With the meeting over I was left to my own devices.

Erevain and the other top maids, including Gabrielle, left to discuss things one more time while also going over the budget for the materials and such. After all, we just got a big increase in money thanks to Nerinne and Ilya.

Sylvie and Sophie were grabbed by Kris, who didn't go with the rest of the top maids, and taken to the training room without them having the chance to say no. Although Sylvie looked quite happy and promised Nerinne that they would spend time together once she has picked a room and so on.

Seriously, that girl is really friendly.

Sophie, on the other hand, looked as if she wanted to escape, but there was no way for her to escape Kris’ iron grip on her shoulder.

Meanwhile, Jules went to the dining hall with Louise to check out the new ingredients that appeared here thanks to me eating at the inn. I can't wait to eat what Louise ends up making with them.

Lastly, Roxxy took Ilya and some of the maids to the smithy. My cute daughter looked a bit overwhelmed at first, but everyone was so friendly with her that she managed to beat her shyness.

That's our girl!

And so...we are alone now, Nerinne.

"Fufufu~~~, indeed. I am sure you already have an idea as to what we can do with this free time on our hands."

"...!"

I am locking arms with my divinely beautiful girlfriend while walking in one of the castle's hallways. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill!

I'm so happy!

Also...I can feel them...! Oh yes, I can.

And of course, you are listening to me and laughing!

"My! Of course, dear! Although, I do this because I want to be close to you, listening to you reacting like that is just added value. We did spend all those hours together in my divine realm so I always long to be physically with you."

I would feel myself blushing if I wasn't already and…

"...me too. But you are always with me so that helps me manage that feeling."

"Some people would not like having their girlfriends with them all the time or having said girlfriends read their thoughts, you know?"

Says Nerinne while giving me a curious look.

"Well, you've already seen my deepest desires and wishes. You even helped me realize a lot of them. Not forgetting that you also enjoyed everything that I showed you and considered me a friend by the end of it. You have seen me at my most bare state, my literal soul. You accept me even after all of that, so…I accept you as you are."

"You are truly quite strange...but that is one of the things I love about you, Auros."

"Please, you also have your own strangeness to think about, but I too love that part of you."

She unequips my shoulder armor with magic and rests her head on my shoulder.

Yep, she can do that.

I tilt my head in a way so that I can touch hers and we keep walking.

Try telling me to explode! HAHAHA!

Ah, we arrived.

The baths.

There are two very different entrances in front of us.

One goes completely with the medieval-fantasy theme of the castle with a wooden door and everything.

The other one, on the other hand, is different to say the least. It’s as if someone just transported the entrance to an anime-style onsen and put it here without caring for the overall theme of the place.

Heck, it even has a sign in kanji! Plus, a translation inside a parenthesis!

It just says, 'eastern type baths'. Wow...that's simple...

"Fufufu~~~I will take that as a compliment."

O-OF COURSE!

For a moment I felt Dark Nerinne coming out...

Time to decide.

Western or...

"Onsen of course, my dear~~."

But...I was going to talk about the differences of both before reaching a conclusion...maybe ask my delusions which one to go to...

"You can do that later; I have been looking forward to entering one of these with you since I saw them. So, onsen. Yes? Please?"

I can't resist that excited expression of yours...ok, let's go.

Even more so when you are literally pulling me towards it!

And so, we entered the bath.

______________________________________________________

"Ooooh."

I let that out as I marvel at the look of the place.

"It really feels like we have been transported to another place altogether."

Says Nerinne with the same expression as myself.

"Yes, it all feels so…authentic? Look! We even have to take our shoes off before entering!"

I know I sound really stupid, but can you blame me?

"Indeed. It is quite the interesting thing. How exciting!"

We both quickly unequip our greaves and sandals respectively, all so that we can use the slippers that are conveniently waiting for us at the foot of the step right before entering the locker room.

"Ah, so soft and comfy..."

It’s like stepping on a cloud...

"Yes, that is exactly how it feels..."

Says the one with actual experience.

Just like kids who discovered a new place to play in, or like weebs who finally managed to travel to the ‘promised land’, ‘otaku prime’, Japan, we excitedly began exploring the place while looking for our lockers.

But…

"They are not here...so strange."

I say while checking again from my side, I could see lockers for Erevain, Gabrielle, Kris and so on but not one with my name or Nerinne’s.

"Dear~~~, I think I found our locker. Come."

'Our' locker?

That sure is making me raise an eyebrow out of curiosity and of course, I immediately go to where Nerinne is and…wow.

There’s a big and luxurious Japanese-style sliding door right in front of us.

