Chapter 704

Lefiya came back to her senses, and what she saw was Ais-sama's hand, tightly gripped by the Saiyan boy — she had never held Ais-sama's hand like that herself.

Just as her gaze trembled and jealousy surged in her heart, Broly looked at her, and upon seeing the strange look in the elf girl's eyes, he couldn't help but ask, "Lefiya-san, would you like to shake hands as well?"

"Ah, me...?!"

The elf girl froze for a moment, looking at the boy's small hand that had already separated from Ais-sama's palm, and suddenly thought of a term similar to "indirect kiss" — "indirect handshake"; on impulse, she nodded, her small face red, and extended her hand toward the boy.

Liu watched from the side; the boy and the Thousand Elf of the Loki Familia shook hands in yet another different way — unlike the enthusiastic meeting of hands with the Sword Princess, he let the elf girl grip first, then let her choose when to let go, a comparatively passive way of shaking hands.

"Ah, Broly-san, I want to shake hands with you too, and become your best friend..."

And besides the Sword Princess and the elf of the Loki Familia, the others seemed to have caught the trend as well, all wanting to shake hands with the boy, and Broly responded to each of their requests in turn.

The Pallum girl's grip was a light pinch of slender fingers, gentle and comparatively intimate; the white-haired boy's contact area was larger, like the grip one uses for an acknowledged companion, a friend.

As for Takemikazuchi's group of three, because they weren't familiar enough, they were too embarrassed to bring up wanting to shake hands, and Broly also didn't proactively ask the three of them if they wanted to shake hands like he did with Lefiya.

Liu observed, the Saiyan boy using different handshake styles for different people, faintly revealing the different weight each person held in his own heart.

By her estimation, it should be: Pallum girl > Sword Princess girl > Elf girl > White-haired boy > Herself > Takemikazuchi's group of three.

【If Xier also wanted to shake hands with him, who knows what way he would use to shake Xier's hand?】

Liu suddenly had this strange thought, and after Broly finished shaking hands with the others, he said goodbye one by one to Takemikazuchi's group of three and the Sword Princess pair.

"Liu-san, we plan to go pick up Hestia-sama after she finishes bathing, then go eat at the Abundance Mistress's place; you've sweated a lot staying here the whole day, would you like to freshen up at our Faction Residence, like take a bath or something?"

Broly asked the elf girl; the Sword Princess, who had been preparing to leave, slowed her steps.

"Ah, that won't be necessary, right?"

Liu subconsciously refused; bathing at someone else's Faction Residence — she wasn't that kind of casual elf.

"Liu-san, we've specially built an Artificial Hot Spring here; soaking a body tired from a day's training in it can relieve the day's accumulated fatigue and stress tremendously, are you sure you don't want to try it?"

The Pallum girl tempted her.

But upon hearing this, Yamato Mikoto, among Takemikazuchi's group of three who had already reached the front gate, suddenly halted her steps.

She heard the key words "hot spring pool"; even if artificially made, it held full appeal for someone like her who loved soaking in baths.

However, this kimono-clad, black-haired, single-ponytailed girl, after her complexion went through a series of changes, still left with some difficulty.

【If I get more familiar with Broly-san later, maybe I can borrow their Faction Residence's hot spring pool...】

She thought, but for now she still had self-awareness; the relationship wasn't good enough, rashly proposing to borrow the bath might give an impression of excessive arrogance.

The girl looked back at every step, seeing the elf girl also drawn in by the hot spring pool, a hesitant expression on her clear, cold face.

Liu imagined the feeling of her body soaking in the warm artificial hot spring pool, her original intention to refuse gradually whittled away.

"But I didn't bring a change of clothes."

She tried to find a reason to resist the hot spring pool's temptation.

"No problem, if you don't have a change of clothes, I can lend you mine; although I'm a Pallum, Liu-san your build is actually the comparatively slender type, at most the clothes will look a bit short after you put them on, but you should be able to wear them."

Liliruca said enthusiastically after visually estimating the female elf's build.

"That's not too good, is it?"

"Liu-san, are you disliking Lili?"

The Pallum girl blinked her watery eyes, looking at her and asking.

"Ah, I didn't."

Liu hurriedly denied it.

"Then bathe here."

The Pallum girl decided for her.

"Uh, then, excuse me."

Things having come to this, Liu also felt a bit bad continuing to refuse.

The Pallum girl took her hand and led the elf girl into Hearth Manor to prepare bathing supplies for her.

As the saying goes, first time strangers, second time familiar, third time maybe she'll treat this place as home; Liliruca's intention to help Broly encounter other women was serious.

Although there was a bit of jealousy, regarding the Skill issue, according to Hestia-sama's words, this was all to make Broly-san even more outstanding, with more potential.

"Ais-sama, what's wrong?"

After Broly and Liliruca entered Hearth Manor together, Lefiya discovered the Sword Princess girl hadn't followed, and couldn't help but turn back to ask.

"Lefiya, why didn't he invite us to bathe here?"

