A Cheap, OP Brawler

I likely wouldn"t have been able to lie so convincingly if it weren"t for my new "Deception" skill I learned through my third cla.s.s as a Thief. I don"t think normal people would be able to lie so well with that skill at LV 1.

Anyway, the others in the table were on the edge of their seats with excitement as I told the tale, but Ume and Ren looked pretty serious out of everyone as they listened. They looked like they wanted to say something, but decided to hold it off for the time being.

I"m just glad I didn"t scare any of my new companions from hearing how I handled those cultists. I wondered if it"s because they knew I was a Champion that they almost expected me to achieve such great feats. It was then that I realized Ume"s the only one out of the whole table who isn"t in on my secret ident.i.ty yet.

I want to come out to everyone in my party with the truth, about how broken the Brawler cla.s.s really is and how it has made me so strong in such a short span of time. It would be especially helpful that they know of it so I could use my new "Loyal Accomplice" skill at its full potential to those in my party. Maybe I"ll go over it with them in the morning when Ms. Gallofree comes back with the news, I decide to myself.

~~

Amazingly, despite all the food we had, we cleaned it out. Winny stored some in a doggy bag to take home for her brother. Erizora and Ren, looking pregnant with their food babies, seem to be the biggest gluttons, but amazingly it"s Ume who won the "t.i.tle." She ate and drank the most out of everyone, and while she patted her stomach in content, she didn"t look as bloated at the end of the feast as the others were. I"m not sure how the food is from her birthplace, but she mentioned she never had food so delicious before. I also remembered how … oblivious she was with table manners, barely even using the silverware unless advised to, of which I had to instruct her how to use them. Maybe it"s because she"s a Dragon that they have bigger appet.i.tes than others along with different eating habits back at her home, but seriously, I can"t imagine where all of that goes having eaten so much.

My eyes glossed over at two of her possible suspects, now exemplified with her new ap.r.o.n-like cheongsam Lili made in such a short time, doing a fine job with its size-conforming magic to keep the goods on her G-cup b.r.e.a.s.t.s well supported. At one point, she dripped some meat juices onto the top of her supple flesh and tender cleavage, and without a care in the world, she lifted up her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and stretched her long reptile-like tongue to lick it off. It wasn"t as long as Ms. Tephalia"s from what I remembered, but it was still impressive. The way her b.r.e.a.s.t.s bounced after dropping them when she was done and she licked her lips and fingers out of delight from the taste … I just experienced one h.e.l.l of a treat.

Even though I was still eating by that point, I mentally gave my thanks for the delectable meal. Nyra also joined me in that moment.

Let"s not forget the fact that Ume was also in commando as she sat next to me on the bench. While her lizard tail dangles behind her, the two flaps that cover her rear are also hanging down, which means her bare b.u.t.t is currently sitting on that spot next to me.

Her tail was surprisingly able to cover most of her good points up to now. If I was just where she"s sitting right now … the thought of my face being in that spot crossed my mind.

Finally, with Ren on my other side coddling her bare, swollen stomach like Ume was, I grew a strong urge to rub both of them. Other fantasies ran through my mind, like how much I wanted to lick food off of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s like she did.

I"m not sure if it was due to some untapped fetishes I wasn"t aware of that had got me worked up or some side-effect from my high-leveled "Vigorous Libido" skill. Maybe I was still h.o.r.n.y after my "playtime" with Nyra cutting Luke up again and again. Either way, minding my time and place, I restrained myself.

I however found how much I like more girls who eat a lot than those who"re mindful of the amount. It doesn"t just reflect in their figures, but it shows how much they really enjoy the simple pleasures of eating. I could kind of get why some girls are self-conscious about it, but honestly, like the people who are in the table right now, I would be more than happy enough to see they"re okay with eating without restraint around me. It makes me want to go back to cooking and see how happy they"d be eating what I make like Mom and everyone else did back in the day.

When our tableware was cleared, I asked Winny and Lili if they wanted to join us in the baths after dinner—I was honestly surprised enough when I heard they have such a facility as a public bathhouse in this world. Winny had to return home to bring the food to Kenny before taking him along and mentioned how it might be best that he and Ume don"t see each other for a while. I guess she can"t really let her guard down leaving her brother by himself at times? We agreed to meet tomorrow at the church to summon my familiar though. Lili wanted to wait for Ms. Raize when she"s done before they do the same, and that will take a while.

I was reminded then that there are a bunch of things I needed to get for tonight, so with Winny"s directions before bidding her and Lili a good evening, my party and I went to the nearest item shop to buy some necessities. I got one of the better-looking knapsacks from the cultists cleaned inside and out of belongings and bloodstains for Ume to use, toothbrushes for the two of us, hairbrushes for each of the girls, some jerky in case I was feeling for a snack, towels, and soap for washing ourselves.

Yes, I could use [Clean] to do the job quicker and make us spotless, but I think doing it by hand is more refreshing and there may be times I"m not around to do it for us, so it"s safe to be prepared. Plus, I"m not sure of us using the Null Spell beforehand would excuse our courtesy of going straight in when others haven"t seen it being used. There were a bunch of other things there that would definitely help prepare us for the quest, so I"d have to come back later for them.

