* * *

Kilniara skipped back towards her room with Gwenvair, slipping inside to see her sitting at the dresser preparing for the evening.

“Gwenvair! Joe has offered an amazing idea, I think? Maybe?”

Gwenvair turned and smiled at her, “Mmm?”

“He wishes to have a time private with one another.”

“A time of privacy?” Gwenvair snapped her head around to stare at her even as her cheeks began to flush.

Kilniara noticed Gwenvair’s flushing cheeks and immediately froze, her own cheeks reddening rapidly as she shook her hands wildly, “No! No! Not like that. He wishes to wander the streets with us alone.”

Gwenvair’s flushing cheeks cooled but she still seemed a bit flustered, “Alone in the streets?”

Kilniara’s flustered reaction did not calm much but she was able to adequately explain the second time, “Ah, no. He wishes to have a time with each of us, alone.

Gwenvair’s face cleared although she still seemed a bit flustered, “Then, … but why?”

Kilniara smiled, “He said that we need to develop our own relationships with one another. It cannot only be a relationship in a group. We each must seek out a relationship with one another.”

Gwenvair’s face tensed in thought before she began nodding, the idea growing in acceptance, “That… is true.”

“I thought it was… quite wise.”

Gwenvair glanced up at Kilniara with her own smile, “I think… you are right. It is quite wise.”

The two girls fell silent, thoughtful for a few moments before Gwenvair rapidly began, “Then we should set up for a time for tomorrow? We should split our time with Joe tomorrow then spend the evening with each other?”

Kilniara nodded, “We could. Should one of us spend the early morning…”

Gwenvair shook her head, “No. Let’s spend the morning as usual, but when Joe plans to leave for the city, one of us can spend the day… the morning with… well, should we spend an entire day? Or share it?”

Kilniara thought for a bit before replying, “He will likely go to the dungeon soon and is only resting because of the festival. We do have days of rest, as he calls them, but they are only once or twice every tenday.”

Gwenvair frowned, “I do not wish to wait a tenday.”

Kilniara nodded, “Then…”

The two fell silent again for a bit before Kilniara quickly popped up, hopping in place, “One of us can do the morning, meet for lunch all together, and then the other can do the afternoon! Then we can end the day together for supper. So we begin the day together, then enjoy our time with him, then end together for supper.”

Gwenvair’s face cleared and she smiled, “Ah… yeah… yeah! That’s…”

Both girls came together and began chattering, plans forming and dissipating quickly as they both began developing the following day, their grins and joy infectious.

* * *

Joe woke once again in the middle of the night, still alone. He frowned before shaking his head in an attempt to dismiss his unhappiness. This is what you wanted, idiot. He still let a sigh slip, realizing now that he truly did enjoy the warmth of companionship that even a simple rest beside one another provided. He took a bit to recover his emotions but was soon once again practicing his mana skills, both mana manipulation and mana emissions. His personal emissions proved to be greatly improved, and he was able to go full bore without any pain except for a very slight twinge when he came close to emptying it out at the end.

After recuperating his personal mana, he found he was able to practice his personal emissions again without pain until that slight twinge at the end. Seeing this, Joe added personal mana practice once again, although he made certain to not empty his mana completely to keep from experiencing the pain. If it hurts, bad idea to push it. He did add a temporary checkup to his daily to do list to make sure he knew when he recovered so he could return to pushing his personal mana emission much more.

His practice went quite a bit longer than usual, Joe finding the bed rather cold without company, but he still ended up falling asleep once again early in the morning in the middle of his practices, his sleep enveloping him and drawing him implacably into darkness once again.

He awoke again in the early morning, still cold, still alone, and the sigh, this time, was much harder to restrain. He returned to his magic and skill practice as it was still quite early in the morning, at least two or three hours before anyone else awoke again.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

His practice went well enough, and like always, his mana point work showed itself to be offering obvious improvements while his personal mana emissions were difficult, although he thought there might be some kind of change. Maybe?

Joe practiced diligently, if a little grumpily since he was without Kilniara. With the growing light of morning, Joe found little reason to continue lounging in bed and having completed his latest set of exercises and skill practice, he headed to the bathing room and enjoyed the heat and water. About half way through, Zilnek and Garnedell came tumbling in, this time much less hung over although still a bit grumpy.

“Hey, guys.”

“Hello, Joe.”

“Hi, Joe,” Zilnek replied with a bit of moaning.

Joe didn’t tease him, but a small smile threatened to shine through as his grumbling was a bit amusing. He was able to keep his face clear and soon the two others slipped into the massive hole in the ground beside him, Garnedell groaning in relief at the warmth. Joe chuckled.

“Feels good, huh.”

Garnedell sighed, “Very much so.”

“Now you know why I like to bathe so much.”

Garnedell looked over at him and scowled, “Not in the cold!”

Joe laughed, “No. Maybe not in the cold, but it is still important.”

Garnedell fell silent at that, but looked at Joe with interest, “Could I ask a question?”

Joe replied without raising his head, “Mm.”

“Why is bathing so important to you?”

Joe replied lazily, still laying his head on the edge of the bathing pool, “Bathing?”

Garnedell nodded, “You do it… daily. I even thought you worshiped Enki, remember?”