On the naturally airheaded Sword Princess girl's face was a somewhat puzzled expression.

"Eh?!"

The elf girl froze first, then blurted out, "Ais-sama, you want to soak in the hot spring pool too?"

Hearing this, Ais thought for a moment, then shook her head and replied, "No, it's just that we're both best friends, I feel like I'm being treated a bit differently."

Just as Liu felt Broly was closer to her, Ais also felt the Saiyan boy was closer to her.

Clearly she was the one who came first to request the Saiyan boy's swordsmanship guidance, but now there's a feeling that her family's swordsmanship instructor has been snatched away by someone else.

Don't look at the Sword Princess girl's sixteen-year-old appearance, but actually a certain aspect of her mental maturity is much younger than her outward appearance, like a little girl who hasn't grown up yet.

"Uh, perhaps it's just that Broly-san knows our Faction Residence also has a bathroom, so he didn't invite us."

Lefiya felt a bit speechless, but still said a sentence.

"Uh, is that so?"

"If Ais-sama feels it's not like that, then why don't we also request Broly-san to let us stay and bathe here?"

"Uh, forget it, that would be too much trouble; if there's a chance later to come this side to practice sword, I'll bring a change of clothes and talk about it then."

Ais shook her head, choosing to follow the elf girl back, and after she left, Broly and Liliruca soon came out of Hearth Manor again.

They headed toward North Main Street to pick up Hestia; as for Bell, he had left long ago, as usual going to search for his Anna-san.

Only the elf girl remained in Hearth Manor; she took off her clothes, washed her body clean, then stepped into the artificial hot spring bath where mist qi rose thick and steaming.

The 45°C constant-temperature pool water made Liu's cheeks gradually flush red; for a body exhausted from a full day of training, soaking in a bath like this was truly comfortable.

But more importantly, this reminded Liu of when the Astraea Familia still existed — because of Kaguya, a faction bathing facility had been similarly built, likewise constant-temperature, a costly artificial hot spring pool.

"Haha, you're all women, yet you're still being so shy and covering up — you really are bashful little girls."

"Ah, even if you're all women, being naked in front of others — don't you feel any shame?"

"Hmph, Liu, this you don't understand — as a Goddess of Justice, one is always open and aboveboard.

Now, prove your Justice Heart to us!"

"Eh, how do I prove that?"

"Simple — take off the towel in front of you and let me witness your naked strength!"

"Ugh, this is clearly harassment, isn't it?"

"No more useless talk — get down here~"

The red-haired girl lunged over and yanked off her towel.

"Hmm, even smaller than mine — shows you still need to grow some more."

"Ugh, what exactly do you want me to grow?!"

"Hey, you lot, don't bully this kid Liu too much."

"Okay, Lady Astraea!"

……

In the spacious bath, a female elf's body floated.

The towel on her body had come loose; her lovely fair figure appeared and disappeared in mist resembling holy light.

"Alicia, Kaguya, Leila, Lady Astraea……"

By the time Liu came back to her senses, she discovered tears were already streaming down her face.

Because her body was overly relaxed, it led to mental relaxation as well.

Due to the similar environment, it made her think of some past events.

All the days gone by — now they are but passing clouds and smoke.

The same soaking in an artificial hot spring pool, but by her side there were no longer those companions who would tease her, laugh and scold with her, whom she viewed as family.

Just as Liu fell into memories of the past, and became a pair of ill-fated mandarin ducks with companions she could never see again, on Broly's side — having already picked up Hestia from work — he suddenly received a prompt that her Happiness Value had decreased.

"Ah, Broly, what happened? Why do we have to go back faster?"

"Lady Hestia, on my end……" Broly had originally wanted to mention the Crystal Palace Panel, but recalling what Liliruca said yesterday — 【Want to encounter multiple people, must appropriately conceal】 — he changed his words: "I can sense the mood state of the encounter target I want; just now Miss Liu was still very happy, very glad, but now she suddenly became unhappy, sad — something may have happened on her end, so I need to hurry back and check on her."

"Eh, you have this kind of strange capability too?"

Hestia was somewhat surprised, and couldn't help but ask.

"Then what is my current mood state?"

"I can only detect happy/glad versus sad/unhappy states."

Broly looked at his own God's stable Happiness Value and replied.

"Lady Hestia, Broly-san is very urgent — we should hurry back."

The Pallum girl leaned over, interrupting the Loli Goddess who still wanted to pursue the question, and said.

"Uh, that's true too, but that elf miss should be in Hearth Manor right now — what could happen to make her feel sad?"

Hestia nodded, quickening her pace running behind, but still raised a doubt.

"That I don't know — perhaps our faction residence was attacked by others and Miss Liu was caught up in it, or perhaps an old ailment on her body suddenly flared up and she's currently in pain……"

The Crystal Palace Panel cannot display the reason for a Happiness Value decrease; the only thing Broly knew was that Liu Li Ang was in a state of unhappiness.

"There's one more possibility."

