Patchouli felt like she was seeing ghosts.
There was clearly no one else in her room, yet she still felt a pair of invisible hands holding her feet.
The warm, rough sensation traveled through her skin, making her heart itch inexplicably. A strange blush even spread to the tips of her ears.
Instinctively, she kicked her legs to shake off the strange feeling, but the sensation persisted, like a shadow that wouldn't leave her.
It wasn't until those invisible hands began to skillfully massage the acupoints on her feet that—
Patchouli couldn't help but tremble all over. She hurriedly clasped her pale, delicate feet with both hands, trying to block the sensation—but it was useless.
In fact, as the massage continued, the technique even began to feel a little... sensual, with faint movements sliding upward.
The blush from her ears gradually spread across her cheeks. She was like a gourmet meal about to be served, irresistible and tantalizing.
Meanwhile, Marisa was noticeably more anxious.
She kept feeling like Rin was about to pull some unexpected move at any moment. From start to finish, her nerves were stretched taut, ready for anything.
"Relax. You sprained your foot—I'm not going to press too hard," Rin said, giving her calf a light slap. It still made her jump.
But Remilia, watching nearby, didn't seem too happy—
"When I sprained my foot, why didn't I get this kind of VIP treatment from you, you jerk? Playing favorites, huh?!"
"What are you thinking? One's for show, the other's for eating—how could they be the same?"
"You piece of—!!!"
Remilia's face darkened. She nearly swung a shovel at him.
Ignoring the little hothead, Rin finished applying ointment to Marisa's foot, carefully checking and adjusting it for over ten minutes before finally letting go.
"Just sit tight for now. My ointment works pretty well—you'll be able to walk soon."
"I'll reapply some tonight, just in case it leaves any lasting effects."
"I can do it myself, really..."
"With your clumsy hands? I don't trust that. As the boss, it's my responsibility to enjoy—ahem, to help my employees!" Rin declared this righteously.
Especially since it was still daytime and the environment was noisy—he couldn't examine things properly. At night, he'd be able to focus and avoid any accidents!
Marisa, feeling his gaze, grew even more unnerved and started worrying about Patchouli's progress.
Patchy! Pick up the pace!! If you don't hurry up, I'm seriously going to get eaten alive by this pervy boss!
With Marisa handled, Rin dragged Remilia back to join the rest of the work.
Gotta say, those two boozy workers—one big, one small—were surprisingly efficient. In just a short while, they had already dug out most of the pit.
"Boss, should we throw the dirt out?"
"No, just leave it there—we'll need it later."
"Here, take a swig and rest for a bit. Later, help me tidy up the edge of the pit—make it as round as possible."
"Roger that~"
Taking the two bottles Rin tossed over, Suika and Yuugi both beamed with excitement.
Working here wasn't bad at all. The drinks were always something new!
While Remilia smoothed the ground nearby, Rin squatted next to the dirt pile and began the Great Alchemy Operation.
As clean white tiles were stacked one by one, Marisa hobbled over, unable to contain her curiosity—
"I'm feeling a lot better now—what do you want me to do?"
"Here. Just tile the areas Remilia leveled. And watch your step."
"Got it." Marisa waved him off and cheerfully hopped off with a stack of tiles.
As time passed, the outline of the hot spring gradually emerged in the spacious room.
The previously messy environment was transformed by Rin's intense alchemy—now spotless and pristine. The tiles were so clean they reflected people's faces.
Thanks to Remilia's insistence and generous funding, a majestic statue of her was erected right in the center of the hot spring pool.
The room's walls were even adorned with bas-reliefs of everyone's likenesses. The intricate carvings left everyone in awe.
"Boss, how do you always know these weirdly specific skills...?"
"Just a hobby, you know. Not bad, right?"
"If I pay more, can you redo mine with an adult version?"
Remilia asked, clearly excited. This guy's craftsmanship was really impressive—it was perfect for indulging her vanity.
She was already planning to install something like this in the Scarlet Devil Mansion's bath!
"That might be a bit tricky..."
"100,000!"
"Are you trying to lowball me like you did with Reimu?"
"One million!"
"Deal. I'll do it after we fill the hot spring."
Rin signaled the Sage.
Under her guidance, steaming hot spring water quickly filled the entire pool.
To make things easier, the Sage also thoughtfully set up enchantments for cleaning, temperature control, and wave generation.
Even Remilia's statue began to spout water, and a steamy mist slowly filled the room.
Grabbing a few mud-covered folks trying to jump in, Rin warned sternly—
"Go clean yourselves first. Anyone who dirties the bath will be hanging from the flagpole like a tabloid scandal."
"Haaiii~" Everyone obediently lined up toward the adjacent bathhouse, glancing back longingly with every step.
By the time Rin reached the bathhouse entrance, the place was already neatly arranged with washbasins and toiletries.
Items from the Yakumo family, Scarlet Devil Mansion, Hakurei Shrine, and even the newspaper office were all accounted for.
Just then, Patchouli's swaying figure came into Rin's view.
The moment their eyes met, her face turned even redder, but she still cautiously asked—
"Boss, does that potion of yours have any side effects?"
"Increased craving for mana, slower recovery rate, things like that. Why? Don't tell me you already ran out of mana?"
"No, no, it's just... felt a little strange." Patchouli muttered hesitantly, her voice growing quieter.
No way she could just say, 'I felt something groping my feet just now and it made my whole body go soft', right?
Seeing her fidgeting, Rin seemed to realize something. His eyes sharpened immediately.
Did she roll some weird buff? Patchouli's cheeks were burning. She didn't dare say anything more and stumbled quickly into the bathhouse on wobbly legs.
At least everything still seemed normal—for now. She'd figure out what happened after the bath!