[Book 1 Completed] Industrial Mage: Modernizing a Magical World [Kingdom Building LitRPG]
B2 | Chapter 57 –  The Bathhouse Incident

William POV

William had arrived in this godforsaken backwater town with one simple mission: collect what was owed. He was dispatched by his father, Lord Karstein, to represent the Merchants' Guild. When it came to Theodore's obligations, they had been patient enough, but patience had its limitations. Particularly for a prince—well, a former prince in William's eyes, for the royal family had basically exiled him out here to rot anyway.

The whole situation annoyed William to no end. He was, for heaven's sake, a very competent Rank 2 individual. He had people to see, places to be, and important things to do. However, he found himself stranded in a border town that hardly constituted a settlement in his eyes, interacting with a disgraced nobleman who seemed to value creating soap bubbles over repaying his debts.

"My lord," his attendant Verrin had said for the hundredth time, "perhaps we should be more... diplomatic. Lord Theodore is still technically a prince. The royal family might—"

"The royal family exiled him here," William had snapped. "If they cared about him, would they have dumped him in this cesspit? Use your brain, Verrin!"

Verrin continued to make excuses, though. He was too cautious and too patient! William had no time to be cautious. Every day he spent in this dump was a wasted day, and he had a schedule to adhere to. Every hour he spent in Holden felt like a personal insult. His father hadn't just sent him here to collect a debt, it felt like he'd sent him to rot, to stew in the stink of failure.

He should've been home by now, barking orders at real people, not wallowing in provincial idiocy. The fact that no one here groveled fast enough only proved what he already suspected: this place needed a lesson in fear.

The accommodations were terrible, the food was worse, and the locals stared at him like he was some exotic animal.

Then he'd heard about the bathhouse.

A bathhouse. In this place. The irony was nearly comical. Here was Theodore, who was constructing opulent facilities for peasants—peasants!—while owing the Merchants' Guild large sums of money. The boldness was either magnificent or utterly crazy.

William had decided to see for himself what all the fuss was about. Perhaps he would be able to unwind, take a good bath, and then approach the debt collection task with a clear head. After all, Theodore could undoubtedly run a simple bathhouse even if he failed as a prince.

The crowd outside should have been his first warning.

Dirty peasants everywhere, chattering excitedly about their precious bathhouse experience. The smell alone was enough to make William's nose wrinkle. These people probably hadn't seen proper soap in months, and now they were acting like they'd discovered some miracle.

He'd pushed through the crowd, not bothering to be gentle. They were in his way, and he had places to be. But when he reached the entrance, some local guard had the audacity to stop him.

"Sorry, sir, but you'll need a reservation," the guard had said, like William was just another peasant waiting in line.

A reservation? Him? William? Son of one of the most powerful merchant families in the kingdom? He needed a reservation to enter a bathhouse in a backwater town run by a debt-ridden exile trash?

He nearly laughed. The idea that some yokel with a stick and a badge thought a rule applied to him—that was the real joke. In any proper city, a man like William walked where he wanted, took what he wanted, and left with his boots still clean. But here, in this dungheap of a town, the peasants forgot their place. Maybe they needed a reminder.

William had never been a patient man. He didn't believe in waiting. Waiting was for the poor and the powerless. So that's when William had lost his patience.

The kick sent the guard flying through the door with a satisfying crash.

"Do you know who I am?"

The main hall was packed with more peasants, all of them looking astonished and afraid that someone with real power had finally shown up. Good. Maybe now they'd show some proper respect.

The crowd parted like water in front of William as he went past them. They weren't entirely dumb, at least. A number of servants, including a very pretty young woman with big, terrified eyes, stood behind a counter.

"I want a private bath," William announced, his voice carrying easily through the suddenly quiet hall. "Now."

The servants looked at each other anxiously. One of them, an elderly man who was most likely the manager, reluctantly came forward.

"Sir, I'm terribly sorry, but all our private chambers are currently occupied. If you'd like to make a reservation for tomorrow—"

"Do I look like someone who makes reservations?" William interrupted. "Give me one, right now! And I want her to attend to me. Make sure I have everything I need."

He stared at the girl with the kind of slow, deliberate leer that made everyone in the room feel unclean just for witnessing it. The girl's face went pale. She and everyone else in the room knew exactly what he meant.

