Chapter 153 I Can't Swim

Hermit stepped into Suzuka's room, and his eyes widened with astonishment. The room was an absolute marvel. Plush toys adorned the soft-looking bed, inviting him to sink into their comforting embrace. The gentle caress of the carpet tickled his bare feet as he gingerly explored the space. The walls boasted a collection of captivating paintings, each stroke of the artist's brush conveying a story untold. In the corner stood a beautifully carved table adorned with an array of books, inviting him to delve into their pages and unravel their secrets.

Overwhelmed by sheer delight, Hermit's excitement bubbled forth, propelling him to scuttle about the room with fervor. He darted and dived, his curiosity guiding him to every nook and cranny, eager to uncover new and unseen treasures to behold. In his fervent exploration, he found himself leaping beneath the bed, discovering yet more hidden delights in the form of forgotten toys.

Just as Hermit was reveling in his newfound discoveries, Suzuka grabbed hold of his leg and pulled him out from beneath the bed. Her voice carried a mix of irritation and fluster as she scolded him, "What do you think you're doing, Naked Scuttle? Stop poking your nose where it doesn't belong. You're all dirty from being dragged across the muddy ground. We'll need to clean you up first. Let's head to the hot spring bath to get you refreshed, and then I'll give you the clothing."

It was a tranquil evening, the Hotspring bath devoid of any other souls. Suzuka and Hermit ventured into the dressing room, their anticipation building. Suzuka gracefully shed her leather armor, wrapping herself in a towel that highlighted her alluring shape. Unknown to her, Hermit's eyes fixated on her, his gaze mesmerized by her majestic figure. His pupils sparkled, his mouth watering in response to the forbidden desire that began to take hold.

"Before we immerse ourselves in the rejuvenating waters of the hot spring itself," Suzuka spoke, her voice a gentle command, "we must cleanse our bodies."

She reached out, placing a bar of soap into Hermit's trembling hands, instructing him on its purpose. 

"Use this soap, Hermit. Apply it to your body, scrub away the impurities, and rinse it off with water."

Hermit, filled with curiosity, examined the soap in his grasp. He turned the soap over and over, his fingers clumsily fumbling with its smooth surface. 

"Master," he asked, his voice filled with innocent wonder, "what is this? It emits such a pleasant smell."

He tilted his head, his wide eyes reflecting his utter confusion. With his mouth slightly agape, he awaited his master's response.

Suzuka, ready to enlighten the goblin, began explaining.

 "It's just a soap, Naked Scuttle, it is a simple mix made from animal fat and oils, carefully blended to create a cleansing agent that..."

Before she could complete her explanation, Hermit's impulsive nature took hold. With a swift motion, he gobbled the soap, his belief that it was food overpowering all reason.

 "Ah! Food!" he yelled, his voice laced with excitement.

 "Hermit loves animal fat! It must be delicious!"

Without restraint, Hermit's jaws commenced their relentless assault, gnawing, chewing, and savoring the unsuspecting soap within his mouth. Yet, as the taste began to manifest, a wave of revulsion swept over him. Bubbles and foam escaped his lips, his face contorting in disgust. Violently, he choked and spat, desperately attempting to rid himself of the dreadful taste. "Pfew, phew! It's disgusting! Pfew! It tastes nothing like Master described!"

With a mischievous chuckle, she couldn't help but tease, "Oh, you foolish Naked Scuttle! Soap is not meant to be swallowed, you stupid! Its purpose is to rid your filthy body of dirt. Look at me closely and learn. I will demonstrate the art of using soap. It's quite pitiful that I have to educate you on something as basic as personal hygiene."

Hermit found himself entranced by the enchanting sight before him. His beady eyes fixated on her as she gracefully shed her towel, revealing a body that seemed to radiate both beauty and lewdness. The droplets of water cascaded down her tan skin, creating a mesmerizing symphony as they mingled with the steamy air.

Carefully, she lathered her body with the soap, the creamy substance transforming into a frothy blanket of white bubbles and foam, enveloping her like a shroud of purity. Her meticulous strokes conveyed both purpose and satisfaction, as though she were an artist painting a masterpiece. Each touch of the soap upon her skin was an act of cleansing and renewal, a ritual performed with the utmost care.

