"Hey, why are you following me all the way here?"
Kai asked as he lifted Kyuubi.
"Kyuu?"
Kyuubi tilted its head, showing that it was confused.
"Before, when I wanted you, you kept running away from me, but now, when I don't want you anymore, you're clinging to me instead… what exactly do you want from me?"
"Come on, Kai! Now he already wants to stay with you, right? So can't you just let him stay here?"
The Fairy Goddess looked really worried when Kai showed no interest at all in Kyuubi. She didn't want Kai to throw away such a precious pet like Kyuubi.
Kai then gave the Fairy Goddess a look that said, 'What's the point of keeping him?'
"Maybe right now he's not very useful besides being your mascot and playmate, but if you train him well, he can help you take care of your livestock… like herding them in and out, or helping you find them if they go missing."
"Can I actually lose my livestock in this game?"
"Kai, maybe you haven't realized this yet, but this world is only similar to the games you know. Actually, you're not inside a game at all, but in another world."
"I've heard about stories of people going into another world, but usually the genre of those stories is fantasy, not farming games like this… no, wait a minute… I guess this world also counts as a fantasy world."
Kai looked again at Kyuubi in his hands. However he saw it, Kyuubi was clearly a fantasy creature, so it wouldn't be wrong to think that he was indeed in a fantasy world.
"Maybe this world is different from the other worlds you know, but we really are in another world… so even though there are many differences from your world, this world has aspects that are the same as yours… so you can lose your pets or livestock if you don't take care of them properly… and of course, you can also get divorced from your wife later."
"What the hell!? This is the first time I've heard about that!"
Kai looked utterly shocked at the news he had just heard.
"So does that mean I'll lose my wives if I don't treat them fairly?"
"Kai, I think you'll lose your wife the moment you go looking for another one."
Kai didn't seem to pay any attention to the Fairy Goddess's words.
"Yosh, let's think of a way to make sure my wives will never leave me no matter what."
"No, Kai, first you need to figure out how to get married in the first place!"
"First of all, I should probably fix my clothes… people who dress neatly are always more liked, especially by girls."
Kai completely ignored what the Fairy Goddess had said and was busy inspecting his body, still covered in dirt.
"If I end up losing my wife, this is all your fault!"
Kai said irritably, pointing at Kyuubi—the main reason he had ended up filthy in the first place. His expression soured as he recalled what had happened.
"Well then, Fairy Goddess… I don't see any bathroom here, so where am I supposed to clean myself up?"
In Kai's house, there was only a sink for washing his face and brushing his teeth. Other than that, there was nothing he could use to properly bathe himself.
"Oh, looks like I forgot to tell you about this."
"Tell me about what? Seriously, you're really forgetful… and you're supposed to be a fairy."
"Sorry, but there's a lot I need to explain to you… so it's natural I'd forget one or two things. But it shouldn't be a problem, since I'll explain everything to you one by one when you actually need to know it."
"Well, I guess that kind of thing often happens in games, so it's not really a big deal."
Sometimes games would only explain new mechanics to players right at the moment they needed them. That way, players could better understand how the system worked.
"So, where can I take a bath?"
"Do you remember the villa you visited yesterday?"
"You mean the place where I almost lost my life?"
"You may have lost consciousness, but I can guarantee you never would've lost your life."
Kai still couldn't quite remember what had happened yesterday before he lost consciousness, but his instincts told him one thing for sure: he should stay away from any cake made by someone. Thanks to that, Kai realized exactly what had almost cost him his life.
"So, what's with that villa?"
"Near the villa, there's a path that leads to a hot spring. The villagers usually use it for bathing."
Kai's eyes immediately widened upon hearing such valuable information.
"Heee… so there's a place like that too, huh."
"Yes… that hot spring originally belonged to Marie's parents. But since Marie and her family rarely used it, they decided to let the villagers make use of it instead."
"I see! Un! Un! I totally get it!"
The Fairy Goddess quickly noticed the strange look on Kai's face. He was definitely thinking something weird again.
"Um, Kai… just a reminder, but you'd better not do anything suspicious!"
"Relax, I have no intention of doing anything suspicious!"
The way Kai smiled as he said it looked so suspicious, the Fairy Goddess couldn't trust his words at all.
"So, can you tell me when people usually go to bathe there?"
"Why are you asking that? If you want to bathe, you can just go now, can't you?"
The Fairy Goddess gave him a disgusted look, though Kai seemed completely oblivious to it.
"Well, you see… it's just… um… it's kind of lonely bathing all by myself at the hot spring, so I thought it'd be nice to have a friend to bathe with me!"
"You just came up with that excuse on the spot, didn't you!?"
