Open-Air Mixed Bathing

The relationships between people are wonderful.

If something is allowed the first time, then it becomes natural to do it a second, third, and nth time.

Ever since that first kiss between Rein Ymir in the Black Dragon City town hall, in front of that young master Frank, their relationship has become somewhat delicate.

Although Ymir felt a slight unease about certain intimate gestures, she didn't think anything was wrong with them.

It was as if the two had some kind of tacit understanding from their first meeting; neither of them took the initiative to say anything, yet everything was accepted naturally.

With her indifferent nature, it's difficult for her to meet people she feels good about.

And unlike the fiery passion of the wealthy young men from powerful families in the capital who pursued her, Rein wasn't exactly enthusiastic, which was fine with her. Compared to intense, passionate love, Ymir preferred a gentle, spring-like feeling; the quiet, understated approach made the experience more genuine.

Rein hadn't expected Ymir to agree to go for a hot spring bath together.

He was just being eloquent and asking casually.

This "Golden City Bathhouse" is indeed the most famous bathing beach in the capital, boasting the highest quality spring water that is directly connected to underground springs.

Of course, this place is similar to the bathhouse in Rein's previous life, with a regular bath in the lobby and VIP private rooms upstairs.

Moreover, due to the world's open attitudes towards gender, the largest public bath here still has a mixed bathing custom similar to that of ancient Rome.

Rein only learned about the "Emperor Package" from the time I heard the hunters bragging about it. They said it involved a veiled maid who was skilled in all sorts of tricks.

Of course, Rein had no interest in trying it (￣_,￣)

He smiled and asked directly, "Why did you suddenly agree?"

Ymir didn't explain further, but instead asked, "Didn't you want to come?"

She maintained her nonchalant expression, glanced around the bathhouse, and said, "This is a family property of one of my royal uncles. It wouldn't hurt to give it a try."

Rein looked enlightened and said, "Oh."

The fact that such a large building is used as a bathhouse in the capital city must mean it has connections. I never imagined it was run by the royal family.

Having decided to give it a try, the two walked over.

Just then, as Rein and his companion walked toward the gate, a charming female manager, still looking quite pleased with herself, came out.

Being able to manage this place naturally requires developing a keen ability to recognize and judge people.

The steward recognized Rein and Ymir and respectfully ushered them into the VIP passage.

"Her Highness the Eldest Princess, Lord Rein, are you two planning to cancel your plans?"

"Yes."

Which activity would you two like to experience?

"No need to arrange anyone, we can make it ourselves."

"How about I arrange a private bath for you two?"

"Good."

"."

Throughout the entire conversation, it was Rein spoke, Ymir's aloof Princess aura in front of outsiders made the steward afraid to even breathe.

Not long ago, news of what happened at the Oma Academy came out, and the manager did not expect to see the two main people taking a bath at the bathhouse at this time.

Speaking of

With such a big incident happening, you two still have the leisure to go for a hot spring bath?

As they walked, the steward kept wondering about the relationship between the two with trepidation.

The manager was a shrewd person and naturally guessed that the relationship between the two was unusual.

It was quite surprising that the Her Highness the Eldest Princess, who was hailed as one of the "two beauties of the Oma Imperial Capital," actually had a man.

Ymir remained silent throughout, letting Rein make the arrangements.

From the manager's perspective, this was tacit approval.

Okay, then let's arrange a "private bathhouse".

Actually, she didn't know that Ymir's silence was partly due to her unwillingness to speak, and partly because she had never been to a public bathhouse before and couldn't join the conversation.

Just like someone who has never been to a club, they naturally wouldn't understand the difference between services priced at 388, 588, and 1388.

But I thought it should be similar to the one in the palace, right?

The interior of the "Golden City Bathhouse" is even larger than the exterior, and its decorations are opulent. Presumably because it was originally owned by the Spurglin Royalty, it even incorporates many palace-style decorations. Various pure gold items gleam brilliantly.

The higher you go, the more luxurious the decorations become.

The steward led Rein and Ymir to the top floor, where exquisite antiques and oil paintings by masters could be seen everywhere.

The manager took his leave, and then two scantily clad waitresses led them to the changing room.

Before long, Rein changed into a plain white bathrobe and went to an open-air bath shrouded in mist.

The maid helped him take off his bathrobe and then left.

"Rich people really know how to enjoy life."

Rein looked around and found the bathhouse to be truly exceptional. Not only was it luxurious, but the meticulous design details made him feel completely at ease, without the slightest sense of constraint from being naked.

Moreover, what's most remarkable is that this bathhouse is actually located on an open-air platform!

Here, you can look up and see the sky.

