The Strongest Wizard Becomes a Countryside Guardsman After Taking an Arrow to the Knee

Chapter 224 – Beasts and Baths

I thought Steff had just gotten out of the bath.

After she wet herself from Timi’s cry, Vi-Vi had taken her in there to get washed off.

「I thought you already took a bath.」

「I did!」

「So why are you here?」

「I thought it was obvious that I had to help my master with whatever was necessary…as his disciple!」

「No, you don’t have to worry about that.」

「But…」

「Don’t worry about it. It’s not good to have mixed bathing.」

「…I see…」

I thought this when she took a new name as well, but Steff really follows the old ways of disciples.

Nowadays they have very little duties. But I don’t really care much with kids like Collette.

But with Steff, her father really was a follower of my master.

That’s why she felt like the first REAL disciple of mine.

And because of that, she was working a bit too hard on trying to please me.

I was thinking about that when I got in the bath,

「Did you already wash off, Moofy?」

「Moo!」

I sniffed what Moofy smelled like.

She smelled clean, so I bet that Vi-Vi had washed her.

If so, I didn’t need to wash her off again.

「Femm, over here.」

「Wuff!」

While I was washing Femm,

「Moo moo!」

Moofy sidled up wanting to be washed too.

「You want me to wash you AGAIN?!」

「Moo!」

「Oh well…」

I washed Moofy too.

Shiggy was already washing herself off.

The soap was pretty huge compared to Shiggy’s small claws.

And, she wasn’t good at it, so I thought I’d help her was afterwards.

「Good job, Shiggy.」

「ryaa ryaa」

Shiggy flapped her wings happily.

It must be hard for her to wash behind her wings, they didn’t look washed.

After washing Moofy, I washed all of Shiggy too.

「ryaa ryaa」

Shiggy said, happily.

After cleaning Shiggy off, I washed myself.

Femm and Moofy got into the bath.

However, Shiggy flew up to my head and tried to wash my hair with her little claws.

「Thanks, Shiggy.」

「ryaa ryaa」

She now was massaging my back with her little claws.

Cuter.

After finishing washing up, I got in the bath with Shiggy.

「Winter baths are the best!」

「Moo」

『Totally!』

「ryaaa!」

「My knee still hurts in all this cold, but the bath makes it bearable.」

『Good to hear.』

We all just sat there, happily.

After a while, Timi also came in.

「Shiggy, I’ll wash you off!」

「ryaa!」

Shiggy seemed to refuse, and Timi looked a little put out.

「It’s because she’s already been washed off.」

「Mmmmph.」

Timi sulked and started washing herself off. Very quickly.

She always took time washing off Shiggy too.

Then Timi quickly got in the bath.

「Winter baths are the best!」

『You said the same thing as Al.』

「You think so too, Al! I guess we’re a lot alike!」

「Maybe so…」

「Shiggy, come over here…」

Timi picked up Shiggy and started petting her.

「You’re going back to the pole now, right? Aren’t you going to be cold?」

She always leaves when she goes to sleep.

If she falls asleep and forgets, she might grow back to her dragon shape and destroy my house…or the whole village.

So most nights she goes back to the village for night.

「I have a lot of methods to stop from turning back to a dragon. Don’t think we dragons are that stupid.」

「Whoa. Okay then.」

After Timi stretched out in the tub, she looked at me.

「Is is rare for a beast-human to be a magician?」

She meant Steff.

「It’s rare, but there are some.」

『I worry about beast-human magicians.』

Femm said as it swam around.

Devils and elves had a lot of magic, humans some, and beasts only a little.

「It’s true that beast-humans have low amounts of magic, but it really does depend on individual ability.」

『Really?』

「I’m a human, but have more magic than most elves and devils.」

『That certainly is true.』

Timi said while petting Shiggy.

「I guess from my perspective, the difference between a devil and beast-human is so small it’s not noticeable.」

「Yeah, compared to an ancient dragon, it’s no big deal.」

「Well, you’re special Alra.」

「It’s an honor for you to say so.」

I lounged in the bath while thinking about how I would teach her.

It would basically be different from how I taught both Millet and Collette.

Steff already understood the basics well.

Even if I taught her at her level, gravity magic was way too hard for her. Very hard to prepare for.

I should ask Steff about what magic she can use first.

As I was thinking about that, Timi said,

「Alra, your master was Steff’s grandfather?」

「Yup.」

「Was he a beast-human too?」

「Nope. Just a normal human.」

「So is he really her grandfather?」

She looked confused.

「Her mother might have been a beast-human, but if you’ve got it in your blood, that’s not even necessary.」

「I see…」

Timi seemed to understand.