And just as she said, on the top of its frame there is a metal plate with both our names and Ilya's.

"That means this is our private locker. I feel so much like a VIP now."

I feel myself being filled by a sense of pride, even if all I did was give the ok to make this castle have this place.

"Well dear~~, you are a very important person in a lot of ways and me too, Ilya as well. Ah, but this really makes me feel like we are a family."

We are and that smile you are making right now is just gorgeous.

"Fufufu~~~, shall I do the honors, then?"

She says so as she prepares to slide the door open.

"Let's do it together."

I go to her side and we slide the door open revealing a beautiful traditional Japanese room, one that would make any weeb start listing how it looks like the one that appeared in 'x' amount of anime and manga.

I'm barely holding myself back.

I can already think of at least twenty...no...thirty five...hmm...fifty...

"It's certainly beautiful in a way. But it is strangely like that country's too..."

Huh? What did you just say Nerinne? Did you just confirmed that there's an 'I can't believe it’s not fantasy japan' place in Arte?

Did you? Because if you did, I so want to check it off my list of isekai things!

"If you keep going down that hole your instinct is going to dump you in a place full of spoilers, my dear~~~."

Crap let's forget about that then until volume 5 at least.

"Yes, and I just found the perfect thing to distract that mind of yours."

She says while taking out two big white towels while her divine looking clothes start...disappearing...slowly...

...shot of chest...shot of thighs...shot of legs...praise.

...fanservice...good...

...gorgeous...

...

"Fufufu~~~that was 'super effective', yes?"

I nod.

"But dear, you cannot be the only one enjoying the show. So please Auros, do take that bodysuit off. And slowly so I can enjoy it."

HHHNG...

I-I mean...she says so while smiling seductively...

And of course, I comply, so enjoy more fanservice.

I start by undoing the hidden magical seams that are on the turtle-neck part of the bodysuit, with them going all the way down to my shoulders.

Doing that, I pull downwards from the base of my neck and then take out one of my arms while feeling the jiggle of my now free chest.

I follow going all the way down until I am completely nude...and being watched by Nerinne and her glowing golden eyes.

She really meant it when she said she was going to enjoy it.

Even if it feels slightly embarrassing, I shall not act in a way that makes me seem more like a tsundere. Nope, I will not!

"Gorgeous."

She says.

Aaaaaaaaaah! I feel my mouth starting to tremble and my cheeks getting as red as a tomato!

"Fufufufu~~~, I think you look more like a cherry though."

THIS GODDESS!!

___________________________________________________

After that, we both grabbed one of the towels and covered ourselves with them, even though there is no one else here we both felt the need to do it for the sake of the experience.

"Now, the main event can start!"

I exclaim while opening the door to the bath with the necessary impact worthy of all the onomatopoeias of doing so in manga!

"Onsen! Onsen! Onsen!"

Exclaims Nerinne who is jumping excitedly behind me.

“"...!"”

Surprised weeb couple at the sight of the onsen is surprised.

"Outdoor..."

"...bath."

Umu. We leveled up as a couple and we can now finish each other sentences.

"Look Auros! A sakura tree!"

"OHHH!!"

I bet our eyes are like shining stars right now, all while admiring the outdoor bath that looks just like you can imagine, and how it has been drilled into our minds by so many manga and anime to this point.

Come on, there was at least one anime two seasons away that pretty much revolved around a haunted hot spring inn.

Anyways, there was a big and blooming cherry tree at one side of it.

Of course, at our sides you can see the place where one must clean themselves before entering. It even has mirrors, shampoo, and all of that.

You know, the whole 'taking a bath before the bath' thing.

"There is even a sky here!"

I say while looking beyond the tree, it was still morning outside, so it reflected that here.

My plans of making a training field with a forest included are becoming more and more real.

"Auros, come sit!"

Says Nerinne excited while having a bar of soap in her hands.

Oh! That means…! IT HAS COME! ONE OF THE GLORIOUS EVENTS OF AN ONSEN IN ISEKAI!!

THE HEROINE WASHING THE PROTAGONIST'S BACK!!

NERINNE IS NODDING WHILE GIVING ME THE THUMBS UP AND IS REALLY HYPED UP!!

BESTO GIRLFRIEND RIGHT THERE!

I do as she says and waste no time in undoing my braid-bun, taking off my towel and going to her.

She starts with water of course. I can feel it going slowly down my body.

"Is it cold, dear~~?"

"No, it is actually perfect."

"Fufufu~~, let's start with your hair then..."

She washes my hair and even my horns softly and skillfully.

It feels so relaxing...

