"Yo~ Boss, I brought you some customers!"
"U-Um, excuse us! Sorry about the misunderstanding last time. Here's a little gift and apology." As Rin accepted the small bags from Momiji Inubashiri, the Sage's notification chimed in his mind—
『 The system has detected a romance target and now the entity has been added to the list. 』
『 Main quest established: "Capture" Momiji Inubashiri 』
『 Reward: Beast Transformation Bestowal 』
"Why is there a delay in your quests?"
『 My apologies host, got distracted by Aya's newspaper last time and I forgot to issue it 』
"..." Rin shot a weird look at Aya, who was grinning nearby.
Somehow, this damn tengu keeps stealing the spotlight.
Aya, oblivious to his thoughts, cheerfully asked—
"Boss, is the new hot spring open to the public? Let me try it out! I can write a glowing review in the newspaper!"
"Not open to the public. It's just for the shop's own people. But if you want to soak, go ahead."
"Though if you want extra services, that'll cost extra." Rin's casual remark made Aya freeze.
A journalist's instincts kicked in—something was fishy here.
Even Momiji's fluffy ears perked up, her face flushing slightly.
"Boss, what kind of extra services?"
"What are you thinking? This is a respectable establishment."
"Just snacks, drinks, foot massages, bone adjustments, that sort of thing." Rin rolled his eyes.
Of course, the techniques would vary depending on the client...
Aya rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Her gut told her this guy was hiding sinister intentions!
But right now, the priority was getting into that hot spring!
Noticing Sakuya and the others already rushing to the baths with their towels, Aya grabbed Momiji and dashed off, shouting over her shoulder—
"Boss, leave two yukatas by the door for us!"
"Got it." Rin waved them off and was about to collapse into his rocking chair for a nap—only to find Yukari already lounging there.
Raising an eyebrow at her lazy posture, he tossed her a bag of sunflower seeds.
"Thought you'd be in there already."
"No need to rush. Enjoying a leisurely soak after dinner sounds much nicer." Yukari chuckled, patting Chen's head beside her.
"Besides, Chen's a bit scared of water. If she starts fussing, it might bother others."
Chen stuck out her tongue playfully, her twin tails swishing. The toys in the shop held far more appeal than some hot water.
"Don't soak too late, then. I still want to relax in there myself."
"Oh my~ Don't worry. You'll definitely get to admire a maiden's post-bath glow before you doze off." Yukari hid her smirk behind her fan, feigning shyness.
Rin remained unmoved. Much better to stare after she's soaked and flushed for real.
"I'll start cooking. Any requests for dinner?"
"The little ones worked hard today. More meat, please. I even brought some ingredients back."
Yukari flicked her finger, and a gap opened—dropping out bound rabbits, lamb, steak, and other ingredients.
Rin's eyes lit up. Saved him a trip to the market.
With more mouths to feed—especially Suika and Yuugi, who ate and drank like beasts—he'd need to cook everything.
As he headed to the kitchen, Marisa's sneaky head suddenly poked out from the bathhouse.
After scanning the area and confirming Rin was gone, she beckoned frantically.
Soon, she and Patchouli were tiptoeing back to their room like thieves.
Yukari watched their antics with amusement. She could ask what they were up to...
But something told her tonight would be entertaining.
Meanwhile, back in the room, Marisa shook Patchouli excitedly.
"Patchy, you really mastered that magic?!"
"Mhm. It was tricky, but once I got it right, I could imprint the process as instinct. No more mistakes."
"YES!!! Do me next! I've been waiting for this!" Marisa was practically vibrating.
Once this magic's on me, the first thing I'm doing is settling scores with that bastard boss...
...Well, maybe after he's eaten and soaked. He did work hard today.
Tonight's the night I flip the script!!!
"Fine. Where do you want the spell circle? It's complex—if it's on your arms, both need to be marked to work." Patchouli prepped her tools.
With her remaining mana, she could finish Marisa's and then do her own.
"Put it on my back. Harder to spot."
"Got it. Lie down and don't move."
"Roger!"
Still blissfully unaware of her impending doom, Marisa flopped onto the bed.
As the two got to work, a gap in the corner silently closed.
"Magic specifically to counter the boss's ability… Will it actually work?" Yukari mused, stroking her chin.
'This felt like a spectacular act of self-destruction. But she had to admit—the idea was tempting.'
Every time Rin used his power, it sent a shiver down her spine, as if even she couldn't resist.
'Hope these guinea pigs bring good news.' With a silent prayer, Yukari slipped into a gap to find Rin—time for a little preemptive warning.
"Boss, hypothetically... what would you do if someone recklessly challenged you?"
"Wait, did you steal these ingredients from someone's garden?" Rin's knife paused mid-chop.
Was this rabbit from that bamboo forest?!
"Of course not! I caught these in the Forest of Magic. The rest were bought at the market."
"Just a hypothetical. If someone did pick a fight...?"
"Ask King Yama. He'll tell you how they died."