The Fat Aristocrat Waltz in the Labyrinth - Chapter 92
Chapter 92: The fat aristocrat is in order
“I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”
Alone in the public bath, Mitrof gazed at the steam and grumbled to himself.
The fact that he had met Grace again was like a warm ember held close to his chest. However, there were also events that forced him to think about what he should do.
Her older sister, Lattier, asked him not to take Grace to the labyrinth, and he was made aware of a difficult situation. He couldn’t make a quick decision on what to do, nor could he ignore her sister’s feelings for Grace.
The answer was not easy, but the issue could not be left unresolved. He knew that he needed to take the time to sit down, cross his arms, and find a solution on a blank piece of paper.
Mitrof soaked his shoulders in the murky water and exhaled deeply.
Until just a few months ago, Mitrof lived a life of laziness, akin to being a shut-in. He ate the food prepared for him, laid on a clean bed, and read books when he got bored. On sunny days, he would lie down on the lawn and take a nap.
Every day felt like a holiday, but the endless repetition of those days became boring. Back then, Mitrof’s thoughts were as timid as floating in lukewarm water, without making any decisions or worrying about anything.
He had a desire for more excitement, more challenges, and to feel more alive. But now that he had started a life as an adventurer, there was never a dull day. Like a flame igniting cooled iron, Mitrof’s inner self was gradually embracing a fiery passion.
‘It’s wonderful,’ Mitrof thought. He didn’t want to go back to the cold and empty emotions of those days.
However, not knowing the correctness of the answer to what he should do left a lingering feeling in his chest, making him want to escape.
“…What do you want me to do?”
Submerging himself in the hot water up to the back of his head, Mitrof squinted his eyes—today’s bath was a little too hot, he complained to himself.
The heat of the water tingled his arms and legs, boiling his head from within, making it difficult for him to think. His thoughts were scattered and couldn’t be organized.
Gazing at the images that appeared and disappeared in the steam, the children from the church, Grace’s smile, Lattier’s plea for concern for her sister, and the sacred paintings on the ceiling of the church…
“Are you planning to boil yourself alive?”
“…Huh?”
Suddenly, Mitrof was brought back to consciousness and realized that he had lost himself in thought.
A muscular beastman was looking down at Mitrof. The lion-headed man with a sharp nose was a familiar sight to Mitrof.
With a face that could be frightening, the lion-headed man inserted his hand and easily lifted Mitrof’s arm.
“It seems that the water pipe that regulates the hot spring’s hot water is malfunctioning—the water is too hot to take a long bath today… it’s probably too late now.”
“… What? I’m not a boiled pig.”
“Your whole body is bright red—you’re already perfectly boiled.”
With a sigh, the lion-headed man picked up Mitrof under his arm. Like a heated rock used to warm oneself in the winter, Mitrof’s body was radiating heat.
Amidst the cheers, heckles, and laughter of the regulars around him, the lion-headed man headed towards a rectangular bathtub at the edge. Like a waterfall, water flowed down and incessantly gave off water droplets as Mitrof was thrown in.
Plop! Water splashed vigorously.
Mitrof, who had been thrown in, quickly regained consciousness and hastily sat up.
“It’s cold!”
“It’s a cold bath—stay in for a while.”
Mitrof experienced an ice-like sensation throughout his body. The water that accumulated in the bathtub, which was made of smooth stones, was indeed transparent, allowing the decorative pattern on the tile floor to be clearly visible.
He tried to crawl out, but the lion-headed man pushed him back as the chill made his spine tremble.
While struggling and splashing about, Mitrof suddenly got used to the cold sensation.
“…Uh, huh?”
Instead, he felt strangely relaxed, as though all the heat and strength had been drained from his body. It was a strange feeling, as if his skin had dissolved in the water.
“This is… amazing…”
“That’s right. It’s a refined adult pastime to cool down a well-heated body in this cold bath… I thought you might not be ready for it yet, but if you can understand its charm, then you are a true adult.”
“Indeed, I thought I would die the moment I entered the cold bath… Maybe only adults can endure this…”
“That’s right—any joy in life is waiting for you beyond perseverance.”
Saying so, the lion-headed man calmly entered the cold bath and sat down. Even Mitrof, who had warmed his body with hot water, screamed at how cold the water was, yet the man did not even flinch.
Mitrof’s eyes shined as he realized that this was what a real man looked like.
They stood side by side and enjoyed the cold bath, feeling the chill in every corner of their bodies. At the same time, there was a definite heat inside their bodies, and they tasted a strange but pleasant sensation where they could not tell where the boundary between cold and warmth lay.
“Let’s get out.”
The lion-headed man stood up.
Mitrof followed suit, and they headed to the end of the bathhouse, following the man’s back.
The bathhouse was spacious, and there were still many places that Mitrof did not know about. The lion-headed man headed towards the open door that led outside. Going outside, they found themselves in an open-air area.
The ground was made up of smooth, tiled stones, much like the inside of the bathhouse, and was surrounded by wooden boards to block views from the outside.
Overhead, bamboo was constructed, on which green ivy and leaves were entwined, providing shade and shelter from the rain.
“There are chairs lined up; is this a resting place?”
“After tightening your body in the cold bath, you relax your mind here—outdoor air bathing harmonizes your mind and body.”
The lion-headed man found a vacant wooden couch, sat there, stretched his legs, and laid down while crossing his arms on his stomach, then closed his eyes.
The wooden couches were arranged evenly and were of different sizes, but the ones here seemed to be particularly large and sturdy for the large-bodied beastman guests. Mitrof sat next to him, feeling as though he were lying down on a bed.
“…What is this for? How do you enjoy this?”
“Don’t think, feel.”
With a concise response, Mitrof was puzzled. For now, he mimicked the lion-headed man by stretching his legs and placing his hands on his round and bloated belly.
Doubting what he was doing here, he closed his eyes. With his vision blocked, the sounds became clearer.
The sound of water was constantly heard from the bathhouse. With the echo of men’s laughter, the sound of a wooden bucket rolling, and a father scolding his children running around, he could feel the daily lives of the people.
Gradually, his consciousness returned to his body. Heat was returning to his chilled skin from the cold bath. There seemed to be a single axis in the center of his body where the red heat was accumulating.
Then a gust of wind blew. The leaves above rustled, and an unseen breeze, containing the presence of the night, brushed past his skin in a refreshing moment.
The heat of his body, the chill of his skin, and the blowing wind
Mitrof’s spine tingled. There was a liberating feeling from his nape to his temples that made him numb. All the worries, stress, anxiety about the future, regret towards the past, and any other problems he had been carrying were all suddenly released.
“Do you understand?”
The lion-headed man asked
“I understand…”
Mitrof replied.
“Can you feel it?”
The man asked.
“I can feel it…”
Mitrof replied.
“So this is what it means to “get organized.”
Mitrof exclaimed in amazement.
He had no idea that baths could be so profound.
It was not just about soaking in the hot water. It was about cooling down the heated body with water and feeling the breeze. At that moment, one would reflect inwardly, as if organizing the cluttered thoughts and emotions, just like tidying up a messy room.
“Baths are amazing.”
“That’s right—baths are philosophy.”
Although Mitrof did not understand the meaning behind the words of the lion-headed man, he nodded and agreed anyway. His heart was so relaxed that he did not care about the details.
“Getting organized” or “preparing” was such a wonderful thing!