She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (LN) - Volume 12 - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

LAYING BACK IN THE WATER, Mira relished the comfortable bath. After a while, though, she felt like something was missing. What could it be? she thought.

She looked around. It didn’t take her long to realize.

“That’s it…”

The problem was the wall immediately next to the bath. The room had expanded just enough to accommodate the tub, but the bathroom was still barely big enough to cram in two people. Even with the added bathtub space, it was hardly large.

There was no question about it—this bathroom was cramped.

Until now, Mira’s baths had all been in larger spaces—the luxurious tubs in her rooms in her tower and in the castle, the lovely personal baths in hotels, larger public baths, and so on. In retrospect, she had quite a diverse history with baths. Thus, despite having the privilege of bathing someplace nobody else could, she still felt dissatisfied.

The main reason was this claustrophobic feeling. She wouldn’t have minded this in a bath back in Japan, but now that she was familiar with luxurious spaciousness, this seemed too hemmed in.

“It might feel different if only there were a window…” she muttered, gazing at the high white wall next to her. The room wasn’t just small; it contained no window affording an outdoor view, which only added to the cramped feeling.

This mansion’s resident was a girl, so a window would practically invite a Peeping Tom. Mira didn’t particularly care, though. She prioritized her need for a satisfying bath. As she reflected that this moment would be perfect, if only there were a window, the entire mansion began to shake.

“What the—?”

Was it an earthquake? Even as the thought occurred to her, the house clearly started to change. The shaking grew more violent, warping the wall next to Mira significantly.

What was the meaning of this? She’d only made a contract with the mansion spirit recently and didn’t know everything about it, so the reason for this outburst was beyond her. Was it angry that she thought the bathroom was cramped?

No—the mansion spirit was changing according to her wishes. As the shaking subsided, the wall next to her became a panoramic window. There was no light outside; all she saw was the land, covered in darkness, and the stars glimmering in the sky.

“Ooh… A starry evening is always a magnificent sight.” Countless stars shined across the sky, undisturbed. Feeling the sheer breadth of the sky above in that moment, Mira relaxed anew in the hot water. She put her hand on the window. “You made a window for me,” she murmured. “Thanks, friend.”

Since the mansion spirit had opened a window just because she wanted one, it presumably had a flexible structure. In other words, it could rebuild itself as it pleased. Realizing that, Mira fantasized about what she could do when it got bigger. It would be a home full of her hopes and dreams, able to realize any ideal.

About an hour after getting in, Mira finally had her fill of soaking. She got out of the bath and left the room.

“Ah, I love baths.” She dried herself with a towel and threw on a pair of undies. Under the pretense of letting her hot body cool, she stayed half-naked and picked up the Quick-Chill Cooling Box. “Let’s see… Ooh! It’s ice-cold!”

The drink in the box was surprisingly chilly—truly the perfect drinking temperature.

Mira picked up the bottle, labeled “coffee milk,” and smiled gleefully. “I knew it. This is the perfect drink after a bath.” The ultimate drink following the ultimate environment. 

Mira had picked a coffee milk sold not for household consumption but for public baths. She wanted to balance the mansion spirit’s security with the sense of travel the coffee milk provided.

She’d gotten many varieties of coffee milk; indeed, her decision-making earlier had focused on which she wanted in this moment. She’d chosen one produced by Brobel Plateau Farms. 

Other options had included the Royal Coffee Milk sold by classy hotels, Morning-Squeezed Extra-Rich Coffee Milk using milk from a local dairy, Coffee Milk Flower Star concocted by an award-winning pastry chef, Special Select Coffee Milk blended by a first-rate barista who never compromised on quality, and still others.

As a place where many people gathered, Grandrings sold all kinds of coffee milk, and Mira had bought every single type for this very moment.

“Another fantastic view.” She walked to a big window as she opened the coffee milk, leaned next to it, and gazed outside. This window faced a different direction from the bathroom window, providing a view of the nearby river. The water reflected the moon and stars shining that evening.

It was a beautiful night, worthy of her first bath in the mansion. She toasted the sky, brought the coffee milk to her lips, and elegantly tilted the can. She didn’t stand with her legs at shoulder width and her left hand on her hip; that wasn’t something that one did alone. Alone, one had to change how they did things, resulting in Mira’s current method. 

She drank the coffee milk like fine wine, quaffing it unhesitatingly, then slowly savoring the taste. This was the way to truly enjoy a postbath coffee milk.

“Mmm. The coffee flavor spreads through the mouth instantly, yet the milk’s smooth texture and rich flavor make its presence known and equal. You really can’t beat farm-fresh quality!” Mira cast her gaze at the sky, emulating a critic.

A pet theory of hers was that food produced on a farm—classic farm-fresh ice cream, caramel, cheese, sausage, and so on—was delicious. She’d drawn that conclusion from simple experience. The name “Brobel Plateau Farms” was proof enough that this coffee milk would be wonderful.

