Chapter 72

I decided to use the wine barrel right away.

I placed the wine barrel, retrieved from my Item Box, in the corner of the tent where the toilet room was set up.

Although I could have drawn water from the faucet for washing hands, I was too eager to try out the bath, so I decided to use water magic.

To heat the water, I used Heat, a practical magic from the life magic category, to bring it to a comfortable temperature.

I prepared a bath set on the wagon I had summoned and purchased from a large furniture store and jumped into the barrel bath, leaving my discarded clothes where they were.

“Ahhh…”

Without words, I enjoyed the barrel bath, a relaxed expression on my face.

Since I planned for a long soak, I kept the water temperature slightly lukewarm. The warm water with the scent of wood gently soothed both my body and soul.

Cleansing magic like Cleanse is convenient for removing dirt, but nothing beats the comfort of a proper bath.

As I luxuriated in the bath, I noticed Ketsue, who had followed me, gazing at me curiously.

I always thought cats disliked getting wet, but Ketsue, a fairy cat known as a Cait Sith, seemed to be an exception.

“Want to hop in, Ketsue?”
“Nyaa!”

I made the invitation half-jokingly, but Ketsue responded with surprising enthusiasm.

“Wait, really? You’re okay with water?”
“Nyaaan.”
“Alright then… if you’re fine with it, I guess it’s okay?”

I held out my hand, and Ketsue approached eagerly. I picked him up and gently placed him into the water. The kitten didn’t struggle and stayed still. He really seemed fine with it.

“He even looks like he’s enjoying it…”

So, there are cats who like baths, huh?

I was impressed as I watched the kitten relax with his eyes closed and his mouth slightly open, completely at ease. Though this was his first bath, he appeared to be enjoying it immensely.

“Looks like you’re a bath lover too, huh? If this world had hot springs, I’d love to go with you.”

His round little head was so adorable that I couldn’t resist rubbing my cheek against it. He purred contentedly, leaning into me.

Over the last few dungeon attacks, Ketsue’s level had increased significantly.

Since his magical capacity had grown, I taught him some life magic, and to my surprise, he mastered it in no time.

Now, he even maintains his glossy fur using Cleanse by himself. His smooth, shiny fur feels amazing to the touch.

Ketsue, who also learned Heat, uses it to warm his food to his preferred temperature, despite his cat tongue. He’s brilliant—my little genius.

“Ahh, that was refreshing. Baths really are wonderful. I’ll try using bath salts next time.”

After the bath, I enjoyed a bottle of coffee milk.

For Ketsue, I offered fruit milk. It was his first time trying it, but he licked it up happily.

Honey milk wouldn’t suit a post-bath drink, after all.

Dressed in loungewear, I sat down for dinner with Ketsue.

“Shall we have some high-orc meat again today?”

Since I often revisit the tastier dungeon floors, I’ve accumulated quite the stockpile of meat.

High-orc meat, with less fat and more lean portions than regular orc meat, is easy to eat and delicious.

I decided to make soft-boiled eggs wrapped in thinly sliced high-orc meat.

“I’ve already prepared a batch of boiled eggs. This is the container for the soft-boiled ones.”

Since I love flavored eggs, I often marinate soft-boiled eggs in noodle soup base. However, this time I opted for unmarinated ones, as the meat itself would be seasoned.

The process was simple: season the high-orc belly meat with salt and pepper, wrap it around a soft-boiled egg, and cook. Don’t forget to lightly dust the meat with flour.

I coated the frying pan with olive oil and cooked the meat until it browned nicely.

Overcooking would ruin the soft-boiled egg’s gooey texture, so I was careful with the heat. After seasoning with sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and cooking sake, I simmered the dish to finish it.

Decorating the plate with lettuce and tomatoes, I thought it turned out quite visually appealing.

“Dinner’s ready!”
“Got it, got it. Ketsue has his portion too.”

Ketsue has recently stopped paying attention to kibble and insists on eating the same meals as me. Despite being so small, he can devour an entire portion.

I cut the soft-boiled egg wraps into bite-sized pieces for Ketsue and placed them on his plate. He happily buried his face in the food.

It’s a joy to share a meal with someone who enjoys it so much.

“Delicious. High-orc meat never disappoints.”

The sweet and savory meat paired beautifully with the gooey yolk of the soft-boiled egg.

This dish pairs perfectly with rice. It could even work as a lunchbox item, thanks to its bold seasoning.

“Is it good, Ketsue?”
“Myaa!”
“Good. Eat as much as you want.”

So, this is what it feels like to be a doting parent. Watching him eat so eagerly is adorable.

After cleaning Ketsue’s sauce-stained face, I spent some time petting him before tackling the tedious cleanup.

For dessert, we shared some vanilla ice cream with blueberry sauce.

The blueberries came from a tree that Ketsue had helped replant. Instead of fully cooking the berries into jam, I made a fruit sauce with a higher water content.

This sauce pairs wonderfully with yogurt, ice cream, and occasionally meat dishes, adding a nice tangy contrast.

To the family-sized vanilla ice cream I bought from a convenience store, I added the blueberry sauce and a sprig of mint I harvested from the forest.

For Ketsue, I topped his portion with catnip—a type of herb also known as Western silvervine.

“Does it work? Feeling the effects?”

While ordinary kittens shouldn’t have it, Ketsue is a Cait Sith—a fairy cat from the forest.

He seemed blissfully tipsy. I’ll save stronger herbs like silvervine for later.

“Apparently kiwis have a similar effect on cats, right?”

Uncertain about this tidbit of knowledge, I made a mental note to ask Akimi later.

“Speaking of Akimi, they seem to be making great progress with dungeon exploration.”

Recently, a large furniture store was added to the shop list of the summoning magic’s online store, which got the three of them excited.

They had been pleading for better bedding, and while the points required were substantial, they sent me two gold coins to help cover the cost.

“Having so much furniture makes camping in the tent surprisingly comfortable.”

For now, I decided to spend my points on their bedding requests.

As a reward for their hard work reaching level 80, I also splurged a little on some loungewear for them.

I summoned and purchased the bedding sets and sent them to each of their Item Boxes.