“…No.”
“Master, what is that thing with four legs that goes ‘woof-woof’?”
She pointed at a stray dog by the side of the road that was so terrified by their group that it had tucked its tail between its legs.
“That’s a dog.”
“Is it shiny?”
“…Not really.”
Whenever Lynn spoke with Ignis, he could feel the surrounding temperature drop by several degrees.
Vivian’s grip on his arm would tighten, the Holy Light on Alicia’s body would flare up, and Lilith would let out a “hehe” laugh that carried an ambiguous meaning.
Lynn didn’t dare speak another word.
Finally, just as the sun was about to dip below the horizon, a small town shrouded in a hazy white mist appeared on the horizon.
That was the Mist-Hidden Village.
From a distance, one could already smell the scent of sulfur in the air and the warm, humid moisture.
Soft lanterns glowed within the town, and the cheerful sounds of travelers laughing and talking could be heard.
It was a scene of peace and serenity.
However, that peace was completely shattered the moment their party stepped into the town’s entrance.
The guards at the gate saw Vivian’s cracked heavy armor, which was still radiating a blood-colored aura, and nearly dropped their halberds in fright.
The pedestrians on the street saw the faint silhouette of the Six-Winged Seraph behind Alicia and fell to their knees one after another, thinking a deity had descended.
And when they saw the little girl with dragon horns and a dragon tail standing by Lynn’s leg, the entire street fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone looked at them as if they were looking at monsters.
With his scalp tingling under the gaze of the crowd, Lynn walked to the entrance of what appeared to be the most luxurious hot spring inn.
Right now, he only wanted to quickly book a few rooms and isolate these gods of plague from one another.
“Owner,” Lynn said, pushing open the door and addressing the fat boss behind the counter whose face had turned pale with fear, “I want… I want five premium rooms.”
He had intentionally asked for an extra one.
However, the moment the words left his mouth, four hands grabbed him simultaneously.
Vivian grabbed his left arm.
Alicia grabbed his right arm.
Lilith hugged his waist from behind.
Ignis hugged his thigh.
The four women spoke in unison.
“One room is enough.”
—
Mist was the best cover-up and the perfect hunting ground.
Before Lynn could come up with a countermeasure, Vivian had already moved.
With a single stride that sent water splashing, she was instantly behind Lynn.
Her hand, which was accustomed to gripping a sword year-round, held a piece of coarse linen and pressed it directly against Lynn’s back.
“Don’t move.”
Two words, delivered in the tone of a command.
Then, she began to apply pressure.
Lynn’s entire body stiffened, and he nearly crushed his teeth from the strain.
‘This isn’t a back scrub. This is scraping off my scales.’
Every fiber of the linen cloth felt like a wire brush, moving back and forth across his back with enough force to tear his flesh away.
His bones even groaned under the immense pressure.
[Danger Sense: Physical damage warning! Skin integrity -5%!]
“VIVIAN! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!” Lynn shouted in pain.
“I am merely helping you wash off the dust,” Vivian’s voice came from behind him, devoid of any emotion.
“And while I am at it, I am scrubbing away certain scents that shouldn’t be there.”
She increased the strength in her hand, giving special “attention” to the areas around Lynn’s neck and shoulders.
That was exactly where Ignis had been clinging to him earlier.
Lynn lunged forward, trying to escape this murderous “cleaning.”
But the moment he moved, a completely different sensation traveled up from beneath the water.
Something smooth, warm, and incredibly elastic wrapped around his calf.
Lynn shuddered, and his entire body froze in place.
He didn’t even need to look to know what it was.
‘It’s Alicia.’
She was clearly sitting on the other side of the hot spring with a dignified posture, holding a Holy Scrubbing Brush and methodically cleaning her own arms.
Her expression was as holy as a goddess from a mural.
However, beneath the water, deep within the mist where no one could see, her leg was like a water snake, accurately finding him and slowly sliding upward.
“Lynn, what’s wrong? Is the water too hot?”
Alicia spoke, her voice cool and carrying a hint of concern.
Lynn’s throat felt dry, and he couldn’t squeeze out a single word.
There was a bone-scraping steel blade on his back and a life-taking snake on his leg.
If he dared to move an inch, the force on his leg would tighten and drag him into a deeper predicament.
Simultaneously, Vivian behind him would use even more brutal methods to make him “behave.”
He was caught in the middle, unable to move at all.
“Brother, you look quite uncomfortable.”
Lilith’s voice echoed faintly as she somehow drifted over to Lynn’s side.
She held a small handful of hot spring water in her palms, with several pink flower petals floating on the surface.
“This is the Mist-Hidden Village’s specialty, the ‘Calming Flower.’ Soaking in it can relieve fatigue.”
She smiled, gently sprinkling the water and petals into the pool around Lynn.
The petals dissolved the moment they touched the water, and a wisp of nearly invisible pink mist rapidly diffused through the pool.
Lynn’s pupils shrunk.
‘Calming Flower? I wrote about this in the game settings! This thing’s alias is [Charming Mist]!’
It was a raw material for low-level alchemical potions.
In small amounts, it could relax the mind, but once the dosage became excessive, it would amplify a person’s emotions and desires, turning those with weak willpower into total slaves to their urges!
[System Warning: Unknown psychoactive substance detected, concentration rising…]
“Lilith!” Lynn turned his head, wanting to stop her.
But as soon as he turned, he met Lilith’s eyes, which were brimming with smiles.
“Do you not like it, Brother? But if I do not let you relax, you will be very tired.”
She tilted her head, appearing innocent and harmless.
Lynn’s heart sank.
‘It’s over.’
Physical attacks, mental charms, and secret restraints.
This wasn’t a bath; this was a coordinated ambush designed specifically for him.
“Master! Play!”
Just as Lynn was being attacked from three sides and his mind was on the verge of collapsing, a cheerful shout rang out.
A small figure cut through the water like a white wave and suddenly popped up right in front of him.
It was Ignis.
She seemed completely oblivious to the bizarre atmosphere, treating the hot spring like her own personal water park.
She surfaced, shook her damp red hair, and then opened her small mouth to take a “nom” bite out of Lynn’s arm.
“Sss—!”
Lynn twitched in pain.
Ignis hadn’t used much force, only nibbling gently with her tiny baby teeth that hadn’t fully grown in yet.
But this single act became the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
The pain on his back.
The entanglement on his leg.
The potion in the water.
The bite mark on his arm.
Four types of stimulation bombarded his nerves simultaneously.
He felt the temperature of the hot spring rise sharply, scalding his skin until it turned red.
The mist also grew thicker, carrying a cloyingly sweet fragrance that invaded his nostrils and numbed his brain.
Vivian was still “scrubbing” his back, her strength becoming greater and greater.