Shinwa Densetsu no Eiyuu no Isekaitan - Volume 7 - Chapter SS

Bonus Short Stories

Blissful Days with the Valditte

“Hiro!”

It was early morning, scarcely past sunrise. A flurry of footsteps rang through the hallways, light and cheerful, suggesting joyful feet. The sixth princess’s flame-red hair streamed behind her as she ran.

“Hiirooo!”

Smiling from ear to ear, she combed the halls for any sign of him. The sight of her would have made anyone soften their gaze tenderly—anyone but the boy she was looking for.

“I’m not mad, I promise!” Her voice abruptly dropped in pitch. “So come on out already.”

Hiro quivered in the nook where he was hiding, scrunching himself up into a tighter ball. His black garb blended in with the shadows, rendering him perfectly undetectable.

I knew she wasn’t happy with me, but when did this escalate so quickly?

For a while, Liz’s attitude toward him had been ineffably hostile. She had greeted him with her usual smiles, but they had not reached her eyes. Too conscious of his own culpability to argue back, he had taken to hiding until her anger blew over.

“I hear you bathed with Scáthach again today! And with Rosa yesterday, and who else? Cerberus, your swiftdrake, and Tris? Don’t you always say that you hate bathing with women? Well, now I’m getting some answers out of you!”

That was the long and short of it. If bathing alongside women was the problem, he didn’t understand why men or animals were an issue too, but then, there was a lot about the situation that he didn’t understand.

Scáthach is too bold to predict, and Rosa is too cunning with the way she picks her moments. Maybe it’s because they’ve got a couple of years on me...

His internal monologue started going in directions that either of them would be furious to know about.

“Even Huginn was crying because you didn’t let her join! Muninn started lording it over her that he got to bathe with you, and she knocked him across the room!”

With a brief prayer for Muninn’s swift recovery, Hiro put a pained hand to his head. He had bathed with Scáthach and Rosa, so he couldn’t pretend that her charges were false. More to the point, choosing to hide had clearly only poured fuel on the flames—for that, he blamed his male instincts.

“You’ll bathe with them, but the moment you see me start to change, I can’t see you for dust! I know you ran in on Aura once too, you know! She told me how she had to fend you off with the Black Chronicle!”

That particular incident had been...accidental fanservice, one might have said back on Earth, but it didn’t seem like Liz would be receptive to that explanation.

“Aren’t you always going on about how boys and girls should bathe separately? You can’t even practice what you preach!”

Hiro curled up tighter. She had him dead to rights on that.

“What in the world is all this racket?”

A woman’s voice—Rosa’s, by the sound of it—addressed an increasingly incensed Liz. Hiro could make out more sets of footsteps than just hers, but he couldn’t see who else was there from his hiding place.

“I want to settle this bathing thing with Hiro once and for all, but I think he’s hiding from me.”

“Dear me. Are you still angry about that? I thought I told you that you’re invited next time.”

“That’s not good enough. I want to hear what he has to say for himself.”

“I see. So it’s a confession you want.” Rosa sounded amused. “Very well. I’m certain Huginn and Scáthach will be delighted to help.”

“If you wish,” came Scáthach’s voice.

“It pains me to turn against His Lordship,” Huginn chirped, “but I suppose needs must!”

“This is silly,” said a quiet voice.

“So you say, Aura, but I see you setting aside your book.”

There was a pause. “I reached the end of a chapter, that’s all.”

Now they were all coming for him. Hiro’s blood ran cold.

“Seeing as we’re all here, why don’t we seize him and take him to the baths? Surely any man would dream of being attended by so many beauties.”

Sensing imminent danger, Hiro turned to flee, only to find his path blocked.

“Oh. Hey, Cerberus.”

The white wolf cocked her head, regarding Hiro with doleful eyes. His shoulders slumped as he realized what was coming. A moment later, her teeth parted and a piercing howl echoed down the corridor.

“Yeah... Should’ve figured.”

With a dry chuckle, Hiro raised his eyes to the ceiling in defeat.