Liliruca suddenly spoke.

"What?"

One person and one god looked toward her.

"Miss Liu might have fainted from soaking in the bath."

"Ah, that kind of situation — that's dangerous."

Hearing this, Hestia immediately exclaimed.

And fainting from soaking in a hot spring — that's not a rare occurrence either.

Even in the Sacred Bathhouse, some goddesses faint from soaking in the high-temperature baths.

And our own faction's hot spring pool — its temperature is just one degree off from being a high-temperature bath.

"Lady Hestia, Lili, I'm going on ahead."

"Okay, Broly-san, situation urgent — you hurry back to Hearth Manor."

Broly quickened his pace, instantly pulling away distance from the one person and one god behind him.

Happiness Value cannot decrease for no reason — Lili's explanation is perfectly reasonable.

He didn't want to return too slowly and find Miss Liu's floating corpse.

4s stats fully unleashed, and under the desperate thought of wanting to rush back.

A spell suddenly surfaced in Broly's mind.

【Tempest, Wind Spirit Sprint!】

Wind-element ultra-short-chant magic, belonging exclusively to the Sword Princess girl — at this moment it appeared on him, but unlike the mere gust of magical wind that only wraps around the Sword Princess girl, the wind on Broly vaguely took the shape of wings.

【Ah, I really lost my composure.

Just now, I shouldn't have let snot drip into this bath, right?】

"If it's just tears, that doesn't count as polluting the pool water, right?"

A constant-temperature hot spring pool this large — it's impossible to change the water every day.

Liu was somewhat worried she had polluted the pool water.

【Forget it, I'll still tell the other party; if they mind, I'll pay the water-changing cost out of my own pocket.】

Thinking thus, the elf lady rose and left the bathing pool.

However, she had only just stepped out one foot.

Swift footsteps came from outside the bathing room; before Liu could react.

The bathing room door was suddenly yanked open from outside.

"Miss Liu, are you alright?"

"Plop—"

The female elf retracted her extended foot with lightning speed and fell back into the hot spring pool.

"Ah, Mr. Broly, what are you doing, why did you suddenly barge in, could it be you invited me to bathe here for this terrible purpose?"

Liu pressed the towel before her body tightly, her face flushing with shame and anger; she was certain he had just seen part of her naked body, which made her angrily question him — if it were a stranger, she would have killed him on the spot.

"Uh, I didn't barge in on purpose; as long as you're fine, sorry, I thought you'd fainted from soaking in the pool."

Hearing the elf lady's forceful questioning, not sounding like something had happened, Broly promptly withdrew from the bathing room, re-closing the door without a shred of hesitation.

The door slammed shut with a bang, leaving Liu sitting in the pool momentarily stunned; when she reacted, she realized it might be because she'd soaked too long — long enough for him to return, find her still there, and grow worried.

【But there was no need to barge right in; he could have just called out from outside.】

The female elf blew bubbles glug-glug in the pool, thinking to herself.

However, considering that yesterday when guiding her swordsmanship, he had also been hands-on directly.

Liu instantly understood; it wasn't strange at all that he would barge in over something like this.

【In terms of being dense, she's somewhat similar to Alicia...】

Thinking this, she left the bathing pool again.

"Mr. Broly, you're not in the changing room, are you?"

Liu arrived at the front door and called out to ask.

"No, I'm further outside; I've also closed the changing room door for you."

The elf lady's reaction didn't seem like she was currently willing to let him see her naked; Broly wouldn't do anything that would easily lower Happiness Value.

Broly waited outside for a while; the changing room door opened after a bit, and Miss Liu, dressed in Pallum girl's clothing — like a tight-fitting bodysuit midriff-baring outfit, her hair slightly damp at the ears, clinging to her lovely pink face — emerged.

"Sorry, I soaked a bit long, causing you unnecessary misunderstanding and worry."

Meeting again, the elf lady bowed deeply and spoke these words earnestly; her character is just that clear-cut about gratitude and grudges — knowing it might be her fault, she didn't pursue the matter of the boy suddenly barging into the bathroom and seeing her naked, but apologized instead.

"Are you really alright?"

Broly still had some doubts; Happiness Value wouldn't drop for no reason.

"Why does Mr. Broly ask this?"

Liu felt somewhat strange.

"Your eye sockets are red, like you've cried."

Hearing this, Liu pursed her lips.

"Just soaking in your Familia's hot spring pool made me think of some past things, felt sad, so I cried."

Liu didn't hide that she had cried.

"Tears fell in, and maybe some snot too — I can't be sure; if you mind, Mr. Broly, I'm willing to pay the water-changing fee out of my own pocket."

"That's fine; the water in our Familia's hot spring pool is changed every two days."

Broly knows Water Magic; changing water is simple — mainly reheating afterward is more troublesome, which is why it's not changed daily.

And each reheating only consumes a few Magic Stones, a few tens of thousands of Valis — for his earning speed in This World, it's merely a trifle.

(Chapter End)