After a couple sips, Mira added, “Mm, such lovely harmony,” swirling the liquid gently. She was fully acting the part of a coffee milk sommelier, although she’d never properly taste-tested every type.

Still, the half-naked gourmand certainly savored her ice-cold coffee milk. Her posturing aside, it was true that the beverage was delicious. Enjoying it, Mira ended her day with great satisfaction.

***

The next morning, Mira woke at the perfect time, neither too early nor too late. Sunlight shone through the window, filling the room with pleasant warmth.

“Mmm…lovely morning.”

Waking under perfect conditions, she sat up and stretched, sitting in a sleepy daze for a moment. Then she slowly got around to preparing for the day.

She used the bathroom, showered, and finally woke fully. At that point, she sat in the middle of the room and contemplated, “Now, what do I feel like today?”

Naturally, she was thinking about the day’s most important meal, breakfast. Since she’d bought so many foods for that meal, she was spoiled for choice—perhaps too spoiled.

“Hrmm…I think I’ll have this, this, and this.”

After some ten minutes of thinking, she finally selected a menu, then enjoyed it while she watched the calming view through the window.

Today’s breakfast was a set of specialty sandwiches from a lovely bakery that she’d heard about from a passing housewife in Grandrings. In addition to staples like egg sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches, and the like, Mira had thrown in a teriyaki sandwich to really “beef” up the meal.

The housewife hadn’t steered her wrong; all her recommendations were delicious. The voluminous, juicy teriyaki sandwich in particular was so good, Mira was tempted to fly back for more.

“This really is the ultimate way to use an Item Box.”

After eating her sandwiches, which would stay fresh however long she waited to consume them, Mira finished her satisfying breakfast by picking up a drink: malted milk. This beverage was made by adding powdered malt to chocolate milk. It was truly the perfect breakfast drink.

A passing female adventurer had recommended the malted milk. It was from a famous sweets shop in Grandrings—the same place that sold Coffee Milk Flower Star—and was a breakfast staple.

“Lately, I feel like I have more vim and vigor than ever.”

Mira smiled in satisfaction as she examined her healthy figure. Did the food she ate really influence her shape much? That wasn’t clear, but for now, she was still in her ideal form. Her tummy was a little bloated from overeating, but that was neither permanent nor important.

Finally finishing breakfast, Mira changed her clothes and prepared to depart.

***

“Mm-hmm. Good and ready.”

After changing, packing, and preparing to leave, Mira checked one more time in case she’d missed anything. After that final confirmation, she stepped through the door and exited the mansion spirit.

It would technically be fastest to leave by dismissing the spirit, rather than going outside first. There was a reason Mira didn’t do that, though: Stepping through the door simply felt more like an adventure. Moreover, she simply liked to see the mansion spirit from outside.

“Good. Yes, very good. Being lord of a castle and its grounds is every man’s dream, after all. And this mansion spirit—my property—can even be packed up at will. It truly is my home. Ah, how wonderful.”

A home sweet home, a sanctuary where one could relax to the utmost, was the ultimate destination everyone dreamed of. Mira was no exception, and her hopes for the mansion only grew.

The mansion spirit now sat in an endless grassland, but as long as she had space to summon it, she could come home to it anytime she wanted. That overwhelming advantage put the spirit head and shoulders above other homes. Even nobles and royalty would surely covet this summon.

A peerless personal castle, now with a bath to boot—and this mansion had so much more potential.

“I look forward to our next night together, friend.” Mira rubbed her cheek against the mansion, envisioning the endless possibilities, then finally dismissed it. “Now…we should arrive around evening.”

After checking the distance to her destination, she considered her lodgings in Haxthausen. The mansion was great, of course, but once-in-a-lifetime inn stays were lovely as well.

While she mulled that over, she strolled to the wagon parked by the river and activated her summoning magic. Garuda emerged from the circle and immediately bowed to Mira, showing fealty. It was a loyal beast indeed.

“Good to be working with you again, my friend.” Mira thanked Garuda for its loyalty with a pat on the beak.

She always remembered to show such gratitude. She’d been able to speak to the creature in-game, but now that the game was reality, her recognition of her summoned friends had become a constant. The summoner was just happy that they’d helped her so much.

Garuda stood and spread its wings wide. Those iridescent wings were its calling card, and the way it spread them was boastful.

Mira and Garuda had a long, involved past. The beast had once sworn fealty to Danblf, for it both revered him and owed him a debt of gratitude that could never be repaid. As such, despite the simplicity of the job of carrying Mira, Garuda was proud to do it.

“I’ll leave this to you.” Mira gazed at her reliable friend for a moment. Satisfied, she returned to the wagon, sat in front of the window, and watched the flowing river and endless grassland.

When Garuda saw that Mira had settled in, the wagon slowly rose upward. The gentle sound of the wind was refreshing, and it was wonderful to see the scenery lower beneath her, even though she’d seen that many times before.

What was a seemingly ordinary Japanese-style room at a glance soared through the sky, the magnificent view providing luxury of yet another type.