Chapter: 176
“What should we do now?”
On the way back to the inn, Maybelle asked with a worried look on her face.
It’s only natural for her to be anxious since the clue we found didn’t really help that much.
But… it’s not like we didn’t get any results at all.
“First, let’s have a proper meal. And… hmm. How about we hit up the bathhouse?”
“Huh? Bathing? Didn’t you say we’d go after finding my mom?”
“Yeah, but the situation has changed a bit, hasn’t it?”
At my words, Maybelle puffed out her cheeks. It’s just so cute when a little one does that.
“I’m not going for myself, I’m going for you. So quit arguing and come along. First up, a meal!”
“Okay… You must be thinking of something. I’ll trust you.”
With that, Maybelle and I slightly veered off our path to the inn and went to find a restaurant.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The restaurant was… well, just average.
The meat dishes that could be enjoyed as side dishes with alcohol were decent, but the cooking from this era… hmm, needed a little more flavor.
There was a clear lack of spices, and salt was about the only thing available for seasoning, and even that was highly precious.
Still, in this gradually improving world, cooking clearly had a long way to go.
But.
“I’m glad there was a lot of meat.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true.”
For a rural girl, or honestly for anyone living in this era, that would likely be more than enough.
Well, let’s gloss over how lacking the meal was.
“Is it really okay to go to the bathhouse when we need to find my mom?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.”
So Maybelle and I headed toward the bathhouse.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The bathhouse was pretty ordinary for the time period.
It was more like a hot spring than a bathhouse. Water flowed in from the aqueduct, heated up, and filled the tub.
Well, it’s a primitive setup, so it’s to be expected. Washing just meant pouring hot water over yourself.
But that should be fine. Yeah.
“I didn’t know bathing in hot water could feel this nice.”
“How have you been washing up until now?”
“Well, I’ve been washing with cold water, and in winter it’s even tougher.”
Hmm… I see, boiling water takes firewood, which isn’t free.
And not everyone can use magic or summon spirits.
So, having a paid service to heat water is quite normal.
“But why suddenly decide to bathe?”
“Hehe, here’s why.”
I used magic to create a tiny soap bubble in my palm.
Well, it looked like a soap bubble made of magical energy, but let’s not get into the nitty-gritty.
“When the priest mentioned that there was a strange smell from the letter sender, who is presumed to be your mother, I started to suspect something.”
“A suspicion?”
“Yep. Didn’t you hear from the guards when you entered Armen? This place is super clean.”
Maybelle nodded a little at my comment.
“A city with a well-developed water system and sewage disposal—where you’re unlikely to find someone with a foul odor.”
“That’s true, but…”
“That gave me a thought. If your mother had that smell, she might’ve been in a place where such odors linger.”
“Huh?” Maybelle seemed to not quite grasp what I was getting at.
“It’s simple really. Your mother… is probably in the sewers or nearby.”
“The sewers…?”
I nodded slightly.
“The priest mentioned that beastmen are fairly rare in Armen, right?”
“Yes, he did.”
“It’s not impossible she came from somewhere else to send a letter, but that chance is low. So, assuming your mother is in Armen…”
I laid out a few clues.
“Rare beastmen, a musty smell, and the sewers of Armen. When you consider all those factors…”
“Are you saying my mom is in the sewers?”
“The likelihood is high, I’d say. But if she just passed through to send the letter… well, that would mean I’m way off.”
Still, I have this gut feeling that Maybelle’s mother is indeed in Armen.
So…
“I could just go into the smelly sewers and look around, but I’d rather not just waltz in there, so I’ll use a little trick.”
“You mean that bubble?”
“Yep. It’s one I can control from a distance, and we can share sight and sound with.”
I casually floated the bubble into the water, and it drifted off through the bathtub’s drain.
“Ah, so that’s why we came here!”
“More or less.”
Sure, I was kind of curious about bathing in this era, but the bigger reason was that.
As the bubble slipped down the drain, I started my remote investigation of the sewers.
“Alright, we’re ready. Let’s use this bubble to scout the sewers.”
If we search the sewers and find Maybelle’s mother… well, I’d rather not go down there, but I might not have a choice.
Down we go!
So Maybelle and I wrapped up our bath and returned to the inn.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“Hmm…”
“What’s up?”
In our inn room, I was remotely operating the magic bubble to check out the sewers.
The dark, crudely constructed sewers honestly weren’t really made for people. Slimes were stuck all over, and filthy water swept things away indiscriminately.
I imagined something a tad more modern, but man, that was clearly wishful thinking.
Could anyone actually live in this stinky place?
“Is this not the right spot?”
“Huh?”
“I’ve been searching the sewers for a while, but nothing stands out. Did I read this wrong…?”
At my words, Maybelle’s little tail drooped in disappointment. Poor thing was really hoping for a lead here.
Ugh, if this isn’t it… what next?
I’d have to create something to help find what she’s looking for.
What to make, I wonder? How about a popular compass type? No, that’s a bit too boring. Hmm, searching, searching…
While I pondered, I glanced at Maybelle and suddenly had an image pop into my mind.
A character from a famous bullet hell game, sporting mouse ears, who could find things easily.
That’s it! Let’s go with dowsing! Dowsing sounds perfect.
Just as I was lost in this thought process, I heard a sound from the sewers.
Not the usual drip of water, but the heavy thud of something diving into the water.
I turned my gaze that way and saw something small, resembling a person, moving through the dark sewers.
“I found someone.”
“Huh?”
“There’s a person in the sewers.”
I began to steer the bubble to follow the shape.
A small figure skillfully moving through the tangled mess of sewers.
I tracked behind, committing the layout of the sewers to memory.
This place was clearly more than just a waste management system.
The small figure maneuvering through the paths might likely be a rat beastman.
Looks like my guess was spot on.
“Let’s confirm the location first, and then we’ll head down.”
“Yes!”
But wow, a rat beastman hanging around in the underground sewers…
It reminds me of that game with an underground city of rats beneath a human settlement. Yeah, kinda like that.
Unlike the nasty rat-people in that game, though, these rat beastmen probably aren’t that evil after all.
There’s likely just some everyday chaos going on. So…
I kept following the small figure.
“Whoa…”
The little figure emerged from the sewers into a small village deep underground.
“There’s a little village down here.”
“Huh? Underground?”
“There aren’t many folks walking about, but they’re all rat beastmen. It seems like they built this village to stay under the radar from humans.”
“Eh?”
I ignored Maybelle’s bewildered tone and started observing the small village.
Hmm. If such a village exists, no need to crawl through the smelly sewers after all.
I wiped the sewer layout from my mind and remembered the coordinates of the village.
“Get ready to leave. We’ll teleport right there.”
“Ah, yes!”
A village populated only by rat beastmen? This is pretty interesting!
What could have led to the formation of such a village beneath Armen? Why are rat beastmen hiding out here?
Not sure, but this place definitely has a vibe—a scent of something suspicious going on.
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