Chapter 9 _ The Baptism in Steam, or the Gritty Satisfaction of Reality
By the time I passed beneath the inn’s noren curtain,
the city was already wrapped in the veil of night.
Every muscle in my body screamed.
My knees threatened to give way with each step.
And yet—
my heart felt strangely light.
(I… I actually did it.)
All my life, I had quit whenever things became unpleasant.
Studying. Club activities. Even games.
But this time, I had crossed mountains on my own two feet,
helped someone else,
and returned safely.
In my pocket were expectations for an unseen reward—
and a solid sense of accomplishment.
It felt far heavier,
and far more real,
than any title earned through cheats.
“Welcome back.”
The innkeeper greeted me with a warm smile.
She looked to be in her late fifties—
the kind of expression that reminded me of a mother.
“You made it back. You must be exhausted.”
“Thank you. Your packed lunch saved me.”
I returned the cloth and bamboo water tube.
“I didn’t do much,” she said with a chuckle.
“More importantly—why don’t you go wash up? There’s a bath nearby.”
“A bath…? There’s one here?”
“Not exactly.
If you head left from here, you’ll see a bakery.
At night, they run a bathhouse.”
“A bakery… runs a bath?”
“The oven heats up during the day.
At night, they pour water over it and use the steam.
A steam bath.”
She continued calmly.
“You don’t know the customs yet, so listen carefully.
After you’ve sweated enough, there’ll be dry straw outside the room.
Use it to wipe the dirt off.”
“Um… I don’t really have the money, so maybe tomorrow—”
“Give this to the baker.”
She handed me a wooden token.
“We give these to guests staying here.
The baker bills me later.
It’s included in your lodging fee—on the house.”
“…Thank you. I’ll take you up on that.”
I hadn’t bathed once since coming to this world,
so I headed to the bakery with unhidden excitement.
I handed the token to the baker.
“Alright. Bath’s on the second floor. Up those stairs.”
I climbed the stairs.
…Something was strange.
There were no signs for men or women.
And more than that—
I could hear intimate voices through the steam.
Curious and uneasy, I cracked the door open—
—and immediately closed it again.
Inside, several men and women were tangled together.
Startled, I hurried back downstairs.
“What’s wrong?” the baker asked.
“Um… there were men and women… together…”
“Hah! What, you a virgin?”
“…Y-yeah.”
“Then it’s perfect.
Some of the women in there’ll take you on for money.
Might as well lose it while you’re at it.”
He laughed loudly.
“Just don’t touch a married woman.
The church freaks out over that.”
“I—I see…”
“Steel yourself.
Or just take a bath if that’s all you want.”
I went back upstairs and opened the door again.
The stone floor radiated heat through my feet.
My vision was clouded by thick white steam.
Heat and moisture clung to my skin,
and sweat immediately began to pour.
But more than the heat,
what froze me in place was the sound.
Soft, unrestrained voices echoed through the steam.
I averted my gaze and quietly sat on a stone bench near the wall,
pretending not to notice anything.
A woman approached me.
With glossy eyes and beautiful black hair, she whispered,
“Fifty Fanann. I’ll give you a good deal.”
“I—I’m sorry. I don’t have any money…”
“…Then next time.”
She smiled knowingly and returned to her seat.
She was attractive.
I struggled to hide my reaction and forced myself to look indifferent.
Judging by the quiet laughter I heard,
I wasn’t fooling anyone.
After about twenty minutes, I followed the innkeeper’s instructions,
wiped my body with straw,
and dressed.
The steam bath was far more refreshing than I’d expected.
The fatigue had melted away.
When I returned to the inn, the innkeeper raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? Back already?”
She gave a knowing smile.
“To be honest… I wanted to,” I admitted.
“But I don’t have the money.”
“Fufu…
Do you realize how much you’ve grown since coming to this world?”
Her words made me pause.
She was right.
I could admit my desires,
my situation,
without pretending.
I had shed childish fantasies
and finally planted my feet in this muddy reality.
“…Yeah.
The old me would never have said that.”
Once, I’d believed my first time had to be with a virgin.
Now that mindset felt childish.
Now I thought—
If I have the money, and she’s to my liking…
That realization felt like growth.
After finishing the meal she prepared,
I lay down on the bed.
Tomorrow, I would receive my reward.
And then, I would begin searching for clues
about the young man Frey had spoken of.
For the first time since coming to this world—
I looked forward to tomorrow.
Wrapped in comfort,
I sank into a deep, peaceful sleep.
