The temperature today seemed even higher than yesterday.
Cicadas buzzed tirelessly on the tree branches.
Not a single breath of wind stirred the air; only the distorted heat waves rose from the ground.
Celia sat in the shade of the hall, clutching a fan and waving it lethargically.
Although a bottle of Happy Water she had just taken out of the freezer sat beside her, the oppressive heat coming from the top of her head remained unbearable.
This was the downside of long hair.
Though her light green hair was beautiful, in this summer without air conditioning, it felt like a thick wool scarf wrapped around her neck.
‘I want to cut it short.’
Celia rubbed her hair, feeling a bit irritable.
It hadn’t been this troublesome before; back then, she would just use a bit of soap while showering, give it a couple of rinses, and be done with it.
“Lynn!” Celia called out.
No one responded.
Only then did Celia remember that Yuna had sent someone to borrow Lynn early this morning, saying a new batch of fabric had arrived at the Shop and they couldn’t keep up with the work.
“Tsk.”
Celia clicked her tongue and turned her gaze toward Iris, who was wrestling with a pile of plates in the corner.
“Hey, you over there.”
“Iris, come here and help me wash my hair.”
Iris put down the plates, wiped her hands on her apron, and walked over hesitantly.
“Wash hair?”
“Yes. Go fetch some water. Make it warm.”
Though reluctant, Iris obediently went to the Backyard to fetch water and brought a wooden basin to Celia.
Celia settled herself on the lounge chair, leaned her head back over the edge, and closed her eyes to wait for the service.
Splash.
A scoop of water was poured directly over her head.
“Hiss!”
Celia bolted upright as if she had been electrocuted.
“Are you trying to freeze me to death?!”
The water poured over her felt as if it had just been scooped out of a glacier.
Splashing onto her scorching scalp, it sent a sharp pain through her entire head.
“But, this is warm water?” Iris had an innocent look on her face, even sticking a finger in to swirl the water. “I even thought it was a bit hot.”
Celia grabbed Iris’s hand to feel it. It was bone-chillingly cold.
She had forgotten about that.
This girl was a Demi-human; her body temperature was much lower than a human’s.
Perhaps what felt like ‘warm water’ to her was ice water to a human.
Furthermore…
Celia looked at Iris’s fingernails, which were still somewhat sharp even after being trimmed.
If those hands were allowed to scratch her scalp a few times, they would probably leave several bloody gashes.
“Forget it. You’re dismissed. Go back to your plates,” Celia said with a look of disdain, waving her hand before collapsing back onto the lounge chair.
Her hair was now half-wet and half-dry, making her feel even more uncomfortable.
Just then, the sound of flowing water caught Celia’s attention.
In the Backyard, Elent was standing by the well.
He wasn’t using a bucket to draw water; instead, his hand was held in a hollow grip.
Well water was drawn by some force, surging from the opening and spiraling in the air to gather into a water ball.
The water ball reflected the colors of the rainbow under the sunlight, changing shape with the slight movements of Elent’s fingers.
‘Water element control…’
Elent stared at the water ball with a look of intense concentration.
‘Wait, what am I seeing? Elent isn’t practicing Combat Techniques; he’s practicing magic? And doesn’t that magic look similar to the function of a smart shower head?’
This guy also knew Fire Element Magic, so heating things up would be easy for him. Now she had a solution.
“Elent, come here.”
Celia sat up from the lounge chair and waved toward the Backyard.
“Priestess, what are your orders?”
“How is your Water Ball Spell practice coming along?”
“I’m still in the exploration stage. My control isn’t refined enough yet,” Elent answered honestly.
“Perfect. I have an excellent opportunity for you to train right here.” Celia pointed to her still-dripping hair. “See this hair? Every strand is fragile and needs the gentlest flow of water to care for it. Moreover, the acupoints on the scalp are dense and require precise massage.”
Celia was talking nonsense with a perfectly straight face.
“So, use your Water Element Control to maintain the water ball at a comfortable 40 degrees, then simulate a flowing rinse to help me wash my hair clean. Remember, not a single drop of water can splash into my eyes, and not a single strand of hair can be pulled out. This is the ultimate Trial for your elemental micro-manipulation.”
After listening, Elent’s expression became incredibly solemn.
“I understand. I will give it my all!”
“Very good. Such spirit.”
Celia lay back on the lounge chair, adjusted herself into a comfortable position, and tilted her head back, defenselessly exposing her most fragile area — her neck.
“Begin.”