With Winny"s directions in mind we went to the nearest bathhouse after that, and going by what I was remembering, this is another one of the biggest buildings I saw from atop that hill earlier, surprisingly enough.

We went inside and approach the Lamia receptionist at the front who goes by Athesia, according to the name above her head with my "Size Up" skill active. The layout of the lobby is similar to what I would see in a j.a.panese public bath. The biggest difference is the entrances that lead to the baths. Instead of j.a.panese characters that read to the men"s and women"s sides, there are what I a.s.sume to be Padimonian characters imprinted on the curtain-like doorways.

"h.e.l.lo, is this where we pay for our entry to the baths?" I ask her for the group.

"Yes, sir! Is this your first time visiting a bathhouse in the Demon-Kin"s Territory?"

"That"s right."

"Mine as well," Ume adds in.

"Well, this bath in particular works differently than those in the Human-Kin"s Territory."

"How so?"

"While there are sides for males and females, that"s included in the "humans only" bath on your left. The free bath on your right, on the other hand, accepts all races for the guests to share, male and female."

I think my heart might"ve stopped and leapt up to my throat. "S-So it"s … a mixed bath?" I ask shakily.

"It"s been called that as well, but yes, more or less."

I"m sure there"s some legitimate reason why this is a thing here, but I"m having difficulty thinking what that might be right now.

I clear my throat to try and calm myself down. "Speaking as a foreigner unfamiliar of some customs, is there a common courtesy I should know about if I go in the free bath? Like, not staring at someone for too long or something?"

"There"s no roughhousing and running around, but other than that, everyone who"s in there are well aware of what they"re getting into and they may even talk on friendly terms, so you"re free to look anywhere for as long as the other person"s comfortable with."

"Physical contact?"

"Aside from washing each other who need a.s.sistance, physical contact is usually minimal, but, there"s a special separate and closed-off "contact-consented" bath for anybody who wants to get more "intimate," if you catch my drift. We get mate pairs and small groups who go in there to "get close and personal-like" for a limited time. Are all of these girls with you your harem?"

"… Yes?"

"If you"d like to pay extra, we can provide you a key to the contact-consented bath for your group to occupy for 1 hour doing whatever it is that you want to do in there.

… Ms. Obina, G.o.d, Great Buddha, and/or whoever"s responsible for this, I thank you for making this special event possible for a scary demon-looking man like myself.

However we expressed it, Nyra"s and my own feelings were aligned at this very moment.

~~

I didn"t take long to take out the necessary money needed to pay for the entry and reservation for the closed-off bath, the latter of which being surprisingly expensive according to Ren and Erizora"s reactions, coming to a total of almost 5,000 karos for the four of us. I just gave Athesia a half-gold coin and told her to keep the change. We were told to wait a bit before going in the closed-off bath so they could make sure everything"s prepared. With those instructions in mind, our group went through the curtain-like part.i.tions that lead to the free bath. When we get there, while there are a few males of the Centaurs, Giant Ants who were working on the city"s reparations earlier, Imps, and Arch Imps, along with the opposite s.e.x of those same niches, it"s just as I expected in a city full of female-only demon races: the free bath is practically packed with them, Lamias, Harpies, and even a few Arachnes I see coming out of what looks like a sauna, probably an alternative to a bath since they can"t swim or dunk their spider bodies in the water.

Speaking of the bath, it would be better to say the "bath" is more like a pool from a water amus.e.m.e.nt park. I can understand why the size with so many large-bodied people, but the total area seems to be bigger than an Olympic-sized pool. Off towards a corner, I could see a door leading to another room, a sign written in Padimonian hangs on the wall next to it. That door may very well lead the "contact-consented" bath.

All of what was described is only the bathing area. Covering a large area before that are many washing stations, each with their own soap, shampoo, and wooden basins to soak and rinse with. There are also long brushes and strange tools hanging on the walls that I imagine to be for the Centaurs" use as they look to be suitable for horses. And then there"s the changing area where we strip and keep our belongings in baskets, the one we step into first, of which the patrons nearby catch the sight of us—or more specifically, me—and start whispering to each other.

Nyra screams excitedly in my head as our group starts changing out of our clothes and gear.

Too bad this is as far as you"ll go, then.

I look towards one of the signs in the changing area. While I couldn"t read Padimonian, the ill.u.s.trations, including one depicting a sword and axe crossing each other underneath one of those cross circles, speaks levels.

It seems we can"t bring our weapons to the bath. You know what that means, Nyra.

Can you even see very far from where you are? I mean you could even tell what was going on back in Ms. Tephalia"s room.

Nyra, this bathhouse has rules and policies to follow. Do you want to get me banned from this paradise?

"Is something a matter, Jin?" Ume asks.

I look over and see Ume already stripped of her cheongsam-ap.r.o.n dress and raring to go, b.u.t.t-naked and bare for all to see. It"s a bit different compared to her Dragonoid Form earlier without some of its traits seen and her tail slimmer, but her body"s still as incredible a sight to behold as she was before our s.e.x in the guild"s meeting room.

