Watergate City — Main Street.
After encountering Regulus, the Archbishop of Greed, the two sides had clashed in a fierce battle. In the end, Reinhard arrived in time and forced the man to retreat temporarily.
Although they had not achieved the result they wanted, being reunited with Reinhard after several months was still a pleasant thing.
"Long time no see, Miss Shendu. It seems we haven't met for four months already."
Reinhard walked beside Shendu and spoke with a hint of emotion.
"Yes! That's right."
Shendu nodded and replied casually.
"By the way, where is Felt? I heard she's been quite active and accomplished quite a lot lately."
Emilia said with a sigh of admiration, her gaze fixed on Reinhard, curiosity shining in her eyes.
"She's doing fairly well. Though compared to Lady Emilia's achievements, there's still a slight gap. I feel rather ashamed that I haven't become a stronger pillar for Felt. Especially after hearing how Miss Shendu has created miracle after miracle."
Reinhard stopped walking and spoke with sincere admiration, his tone devoid of flattery.
"Hehe, that's only natural. Sister Shendu has always been my most outstanding knight."
Emilia lifted her chin proudly, her chest puffed out in delight.
Still, Reinhard's sudden appearance in Watergate City was indeed strange. Most likely it was Ana's doing. She had probably offered something in exchange to invite them all here.
"Speaking of which, you also received a request from Anastasia, didn't you? She must have offered something in exchange, which is why you came, correct?"
Shendu voiced her speculation, already having a general idea of Anastasia's intentions.
"Yes, that is indeed part of the reason. Lady Felt and I came here together. I also wished to see you, Miss Shendu."
Reinhard explained in detail. Shendu and Emilia seemed to understand.
"I see."
Shendu nodded and said no more.
After that, the group headed toward the inn without hesitation. However, at the entrance, they happened to encounter Joshua.
The purple-haired young man immediately offered a respectful bow upon seeing Shendu and the others.
"My apologies, everyone. We are currently receiving important guests inside. Under the present circumstances, I'm afraid it would be inappropriate for you to enter the main reception hall."
Joshua maintained a strictly professional attitude as he bowed politely.
"Guests? Don't tell me it's another one of the kingdom's candidates?"
Shendu asked without even lifting her head, her tone slightly peculiar.
Reinhard had already appeared. Priscilla and Crusch were likely to arrive soon as well. The guest inside was probably one of them.
"Indeed, I cannot hide anything from Miss Shendu. The one who has arrived is Lady Crusch."
Joshua had not expected the silver-haired, red-eyed woman to be so perceptive.
"In that case, could you lead us somewhere we can sit together? We are old acquaintances meeting again, after all."
Shendu narrowed her eyes slightly as she spoke to Joshua.
"Of course. There is another reception room nearby. It is prepared with desserts, tea, and coffee. You may rest there for the time being."
Joshua's response was impeccable.
"That will do."
Emilia nodded in agreement.
Soon, as Shendu arrived at another reception room, they noticed a tall, elderly man standing at the entrance—it was the Sword Demon, Wilhelm.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Wilhelm turned and saw Shendu, Reinhard, and the others approaching.
"Lady Shendu... and my grandson, Reinhard."
Wilhelm spoke with emotion, a trace of surprise in his eyes.
"Grandfather."
Seeing Wilhelm from a short distance away, Reinhard's expression grew complicated.
They had previously met during the White Whale subjugation, but time had passed since then.
His relationship with his grandfather had never been harmonious. They were not close. Their last meeting had consisted of only a brief exchange before parting once more.
Now reunited for a second time, their relationship had improved only slightly. Beyond calling each other by name, there was no real intimacy between them.
Joshua, acting as their escort, adjusted his glasses and observed the scene with interest.
The strained relationship between grandfather and grandson—no wonder Wilhelm had chosen to join Crusch's camp. It was indeed rather intriguing.
Soon, under Joshua's guidance, they arrived at another reception room.
It was spacious—far more than ordinary. In fact, it was at least twice the size of the inn's main hall.
The overall style was luxurious and elegant. Ink paintings adorned the walls, and various ornaments decorated the room lavishly.
Joshua looked at the three forces now gathered and felt quite satisfied.
There was Shendu's faction, the strongest among them. Next was Reinhard's side. And finally, Wilhelm's affiliated faction.
Before long, Anastasia pushed open the door and entered, accompanied by Julius. After choosing their seats, Reinhard stepped forward.
"Thank you for the invitation, Lady Anastasia. It is an honor to gather with everyone here. Although Lady Felt has not yet arrived, please allow me to convey her sincerest regards."
Reinhard bowed and greeted the various factions warmly.