"You are the best Nerinne..."

"Now, now, say that after this dear~~."

"Hmm?! HMM?!"

I feel two very soft things, like marshmallows, touching my back.

I can also feel the soap making everything more slippery than normal.

Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down.

"Hnn!"

Ah what cute moan she just made...so hot...so good...

Washing the back of the protagonist with her body for even more fanservice...check!

Wait…I feel like she just made a sinister grin, but that is just my imagination, right?

"Fufufu~~~do not worry, Auros. I shall clean you up completely."

"Ahn!"

H-Her hands suddenly reached for my breasts making me let that involuntary moan out and she is now ‘cleaning’ them.

Mmnn…! Thoroughly…!

“Hannnh…!”

"Oh my! They sure are big! Fufufu~~."

O-Obligatory girl on girl in onsen line, c-check!

It feels…

"Mhnnn!"

Good...so mmmhn good...like finally getting to scratch an itch...

But her hands don't stop there, oh no, she goes for my armpits too, thighs, belly...everything is cleaned thoroughly while I try to keep myself from moaning even more.

"Ahhnn!!"

Until she finishes...

"Hah...hah...hah..."

My breathing is heavy but at the same time I feel so light and sparkly clean...

"My turn, Auros."

She says so while sitting on the place beside me, all excited and giving me the soap.

"With pleasure..."

As I say that, I smile, get up and go towards her.

"I shall show you the incredible technique that I have developed after having to do my sister's hair all the time!"

With that, I give her the best hair wash of her entire life.

Oh, but of course that's not all...

"What you did to me, I will do to you..."

I whisper on her ear while pressing my soap covered breasts on her back, my hands already reaching for other places.

"Fufufu~~~, I am counting on it."

____________________________________________________

Another fanservice scene later...

Hey, don't complain, you can already imagine how it went without me narrating it!

We have both entered the hot spring and are relaxing while sitting close to one another.

"Fuuh...this is good..."

"Indeed..."

I look at my breasts and...ooh, they do float. Not in an exaggerate manner but they do.

The wind is blowing and the sakura tree's leaves are moving almost hypnotically while some of the flowers rain down gracefully onto the surface of the water.

"This would be nice while playing a certain mobile game too..."

I seriously need my fix...

"Even more so with the new year’s event that just ended on the Japanese server..."

Says Nerinne sighing...WAIT, WHAT?! BUT IT WAS STILL NOVEMBER WHEN I MET YOU!

"Time flows differently in the divine realm and here, so two months and a half have passed over there, even if you only have been in Arte for three days, dear~~~."

She says so while playing with two flowers that were on the surface of the water.

"But that means...MY LOGIN BONUS!! THE BANNERS! THE LUCKY BAG!! THE OP UNITS I WAS WAITING FOR IN THE GLOBAL SERVER!! THE NEW JAPANESE CHAPTER AND THE BANNERS TOO!!"

AAAAHHH, I MISS MY FRANCHISE COLLECTION!!!

SCRATCH THAT!! I MISS MY ENTIRE COLLECTION!!!

While I'm having this breakdown that has me at the verge of tears, she just grabs one of the flowers, puts it on my hair while making a cool expression and pulls my face close to hers.

"Fufufufu~~~do not worry, Auros. I have been logging in on your accounts all this time, I also pulled on every banner and the lucky bag on both servers. I also got you out of resource scarcity on both accounts as a bonus. Congratulations, you are the proud owner of six new six stars in the global server and five in the Japanese server. One of those even has a limit-broken ultimate, but I am not telling you about the latter group because of spoilers."

My eyes widen.

Nerinne looks as if she is shining.

This...is this what true love feels like?

"I love you."

"Fufufu~~~~, I know. But before you ask, no, you did not get a certain Mesoamerican goddess. Sharing you with other goddesses is a big no. Fictional or otherwise."

*shudders*

*gulp*

"I love you."

....

 

To be continued (cue author crying salty tears for not pulling any five stars in the banners of his own favorite gacha. Also, equal the love...equal the fear?) (P.S. Uncensored version of the illustration can be found in the discord server's +18 commissioned art channel. Illustration made by LARH and sponsored by Ayth, Maid Paragon Patron and a dear member of the community).

Here we have Sylvie! Just pardon the school uniform, the clothing selection is very limited...

Please do not translate my work without my permission. Favor de no traducir mi trabajo sin mi expreso permiso.

Please do not repost the official or the fan-made art shown here and in the story in general. Por favor no repostees el arte oficial o el arte hecho por fans mostrado aquí y en la historia en general.

See you all next chapter and thank you for reading!