Rin’s Tsundere Father, the Guild Inspector!

In the human capital city of the Gremy Kingdom, the Great Hero Reinhard told King Gremy about me, an unclaimed Dungeon Core.

King Gremy thought about the recent reports. His third-biggest city had started using the nearby healing spring as a public spa. He hadn’t expected to hear that the Dungeon Core behind it was still unclaimed.

Since the Centaur Borkas had been spotted at the capital, and an Angel was said to be at the same spa, the Head Guild Auditor was called in. After all, Dungeon Cores were part of the kingdom’s land. They belonged to the City Guilds, and above them, the King. If not claimed by the humans, he at least had to tax us, tax us insane amounts!!

“It’s not like I want to visit.” The Guild Auditor grumbled to his King.

Reinhard stepped forward, ready to take the job–

“I’ll go. You leave me no choice.” The Guild Auditor cut in, full of stubborn energy.

Reinhard couldn’t argue. He was needed at the Port City for urgent work.

So, aged and still strong and fearsome, Rin’s tsundere father rode his warhorse out. He followed secretly behind Borkas’s carriage, wheels rumbling toward our healing spring.

Of course, we knew none of this. We were having the time of our lives!

“Gahaha!” I roared, bobbing high over the main pool like a king in a kiddie floatie.

On the side deck, Sharlotte sprawled belly-down on a mountain of fluffy towels she’d ‘borrowed’ from the laundry to make a giant futon. Her wings drooped, half-dipped in the water, her halo spun like a lazy ceiling fan.

Rin peeked from the counter, hands on her scandalously short apron, like she was about to smack both of us with her New Customer Bell.

“What do you mean you’ll gacha-fy the towels, boss?!” she barked.

“SSRs are obviously the ones I spent weeks washing myself! It’s simple! Clients need towels. Towels need upkeep. Upkeep costs money. Gahahaha! It’s genius!”

Sharlotte flicked her feathers, splashing my Core. “It’s idiotic. Towels are a basic decency.”

“Who do you think I’m gacha-fying this for? Not for our precious clients! It’s for you, Sharlotte! You haven’t secured a single new client since Borkas! If you’re happy to spin chances on life’s wheel of me getting my body back and draining our Gold, from here on, you spin the wheel for your new sleeping, morning, afternoon, napping, evening, and evening number two towels! Bad luck gets you an unwashed one. Ah, maybe Rin would prefer that.”

“I don’t need it!”

“No, no! Nooo!” Sharlotte splashed like our Spa was a bird bath. “You’re supposed to make it easier for me! Bring the customer to me first!”

“You’re the one with wings! You should be flying off to distant lands and promoting– Noo!”

“You hypocrite!”

“I don’t wanna leave my Core! I can’t go back in that flask! I was traumatized last time! Rin, Rin!”

“Don’t tell her! I’ll help you!”

Rin ran over, darting from the two of us to her Father’s granite glare. Her fluffy cap drooped so far that it nearly fell off her head.

“Rin.”

Rin squeaked. “I– It’s not–! I’m not–!” She glanced at me, face flushing bright. “Boss, say something!”

“CLAAAIIIMM!!”

“Whatever it is, I need– AN AUDITORRR?!”

The Head Guild Auditor stood in our Spa entrance like a mountain in a too-tight formal coat. His Guild badge gleamed at his throat, polished to a mirror shine. The sunlight literally beamed brighter for him out of sheer respect for how thoroughly he could ruin the Sun’s whole career with a single disappointed, “hmm,” and circle on his clipboard.

Why didn’t we hear about this?!

“I didn’t plan to find you here. I was off to the city, and you just happened to be here, okay? Pack your ledger and come home. The Guild needs you behind a proper counter, not parading yourself like a back-alley tavern hostess.”

“Inspector and client, that lady works for me! Have more respect!”

“She’s my daughter, though.”

“What?!”

“You dummy!”

“It’s Rin! How was I supposed to know?! She doesn’t have any physical resemblance to that ugly, chiseled, brickhouse sunlight guy!”

“You really are a conscious Dungeon Core. There was a secondary reason King Gremy sent me here. I was on my way to ask for the Guild’s strongest warriors and was expecting to find you working there.”

“Why do you need our city’s strongest heroes?” Rin asked. “Aren’t there many in the Capital?”

“The Demon Lord has increased his attacks on our Port City.”

“Crass is...?” Asked one of the female adventurers.

“Yes, the borders are suspecting another attack.”

“I’ll stock up on fish!” Declared another client.

“Naturally, King Gremy ordered new Guild Quests for reinforcements from far and wide to fight against the Demon Lord’s army.”

Gremy. That was the name of this Human kingdom. And there was also a second human city, Crass, a seafaring city. I understood a lot of new things from this short exchange, but I had just as many questions.

What was this about a ‘Demon Lord’?

“Why don’t you take a dip in our Spa, Rin’s Father? I have a few questions. I’m sure Kazuki and Rin do too.”

“Very well. It’s not because I want to experience this popular destination; I will only test the waters for my audit. I’ll write this off as a business expense.”

How lucky. He decided to only receive the healing foot bath, as he didn’t want to pay any more Gold than needed.

Rin’s Father told us about the Demon Lord. In short, he was an evil force that wished to fight the Human kingdom. He was described as attractive, having two white horns over bluish-black hair, and wings like Sharlotte’s.

