Elven Homeland, Tegor Forest.
When Shien returned from outside and came back to the hot spring-like magic power source, Millu and Lid were still there.
“Airi! Airi!”
Millu was still hugging Shien’s leg and shaking it. Her intentions were obvious.
“Alright, alright, I’ll take you to see Airi now, okay?” Shien sighed. “I wanted to soak in the bath a little longer and clean myself up first.”
Having been interrupted by Millu and Lid, Shien hadn’t enjoyed his bath, so he was a bit dissatisfied.
“Bath?”
Millu tilted her head, glancing at Shien, then at the hot spring, seemingly deep in thought.
Seeing this, Shien was first stunned, then his heart stirred.
(Could this be… a bathing together situation?)
Shien’s dissatisfied expression instantly changed to one of anticipation.
Millu let go of Shien’s leg and ran towards the hot spring.
This made Shien a little excited.
However, reality was cruel.
“Hey!”
Millu dipped her small hands into the hot spring, then suddenly splashed the water towards Shien with a cute shout.
“Splash!”
A large amount of water was splashed from the hot spring by Millu, like a downpour, instantly drenching Shien.
“Huh?”
Shien let out a silly sound, his excitement extinguished as he was drenched by the water.
When the water subsided, Shien, now soaked, stood there dumbfounded, unable to react for a long time.
“Bath! Done!” Millu ran back, hugged Shien’s leg again, and said with a beaming smile, “Airi! Airi!”
So, this little girl didn’t want to bathe with Shien, but wanted to see Airi quickly and helped Shien finish his bath.
In the simplest and crudest way possible.
“I…”
Shien’s composure crumbled.
He might as well not have bathed at all.
“Pfft! Hahahaha!”
Lid, who witnessed all of this from atop Millu’s head, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
That unrestrained laughter enraged Shien, and he grabbed the fluffy little beast, ruffling its fur vigorously.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you? Didn’t you?”
Shien, fuming, rubbed Lid’s fur roughly.
“Hey! Stop it! Don’t do that to me!”
Lid seemed surprised that Shien would dare to touch it, or rather, that anyone would dare to treat it like this. It struggled, its voice filled with anger. RâNοBΕŝ
Shien ignored it, venting his frustration fiercely, his mood finally improving a little.
“Let’s go. I’ll take you to see Airi.”
After tossing Lid back onto Millu’s head, Shien wiped the water from his face and walked ahead listlessly.
“Airi! Airi!”
Millu, who had been stunned by Shien’s actions towards Lid, snapped out of it, putting everything behind her, and happily followed.
“That brat, how dare he treat me like this…”
Lid, lying on Millu’s head, smoothed its ruffled fur while muttering resentfully through gritted teeth.
Shien ignored it and continued leading the way.
After leaving the hot spring area, Shien saw her.
He saw Carol pacing back and forth in the open space ahead, looking troubled and anxious.
“You’re back…!?”
Carol also seemed to sense something, turned her head, saw Shien, and immediately rushed over excitedly.
“Why so excited?”
Shien didn’t expect this rigid elf to be so worried about him and was a bit surprised.
Who would have thought that Carol, rushing over excitedly, would raise her staff without a word and strike at Shien’s head?
“Crack!”