And then she rinsed off the soap, letting the water cascade down her body, revealing pristine, glistening skin that radiated with an otherworldly glow. Her skin, a testament to her care and diligence, exuded an allure that Hermit found impossible to resist. His heart fluttered in his chest, and his very being trembled with a longing he had never experienced.

Hermit fixated his gaze on her with indecent intensity, leaving him frozen in awe. His jaw hung dislocated, a testament to the shock that coursed through his puny body. His bulging eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets, while his tongue flopped onto the ground, helplessly writhing like a serpent entranced by its prey. His egg-laying straw started to throb. Never before in his lonely life as a lowly slave had he been granted the privilege of beholding such a breathtaking sight, an exquisite embodiment of beauty that defied his limited imagination.

Suzuka gently stuffed Hermit's tongue back into his mouth then closed his gaping mouth and placed a soap bar on his head. Teasingly, she said, "Just looking at me must be tormenting in its own way, considering you're a little horny goblin. Stop daydreaming and clean yourself."

Startled by the interruption, Hermit snapped back from his trance, his senses jolted into action. He vigorously scrubbed and rubbed himself with the soap, unleashing an explosion of frothy bubbles that engulfed him entirely. The goblin looked like a snowman with giant ears. Suzuka poured a bowl of water over him, leaving him squeaky clean.

With the task of cleaning complete, they eagerly ventured into the quiet haven of the hot spring. Hermit, in all his untamed glory, dashed forward with an enchanting blend of fascination and unbridled excitement. With a single, mighty swing of his head, his curious gaze shifted from one side to the other, his meaty ears playfully slapping against his face, creating a melodious wet clap. The sheer exhilaration radiated from his entire being, causing his eyes to practically pop out of their sockets. This was a momentous occasion for Hermit, as he had never experienced such opulence before, nor had he ever seen the grandeur of a hot spring.

 The concept of hot water was foreign to him. The notion of basking in its warm embrace and allowing the tensions of the world to melt away was beyond his wildest dreams. To him, it was an unprecedented luxury, a realm of tranquility that had previously existed only in stories and whispers. The touch of hot water had never graced his weathered skin, and the thought of indulging in its soothing properties was a revelation in itself.

Hermit gingerly approached the billowing steam emanating from the hot spring, a tangible reminder of the seething heat that lay beneath. He proceeded with caution, aware of the scorching temperatures that awaited him.

Goblins like damp and warm places, this hot spring felt like heaven to his body. However, before he could fully assess the situation, Suzuka playfully delivered a swift kick that sent Hermit tumbling headlong into the steaming water.

"Uwieee!" Hermit shrieked, his tiny body flailing in the water as he tried to regain his balance. His ears flapped wildly, acting as makeshift paddles, and his limbs thrashed about as he struggled to stay afloat.

Caught off guard, Hermit flailed and screeched, his body thrashing about as he struggled for air, reminiscent of a drowning rat. His desperate cries for help echoed through the tranquil surroundings. "Wreee! Master, please! Reeee! I beg you! Hermit is drowning! Hermit cannot swim!"

But Suzuka, far from offering assistance, found immense amusement in Hermit's crisis. Laughter escaped her lips as she nonchalantly replied, "Oh, you silly fool! Stand up! It's not deep at all."

Hermit, ceaselessly flailing, momentarily paused upon hearing Suzuka's words. With a glimmer of hope in his eyes, he straightened his body, finally realizing that the water barely reached his nose. 

"Oh, you are right, master," he yelled, relief flooding his voice. 

"I shall not drown after all. It was scary. Hermit doesn't know how to swim."

Suzuka, now aware that the goblin can't swim, offered a solution. 

"If you want, I can teach you how to swim, Naked Scuttle. But for now, let's enjoy the soothing warmth of this rejuvenating hot spring."

Hermit's plea echoed through the air, a desperate cry for respite from the constant turmoil that consumed him. 

"But Master," he whined, his voice quivering with fear, "Hermit can't enjoy, it is too deep. Hermit is on his toes, struggling to maintain his fragile balance amidst the relentless waves. I fear that if I dare to loosen my grip if I dare to surrender to the currents, I shall surely drown."

Suzuka observed Hermit's predicament from her vantage point. A smile curved upon her lips as she comfortably settled herself against the rugged rock. With a graceful gesture, she beckoned Hermit to draw near, her voice tinged with a playful hint of affection. 