Elent took a deep breath and then mobilized the magic power within his body. A mass of clear water gathered in the air, followed by a thread of Fire Element injected into it.
The water temperature rose, and steam began to drift upward.
Elent reached out, controlling the water flow to descend slowly and envelop Celia’s long hair.
The warm water moved gently through the strands.
The temperature was just right — neither too hot nor too cold — as if a pair of warm hands were soothing her scalp.
“Mmm!”
Celia let out a comfortable hum.
This was it. This was the kind of service a human should enjoy.
Hearing that soft moan, Elent’s hand trembled, and the water ball almost fell apart.
From Elent’s perspective, the Priestess had her eyes closed, with tiny water droplets clinging to her eyelashes.
Her wet hair clung to her pale neck, and because of her reclining position, the collar of her Priestess Habit was slightly open, revealing a patch of delicate collarbone.
“Focus,” Celia said. She kept her eyes closed, sensing the pause in the water flow.
“A bit more pressure. Use the pads of your fingers to press on my scalp, not your nails.”
“Yes!”
Elent forced his mind to settle, concentrating all his attention on his fingers and the control of the water flow.
This was indeed a difficult training exercise.
Not only did he have to balance two elements, but he also had to control his gaze so it wouldn’t wander.
Furthermore, he had to suppress his racing heart, which was pounding because of the soft texture his fingertips touched.
His rough, slightly calloused fingertips moved through her hair, pressing against her scalp.
The slightly abrasive sensation didn’t make Celia uncomfortable; instead, it felt like a backscratcher grazing over every itchy pore.
“Mm, right there. A bit to the left… A little harder… yes, that’s it.”
Celia’s voice grew softer and softer.
This completely defenseless posture was an absolute devastation to Elent’s willpower.
Beads of sweat formed on the boy’s forehead and then slid down his cheeks.
Elent felt like he was undergoing a war where he was the only one fighting, while the enemy was completely unaware of it.
“And the back, near the neck.”
Celia slightly lifted her chin, gesturing for Elent to clean the edge of her hairline.
Elent’s fingers trembled as they reached toward that dangerous area.
As his fingertips brushed against the sensitive skin behind her ear, Celia instinctively shrunk her neck, and her warm breath fanned across Elent’s wrist.
Elent felt the fire element inside him was about to lose control. The temperature in the water ball seemed to rise a bit.
“Eh? It’s getting a little hot,” Celia frowned.
“S-Sorry!”
Elent hurriedly adjusted his magic output, stabilizing the water temperature once again.
That was close. He had almost suffered a magical backlash because of his stray thoughts.
‘Elent, oh Elent, how can you be so fallen? Calm down!’
As the shampoo bubbles were rinsed away and clear water flowed through the hair, Elent controlled the elements to gently blow the moisture off Celia’s hair until the strands were dry and fluffy.
“It’s finished, Priestess,” Elent said, forcing his state of mind to remain calm.
Celia sat up. Her originally light green hair now draped smoothly over her shoulders, emitting a faint scent of vanilla.
The heavy feeling on her scalp had vanished completely, and her whole body felt much lighter.
“Good craftsmanship.” Celia touched her hair, feeling very satisfied.
This technique was even better than the professional stylists she had paid hundreds of dollars to see in her previous life.
Magic truly was the primary productive force.
Celia stood up and caught the scent of sweat on Elent, but her heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
‘What is going on? It’s probably just because the weather is too hot.’
“Anyway, I’ll leave the task of washing my hair to you from now on.” Celia stretched, feeling refreshed. “Thank you for your hard work, Hero.”
With that, the young girl walked back to her room with brisk steps to change her clothes.
She left Elent standing there alone.
This Hero Candidate, who had just completed a high-difficulty special training session, felt his legs go weak.
He had to grab the edge of the well to barely stay standing.
Elent looked at his hands; the smooth, soft sensation and the scent of shampoo seemed to linger on his fingertips.
‘Does this count as training?’ Elent murmured to himself.
If it did, this kind of training was far too trying for a person.
Just then, Iris, who had been hiding in the corner peeking, poked her head out.
She looked at the flush-faced Elent, then at Celia’s departing back, and her gaze became even more terrified.
‘It was just washing hair; why did that man look like he had just survived a life-or-death struggle? And those sounds the Witch made just now… How terrifying. In the future, I must wash the plates even cleaner and absolutely never give that Witch an excuse to lay a hand on me!’
Poor Iris, also Celia beggining to feel something.