Chapter 542 - 542: Bathing

The crystal dome shone silently overhead, its white light mingling with the droplets on the girls' bodies and giving them a soft, pearlescent sheen.

Water trickled gently through the spring, its soothing melody carrying the clear currents as they brushed against the girls' skin.

In the forest of the 18th Floor, the women of the expedition party shed their clothes and stepped into the natural spring like graceful young deer.

"I never thought we'd run into so much trouble on the way back..."

Lefiya sank her entire body into the spring, enjoying the rare moment of peace.

As the dangers of the expedition drifted through her mind, she couldn't help sighing with relief at having made it through alive.

"It's all thanks to Bell Cranel. Even setting everything else aside, without him, we'd probably still be trapped in Water City right now..."

"Mm! Argonaut-kun really is amazing!"

The moment she heard the boy's name, Tiona happily slapped the surface of the water.

Tiny droplets scattered across the girls' bodies. As the conversation turned to Bell, the exhausted girls gradually brightened, their cheerful mood spreading like ripples across the spring.

"I'm starting to understand just how impressive Bell Cranel really is too."

Tione readily agreed.

"Whoa, the boy's actually caught an Amazoness's eye. I'm starting to feel sorry for him."

Tsubaki was still wearing her eye patch, though unlike usual, she had removed her breast wrap.

Standing beside Tione, their towering peaks and deep valleys were equally imposing. Even the other women bathing with them found themselves intimidated by the sheer presence of the two.

"With a weapon that powerful, Tione-san, wouldn't it be easy for you to win over the White Rabbit Boy?"

There was a hint of jealousy in Elfy's voice.

Tiona, who was in a similar predicament, had already retreated to a crack in the rocks. The younger Amazoness stood beneath a small cascading waterfall, letting it wash over her body like an ascetic undergoing purification.

"Don't make me sound like some lust-crazed woman. I've been practicing how to be a proper lady all this time for the sake of finding a strong man. Bell Cranel is definitely my type, but we'll talk about that after he beats me."

Tione's answer was perfectly sincere, though her voluptuous figure and slender waist made the statement seem far more suggestive than she intended.

"..."

Elfy froze for a moment.

What happened after he beat her?

Would she confess at lightning speed, then immediately move on to things that couldn't be described?

It would be much more interesting if Ryuu-san and Lefiya thought the same way.

Elfy glanced at Tiona, who was doing her best to escape reality, and grinned.

"Tione-san's weapon might be incredible, but Lefiya isn't losing either! Just look at her. Her chest has grown so much it's practically breaking the character design!"

"Huh?! Elfy-san, what nonsense are you talking about?!"

Lefiya hurriedly covered her chest and sank deeper into the spring.

She had been quietly combing through her long, rich golden hair and had never expected such a sudden attack from her roommate.

Even so, after everything she had experienced, the golden-haired Elf surprisingly didn't blush at the situation itself.

Lefiya was startled by her own reaction.

In the past, even bathing with Ais and the others would have left her bright red as she showered the blonde girl with compliments while repeatedly insisting that she had no improper intentions.

But now, the person occupying Lefiya's thoughts was the white-haired boy who wasn't even there.

Unfortunately, Elfy had no intention of letting her escape.

"I heard from the Gods that a girl's breasts grow when she falls in love. Is that why you've been developing so quickly, Lefiya?"

"Huh?! How could something like that possibly be true?!"

Lefiya's cheeks instantly turned bright red.

"Elfy... is that really true?"

Ais wasn't good at conversations like this, so she had originally been standing a short distance away, quietly washing herself.

But the little Ais inside her heart immediately caught the important words. Like a passing breeze, she slipped into the girls' conversation in an instant.

"No, Loki probably just made that up on the spot, right? Lefiya, what do you think?"

Alicia curiously moved closer.

"You say that, but you're actually hoping it's true, aren't you? Alicia, I don't think that information would be much use to you."

Anakitty commented softly as she washed the tail at her waist.

"Anakitty, who used her chest to tempt Bell Cranel, has no right to say that."

Alicia immediately struck back with the facts.

"Th-that was an accident, nya!"

Anakitty's tail swished, sending water splashing around her and revealing just how flustered she was.

The girls' clear, playful laughter rang like silver bells among the surrounding blue crystals.

"So, Lefiya... was what you said just now true?"

Ais stared at the golden-haired Elf, stubbornly determined to uncover the truth.

Although her junior was hiding her chest with both hands, nothing could escape the eyes of a top-class Adventurer.

Those golden eyes had already confirmed it.

In that regard, Lefiya was developing remarkably quickly and had long since left Ais's own stagnant growth behind.

"It has nothing to do with Bell Cranel! I've just been eating more and exercising more..."

Lefiya answered in a panic.

The calm version of herself from only moments ago vanished completely, replaced once again by her soft, thoroughly embarrassed self.

"Lefiya, I only said you were in love. I never said anything about the White Rabbit Boy."

Elfy pointed out the flaw in her answer.

Although many of the girls present knew that Bell and the golden-haired Elf were not actually lovers, the fact that they were extremely close had already become common knowledge within Loki Familia.

"Urrrr..."

Lefiya chose to hide behind the spring water instead.

"So, Elfy, what exactly are you supposed to do?"

Ais turned to the brown-haired girl for an answer.

"Mm... Judging from Lefiya's usual behavior, I guess you let the person you're in love with touch them more often, or you massage them yourself while thinking about that person?"

Elfy answered thoughtfully.

Her words caused an enormous splash in the spring.

"Would Argonaut-kun work?"

"You don't even know what being in love means, so stay out of this."

Tione stopped her younger sister before Tiona could be fooled.

"Wow, Lefiya, you're bold~"

Anakitty teased her with a laugh.

"I never knew you were that kind of Elf..."

Alicia quietly joined in.

"That's no good... Lefiya, did you really do that...?"

Ais lowered her head dejectedly.

"I-I DIDN'T!!!!!"

Lefiya screamed in utter embarrassment.

By the end of the commotion, Elfy had been tied beneath the small waterfall.

"Sorry, sorry, it was my fault..."

The waterfall poured over Elfy's face, yet she showed absolutely no sign of remorse.

"I just got an idea. 'River of the End, wash away all the evil in this world...' That's actually pretty good! I definitely have talent as a bard!"

"Elfy-san, please reflect properly."

Lefiya complained.

"Speaking of which, why isn't Ryuu-san here?"

Even in her current predicament, Elfy hadn't forgotten about her friend.

"Mm... She's probably not used to bathing with other people."

Lefiya looked around.

Then she frowned and murmured softly,

"Come to think of it... Riveria-sama doesn't seem to be here either...?"

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