"Fine, you Naked Scuttle," she teased, "I will offer you my aid, but let it be known that it is a rare gift, bestowed only once. Come, Hermit, climb onto my lap, and lean against me. In this way, you will rise above the waters that threaten to engulf you, and perhaps, just perhaps, you will find comfort in the embrace of relaxation."

With a heart filled with joy and great haste, he sped towards her, leaving a trail of waves in his wake.

 "Thank you, Master, thank you!" he yelled, his voice trembling with happiness and anticipation.

With a mixture of joy and longing, he climbed onto her lap, settling himself comfortably, his back pressed against her soft belly. His head nestled between her big cleavage, a sanctuary of warmth and solace.

In a rather peculiar display of affection, Hermit, in his eagerness to protect the delicate balance of their embrace, employed a most unconventional method. The mischievous goblin within him, known for its unruly nature, came to the fore. Its elongated meaty ears, like sentient tendrils, wrapped themselves around Suzuka's bosom, delicately ensnaring them.

Suzuka's words struck Hermit like a dagger, her tone laced with mockery. 

"Also, you can put away your eggs laying straw, you won't get any fun with me. This isn't your breeding farm, you won't get to lay eggs."

Hermit, feeling the weight of his subservience, lowered his gaze in submission.

"Oh no, Master," he replied with a trembling voice, "Slaves like Hermit weren't allowed to breed. If caught doing so: death awaits. Hermit never had a chance to touch a mate, not even a single egg was produced by Hermit. But because Hermit possessed such magnificent ears Hermit was bred many times by other goblins."

Suzuka's face contorted in a mixture of disgust and disdain as she addressed Hermit, her voice dripping with disgust. 

"Ew! Yeck! I should call you Yack Hermit. That is absolutely disgusting."

Hermit responded in a passive manner, acknowledging the repulsiveness of the situation. 

"Yes, indeed, it is a vile and disgusting tale," Hermit murmured, his voice tinged with a mixture of sadness and bitterness.

In the warm embrace of the hot spring, Hermit recounted his haunting tale, the memories of which still lingered in his troubled mind. The steam rising around him seemed to mirror the pain and sorrow that enveloped his heart.

 "Hermit has laid numerous clusters of eggs, each representing the fragile hope for a new life. But fate had a cruel twist in store. Countless goblin offspring met a pitiful end, their pitiful life snuffed out before it could even begin."

With a heavy sigh, Hermit continued his tragic narrative, recounting the heart-wrenching process of evaluation.

 "Out of the many eggs, only a mere handful of Hermit's hatchlings managed to survive... Their frail health was evaluated based on the growth of their ears. Oh, those innocent and beautiful ears, which should have been a symbol of hope, beauty, and growth, instead became cruel markers of their weakness and vulnerability."

"The master goblin of the breeding farm," Hermit's voice faltered, "carefully selected the goblins with pleasing ears, while the rest, with their meager, scrawny, flawed ears, were deemed worthless and discarded. Left to suffer a horrific fate, they were brutally thrown to ravenous hounds."

The memory of the helpless goblin offspring's fate weighed heavily on Hermit's heart, his voice now choked with sorrow.

 "I can still hear it... the haunting crunch of their delicate bones being crushed by the jaws of those savage beasts, accompanied by their silent moans and cries as their flesh was mercilessly torn apart. Little goblin hatchlings lost to a world of heartless cruelty."

"And those few carefully picked hatchlings," Hermit continued, his voice trembling with sorrow, "were forced into a merciless fighting pit. They were pitted against each other, battling until only one remained standing. It was a brutal ordeal, an endless cycle of suffering and despair."

Tears welled up in Hermit's eyes as he revisited the tragedy that befell his offspring. 

"From the hundreds of eggs that were laid, only a pitiful handful managed to endure the torment, forced to bear witness to the suffering and loss of their own kind."

Suzuka, seemingly unimpressed, interrupted with an indifferent tone. 

"I meant you, by saying disgusting. I didn't ask for your backstory. Ew! Get off me!"

With a mixture of repulsion and annoyance, she rose from her seat, clutching Hermit in her hand. Grabbing a wooden bowl, she submerged it underwater, then forcefully placed the repugnant goblin upon it. Her words dripped with disdain as she instructed, "Sit there and do not come anywhere near me. Ew!"