Chapter 156
Chapter 156 -- Let's Wash Off That Dungeon Grime
After we left the Adventurers Guild I asked Fer to come with me to a quiet place outside the city .
"It's time I brushed and washed you again . " I explained . We had spent weeks in the dungeon and I couldn't get a bath there myself but Fer's fur was truly filthy since I never had the time or the opportunity in the dungeon to groom him . It was time to make his coat gleam again, I had decided . I got the big dog brush out of my Item Box as Fer eyed me warily .
"Do you really have to?" he half-whined as I started to carefully brush his coat out .
“Well yes . " I said as I worked my way down his back . "There were swamps and deserts in the dungeon, remember, so your coat's really dirty . ”
"Nuuuu, I don't think I'm really that dirty . . . "
“No, no, your coat’s really really dirty . I can feel it, your hair is tangled and your paws and legs are totally encrusted with mud . " I kept working at his coat with the brush, figuring that stopping to argue with him would just waste time . He kept muttering under his breath but put up with my efforts . I couldn't understand it really, didn't he like being clean and, well, handsome-looking? He wasn't Japanese, I suppose . . . Cleaning around Fer's lower legs and paws was a lot of work but finally I finished brushing the mud and dust and mats out of his long hair and it was time to wash him .
"Sui, I need to make hot water so can you fill my bath for me?" I would do it the same way I had done before, add a small Fireball to a bath tub of cold water to make the water warm enough to wash Fer's large body properly .
"I understand-" Sui-chan agreed as I reached into my Item Box to get out my bathtub (MY bathtub!)
“Nuu, hot water isn't needed . " Fer interrupted . "I'm okay with cold water, just get it over with . ”
"But won't it be too cold for you, washing with cold water? You could catch a chill . " It wasn't particularly warm around Doran right now so was washing in cold water really a good idea?
"Moron . " Fer said dismissively . "Just who do you think I am? Just getting soaked in cold water isn't going to hurt me . I've got Ninril-sama's blessing, remember? I won't get sick . Just hurry it up will you?"
"Eh, you gonna wash the big guy with cold water?" Dora-chan asked, buzzing around Fer's body inquisitively . Of course, I remembered, he hadn't yet joined our group the last time I had washed Fer . "Hot water feels a lot better, big guy but if you don't want it that way then we'll be able to get our own bath sooner . " It seems that Dora-chan really liked bathing .
"Yeah, the quicker you finish washing me the better, so hurry it up . " Fer agreed . "Get it over with, will ya?"
“Yeah yeah, I'll wash you quickly with cold water then . ”
"Good . " Fer closed his eyes, ready for the dreaded onslaught .
“Sui, can you spray Fer like you did last time?"
"Is it OK, Fer-ojichan-?" Sui-chan asked .
"Umu . Go ahead, Sui . " Fer braced himself .
"I understand-" Sui sprayed water all over Fer's coat from her tentacle until he was thoroughly soaked . I rubbed lots of the vet-recommended high-quality pet shampoo (remembering not to mention it was particularly good for kittens and puppies within Fer's hearing range) into his coat, starting with the fur on his back .
"Hey, harder!" Fer insisted, his body shivering as I worked the shampoo deep into his coat with my fingers . Yeah yeah . I pushed deeper and harder, forcing the detergent down towards the roots of his long hair .
“Put more effort into it . ” Fer admonished me, his body twitching and squirming under my hands . Was the shampoo making his skin itch? It wasn't supposed to, I thought to myself as I washed and washed and washed, working as hard as I could but Fer kept telling me to apply more and more force .
"Harder than that, you . " Yeah yeah . I worked my way across his giant body thinking that if he really wanted a quick wash why was he ordering me to slow down to put more effort into the shampooing process? Could it be, I stifled a snigger, that he was actually enjoying the massage? Surely not, the Great And All-powerful Fenrir currently covered in sweet-smelling foamy bubbles was not the sort of creature that would enjoy being man-handled by a mere human, was he? I carefully kept my thoughts to myself as I followed his instructions to rub here with more effort and apply more pressure there and so on . Finally it was done, with the exception of his face and muzzle since I didn't want to get shampoo in his eyes .
“Okay, good . Sui, spray water over Fer again please . "
"Yes-" Sui-chan's shower attachment tentacle rinsed the shampoo bubbles from Fer's coat . Just the last bit to do, but was I forgetting something important? Never mind, it'll come to me, I thought to myself .
"Fer, we'll wash your face now . " I warned him .
"Nuuuu, do it quick . " Fer scrunched up his eyes even more, dreading the faint spritz of water to come .
"Sui, can you put a weak spray of water on Fer's face? Like a bit of rain, nothing harder OK?" I didn't want Sui-chan to unleash a Water Cutter or anything like that by accident . It probably wouldn't hurt Fer but I didn't want to take the chance . What was I forgetting though?
"Yes, I understand-" Sui-chan's tentacle sprayed a gentle stream of water on Fer's face, washing the dirt and grime from his muzzle and around his eyes . I watched shining fur emerge from the muck-encrusted features of Fer's face, wondering how he could stand being so unclean for so long . Finally it was done .
“Okay, Sui, that's enough . ” Sui-chan stopped .
"Fuuu-, finally finished?" I saw Fer's water-soaked body tense and I suddenly remembered that important thing . No!
“Fer! Wait a minute . " I said urgently . "Don't shake yourself dry until we get well away from you . OK?" Fer froze then relaxed . Sui-chan and I backed quickly away from Fer with Dora-chan flying along with us, obviously puzzled at our reticence . When I judged we were well out of the blast radius I said "On you go!"
Fer shook his massive body, spraying water in all directions like the first time I washed him . This time though I was not in range, just . A few seconds later I felt the warm air of Fer's Wind magic as he completed the process of drying his coat . I didn't need to get out the very large pet towel I had bought originally to dry him .
“Right then, are we going to have a bath as well?” I asked, already reaching into my Item Box for the you-know-what (MY you-know what!)
"Yup . " said Dora-chan excitedly .
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