"Not at all. Your presence alone already gives me great honor."
Anastasia entered gracefully with the purple-haired knight at her side, a springlike smile on her face, fully embodying the role of host.
"By the way, Julius, I didn't expect to see you here. It's been quite some time."
Reinhard greeted Julius warmly.
"Indeed. You've been rather quiet lately. Still, your candidate has proven to be quite capable."
Julius teased lightly.
Not long after Anastasia entered, two familiar figures pushed the door open as well.
The newcomer wore a sharp military uniform and carried herself with heroic bearing—it was Crusch. At her side stood the cat-eared Felix.
Upon entering, Crusch immediately approached Shendu, placed her hand over her heart, and bowed.
"Lady Shendu, it has been a long time."
Crusch was poised and dignified, her memory intact, her demeanor as capable as ever.
"It has indeed been a while, Crusch."
Shendu smiled faintly.
"Miss Shendu, Miss Emilia—you both look as beautiful as ever, nya."
Standing behind Crusch, Felix, dressed in an elegant outfit, teased playfully before glancing at Beatrice in surprise.
"And this must be your contracted spirit, nya?"
As Felix examined Beatrice, the spirit girl cast the cat-eared knight an arrogant glance and replied coolly.
"I am Big Sister's contracted spirit. There is no need to be so surprised, I suppose."
Beatrice spoke haughtily.
Only Akane seemed to have a somewhat lower presence. Though she was the vice president of the merchant guild, she preferred to remain low-key.
Not being greeted by Felix did not bother her in the slightest. As someone who always acted like Shendu's attendant, she harbored no resentment at all.
With everyone present, the atmosphere grew lively. Shendu occasionally conversed with Crusch and Felix.
Reinhard, meanwhile, greeted Anastasia, Crusch, and the others in turn, displaying his impeccable knightly manners.
For a time, the entire reception room became increasingly animated.
"This is truly suspicious. Anastasia invited so many people here at once. Her real objective definitely isn't simple."
Having matured considerably, Emilia's eyes were filled with concern. She had a distinctly bad feeling.
"That's right. It seems you've improved as well, Emilia. You're no longer the same as before, blindly trusting everyone without question."
Shendu stroked Emilia's head, clearly praising the girl's growth.
After chatting for a while, Shendu felt the time was about right. She looked toward Anastasia with a faint smile.
"Anastasia, you truly are quite skilled. By using different things each person desires, you managed to gather everyone here. Although I don't know your exact purpose, it certainly isn't simple."
Shendu's tone remained calm, as though she were merely making casual conversation.
"Hehe, naturally. Though there is still one faction I couldn't find a proper excuse to invite—Priscilla's side."
Anastasia sighed helplessly.
Of course, being able to invite the remaining three candidates was already sufficient. Shendu's faction was the strongest among them. Even if trouble arose, they could rely on her group to handle it.
After piecing together the details, Shendu roughly understood how Anastasia had managed to gather everyone.
For example, Shendu's side had been lured with high-purity magic stones. Crusch's faction had been drawn by clues regarding the Archbishop of Gluttony. Felt's side had been invited through profitable technology and information concerning the city.
Anastasia truly knew how to utilize resources. She had practically tricked all of them into coming here. Clearly, the upcoming matter would not be simple.
"So this is the way merchants think? Not bad. Still, as long as you don't cross my bottom line, the rest doesn't matter."
Shendu narrowed her eyes and leaned back against the sofa indifferently.
"Lady Shendu truly is broad-minded."
Seeing no anger whatsoever from Shendu, Anastasia revealed a sweet smile.
She understood deeply that Shendu clearly knew she had been used, yet simply did not care.
Such an attitude could only stem from two possibilities. One was overwhelming strength that rendered all schemes meaningless. The other was lacking intelligence entirely.
Naturally, in Anastasia's judgment, Shendu clearly belonged to the former category. Her power was undeniably genuine.
Creak!
Just as the atmosphere grew lively, the reception room door was pushed open.
The newcomer wore clothing reminiscent of the slums, revealing sharp little canine teeth while radiating a uniquely spirited aura.
The one who arrived was none other than Reinhard's master, Felt.
"Wow! Big Sister Shendu and Big Sister Akane are here too? That's great!"
After glancing around and spotting Shendu, Felt immediately revealed an excited expression and rushed toward her embrace.
"Please wait, Lady Felt! I distinctly remember preparing formal attire for you. Why didn't you change into it?"
Reinhard looked utterly troubled.
Felt was far too mischievous and never listened to anything he said.
He had clearly arranged everything in hopes of making her appear more fitting for a royal candidate. Unfortunately, this girl was simply impossible to manage.