The bath is about 20 to 30 square meters in size, made of piled stones, and surrounded by seven or eight stone lion sculptures, spewing hot water with billowing white smoke from their mouths.

Thanks to its ingenious design, this terrace faces no taller building, giving it an excellent view overlooking the vast capital while ensuring absolute privacy.

The temperature was just right, and when Rein went into the water, he immediately felt a sense of comfort throughout his body.

He submerged his entire body in the pool.

Lying on my back in the bathtub, I could see the sky.

Transcendent's willpower increases with their Extraordinary Rank, but perhaps because of the increasing levels of Strength Extraordinary hormones, Rein felt his restless desires growing stronger.

As he soaked in the tub, he felt like something was missing, and wondered to himself, "Could I have misunderstood? Does a private bathhouse mean a very private location?"

The steward was probably wary of Ymir's status, so he gave a very vague introduction.

But Rein understood that there should be some surprises.

Where is the legendary mixed bathing?

Ymir?

So, the "private bath" means you can bathe alone?

After thinking for a moment, he chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "But these bubbles aren't bad either."

Although the Transcendent cultivation doesn't feel bitter, the nerves are always on edge, so this is a rare moment of relaxation.

However, as it turned out, he was right.

Just as his thought faded, footsteps came from the doorway.

Rein's senses were very sharp now; the footsteps were light, sounding like two women walking barefoot towards him.

Then the two stopped, and one of them, who was walking behind, turned around and walked out.

Rein turned his head and looked over, seeing Ymir standing there calmly in her bathrobe.

She was calmer than Rein had expected.

Actually, Ymir had sensed Rein's presence even before she entered. Although she had never been to a public bath before, she understood from the scene.

She still turned to Rein and asked, "Is this a mixed-gender bathhouse?"

Rein shrugged, looking completely innocent, and said, "I didn't know before, but I do now."

"."

Ymir didn't say anything, but rolled her eyes at him, as if to say: I don't believe you.

However, it seems that this fact is tacitly accepted.

Since she was already there, Ymir showed no sign of wanting to leave.

After asking the questions, she naturally took off her bathrobe and casually placed it on a chair next to her.

The inside was naturally a vacuum, and her snow-white skin was completely exposed to the air.

Standing proudly upright, her long, beautiful legs are on full display.

No matter how you look at it, Ymir has a near-perfect figure.

Rein smiled and winked, not expecting Ymir to be so indifferent to "mixed bathing".

Perhaps because of the time they spent together during her healing period, and because she had seen everything that needed to be seen, Ymir didn't feel embarrassed at all.

Rein made no attempt to hide his undisguised gaze, watching with a smile as she lifted her jade-like legs to test the water temperature before slowly descending the steps into the bath.

The water gradually submerged her calves, then her knees, then her thighs, and finally her hips.

Rein watched as the exquisitely beautiful body, as smooth as warm jade, slowly sank into the water, as if admiring a perfect work of art.

Ymir's gaze remained elsewhere, his face remained calm, and he did not look at Rein.

Once inside the pool, she lazily lay back on the edge.

However, it was on the opposite side of Rein.

The bathtub was big enough that each of the two people could soak in half of it, with several meters between them.

The crystal-clear pool revealed every detail. Water spouted from the beast's head flowed into the pool, creating ripples of white light on the surface, which Rein could see clearly.

Ymir lay there with her head tilted back, seemingly enjoying this timid moment.

No one spoke for a long time.

Rein swam over without hesitation and lay down next to Ymir.

Not too far, not too close, about half a body's length apart. A slight touch of the elbow would be enough to touch that smooth, jade-like body.

Ymir kept her eyes closed, which meant she wasn't unaware of what was happening, but rather that she didn't care at all.

Ymir, like Canossa, is Legendary Realm, the kind that even Rein couldn't defeat with both of his hands. Any rash actions would likely result in more trouble than victory.

Looking at Ymir's composed expression, Rein understood her intention.

This property belongs to her royal uncle's family, meaning that news of their hot spring visit would spread throughout Omar's high society in a very short time. Their close relationship was self-evident.

Ymir was the kind of person who spoke little but was a doer; she always got everything done quietly. She didn't talk about it, but she made it happen.

Perhaps it's because she advanced to the Ice Law, and her control over desires reached a level that was almost "pure and desireless".

In some situations, it's almost impossible to get her to take the initiative.

After thinking for a moment, Rein asked, "Now that you're back in the capital, have you been bothered by a lot of noble young masters?"

Ymir, who was once driven out of the capital by the Established Nobles group, is now the most sought-after person.

Ninety-nine percent of the nobles of Omar now believe that Princess Ymir is the true ruler of Black Dragon City. They consider that city to be her private domain.

