The next morning I woke up feeling a bit strange. I think I had an odd dream, but I can’t remember it. Well, at least it’s not another nightmare.

Putting that aside, we then got ready and headed to breakfast.

“Hello Hansen, how’s the surprise going?”

“Good. It will be ready after lunch.”

“Cool. I’ll make sure to be ready by then.” I promised.

So, after checking out my super buff, doing some quick training with Pallet (I don’t think Melly felt that it went quickly), and eating a nicer lunch than usual, Hansen led me towards the… ‘public’ bathhouse? What are we doing here?

As I was thinking, we had arrived outside one of the large baths. “Here we are.”

“Um, is my surprise, a bath or something?”

“Indeed.”

“Oh, okay then,” I said as we entered. “Oh, a mud bath!” I realized once I saw the room.

It was, of course, covered in mud. A lot of mud. The entire bath was just mud. And, right next to the bath, were the three mud slugs. Huh, they look bigger than the last time I saw them.

“Hello.” I greeted.

“Hello.” “Hi.” “Greetings.” They replied. Huh, so they did advance. And all of them at that. I was worried that only the two survivors would have, so that’s nice.

“So, this is your surprise?”

“Yes.” “We prepared a special bath.” “We hope you like it.” They said.

“I’m sure I will.” They sound so cute, like innocent children.

“I’ll be leaving then. Please enjoy.” Hansen said as he went to leave.

“I’ll do just that then,” I replied as I waved.

After he left, I asked. “So, what should I do?”

“Remove your clothes.” “Enter the bath.” “And relax.” “““We will do the rest!”””

“Sounds good to me,” I replied before entering the bath. It… didn't feel like how I expected it to. Unlike regular mud, this just feels… clean. And soft, somehow. It’s quite relaxing actually. I’m really looking forward to this now.

“Ahhhhh” I muttered as I spent the next few minutes just relaxing.

“Ah!” I suddenly yelped as I was suddenly moved by the mud.

“Apologies.” “We did not mean to alarm you.” “We wanted to give you the proper gift now that your body is ready.”

“Oh, well, just warn me beforehand next time.” I sighed. I can’t be mad at them when they sound so sorry.

“Will do!” “Now we will show you.” “Our true gift.”

With that, they suddenly wrapped me up in a whirlpool of mud, before they, too, joined in. They soon started rubbing themselves all over me, giving me what seemed like an odd sort of massage.

As they continued, I could almost feel the tension and stress being physically washed away. After several minutes of them washing me, they set me down next to the bath.

“We are done.” “Sadly your mana restricts us from going further.” “But you can still enjoy the normal bath.”

“Thanks, I will,” I said, before checking out what they did.

“What!” I exclaimed.

“Surprised?” “Were we helpful?” “Did we do well?”

“Yeah, definitely,” I responded in shock.

First of all, my body was clean. Very clean. Like, inhumanly clean. Even my medical sudo-cleaning spell pales in comparison to this insane level of cleanliness. It seems like they’ve somehow magically improved my skin so much that it actively repels filth. It’s too bad the effect is only temporary.

Beyond that, my entire body feels cleansed, as if I had been cured of some sort of disease, which I can guarantee was not the case. Instead, my overall health has miraculously improved beyond what I thought possible. I just feel so healthy now, it’s like I’ve been reborn.

“I’ve never felt so good before! Thank you.” I praised with a smile.

“If you think this is good.” “You should see the true extent of our work.” “Sadly our greatest work requires us to infuse you with mana.” They apologized.

Ah, I see. “Don’t worry about it, this was already beyond great.”

“Thank you.” “Do you want to continue?” “While the effects won’t increase, laying in the mud is very relaxing.”

“Yes, that would be lovely. I was looking for a way to relax, after all.”

“Then can we join you?” “We would love to chat with you.” “We want to learn more about your amazing mana!”

“I’d be glad to have you all join me.”

______

“““Thank you for helping us!””” They all thanked me when I eventually left.

Ah, this was nice, I’m glad that I remembered their offer. I also learned a bit from talking with them.

For example, the higher tier of spirit they are, the denser their mana, and the more intense their ‘trait.’ Or, more specifically, their presence. Denser mana can contain more of themselves, hence why they become more intelligent the higher their tier.

That also explains why the highest-tiered spirits don’t contract with people, humans just can’t handle the sheer density of the mana that would be ‘permanently’ infused into them. However, that oddly means that I would have more direct potential as a summoner than Hansen. If I could actually contract with spirits.

I didn’t know this, but all saintesses, as well as those that have fused with cores, have our traits too present in our mana to store the fragment of the spirit necessary to actually call upon them.

That does make me wonder, though, could I manifest my mana like a spirit does?

Wait, of course, I can. That’s sort of what the weird saintess aura thing is! And, considering how the robes seem to complete my blessing, I should be able to do the aura thing once I can use the robes!

I, well, I wouldn’t actually have many opportunities to use it. As far as I know, it’s quite all or nothing, so unless I’m fine with affecting everyone with my mana trait, I won’t usually be able to use it. Well, it would still be pretty cool to be able to do that.