"What's the big deal? We're here for sightseeing. Why dress so formally? It's not like we're attending the Royal Selection."
Felt shot Reinhard a disdainful glance, feeling that the man was unnecessarily fussy.
Afterward, she threw herself into Shendu's arms and affectionately clung to her, completely ignoring the strange looks from everyone around them.
"Hehe, long time no see, Big Sister. Even though we exchange letters every week, seeing you in person makes me much happier."
Felt nestled in Shendu's embrace and spoke obediently.
"Haha, you've done quite well during this period too. Once everything is settled, I'll spend some time accompanying you."
Shendu pinched Felt's cheek teasingly.
"Really?"
Felt's eyes lit up instantly, her expression filled with anticipation.
"Hey, Anastasia. Besides gathering everyone here, what other benefits are there? Stop keeping us in suspense already."
Felt hugged Shendu's arm possessively and spoke without the slightest politeness.
Both she and Anastasia had come from the lowest ranks of the slums, relying on their own methods to become royal candidates. Because of that, Felt felt no need to be courteous toward her.
"Hehe, Felt-san really is sharp. This place happens to be—a hot spring inn."
As soon as Anastasia finished speaking, she winked at Felt.
"A hot spring inn?"
Upon hearing this clue, Shendu immediately understood. A place like this truly was suitable for relaxing in a bath.
"Wow, that's amazing! Then I can soak in the hot springs together with Big Sister!"
Felt's delight was completely undisguised.
"After traveling such a long distance, using the hot springs to relieve our fatigue sounds wonderful as well."
Emilia spoke with obvious interest.
Most importantly, she could finally bathe openly together with Sister Shendu.
"Coincidentally, I also wished to relax in a bath. It seems the serious matters have already been discussed anyway."
Crusch looked toward Anastasia and asked calmly.
"Hehe, of course. Everyone, let's head to the hot springs together!"
Hearing Crusch's words, Anastasia enthusiastically invited all the girls.
"Alright! Big Sister Shendu, let's go together too."
Emilia smiled brightly at Shendu, her cheeks turning slightly red.
Shendu nodded without refusing. She also wished to enjoy the hot springs.
Afterward, all the beautiful girls in the reception room left together, leaving behind only Natsuki Subaru, Reinhard, Wilhelm, and the others.
Even Felix chose to join them. After all, Shendu had completely fulfilled his wish and transformed him into a genuine catgirl. Naturally, he possessed the qualifications to accompany them.
Not long afterward, they arrived at the hot spring area.
Steam filled the surroundings, and the humidity was extremely high.
After removing their clothes, everyone entered the hot springs together, including Shendu and the girls, all openly revealing themselves before one another.
Truthfully speaking, among the candidates, only Emilia and Priscilla possessed especially outstanding figures.
After soaking in the hot springs for a while, Shendu felt the exhaustion fade from her body entirely, her spirit becoming noticeably refreshed.
"This is truly comfortable. Soaking in hot springs really does feel wonderful."
Enjoying the pleasure of the bath, a faint gleam appeared in Shendu's crimson eyes.
"Um... Sister Shendu, may I scrub your back for you?"
Suddenly, while Shendu was bathing, two soft mountains approached from behind, accompanied by Emilia's shy voice.
"Of course. Thank you for your hard work, Emilia."
Shendu turned around and revealed her beautiful back.
Emilia's heartbeat accelerated as she picked up a bath towel and began gently scrubbing Shendu's back.
Meanwhile, Beatrice, Akane, and Felt all rushed over playfully after witnessing the scene, each wanting to help scrub Shendu as well.
The atmosphere quickly became lively and noisy.
Watching from nearby, Crusch could only stare in astonishment, though she seemed somewhat tempted.
"Hehe, Lady Crusch, do you also like Miss Shendu? Your expression seems a little suspicious."
Noticing Crusch's expression, Anastasia walked over and whispered softly beside her ear.
"Ah, it's nothing. It's simply been a long time since I last saw Lady Shendu. I merely missed her somewhat."
Looking toward the distant scene, Crusch forced herself to remain composed and answered coolly.
"Don't try to fool me. Merchants possess sharp intuition."
Anastasia lightly blew against Crusch's ear, speaking teasingly.
"Hehe, let's just act like friends for today. I'll scrub your back for you too. Consider it a rare day where everyone gets along without hostility."
After speaking, Anastasia directly began splashing and playing around with Crusch.
The atmosphere within the hot spring inn became exceptionally lively.
For the girls, soaking in the hot springs truly was an excellent way to relieve exhaustion.
Time gradually passed.
Only after three full hours did the girls reluctantly put on their yukata and finally leave the baths.
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