[Lifespan Remaining: 21 days, 22 hours, 39 minutes.]
"Whichever genius invented the baths, I’m forever grateful..."
Warm air just barely escaped the doorway as Noct closed the doors to the baths once more. Inside, he had noticed that calling this place a bathroom would be an insult to whoever built it.
’It’s a whole damn bathhouse..."
A wide pool occupied most of the center, able to be seen through the thin veil of steam. Water flowed steadily from several stone spouts along the far wall, filling the room with a soft and continuous murmur.
Tall windows had been fitted with specialized glass, allowing some light inside without anyone outside getting a view.
Though what surprised him the most were several low stools that had been arranged on the side wall, along with a row of basins.
Each station came with a wooden bucket, folded cloths, and a small container of what he assumed were soap and shampoo.
’Wait a minute...’
An area to wash before entering the baths, accompanied by low stools and wooden buckets.
’This feels quite familiar to me? A...japanese bath house?’
There were differences, obviously. The entire place was considerably more excessive than anything he had ever personally visited, and he doubted the water was being heated by an ordinary boiler.
Still, the resemblance was difficult to ignore. Noct placed his clean clothes on a bench near the entrance, keeping them well away from the damp floor.
Now that he thought about it, this wasn’t the first familiar thing he had encountered. The symbols on Alice’s hand came to mind immediately, reminding him of the same ones present on tarot cards.
Obviously, the game developers could’ve simply borrowed the concept, just like countless other fantasy-based games did. And washing before getting into a bath wasn’t exactly an idea that required knowledge from another world.
But seeing both tarot-inspired magic as well as Japanese baths in the same place at once did make him wonder.
’Could someone else have come here before us?’
Someone who had arrived long enough ago for their ideas to become ordinary parts of this world. Noct stood there for another moment before looking down at the towel in his hands.
’Interesting thought, but wrong timing...’
He undressed carefully, taking his time with the sleeve that was around his injured shoulder. Once the ruined clothes had been placed aside, he wrapped a towel around his waist and approached the washing area.
Up close, he found two small mana crystals fitted beside the spout. One glowed red, while the other, blue.
’At least this part is intuitive.’
A brief touch was enough to produce a stream of warm water.
Noct filled the bucket and lowered himself onto the stool, wincing slightly the moment he removed all his bandages to expose the bruises and wounds underneath.
"Ugh..."
He soaked the cloth and began wiping away the dirt the healer didn’t bother with. Gradually, the water in the basin turned an unpleasant shade of gray.
’How much of the Graveyard did I bring back with me?’
Emptying and refilling a few more times, his arms were beginning to ache by the time he was reasonably clean. The only thing left on the menu was his hair.
Noct reached for one of the small containers, opened it, and gave its contents a cautious sniff. Something sweet and herbal, probably shampoo.
"Would you like some assistance, Young Master?"
"...Wha—?!"
Noct nearly threw the entire container into the pool. He tried twisting around, only for a pair of hands to clamp down on his shoulders tightly.
’There’s only one person with this amount of monstrous strength...!’
"How did you get in here...Noelle?"
"I snuck in."
"...You what?"
"Please lower your voice, Young Master. Someone might hear you."
Noct glanced toward the door, then back at the hands resting on his shoulders. Apparently, Trevor’s warning had accomplished absolutely nothing.
"How did you even...never mind."
Noct lowered his voice as requested and tried turning enough to look at her. This time, Noelle let him, which was when he discovered an entirely different problem.
Her uniform was gone, and in its place, a white bath towel had been wrapped around her body. Her long hair had been gathered over one shoulder, leaving the other completely bare.
Noct stared for a second before abruptly turning back toward the basin.
"Where are your clothes?"
"In the changing area."
"Why?"
"Because this is a bath."
"That’s not what I—"
He stared firmly at the wall in front of him. Noelle, meanwhile, seemed completely unbothered. She stepped around his stool and reached for the small container still held in his hand.
"I—I can do this myself."
"Can you?"
"Yes."
"I’ve been helping you bathe since you were bedridden, Young Master. Washing your hair is hardly something new."
"..."
As far as the original Noct was concerned, having Noelle assist him with something like this was perfectly ordinary. There had been days when sitting upright was already more than he could manage, let alone washing himself.
But remembering that and experiencing it were two entirely different matters. Especially with her standing right beside him like that.
"I’m not bedridden anymore."
"Then consider this a temporary arrangement until you’re fully healed, Young Master."
There went his last excuse. Noelle set the container beside the basin and picked up the wooden bucket, filling it with hot water.
"Close your eyes."
Noct reluctantly obeyed, and just a second later, warm water poured right over. Her hand rested against his forehead, keeping it from running into his eyes while she carefully soaked his hair. Then her fingers slowly ran against his scalp, massaging it slowly.
"Does it hurt?"
"N—no."
Noelle stepped closer to reach the other side of his head, and through the steam, he caught a glimpse of her bare legs beside the stool.
’Just let her finish...!’
It should have been easy. Unfortunately, the gentle pressure against his scalp felt a lot better than he wanted to admit. His shoulders gradually lowered, and the tension at the back of his neck began to ease.
Noelle noticed. "See? You should have let me help from the beginning."
"You really are competent at everything, huh?" Noct finally sighed, allowing himself to rest and let her work her magic.
He waited a while for a response, but when none came...
"What’s wrong?"
"I wouldn’t say that, Young Master—"
"...Not everything."