Just like the Grand Duke House and his son who had previously visited and exchanged ideas with the territory, the best way they could think of to establish a relationship was through marriage.

In the eyes of those Established Nobles, Ymir was, after all, a woman. Whoever married her would effectively control the future of Black Dragon City.

Without a doubt, when she returns, she'll be inundated with suitors from all sorts of wealthy young men.

Ymir didn't respond to his question, which was clearly meant to provoke him, nor did she open her eyes. She simply said, "Don't overthink it. If you want to soak in the hot spring, then soak quietly for a while."

"Oh."

Rein raised an eyebrow, then subtly shifted his position, moving a little closer.

Ymir still didn't react.

A while later.

Would you like me to massage your shoulders?

"."

As expected, Ymir did not answer.

Rein naturally took this as her consent, and moved closer to her, then patted her shoulder to signal her to sit up.

At this moment, Ymir opened her eyes slightly, glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and did not refuse. She sat up and then exposed her entire beautiful back to Rein.

Rein reached out and gently massaged her shoulder.

Perhaps because she had soaked in the hot spring, her skin was very soft, like fluffy dough when pinched. But because she was Melee Extraordinary, she also had tough muscles.

Well, overall, the feel is surprisingly good.

Since both of them were naked, they were already very close in this position. Even though Rein tried to keep his distance, their skin would still touch from time to time, and the ambiguous atmosphere was rapidly heating up.

Just as Rein's hand on her shoulder was wandering around a bit, Ymir suddenly spoke up.

Her tone remained calm, as if she hadn't noticed anything "abnormal" about Rein.

Perhaps they knew and tacitly approved.

"Tomorrow, during the court assembly, my brother will announce the news that Omar and Black Dragon City have formed an equal alliance. At the same time, he will also announce that the Imperial Throne will be passed to Calen (the Second Prince)."

"Oh"

Rein listened to Ymir talk about serious matters, his expression also became very serious.

The Old Emperor's days are numbered, but he did do something beneficial for Black Dragon City. Once the alliance is established, it means that the Omar government officially recognizes Black Dragon City's status as a "kingdom," which will greatly benefit Black Dragon City's future development.

At least, ordinary residents will listen to the authorities and will have a more positive impression of the "Demonized" Black Dragon City.

However, the matter of passing the throne to the Second Prince is not so simple.

"Think about it, "Rein said. "That missionary has the ability to change people's subconscious. Your brother's decision was probably influenced by that 'Mental Suggestion'."

"Well, none of that matters anymore. No matter who the throne is passed on to, the current situation is unlikely to stabilize."

Ymir had heard from Rein about the Mental Anomaly he had sensed, and she was curious why she, a legend, hadn't sensed them while Rein had.

But she didn't ask any further questions and chose to unconditionally trust Rein.

Moreover, only this explanation can reasonably account for why City of Radiance attracted so many followers of the Three-Eyed Evil God in such a short time.

"Yes. The power struggle in Omar is now irreversible, no matter who comes into power."

After all, it was Ymir's birthplace, so Rein didn't say it directly: Omar is bound to collapse now.

He thought for a moment, then said, "But the most important thing now is to prevent the missionaries of City of Radiance from using their ability to change people's beliefs. We must find a way to stop them from proselytizing."

This is a very tricky problem.

The most terrifying thing is that the methods used to subtly change people's beliefs can even deceive top-tier Transcendent.

If it weren't for his early discovery, the missionaries of City of Radiance would have spread the "Evil God Worship" throughout the two empires, which would have been a devastating disaster for Black Dragon City.

Furthermore, City of Radiance could effortlessly control all human territories across the entire Ice Ridge Wasteland through its divine faith.

Ymir sighed slightly, her tone grave. "The missionaries of City of Radiance are helping Calen fight for the Imperial Throne. It seems the Omar leadership has been infiltrated by that cult. I'm afraid the situation on Sid's side is probably similar. It's unlikely we can stop them with just our word."

"Um."

Rein also saw through City of Radiance's strategy: to first corrupt some of the top nobles.

Then, the nobles spread the faith on a large scale.

Under this centralized feudal system, once the idols of evil gods are erected, the power of each territory is supreme. With them spreading their influence, the common people will naturally fall into their clutches very quickly.

"Evil God Worship" will spread like a plague.

However, if the emperor of a country were Evil God Fanatic, then this would be a very serious matter.

A sharp glint flashed in Rein's eyes as he said, "Therefore, I believe that even if your brother has already issued the edict, the Second Prince must not be allowed to inherit the throne!"

Ymir remained silent, clearly agreeing with this statement.

The capital city will surely undergo great changes tomorrow.