Chapter 54: Fantasy Swimming Pool

Time passed, and I was discharged from the hospital, healthy and safely.

It wasn’t an empty compliment when they praised me as the hero of this battle. Grace, not only provided me with a private room, which is considered expensive even in modern times, but she also supported my treatment with high-quality care.

First of all, the hospital and admission fees were free. Long live the Duke of the North.

Not only Grace, but also Dariell, the head of the Snowflower Tower, helped with my treatment.

The battle had taken place at Snowflower Tower, particularly on the crucial 5th basement floor that housed the Ice Crystal, which was why it was considered important to guard that place.

They said it was out of gratitude for protecting it.

The funny thing was, while they said that, it didn’t seem like Snowflower Tower’s interest in my treatment was purely out of gratitude.

The reason my body was in such a poor condition was due to the aftereffects of absorbing too much of the Ice Crystal’s magical power.

In order to treat it, the residual magical power of the Ice Crystal in my body had to be dealt with, and to do that, I needed the help of cryomancers.

What this meant was that.

In hospitals, professors usually bring along new residents when doing rounds, giving them on-site experience along with lectures.

Right now, I was the only person with Ice Crystal’s magical power inside my body, having used it in actual combat.

I was essentially a biological training aid.

For the magicians at Snowflower Tower, it was an excellent opportunity for research, under the guise of treatment.

Moreover, I was already being closely watched due to my heat manipulation abilities.

How intriguing it must have been.

The magicians’ curiosity always exceeded imagination.

However, I couldn’t refuse the help of the cryomancers, as it was essential for my treatment.

Even though I was about to become a knight, it would have been a waste to turn down an opportunity like this, where the head of Snowflower Tower and the elders were offering to treat me, even as a mere soldier—especially since I was on the verge of becoming a knight.

And I didn’t mind being used as a research subject.

It wasn’t that I had strange tastes, but the head of Snowflower Tower and the elders were the best magicians in the North.

Just listening to their conversations was a valuable learning experience.

Since they felt guilty about using a patient for research, they also gave me in-depth lessons on magical power.

Since there were no TVs or smartphones, their lessons turned out to be the most useful form of education for me.

Contrary to my concerns, the magicians noticed the scales of the salamander, a rare treasure I had obtained, but they didn’t seem to reach the conclusion that it was an artifact. They just thought of it as a unique physical trait of mine.

Originally, the salamander’s scales were a treasure Aran had obtained by chance in Brave Road, and Aran’s group had even named it.

While they didn’t seem too interested in researching my special constitution, the conversation still piqued my interest.

I overheard a fascinating piece of information.

“Surprising! It looks like cold energy has now become a part of your magical circuits.”

“Huh? How?”

“You said you used heat manipulation while handling the Ice Crystal, right? Is that why? The cold magical power from the Ice Crystal has merged with your body. You’ll be able to use both heat and cold magic in the future.”

It was Dariell, an expert in cryomancy, who said that.

He claimed that I could handle both heat and cold magic, like the yin and yang in martial arts.

Of course, just like I had spent a long time training with the salamander’s scales to handle heat manipulation, I would need rigorous training to control cold magic as well.

But having the possibility to use both was extremely positive.

Dariell even went as far as to suggest that I transition to Snowflower Tower, but this was immediately blocked by Elaine, who was sitting by my side.

Since I had already been confirmed as a knight, I had no intention of going, and if they were disappointed, they would probably try to attach themselves to me like they did with Sophia.

In any case, after completing my recovery, I was back to full health.

I had returned to the training grounds.

“Um… okay.”

As soon as I returned to the escort unit after recovering, Grace immediately sent me back.

She said it was because my body had likely stiffened from being bedridden, so I should regain my senses through training before resuming my duties as an escort. But in reality, it was her way of showing consideration, allowing me to rest and do light exercise instead of throwing me back into work immediately after recovering from the ordeal.

So why swimming, among all the exercises?

“No, the important thing isn’t why swimming. The important thing is that it’s a swimming pool!”

In the North, swimming pools weren’t leisure facilities, but training grounds.

Still, it was a swimming pool.

The dictionary definition of swimming is the act of swimming in water as a sport or play.

And since ancient times, when people entered the water, they lightened their clothing.

Wet clothes become heavy, making movement uncomfortable, and they cause colds and require washing.

Therefore, designs that minimize the fabric area by covering only the important areas, or those that cling tightly to the body, have been newly developed.

A swimsuit, when you think about it, can be considered functional workwear.

