That's Not It

I wiped the sweat dripping from my chin with my right hand, then grabbed the collar of my shirt and fanned it back and forth to let some air in.

The breeze felt wonderful on my flushed body.

"Here, a chilled towel."

"Elza-san, thank you. Ahh… I feel alive again."

I wiped my face first, then slid the towel under my shirt to wipe my stomach and sides.

The cold towel felt heavenly.

Elza-san chuckled softly and fixed the hem of my shirt where it had ridden up.

That might have been a little unladylike.

After the soldiers dispersed, Moomya came over to commend us.

"Honestly, I didn't expect this much… Even trained knights aren't as tough or as strong as you two."

"It was really grueling. The only reason we pushed through was because our lives weren't on the line."

"Resilience born from constant danger, then. We're prepared to lay down our lives if the need arises, but we rarely choose to march into the jaws of death ourselves."

Knights and soldiers swing their swords to protect people.

Compared to that, adventurers are proactive about facing danger.

Sometimes it demands intense endurance. That was probably the difference.

Alexia-san was fanning herself with her hand.

The dress portion clung to her skin, showing the lines of her body clearly, and soldiers were sneaking glances as they filed out, though she didn't seem to care.

"That aside, I'm absolutely soaked and I can't take it anymore. Could we borrow a shower or a bath? We can hardly go see the viscount like this."

"Of course. There's a women's shower room I can show you to. Though it only has cold water, I'm afraid…"

"I would've preferred hot water, but oh well. It's warm out this close to noon, and my body's still hot, so it might actually be perfect. Right, Azu?"

"Right. I just want to wash off this sweat."

"Follow me, then. There are two stalls, so you two can use them. I'll head back to my own quarters and rinse off."

"Lead the way, please."

Ramiza-san and Elza-san were going to help with cleanup before waiting for us.

The meeting with the viscount was still a ways off, but I didn't want to keep everyone waiting, so I needed to wash up quickly.

We were led to a compact shower room a short walk from the training grounds.

"Well then, see you later. There's soap and such inside."

"Got it."

After Moomya left, I rummaged through my storage bag for a towel and a change of clothes.

Alexia-san, apparently eager to get in as soon as possible, had her change of clothes out before I did.

"I'm going in first!"

"Okay!"

She was even humming. Alexia-san really does love baths.

I sat down and dug through the bag.

It seemed to be deep inside, and I couldn't quite reach it.

The storage bag held far more than its size suggested, which was nice, but getting things out was a bit of a hassle.

If only I could pull things out as smoothly as Ramiza-san…

"There it is. Wait, is this…?"

I found my change of clothes and pulled them out.

Something I'd forgotten to take out came with them. It had apparently been sitting in the storage bag this whole time, but it might actually be useful in this situation.

I took my clothes and the other item into the shower room.

Peeling off my sweat-soaked clothes, I was hit by a wave of humid air.

If I left them like this, they'd start to smell terrible, so I figured I'd wash them in here.

I could wring them out and toss them back in the storage bag, then just hang them up to dry later.

Once I was ready, I turned the shower handle and water came gushing out.

Cold water cascaded over my flushed body, cooling it down.

I scrubbed my face thoroughly and rinsed off the sweat.

I really did feel reborn. It was as if the fatigue was being washed away along with it.

The cold water was actually better than hot water would have been.

I gave my hair a quick wash and let the shower run over me for a while.

Just when I thought I'd had enough and was about to get out.

I sensed someone outside the shower room.

Alexia-san was next door, happily humming away, so it wasn't her.

Most likely the same person who'd approached my room last night.

I'd been waiting, thinking they might come again while I was in the shower.

If they didn't show, that would have been fine, but it seemed my hunch was right.

There was a chance it was Moomya, but… the footsteps were different.

Sure enough, the footsteps stopped right outside my stall.

I turned around, the shower still running over me.

Someone was definitely there.

I'd planned to catch them inside if they tried to enter, but they showed no sign of that.

Still, nobody with innocent intentions would come to a place like this.

I turned off the shower, quickly toweled off, and stepped outside.

Standing there was one of the soldiers.

The young man who'd stubbornly kept challenging me during training, if I remembered right.

The soldier froze in shock when he saw me.

I swept his legs out from under him and pinned him down.

"You were creeping up on me yesterday too, weren't you? What were you planning to do?"

I tightened my grip on his arm joint.

"Ow ow ow ow! N-no, that's not it! That's not what I meant, please!"

"Then what is it?"

"I-I wanted to get your autograph!"

"My autograph?"

I looked at what he was holding.

It was a piece of art board with a portrait drawn on it.

The portrait looked a lot like me.

He wasn't carrying any weapons.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Alexia-san, having heard the commotion, came out of her shower room already dressed.

"Azu… why are you wearing a swimsuit?"

"Anti-peeping measures."

"That's not what this is about, I'm telling you!"

His pathetic voice echoed down the hallway.

Yes, I'd worn a swimsuit in the shower just in case something happened.

This way, even if I had to spring into action, the important parts would be covered, and I wouldn't have to worry about exposure.

Alexia-san gave me a strange look, though.

Once I confirmed he wasn't carrying any weapons, I released him so he could explain himself.