Chapter 3: Baths and Boundaries
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Morning came with birdsong, fresh dew on the grass, and a light mist hanging over the forest trail.
Arden groaned awake on his bedroll, stretching his arms with a wince. His back cracked in protest—apparently, even SSS–Rank muscle couldn't save him from a night on hard earth.
The flap of Elenora's enchanted tent rustled open.
She stepped out, radiant and composed, not a hair out of place. She wore a deep blue traveling cloak over form-fitting enchanted armor, her silver-blonde hair neatly braided over one shoulder.
He blinked, then squinted. "Did you… wash your hair this morning?"
"There's a bath enchantment inside," she said casually, brushing imaginary dust from her sleeve. "Hot water, steam control, aroma settings."
"…You slept in a magical spa tent."
"Of course. I'm not a barbarian."
He stared at her for a long beat, then looked down at his own rumpled cloak, the dirt-stained hem, the half-formed bird's nest that had taken up residence near his elbow.
"Life really isn't fair," he muttered.
"Would you like to use it?" Elenora asked, raising a brow.
He perked up. "Seriously?"
"Just for the bath. Nothing improper."
He rolled his eyes. "I wasn't planning to get handsy in your bubble bath."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "It's a bath enchantment, not a love potion."
"And you're the one who keeps inviting me."
"I'm being hospitable!"
"I'm being skeptical."
They glared at each other for a second before Elenora sighed dramatically and turned away, heading toward the fire pit.
"I'll heat some travel rations," she said, her voice clipped. "Try not to break anything in there."
Arden slipped into the tent a moment later—and froze.
"…Oh wow."
The inside was ridiculous. Cozy, warm, scented with lavender. It looked like the private suite of a royal noble. There were silken cushions, self-heating tea on a small table, and—at the center—a polished wooden tub filled with steaming water, enchanted to keep a perfect temperature.
He'd killed dragons that were less impressive than this.
And the bath?
He dropped his gear in the corner and sank into it with a low, guttural sigh that might have been a moan. Muscles he forgot existed loosened. His entire spine popped in relief.
He was still soaking ten minutes later, eyes half-lidded, when the tent flap rustled.
"Arden—are you—!"
He bolted upright with a splash.
Elenora froze in the doorway, her cheeks immediately flushing.
"Oh," she said flatly. "You're naked."
"…It's a bath."
"I know that!" she snapped, turning her face away but not quite managing to close the flap. "I was just bringing tea!"
"You barged in while I was bathing."
"I knocked!"
"You definitely didn't."
"I did! You didn't answer!"
"That's because I was underwater!"
Silence.
More silence.
Then a muffled, flustered voice: "Would you like sugar in your tea?"
Arden rubbed his face. "Elenora, go away."
"I'm being hospitable!"
"You're being weird!"
She finally stormed off in a flurry of huffs and muttering.
Arden sank back into the water, groaning.
"Yep," he muttered to himself. "Definitely losing my mind."
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After the bath incident, they made their way down the forest trail, the tension between them still faintly awkward but held together by mutual professionalism. Or something close to it.
"I've arranged for our next destination," Elenora said briskly, holding a glowing map crystal. "There's a monster-sighting request near the village of Redbrook."
Arden glanced over. "Just a request? No confirmed danger?"
"Correct. Witnesses saw strange figures in the forest, but no injuries."
"That usually means bandits," Arden muttered.
"Or beasts in heat," she said calmly.
He choked on air. "What?"
"There are species that become more aggressive during mating season," Elenora added. "If it's a woodland creature, we may need to use scent magic to divert them."
Arden stared at her, horrified. "Please do not talk about mating season while walking next to me."
"Are you squeamish?"
"I'm not dealing with horny monsters today."
"Not even metaphorically?"
"I swear to the gods—"
Their bickering continued all the way to Redbrook, much to the confusion of passing travelers.
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Redbrook was a sleepy little village nestled between hills and cherry-blossom trees. Quiet. Peaceful. The kind of place where nothing bad was supposed to happen.
Until something did.
A local woman greeted them in a panic at the village square.
"My daughter!" she cried. "She went missing last night near the forest! We thought she was just playing hide-and-seek, but she didn't come home!"
Arden's demeanor shifted instantly. His joking mood vanished, replaced by the cold, sharp focus of a professional killer.
"Name, age, description," he said.
The woman sniffled. "Mira. Eight years old. Brown hair, green eyes, red scarf…"
Elenora stepped forward, already summoning a trace spell with a flick of her wrist. Magic shimmered in the air, delicate snowflakes drifting around her fingers.
"I can track her trail," she said calmly. "Children leave strong emotional imprints."
"Let's move," Arden nodded.
Together, they entered the woods.
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It didn't take long. Less than an hour in, they found footprints. Then scraps of torn cloth on a bush. Then—finally—a small clearing where a tiny red scarf fluttered from a tree branch.
"She's close," Arden muttered.
Elenora extended her hand. "Mana flow… to the west. Faint, but alive."
They rushed through the underbrush, weapons drawn.
And then—there she was.
A little girl curled up under a tree, clutching a stuffed rabbit and sniffling.
"Mira?" Arden called gently.
She looked up with wide, teary eyes—and bolted toward him.
He caught her in one arm, kneeling low.
"You're safe now," he said quietly.
"Mommy said not to go far, but I wanted to see the glowing flowers!" she hiccuped.
"Let's get you home."
As they left the woods, Elenora walked slightly behind, watching Arden with a strange expression.
"You're good with children," she noted.
Arden shrugged. "They're easy. Honest. No agendas."
"You'd make a decent father."
He stumbled a bit.
She smirked.
"Don't start," he muttered.
"I said nothing."
"You implied everything."
She smiled—genuine this time.
It didn't scare him as much as before.
To be continued.