Even though the Fairy Goddess had only met him yesterday, she already had a good idea of what was running through his mind. The men's and women's baths were separated by nothing more than a single wall, so her worries grew even stronger. She had to stop Kai's plan no matter what.
"If you want a bath companion, you can ask Kurt. I'm sure he'd be happy to join you!"
"Why should I bathe with another guy?"
"Because you're a guy yourself!"
Kai's expression looked extremely dissatisfied. That only made the Fairy Goddess even more certain about what kind of plan Kai was cooking up in his head.
"You know, Kai… you need to buy a pet bowl for Kyuubi's food. So it's better if you go to Kurt right now and bring him along to the bathhouse."
The Fairy Goddess spoke in a firm tone.
"Why—"
"Just go already!"
The Fairy Goddess gave him a deadly glare, leaving Kai with no choice but to obey her order.
Kai then went to Kurt's place to buy a pet bowl and invite him to the hot spring.
"So, Kurt… do you happen to know the girls' bathing schedule?"
Kai asked as they were on their way to the hot spring. Even though the Fairy Goddess was clearly watching him, Kai completely ignored her presence.
"Huh!? Why are you suddenly asking something like that?"
"It's just for reference!"
"Reference, my ass! I know you're scheming something indecent, aren't you?!"
"Why are you accusing me of such things? There's no way a pure man like me would ever think of that!"
"You're literally the farthest thing from pure!"
Kurt had made the right choice by agreeing to bathe together when Kai suddenly invited him. He knew full well the guy had a hidden motive behind it.
"I have a pretty good idea of what you're plotting, but do you really think I'd let you get away with it!?"
"Hmmm?"
"What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Oh, nothing… I was just wondering… what exactly do you think I'm planning right now?"
"That's…! You already know, don't you?!"
"No way… how could I possibly understand? Unlike you, I have a pure mind!"
"I already told you! You're the farthest thing from pure!"
Without realizing it, the two of them had almost reached Marie's villa.
"Kai, turn here!" Kurt said, pointing to a narrow path beside the villa. Kai quickly followed as Kurt took the lead.
"Oh, so this is the hot spring!"
Kai said as he looked at the building, which had a sign reading "Alam Village Hot Spring" right in the middle of its roof.
The two of them stepped inside. There wasn't a single soul around when they entered.
"Well then, I'll be going first!"
Kai announced, heading straight toward the women's bath.
"Wait a second! Where do you think you're going!?"
Kurt immediately grabbed him and dragged him off to the men's side.
"What's wrong with you? I know you're a coward, but you don't have to get in my way like this."
"Just as I thought! You're the farthest thing from pure!"
At the moment, the two of them were undressing in the changing room before entering the bath.
Kai didn't see the Fairy Goddess anywhere inside the men's side, so she was probably over at the women's bath. That thought made him feel this was his chance to act, free from her watchful eyes.
When Kai stepped into the hot spring, he was greeted by the sight of a fairly large pool, steam constantly rising from its surface. Needless to say, the water must have been scorching hot.
But that wasn't what caught Kai's attention. What truly drew his eyes was the sturdy wall separating the men's bath from the women's.
"What are you thinking, you pervert!"
said Kurt, looking at where Kai was staring.
"You're the pervert here! Only a pervert would assume someone else is being perverted!"
"Shut up! What's wrong with calling a pervert a pervert!?"
Kurt's face turned red—not from the steam of the hot spring, but from anger at Kai's behavior.
"What are you doing?"
Kurt asked Kai, who was pressing his ear against the wall.
"I'm conducting an investigation!"
"What kind of investigation are you doing in a hot spring!?"
Kurt really couldn't leave someone like Kai alone.
"Just so you know, the women's bath is empty right now! It's just the two of us here!"
Kurt said as he walked toward the hot spring pool.
"Ah, finally… I just want to soak in this hot water and wash away all my fatigue!"
"Ufufufu… Claire, you sound like an old man."
"Mean! I'm not like that!"
"Ahahaha… I understand how you feel, so no need to pout."
But a voice from behind the wall made Kurt pause and realize he had been wrong.
Kurt looked toward Kai. Even though he couldn't see Kai's face because the young man was facing the wall, Kurt was sure Kai was wearing a wide, mischievous grin.
"Oi, you—"
Kurt's mouth was quickly covered by Kai before he could shout and alert the girls on the other side.
"Sssssttt!"
Kai put his finger to his lips to signal Kurt to be quiet.
"Now, Kurt… it's time to prove that you're a real man!"
Kurt had a bad feeling about what Kai might say next.
"If you're a man, you have to peep with me!"
Kurt already knew this was going to end badly—and tragically—even before it started.