Hmm, what should I do now? Practice my cleansing spell so I can use it on others, and, you know, try to get as close to my current state as possible.

Actually, I really need to master the third mana vein spell, huh. While I don’t need to rush to learn it, it would be annoying if I went to retrieve the robes and that was what stopped me.

Okay, I shall resume my training. It shouldn’t be too bad anyway, it’s not like I’m in a desperate struggle to learn anything right now, so I can just swap to something else should I get bored or stressed.

Haa, I almost forgot that training is normally pretty fun. As they say, find a job you enjoy, and you’ll never work a day in your life!

Wait, isn’t that a lot like Melly? Uh, well, that’s fine. It’s not like being motivated is a bad thing.

Now, let’s get back into training!

______

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Knock Knock

I was jolted ‘awake’ by knocking.

“Uh, yes?” I asked.

“It’s time for dinner,” Melly called.

“Ah, I’ll be right there,” I responded. “Sorry about that, I got lost in my studies.” I apologized once I left my room. I feel like I’ve been doing that more often lately. I’ll need to work on that, hyper-focusing on things can be quite dangerous when you are traveling or battling.

“Ah, yeah,” Melly said distractedly.

“Hmm, are you okay?” I asked in worry. I’ve never seen her this distracted.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just, what happened?” What? “Ah, I mean, you look amazing, so I was wondering what you could have done to get like that.”

“Ah. Yeah, isn’t it amazing! I even feel healthier than I look! Those mud slugs are marvelous. And to think this isn’t even their best work.” I smiled.

“Ah, so this was their surprise. I must admit, it is quite surprising. But, what do you mean ‘not their best work?” She accuses.

“Well, to do any better, they would have to infuse me with their mana, so…”

“Ah, that makes sense, sorry.”

“It’s fine. Just don’t mention it to them, they were pretty sad about that.” I advised.

“Okay. Still, I’m already jealous of what they did, what would their best work be like?” She wondered.

“Well, whatever it is, I can’t get it.”

“Ah.”

Luckily our silence didn’t last long, as we soon arrived at the table everyone was sitting at.

“Hello, Eli. Wow, you look amazing!” Rapunzel complimented.

“Indeed.”

“I also agree. I must admit, I do feel a tinge of jealousy.” Greg admitted, to everyone’s agreement. Even Hansen, for some reason.

“Already? You don’t even know the best part.” I teased.

Seeing their anticipation, I continued. “You see, the cleanliness is more than just skin deep. I now feel healthier than I thought was even possible. It’s as if my very being has been cleansed. It’s lovely.” I bragged.

“Healthy beyond even what a healer thought possible, that’s, insane,” Rapunzel exclaimed in shock.

“It is. So Hansen, thank you.”

“It wasn’t me.”

“True, but I still wouldn’t have experienced this without you.” He just nodded in acceptance.

“Shall we eat? I feel that talking more will just make us more jealous.” Rapunzel advised. Well, that is true.

______

After dinner, Melly and I once again returned to her room.

“You know, it’s a bit odd that I’m still sleeping in your room,” I commented.

“Only if you think it is. Did you want to sleep in your room instead?”

“Not really, though I am kinda sad that Rapunzel isn’t joining us.”

“Last time we all slept together it was too cramped to get comfortable.”

“So you guys were uncomfortable.” I pouted. I knew it!

“Oh. Well, don’t worry about that, it wasn’t bad, just slightly uncomfortable. Besides, wasn’t it the same for you?”

“No, I was actually quite comfortable. Anyway, if you just need more space, we could always just bring in a second bed if we really wanted to.” I casually suggested.

“Haha, that’s a good idea. Why don’t we go and steal your bed then?” She asks excitedly.

“Uh, sure.” I reluctantly agreed. Well, it shouldn’t be too bad even if we get in trouble. So, I cast some buffs onto the both of us as I pat her back. Ah, old habits.

“Is your bed made out of stone or something?” Melly teased.

“Even easy tasks are easier when buffed up,” I argued. “That’s part of the reason I was so respected at the church.”

“Right, you were a prolific cheater back at the church.”

“Hey.” I pouted. “Should I just dispel the buff then?” I threatened. Melly just shrugged. Whatever, only someone who has experienced the ease of doing work while buffed will truly understand how helpful they are.

Let’s see what she thinks once we are done!

So, after we packed up my bed, it was time for my buff to shine. Melly went over and easily picked up the bed on her own.

I really should have expected that. And, well, she’s probably strong enough to do this on her own even without my buffs. But! They should at least make things easier!

So, I waited. For a realization, a response, anything. But, no, nothing. Melly, she just didn’t seem to care. So, with a sigh, I made sure she had a clear path to bring the bed over.

Once we got the bed into her room, we laid them sideways next to each other to maximize footroom for Melly.

And voila, the bed is now bigger. I then laid down on our creation to check for any problems. Luckily, despite these being high-quality beds, they lacked any decorations that would prevent them from being flush with each other.

“I see,” Melly commented as I was working.

