While Thalen explained what had happened and why they were acting that way toward him, the only thing he could think of was one thing—and he said it straight to their faces, his expression neutral.
"Are you idiots or something? Why are you even worrying about this if it leads nowhere? Come on, men, you can move on."
"You say that because you're not us."
"What are you talking about? Don't tell me you're comparing yourselves to me…"
Shaking his head, Enrico placed his hand on his forehead as he looked at them like pathetic, hopeless beings.
"You shouldn't compare yourselves to someone superior. How many times have I said that already?"
"You bastard, don't get so full of yourself just because you're our leader's right-hand man!"
"Shut up and die, you bastard!"
Dodging Caelan and Lan's attacks, he sat down next to Elian while the two who attacked fell into the hot spring.
"You bastard, entertain me like a man!"
"That's right! Accept our blows!"
"Why should I accept blows from inferior beings who compare themselves to others over nonsense?"
Feeling Elian move away, he grabbed his hand and saw that he was blushing, sweating, and trying to get away from someone he thought was a monster. Seeing that face, Enrico couldn't help wanting to have some fun.
"Elian, are you—?"
"Am I what? Don't start your stupid jokes, you bastard. Y-you hurt my pride!"
"Your pride? Elian… you don't need pride with me."
Enrico's face was close enough to make Elian shiver and blush from the madness of the situation. Caelan immediately stood up and pointed at Enrico.
"Enrico, he's a man!"
"So what? He looks feminine enough for me."
His face was serious while Elian's mind went into short circuit, and he ran away while Enrico started laughing. Liam, who had returned to normal, spat out his drink trying not to laugh, but a second later he thought about immediately reporting to Sylvia, who was paying him while keeping watch on how that relationship developed. Before he could send a message, he heard a noise from the wall on the girls' side and was filled with dread.
"Don't tell me… damn it, I think my pride's been affected too."
There were several holes in the wall that hadn't been there before. He thought a guy would've had such an idea, not the girls next door. With a tear falling from his eye, he looked up.
"I'm sure they were spying here not because of us—they did it to see Enrico. I hope he dies."
While most of the guys had that thought, Kai noticed the holes and quickly created several water shells to cover them, especially the ones where he saw eyes trying to focus on Enrico.
"Kai, you bastard!"
"How dare this commoner block my view!"
"I'll kill you, Kai, for stopping me from enjoying my Ketsumei a little longer!"
'As if I'd let these girls taint the honor of the most special person to me for a long time.'
He pretended to draw a sword even though his hands were empty and walked toward Enrico to ask for a rematch.
[That was weird.]
'Why do you always try to ruin my fun when I'm just trying to enjoy myself?'
[Having fun by bothering others isn't good.]
'Am I bothering anyone offensively? If not, then stop trying to get in my way.'
Starting to relax in the water, Enrico refused Kai's challenge for the thousandth time that month and simply rested there—it was, after all, his first time in a hot spring.
Meanwhile, on the girls' side, Sylvia had a nosebleed while taking mental pictures of the moment between Enrico and Elian so she'd never forget.
"Hey, I want to see more!"
'Why do I feel like I'm surrounded by lunatics?'
Camila, the only normal one there, tried to stay calm as what she thought would be a peaceful moment turned into chaos. And to make it worse, it had all started because Aoi confessed she had once seen Enrico naked.
"What do you mean, Aoi? You're joking, right? If it's true, when was that?"
"It was the same day I decided he was the right person for me. I was watching him through the window, and when he took his clothes off, I saw… I think Angela saw too because she punished me afterward."
"So that's one of the last things you asked someone to do? You idiot, why didn't you call me too?"
Rina shook Aoi back and forth by the shoulders while four murderous auras surrounded them, ready to kill her. But before that could happen, they heard noises in the wall. Lira, seeing that, decided she needed to learn more about her rival and made several holes in the wall with her ki magic.
"If you're all so furious, you should make sure you're the next to see, shouldn't you?"
Seeing that, Yumeha started walking toward her to drag her away before her master arrived—her master's privacy had to be protected.
"Wait, Yumeha."
"What do you mean, Aoi?"
"Are you sure you want to be left behind the others?"
At first, she was confused, but then saw that the holes were running out because all the girls were already looking through them.
"I'm sorry, Master, for being a bad servant."
Yumeha took one of the last holes while Aoi laughed, being the last one there. Camila and Victoria, who were the only ones not peeking, still became curious when they heard the boys shouting that Enrico should die and the perverted girls sighing about something unspeakable. Still, Camila held firm, and Victoria tried to hide her curiosity.
'I respect other people's time, unlike these perverts.'
'I must stay pure for marriage… I must stay pure.'
Zenaria, watching all this, simply drank her beverage with blank eyes, wondering if these young women would ever stop making noise. Though, she had taken a quick glance without realizing it—but only for a moment.
'Well, at least my daughter has a good future husband.'