Night had fallen by the time William finished eating all the birth skin. His mind buzzed with new information, languages he'd never heard before now made perfect sense, the history of Demon Kings stretched back thousands of years in his memory, magic circuits and power structures between different monster races all laid out clearly. And one thing became very clear: The fox tribe was at the bottom of the hierarchy.
"Your Majesty must be tired," Arisu said softly, stroking his hair. "We should clean you up before sleep."
"I'll prepare the bath!" Alice hurried toward a wooden door at the corner of the room.
Bath? William's eyes followed her movements. Wait, they're going to bathe me? His new body was small like a child's, but his mind was still that of a grown man. The thought of these two beautiful fox girls bathing him made his face heat up.
"Come, Your Majesty." Arisu lifted him gently and followed Alice down a narrow hallway lit by oil lamps, the floor creaking under their feet. The building was simple, with wooden walls, a hatched roof, nothing fancy. This wasn't a palace, more like a large tribal longhouse.
They entered a cave opening at the back of the longhouse where steam billowed out from within. The temperature rose immediately as they went deeper, the air growing thick with moisture and the faint smell of sulfur. Natural hot spring, William realized as they emerged into a larger cavern. A pool of crystal-clear water bubbled gently, heated by geothermal activity from deep underground. Smooth rocks surrounded the edges while crude oil lamps provided dim lighting. Very Japanese onsen style.
Alice was already kneeling by the pool's edge, testing the water with her hand. "It's perfect today!"
Arisu carefully set William down on the smooth stone floor. Then both girls began removing their simple robes, plain, rough fabric, handmade. They wore nothing underneath.
William's brain short-circuited. "Wait, wait, wait!"
"Your Majesty is making sounds," Arisu smiled, her fox ears twitching as her body became completely exposed. Despite her obviously meager diet, she had curves in all the right places.
Alice was the same. She knelt beside William and started unwrapping the cloth around him. "Let's get you clean, Your Majesty."
This is bad. This is really bad. William tried to cover himself, but his small arms wouldn't cooperate.
"Ara? Is Your Majesty embarrassed?" Alice's tail swished playfully.
"So cute," Arisu added with a gentle laugh.
They lifted him together. Alice stepped into the natural pool first, carefully finding her footing on the smooth rocks below. She sat down in the hot water with a satisfied sigh, then Arisu carefully handed William to her. The water was hot, really hot, steam rising all around them, but somehow his new body handled it fine. Alice positioned William on her lap, his back against her soft chest. "See? The spring's warmth is perfect."
Arisu stepped in next, sitting across from them on a submerged rock. She cupped water in her hands and began pouring it over William's head. "We need to wash off the birth fluids properly," she explained, working her fingers through his hair while Alice gently cleaned his body with a rough cloth.
"The Tribe Elder said we have to take good care of Your Majesty. You're our tribe's only hope," Alice said, her voice taking on a more serious tone.
"That's right." Arisu's amber eyes grew somber in the lamplight. "The fox tribe is the weakest among all monster races. We're always pushed around by stronger tribes. But now that Your Majesty has been born, we finally have a Demon King as our protector!"
Alice hugged William from behind, excitedly. "We've been waiting for this day our whole lives. The prophecy from our tribe said a Demon King would be born from our people, someone who would change everything in this 'warlords' era."
Soft. Too soft. William's face turned red as Alice nuzzled against his head. "We'll protect you, Your Majesty. No matter what."
The warmth of the water, their gentle touches, and the exhaustion from being born finally caught up to him. William's eyelids grew heavy as the world began to blur at the edges.
"I think His Majesty is sleepy," Arisu whispered, noticing his drooping eyes.
"Let's finish quickly then." Alice's voice softened to barely above a murmur.
They washed him efficiently after that, their movements practiced and tender. Arisu lifted him from the spring and wrapped him in a worn but clean cloth—not soft silk, just rough cotton, but warm enough. Alice dried herself quickly and put on a simple sleeping robe. "I'll prepare His Majesty's bed."
"I'll be right there," Arisu said, still drying William carefully before following.
They brought him to a small room where a futon lay on the floor, covered with animal furs for warmth. Arisu laid William down gently and covered him with the furs while Alice knelt on the other side.
"Sleep well, Your Majesty," Arisu whispered, stroking his cheek.
"We'll be right here if you need anything," Alice added softly.
Both girls lay down on either side of the futon like guards, their tails curling around themselves as they settled in. What an exhausting day, William thought dimly.
I've just been reborn into another world, but it's filled with so much weird information that I cannot understand or comprehend. He wanted to say something, to thank them, to ask questions, but exhaustion took over before he could form the words. His consciousness slipped away into darkness, cradled by warmth and the quiet breathing of his protectors.