Joe raised his head and chuckled, remembering as he glanced at Garnedell lazily, “Enki? Oh, yeah… the god of water and oceans? Yeah.”

This time, Joe noticed Garnedell’s solemn curiosity and he sat up, taking on a more somber mien when he saw how serious Garnedell was.

Garnedell saw Joe’s change and sat up as well, “Yeah, so if you are not worshiping Enki, then why do you do it every day.”

Joe pondered that quickly before sighing deeply and considering. Germ theory… just… too tired… I’ll explain later, but… something quick and dirty for now? Yeah… just quick…, “Bathing is important to health.”

“You said this before. How?”

“Bathing in water is healthy, keeps you clean, and just… feels good. Well, usually, if the water’s not too cold,” OK. Maybe just a bit of germ theory? Something for them to think on… maybe… “You know there are things that are very small, yes?”

Garnedell nodded, “Yes. There are small things

“And small things can go even smaller.”

Garnedell nodded again and Joe continued, “What do you think of something that has gotten incredibly small. What if it were so small you cannot see it. Is this possible?”

Garnedell smiled, “Like the parts of the air that Gwenvair was using.”

Joe smiled, “Yes. These very small things… you cannot see them, but they are on your body and can harm you. Bathing in water can wash them from your body, if you do it regularly and it is healthy and good for you.”

Garnedell paused at that, thoughtful, even as Zilnek’s disinterested listening changed to one of focus.

“So, meditation in water is good for you?” Zilnek asked with earnestness.

Joe chuckled, “Yes, but not for meditation purposes. You can combine the two, true, but cleaning yourself is healthy simply to protect from disease and even some poisons or other issues.”

“It strengthens your body,” Zilnek asked with a bit of breathless excitement, as if he’d had a realization.

Joe paused at that before shaking his head carefully thinking of a reply that could make sense to the two guys, “Not really. It does not strengthen the body. In fact, staying in water too long can be harmful, but you have to stay in a … long time. Bathing in water actually helps you not weaken. It does not strengthen or make the body better, but it will keep the body from weakening so easily.”

Zilnek nodded firmly, taking some kind of meaningful information from it that Joe worried wasn’t exactly the most useful understanding. Joe thought for a bit but then decided that explaining germ theory, the immune system, and their interaction was a bit much so early in the morning and let it go with just a small caveat.

“It isn’t magical, nor a special cultivation technique, but it will be very important for a people, city, village, or clan if everyone does it. It will protect the entire city from disease and help them stay healthy and live longer.”

Garnedell’s eyes widened and Zilnek sat forward. Garnedell took a bit before breathing out a whisper.

“A clan protection!”

Joe chuckled, “Maybe, if you want to think of it like that.”

Garnedell smiled in jittery excitement while Zilnek’s intensity shattered into shock. Joe saw both of their reactions and stifled a chuckle. Huh. Guess that does sound sorta magical… if you don’t understand the underlying mechanisms… but… if they want to see it as magical, then its fine. I’ll have to make sure I teach them this when we get a chance. I got my year left. Let’s use it as best as possible!

Everyone fell silent at that, enjoying their baths, although Joe noticed that Garnedell and Zilnek seemed to be quite a bit more devoted to their bathing routine, seeming to put a deliberate emotional or mental effort into the bathing that made it begin to border on ritual or worship. Which… if … wait… did they think I was worshiping the god of wat… They did! Didn’t they! Ha! Now… that’s

Joe’s soft chuckle swelled just into the audible but the two boys ignored him and seemed to double down on their efforts. Joe moved on from soaking and bathed himself before drying off and leaving the bathroom. He closed the door softly behind him and made it back to his room to change, all the while keeping his amusement silent. Wonder how long they’ll stay. Wonder how many wrinkles they’ll have! Joe’s smile grew a bit with that last thought and he turned his thoughts to putting on his clothes and heading out to the dining room.

Today proved he was a bit lazy as Gwenvair and Kilniara were both already at the table, although they hadn’t started to eat yet. The chair between them was left open, and Kilniara quickly patted it with a hand while beckoning him, but didn’t stop her whispered and excited conversation with Gwenvair. Both huddled over the seat Kilniara wanted him to sit in and so he waited patiently. Gwenvair’s mother smiled and acknowledged his entrance.

“Forgive them. They are quite… excited.”

Joe shrugged, “Girls are easil… aahh,” Joe trailed off when he saw the Matriarch quirk and eyebrow.

“I mean, they should enjoy their time,” he finished with a small smile.

Toulnaria chuckled softly and shook her head, “If you are able to accept their humor as easily as you give it, I believe you will do quite well.”

Joe shrugged, “Teasing tends to be a more male form of humor, but it is enjoyable to me.”

Toulnaria nodded, “Men can be cruel in their teasing.”

Joe nodded easily, “But the men find it enjoyable and see it as a form of acceptance.”

“Truly?”

“I do. And my male friends tended to. Some cultures do so more than others, but yes, often it is what we do.”

“You do not find it painful?”

Joe shook his head, “No. It can be, but men who are true friends are usually cautious and wise not to choose a topic that will harm another. It is a form of companionship we enjoy, but we do not abuse it. We would lose our friends if we did so.”

“I have seen it happen.”

Joe grimaced, “Yes. Abuse is… not a good basis for friendship.”

“Then why do you do it?”