However, because it covers only the important areas while exposing bare skin, swimsuits are closely related to sexual appeal for both men and women, and especially when the body line is exposed, it becomes more alluring on people with good physiques.

Why do more people go to the gym as summer approaches?

And Elaine, across both her past and present lives, is one of the women with the most perfect body I have ever seen.

‘Ah, I got too excited. Relax.’

I barely managed to calm my pounding heart with deep breaths.

My body was so heated that I almost melted the coldness I had acquired from the Ice Spirit.

The reason I came to the swimming pool was because of the promise I made to Elaine at the Crystal Lake.

She had told me that she didn’t know how to swim, so I offered to teach her, and she accepted my suggestion.

Afterward, due to my knight exam preparations and the duties of the guard corps, I had few opportunities to practice swimming.

To restore my physical abilities, I came here, while Elaine, who had been discharged before me, was taking a brief two-day rest after finishing urgent tasks following the Snowflake Tower incident.

Our schedules overlapped, and as promised, we arrived at the pool.

‘By the way, do swimsuits even exist in this fantasy world?’

I wasn’t exactly sure about the history of swimsuits, but I had never heard of swimsuits existing in the medieval era.

I vaguely remembered hearing that people in the Joseon era swam in their underwear or even completely naked.

Although the fantasy world was different from the actual medieval world, given the existence of swimming pools with temperature-controlling artifacts…

Still, I was curious.

Maybe they wear full-body swimsuits for military training? A one-piece swimsuit like a leotard? Or a rash guard?

The reason I had this question in my mind was because I was wearing a pair of square-shaped swim trunks, with my upper body exposed.

When I asked a senior in the guard corps, he told me that this was the swimsuit men wear.

It wasn’t much different from modern times, except for the lack of waterproofing.

It might be cold in the north, but the indoor pool was quite warm to prevent colds.

And since I could regulate my body temperature with heat manipulation, I wasn’t cold at all.

“You’re already prepared. Shall we begin?”

“1”

Lost in deep thought, I quickly turned my head when I heard Elaine’s voice, almost to the point of neck pain.

The moment I laid eyes on her in her swimsuit, something I had only imagined…

‘Holy crap!’

It was like a comedy anime where the nosebleed almost happened.

Because…

‘I never imagined a bikini like this.’

It wasn’t a sexy, pretty modern bikini that covers just the breasts and exposes the cleavage, but rather a sports bikini that covered the entire chest, something athletes might wear.

Still, it was a bikini.

It covered only the chest and crotch, exposing the entire body.

Even though Elaine’s chest was large, and her cleavage was covered, it didn’t make her appear modest at all.

Didn’t it have any compression effect?

At that moment, I realized the beauty of concealment.

I had seen her naked several times, but seeing her like this…

‘Amitabha.’

I muttered a chant to calm myself.

Since I came here with good intentions today, my mind was in turmoil, thinking I should avoid any embarrassing situation caused by the heat gathering in my crotch.

I never imagined I would be practicing cold manipulation here.

“Luke? What’s wrong? You don’t look well. Are you overexerting yourself?”

Yes, I’m overexerting myself.

Because you’re coming closer and showing me that body.

I suddenly became curious. How do you fight at such high speeds with that chest?

Northern knights are amazing.

“Hmmm, if it’s because of me, just let me know. Your body should come first, not my swimming practice. After all, you’ve only just recovered from the cold of the Ice Spirit, and that outfit exposes so much skin.”

“No, I’m fine.”

Her genuine concern made me feel awkward.

It wasn’t that I was in pain, it was that I was excited.

And now, I felt like trash with the way she was worrying about me.

But still, the bikini really shocked me.

Even though I said I was fine, she still observed me with a doubtful look.

…… “I think you really are fine.”

“I’m sorry.”

Damn it.

In the end, she noticed.

F*cking square trunks.

“This is the swimming pool. It’s a public facility, so… I can’t exactly respond to your feelings.”

“It’s fine. Really, please just ignore it.”

“No matter how much no one else is here today, doing something like that outside of home would still be embarrassing for a knight.”

“I’m such a bastard. If we swim, it’ll naturally go down. Could you stop looking now?”

Elaine, deep in thought, made me feel so guilty that I almost wanted to cry.

Fortunately, we didn’t create a memory that would lead to lifetime regrets.

I’d already be regretting it with just this.

But I managed to convince her by saying that men naturally go down when submerged in cold water, and she, both curious and accepting, began to practice swimming.

