A Bottom-Tier Adventurer Devoted to Supporting Their Idol Activities: Every Time, They Offer Rare Materials and Stir Up the Elites - Episode 35: Movements of the Empire and the Underground District's Public Bath

Episode 35: Movements of the Empire and the Underground District’s Public Bath

The Nebras Empire, ruler of the northern half of the Central Continent. At its heart lies the Imperial Capital. And at the very center of that stands a massive black fortress like obsidian—towering sharply into the sky. At times, it was shrouded in thunderclouds. Its presence was the very embodiment of the Empire’s prestige and a symbol of fear.

After the heavy stone doors silently shut, a furious shout broke the oppressive silence in the room.

Inside were a handsome blond man with sharp features and blue eyes, and a balding middle-aged man.

The blond man wore an exquisitely tailored outfit that screamed nobility. In contrast, the middle-aged man wore a black robe that seemed to melt into the darkness.

“Three years, you hear me? This invasion took three whole years of preparation! And now, failure? You’re saying we lost most of our troops!?”

“Valdrius-sama, please calm yourself… Most of the losses were mercenaries hired with coin. The majority of your own forces returned safely to the Empire’s side…”

The black-robed man spoke while wiping sweat from his brow. He was trying to soothe Valdrius.

“We did lose one of our cultists. But he was merely the head of a mercenary band to begin with. We can just offer more slaves and second-class citizens to the Evil God to make replacements.”

Valdrius silently picked up a silver teacup. He then downed the dark tea in one gulp, exhaled deeply, and sank into his office chair.

“…This operation was meant to be the first step in securing the imperial throne. My older brother Ishgar must be laughing right now. Saying, ‘The throne is mine,’ no doubt…”

“Ishgar is certainly pleased, yes. But that’s all. He’s made no moves. Even if this was a failure, you, Valdrius-sama, remain the most worthy of the next emperor’s crown. It is action that carves the path forward.”

Standing before the desk, the robed man continued passionately.

“His Majesty ordered both Ishgar-sama and yourself to ‘prove your strength.’ Through the cultist’s broadcast magic, our might was displayed across the kingdom. He even took down Leopard of the Black Panther Knights. That, unquestionably, is a display of power.”

“Hmm…”

Valdrius’ expression finally began to calm.

“And? Have you identified the man who defeated our cultist?”

“By piecing together the testimony of surviving soldiers, we’ve uncovered some facts.”

“Go on…”

The robed man leaned in and lowered his voice.

“The man who interfered with us reportedly had gray hair and gray eyes. He possessed inhuman physical ability. And apparently, he defeated the cultist almost entirely with hand-to-hand combat.”

“…Gray hair… Could it be? A warrior from the far north?”

“That possibility exists.”

A sharp light flashed in Valdrius’ eyes.

“We eradicated that warrior bloodline! The only ones left in that land now are spineless fools with gray hair!”

“I understand. But based on what the soldiers said, there’s no doubt. One who carries the bl00d of Elgen, who once bared his fangs at the Empire, still lives…”

“If that’s true, then I’ll see to it that man is destroyed!”

Clenching his fists tightly, Valdrius declared.

“Understood. I will gather more information.”

“Do it.”

The robed man gave a brief bow and disappeared into the shadows behind the door. What remained in the room was a heavy silence—and a lingering ambition for the throne.

#

Surprisingly, even the underground district has a public bath. And not just any bath—it’s a grand facility that rivals those on the surface. It is always bustling with Underground Guild members.

Apparently, the bath used to be a water-flooding trap room in a dungeon—when entered, the door would lock and water would gush in through the walls. But some volunteers “magically remodeled” it into a bathhouse.

You’ve got to admire the Underground Guild members’ mysterious resourcefulness.

I opened the bathhouse door and handed money to the middle-aged man at the front counter.

“Yo, Roger! Taking a bath at this hour? Got a stream or something?”

“Yeah. The White Orchid Magic Corps is doing a training stream later. I need to purify my body.”

“Hehh~”

The man replied disinterestedly. Once he sees it, he’ll realize how good it is. Poor fool.

I took the locker key, got ready quickly, and entered the bath area.

Through the thick steam, I saw many men’s figures. The Underground Guild is full of maniacs. They all have tattoos inked into their skin.

Someday, I plan to get a tattoo of Ellel-chan myself.

I sat on a stool by the wall and started washing myself.

First, I lathered up the soap and washed my hair.

The hair dye I got from the old hag at the potion shop must be insanely powerful—the color stays black no matter how much I wash or how long it grows. Praise be to the hag.

While I closed my eyes and carefully scrubbed my hair, I suddenly felt someone’s presence nearby.

“Oh my, Roger~ Is that you? Want me to wash your back?”

That voice… the worst. The last person I wanted to meet in a bathhouse—Boomer.

Panicked, I rinsed my hair and stood up, clenching my fists.

“W-Wait! Why are you going into fight mode!?”

Completely naked, Boomer waved his hands to show he meant no harm. His swinging privates was disturbing.

“Stop that! Don’t strengthen your body with magic!”

He flailed dramatically. His groin swung even more.

“Stop swinging your junk.”

“That’s what bothers you!?”

Boomer crossed his legs to suppress the swinging.

“Jeez… I really never know what sets you off, Roger…”

Sitting beside me, Boomer began washing himself—at least he remembered to bring his own soap this time.

I sat back down and continued washing.

“By the way, Roger. Seems your imposter has shown up.”

Boomer said something interesting while lathered in bubbles.

“My imposter? What do you mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. A guy with gray hair and gray eyes showed up in the capital and became an adventurer. Got registered as an A-rank from the start. They’re saying he’s the same person as that mysterious Masked Man who helped defeat the raid.”

Gray hair and gray eyes… No way—someone from the same northern tribe as me?

“Is he strong?”

“I haven’t seen him myself. But the rumors say he’s the real deal. Supposedly, he took down an Earth Dragon by himself in the south.”

Boomer stopped washing and looked at me seriously.

“An Earth Dragon…?”

“Yup.”

If that’s true, he’s without a doubt A-rank or higher in strength. But I thought the bloodline of the northern warriors had been wiped out… Could it be, like me, he escaped the Empire’s clutches?

“You’re interested, huh?”

“…Yeah.”

I rinsed off the bubbles and sank into the large bath. My mind began turning, considering every possibility…