“Hmm? What do you see?”

“The benefit of your buff.” ! I thought she didn’t care. “It really did make this easier, though it’s not like it would have been too difficult normally.” She argued.

“Yeah, that’s why I use them. They can let you do what you previously couldn’t, or they can make what you can do that much easier.” I smiled. “So, welcome to the club,” I said, holding out my hand.

“Sure.” She relented, as my smile grew.

“So, should we try inviting Rapunzel?”

“Ah, go ahead,” Melly said, seeming to have forgotten the reason we actually did this. Well, my reason anyway. Melly is really tall. I’ve not actually seen anyone taller than her.

Even Pallet, now that I think about it. Huh, I guess I just felt like he not only metaphorically towered over us, but also literally. Well, I do have to look up at all of my companions, so the reasonably tall Pallet just looked colossal to me.

As I was thinking, I arrived at Rapunzel’s room. And, with a single knock, she opened the door. “Eli? Did you need something?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to sleep with Melly and I? We’ve… enlarged? Our bed.” I smiled. What would you call what we did?

Forced calm

“I… see. Let me see what you did.” She responded in a similar way to the priests when they think you might have done something wrong, but aren’t quite certain yet. Huh.

“Tada!” I said as I showed off our new bed.

“What did you do?” Rapunzel sighed.

“We combined two beds into one larger bed,” I said proudly. “Now, we can all sleep together comfortably.”

“Did you at least get permission first?”

“No, but it’s not like it’s that big of a deal.” I shrugged.

“Eli, just because you are the saintess, that doesn’t mean that you can just do whatever you want.” She scolded. Well, it almost does.

“But we can easily just put them back once we are done.” I pouted.

“It doesn’t matter how easy it is to fix. We are guests, we shouldn’t just be doing whatever we want.”

“Well, in a sense…” Nah, let’s not pull the ‘I’m the saintess, so I am technically also the host’ card. That would just be petty. “I actually helped.” I declared instead.

“What? How?” Rapunzel doubted. Well, while I’m not the most proficient at arguing my way out of punishment, I have done so before. So, let’s try!

“You see, the Cardinal isn’t being a, well, she’s not quite a perfect host.” Let’s not jump out of the pot just to land into the fire now. “You see, even without sharing with us, Melly’s feet stick out from the bed.” Rarely, and even then, barely, but it does happen. “So, I was just fixing that slight mistake,” I argued.

“...Is that true?” Rapunzel asked Melly.

“Uh, yeah?” Ah, thanks. “But most beds do that.” Melly continued. Yes! Well, no, that’s kind of sad.

“Oh, I didn’t realize that.”

“Yeah, the only beds that I could truly fit in are the ones back at home, though I guess you could also count our tents.”

“Well then, good job,” Rapunzel said. Yay! “But that doesn’t excuse you for not asking for permission first.” Oh.

“I mean, it’s not like I wouldn’t get permission,” I argued. “Besides, it’s fairly late, so it would be rude to disturb the Cardinal for something as simple as this. Especially if she’d already retired to her chambers.”

“Couldn’t you just talk to her in her bedroom?” Melly asked.

“What? No way! You shouldn’t just casually enter someone else’s bedroom. That’s their private space, intruding on it is just rude.” I declared.

“Um, okay?” Melly says, looking at where we currently are.

“No, only your personal rooms!” I defended. “You can’t be expected to do that when you are traveling. Even then, you still have to knock before entering their room.”

“Why are you so firm about this?”

“Because it’s common sense?” I question.

“It is?”

“Yeah? That's what the church taught us. Bedrooms are private spaces that others shouldn’t enter casually.”

“Well, that just sounds like a way to keep you out of their rooms,” Melly commented.

… What?

“Eli?”

“Ah, yeah. Well, um, I, I don’t know, I just, maybe?” I sputtered as I struggled with the idea.

“So this is what I looked like when I noticed that the Hero had just traveled perfectly through an unfamiliar forest,” Rapunzel commented.

“It’s okay, Eli. It’s not that big of a deal either way.” Melly comforted.

“But… but… bedrooms are supposed to be sacred…” I muttered in disbelief.

“What!?” Melly shouted in shock.

“It’s, it’s sup-supposed t-to be, a-a place a-all to y-yourself.” I cried. Was, was I lied to? Were they really, just, just normal rooms?

“Uh, well.” Melly struggled to answer.

“They are.” Rapunzel declared. “It’s just, letting people see your bedroom is like letting them see a part of you. So, while not quite sacred, it’s still special.”

“R-Really?”

“O-of course. So, just like how some people are more open about themselves, some people are more open about their bedrooms. So yes, you shouldn’t just casually enter someone’s bedroom.” She explained.

“Oh, I see! I just misunderstood. Thank you, Rapunzel.” I smiled.

“Good, now, I’ll be right back, as I need to get my stuff from my room.”

“Okay, see you soon,” I said as she left. Oddly though, Melly followed her. Whatever, maybe she wanted to ask her something.

Soon enough, though, they came back and we had our sleepover.