From somewhere distant, I heard Plasma's voice echo
"What a night there, Roxy…"
When I tried to ask him what he meant. I found myself staring at the ceiling from a bed. I realized I had been asleep. I was in a room that I knew well. I'm back at the White's Manor
I was awoken by the sound of Maine's clattering bottles and lousy reading beside me, filled with papers and notes that was indirectly placed on the table. This is the first time I've been living at a roommate this noisy
"Roxy, Good morning"
"Morning, Maine"
Maine saw me and greeted me kindly, I pushed out of my bed, wearing the same blood-stained cloak I wore since the raid of Castle Libra. And as I took a smell of it, it reeks, the disfigured corpse I fought that day stained my clothing. And Maine commented on me
"Roxy, no offense but, your clothes stink like hell. Change some clothes on"
No judging from Maine's opinion, I do smell like shit, I didn't even bathe ever since I got here, now my body smells like alcohol and a rotting corpses that stained through my cloak
"I, uh… I think I'll go take that bath now" I said "Would you mind showing me the way, Maine?"
"Oh, of course. Follow me, I will also take a bath"
Like me, Maine decided to also take a bath, seeing his appearance made me filled with disgust. His hair is messy like he didn't took a bath in a week or so. The smelly air filled our rooms, so it is best decided to take me in the bathhouse of the manor
As we are about to leave, I suddenly felt a solid thing coming through my cloak, it was neither a communication stone, nor a weapon, it is different, I plunged my hands through my pockets that only mean one thing…
"Oh, a book, I completely forgot what this book does it's thing"
Soon enough, it was a book that the researcher from the Castle Libra gave me before he died. It was a book filled with information about an ancient virus known as the plague. The same virus where Edrie drank and evolved into a more, sinister and darker appearance,
I gave the book through my scrawny roommate who researches the same virus that he had right now
"Maine, this book contains the virus your experimenting at… feel free to read in one of your research"
Then, Maine handed the book and instantly read its contents. Soon enough, excitement filled his face as he read the book filled with the virus information
"Oh my… the details, it's accurate. Thank you Roxy, because of this book, I can know the secret of the virus"
Maine jumped out in excitement and immediately went back on his so-called "research table". Maine glued through it's seat while reading the book in full detail
"Maine, are you sure you need to take a bath. Your odor stinks in this place"
"Hold on a minute, I will finish this book easily. I'm a fast reader, Roxy"
I left the room as Maine read his book-filled information like a nerd. Without Maine's help, I was troubled navigating the area, checking every room to room seems that this manor was a maze. As I happen to stumble on of my members, it was Veer who stood at the hallway, she noticed me and began apologizing
"Roxy, I'm terribly sorry from what happened last night… I swear it's just a misunderstanding. I was drunk that night"
While Veer apologizing me in deep of her heart. I burst out laughing, I recalled everything she said during that night, "Mommy, I love you!!" With a touch of meadowy voice through her, it was cute though.
But Veer's face turned red, she both of her hands hid from the embarrassment
"What's wrong, Veer?"
"I-i can read your thoughts"
"Wait! What!"
As soon as I heard that, I was left in shocked. Both Veer and I were left face-to-face in embarrassment. She can hear thoughts clearly?, now I was left embarrassed. I decided to check in with inspect to view her human skills
Veer Arlington
Skills: Telepathy
Vitality: 100
Strength: 150
Defense: 70
Agility: 120
Mana: 500
As expected, she is a bronze-ranked adventurer, it's stats only remained three-digits, but it's human skills tell a different story, she can hear my thoughts via telepathy. I used inspect on her human skills
Telepathy- Read the thoughts that those you come in contact with
"Telepathy?!" of course she can read minds. In a more polite way, she can hear my thoughts via telepathy, as she was in direct contact with me, I felt embarrassed. So I yanked one of her arms through Veer, hoping to erase her mind-reading powers.
"Veer, you can read minds? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Oh, it was a surprise to you Roxy"
Veer face shifted to embarrassment all the way to a happy expression, his face lend out a laughter that echoed through the hallway. Ever since she was drunk that night before, she was clinging through me, sobbing and crying through my blood-stained cloak. Never in my life she could read thoughts
"Hahahahaha, what kind of face you got, Roxy?"
"Hey, I was just minding my own business"
While Veer laughs was heard through the manor, One of the members of the guild showed up at the hallway. Holding their towels as they were proceeding to the bathhouse of the manor
"Vice-leader, morning there!"
