"....."
Suzuki let out a soft, silent sigh as he looked at his girlfriend. He knew exactly what was going through Shizuku's mind right now. Just like the rest of the class, her mental state was an absolute, chaotic mess. No one could stay calm. Even though they were technically eighteen and legally adults back in Japan, being violently ripped from their comfortable lives and dropped into a brutal fantasy world was enough to break anyone's sanity.
Yet, even through the lens of pure exhaustion, Suzuki couldn't help but notice just how incredibly attractive Shizuku was right now.
Her long, jet-black hair, usually tied up in a strict, practical ponytail, was slightly disheveled. Her legs were long, slender, and undeniably athletic, shifting nervously in the dim light. The incredibly thin, white nightgown she had thrown on did absolutely nothing to hide the soft, feminine curves of her developing body. In fact, because her skin was still slick with a sheen of sweat from the afternoon's grueling training, the sheer fabric clung tantalizingly to her chest and thighs.
It was impossible for anyone to claim Shizuku wasn't beautiful. Her popularity with the boys back home was only low because they were completely intimidated by her. Unlike Kaori, who practically radiated a fragile, "protect me" aura that attracted boys with hero complexes, Shizuku was fiercely independent. She was the cool, capable "Iron Lady."
But behind closed doors, Shizuku was still just a teenage girl.
She desperately wanted to take off her heavy armor. She wanted to be indulged, spoiled, and deeply loved.
Suzuki didn't say a word. He simply stepped back, opening his arms in a silent invitation. "Come here."
Shizuku's tough facade instantly shattered. She practically threw herself into his embrace, wrapping her slender arms tightly around his waist and burying her face deep into his chest. She pressed her soft, yielding body completely flush against his solid frame, desperately soaking in his warmth to chase away the terrifying reality of their situation.
"...You're late," she mumbled into his shirt, her voice trembling slightly.
"It couldn't be helped," Suzuki replied softly, one hand sliding down to rest securely on the curve of her lower back, pulling her even closer. "I had to gather as much intelligence as possible in the city."
The moment Suzuki had walked out of the castle gates alone, Shizuku had completely lost her focus. Her mind had been racing with worst-case scenarios. Even though she knew how terrifyingly competent he was, the thought of him being cornered in a dark alley by slavers had kept her heart pounding in pure panic for hours.
"Still..." Suzuki suddenly paused, a faint, teasing smirk playing on his lips. "Have you not taken a bath yet?"
"...What?" Shizuku stiffened.
Suzuki really didn't want to bring it up, but his beautiful girlfriend currently smelled heavily of sour sweat and training yard dust.
"...The water in the castle is freezing cold, you know," Shizuku muttered, her cheeks flushing a deep, embarrassed crimson as she tried to pull away.
Suzuki didn't let her go. He just held her firmly, letting her squirm against him.
It was true. All the girls who had sweat through the sudden, brutal physical training desperately wanted to bathe. But there was a massive problem: the water was absolute ice!
In modern Japan, hot water was a basic human right. You just turned a knob and relaxed in a steaming tub. But in this primitive world? Modern plumbing simply didn't exist. Clean water itself was a massive luxury. While the royal castle had basic washrooms, heating enough water for fifty teenagers was a logistical nightmare. Faced with the prospect of scrubbing themselves with freezing water in a drafty stone room, Shizuku had simply given up, thrown on her nightgown, and ran straight to Suzuki's room for comfort.
If it were any other guy, they might have complained. But Shizuku knew perfectly well that Suzuki had a strange, intense appreciation for the musky, athletic scent of her sweat, especially after her brutal kendo practices back home.
"...Did you just think something incredibly rude about me?" Suzuki asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No~!" Shizuku giggled, the sound sweet and melodic.
"..."
Suzuki was momentarily speechless. The raw, unfiltered charm of her laugh completely melted his pragmatic heart.
"But..." Shizuku suddenly paused. She pressed her nose firmly against the collar of his shirt and took a deep, deliberate sniff.
"...Pervert," Suzuki teased dryly.
"That's not it!" Shizuku's face burned even hotter, but she couldn't stop herself from leaning in closer, completely intoxicated by his scent. "Why do you smell so nice? It's... it smells exactly like you just took a hot shower!"
"Is it a crime for a man to take a bath?"
"But there's no soap!" Shizuku protested, her eyes wide.
