“So, what are you pnning to do ?”

  “……”

  Faced with Haru’s question, the girl remained silent.

  “Hmm… The Shrine Maiden told me that you stay here for a while. Use this time to try and regain your memory. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be going now, meow.”

  With those words, Haru quickly disappeared from sight.

  ‘…Regain my memory…’

  To be ho, she didn’t care much about that. After all, it wasn’t crucial for her revehe immediate priority was to bee stronger; otherwise, staying here would be in vain.

  However, she still had no clue how to proceed. This pce had no oppos capable of makironger—either they were too weak or far beyond her abilities.

  ‘It seems like… I’ve faced a simir situation before…’

  When she was still weak, there were also no eo fight and grow stronger. It was as if…

  Her gaze fell on a stone in the shrine. For some unknown reason, an impulse drove her towards it, and she pced her hand oone.

  Bang!!

  With just a slight movement, the stone shattered into dust.

  This made her remember that she had oacked stones and wood repeatedly, refinieique over time.

  Inspired, she found a few more stoo practi, but quickly gave up after a few attempts.

  She realized that her body had bee so aced to her teiques that they were now sed nature. To illustrate, after practig martial arts, a person would sciously trol their attacks. But for her, these teiques had bee automatid she was at a level where there was almost no room for further improvement.

  Reizing this, a word surfaced in her mind—‘bottleneck.’

  “…If I ’t find a dire, should I uand my current situation from other aspects?”

  “……”

  The girl turned around to see Shiroanding behind her.

  “I heard about you from the Shrine Maiden. She asked me t this to you.”

  Shirone hahe girl an item, but before she could i it, Shirone grabbed her hand.

  “Before that, e with me.”

  Shirone pulled her towards a wooden building with a rge sign reading ‘Bathhouse.’

  “I initially thought your attire was due to some special tradition, but it turns out you don’t have proper clothes.”

  In the Abyss, there were many races, each with different cultures. Over time, a habit of ‘avoiding questions about others’ unique features’ had developed.

  Not only did Shirone misuand, but even the fishmen, goblins, and giant shought the same way.

  If it weren’t for Misako, who had knowledge from outside the Abyss and knew some of the girl’s past, she would have had to tinue living in her current state—covered only by a few blood-stained and loose bandages.

  Of course, the girl didn’t see it as a big deal; after all, even if she ged clothes, they would quickly be ruined in battle. In fact, she had grown aced to this feeling over time. It was just…

  “Ah, who’s this little cutie?”

  “e here a big sister give you a hug!”

  “Isn’t this outfit a bit of a tease?”

  Ihhouse, there were other shrine maidens and staff w at the shrine. Perhaps because of Shrine Maiden Misako, they all seemed to have a special fondness for petite girls.

  Especially with how the girl looked now, though slightly older in appearahan Misako, her attire made her look like a little girl ed in ribbons, saying ‘The gift is me!’

  The girl’s instincts told her that this would bee very troublesome if it tinued, so she obediently followed along to bathe and ge.

  “How long has it been since you’ve bathed? Your hair quality has deteriorated.”

  Shirone squeezed some shampoo into her hand and carefully washed the girl’s long hair.

  To her surprise, the girl’s body wasn’t particurly dirty—apart from a strong smell of blood, her skin and hair were just in poor dition.

  This was no problem for them. With the special maintenance solution, the girl’s skin and hair improved signifitly, and thanks to Shirone’s skillful care, the girl didn’t resist at all.

  “Hmm, no wonder Shirone, you’re truly a model of a good wife and mother.”

  “Wha…!?”

  In a nearby hot spring, Misako was lounging with a drink, watg them.

  “Good wife and mother… I’m nothing like that…”

  Despite her words, Shirone’s hands tio wash the girl’s body without stopping.

  “Oh, but I often see people from the shrine fessing to you~”

  “Ugh…”

  If there were a ranking of the most popur people at the shrine, aside from Misako, Shirone would be at the top. She was not only gentle aiful but also of the same race as Shrine Maiden Misako. As for feminine charm, Shirone would be more suited to be a wife.

  As for Misako, those who liked her were generally drawn by the desire to be under her and; being trampled or led by her was something they wouldn’t regret in their lifetime.

  “Hmm… Retly, I’ve noticed you’ve been close to Haru. Do you have any thoughts about her?”

  “No! I don’t like her!”

  “o shout so loudly if you don’t. And your face is so red.”

  “Th-That’s just because the water is too hot!”

  “Oh~”

  ‘But you haven’t eveered the hot spri.’

  Despite her childlike appearance, Misako had lived for an unknowh of time and could easily read such feelings.

  “Well then, I’ll tell Haru that you don’t like her…”

  “Eh!? It’s not that I don’t like her… That’s not quite right…”

  ‘How cute, she’s so calm in front of Haru, but when she’s not around, she’s so shy. It’s like two extremes.’

  “By the way, retly, whether it’s her heat or something else, she’s been lying down in front of me, pretending to be a cat and asking for pets.”

  “What!? Please eborate!”

  Shirone’s eyes sparkled with i as she stared at Misako.

  “Well… I ’t give details, but every time I pet her, she seems to go bnk, pletely unaware of what happened.”

  “Ah… I see.”

  Shirone made up her mind to defiry it when she saw her . After all, if she bnked out, she could do whatever she wanted, right?

  ‘…I’ll set up a surveilnce spell ter~’

  Misako was very much looking forward to seeing their reas when they discovered the truth.

  “Alright, let’s not dwell on that. You should have finished washing by now, so hurry up a into the hot spring. I’m here with you, and if you want to drink, it’s allowed.”

  “Um… If we’re drinking…”

  Bang!

  Suddenly, at the entrance of the bathhouse, a group of dark figures were crouched behind the door, their faces showing frenzied and obsessive expressions. Startled, Shirone quickly led the girl into the hot spring, trying to ignore what was happening behind the door.

  As for the fact that some shriaff treated this hot spring water as holy water, that was a story for aime.