Boundary Labyrinth and the Foreign Magician

"Ha..."

Soak in the hot tub and raise your mind. I returned from the Adventurer Guild and quickly boiled the bath. Place the demon stone at the edge of the wall to increase the temperature, and adjust the water in the middle water supply by adding it to lower the temperature…

I turned it into a little hot water today.

I don't know if I should say it's the first time or if it's been a long time, but I feel that it melts the tension and fatigue that dived into the labyrinth into the water.

- What do you say? Even if reason understands it, there is a part about it. It goes around somewhat in my head.

Oh, yeah. You forgot to mess around and get information about the alchemist. Not at all. We need to hang on.

Make sure the next time you show your face to the Alliance. Furnish up or clean up the garden. We have a lot to do and we have to remember.

"Dear Theodore,"

As he looked up at the ceiling and was lost in his thoughts, a modest knock sounded from the stripper.

Take one deep breath and change your mind.

It's okay. It's okay. I swallow things like this and move on.

"Hmm, what's wrong?

"I've got a change of clothes here"

Talk to the door.

"... thanks. I know you do, but Grace needs a bath, too."

If you don't tell me, because she's going to go outside and do it with a bath or something, even though she has demonic stones in the house and can use the bath.

This is the Count's house... some people sour a lot of things like servants using the same bathroom as the Lord, or servants not eating at the same table. A family order, or Kathleen?

Maybe that's right as general common sense, but I'm not willing to live such a tough life until I get here, and no one is going to say that now. That would be enough if you understood that it was needed externally or dignified. That didn't happen when I was living with my mother.

"Thank you. But is it okay?

"... Fine. You did that when you lived with your mother."

"Right. I miss you."

Beyond the door, she seemed to laugh just a little.

"We used to take baths together."

"... that happened. I don't really remember."

"Because Master Theodore was very small. No wonder you don't remember."

Is that before the age of five?

What I remember is that Grace was helping me bathe, rather than telling me we took a bath together. That's just a little while after the Count took it from me, too.

At the Count's, the servant taught me that it was something to help my employer bathe and change his children, and although Grace followed suit... after a while I told Grace I didn't need either of them anymore, and I said no.

Needless to say why. Because of the constant moles and wounds. I didn't want Grace to see anything like that.

But I remember Grace looking sad when she told me she didn't have to help because she could do it herself.

"Oh. If it's good, should I flush your back down like I used to?

That 's-- what do you think? Grace's voice doesn't sound like she came up with a good thing.

... That's why I'm not old enough to help bathe anymore.

But the first reason I said no is gone. If that was making Grace feel lonely, I don't know if it's okay today.

"Long time no see...... I guess that's good too"

I wrapped the cloth on my head around my hips and I sat on the edge of the bath and said so.

"Now if you'll excuse me."

When I looked over my shoulder at the bathroom door, Grace rolled up the sleeves of the maid's clothes and came into the bathroom.

He wets the cloth with water, drips liquid soap, foams it, and carefully washes his back.

Liquid soap is something that looks exactly like soap, but this is what I bought back at the market.

I can go from around the 20th floor of the basement to the section called the Night Forest, where the tree called the Savona Tree is native. This sap is superior inside, and when you mix it with your favorite fragrance or medication, you can use it just like a soap.

"There's a scar on your back"

"It's old."

The new mole will be gone by now.

The scar of being around Grace being touched also has a feeling.

A quiet fingertip touches through the wounds.

"Grace...... I'm a little tickled"

"... that's... sorry"

He apologized that way, but for some reason he turned his hand over his shoulder and was gently embraced.

"... Grace?

"- Sorry. This is the same as it used to be. Today it felt like the spell release recoil came back sometimes...... because I know that if I do this, I will calm down. Just let me stay a little longer."

Same as old times? Sometimes Grace used to cuddle me when she came back from the hunt and the two of us slept together.

I really don't remember what happened back then. I remember Grace. I was anxious, but with Grace, I could sleep at night in peace.

It was a while before my mother died and my father found out about it. My father was in Term Wills at that time and he wasn't there... so it was pretty late to find out about my mother's death.

I didn't rely on anyone anyway. Was Grace going to imitate my mother? They hunted demons and animals towards the woods in liberation... so they were connected to each other.

Why did Grace hug me to sleep in those days, huh?

Grace herself was anxious... even though she understood me that way.

"Besides... Master Theodore feels like he's going to run everywhere by himself these days. If we don't do this, we're going somewhere sometime. Not really... Please don't push me, okay?

Anxiety... does it lead to a recoil in the blood suction impulse? Am I going to let Grace force me?

Or is this what Grace says, because I look like I'm taking mental damage from today?

"Can't you, I didn't.... Grace is the one who hangs out with me and comes to the labyrinth or something. If you don't want to, tell me you don't want to."

She won't be good enough for me to head to the labyrinth alone. That, well, I understand.

That's why I really want to hear the truth.

"Even Master Lisa was fighting demons to make a living, wasn't she? Me, too, I think that's fine. So there's nothing unhappy about diving into the labyrinth. Now I can be with you, Master Theodore. Even I'm much... much more convinced than when I was in that house."

"Then... good, though"

He was held from his back for a while, but eventually Grace walked away and said:

"Thank you. I feel calm."

"Mm-hmm. This one's calm, too."

"... Again, were you sick?

"... I'm not sick enough. Even Grace. That's the same thing, isn't it?

"Yes, I don't think I was wrong"

That too...... sounds just like Grace. We shouldn't dare to ask each other how far we think inside, and there's nothing good to touch.

I guess it's better to convince yourself of that and move on. I don't want to be the one to be taken away from me, and that's why I don't have more to turn to the one to take away. - Because I don't want to fall like those people.

They hang warm water from their shoulders and flush bubbles from their backs.

"... Shall I wash your hair too?

"Uh...... Then it's time, and I beg you."

Already today...... shall we really take our time with Grace with the intention of going back in time?

I think that while Grace washes my hair.

Grace will probably take a bath after this. After that... let's cook together. That's a different place from the old days when you left Grace to rely on.