"Sir, that's not... we don't provide those kinds of services," the manager stammered.

William's eyes narrowed. These people really didn't understand who they were dealing with. Maybe a demonstration was in order. He'd beaten servants for less. It wouldn't be the first time someone learned what happened when they got between William and what he wanted.

"Hey now. That's enough." a voice called out from the crowd.

William looked back and saw a figure move forward. Based on his movements, he was most likely a local hunter. The man's aura was flaring slightly, marking him as another Rank 2.

Interesting. William hadn't expected to find anyone with real strength in this dump.

"You got a problem with me?" William asked, his own aura beginning to stir.

"Yeah, I got a problem with you threatening that girl. This is a respectable establishment, and she's a respectable employee. You want to act like an animal, do it somewhere else."

"Respectable?" William laughed. "Look around you, peasant. This is a bathhouse in a backwater town run by a failure of a prince. Nothing about this place is respectable!"

"That girl's got a name, and she's got dignity. Something you apparently don't understand."

William's aura flared fully now, pressing against the hunter's own power.

"You want to lecture me about dignity? Do you even know who you're talking to?" William snorted.

Although William could see a bead of sweat forming on the hunter's forehead from the strain, he refused to back down. "Don't care who you are. Rich boy or not, you don't get to treat people like that in our Holden!"

William sighed theatrically. "Fine. If you want to be a hero, let's see how heroic you can be with a broken arm."

The fight, if it could even be called that, lasted maybe three seconds.

Having been schooled by the best masters money could buy, William rushed forward. Indeed, his opponent was powerful, but power without skill was a waste of effort. The terrible crunch of bone filled the sudden silence as William's blow completely eluded the hunter's protection.

Screaming and grasping his twisted arm, the hunter fell to the ground. Although his friends hurried to his aid, they kept a safe distance from William.

"Anyone else want to play hero?" William asked furiously.

He turned back to the terrified servants. "Now, as I was saying. Private bath. Immediately! And if I hear one more word about reservations or proper procedures, I'll start breaking more than just arms! And you, girl! Why are you still here?"

He pointed at the young girl, and she flinched.

"Sir, please, if you could just—"

"Let me make this simple for you," William interrupted. "Your precious Lord Theodore owes us a substantial sum of money. Money he seems to have spent on this... establishment... instead of paying his debts. So you could say I have a vested interest in the success of this place."

The crowd murmured nervously.

"In fact," William continued, enjoying the growing fear in their eyes, "you could say your backwater lord is my little bitch. And if he can't pay what he owes, well... I might just have to start collecting in other ways."

The pretty servant girl was trembling, tears streaming down her face. The manager appeared on the verge of being sick. The crowd was retreating as well, unwilling to be associated to whatever was going on here.

"So, prepare my bath. Now. And make sure it's perfect. Because if it's not..." He cast a thoughtful glance at the hunter, who was still writhing on the ground in pain. "Well, you've seen what happens to people who disappoint me."

***

Theodore POV

Theodore had been looking forward to this moment for weeks.

Everything was going nicely, the bathhouse was finally open, and the first patrons were enjoying the experience he had hoped for. He was now able to unwind and savor the results of his labor for the first time in months.

He had selected for himself one of the smaller private rooms, not the biggest or most opulent, but more than plenty for his purposes. The water was the perfect temperature, the steam rising gently from the surface, and the soft lighting created an atmosphere of complete tranquility.

Freya and Juliana were in their own private chamber nearby, probably having the time of their lives. They had been so excited about the opening that they insisted on seeing everything for themselves. Theodore had been glad to make room for them.

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, he relaxed his muscles as he sank further into the warm water. Building it all so quickly had been quite taxing and expensive, but entirely worthwhile. The sounds coming from the main hall gave Theodore the impression that people were genuinely having fun, and that was all he had ever wanted.

This was what success felt like.

He let the warmth permeate into his bones as he closed his eyes. There was still work to be done, but for the time being, just for this precious instant, he could just be.

A crash shattered his peace like a hammer through glass.

It was loud, violent, and completely wrong for the atmosphere he'd worked so hard to create. Theodore's body tensed as his eyes snapped open. That had sounded like his front door being broken, and the screams that followed confirmed his worst fears.

Someone was causing trouble. Just who would dare to do that?

His eyes turned frigid.

***

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