Vol 2 Chapter 25: The Under-Bath part 5

Foin stayed in the bath for a few long minutes. Meanwhile, he could hear a loud whimper sound and some strange, unrecognisable sound that resembled a dirt digging sound. He was both angry and nervous.

Not only did someone unknown to him barged in on him while he was bathing, but he even hit his leg in the process. Though thanks to the élion flower in the water the unpleasant feeling soon vanished.

After a loud sigh, Foin finally got out of the bath and quickly dressed despite being still wet. He didn't care at all. All he was focused on was figuring out who that girl was, the reason she was in her underground base, and the reason she barged into the bathroom.

With haste, he left the room to find the girl in the main room of the base. She was surrounded by hundreds of vines and was being pulled against the dirt wall of the room. The appendages were wrapped around her body so tightly that each of her curves was clearly visible. Foin could see how strong and well-trained the girl was. Her well-formed abs and honed muscles were a clear sight of her powerful yet currently vulnerable form.

The only portion of her body which was not covered was her face. Everything else was being restrained to the extent that she could feel her bones slightly cracking.

Although under normal circumstances, she would have been able to escape due to fatigue and her empty stomach, as well as being shocked by Foin's naked form.

As Foin stood before the captured girl, his wet hair covering her eyes from its water dropping down to the ground, he just glared at her.

"WHAT?! Is this some sort of sick joke? I have seen the naked body of a filthy slave?!"

Raged the girl in her thoughts as she glared back at Foin.

"Who are you? And how did you get in here?"

Foin asked the girl as he stepped closer to her without averting his gaze from her eyes.

"Erm... I am sorry, master... It was me... She said she wanted to talk to you, so I let her in... But I promise I will teach her a good lesson!"

Énilo said with a lowered head. Unlike before, she was not hovering; instead, she was just on the ground, normally not far from the bound girl. Linyer, however, couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"This is ridiculous... For a plant creature to call a mere slave their master?! Could it be that I misjudged the situation, and this man is only imitating to be a feeble human slave?"

Linyer pondered as she quickly averted her eyes and just glared at the ground instead.

"Did you not hear what my master asked you?! Want me to go rough on you right from the get-go?"

"I am... Linyer..."

The girl replied while keeping her gaze fixated on the ground. She started feeling more and more nervous as she felt the piercing gaze of Énilo next to her, and the fact that she was being bound by her powers made her situation considerably more difficult.

"Why did you want to talk to me? And why did you rush into the bathroom like that?"

Foin asked his next question. His tone was even colder and for a split second there was a greenish flicker in his eyes which although he did not notice, everyone else noticed.

As that flicker appeared, both Énilo, Gobu and even the girl hurriedly looked at him. Since he was unable to feel or notice any magic or energy-related things, he felt nothing, but in reality, he emitted a considerably powerful burst of energy. Although it was not a burst aimed at harm, it was merely a means to warn in the eyes of Gobu, Énilo and Linyer.

Linyer took a deep breath before she could answer. She needed to think about what to answer as she realised that she needed to lie no matter what, but it needed to be believable.

"I... I was wandering in the area, And I noticed your blossoming tree on the surface, and I couldn't help but find the owner of the land... To be honest; I have been on the road for quite a while, and I am...hungry..."

Linyer tried to mix the truth with a lie to make it a bit more appealing. She was sweating greatly, both due to being so close to the boiler and due to the intense gaze of Énilo.

"You wanted to talk to me because you were that hungry? And you couldn't wait for me to come out on my own? Is it the norm for GUESTS to just rush into other's rooms without asking?"

"Erm... no... I apologise... I... I guess I got a bit too excited..."

She replied as she gritted her teeth slightly. This was so out of her character that it was painful for her to act like this; after all, if it were not for her current weakness and carelessness, she could have easily killed everyone here.

Foin just stared at her without speaking. He was lost in thoughts, and in the process, his anger slightly dissipated. He sighed, and his gaze slightly softened.

"I hope he belives me... I really want to avoid any unnecessary confrontation in my current state..."

The girl thought as she tested the strength of the vines binding her. She was able to move slightly; she was still quite angry and was focusing on trying to calm down as much as she could.

Meanwhile, Foin opened his mouth to speak, but a new, never-before-seen panel appeared before his eyes.

"Notice! A new quest has been issued!"

That notification surprised Foin considerably. He didn't expect it one bit. He believed that he would never receive such a panel since Foin was just a farmer, though he couldn't help but feel excited.

What could that new and, at the same time, first quest entail? In addition, what could those three fruits be? Foin's excitement just kept rising as silence settled in the room, and no one made a single sound.