

“Hah~... What is he doing…”

“Well now, he looks as though he’s enjoying himself, doesn’t he? Hm. In any case… I suppose we should be on our way as well.”

“Yeah, guess so.”

And so, the four set off on their way home.

-City of Ice: Rance’s House-

“Bwaa finally here!”

As soon as he arrived home, Rance plopped down on the floor with a smile on his face.

“Um… Master Rance… Is this really okay?”

Following that, Sill gently placed both of their luggage on the floor.

“What?”

“The… The clerk’s wallet…”

“Oh, that’s fine. His fault for getting in my way. Anyway, it’s not like it’s a crime to beat someone up and nab their wallet.”

(Oh… I’m so sorry…)

Even though she felt this way, Sill didn’t say anything out loud for fear of getting hit.

“Sill, I’m hungry.”

“Yes, I’ll make something quickly.”

“Hmm~, I want rice balls. Umeboshi and salmon.”

“Yes, I understand. It will take a little while for the rice to cook, is that okay?”

“Huh… Then… Get the rice ready and then come over here. Rub my shoulders.”

“Yes, understood.”

Sill quickly began boiling the rice and fluttered over to Rance.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Mm”

Sill started rubbing Rance’s shoulders.

“Hey, Master Rance.”

“What?”

“In the end, nothing feels better than being back at home, does it?”

“Hm... Maybe.”

……………………

(It’s nice to have a place to come home to… I wish… I wish we could stay like this... forever…)

Sill thought to herself as she rubbed Rance’s shoulders.