“Keith, why did you co here to defeat Kikyou?”
Halt asked as he took his clothes off beside the hot spring.
“Actually, I ca here because of a commission from the Guild…”
Keith wished to be praised by Shiryoo so she wanted to accomplish the silver fox subjugation commission. However, all such thoughts already left her mind. Right now, her priority was to get in Halt's good graces. Thus, she would never lay a hand towards Kikyou because she seed soone close to Halt.
This is because Keith is an Automata, and Halt is her Grand Master.
By the way, Keith didn’t hear Kikyou and Tina’s conversation. If she did, then she would be able to tell that she’s an Automata, and it was a different existence to that of humans.
However, she was commanded to [Stop] by Tina. Because of that, Keith’s functions were halted, following the very definition of the word to a tee. Her consciousness was barely left running just enough for her to hear the next command; even breathing and thought processes were completely ceased.
“The Guild? Did the Guild really release a commission for the subjugation of nine-tail foxes?”
“N-Nine-Tailed Fox? No, we just received the order to subjugate silver fox monsters masquerading as humans.”
“...What?”
Halt already knew that silver fox monsters can’t transform into humans. That was also a known fact in the Guild, obviously.
“Silver foxes can’t transform into humans.”
“W-What?”
“Strange. The staff of the Guild also know that, so why… Keith, from which Guild did you receive that commission?”
“I received it from the Adventurer’s Guild in the Royal Capital.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes…However, the clan I belong to is usually the one to accept the Guild commissions first before they get to us, and noobie adventurers like don’t usually get to have projects of this level. Maybe we got it because of special circumstances?”
“Hmmm, is that so?”
Halt finished removing his clothes as they conversed.
“Anyway, let’s go dip in the hot springs first. I’m gonna ask you about a lot of things then.”
“Yes. I’ll also follow soon.”
Halt’s back was facing her, so Keith also started to undress.
Halt used [Clean] to cleanse his body, then after wetting himself first with a bit of hot water, he entered the hot spring. Keith also did the sa before sitting beside Halt.
White steam swirled around them. Halt hadn’t been paying attention to Keith until she was also in the water beside him, so he didn’t notice the fact that Keith had a slightly different physique as his.
“Sigh….the temperature is perfect. Props to Kikyou for finding a nice hot spring like this.”
“It really feels nice. This is the first ti I took a hot bath outdoors.”
“Really? Well, I guess it’s a novel thing here.”
The custom of enjoying hot spring baths wasn’t common in this world. Only a part of the population, such as the royalty and nobility, possess baths, but the majority of the masses use [Clean] magic in order to cleanse themselves. At most, they would take showers or use cloth towels to wipe themselves clean as alternatives.
Halt loved baths.
He particularly liked the liberating feeling that open air baths give.
Halt would always check if there are hot springs in the area whenever he visited places with volcanoes. His family also learned to love baths after accompanying him in this hobby of his.
Halt’s wives would also take the initiative to explore foreign lands in search of hot springs, because he would praise them whenever they found suitable ones for bathing.
“Ahm, Halt-sama, that…”
“Sama? Why the honorifics?”
“Ah, sorry. I-I don’t really understand it myself, but it feels like I should address you as such, for so reason.”
“This is the first ti we t, right?”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
“Hmm. Oh well, you can call whatever you want, I don’t mind.”
“Yes! Thank you very much!”
Keith’s carefree grin was beautiful. Halt, who happened to see it when he glanced sideways, slightly blushed, so he turned away.
“Halt-sama?”
“S-Sorry.”
He already have several gorgeous wives, and Keith was also the “sa gender” as him. Thus, he was puzzled why he found that smile charismatic.
Halt started chatting again in an attempt to cover up that awkwardness.
“Keith, you belong to a clan, right? How is it?”
“It’s really great! Everyone is kind. Shiryoo-san, the top guy of the clan, is very strong, and he’s my idol!! B-But…”
“But?”
“We could no longer return there.”
“... Because you weren’t able to defeat Kikyou?”
“...............”
Tears started to pool in Keith’s eyes as she dejectedly turned her face down.
Keith thought that Shiryoo had high hopes for them so he let them take such a difficult commission. Failure to succeed in their quest ant letting Shiryoo down.
For Keith, who never experienced soone else having expectations of her, the feeling that Shiryoo trusted her gave her satisfaction, but the thought that she’d be betraying his trust also filled her with an indescribable fear.
“Please stop thinking about attacking Kikyou, okay. If you did that, I would have no choice but to stop you.”
“If Halt-sama so wishes, then I would never be able to harm Kikyou-san.”
“Really? Then thanks for that. No silver fox ever transford into a human in the first place, so I bet there must’ve been a mix up with that commission. If it’s verifying the contents of the commission, then I can probably help you with that.”
At this ti, Halt wasn’t yet acquainted with Irina, the Royal Capital’s Guild Master. However, he was already well connected with the top brass of the kingdom in the form of Gil. Halt considered using that connection to check the background of the commission that Keith and Aria received.
“In case there’s a mistake with the commission, I don’t think there’d be anyone who’s gonna bla you even if you fail.”
“R-Really? It would be great if that’s the case…”
“It’ll be okay! Ah, but just in case you get scolded and they kick you out of the clan, co to mine, okay.”
Halt invited Keith to his clan half-jokingly.
“By ‘mine’, you an Halt-sama’s own clan?”
“Bingo! Ah, but even if I say that, it’s still a plan —”
“I-I want to join.”
“Huh?”
Keith drew closer to Halt.
“I want to join Halt-sama’s clan!!”
Automata were created in order to protect humans. They are beings that serve to benefit humans. Shiryoo was the first person who relied on Keith and Aria after they left their village. Because they felt that they could be of use to Shiryoo, they had co to gradually trust him without realizing what’s happening.
For these Automata that lost their original master, they recognized Shiryoo as their alternate master.
However, with Halt’s words, the existence of the substitute was completely overwritten easily.
Their original master was expecting sothing from them.
‘Co to mine’ — an invitation was even extended.
Keith still hadn’t fully grasped what sort of existence Halt was to her. But even so, there was sothing that she already completely understood.
“I want to stay by Halt-sama’s side for so reason!”
Keith drew even closer towards Halt as she declared those words.
“Oy, wait, Keith!? You’re too close —”
Sothing soft touched Halt’s hand.
“...What?”
He already have several wives, and he has seen all sorts of body types.
No, not only seen, but touched as well.
That’s why he understood in an instant.
This softness and delicate slender body was impossible to be a man’s physique. Keith was relatively the slim type.
“Y-You, no way, are you a wom —”
“Halt-sama!!”
“Fufufufu. Pardon the intrusion.”
Tina and Kikyou ca, both of them stark naked.
“E-excuse .”
“Eh”
Aria also stood behind them, and she also didn’t have a single piece of clothing on her.
“W-Why!?”
Halt was already in a fluster, but Tina calmly replied to him, as if everything is as it should be.
“Everyone else aside from Halt-sama is a woman, so we decided that everyone can just bath together!”
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