“We slew the Demon Lord last month on a covert mission known only to a select few. Our one-and-only Hero Ninja’s assassination was a success. But it was then that the Demon-kin’s attacks returned with vengeance. We discovered that the Demon Lord was reborn. As long as the Unholy Throne at his castle remains intact, he is immortal. We suspect him to have extremely powerful spells in his personal arsenal, ones we’ve never come across and can only speculate about. [Resurrection of the Soul], [Resurrection of the Body], [Transmutation of the Soul], all incredibly powerful God-tier spells. That’s in addition to his slowly aging body.”

Resurrection magic?

That’s it! That sounded exactly like what I need to get my human body back!

Thus far, the Demon Lord is the only creature I’ve heard of having this extremely powerful magic. We’ll need to get him here so I can obtain his Ability and get my human body back!

Of course, this was easier said than done.

He was at war with the Humans and even other Monster clans. I’d have to do my best to keep making world peace through relaxation. I’d have to appease him through our wonderful spa!

“That’s incredible news! We’ll…!” Wait! I couldn’t tell Rin’s Father these plans yet. He would only become more against his daughter’s work here.

Both King Gremy and the Demon Lord had Healing Dungeon Cores at their castles, but none were like our Spa. Enticing both the Human King and the Demon Lord was the ultimate goal! We still had a long way to go!

“As an Angel, I know that relaxation is important when unrest is common.” Sharlotte offered Rin’s Father a towel with a smile and eyes that sparkled ‘I totally secured this customer.’ “If battles are raging on, wouldn’t it be ideal for our Spa to remain open?”

“I see no trouble in this. But you won’t have my daughter working here.”

“That can’t be! It’d be the same as shutting us down!” I protested.

“Return to working at the Guild right away and you won’t blotch your resume.”

“How can working here be a botch?” Rin asked.

“I am protecting you from shame. If you job-hop to this reckless Spa and it fails, you’ll never get another post at the Guild or a safe arranged marriage. You’ll be the gossip of the whole city. Staying at the Guild secures your future.”

“It can be chaotic, but I love the freedom I have here. And the genuine affection I get from Boss, Sharlotte, and our guests... It’s the same as the Guild but better, an upgrade, without as many stiff rules–”

“I want you back at the Guild by the end of this week. I won’t repeat myself.”

He stood up and out of the foot bath.

“I find your Spa great, but your business partners are questionable. A Dungeon Core and an Angel. And what about that dress you’re wearing?! I find it cute on my daughter, but I don’t think any of the men in this city look at it the same way I do!!”

“Hii!” Our clients fled from the eyes of the anti-tax-evasion powerhouse. Cowards!

“I will return tomorrow. That will be the end of my audit.”

Rin hesitated greatly. But she didn’t back down.

“Even if it’s a bad future I’m heading toward, please have faith in my ability to recognize that and change my direction. Indecisions are not who I am!”

“And job hop again? This conversation is over.”

Rin’s Father left our Spa like this, as if it were all already settled.

Rin looked downcast. I wouldn’t have that.

“Rin. Your Father thinks this is his house. It’s our business. This conversation isn’t over. Talk with me this evening in private.”

Nighttime. There were very few clients at this hour, but the scenery was certainly as, if not more beautiful than during the day. Our spa waters glowed iridescently, the gas lights, the starlight.

And here was the star of the evening, no, of every day!

Rin approached my altar. I spun happily.

“That… WAS AMAZING!!”

“Boss!”

“I’ve never seen you put up such a strong fight! The look on his face!”

“Be more serious for once! I… don’t want to leave.”

“HMM! I am. I fully recognize your self-determination. I’ve never heard such a lovely objection. Listen, Rin. Your boss will always need you. But it’s up to you whether you need your boss. But everyone needs me, so it’s a pointless question to ask.”

“You too? Why can’t you… be more honest, like when we’re having fun?”

I got a bit more serious. “I trust in your strength. I’d say that I don’t need you, to run back to the certainty of the Guild, but I didn’t choose my second worker so freely, especially given Sharlotte’s sloth. I wouldn’t extort anyone who couldn’t handle it. Probably. Actually, forget that last part.”

“You’re terrible, Boss.”

“You couldn’t tell your father about the blackmail directly, so you tried to stand your ground without hurting his feelings and getting me arrested! You’re so wonderful, Rin!! Hooonk–!”

“Ew! How can you even produce snot?!”

“Wash up that dress and come back to work at 2:00 AM this morning! Tomorrow starts a new day! Huh? It can’t be you’re considering returning to your Guild job?”

“No.” She said with a genuine smile, thinking of the two beings fighting for her. “I’m just feeling lucky. My father isn’t wrong by his generation’s values, so his overbearing audits and rants about ‘no work ethic in hot water’ actually make sense. When he sees me in this office maid apron, laughing with Monsters? It’s not work in his eyes, it’s humiliating.”

“Is it?”

“Not really.”

“I want to change that.”

“You wanna make it more humiliating?!”

“No! I wanna change your father's recognition of this as official work, the whole world’s recognition of an interspecies Spa! This place should be celebrated. The same goes for your father, who should be celebrating your new job. It may not happen in one day, but this place will help me collect all sorts of Abilities from our clients. We will change the whole world, and I want you to be with me along the way. Tomorrow brings a new day!!”