The Preceding Hero and the Public Bath’s Rules

What blocked the way in front of the man that harbored a hope was a literal wall.

With it having almost no places to grab onto, he was unable to even climb it.

However, even that wall, wasn’t something that couldn’t be crossed over.

Since the wall seemed to be made out of brick, there were small, thin gaps in between each brick.

「Fightooo.」

He thrust his nails into those spots!

While placing all of his body weight onto the nails of his hands and feet, he was able to cling onto the wall. After that, all he had to do is climb.

「Ippaaaaaahh!?」

But, he fell.

When he put power into his nails, his fingertips curled up and, *garih*, scratched the brick, and from there he fell.

「っ, that was close……Still, to think that it would take all my might just to climb.」

Fortunately, since this happened when he was at the start of the climb, he didn’t get hurt, but if he were to have fallen from a high spot, it would have been a bit dangerous.

He did have a body that won’t die no matter what height he falls from but he does feel the pain.

「This is a bit backwards but I need to come up with a counter-measure so that it’s alright to fall.」

He immediately found the place he needed.

At a bath that seemed to entrust its back to the wall, both its width and its depth were fairly considerable. With this, no matter how he fell, he wouldn’t crash into the floor.

It was the greatest location.

「What’re you doin’, Nii-chan.」

Other than the fact that he could be seen by others.

「Eh, ahh, that’s well……An observation?」

What observation.

「So you’re trying to do some peeping, Nii-chan.」

「Ah, yes.」

He was exposed. Resigning himself to the fact that he was going to a police cell, Yuu nodded, but,

「Be careful. There hasn’t been a single up until now that has succeeded in peeping.」

「……Ha?」

He reflexively tilted his head from the response that was different from what he expected.

◇

In the general public baths of Galarie, upon use, there exist rules that must be followed.

・Do not dirty the public baths

・Do not bring in anything other than the hand towel

・Do not rampage about

・Do not fool about

・The words of the staff are absolute

Although there are some additional manners, as long as those five rules are followed, guests won’t be blamed for anything that may happen.

This was something that Feudal Lord Zeke Oisast had decided, and was said to have aimed for liberal intermingling and use.

These rules that Zeke Oisast had decided also had the backing of the Holy Ulquiorra religious organization, which treated bathing areas as a type consecrated ground, and became allowed only in this land.

……A bit of time flowed, and around the time that these rules had taken root with the citizens, traveling guests, and sailors that dropped by in the middle of their voyages, a certain question was raised to Feudal Lord Zeke Oisast.

「Is peeping OK?」

To that sentence that spoke for the men of the world, Feudal Lord Zeke Oisast made use of some shocking words and replied.

「If you want to see, go and peep. Nay, show me that you can.」

They were given the Feudal Lord’s go sign.

The men were delighted, while the women felt resentment. But in the end, peeping didn’t occur.

Nay, it couldn’t occur.

Not a single person was able to cross over this wall.

「It’s said that magic was laid upon it or something.」

「So that means that the peeping countermeasures were perfect.」

The reason why the Feudal Lord told them to try was probably because he had absolute confidence in this wall.

Moreover, if one continued to fail, it would be in violation of the 『Don’t fool about』 rule, and quickly lead to the painful end of being made to leave.

「Incidentally, what would happen if the rules are broken?」

「You get a fine and banned from the baths for several days.」

This also hurt. After failing several times, one’s wallet would get lighter from receiving a fine, and when one becomes unable to visit for a few days every time one received the penalty, their feelings would grow dull in those few days.

「So the men that tried to peep disappeared just like that……I do think that it’s a pity as a fellow man, and I understand their regrets very clearly.」

「Well, if ya just want ta vent out your sexual desires, it is better ta just go to the Flower District, after all.」

As well as your body and your cap.

「Still, the Flower District, huh……C, could it be, Marco, you, are you detailed with the Flower District as well?」

「Of course. From the latest popular actresses to the actresses to look forward to from now on, I know all about ‘em.」

The Flower District, I’m sure that you somehow understand this but, is something like the so-called pleasure quarter in Japan.

The women that work in that pleasure quarter are called actresses in this world.

「*Gokuh* (Gulp)……M, mind telling me about that later?」

「Ah, I was told by Her Highness-nee-chan that I can’t do that.」

Dammit, so she already made the preparations for that!

「That little, if it’s going to be like that, prepare yourself, Sylvia! I’m going to make a thorough observation on those tiny breasts that you’re so worried about!」

Renewing my resolution, I placed my hands on the wall in order to cross over it.

◇

「っ……I just got a bad feeling about something.」

Sylvia was submerged in the public bath, but an unpleasant feeling like something was crawling about her body made her quiver.

「Could it be that Yuu is……?」

What she recalled was a similar feeling that she got when she was trying to change her clothes that had gotten dirty during the time that they had once traveled together. At that time, Yuu had tried to peek at her while hiding under cover.

「No, it couldn’t be. Although it is him we are speaking of, even he would have matured……No, come to think of it, something like that had not happened at all.」

How Yuu’s way of life and that personality of his hadn’t changed from how it was three years ago was one of the things that she felt happy about when she reunited with him, but putting it in a bad way, it also meant that he hadn’t matured at all.

Actually, Yuu was looking at the breasts of the three female knights that were Sylvia’s escort, wasn’t he.

「Sylvia-sama, is something the matter?」

「Wiola, huh……No, it is nothing.」

When one of Sylvia’s escorts, the Imperial Guard Knight Wiola, asked the muttering Sylvia a question, Sylvia shook her head.

Another one of the Imperial Guard Knights approached that Sylvia.

「Ufufuー. Were you thinking about Yashiro-samaー?」

「Muh……I certainly was doing that but what are you smirking for, Akeru.」

The female knight called Akeru giggled.

「I meanー, your Majesty, you were making the face like that of a housewife that was tired of her good-for-nothing husbandー.」

What was with that awfully real-like metaphor.

Sylvia poured hot water on Akeru without a word.