I almost instinctively look away out of manners, but I remind myself that this gorgeous woman is my equivalent of a wife now, and everyone who"s in this bath knows what to expect when being here as Athesia explained. I shouldn"t be ashamed to drink in how s.e.xy Ume is, so I quickly calm myself down before answering.

"It"s nothing, Ume. Nyra and I are just having an internal spat in my head because she can"t see very much of the bathhouse from here.

"Master must have a lot of those since he made a "Weapon"s Bond" with the tanto," Ren says from behind me.

"You have noooooo idea."

"Hm. Was she able to see everything when she possessed the previous holders?" Ume asks.

I relay her answer to Ume.

"She may not be able to do a full possession, but could she possess part of your body? Like taking your eye for sight if you allow it?"

Only if you don"t try to do something sneaky with it later.

All right, so how do we do this?

I oblige and stand there for only a couple of seconds. I feel a weird twitch in my left eye that"s still closed.

I do so and don"t see anything change. I only have this strange slightly tingling feeling in my left eye.

"Whoa, Master"s eye color changed again, except it"s only the left with his dark brown turning red."

I glance to Erizora who said that and then feel like my eyes might"ve popped out of my skull when I saw her main attractions right in front of me. The way they dangle as she"s bending forward, those things might as well be a pair of cow udders begging to be milked.

"… Why do I feel this strange sense of defeat when I look at you?"

"Excuse me for being blunt, but you have no right to say that unless you"re in my position, Ms. Umeiyon," Ume and Ren say, respectfully.

"I-I sincerely apologize for having such a shameless body that offends you two. Master, I can"t apologize enough to you, especially."

"Don"t be ridiculous," I say in a much firmer and serious tone than what"s necessary in this setting. I reel myself back when I realize that. "To maintain a healthy body is one"s own responsibility and should make the best out of it through any way they can, and Erizora, whatever it is that you"re doing with it, you"re doing an excellent job." I emphasize my point with a thumb up.

Nyra exclaims.

"That goes for you two as well, Ume and Ren. You should not worry about what you lack and instead take pride of what you already have, both outside and in. h.e.l.l, if there"s anyone here who should take that advice more than anyone, it"s yours truly for how much I put my body through." I finally start stripping down as well after saying that piece, revealing the scars scattered across my body. I"m amazed I didn"t get anything distinguishable on my face at this point in my lifetime.

Sure, I could"ve used the "Divine Makeover" service from the IBS like I did yesterday to remove the scars and make my body more appealing to the eyes, but I feel I"d be erasing the mistakes I made in the past that I shouldn"t forget by doing so, or I"d repeat them otherwise. I figured keeping myself permanently shaved while having my "bush" down there trimmed would be enough.

"It"s pretty crazy and unsettling, right?" I ask, preparing for the worst.

""You"re good,"" they respond immediately that kind of surprised me.

"I didn"t get a good look with the different lightings over the raid last night, but seeing it now … Master"s really lean." [Ren]

"It"s kind of a nice change of pace being around so many bulky males back in my tribe, but … I see, so this is a human male"s c.o.c.k." [Erizora]

"Impressed? This is my mate"s amazing d.i.c.k as you"re seeing here, which actually looks bigger than I last remembered, so if I had an incredible experience then, then things will only get better from here! You may marvel at its greatness, girls," Ume says while puffing her impressive chest with pride.

"So, they did have s.e.x earlier …" [Ren]

"And this is bigger than before?" [Erizora]

"My, my, I didn"t think I"d get to see something like this." [Arachne]

"That"s a good size. Must be my lucky day~." [Harpy]

"It"s bigger than my mate"s …" [Lamia Mother]

"Mommy, does that make him a better male than Daddy?" [Lamia Daughter]

Thanks to Ume, I … or more specifically my erection has suddenly become the center of attention for the females in the bath as I"m hearing their comments, some of which being sort of off-putting that makes me question the norms of parenting around here. It sounds like not many human males actually come to the free bath if it"s such a spectacle for the demon females here.

I was sort of self-conscious of my scars before, but now I"m not sure what to feel.

Wait, what the h.e.l.l? My d.i.c.k actually did get bigger. How the heck did that happen? I think after recalling Ume"s comment about my size.

Going by what I remember seeing, my d.i.c.k at full erection when I had s.e.x with Ume might"ve been 14 centimeters [~5.5 inches], now it"s about 17, maybe 18 centimeters [~6.7-7 inches]. I think the girth has gotten a little more swollen, too.

I was wondering how the erection in my pants suddenly got more uncomfortable than usual while I was killing those cultists and cutting Luke up. Could this be the reason?

What do you mean?

Huh, if that"s actually a thing while being able to level up your stats from it, then maybe brothels are more popular among guys and the girls who work there than I thought. While that sounds incredible, that also means you"re increasing the chances of getting STD"s now that I think about it … in that case, I should be more careful with who I meet around here.

I mentally pray that my "Size Up" skill would tell me whether someone has something like that or not when it levels up enough. Or better yet, doesn"t Ume possess a "Diagnosis" skill? I should see if I could get that myself soon.