“First, relax your body in the water.”

“Like this? ……. Glub! Hah!”

“I said relax.”

“I did relax.”

“You didn’t, that’s why you sank.”

Elaine couldn’t even float in the water, let alone swim. We decided to start with learning how to float by relaxing her body.

“Alright, I’ll hold onto you. Try floating and kicking your legs to make the water splash. You need to get used to the sensation of kicking with your feet.”

“Like this?”

Splash, splash.

So cute.

Watching Elaine, focusing on kicking while holding my hands gently, was a refreshing change from her usual cool demeanor. It was enjoyable even for me, who was teaching.

She had always been the one teaching me, but now it was my turn, and the shift in roles felt refreshing.

“Success! Luke, did you see that clearly?”

She beamed brightly, excited that she had successfully moved forward without sinking for the first time. The sensation hurt my heart more than when I received Bingjeong’s magic.

Elaine was quick to pick things up, having a knack for movement. She soon mastered swimming as I taught her.

Once she had learned how to float and kick, she said,

“Hm, I get the hang of it now. This is actually quite fun.”

Elaine, after trying swimming a few times, not only mastered the crawl stroke but even performed a technique where she spun her body underwater and kicked off the wall to gain speed—something you’d see in competitions.

She was now doing it better than I had taught her.

‘As expected of someone with a physical job.’

I clapped in admiration at her excellent athleticism, but on the other hand, I felt a little down for no longer seeing her cute side.

Elaine quickly swam a lap around the pool and approached me.

“Thank you, Luke. You’re quite good at teaching.”

“The one who learns is amazing. I’m impressed myself.”

“When I saw you commanding the soldiers during the leadership assessment, it was clear you have a talent for teaching.”

“Leadership assessment?”

“Oh, right…”

Elaine, who had accidentally let a secret slip, quickly avoided eye contact. But I knew she and Grace had come to see me, so I chuckled.

“Hm, I never knew swimming could be this fun. It seems like great exercise. Now I understand why Keiyong recommends water training for the members.”

No, that person does it recklessly, breaking the ice and enduring cold water as some sort of extreme training.

If that was adopted as an official training exercise for the royal guard, even the Grand Duke would stop it.

“It feels like a lot of time has passed, so let’s stop here for today. Are you hungry? I’ll treat you to something delicious, now that you’ve learned something good.”

Elaine, seemingly satisfied with the swimming, smiled and walked out of the water. She suddenly looked back at me.

“Luke?”

“Ah, I’m coming.”

As I was delayed and didn’t get out of the water right away,

“Could it be…”

Elaine looked at me with sharp eyes.

“Hahaha.”

I had been keeping it a secret.

From the beginning, I hadn’t sunk at all.

Of course, how could I?

Elaine, a beauty in a bikini, swimming with her hair flowing in the water, her skin shining with droplets, emphasizing her smoothness under the light…

If a man didn’t react to that, he wouldn’t be a man.

“You’re usually so reliable, but you have this strange side to you.”

“It’s just a basic physiological response of men. Please understand.”

“I get it. Now come out. You can’t stay there forever.”

At Elaine’s urging, I got out of the water awkwardly.

Elaine stared at me intently and then said,

“You seem to be under a misconception.”

“???“

“You’re not the only one who loves me.”

Elaine walked over to me, stretched out her hand, and lightly traced from my chest to my abs.

“Eh?”

“Phew, originally, a man’s body was nothing to be bothered by. But because of your lewd tendencies, I got caught up in it too. Now, enough with the delay, let’s go. I’m resting tomorrow.”

“!”

Elaine grabbed my hand, and I felt there was no need to hold back anymore. I shook off my embarrassment, straightened my back, and walked confidently.

“Don’t tempt me. We’re still at the swimming pool.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“I know, but I’m hungry, so let’s eat first. You’re so healthy that you always end up exhausted.”

Elaine, who tried not to look at my body, walked beside me awkwardly.

“By the way, are women’s swimsuits always like this?”

“Oh, this?”

When I asked, something I had been subtly concerned about,

“I’m not very familiar with swimming, but I asked Sir Line for advice, and she said it’s better to minimize the fabric area, so I wore it like this. There’s some exposure, but I’d never wear it in front of others, only in front of you, it’s fine, right?”

I wondered who started the temptation first.

That aside, we’re going to do something physical later, so swimming is indeed exercise.

Arms, legs, waist, abs—everything is used, so it’s still exercise.