The young trio of the members grinned, striding towards me in their bathrobes. They were the stone-ranked knights of the manor. Veer and I saw them heading to the bathhouse of the manor, greeted them respectfully
The one who spoke to me was Ned Haro, an experienced spear-wielder who joined the castle raid, he has a ambered-hair with a bushy appearance, same age as me as well as my height. He showed me kindness ever since I became a vice-leader
Behind to his right was his younger sister, Natalie Haro. Also a amber-haired girl with its long hair, she wields an crossbow that is mainly tipped with poison. She was surprised about my marksmanship from the blood bow I used during the castle raid
The tall figure in the center was Barry Waters , a long-haired man with a ponytail tied to it. Like Natalie, he wields a crossbow, but it is embedded with his magic. He too, also appraised my marksmanship during the raid
Veer and I saw their sight of their aura along the hallway, and the sight of their amber-haired heads sent chills everywhere they went
"Guys, where are you heading?"
"Obviously, at the bathhouse. There's some spare towels from the inside"
"Mind if I join in?"
"Sure vice-leader"
"Call me Roxy instead"
"Indeed, Lady Roxy"
I tapped Veer's head once again and followed the stone-ranked trio to the bathhouse. We dashed past flustered servants and maids, who had never seen anyone hurry for the baths so fast before. But thanks from the stone-ranked adventurers, we reached the bathing halls intact
"Here we are!. Actually, since arriving here, the baths are the only place where Lady White had fixed and renovated" said Ned
Natalie and Barry nodded in agreement. I got the sense that the manor had been less than popular among the female adventurers, and that the bedrooms and dining room would soon get full renovations too.
The baths were fortunately separated by gender. I breathed a sigh of relief. Sharing a bath with Ned or any of the other boys was a frightening prospect.
I took off my clothes and look out of the bath, I reached one of the towels from the cabinet of the bathhouse. When I took a quick look at the interior, I was shocked
"Woah, this place was enormous"
"Lady Roxy, the water is warm you know"
Natalie also joined at the bathhouse, The members of the guild only had few female members. From which includes White, Veer, Natalie and I, supposing that there are four girls in this manor, excluding the staffs and maids
Inside the bathhouse lies a large pool, the air was moist and warm. Much like I was in a sauna room, a sweat poured down my towel. And yet, in a quick glance of the pool lies an silver haired girl with a bob-cut that I frankly know of…
"Wait, is that you, White?"
I was currently soaking in the bath, letting my entire gorgeous body relax for the first time in days. I'd been on the edge since I joined the guild. The bath cleansed both body and soul
"Roxy, I rarely see you entered the bathhouse"
"Actually, it is my first time"
White was surprised from my comment, and yet, she shrugs off and forgets about it. The bathhouse reaches around a quarter-of-a-mile length, stretching through the poolroom, the air was filled with a fragrant odor that purifies the rotten odor that my body has
The water is fragrant as ever. White poured out perfume and skin contents on the bath. My skin is in contact with the pool and felt a mesmerizing sensation through my body. Even I was full naked, the water penetrated through deep and silky skin.
"Roxy, take this! This is good for your hair"
Then, White handed me a glass container full of a unknown liquid. White told me to place it in my hair, and as I did, a strange feeling shook my body upright
"Wait? What liquid is this? It reminded me of something?"
"It's just liquid soap. It's good for your hair"
"Liquid soap?, that thing exists in this world!"
As White said earlier, it acts as a barrier from dandruff from your hair, made with aromatic flower extract with a high-quality product. It reminds me of all the beauty products I used during my past life, and yet, here I am, using my typical liquid soap to wash my hair off. It's been 18 years since I washed my hair with a beauty product. It resembles a shampoo
"Haha, this is great"
This kind of carefree tone was the first from my new life. As I left the energy drain from my body, I suddenly heard the sound of footsteps heading the way, it was no other than, Natalie Haro
"Weeeee…. This bath does feel nice"
Natalie decided to dive in, it was a way bigger splash that she'd expected, the splash tore through the Manor's porcelain floors, leaving it all dreaded with bath water,
"Natalie, what are you, a child?" shouted White
"Loosen up, It's just us in here, Let's have some fun!"
Natalie's personally is eerily similar to Veer when she got drunk, she was chaotic, playful and positive at all times. No wonder that she was Ned's younger sister, too chaotic occurred from these siblings
White muttered as more complains as familiar voices floated over the partition
"Jumping into the baths is strictly prohibited, Natalie" Ned yelled
"It's unbecoming of the sharpshooter of the guild to engage in such childish activity" It seems that Leonhard added
Natalie stared at the partition as I realized that it separated the men's section from the woman's, and that there was enough space along the top to talk to the neighboring bath
"Big brother, I can hear your footsteps… don't tell me your intimidating me"
"Natalie, give us a bit of silence, we're in a sauna room, the immense heat is driving me crazy"
While Natalie yelled through the neighboring room, I got out of the water and changed,
"The bathhouse's too noisy, I'll leave for now"