She had checked the castle washrooms. All the girls had. There were no sweet-smelling body washes or shampoos. They had been told to literally scrub the dirt off their bodies with wet rags. Yet, Suzuki smelled incredibly fresh, radiating the comforting, luxurious scent of modern body wash and clean linen.
"Did you... did you secretly buy some soap in the city?" she asked, her eyes lighting up with desperate hope.
It was the only logical explanation. Shizuku never questioned Suzuki's ability to effortlessly acquire whatever he wanted. He was an absolute genius at making money. If he had managed to buy a massive feast for the entire class, surely he had found a luxury merchant who sold real soap, right?
However—
"There is no real soap in this world, Shizuku."
"...You're kidding."
"I'm serious. Technically, 'soap' exists here, but it's completely barbaric." Suzuki explained simply. "Medieval soap is literally just boiled animal fat mixed with fireplace ash. It smells vaguely like rotting meat, and it is so incredibly harsh that it will completely ruin your skin."
"What?" Shizuku tilted her head, her dark eyes filled with absolute horror, looking so incredibly cute that Suzuki couldn't resist.
He leaned down and pressed a soft, lingering kiss against her flushed cheek.
"...Why did you just kiss me?" she whispered, her heart skipping a heavy beat.
"Do you not want me to?"
"No..." Shizuku bit her lower lip, staring up at him with incredibly needy eyes. "But I haven't bathed! I've been trying so hard not to actually kiss you because I feel gross!"
"We'll kiss properly after I finish explaining," Suzuki promised, his thumb gently tracing her jawline.
"Okay... so what do the people here use then?"
"The ultra-rich nobles just dump heavy, musky perfumes on themselves," Suzuki explained, simplifying the harsh reality of their new world. "But it doesn't actually clean them; it just dangerously masks their body odor. And their makeup? It's literally made from toxic lead powder. If you put that on your face, it will slowly poison you to death."
"...."
Shizuku felt a cold chill run down her spine.
The technology level of Tortus was permanently stuck in the 14th century. Because the natives could rely on magic to solve minor inconveniences, they had never experienced an Industrial Revolution. Society was incredibly lazy and stagnant. There was no chemical engineering. No modern plumbing. The food was bland, the hygiene was non-existent, and the healthcare was basically glorified witchcraft.
"That is exactly why I warned everyone to be so careful today," Suzuki murmured.
Fortunately, their new "Hero" bodies were adapting. As they leveled up, their immune systems would naturally skyrocket, protecting them from medieval plagues. But physical health was one thing; the sheer mental toll of living in filth was another.
"Still..." Shizuku sighed heavily, resting her forehead against his chest. "We have a lot of magicians in our class, right? We could just fill a tub with water and have someone use fire magic to heat it up."
"That is an incredibly inefficient and troublesome use of combat mana," Suzuki pointed out.
"You're right... and there's still no real soap..." Shizuku pouted, completely defeated. But then, her eyes snapped back up to his. "Wait a minute. Then how exactly do you smell so nice?!"
Suzuki looked down at her, his dark eyes flashing with a possessive, secretive light. He leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear.
"Can you keep a secret from everyone else?" he whispered.
"Okay...?" Shizuku shivered at his tone.
"What I'm about to show you requires an immense amount of my personal mana," Suzuki lied flawlessly. "It's extremely draining for me to maintain it. I absolutely cannot do it for the whole class. But... for just the two of us? I can manage."
"Eh?"
"Come inside."
Suzuki didn't waste another second. He stepped back and smoothly opened the invisible dimensional tear to his [Subspace Penthouse].
"..."
Shizuku stood absolutely frozen in the doorway.
The oppressive, drafty stone walls of the castle vanished. She was staring into a sprawling, ultra-modern Tokyo luxury apartment. The air was perfectly climate-controlled, smelling faintly of lavender and ozone. But what entirely captured her attention—and completely shattered her self-control—was the massive, glowing, pristine glass-and-marble bathroom connected to the master bedroom.
Inside sat an enormous, deep-soaking Jacuzzi tub, perfectly illuminated by warm LED lights. Arrayed neatly on the marble counter was a literal arsenal of imported Earth shampoos, conditioners, and rich, foamy body washes.
Shizuku slowly turned her head to look at Suzuki, her eyes wide, practically tearing up with overwhelming, desperate emotion.
"...Can I take a bath?"